BAPTISED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD - Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

Many people became convinced that John the Baptist was the Messiah, but, being an honest and truthful man, he did not waste time in denying such a claim. Indeed, he never tried to present himself as someone he was not. He was a simple voice in the desert calling people to repentance and conversion. He came to prepare the way of the Lord. Thus, he points out the big difference between him and the Messiah. He was “not fit to undo the strap of his sandals” since the Messiah was much greater than he was. Aware of the Messiah’s greatness, John compares his baptism with the one to be bestowed by the Messiah. John baptises with water, while the Messiah will baptise with the Holy Spirit.

There is a huge difference between John’s baptism and the baptism given to us by Jesus Christ. Those who went to John were baptised by him while confessing their sins. They accepted the call for repentance and showed a willingness to convert. The baptism was a sign of their commitment to walk on the straight path of the Lord. In the baptism given to us by Jesus, we were anointed with the Holy Spirit, who recreates us and makes us children of God. By the Holy Spirit, we are made one with Christ, becoming with him children of God.

In Jesus’ baptism, his sonship was revealed when the voice from heaven proclaimed: “You are my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on you.” Anointed with Spirit, Jesus was ready to be the Servant of the Lord and carry out his mission for the salvation of the world. Jesus came to baptise us with the Holy Spirit so that the Father’s words are pronounced on each one of us: You are my son. We are God’s beloved children, and we may cry out: “Abba! Father!” (Ro 8:15).

In our baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, the water is a symbol and an instrument of the Holy Spirit, who is the one regenerating us. In Him, we are born from above (again), that is, from God.  As John wrote in his gospel: 

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (Jn 1:12-13).

As we celebrate the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, let us give thanks for our baptism and renew our commitment to be true followers of Jesus Christ.

ALL NATIONS SHALL FALL PROSTRATE BEFORE YOU

THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD - Matthew 2:1-12

From old times, the solemnity of Epiphany has been considered a great feast, as important as Christmas. The Magi represent the Gentiles who recognise Jesus as the Messiah and Saviour. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul tells us that the plan of salvation (the mystery) “has now been revealed through the Spirit”. Indeed, the “pagans now share the same inheritance, that they are parts of the same body, and that the same promise has been made to them, in Jesus Christ, through the gospel.” (Ep 3:5-6). The promise made to the people of Israel was intended for all nations of the earth. Today, in this great feast, we celebrate God’s merciful love offered to all of us.

Through the story of the Magi who came from the East, Matthew presents the same truth taught by Paul in his letter to the Ephesians. The story of the Magi anticipates what will happen to Jesus when he is rejected and excluded from his people, suffering death on the cross. The early Church will go through the same experience of rejection and exclusion.

The Magi came from the East, the land of the rising sun, following a star that leads to Christ, the true light of the world. Despite the exhaustion of a long journey, they did not give up looking for the Messiah. They were filled with hope, and this hope reassured them in the pursuit of their goal: to find the Saviour that would bring peace to their souls. In their search, they allowed themselves to be guided by the Spirit that led them to Christ. By contrast, Herod, the king of the Jews, filled with jealousy, decided to get rid of the child Jesus. For that purpose, he was joined by the religious leaders of Jerusalem. They live in darkness, with their hearts full of malice. Indeed, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” (Jn 1:11) As a child, with his life in danger, Jesus had to find refuge in Egypt. Later on in life, as an adult, he would be sentenced to death on the cross for a crime that he did not commit. The high priest considered him a false prophet who deserved to die and took him to Pilate, the political authority, with the accusation of high treason. Jesus was rejected by his people and believed by the Gentiles. Walking on Jesus’ steps, the early Church suffered the same fate: rejected by the Jews, it was expelled from the Synagogue. Meanwhile, an increasingly large number of Gentiles entered the community of believers.

Let us join the psalmist in singing:

The kings of Tarshish and the sea coasts

  shall pay him tribute.

The kings of Sheba and Seba

  shall bring him gifts.

Before him all kings shall fall prostrate,

  all nations shall serve him. (Psalm 72)

MAY THE PEACE OF CHRIST REIGN IN YOUR HEARTS

THE HOLY FAMILY - Colossians 3:12-21

As we celebrate the Holy Family, we ask God’s blessings to our families, so that they may become a source of blessings to all its members, the community and society.

