Praying the Communion Antiphon Series: Monday Third Week of Lent Year A Ps 116(117):1,2

 Praying the Communion Antiphon

Praying the Communion Antiphon Series

A Time Set Apart:  Monday Third Week of Lent 

Praise Beyond Boundaries

Communion Antiphon (Psalm 116 (117):1–2)

O praise the Lord, all you nations,

for his merciful love towards us is great.

 Thinking About the Words

“O praise the Lord, all you nations…”

This is remarkable.  Many psalms call Israel to praise God. But here the invitation expands outward. The psalmist calls all nations to praise the Lord.  God’s mercy is not confined to one people. His love reaches beyond every boundary.

We do not praise God  in isolation, even though God is entitled to our praise at any time. At the Epiphany during Christmastide, the response is " Let every nation on earth adore you". Today's antiphon should remind us of this response.

“For his merciful love towards us is great.”

The phrase again carries the rich Hebrew sense of steadfast love — faithful, enduring, covenant love.  It is not fragile or fleeting.  It is strong and reliable.  Notice too the movement in the verse.  The nations are invited to praise because they see something: the greatness of God’s mercy toward His people.

The experience of God’s mercy becomes a witness to the world. Tthis is prayed at Communion. The Eucharist gathers people from every nation and language around one table. The mercy revealed in Christ is not limited to one group — it is offered to all.

Lent reminds us that the love we receive from God is not meant to remain private.

It overflows.

 Reflection

• Do I recognise that God’s mercy reaches beyond every boundary?
• In what ways has God’s faithful love been evident in my life?
• Does my life quietly witness to the goodness of God?
• How might gratitude and praise shape my Lenten journey this week?
• Who do I shut out in my parish, workplace, home?

 This antiphon widens the horizon of Lent.

After reflecting on repentance, mercy, and return, the Church now reminds us that God’s love is larger than we imagine — a love that calls all nations to praise.  It sits beautifully with the Eucharist, where people from every place are gathered into one communion.

 

Prayer

Lord,

Your merciful love is great.

Let my life give praise to You

and reflect Your goodness to the world.

 

1. The Antiphon Opens the Circle

Psalm 116(117) says:

Praise the Lord, all you nations.

This is extraordinary for ancient Israel. It imagines a time when every people will recognise God’s goodness. God’s mercy is not tribal. It is universal.

The psalm already anticipates what will later be fulfilled in Christ.

2. The Gospel Narrows the Circle

In today’s Gospel (Luke 4:24–30), Jesus reminds the people of Nazareth that:

• Elijah helped the widow of Zarephath — a foreigner.
• Elisha healed Naaman the Syrian — another outsider.

In other words, God’s mercy has always crossed boundaries.  However, the listeners cannot accept this. Their reaction is not merely disagreement.  Scripture says they were filled with rage-enraged.  Why? Jesus challenges the idea that God belongs only to them.

 3. The Real Issue

Their problem is not lack of knowledge. It is a closed heart.  They know the Scriptures. However, they cannot imagine God acting beyond their expectations.  So instead of praising God’s goodness, they try to silence the one who reveals it.

 

4. The Lenten Invitation

The antiphon and Gospel together ask a quiet question:

• Is my heart wide enough for the mercy of God?
• Or do I place limits on whom God may bless?

The psalm invites praise from all nations.

The Gospel warns how easily the human heart resists that wideness.  We can place limitations on blessing all nations when we close off possibilities to all people, those who don’t think they same way as we do and especially in parishes where the parish team or a certain group of people who hold an unhealthy power  decides on who can do what ministries. Sadly closed hearts are more prevalent than what we think in parishes. Many people have different gifts to offer but are shut out.

5. At Communion

When we hear this antiphon at Communion, something beautiful happens.  People from many different lives, backgrounds, and struggles come forward together.  The mercy of God is not restricted.  It gathers.  The Eucharist becomes a living sign of what the psalm proclaims:  God’s love is greater than the boundaries we create.

