Greeting (see Rom 6:3-4)
We have been baptized in Christ Jesus and died to sin to
rise to a new life. May the risen Lord be always with you. R/ And also with
you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
When Jesus
asked John the Baptist to baptize him in the Jordan, just as John had baptized
other people, Jesus saw that his task was to save people from their sins. He
himself was without sin, but he made himself one with the people in their
weakness. And then God confirmed him in his task by saying: “This is my beloved
Son.” When we were baptized, we expressed, through our parents and godparents,
that we had become one with Jesus. Since that day we share with Jesus in his
task of serving and saving people. If we do so, then God can tell us too: “you
are my beloved son or daughter.”
It is recommended to use today the rite of sprinkling with
holy water. See the Sacramentary.
Penitential Act (if the rite of the water is not used)
Though we have become one with Jesus in baptism, we have not
lived as one with him. We now seek forgiveness from the Lord. (pause)
Lord Jesus, you committed yourself wholeheartedly to the
Father and to people: Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, the Father recognized how you were going to
serve him and people, when he said: “This is my beloved Son”: Christ, have
mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you unite us to yourself and commit us with you.
May we too hear from the Father: “You are my beloved sons and daughters”: Lord,
have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Lord, forgive us our reluctance to serve and all our other
sins. Lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray that the Spirit make us live the life of Jesus (pause)
Lord, our loving God,
pour out on us the Holy Spirit who came down on Jesus when he was baptized in
the Jordan and who guided Jesus in his life and death. Let the Spirit breathe
on us freedom from fear and hatred, the fire of his love, fervor in prayer. May
he bring harmony in our communities and lead us in our mission of making all
people your sons and daughters, that all may praise and thank you through Jesus
Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
First Reading: Come to the Water and Have Life!
The
prophet invites God’s people to live united with him in a lasting covenant. Let
them be thirsty for his word and hungry for God and his life.
Second Reading: Believe in Jesus, in Whom We Are Born
We
are born from God if we believe in Jesus; three things have witnessed that
Jesus is God’s Son: the water of baptism, the blood of the cross, and the
Spirit of Pentecost.
Gospel: You Are My Beloved Son
The
prophet had announced a servant filled with God’s Spirit. When Jesus is
baptized, the Father recognizes him as his servant and his beloved Son. The
Holy Spirit comes down on him.
Intercessions
United by our one Lord Jesus Christ, let us pray to the
Father of all, and let us say:
R/ Lord, hear us through your Son.
– For all those who
believe that Jesus is really God’s Son and for all those who seek him, whether
they know it or not, let us pray:
R/ Lord,
hear us through your Son.
– For all those who are
baptized, that they may live as God's beloved sons and daughters, let us pray:
R/ Lord,
hear us through your Son.
– For all those who
believe in Christ, that they may soon be united in one faith, one hope, one
love and one body, let us pray:
R/ Lord,
hear us through your Son.
– For those whose life
seems without meaning, for those who despair because of their faults, for all
the loners in life, let us pray:
R/ Lord,
hear us through your Son.
– For this and every
Christian community, that we may seek God’s will together and draw strength
from this Eucharist, let us pray:
R/ Lord,
hear us through your Son.
Father, we thank you that you are our Father. Give us your
Holy Spirit and gather us together to praise and love you now and for ever. R/
Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
Our God and Father, these gifts of bread and wine will
become your beloved Son Jesus on whom your favor rests. Strengthen us with his
body and blood and let his Holy Spirit renew us as people who live without
compromise the message of justice and love and the very life of your Son. In
this way, may we truly be your beloved sons and daughters on whom your favor
rests, now and forever. R/ Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
Let us give wholehearted thanks to the Father for having
made us in baptism his beloved sons and daughters together with Jesus our Lord.
