Jesus, High Priest

We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.

Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.

Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.

Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.

Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.

O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.

Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests

This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.

The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.

The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.

Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.

St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come 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.

3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

6. Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary. The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]

Feast of
the Holy Name of Jesus

Luke 2:21 "...Et vocatum est Nomen eius IESUS"
("And His Name was called JESUS")

Psalm 90:14 "Because he hoped in me I will deliver him:
I will protect him because he hath known My Name."

Zacharias 10:12 "I will strengthen them in the Lord,
and they shall walk in His Name, saith the Lord."

Apocalypse 3:8 "I know thy works. Behold, I have given before thee a door opened, which no man can shut: because thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied My Name."

Apocalypse 15:4 "Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and magnify Thy Name?..."

Blessed be the most holy Name of Jesus without end!

January Devotion: The Holy Name of Jesus

The month of January is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. This feast is also celebrated on January 3. Here is an explanation of the devotion.

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has associated entire months to special devotions. The devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus has been traditionally associated with the month of January, due to its celebration on January 3. The name Jesus was given to the Holy Child at God's command (Luke 1:31). The Holy Name is all-powerful because of the Person who bears it; we honor it because of the command of Christ, that we should pray in His Name and because it reminds us of all the blessings we receive through our Holy Redeemer. Hence St. Paul was able to write to the Philippians: ". . . at the name of Jesus every knee should bend of those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth" (Phil. 2:10). By means of this devotion we also make amends for improper use of the Holy Name.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

Prayer/Hymn in Honor of the Most Holy Name of Jesus - Iesu, Dulcis Memoria

Iesu, Dulcis Memoria is a celebrated 12th century hymn attributed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), Doctor Mellifluus. The entire hymn has some 42 to 53 stanzas depending upon the manuscript. Parts of this hymn were used for the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, which was formerly celebrated on the Sunday between the Circumcision and Epiphany, or failing such a Sunday, on January 2. The part below was used at Vespers. In the liturgical revisions of Vatican II, the feast was deleted, though a votive Mass to the Holy Name of Jesus had been retained for devotional use. With the release of the revised Roman Missal in March 2002, the feast was restored as an optional memorial on January 3.

Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills the breast!
Yet sweeter far Thy face to see
And in Thy presence rest.

No voice can sing, no heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find,
A sweeter sound than Jesus' name,
The Savior of mankind.

O hope of every contrite heart!
0 joy of all the meek!
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!

But what to those who find? Ah! this
Nor tongue nor pen can show
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but His loved ones know.

Jesus! our only hope be Thou,
As Thou our prize shalt be;
In Thee be all our glory now,
And through eternity. Amen.

---Roman Breviary

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

O Divine Jesus, Thou hast promised that anything we ask of the Eternal Father in Thy name shall be granted.

O Eternal Father. In the name of Jesus, for the love of Jesus, in fulfillment of this promise, and because Jesus has said it, grant us our petitions for the sake of Jesus, Thy Divine Son. Amen.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Phil:2:10-11

The Most Holy Name
The Power of Jesus’ Name
What does IHS stand for? The meaning of the Holy Name of Jesus [Catholic Caucus]
Litany Of The Holy Name of Jesus
Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus
Jesus, The Name above all Names
Devotion to the Holy Name (of Jesus) [Catholic Caucus]
Lessons In Iconography : The Chi Rho - Christ
St. Francis de Sales on the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Excerpt from a Sermon) (Catholic Caucus)
St. Francis de Sales on the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)

St. Bernard on the Most Holy Name of Jesus [Ecumenical]
Saving the day in His Holy Name: St. Genevieve gets a reprieve [Catholic Caucus]
The Holy Name of Jesus
Holy Name of Jesus [San Bernadino of Siena] Ecumenical
The Holy Name of Jesus
Devotion to the Holy Name [of Jesus]
The Name of Jesus: Its Power in Our Lives
The Holy Name of Jesus
Devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus
The Holy Name of Jesus

Philippians 2
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Meditation: Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

The Baptism of the Lord (Feast)

All were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ. (Luke 3:15)

The people who had come to hear John the Baptist were expecting something explosive. A prophet had arisen who would denounce all the enemies, all the “bad guys” who made life hard for everyone else. Maybe he was the Christ, the Messiah, come to cast out the Romans and their henchmen and restore Israel to its former glory.

