Back
Next
THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD
You are my beloved Son.
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
When the Lord had been baptized, the heavens opened, and the Spirit came down like a dove to rest on him. Then the voice of the Father thundered: This is my beloved Son, with him I am well pleased.
PENITENTIAL RITE
Today we commemorate the baptism of Jesus. This is an important event in his life. It is the beginning of his vocation and mission. We too are baptized and commissioned for a mission. On our baptism day God made us his children demanding from us a different style of life from the rest of the world. How conscious are we of our dignity as children of God? How faithful are we to our baptismal commitments? (Pause.)
I Confess...
Glory to God in the highest,/and peace to his people on earth./Lord God, heavenly King,/almighty God and Father,/we worship you,/we give you thanks,/we praise you for your glory./Lord, Jesus Christ,/only Son of the Father,/Lord, God, Lamb of God,/you take away the sin of the world:/have mercy on us;/you are seated at the right hand of the Father,/receive our prayer./For you alone are the Holy One,/you alone are the Lord,/you alone are the Most High,/Jesus Christ,/with the Holy Spirit,/in the glory of God the Father./Amen.
OPENING PRAYER
Let us pray. Almighty, eternal God, when the Spirit descended upon Jesus at his baptism in the Jordan, you revealed him as your own beloved Son. Keep us, your children born of water and the Spirit, faithful to our calling. We ask this…
FIRST READING
(The servant of God, gentle and caring, will uphold moral uprightness.)
A reading from the book of Isaiah
(42:1-4, 6-7)
Thus says the Lord: "Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not fail or be discouraged till he has established justice on the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness."
This is the Word of the Lord
PSALM (28)
Response: The Lord will bless his people with peace.
O give the Lord, you sons of God, give the Lord glory and power; give the Lord the glory of his name. Adore the Lord in his holy court. R.
The Lord’s voice resounding on the waters, the Lord on the immensity of waters, the voice of the Lord, full of power, the voice of the Lord, full of splendour. R.
The God of glory thunders. In his temple they all cry: "Glory!" The Lord sat enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits as king for ever. R.
SECOND READING
(God was with Jesus, so will he be with everyone who fears God and does what is right.)
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
(10:34-38)
Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the word which he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), the word which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with Power; how he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him."
This is the Word of the Lord
ACCLAMATION (Mk 9:7)
Alleluia, alleluia! A voice came out of the cloud, "This is my beloved Son listen to him." Alleluia!
GOSPEL
(During his baptism the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus and the words of approving love of the father re-sounded from heaven.)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to St Luke (3:15-16, 21-22)
As the people were in expectation, and all men questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he were the Christ, John answered them all, "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he ill baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."
Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, ‘Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased."
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
I believe in God,/the Father Almighty,/ Creator of heaven and earth./I believe in Jesus Christ,/his only Son, our Lord./He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit/and born of the Virgin Mary./He suffered under Pontius Pilate,/was crucified, died, and was buried./He descended to the dead./On the third day he rose again./He ascended into Heaven,/and is seated at the right hand of the Father./He will come again to judge the living and the dead./I believe in the Holy Spirit,/the Holy Catholic Church,/the communion of saints,/the forgiveness of sins,/the resurrection of the body,/and the life everlasting./Amen.
PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
Cel: Dear brothers and sisters, in baptism God has made us his beloved daughters and sons. So with filial trust, let us bring to him all our needs and desires. Our response: Loving Father, listen to your children.
1. May the Church, the body of the baptized, ever grow in union with her Lord and in holiness. R.
2. We pray that all the baptized Christians treasure the blessings they have received from baptism and strive to share them with others. R.
3. Let us lift up to the Lord all the lapsed Christians: may the love of our heavenly Father touch them and revive in them the grace of baptism. R.
4. Lord, bring to the joys of the saints our departed sisters and brothers. R.
(Pause to pray for other intentions.)
