THE BAPTISM OF JESUS - C- 2022

Ø  The Lord goes with other men from his village and from other villages to be baptized.   

Ø  We are going to see something wonderful.   

Ø  Let us enter, as always, with reverence in our inner sanctuary where the Lord dwells and let us listen to what he says to us.   

Ø  This Sunday participates of the Epiphany meaning, Word which means manifestation, and it participates also of the ordinary time which begins the day after the baptism.   

FIRST READING  Is 40:1-5.9-11

ü  This reading is taken from the Second Isaiah or Book of Consolation.   

ü  The prophet calls someone to console Jerusalem, to tell her that her service, her exile is over.  During this exile Israel has acknowledge her smallness, her sinfulness, and the unconditional love of her God.   

ü  One voice is heard what does it say? “in the desert prepare a way for the Lord”

o   What desert is the prophet talking about?   

o   Could it be the desert that they will have to cross to reach their homeland?   

o   Can it be our inner desert, where we are invited to prepare a way, straightening what is crooked in our life; to pave the irregular path so that it is passable, so that our life is welcoming and pacifying.

o   The prophet says that this way is so that our God can come to us, I would rather say for us to discover His silent and patient presence waiting for us, to realize that He is at the door and knocking.

ü  When we had prepared the way, the Lord will reveal his glory to us and all being of flesh will realize that God has spoken.

o   What is this glory of the Lord? Jesus is the glory of the Father.  

ü  Again, the prophet invites us, now it is to proclaim from all the high places the good news, yes, we are all invited to proclaim the good news.  

o   What is this good news?   That God has become flesh and dwells among us.

ü  How is our God? The prophet by means of images taken from the shepherd’s life describes the tenderness with which God takes care of us.  

ü  He takes care of the deportees on their return; he takes care of us on the path of life in which we return to Him as well.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM:  Ps. 103(104)

R. (1)  O bless the Lord, my soul.
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
     you are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
     You have spread out the heavens like a tent-cloth;
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.
You have constructed your palace upon the waters.
     You make the clouds your chariot;
you travel on the wings of the wind.
     You make the winds your messengers,
and flaming fire your ministers.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
     In wisdom you have wrought them all
the earth is full of your creatures;
     the sea also, great and wide,
in which are schools without number
     of living things both small and great.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.
They look to you to give them food in due time.
     When you give it to them, they gather it;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.
If you take away their breath, they perish and return to the dust.
     When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.

v  The author of the psalm praises God, sings to God and he pictures Him   

o   As king, he says “you are clothed with majesty and glory.” 

o   He continues describing what God is   using the elements of nature in a very beautiful way.  

v  Then he tells God how all creatures are waiting for him for their food and,  if He does not look at us we return to dust, but God gives us new life with his breath of life. 

v  God renews the face of the earth. Now that we want to repair the damage we have done to the earth, maybe it would be good to look at the way God takes care of creation, to imitate Him. 

SECOND READING – Paul to Titus 2:11-14:3-47

§  The grace of God has appeared for the salvation of every human being. 

§  This grace teaches us to renounce to what is evil and to live the present time in justice and truth.  

§  Until we see the fulfillment of our hope the glorious manifestation of our God and Savior Jesus Crist; He has offered himself for our wellbeing. 

§  God our Savior has manifested his kindness, his love for all. 

§  Paul speaks of the work accomplished in us by our baptism  

§  Paul says that the grace that has been given to us makes of us heirs in hope of eternal life.  

§  Let us meditate on these words “heirs of eternal life.”   

§  How does that affect our life, if we take seriously what Paul says of our baptism?    

GOSPEL– Lc.3:15-16.21-22

      The people that went to be baptized by John wonder whether John was the Christ, the Messiah, they expected.   

      John tells the truth, he who comes after me is so great that I am not even worthy to untie the strap of its sandals.   

      He announces to them that he will baptize them not only in water as John, but in the Spirit and fire.   

      Jesus has arrived at the Jordan to be baptized like the rest, after his baptism he prays, while He is praying the heavens open and the Spirit descends on Him in the appearance of a dove and a voice, the voice of the Father says to Him “You are my beloved Son, You are my joy.”   

      The Father wants to say the same about us, you are my beloved son, my beloved daughter.  

      Do I feel that this is so in my life? Do I feel that I am the Father’s beloved daughter, beloved son?  

     

CLARETIAN CORNER

Do I find my joy in my God?   

  

 

To Sister Antonia París

Puerto Príncipe, October 8  1853

My dear Sister, I have received your letter together with the letter from the Bishop of Urgel;  in reply, I say, that he wrote the same to me regarding the Rules; and I already answered what I judged prudent, that both for the Government that had to give permission for the foundation, and to satisfy you, the Rules were indispensable, these and not those of St. Benedict. Once your Foundation is approved by the Government, it is at the prelate's prerogative to approve everything that is wanted. With this answer I gave to him and to you it seems to me that you will all understand me. In the rest there is no novelty. Entrust me to God and give expressions to all the Sisters and Girls.                                 

Antonio María Archbishop of Cuba

P D - I had already written the letter when I received your letter and in response I say to you, continue acting  as you see fit. I will   entrust you to God so that he will let you know what you have to do. 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

RR. de María Inmaculada Misioneras Claretianas. Cartas de los Orígenes. Madrid 2009.