But then came Jesus. A small-town carpenter who spent his time with the powerless and the sinful. The Spirit came upon him instead—not a fiery preacher calling out people’s sins, but a humble man preaching love of enemies. Surely people were caught off guard.

Jesus came “to open the eyes of the blind,” not to cast the bad guys into hell (Isaiah 42:7). He came “to bring out prisoners from confinement,” not to punish people for their sins (42:7). He came to take away our sins so that we could learn to love one another—good guy and bad guy alike.

When you hear this reading today, close your eyes and picture the scene. Picture John immersing Jesus into the Jordan River—a river that had received the sins of all who had come for baptism. Imagine Jesus accepting all of those sins and every sin that they represent.

For the next three years, Jesus will bear these sins, along with the sins of everyone else he comes into contact with. And still bearing those sins, he will teach us about his Father’s mercy, heal us from the wounds of sin, and deliver us from whatever hatred and bitterness is stored up in our hearts. Then he will take all that sin, hatred, and bitterness to the cross, where he will put it to death forever.

Today is the beginning of salvation for you and for everyone else, good guy and bad guy alike. So rejoice in this salvation and ask Jesus to help you love as he loves. Ask him to help you love everyone.

“Praise to you, Jesus, for taking all my sins!”

Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7
Psalm 29:1-4, 9-10
Acts 10:34-38

https://zenit.org/articles/archbishop-follo-feast-of-the-baptism-of-the-lord/

Archbishop Follo: Feast of the Baptism of the Lord ‘On Sunday of the Baptism of Jesus, the Lord grant us to live in the love on which we have been baptized.’

Sunday after the Epiphany, January 13, 2019
Roman Rite
Is 42:1-4 6-7; Ps 104; Tt 2:11-14 3:4-7; Lk 3: 15-16.21-22

Ambrosian Rite
Is 55:4-7 Ps 28(29) 1-3a. 3c-4. 3b.9c-10; Eph 2:13-22; Lk 3: 15-16.21-22

Another Epiphany
On Christmas Day and on January 6, we have experienced the manifestation (= epiphany) of Jesus to the shepherds and to the Magi who had gone to him. They recognized him and adored him, kneeling in front of him and bringing presents.

I think that the shepherds brought “white gifts” like milk, cheese, wool and maybe a lamb, to give honor to the white Splendor of God. Were these poor gifts? A gift is always of great value if it is made with joy and love. A gift is not measured based on how much we give, but on how much love we put in giving.

The Magi followed this “law of giving” (Mother Theresa of Calcutta) and, by doing so, they demonstrated their respectful love. They donated gold to Baby Jesus because He is the true King of Kings, incense because in Him they recognized the true God, and myrrh because they identified Him as the true Man. Myrrh is an unusual gift for a baby because it was used for the dead. Doing so, they prophesized the destiny of a baby born to give his life for us. From this Baby, we have received the gift of Eternity that we can obtain only through the Cross.

Today’s liturgy celebrates the way in which God himself lives the “law of giving” certifying with his divine testimony the” law of giving” of the shepherds and of the Magi. Here, we can see another Epiphany (=manifestation) of Jesus who is Peace sent, donated and present while for centuries it had been promised, postponed and prophesized. God gives testimony of His peace in the Humanity of Jesus, full of grace and mercy.

Today’s manifestation invites us to contemplate and to live 3 things:

Christ’s humility. He is the God made Man who, as a sign of penance and conversion, goes to another man to be baptized. He is the innocent Lamb who humbly carries the sin of the world. With his incarnation as a baby, the Son of God, infinite power and absolute greatness, become a humble weakness. Receiving the baptism, Jesus lowers himself even more: he presents himself almost as a sinner. He enters Jordan’s waters like a public sinner and a penitent. He loves us with infinite love and doesn’t hesitate to descend into the deepest bottom of our poverty, humiliation, and sin.
Christ’s” solidarity.” He, who is without sin, joins his sinner brothers and sisters to partake of their sufferings. He brings on himself the punishment of every sin to let mankind be part of His life and of His Holiness. Nothing shows better the divine mercy than the fact that He acquired our own misery. This mercy is not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, it is a passionate regenerating love.
The “testimony” of God as the Father who opens the sky of His Heart, sends His Spirit sweet as a dove and says:” This is my beloved Son. Listen to His words”. Mankind does not have any reason for unbelieving: God makes himself understandable to all of us and His testimony is truly believable. In the Gospels, we find two episodes in which God recognizes Jesus as His Son: at Baptism and during Transfiguration. John the Baptist and the people who saw Jesus descend in the waters together with the sinners were the witnesses of the Father’s testimony. They saw the sky open, heard the words of the Father and were able to recognize God’s greatness and His supreme humility. Jesus is the humility that goes below anyone to guide everyone to the Father.
The entire life of Christ is an epiphany of heaven
At his Baptism on the Jordan River, we can find in seed the entire life of Jesus, who brings heaven to earth. In the same way, at our baptism, we find in seed our Christian life, which is Heaven’s life. Becoming like us, Christ has made us one with him. All human beings live in the Son. To us, sons in the Son, the Father speaks; to us, He donates His Spirit. If the Spirit of God is in us, Heaven is here, open to us and to all. Origen of Alexandria stated:” Seeing the Son and dwelling in us the complaisance of the Father who loves us in the Loved One, we are the Heaven of God”

Our and Jesus’ Baptism implies a mission of paradise. It is a mission to be carried out with steadiness “he shall bring forth justice to the nations,” and with gentleness” a bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench” A mission that doesn’t use violence, but acts with humble consideration” not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street.” A mission that gives hope and deliverance to the troubled ones “to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement.” It is a universal mission whose limits are “the Earth”, “the nations” and “the faraway islands.” (Prophet Isaiah – Today’s first reading)

The Son of God has entered the world not to remain hidden but to make himself be known and loved, in order to build a new world and to save mankind. Even when we are bad, Christ is good and forgives our viciousness. He doesn’t want to destroy but loves to build. He came to this world to bring, with His almighty and unlimited goodness, Paradise into the world.

For Christ, to save us means to free us from sin and from all the miseries that it generates. It means to bring us in communion with Him and with all the other men so that the neighbor becomes our brother. This is Paradise’s life. It means to make ours the good thief’s words: “Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom” and to receive Christ’s answer:” Today you will be with me in Paradise” which means: “From now on you will be with me forever”.

Let’s not forget that this salvation doesn’t concern only the end and the afterlife of history. On the contrary, it works inside history and gives meaning to it. Eternal life has started and sprouts on Earth.

The Kingdom of God is a construction site in the heart of men busy building their cities. Christians are not better than other men but they are aware to be redeemed sinners who announce to the world that Jesus is the Lord. Because of their baptism, Christians are called to be the salt that gives flavor to Earth and the light that illuminates the world carrying the joy of Heaven.

The Christian doesn’t run away from the world, but “works” to put it in the hands of God, and to participate with heart and action to the birth of a new world where everyone will have a stable and happy home.

A feminine epiphany
Everybody is called to do this job in order to realize the epiphany of God in the world. However, I think that I can say that the consecrated virgins are called to live this epiphany on the basis of their femininity.

At the meeting of the Ordo Virginum on June 2, 1995, Saint John Paul II told them: “Dear Sisters, Mary is your mother, sister, and teacher. Learn from her to do the will of God and to accept his plan of salvation; to guard His world and to compare it with the events of life, to sing His praise for the “great works” in favor of humanity, to share the mystery of suffering, to bring Christ to men and to intercede for those in need. Be with Mary in the wedding room where they celebrate and Christ appears to his disciples as the messianic Bridegroom; be with Mary at the Cross, where Christ gives His life for the Church; stay with her where she received the Spirit, who spreads over as divine Love in the Church, the Bride.´ (John Paul II Address to the participants in the international conference of Ordo Virginum in the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Rite, June 2, 1995 #8.)

