Friday, January 11, 2013

BAPTISM OF THE LORD - JANUARY 13, 2013

INTRODUCTION
·         The celebration of the Baptism of the Lord belongs to the Christmas Season,  

·         The baptism of the Lord is an epiphany, a manifestation of the Lord . In the Jordan river the three divine Persons are present.   

THE BOOK OF THE DEUTERO-ISAIAH
«  The first Reading is taken from this book, which is also called the Book of Consolation. 

«  The author of the book does not emphasize as much the sin of the people as the merciful and gratuitous love of God for the people, love that saves.    

«  The book is written having in mind the Exodus. 

«  The author does not emphasize so much the duty to imitate God, as the generous love of God  that  will awaken in men and women the desire to love God and to be like God.  

FIRST READING  Is 40:1-5;9-11
Ø  Comfort my people, says the Lord, say tender words to them, because her service is at an end and her guilt expiated.    Like the soldier who has serve his/her time and is allowed to return home.   

Ø  A voice cries out in the desert, and invites to prepare the way. The way for the Lord, but also the way that the Lord prepares for his people for its return.     

Ø  The glory of God is revealed in the return of the people, and in his tender love.   

Ø  We are also invited to cry out, at the top of our voice, the good news and say : the Lord comes,  the Lord is already here among us. 

Ø  The good news  that  
o   The Lord as a good shepherd carries the lambs in his arms and takes care of the mothers. 

o   The Lord comes with power to save therefore “do not fear.”

Ø  We are invited to experience the joy of freedom, and of a new relationship with God.  

RESPONSORIAL PSALM – Ps  104

BLESS THE LORD MY SOUL 

*      Psalm 104 is a psalm of creation. 

*      Everything becomes alive when God is present; everything is in his hands; and everything is darkness when we go away from him. 

*      This psalm invites us to reflect on the wonders God continues to make, the wonders of creation and of salvation.   

SECOND READING  Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7.
ü  Jesus is the revelation, the epiphany of God among us. 

ü  He is the image of the Father, in Him the glory of God is made visible to us. 

ü  The glory of God is made visible in our salvation, in the opportunity that God gives us to live according to his will.   

ü  His kindness and his love toward men/women has been manifested in our new birth (baptism) and in the outpouring of the Spirit (confirmation). 

ü  Thus making us heirs of eternal life.  

GOSPEL  LK 3:15-16; 21-22
§  The passage of the Gospel according to Luke, that we will read, has two parts: 

o   In the first one John addresses the people and tells them that he is not the Messiah 

o   In the second Jesus is baptized   

§  In the first part
o   Luke tells us that the people ask themselves  if John is the Messiah  

o   And John assures them, that he is not, that there is one greater and stronger than him   

o   And that he(John)  considers himself unworthy to untie his sandals. 

o   John says that he baptizes them with water, but the one who comes after him will baptize them with the Holy Spirit and fire. 

§  In the second part   
o   Jesus, like all the other men,  has been baptized by John   

o   But now the Father will reveal to us who is that man that has been baptized in the Jordan  

o   The Spirit makes himself visible in the form of a dove  

o   And the Father speaks to Jesus: YOU ARE MY BELOVED SON, WITH YOU I AM WELL PLEASED. 

o   The Most Holy Trinity is present and visible at the Jordan: Father (voice) Son (Jesus) Holy Spiriti (dove).

§  Jesus  

o   He had, since his childhood a very peculiar relationship with God whom he called Abba (daddy).  

o   When he was a teenager he felt the need to stay in the temple, to be close to his “Abba”  

o   As an adult we find him praying in solitude with his “Abba”.    

o   The sacred authors do not say anything more about Jesus feelings toward his God  and Father, but  I like to think that

§  Probably Jesus was asking himself  about his mission, about the will of the Father over him, and   

§  the Father answers him calling him “My beloved Son” He is the happiness of the Father.   

§  What did he experience when the Father spoke to Him? Maybe we may try to understand this looking at our personal experience of God.  When He is present everything is light, colorful, peace and happiness fill us. 

After the baptism of the Lord, Luke puts the genealogy of Jesus  

·         As saying to us that Jesus, the beloved Son of the Father, is a member of our human family, 

·         The genealogy is followed by the temptations of the Lord. It seems as if Luke wants us to realize that Jesus is really member of human family, that He experiences also our temptations  

·         And after the temptations Jesus is ready to begin his mission of preaching the good news. 

 CLARETIAN CORNER

 
I strove continuously to mortify myself in speaking. All the things I didn't like hearing, I didn't like talking about, either. I resolved never to talk about what I had said in my sermons. I knew well enough how I myself disliked hearing others prate about their delivery, and I thought that I would only displease others if I spoke of such things. This is what led me to resolve never to talk about my preaching but to preach as well as I could and leave the rest in God's hands. If anyone offered me some advice on my preaching, I would accept it gratefully, without excusing my practice or giving reasons for it. Then I would try to correct any fault as best I could
St. Anthony Mary Claret. Founder of the Claretian Missionary Sisters. Autobiography 400.
 
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CLARET, Antonio María. Autobiografía.
JENSEN, JOSEPH. Ethical Dimensions of the Prophets. Liturgical Press, Collegeville 2006.
PAGOLA, José A. Following in the Footsteps of Jesus. Convivum Press 2012.
PARIS, María Antonia. Autobiografía.
RAVASSI, GIANFRANCO. Según las Escrituras , Año C.  San Pablo, Bogotá 2006.    
SCHÖKEL , Luis Alonso, La Biblia de nuestro Pueblo.  
 
 .
In this year, 1854, our Lord gave me a continuous communication with his Divine Majesty that it seems that a creature would not be able to live in this miserable life with such intimate communication with God. I do not know if I would be able to explain how it was. It seems that our Lord had my soul inside in the most sacred of his heart, and there he was communicating his eternal dispositions, with so much grace and love, like a best friend treat his equal; and if these two friends have not seen each other for so long, they  have many things to tell each other; and they need time to talk alone. It seems that our Lord would look for hidden moments to talk to my soul; and enjoy with it in intimate communication. I do not know if I am saying nonsense, but there is nothing that can compare how our Lord treated my soul with such love and familiarity during that time.  
.  María Antonia París, Foundress of the Claretian Missionary Sisters. Autobiography  48.
  

 

 

 

 

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