The psalm invites all nations to praise God for His mercy. Yet in the Gospel the people of Nazareth struggle to accept that God’s goodness might reach beyond their expectations. Where the psalm widens the circle, the Gospel reveals how easily the human heart tries to narrow it.

 

 

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.

 

Collect Series: Solemnity of Baptism of Our 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 baptized 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 always 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

The Solemnity of the Baptism of Our Lord that we celebrate on the First Sunday of Ordinary Time is a powerful moment in the life of Jesus: His baptism in the Jordan River. This is often called the "second epiphany" or manifestation of the Lord. Just as we saw His glory revealed to the Magi at the Epiphany, here we see another unveiling of who Jesus truly is.

This Solemnity holds a unique place in the Church calendar—it marks the end of Christmastide and serves as the bridge into Ordinary Time. It’s not just a transition of seasons, but a call to move from the extraordinary celebration of Christmas into the steady rhythm of discipleship.

In His baptism, Jesus, the sinless Son of God, steps into the waters of the Jordan among sinners, humbling Himself to take on the weight of our sins. This moment is not just symbolic; it’s transformational. Jesus chooses to identify fully with humanity, showing us the depth of His love and His mission to bring redemption to the world.

In other words, Jesus, the sinless Son of God, steps into the waters of the Jordan to be baptised among sinners. He lowers Himself to take on the weight of our sins and to become one of us in our humanity, though He, Himself is without sin.   Jesus identifies fully with humanity, showing us the depth of His love and His mission to bring redemption to the world.

At Christmas, we reflected on the Word made flesh—Jesus, born of Mary, taking on our human nature. Now, in His baptism, we see the fullness of that mystery. This is the moment when Jesus is revealed as the Christ, the Anointed One, and the eternal Son of the Father. The voice of the Father from heaven declares: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17). The Holy Spirit, descending like a dove, confirms this truth.

This scene displays to us the Trinitarian nature of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—working together in perfect harmony. It is a moment that echoes the creation story in Genesis, where the Spirit hovered over the waters. Just as God created the world in the beginning, here Jesus begins a new creation, bringing healing and restoration to all.

Jesus’ baptism is also the start of His public ministry. In the culture of Israel, reaching 30 years of age marked maturity, when a person could take on the role of teacher. At this point, Jesus steps forward as our teacher and Saviour, carrying out the mission for which He was sent. The Baptism of the Lord is a pivotal moment since this sending forth and His Baptism herald for Him and for us the commencement of His public ministry. He was now old enough to become a teacher of the law. At this point, Jesus steps forward as our teacher and Saviour, carrying out the mission for which He was sent. We too are sent forth at every Mass, to live out our Baptism and carry out the mission which Jesus asks of us individually.  Will I step forward like Jesus and fulfil that mission like Jesus started on that day in the Jordan.

In this Solemnity at the beginning of Ordinary Time, Jesus shows us the path we are called to follow. Through our own baptism, we are united with Him, becoming children of God and part of this new creation. The waters of baptism cleanse, renew, and send us forth to live as disciples.

As this Solemnity transitions us into Ordinary Time, it invites us to consider how we live out our discipleship in the everyday. Ordinary Time is anything but ordinary—it’s a season of growth, renewal, and walking with Jesus in the small and large moments of life. Through the Psalms and the Gospels, we are reminded that our faith is lived out not just in grand celebrations but in the quiet, steady rhythm of daily life.

Pope Benedict XVI beautifully described this moment: "Jesus loaded the burden of all mankind’s guilt upon His shoulders; He bore it down into the depths of the Jordan. He inaugurated His public activity by stepping into the place of sinners." This profound act of love invites us to encounter Jesus more deeply and to recognize the call to renewal in our own lives.