I think that, in the context of today’s world, the presence of a consecrated virgin as a true woman is very important. Wherever she lives, works, studies, speaks, serves and prays, with her way of life she is a testimony of her marriage to Christ in an existence totally donated to Christ and able to accept him. With the sincere and complete gift of herself, singing his praises and opening her heart to every person up to the point of feeling “body” of the Church, she becomes the epiphany of the Bridegroom.

http://blog.adw.org/2019/01/jesus-not-go-water-alone-takes-us-reflection-baptism-lord/

Jesus Does Not Go into the Water Alone; He Takes Us with Him – A Reflection on the Baptism of the Lord

Msgr. Charles Pope •

January 12, 2019 •

Baptism of Christ – Piero Della Francesca (1450)

This Sunday’s Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is a time to reflect on not only the Lord’s Baptism but our own. In an extended sense, when Christ is baptized, so are we, for we are members of His Body. As Christ enters the water, He makes holy the water that will baptize us. He enters the water and we follow. In these waters, He acquires gifts to give us.

Let’s examine the Gospel in three stages.

The Fraternity of Baptism – The text says, After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized …

Luke mentions Jesus’ Baptism in passing, in the middle of a sentence. Perhaps he, like many of us, is puzzled as to why Jesus would request baptism. John’s baptism of repentance presumes the presence of sin, but the scriptures are clear that Jesus had no sin.

For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin (Heb 4:15). You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin (1 John 3:5). Even though He never sinned, Jesus identifies with sinners. As He comes to the bank of the river, He has no ego concerns. He is not embarrassed or ashamed that some might think Him a sinner (though He was not). He accepts the humiliation of being seen in the company of sinners. Jesus freely enters the waters knowing that anyone who does not know Him will count Him among the sinners.

Consider how amazing this is. Scripture says, He is not ashamed to call us his Brethren (Heb 2:11). Elsewhere it says, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21).

Jesus ate with sinners, something many of the religious leaders found scandalous. This man welcomes sinners and eats with them (Lk 15:2). Jesus was known as a friend of sinners. He had pity on the woman caught in adultery. He allowed a sinful woman to touch Him and anoint His feet. He cast out demons and fought for sinners. He suffered and died for sinners in a manner reserved for the worst of criminals. He was crucified between two thieves and was assigned a grave among the wicked (Is 53).

Praise God, Jesus is not ashamed to be found in our presence and to share a brotherhood with us. There is a great shedding of His glory in doing this. Scripture says, [Jesus], being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself (Phil 1:3).

The Foreshadowing of our Baptism – In accepting baptism, Jesus does not enter the water alone. He takes us with Him, for we are members of His Body. As the Head of the Body, He goes where the members will follow. St. Maximus says,

I understand the mystery as this. The column of fire went before the sons of Israel through the Red Sea so that they could follow on their brave journey; the column went first through the waters to prepare a path for those who followed … But Christ the Lord does all these things: in the column of fire He went through the sea before the sons of Israel; so now in the column of his body he goes through baptism before the Christian people … At the time of the Exodus the column … made a pathway through the waters; now it strengthens the footsteps of faith in the bath of baptism (de sancta Epiphania 1.3).

So what God promised in the Old Testament by way of prefigurement, He now fulfills in Christ. They were delivered from the slavery of Egypt as the column led them through the waters. More wonderfully, we are delivered from the slavery to sin as the column of Christ’s Body leads us through the waters of baptism. God’s righteousness is His fidelity to His promises. In His Baptism and all it signifies (His death and resurrection), Jesus has come to fulfill all righteousness, and thus fulfills the promises made by God at the Red Sea and throughout the Old Testament.

The Four Gifts of Baptism – The text says, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Scripture says, we are members of Christ’s body (Eph 5:30). Thus, when Jesus goes into the water, we go with Him. In going there, He acquires four gifts on our behalf:

Access – The heavens are opened. The heavens and paradise were closed to us after Original Sin, but at Jesus’ Baptism, they are opened. Jesus acquires this gift for us. At our Baptism, the heavens open for us and we have access to the Father and to the heavenly places. Scripture says, Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand (Romans 5:1). Scripture also says, For through Jesus we have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God (Eph 2:17). Anointing – The Spirit of God descends on him like a dove. Here, too, Jesus acquires the gift of the Holy Spirit for us. At our Baptism we are not just washed of sins, but we also become temples of the Holy Spirit. After our Baptism we are anointed with chrism, signifying the presence of the Holy Spirit. For adults, this happens at Confirmation, but even for infants there is an anointing at Baptism to recognize that the Spirit of God dwells in the baptized as in a temple. Scripture says, Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? (1 Cor 3:16) Acknowledgment – You are my beloved Son. Jesus receives this acknowledgment from His Father for the faith of those who heard it and to acquire this gift for us. In our own Baptism we become the children of God. Because we become members of Christ’s Body, we now have the status of sons of God. On the day of your Baptism, the heavenly Father acknowledges you as His own dear child. Scripture says, You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ (Gal 3:26). Approval – With you I am well pleased. Jesus had always pleased His Father, but now He acquires this gift for us as well. Our own Baptism gives us sanctifying grace, the grace to be holy and pleasing to God. Scripture says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in his sight (Eph 1:1-3). Thus, at His Baptism Christ acquires these gifts for us so that we can receive them at our own Baptism. Consider well the glorious gift of your Baptism. If you don’t know the date, find out. It should be a day as highly celebrated as your birthday. Christ was baptized for our sake, not His own. All these gifts had always been His. In His Baptism, Jesus fulfilled God’s righteousness by going into the water to get them for you. It’s all right to say, “Hallelujah!”

