God's Word for The Feast of The Baptism of Jesus

The Baptism of the Lord  Year B

 Monday 9th January 2012

Isaiah 55:1-11.  Ps.Isaiah12:2-6 Rv.3 1John5:1-9.

Listen, listen to me and you will have god things to eat and rich food to enjoy

For the Lord is my strength, my song, he became my saviour.

This is the victory over the world – our faith.

He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit 

Gospel Mk 1:7-11

This is what John the Baptist proclaimed:
"One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee
and was baptized in the Jordan by John.
On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open
and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.
And a voice came from the heavens,
"You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

Baptism: a call to become. 

Jesus was God, but don’t think of him as God as he walked from Nazareth to the Jordan. He had emptied himself and become a servant born as a man (Phil 2:6). He was like us in all things - weak, ignorant, limited in so many ways and open to temptation by Satan. There was no difference between him and you except sin (Heb 4:15).

           Jesus was greatly impressed by John and so walked along with others to hear him. When everyone had been baptised, Jesus too stepped into the water. There was no need for this; he was without sin. John remonstrated, ‘you should baptise me’. Then Jesus came out of the water, identified in every way with us. It was then that something happened. As he prayed the heavens opened, God’s Spirit descended on him and he heard the life changing words, ‘You are my beloved Son in whom I am so pleased’. Filled with the Spirit, he realises that he is God’s own Son and experiences love, joy, peace, patience, courage, wisdom and all the fruits and gifts of the Spirit. He is now a changed man. He will never return to carpentry. He has a mission to liberate everyone from the grip of Satan, to proclaim the Good News that God loves them and wants to share his life with them. It was with this vision and with the Holy Spirit that he returns to Galilee.

It was as man that he went to the Jordan and opened himself to the Holy Spirit. It was a transforming experience and He wants all his disciples to have the same. We can become as Jesus was if we open ourselves to the Spirit as he did. We don’t receive John’s baptism but the Baptism in the Spirit as Jesus did.

You too can become the image of Jesus. You too can experience God’s Word as Jesus did and realise that you are the chosen child of God. You too are baptised in the Holy Spirit. You can live your life as Jesus did and do the works that Jesus did and greater works than he did because he is now with the Father. He is ready to send the Holy Spirit into you with power.

Are you ready to put aside the life of sin and imperfection and surrender yourself to the Spirit so that Jesus can speak and work through you? Jesus received the Holy Spirit as he prayed (Luke 3:21). To receive the Spirit as Jesus did you need to pray daily, make your home in the Word of God and generously follow the inspirations of Jesus.

Are you ready to take your vocation seriously, to put Jesus first in your life and become a light of salvation for those around you?

The feast of the Baptism of Jesus teaches us the profound meaning of our own Baptism.

Father, may the Baptism I have received make me into the image of Jesus.