Feast of the Lord’s Baptism
Luke 3:16
“I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming… He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
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At baptism, we accept Christ as our Savior, gained his friendship, the guidance of the Spirit, and the protection of the Father, acknowledging God’s presence in our life.
We have Jesus who loved us so much to die for us, we have the Father who encloses us with his arms of mercy and safety, and we have the Spirit who lives inside of us.
Today, in the Catholic world, we celebrate the baptism of the Lord Jesus in the River Jordan, by St. John the Baptist, his cousin. It signifies both an end and a beginning – playing a significant role in both of their ministries.
First, it came at the height of John's ministry, after which his began to decline (“So this joy of mine has been made complete. He must increase; I must decrease.”).
It then served as the beginning of Jesus' ministry, which soon overtook the ministry of John.
Jesus did not really "need" baptism because He was without sin, but was baptized anyway to introduce Himself to the world, and start His ministry of salvation until His death, resurrection and ascension.
Let us pray+
We thank you, God, for the gift of creation, the gift of life and your presence with us. Almighty Father, by your Holy Spirit save those who confess the name of Jesus Christ that sin may have no power over them. Create new life for us, from the day that we are baptized till the day that we rise in Christ. Glory to you, eternal God, the one who was, and is, and shall always be, world without end. Amen +
The Lord will bless his people with peace.
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