Collect Series : Solemnity of Baptism Of The Lord

 Collect Series

The Mass: Collect series icon.

COLLECT

 

The Collect for Solemnity of Baptism of the Lord reads as follows:

Almighty ever living God,

who when Christ had been baptised in the River Jordan

and as the Holy Spirit descended upon Him,

solemnly declared Him Your Beloved Son,

grant that your children by adoption, reborn of water and the Holy Spirit,

may be well pleasing to You.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God, for ever and ever.

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. What does the Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord mean to me?

2. What does being a child of God through adoption mean to me?

3.  Do I hear God say to me’ You are my Son/daughter the Beloved- My favour rests on You’?

4.What is my relationship with the Holy Spirit?  How might I deepen that relationship this year?

5.How will I be pleasing to God this coming week/this month/this year?

 

Gospel Reflection: Beloved and Sent

 

Matthew 3:13–17 Theme: “You Are My Beloved Son.”

Setting the Scene

Jesus comes from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John. This moment marks the transition from His hidden life to His public ministry. John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance, calling people to prepare their hearts for the coming of the Messiah. Yet here stands Jesus — the sinless One — stepping into the waters alongside sinners.

John hesitates, recognising that Jesus does not need repentance. But Jesus insists, saying that it is fitting “to fulfil all righteousness.” In this act of humility and obedience, Jesus fully enters into the human condition. He stands in solidarity with humanity, embracing the path that will ultimately lead Him to the Cross.

As Jesus emerges from the water, the heavens are opened. The Spirit of God descends like a dove, and the voice of the Father is heard: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” This revelation unveils the heart of the Trinity and confirms Jesus’ identity and mission at the very beginning of His ministry.

 

The Baptism of the Lord reveals who Jesus is — and, in a profound way, who we are called to be. Before Jesus performs any miracles, teaches crowds, or calls disciples, He is named and claimed as Beloved. His identity is not rooted in what He does, but in who He is in relationship with the Father.

This moment reminds us that our own baptism is not simply a past event, but a living reality. In baptism, we too are named as beloved children of God. God’s delight in Jesus extends to us — not because of our achievements, but because we belong to Him.

The opening of the heavens signals that something new has begun. God is no longer distant. The Spirit moves freely, and Jesus is anointed for mission. From this point onward, Jesus will teach, heal, forgive, and call others to follow Him — all flowing from this foundational truth of being loved.

The descent of the Spirit also reminds us that discipleship is not lived by our own strength. The same Spirit who rested upon Jesus accompanies us, empowering us to live faithfully in the ordinary rhythms of daily life. Ordinary Time begins not with dramatic demands, but with a quiet assurance: You are loved. Now go and live from that truth.

Personal Reflection

The Baptism of the Lord invites us to pause at the very beginning of Ordinary Time and remember who we are. Before we strive, serve, or try to improve ourselves, God speaks a word of love over us.

In the busyness of life, it is easy to forget this truth. We can begin to measure our worth by productivity, faithfulness by effort, and holiness by perfection. Yet today’s Gospel gently calls us back to the waters of baptism, where God simply says: “You are my beloved.”

Ordinary Time offers us the space to live out this identity day by day — not in extraordinary gestures, but in ordinary faithfulness. Each choice to love, forgive, listen, or trust becomes an echo of our baptismal call. As we begin this season, we are invited to let our lives flow from belovedness, not striving.

Questions for Reflection·     

• What words or images from Jesus’ baptism stay with me today? 
  
• How do I understand my own baptism — as a past memory or a living identity?  
• Where do I struggle to believe that I am truly beloved by God? 
• What voices compete with God’s voice in shaping how I see myself? 
• How might my daily life change if I lived more consciously from my identity as God’s beloved child? 
• In what ordinary moments is God inviting me to live out my baptismal call this week?
  
  
  What is a Solemnity.
  
  

  What is a Solemnity in the Catholic Church?

  A Solemnity is the highest rank of liturgical day in the Roman Catholic calendar.

  It commemorates central mysteries of the faith or persons of supreme importance in salvation history, and it is celebrated with the greatest liturgical weight and fullness that the Church gives to any feast.

  What do Solemnities celebrate?

  Solemnities primarily fall into four categories:

1. The Lord (God Himself)
   – e.g. Christmas, Easter, Trinity Sunday, Pentecost
2. The Paschal Mystery
   – events directly connected to Christ’s saving work
3. The Blessed Virgin Mary (in her role within salvation history)
4. Saints of universal importance
   – especially St Joseph, St John the Baptist, St Peter and St Paul
   
   

   Solemnities of the Lord (10):

   Mary, Mother of God (1 January)

   Epiphany of the Lord

   Easter Sunday

   Ascension of the Lord

   Pentecost

   Most Holy Trinity

   Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)

   Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

   Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

   Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)

Solemnities of the Blessed Virgin Mary (4):
 Immaculate Conception
Assumption
Annunciation of the Lord (theologically Christological, but Marian in celebration)
Mary, Mother of God (already listed above but counted here thematically)

of Saints (3):

15. Nativity of St John the Baptist
16. St Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
17. Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

(Different official lists sometimes group them slightly differently, but the total remains the same.)

 

Why does the number sometimes seem higher?

In addition to the 17 universal Solemnities, there are also:

National Solemnities (e.g. patron saints of a country)
Diocesan Solemnities
Parish Solemnities
Solemnities proper to religious orders
The Solemnity of the Dedication of a Church

These are true Solemnities, but they apply only locally, not to the whole Church.

That is why people often say:

“There are about 17 Solemnities — but more if you count local ones.”

Both statements are correct, depending on context.

Defining characteristics of a Solemnity

A Solemnity is distinguished by the following liturgical features:

1. Gloria is sung or said (except during Advent and Lent when otherwise prohibited)
2. Creed is professed
3. Three Scripture readings are used (even on weekdays)
4. First Vespers (Evening Prayer I) is celebrated the evening before
5. Te Deum is used in the Office of Readings
6. White or proper liturgical colour is used (unless red or another colour is proper)
7. If it falls on a Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Solemnity replaces the Sunday

In other words, the Church treats a Solemnity as if it were a Sunday, and in some respects with even greater theological focus.

A concise theological summary

A Solemnity is the Church’s highest act of liturgical remembrance, reserved for the mysteries and persons most intimately bound to the identity of God, the work of salvation, and the structure of the Church herself.

• Closing Prayer

Loving Father,
You revealed Your Son as the Beloved at the waters of the Jordan.
Help me to remember that I, too, am claimed and loved by You.
Send Your Spirit upon me anew,
that I may live each day rooted in Your love
and faithful to the call You have placed upon my life.
Amen.