As we reflect on this powerful mystery, let us ask ourselves: How can we live out our baptismal call today? How can we, like Jesus, step into the waters of life with humility and love, bringing hope and renewal to the world around us?

Collect Series: Collect for Second Sunday Ordinary Time.

 COLLECT SERIES

The Mass: Collect Series Icon.

COLLECT 

The Collect for the Second Sunday of Year B reads as follows:

Almighty ever-living God,

Who governs all things, both in heaven and on earth,

Mercifully hear the pleading of Your people

And bestow Your peace on our times.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

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

one God, for ever and ever.

 

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

 

In making this prayer tangible, the following reflection questions emerged:

1. What is my relationship with God as Creator?
2. Does my life exemplify myself as the Creator in the way of live or does it exemplify God as Creator- is God first in my life?
3. What are my pleading for Your people?  Do I intercede for the Church and for His people?
4. What does God’s peace mean to me?
5. What areas in my life need God’s peace?
6. What steps can I take this coming week to experience God’s peace in my life and in the lives of those whom I meet, work, parishioners, family, friends?

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION

The Gospel for today is from Jn 1:35-42, which gives us the calling of the first four apostles. You will notice the steps involved in the calling.

Step 1:  The first 2 apostles listen to John the Baptist. His statement " There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" made an impression on them and they left John to follow Jesus.  This is reminiscent of the Epiphany which we celebrated last week. Herod tried to hold onto power whilst the wise men from the East sought the Lord of Lords to be their King.  John the Baptist does not try to hold on to his power or hold them back but lets them go. He releases them knowing that he was to point the way to Jesus.  Are we able to point others to Jesus and release them in their journey. 

Step 2: The 2 disciples stay with Jesus for the day.  Imagine what they would have talked about during that day- the questions, the curiosity they would have had about Jesus. They wanted to get to know Jesus, so they spent time with Him.  Do we want to get to know Jesus? Do we spend time with Him to get to know Him more?  Do we set aside time for retreat to have a day with the Lord? Why not look at your diary this coming week and lock in a retreat before the diary gets filled with other things.  If we are not able to spend a day with Him, why not commit to one hour regular adoration either online or in person. It is a wonderful way to get to know Jesus and to get to know ourselves before Him. 

 Step 3: Andrew finds his brother and tells him about Jesus.  You will notice that from his own experience of Jesus, he tells Peter about Jesus. Andrew realises that they have found the Messiah.  Because he has spent time with Him, he is able to say that they had found the Messiah.  What experience have we had that we can share with others about Jesus so that we can say like Andrew ' We have found the Messiah'.  Personal testimony is very powerful.

 Step 4: Andrew brings Simon Peter to Jesus.  The Gospel does not tell us whether Peter came to Jesus because of his brother’s testimony only or whether from his testimony, his own heart was sparked. What is important though is that Peter came to  see Jesus.  What does this mean for us?  When people come to the church, they may be coming for a whole range of reasons which may/may not be initially helpful to their faith journey. When they encounter Jesus, these reasons will find their own place and their faith journey with Jesus begins. It is not the initial motives that are important since these can be purified along the way, rather it is for those of us who know Jesus to introduce Him to other people. What are we doing to bring other people to Jesus? What commitment will I make this coming year to bring other people to Jesus? eg invite people to Alpha course in your parish or set up an Alpha course in your parish or simply ask someone to come to Mass with you.

 

Step 5: When encountering Jesus, Simon’s name was changed to Peter.  He received the call. What do we do to encourage vocations?  Do we pray for vocations sincerely? Do we walk alongside those studying for priesthood and give them support?
Changing a name is significant. It is giving a person a new identity-a new role, a new mission.  When we encounter Jesus, are we given a new identity, a new role or a new mission.  How are we changed when we encounter Jesus?

 

This Gospel therefore provides us with much food for thought and food for action as well. What difference will this Gospel make to our lives this coming week/this coming year.