Introduction to the Lord’s Prayer
Baptized in the Holy Spirit and children of the Father through
Jesus, his beloved Son, we pray with all trust Jesus’ own prayer: R/ Our
Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us, Lord, from every evil and grant us your peace in
our day. Revive in us the grace of baptism and guide us by your Holy Spirit, that
we may be faithful to our mission of living the life of Jesus in this world, as
we wait in joyful hope for the coming in glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation to Communion
This is Jesus our Lord, the beloved Son of the Father, on
whom God’s favor rests. Happy are we to be invited to share his table and to
live his life. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer after Communion
Our God and Father, you have opened heaven to us to
strengthen us with the Bread of life and to fill us with the Holy Spirit. Make
us new and call us away from our uncertainties and empty attachments. Send us
out to go forward without fear on the road of your justice and peace, that we
may be your beloved children together with your faithful Son, Jesus Christ our
Lord. R/ Amen.
Blessing
At his baptism Jesus saw his vocation: to serve God and
people. At our baptism we were given our vocation. It is, in our own small way,
the vocation of Jesus. Let each of us become a faithful servant and son or
daughter of the Father, a humble servant of those around us. And may almighty
God bless you all: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Go in the peace and the love of the Lord.
R/ Thanks be to God.
****
Commentary
Read:
Isaiah announces the day of liberation for God’s people with
the coming of the Lord. In the words of Paul, the grace of baptism justifies us
and makes us heirs to eternal life. Jesus enters the waters of baptism and the
Holy Trinity manifests itself.
Reflect:
Fulton J. Sheen (Life of Christ) observed that a
person received baptism to be freed from the stain of sin; but Jesus entered
the waters of Jordan to be stained by our sins. How great an act of
humility and self-emptying! In this kenotic act, Jesus is not alone—the entire
Trinity is present, as is evident in the Baptism scene. Isn’t it also
interesting that with the Baptism, the extraordinary liturgical season of
Christmas ends and the “ordinary time” begins? With the Baptism, God the
Almighty enters the waters of sinful human condition, becomes like one of us,
and lives the sweaty, dusty, boring ordinary life of a human being. Thus
appeared the Grace of God – as Paul reminds Titus – walking amidst us as an
ordinary human, so that we could become like him, heirs to his extraordinary
patrimony.
Pray:
“Father, I thank you for claiming me as your beloved
daughter/son.”
Act:
Meditate on this verse, as applied to you: “You are my
beloved child.”
==================
12 January 2025
Baptism of the Lord
Luke 3:15-16, 21-22
Prayer That Opens the Heavens
Today’s Gospel reflects the beginning of Jesus’ public life
as He humbly steps into the Jordan River to be baptised by John the Baptist.
This act is not one of grandeur or spectacle, but rather one of solidarity.
Jesus, the sinless Son of God, immerses Himself in the waters of humanity’s
brokenness, standing shoulder to shoulder with sinners. Barefoot and with a
bare soul, He aligns Himself with the humble, sharing their plight. This
profound humility reveals a God who does not remain above us but descends into
our wounded history to heal it from within.
At the moment of His baptism, we see Jesus praying. This is
significant. Although He is the Son of God, Jesus turns to the Father in
prayer, demonstrating the essence of a life anchored in communion with God. His
prayer is not a mere formality but an intimate dialogue, a raising of His heart
amidst the currents of human struggle. This union of descent and prayer teaches
us an essential truth: while we are immersed in life’s trials, we must also
lift our hearts heavenward.
Prayer, as the Gospel illustrates, “opens the heavens.” It
is not a ritualistic escape but a channel for divine grace, strength, and
perspective. Through prayer, we hear the Father’saffirmation: “You are my
beloved child.” This identity, rooted in our baptism, reminds us that we are
never alone. Prayer is our lifeline, enabling us to encounter God amid life’s
challenges, to entrust our burdens to Him, and to find renewed strength.
Let us reflect on the quality of our prayer. Is it an encounter with God or a mere routine? Let us dedicate time to cultivate this relationship—through silence, Scripture, and heartfelt dialogue. May our prayer, like Mary’s, be a hymn of praise that opens the heavens and transforms our lives.