https://www.theworkofgod.org/Devotns/Euchrist/HolyMass/gospels.asp?key=43

Year C - The Baptism of the Lord

You are my beloved Son; in You I am well pleased
Luke 3:15-16 21-22
15 And as the people were of opinion, and all were thinking in their hearts of John, that perhaps he might be the Christ;
16 John answered, saying unto all: I indeed baptize you with water; but there shall come one mightier that I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to loose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
21 Now it came to pass, when all the people were baptized, that Jesus also being baptized and praying, heaven was opened;
22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape, as a dove upon him; and a voice came from heaven: You are my beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus
I descended from Heaven with the special mission of redeeming the human race. This would involve first of all the cleansing of souls by repentance and then the commitment from all those who follow me through baptism.

The Holy Trinity was present in the solemn event of my Baptism. My Father spoke lovingly from Heaven confirming that His favour rests on me. I sanctified the waters of baptism, opening the way for the purification of souls. The Holy Spirit descended upon me to fill me and to strengthen me for my work on earth.

I set an example for all to follow, in fact Baptism is the sacrament of initiation into the Christian Life. Those who believe in my teachings and are baptised will be saved. In baptism I fill the soul with the fire of my Holy Spirit, I make the soul a part of my mystical body, I grant my sanctifying grace to the spirit of the baptised so that his conscience will carry the light that I came to give to the world.

In baptism you are clothed with my grace, my light and my protection, in other words you are clothed with Christ. My light is that power that the soul needs to grow, to thrive and to acquire the merits of my salvation.

For those who repent and desire to be purified with the waters of salvation, I grant the fire of the Holy Spirit to increase their faith and to make them see with the eyes of the spirit, a heavenly gift that is hidden to those who prefer the world. I baptise with the fire of the Holy Spirit.

When a child is baptised, he carries the seeds of my love within him, he becomes my son, my beloved and my favour rests on him. I send my Holy Spirit to guide him through life and my sanctifying grace to lead him; he has very intimate encounters with me in the practice of his faith and in the Sacraments of the Church.

When and adult is baptised, he experiences my love and my mercy, I forgive all his sins and he is clothed in my light. Even though he is old, he is born again into life.

There is only one baptism; this is the firm ground on which the other sacraments rest for the sanctification of the soul.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

https://www.catholicherald.com/Faith/Your_Faith/Gospel_Commentary/Baptism_is_lifelong_commitment/

Baptism is a lifelong commitment
Fr. James C. Hudgins | For the Catholic Herald

Gospel Commentary Lk 3:15-16, 21-22

The baptism of Jesus is the final feast day of the Christmas season, but it seems out of place. It makes sense to include the feast of Epiphany within the Christmas season, or to place the feast of the Holy Family in the Christmas season, but the Baptism of Jesus takes place a solid 30 years later. And why on earth is Jesus being baptized in the first place? Some feast days are easy to understand, and this is not one of them.

Let’s begin by recognizing that Jesus does not receive the sacrament of Baptism. Jesus’ baptism is something entirely different. Since about the first century BC, there has been a Jewish ceremony of cleansing and repentance called Mikveh, consisting of an immersion in water (the word “baptism” derives from a Greek term that simply means “immersion”) for the purpose of ritual purity and cleansing from sin. Historically speaking, this was the baptism of St. John the Baptist that we read in the Gospels.