 

Collect Series: Collect for Solemnity of Epiphany

 COLLECT SERIES

The Mass: Collect Series Icon.

COLLECT PRAYER

The Collect for the Solemnity of Epiphany Year B reads as follows:

 

O God, who on this day 

revealed Your Only Begotten Son to the nations by the guidance of a star, 

grant in Your mercy, that we who know You already by faith, 

may be brought to behold the beauty your subline glory. 

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

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

one God, for ever and ever.

 

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

 

In making this prayer tangible, the following reflection questions emerged:

 

1. How has God revealed Himself to You in your life?
2. How will God be King of my heart this coming week?
3. How will Jesus shine brightly in my life this coming year?
4. What are the shadows of my world which I need to address this coming year
5. How can I reach the brightness of Heaven this coming week? 
6. What steps will I take to start the process/start again?

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION

 Today’s Gospel is from Mt 2:1-12.  In this Gospel we hear a distinct contrast in the way  the 3 Wise men from the East and Herod reacted to the news of the birth of Jesus.  The Wise men did homage and then opened their gifts, whilst Herod, fearful  of losing power and status was insincere in his intention of doing homage but wanted to kill the baby.  He perceived the birth of Jesus as a threat to his power whereas the Wise men accepted the prophecies from Scripture  and wanted to genuinely find this new born King.

We may wish to ask ourselves as we ponder this Gospel which character do we identify most in our lives. Are we fearful and territorial at work fearing that someone else may be promoted and not us?  Do we know how to give Jesus homage and worship Him?  Do we spend any time in our prayer adoring the Lord or are our prayers focused on our needs or needs of others?  Intercessory prayer is good but are we only asking God for our needs – in a sense using Him rather than being in relationship with Him.  I am sure we have all had relationships where we have felt used rather than appreciated, loved and respected.  What about God- do we adore and give Him full attention at Mass and in our prayer time?

Many parishes still have adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.  It is a wonderful opportunity to spend time worshiping and praising Jesus in this way. Even if your parish does not have adoration, do not let that stop you from incorporating adoration of the Blessed Sacrament into our prayer and spiritual lives.  We can still gain the benefit of it if we approach it with faith. Nothing is impossible with God.  Jesus will know our desire to spend time with Him and will come to us via online adoration.

On the Solemnity of Epiphany, we can review our spiritual lives and ask ourselves which star are we following?  Are we following Jesus, the light of the world who will shine in our darkness/sin and help us or are we following the star of fame, fortune and power like Herod? 

If you have not made adoration of the Blessed Sacrament part of your prayer life up to this point, why not review your prayer life and commitments and make adoring the Lord a priority in your week either in person in your parish or another parish or online. 

You may wish to  sing today The First Nowell 

Collect for Solemnity of Baptism of the Lord Year C

 

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 baptized 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 always 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

Today we celebrate the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan. This incident in the lift of Christ is the second epiphany, or manifestation, of the Lord. In other words, this Solemnity brings together the past, the present, and the future  and they are made manifest in this epiphany.

Jesus,The Son of God freely humbled Himself  by being baptised at the hand of the John the Baptist. By His baptism in the Jordan, Christ shows  His humility and dedicates Himself to the redemption of man. He takes upon Himself the sins of the whole world and buries them in the waters of the Jordan. The most holy one placed Himself among us, the unclean and sinners. He lines up with humanity to be baptised so that our sins may be washed away in His blood.

Liturgically Christmastide is completed on 2^nd February on the Feast of the Presentation.  However, within Christmastide, we begin Ordinary Time on the Solemnity of Baptism of the Lord. the mystery of Christ’s baptism in the Jordan by St John, the Precursor, proposes the contemplation of an already adult Jesus. This mystery is infinitely linked to the Solemnities of the Lord’s birth and the Epiphany that we have just celebrated, as in some ways it takes up and represents their significance to us.

