January 12, 2025
Baptism of the Lord
FOCUS: God seeks out the sinner and loves us unconditionally.
Today’s feast is another “epiphany” – a revelation of who Jesus is. By submitting himself to John’s baptism (a baptism of repentance), Jesus, who is sinless, draws near to sinners and joins himself with them. The voice of the Father saying, You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased consoles us, because we who are joined to Christ in baptism are made beloved children of the Father. These truths reveal God’s goodness and his unconditional love for us.
What's in Your Heart
Many people claim that they never hear about a loving, caring God in church. Paul’s letter to Titus reveals God’s motive for initiating our salvation—kindness and generous love. Can I accept God’s kindness and love, even before any “righteous deeds” on my part? Can I voice the Good News of that love so that others will hear?
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Because of God’s generous love and mercy, we are urged to prepare the way for God’s arrival in our lives. What ought I do to remove obstacles to God’s arrival in my life?
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Luke says that with the exuberant preaching of John the Baptist, “The people were filled with expectation.” Do I have a sense of joyful expectation about life? Is there a sense of expectation in the community I serve?
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Have I experienced the baptism with fire that John predicted? When, lately, have I felt that burning within my heart that signals my connection with Jesus?
Homily Stories
Before celebrating his first Baptism, a newly ordained priest took special care to make sure everything was ready: his book of the rite, the oil, the candles, the white stoles. The Baptism seemed to go smoothly—he got all eight of the children’s names right—but as he was getting ready to read the concluding prayer, one of the grandmothers touched his sleeve and whispered gently, “You forgot to pour the water.”
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Sacraments have always been communal events. Luke sets the scene of Jesus’ Baptism by first describing the crowd: “The people were filled with expectation.” Everything we understand about sacraments tells us that it was the presence of the crowd—their energy and anticipation for what was to unfold, the prayers and wonderings held fervently in each heart—that allowed the flow of God’s grace to be made manifest in Jesus.
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This is how we can and must enter every sacramental experience: as full, conscious, and active participants, ready to be conduits for the flow of grace that God is continually pouring out. The celebrant leads, but the members of the community are essential, adding their prayers and intentions to the proceedings—and sometimes remembering what the celebrant forgot.
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First Reading
Second Reading
Gospel
Video Reflection
Quotes
It's better to look ahead and prepare, than to look back and regret.
—Jackie Joyner-Kersee
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To have courage for whatever comes in life—everything lies in that.
—Saint Teresa of Ávila