Why would Jesus do this? Someone once asked Mother Teresa of Calcutta, “Mother, when you’re no longer with us, where will we look to see the face of Jesus?” She answered, “You will see him at the crib, and you will see him at the cross.” The crib and the cross are the two places Jesus identifies with us. At the crib, God takes our human nature. At the cross, he takes our sins. Now at his Baptism, Jesus publicly identifies himself with sinners, as Isaiah once prophesied the messiah would do. (Is 53:12)

St. Luke tells us that the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus “in bodily form, like a dove.” We’re accustomed to imaging the Holy Spirit as a dove, but the Baptism of Jesus is the only place in the Bible in which the Holy Spirit is described as such. Why does the Holy Spirit appear as a dove? Because a dove was a sin offering. In the Jerusalem temple, the sin offering for the high priest was a bull; for those of modest income, a goat; but the sin offering for the poor was a dove. Any first-century Jew would have understood the connection: Jesus himself will be an offering for the forgiveness of sin.

If you think Christmas is just the story of a baby in a manger, you’re missing most of the point. Christmas is about the Incarnation of the invisible God into human flesh, whose purpose in this world was to redeem us from sin. Christmas is about “Emmanuel,” God with us.

The popular Catholic author Peter Kreeft once wrote a short story that compared Christmas to D-Day. It was the story of two soldiers, Gabby and Mike, discussing secret invasion plans to reclaim enemy occupied territory. As the story unfolds, we realize that “Gabby and Mike” are actually the archangels Gabriel and Michael, that “enemy occupied territory” is our poor, suffering world, occupied by the power of sin and evil. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, God snuck unseen behind enemy lines in a covert operation to reclaim the creation that is rightfully his own. Christmas is God’s D-Day.

Each of us is a soldier in that fight. In his Baptism, Christ identifies with us as sinners, but that identification is a two-way street. In the sacrament of Baptism, you received the gift of Christ’s own divinity. Your challenge now is to identify with him, in the heart of the secular world. The Baptism of Christ is a good day to ask: do you live like it? Baptism has never been just a cute rite of passage for a baby. It is a lifelong commitment to live as a Christian.

On Sunday, the Christmas season draws to a close. On Monday, Ordinary Time begins anew. Our commitment to Christ remains the same. Let Christ live in you, so that he will be Emmanuel, “God with us.”

Fr. Hudgins is pastor of St. Jude Church in Fredericksburg.

http://www.donghanh.org/suyniem/reflection/c_baptism.html

Baptism of the Lord
Reading I: Is 42:1-4,6-7; II: Acts 10:34-38

Gospel
Luke 3:15-16,21-22

15 As the people were in expectation, and all men questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he were the Christ,
16 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 will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened,
22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, “Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased.”

Interesting Details

(v.15) John’s mission as Jesus’ forerunner was so powerful that the people at that time began to believe that he was the promised Messiah they had expected for generations.
(v.16) John pointed out that his baptism used water to get rid of sins, but there will be one whose baptism will be with the power of the Holy Spirit, which is more than just an act of cleansing. This was a very important announcement of the coming of Jesus with His mission as the Savior.
(v.21) Jesus went right in to be baptized like one of the people before Him; He was praying and the Heaven was open. An extraordinary event was happening here: Jesus has just reached the boundary which had been set by sins, and His prayer has re-established the connection between Heaven and Earth.
(v.22) The Holy Spirit came in the form of a dove, which is a symbol of love, life, and union with God.
The Father was pleased with what Jesus has just done; His beloved son has restored the relationship between God and His people, enabling each human being to come back to the loving Father.

One Main Point

Jesus has come to restore the relationship between the humanity and God which had long been divided by the boundaries set by sins. He has baptized us with the Holy Spirit to enable us to cross these boundaries and come back to God.

Reflections

Once baptized by Jesus through the Church, my relationship with God has been restored. However, I still have the freedom to choose between God’s way and my own. Which one am I choosing?
Realizing that I have been baptized with the power of the Holy Spirit, how am I going to cross the barriers set up by sins to come back to God who has been loving and waiting for me?

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Feast of
the Holy Name of Jesus

January, 2019

The Holy Father's Prayer Intention

Evangelization – Religious Minorities in Asia, That Christians and other religious minorities in Asian countries, may be able to practice their faith in full freedom.