Cel: Gracious Father, we thank you for your plan of salvation. We praise you for the saving work of your Son from Incarnation to the sending of the Holy Spirit. Enable us to be always your faithful and loving children. We ask this…
PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS
Lord, we celebrate the revelation of Christ your Son who takes away the sins of the world. Accept our gifts and let them become one with this sacrifice, for he is Lord for ever and ever.
PREFACE (P 7)
COMMUNION ANTIPHON
This is he of whom John said: I have seen and have given witness that this is the Son of God.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Lord, you feed us with bread from heaven. May we hear your Son with faith and become your children in name and in fact. We ask this…
LITURGY AND LIFE
About 1877 a class of Zulu boys was being prepared for baptism. Among those who dropped in casually was a middle-aged man, Manqumusela, one of the King’s soldiers, who, coming regularly, and staying long, at last asked for baptism with the rest.
But the King’s word was that if any of
the soldiers became Christians he would have him killed. This was put before Manqumusela, who having gone away and thought and prayed, returned, and asked still to be baptized.
The King came to know about it, and just before the baptism sent soldiers to put Manqumusela to death. He asked for time to pray and after praying for himself, the missionaries, the King, the soldiers and Zululand, he said to the soldiers who were sitting around, waiting, that he was ready. They were, however, so impressed that they could not perform their duty, but beckoned to another man near, who dispatched the first Zulu martyr.
For thirty years Jesus led an ordinary, uneventful life of a country carpenter. So much so that later on hearing him speak and watching him work miracles his countrymen ask in astonishment "Isn’t he the carpenter’s son?" Then Jesus suddenly appears on the bank of the Jordan and seeks baptism from John the Baptist. John is astonished for his baptism was for repentance. How could he administer it to Jesus who is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world? But Jesus insists and John relents.
The baptism of Jesus is his mission statement. His Father and He have a vision for humanity. From this vision flows the mission. Their vision and mission are expressed in the baptism at Jordan. This mission is to save human family from sin by becoming one with it. To submit to the baptism of repentance was to identify oneself with the sinful human race.
The baptism of Jesus was a stupendous event. Though the earth remained indifferent, the heavens could not. It opened up and the third Person of the Holy Trinity appeared in the form of a dove. And the voice of the Father, the first Person of the Trinity, resounded affirming the second Person of the Trinity, Jesus and approving the course of action he was taking. Jesus’ baptism was a Trinitarian event, just like his birth and resurrection.
The baptism of Jesus is a strong statement of solidarity with the sinful humanity. Thus the sinless one becomes part of the sinful human family. It is part of the kenosis, self-emptying of Jesus. It was the plan of salvation devised by the Holy Trinity. At the annunciation the angel told Mary that Jesus would save his people from their sins. It was an act of true love, costing nothing less than the life of Jesus. By his baptism Jesus virtually declares ‘I shall be your Saviour, and you shall be my people.’
While for Jesus baptism meant a loss, it is a gain for us. Our sins are forgiven; we become children of God, heirs of heaven, and coheirs with Jesus. This is a gain and a dignity we could hardly imagine. When we think of it, our day of baptism is much more significant than our birthday. We celebrate our birthdays whereas our day of baptism is hardly remembered.
Let us thank Jesus for becoming one with us and the Holy Trinity for making us sharers in their life.
January 2004
CALENDAR
Psalter Week 1
12/Mon (G) 1 Sam 1:1-8; Ps 115; Mk 1:14-20
13/Tue (G/W) St Hilary, bp & dr 1 Sam 1:9-20; Ps 1 Sam 2; Mk 1:21b-28
14/Wed (G) 1 Sam 3:1-10, 19-20; Ps 39; Mk 1:29-39
15/Thu (G) 1 Sam 4:1-11; Ps 43; Mk 1:40-45
16/Fri (G) 1 Sam 8:4-7,10-22a; Ps 88; Mk 2:1-12
17/Sat (W) St Anthony, abbot 1 Sam 9:1-4,17-19,10:1a; Ps 20; Mk 2:13-17