In the gospel of Luke, we are told that the young Jesus, a boy of twelve, became so enchanted with the temple that he remained behind, mindless of everything else.  This forced Joseph and Mary to go and look for him. We get the impression that they trusted him more than he deserved. Once they found him, Mary complained: “My child, why have you done this to us? See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you.” Jesus’ answer was shocking: “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be busy with my Father’s affairs?” And they could not understand what he meant. At a very young age, Jesus was well aware of his mission and the purpose of his life. He came to be at the service of the Father, and that must be clear, first of all to Joseph and Mary. Once that is clear, everything else falls into place. And he went with them to Nazareth “and lived under their authority.”

In the second reading, taken from the letter to the Colossians, Paul makes a summary of essential attitudes in a Christian family. First of all, we must be aware that we are loved with great love. God has chosen us and we are his saints. It is this love coming from God that makes a true family possible. This love is expressed in attitudes of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Certainly, nobody has achieved perfection in any of these virtues, but they represent the ideal put forward before us. Every day, we must strive to grow in these virtues. Many times, we lag and end up hurting others in the family or community. That’s why Paul advises us to “bear with one another; forgive each other as soon as a quarrel begins.” We are constantly in need of reconciliation and for that, we must apologise and ask for forgiveness. All this can only be possible if our hearts are filled with the love that comes from God. And then the peace of Christ will reign in our hearts. “Always be thankful”, for God’s grace and merciful love.

In this feast of the Holy family, let us pray for all families, mainly for those who are passing through difficult times. May God fill them with blessings and bring peace to their hearts.

 I AM COMING TO DO YOUR WILL

IV SUNDAY OF ADVENT - Luke 1:39-45

On this last Sunday of Advent, we are called to look at Mary and learn from her. Informed by the Angel that Elizabeth, her relative, was expecting the birth of a son, she wasted no time “and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah” to rejoice with Elizabeth. Together, they celebrated motherhood as a gift from God. They recognised God’s blessings and thanked him because he looked upon the lowliness of his servants and called them to great things. They shared the good news and the readiness to be at the service of the Lord. “Filled with the Holy Spirit”, Elizabeth was touched by Mary’s blessedness. Being full of grace, Mary is “the most blessed” of all women. She is the mother of the Lord. However, her biological motherhood is not the reason for her blessedness. She is blessed because she believed that the Promise of the Lord will be fulfilled. Like Elizabeth, we must recognise Mary as the Mother of the Lord. She is the most blessed because she is full of grace. With Mary, guided by faith and strengthened by hope, we must learn to put ourselves totally at the service of the Lord.

In her readiness to serve and willingness to obey, Mary shares the same attitude of her son, Jesus, the Son of the living God. The letter to the Hebrews presents the reason for the incarnation: “Here I am! I am coming to obey your will”. The sacrifices offered in the temple were meaningless and a waste of time. They were not the fruit of faith and the proof of obedience. Indeed, they were deceptive, producing a false sense of holiness. The only thing that pleases God is the willingness to listen to his word and obey his commands.

We are called to have Mary as our role model: “I am the handmaid of the Lord: let what you have said be done to me.”

THERE IS NO NEED TO WORRY

III SUNDAY OF ADVENT - Philippians 4:4-7

We live in a sorrowful world surrounded by violence and war. The dreams of a just, free and peaceful world have been shattered. We try to survive drowning ourselves in lust for wealth, power and pleasure, living aimless lives that don’t satisfy our hearts. There is so much suffering inflicted by human beings on other human beings. Time and again, we are the worst enemies of ourselves. To affirm our egos, we are ready to destroy the world. Having expelled God from our lives, we turn against each other and do not rest until we create hell on earth. We have become hopeless people and cannot find motives for joy. It was the same in the past. The people of Israel went through troubled times when they lost everything that gave meaning to their lives. They experienced oppression and exploitation. It was as if their lives were full of darkness. God had abandoned them and allowed their darkest desires to take possession of them. However, God never forgets his people despite their betrayals and revolt. In his merciful love, God is always ready to rescue those who are drowning and cry for help. And the Lord comes to our rescue. He commits himself to us. Indeed, with the Lord by our side, we “have no more evil to fear”, since the Lord our God is in our midst.

