A WORD FOR TODAY 10 JANUARY 2021

A WORD FOR TODAY

*IN BAPTISM WE SHARE IN THE MISSION OF CHRIST

_"And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased.”(Mark 1:10-11)_

_*Today we celebrate the feast of the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ at the river Jordan. After the Christmas festivities, the liturgy is showing us the start of Jesus' public ministry which began with His Baptism.*_

_According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1213), Baptism is a sacrament that cleanses us from original sin, makes us Christians, children of God and members of the Church. It is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit and the door which gives access to other sacraments. We inherited the original sin from Adam and Eve our first parents and Jesus Himself will tell us that unless a man is born of water and Holy Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.(John 3:5)_

_*Baptism is necessary for our salvation because it is the channel through which we are initiated into the life of the Blessed Trinity. It is significantly our identity, because it makes us to be one with Christ in His life, mission and death. By baptism we are reborn into a new life in Christ and we become His children who will go into the world to make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.(Matthew 28:19-20).*_

_Jesus had no sin, but He submitted Himself to be baptised by John in order to fulfil all righteousness and to teach us the necessity of baptism for our salvation. His baptism teaches us humility and self emptying (Philippians 2:7) and by His baptism at the river Jordan He sanctified the waters of Baptism._

_*At His baptism the heavens opened, symbolising a new moment for us, a moment of grace and mercy. May the heavens be opened for you when you call upon the Lord and may this new year bring you unlimited positive transformations in all areas of your life. Amen.*_

_Secondly, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove. The Spirit that hovered upon the face of the earth at creation as we have in the book of Genesis came back to witness for Christ who is going to lay down His life in love as a ransom for many. The dove represents kindness, affection, love and peace and in Jesus we find all these virtues and so much more._

_*The voice represents the Father who vouched for His Son. Jesus is the beloved Son in whom the Father is well pleased. The Father bore witness for Christ and gave testimony as we have recorded in the second reading of today and the testimony of God is greater than the testimony of men.*_

_The significance of today's celebration is that we must take seriously our role and duty to be faithful to our baptismal promises and begin to live it out everyday. By virtue of our baptism we have been born anew into the light, therefore, we must live in the light and help others to come out of darkness and embrace the light also. If you hear the voice of the Lord today, what will it say about you.?_

_*As the Lord invited the people of Israel through the prophet Isaiah in the first reading of today to come to Him, to change their ways so as to find mercy, we are also invited to return back to the Lord and seek His face, do His will and inherit eternal life.*_

_Good morning dearest one. Smile😊as you begin your day and do have a beautiful Sunday. May Jesus give us the grace to be faithful to our baptismal promises and responsibilities. Amen. *And may the Almighty God bless you: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.*_

*Meditation:* Isaiah 55:1-11/Isaiah 12:2-6/1 John 5:1-9/Mark 1:7-11

*Watch-Word:* With Joy you will draw water from the well of Salvation.

*By virtue of our baptism we have been chosen by Christ to bring His light to all men. keep doing this and eternal life will be your reward.*

(Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Year B. January 10, 2021)