Tag: Baptism of the Lord

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The Baptism of the Lord

complex drawing of Jesus and Moses as one person

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Mass Readings

First Reading: Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 OR Isaiah 55:1-11
Responsorial: Psalm 29:1-4, 9-10 OR Isaiah 12:2-6
Second Reading: Acts 10:34-38 OR 1 John 5:1-9
Gospel: Mark 1:7-11

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/011021.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

Hello and thank you for joining me for another edition of deacon rudy’s notes where we break open the Word.

Have you ever heard the golden rules of leadership? Lead by example and never ask someone to do something you’re not willing to do.

Today we celebrate the baptism of Jesus. John the Baptist told the people that one is coming and that he is not worthy even to untie his sandals. John, who is preaching in the desert, offers immersion in the water to cleanse people of their sins. Jesus does not have sin. And yet, Jesus comes to the river, and he submits himself to John.

Why?

Well, first, I think Jesus is telling Israel that John is on to something here. People lived the Law in a perfunctory way, checking off boxes on their annual to-do lists. But they weren’t living the Law. They weren’t living lives of faith rooted in God. So, John is calling people to repent and turn back to God.

In a way, we can look at sin and sinful patterns in our lives as a form of slavery or perhaps slavery to addictions. It’s easy to think of someone strung out or drunk, but there are many other examples of slavery to sinful patterns. Slavery to sin can lead people to do all sorts of strange things.

Take, for example, the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada, directed by David Frankel. In the movie, the editor-in-chief of Runway magazine, Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep, learns of its owner’s plot to force her out. She makes a few calculated moves and sacrifices her closest and perhaps most productive employee, Nigel, to keep her job.

The Devil Wears Prada is a good quarantine-binging movie, so I won’t reveal any more details about it, but this is an example of what people might be willing to do to their co-workers to get ahead and stay on top. This movie also offers many excellent examples of what it means to be a slave to sinful patterns.

Of course, there are many other forms of slavery to sin in today’s culture than just to money and status. We could spend the better part of a day sharing examples of sinful patterns we’ve all encountered. But here’s the key takeaway. What is a slave? A slave keeps their head down. If we are slaves to sin, how can we recognize God in our lives and God’s grace all around us?

In the Gospel, Jesus goes into the river like Moses who parted the Red Sea and led the people safely through to the other side. Jesus, like Moses, leads us away from the slavery of sin to freedom. <1> Breaking sinful patterns in our lives can be a scary thing. But we are not alone. Jesus leads us by example. He goes first into the water, letting us know that it’s ok. We can do it too.

Once Jesus emerges from the water, the heavens tear open, the Spirit descends upon Jesus, and we read that God announces, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased,” (Mark 1:11). This amazing action anoints Jesus for his ministry. This moment marks the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. This is where it all starts. And after the resurrection and ascension, many people began to understand. But today, I think we are like those people John the Baptist preached to.

What do I mean? Well, why do people indulge in sinful and addictive patterns?

I suggest that people pursue what’s sinful and addictive because something is missing in their lives. People “nurse” themselves with something they think will fill the want in their lives. Perhaps the silver lining of the strange year 2020 in which so many self-isolated and social-distanced to combat COVID-19 is that we have the opportunity to evaluate our lives, our careers, and our actions.

Are we living the life we want to live? Are we living God’s call for our lives?

My brothers and sisters, I have good news! Just as God smiled on Jesus at baptism, so too does God smile at each of us when we’re baptized. Think about that just for a second. If you are baptized, God says to you, “You are my beloved.” Never doubt that you are worthy. Never doubt that you have a purpose. Never doubt that you are loved!

More good news: Jesus Christ came to this world to offer us a way out of sinful and destructive habits. But we need to take the first step. This start of the new year gives us an opportunity as individuals and as nations for discernment. Discernment helps us evaluate the good, the bad, and the ugly of our lives. Discernment gives us the opportunity to work on developing good habits that we call virtues in our lives. Discernment gives us the opportunity to identify and to reconcile our sins. Discernment gives us the opportunity to, with the help of God, reject destructive patterns in our lives and our nations.

How? We start with baptism. We bring our sins to reconciliation. We get ourselves to Mass, where the Word made flesh, and the Real Presence in the Eucharist nourishes us. And we go out into the world, letting everyone know there is a better way. We invite others to come back to church. And those who are not baptized, we invite them to get to know Jesus. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light.

Homework! I ask you to reflect on the following two questions.
First, how am I taking advantage of my New Year’s resolutions to evaluate the way I’m living my life?
Second, what are some ways I can share the Good News of Jesus Christ with other people?

I think doing our homework will help us spread hope in these confusing times. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

You’re listening to deacon rudy’s notes. Thank you for joining me today. Our theme music was composed by Silent Partner. You can find all sorts of helpful information on the website at www.deaconrudysnotes.org.

A quick word to our podcast listeners. Please take a moment to rate and review deacon rudy’s notes on whichever platform you are using to listen to me right now. This helps other listeners find us, and I know you will help me do that! I’m Deacon Rudy Villarreal. Join me again next weekend as we break open the Word. Peace!

Image Credit: Artist unknown. Jesus is the new Moses. JPG file.

References:
<1> George T. Montague, SM. Mark: A Popular Commentary on the Earliest Gospel (Steubenville, Ohio: Franciscan University Press, 1992), 15.