In his letter to the Philippians, Saint Paul speaks also of joy and happiness. He wishes for our happiness, and we may be reassured of it because the Lord is very near. “There is no need to worry.” And, if we are in need, we should present our needs to the Lord. He will grant us peace and guard our hearts and our thoughts.

In this third Sunday of Advent, the gospel invites us to look at John the Baptist and listen to him. All kinds of people went to John asking for advice: What must we do?  We must ask the same question and then listen to the answer. To the people in general, John advised them to pay attention to the poor and share with them what they have Then, to the specific groups of tax collectors and soldiers, he gave specific advice. Tax collectors should not extortion money from people, and soldiers should not use violence and oppression.

John was a truthful man who never claimed to be more than what he was. He came to baptise with water to prepare the way for the one who was coming to baptise with the Spirit.

Let us profess our faith with Isaiah saying:

“Truly, God is my salvation,

  I trust, I shall not fear.

For the Lord is my strength, my song,

  he became my saviour.

With joy you will draw water

  from the wells of salvation.” (Is 12)

PREPARE A WAY FOR THE LORD

II SUNDAY OF ADVENT - Luke 3:1-6

The first reading, taken from the prophet Baruch, is full of hope. The people of God are invited to take off the “dress of sorrow and distress” and “put on the beauty of the glory of God for ever”.Indeed, “God will guide Israel in joy by the light of his glory with his mercy and integrity for escort.” (Baruch 5:1-9). And the responsorial psalm invites us to sing joyfully: “What marvels the Lord worked for us! Indeed we were glad.” (Ps 126)

In the gospel, Luke presents the figure of John the Baptist, who is well-situated in the history of his time. He is not a mythical figure. John started his ministry in the “fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar’s reign” As if that was not enough, Luke mentions the local political and religious rulers of the time. John the Baptist and Jesus are historical figures. They existed and lived in a specific time and place. Thus, at Christmas, we celebrate the birth of someone very real who greatly impacted the history of humankind. Christmas is not the celebration of a myth but the celebration of a birthday - the birthday of the Saviour of the world. It is the celebration of Incarnation, that is the mystery of the Son of God who assumed a human body, being born from the Virgin Mary.

John was sent to prepare the public manifestation of the Messiah. Luke presents John the Baptist as fulfilling the promise made by Isaiah: 

“A voice cries in the wilderness: 

Prepare a way for the Lord”.

We must prepare ourselves for humankind to “see the salvation of God.” This preparation implies repentance and conversion. We are called to prepare ourselves individually and as a community. so that the Lord finds us ready when he comes.

Let us make ours the Paul’s prayer for the Philippians:

“My prayer is that your love for each other may increase more and more and never stop improving your knowledge and deepening your perception so that you can always recognise what is best. This will help you to become pure and blameless, and prepare you for the Day of Christ, when you will reach the perfect goodness which Jesus Christ produces in us for the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11)

STAY AWAKE!

I SUNDAY OF ADVENT - Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

During the Advent season, we prepare for the coming of the Lord, when he fulfils his promises and completes his work of salvation. “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” However, his coming will be preceded by a time of great fear and confusion. When that time comes, we must not lose confidence in the Lord since He will not abandon his people. Jesus advises us, “… stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.” 

We must prepare ourselves and be on the alert: 

“‘Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap. (…) Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.”

At the beginning of Advent, we are invited to listen to Jesus’ warning. The society we live in has been corrupted: debauchery, drunkenness and the cares of life are found everywhere, and we are easily carried away. The more we speak of justice and freedom, the more we live under oppression and injustice. We are slaves of sin, which pervades our society, leading us to turn our backs on God and put ourselves in the centre of the universe.

Advent must instill in us the hope that comes from God’s promise. While we live here on earth, we walk strengthened by hope., which is the theme for next year’s Jubilee: “Pilgrims of hope”. To grow in hope, we must listen to God’s word and anchor ourselves in him through prayer.

In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul insists on the need for us to make more and more progress, increasing our love - the love for one another, confirming our hearts in holiness, so that we may be found “blameless in the sight of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus Christ comes with all his saints.”

Let us pray with the psalm:

Lord, make me know your ways.

  Lord, teach me your paths.

Make me walk in your truth, and teach me:

  for you are God my saviour. (Ps 25)