‘At Christmas we have contemplated the human birth of the Word incarnate by the Virgin Mary. In the 4th century, the Fathers of the Church deepened the understanding of the faith with regard to the Christmas mystery in the light of Jesus’ Humanity. They spoke of the Incarnation of the Word already working like the ‘Christification’ of that humanity that he had assumed from His mother. Or put in simpler terms: Jesus is the Christ from the first instant of conception in Mary’s spotless womb because He Himself, with His Divine Power, consecrated, anointed and ‘Christified’ that human nature with which He became incarnate.

In the mystery of the Epiphany, we then meditated on Christ’s manifestation to all nations that was represented by the Magi, the wise men from the East, who came to adore the Child.

Baptism of the Lord

Now, in the mystery of Christ’s Baptism in the Jordan River, we again encounter and represent the truth of the Lord’s incarnation and His manifestation as the Christ. Jesus’ Baptism is in fact His definitive manifestation as the Messiah or Christ to Israel, and as the Son of the Father to the entire world. Here we find the dimension of the Epiphany which was His manifestation to all nations. The Father’s voice from heaven shows that Jesus of Nazareth is the eternal Son and the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove shows the Trinitarian nature of the Christian God. The true and unique God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, shows Himself in Christ, through Him, with Him and in Him.

The Baptism in the Jordan returns to the great Christmas theme of ‘Christification,’ Jesus of Nazareth's spiritual anointing, His presentation as the Anointed One par excellence, the Messiah or the One sent by the Father for the salvation of mankind. The Spirit that descended on Jesus shows and seals in an incontrovertible way the ‘Christification’ of Jesus’ humanity that the Word had already fulfilled from the first moment of His miraculous conception by Mary. Jesus, from the very beginning, was always the Lord’s Christ, He was always God. Yet, His one, true humanity, that which is perfect in every way, as the Gospel records, constantly grew in natural and supernatural perfection. ‘And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and with men’ (Lk2:52). In Israel at 30 years of age, one reached full maturity and therefore could become a master. Jesus came of age and the Spirit, descending and remaining on Him, definitively consecrated His whole being as the Christ.

The same Spirit, that descended on the water of the River Jordan wafted over the waters during the first creation (Gen 1:2). Therefore, the Baptism in the Jordan presents yet another truth: that Jesus has started a new creation. He is the second man (1 Cor 15:47) or the last Adam (1 Cor 15:45), that comes to repair the first Adam’s guilt. He does this as the Lamb of God that takes away our sins. ‘Looking at the events in light of the Cross and Resurrection, the Christian people realised what happened: Jesus loaded the burden of all mankind’s guilt upon His shoulders; he bore it down into the depths of the Jordan. He inaugurated his public activity by stepping into the place of sinners’ (Joseph Ratzinger, Jesus of Nazareth, Bloomsbury 2007, p 18).

--Excerpted from the Congregation for the Clergy

 

 This Solemnity has a special spot in my life for many reasons but it especially reminds me of the pilgrimage I did back in 2000 to the Holy Land where we visited the Holy places including the River Jordan. We had the experience of going into the Jordan and being ;rebaptised',  Of course we can only be baptised once in our lives so it was a rebaptism in that sense- rather an experience.  Yes, it was an experience.  There were steps going down into the river- like going down into the tomb and we went as far as being knee high in the water.  The little fish were swimming and I felt their nibbling a few times as well.  However as the water was poured over and the words of baptism were said, and then, coming up the stairs out of the water, I remember having a whole different feeling-  yes it was definitely like going down into the tomb and then rising again.  I felt new life within me.  I cannot explain it properly but I remember it well.  

We can all make this day special in some way but especially by renewing our Baptismal vows . Yes we do this at the Easter Vigil, but it wont be long until Lent is upon us- why not start the First Sunday of Ordinary Time which is this Solemnity with the decision to turn towards God again and accept God's favour- and believe in our hearts' You are my son/daughter the beloved, my favour rests on you'.