Bibliography/Suggested Reading:
1. Anderson, Kelly and Daniel Keating. James, First, Second, and Third John. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2017. Kindle.
2. Healy, Mary. The Gospel of Mark. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2008. Kindle.
3. Kurz, William S. SJ. Acts of the Apostles. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2013. Kindle.
4. Montague, George T. SM. Mark: A Popular Commentary on the Earliest Gospel. Steubenville, Ohio: Franciscan University Press, 1992.

Catechism References http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm:
1. Faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God: 150-51
2. Jesus as the Christ: 436
3. Jesus anointed by the Spirit: 438, 486
4. John the Baptist: 523, 717-20
5. Baptism of Jesus: 535-37, 1223-25
6. Judge of the living and dead: 678-79
7. Water as type of the gift of the Spirit: 694
8. Baptism in water and the Spirit: 720
9. Salvation outside the Church: 776, 846-48
10. Blood and water as types of baptism and Eucharist: 1225
11. Descent of Spirit on Jesus: 1286

The Baptism of the Lord https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/011021.cfm
Lectionary: 21

Reading 1
Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7
Thus says the LORD:
Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am pleased,
upon whom I have put my spirit;
he shall bring forth justice to the nations,
not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.
a bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,
until he establishes justice on the earth;
the coastlands will wait for his teaching.

I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice,
I have grasped you by the hand;
I formed you, and set you
as a covenant of the people,
a light for the nations,
to open the eyes of the blind,
to bring out prisoners from confinement,
and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.

OR:

Isaiah 55:1-11

Thus says the LORD:
All you who are thirsty,
come to the water!
You who have no money,
come, receive grain and eat;
come, without paying and without cost,
drink wine and milk!
Why spend your money for what is not bread,
your wages for what fails to satisfy?
Heed me, and you shall eat well,
you shall delight in rich fare.
Come to me heedfully,
listen, that you may have life.
I will renew with you the everlasting covenant,
the benefits assured to David.
As I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander of nations,
so shall you summon a nation you knew not,

and nations that knew you not shall run to you,
because of the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, who has glorified you.

Seek the LORD while he may be found,
call him while he is near.
Let the scoundrel forsake his way,
and the wicked man his thoughts;
let him turn to the LORD for mercy;
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
As high as the heavens are above the earth
so high are my ways above your ways
and my thoughts above your thoughts.

For just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
and do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
so shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
my word shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.

Responsorial
Psalm 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10
R. (11b) The Lord will bless his people with peace.
Give to the LORD, you sons of God,
give to the LORD glory and praise,
Give to the LORD the glory due his name;
adore the LORD in holy attire.
R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.
The voice of the LORD is over the waters,
the LORD, over vast waters.
The voice of the LORD is mighty;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.
R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.
The God of glory thunders,
and in his temple all say, “Glory!”
The LORD is enthroned above the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as king forever.
R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.

OR:

Isaiah 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6

R. (3) You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Reading 2
Acts 10:34-38
Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered
in the house of Cornelius, saying:
“In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly
is acceptable to him.
You know the word that he sent to the Israelites
as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all,
what has happened all over Judea,
beginning in Galilee after the baptism
that John preached,
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and power.
He went about doing good
and healing all those oppressed by the devil,
for God was with him.”

OR:

1 John 5:1-9

Beloved:
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,
and everyone who loves the Father
loves also the one begotten by him.
In this way we know that we love the children of God
when we love God and obey his commandments.
For the love of God is this,
that we keep his commandments.
And his commandments are not burdensome,
for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.
And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.
Who indeed is the victor over the world
but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ,
not by water alone, but by water and blood.
The Spirit is the one who testifies,
and the Spirit is truth.
So there are three that testify,
the Spirit, the water, and the blood,
and the three are of one accord.
If we accept human testimony,
the testimony of God is surely greater.
Now the testimony of God is this,
that he has testified on behalf of his Son.

Alleluia
Cf. John 1:29
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
John saw Jesus approaching him, and said:
Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mark 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.”

Posted on

The Baptism of the Lord

copy of painting of Jesus emerging from the baptismal water with arms out like hanging on the cross and a dove descending

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The Baptism of the Lord (Feast) Mass Readings

First Reading: Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7
Responsorial: Psalm 29:1-4, 9-10
Second Reading: Acts 10:34-38
Gospel: Matthew 3:13-17

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/011220.cfm
https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

Today as the Christmas season comes to a close, we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus. We learn in Scripture that Jesus presents himself to John. And the baptism of Jesus begins his public ministry. Now, Jesus is without sin, so he doesn’t need to be baptized by John. Indeed, John tells him as much. Through Matthew’s account which, by the way, is the only place in Scripture where we find this dialogue between John and Jesus; we get some insight into these two cousins. I suggest to you to that reflecting just on the dialogue between John and Jesus can be a powerful experience. If you are interested in the prayerful practice of lectio divina, then I encourage you to spend some time with this particular dialogue in prayer.

Of course, the Baptism of the Lord reveals so much, and I’m sure you’ve received some excellent insights during the homily proclaimed at mass. So, in my reflection, I’d like to share what the Church teaches about the responsibility of living out a life of the baptized disciple of Jesus Christ.

Now Jesus did not need to be baptized. But he willingly enters the water as a sign of being united to the sinful people of Israel. He unites himself with sinners and gives us a clue to how he will bear the sins of the people when his mission comes to a climax on that scandalous cross. He inaugurates his ministry by stepping into the place of the sinner.

What does Jesus do next? It’s not a fair question because what happens next is not part of today’s reading, but come one, what happens next?

Does Jesus retire to some sacred place, the Temple perhaps, to pray and meditate twenty-four seven? No, Jesus is ready to proclaim the Good News, and he goes out into the world. Jesus doesn’t wait for the nations of the world to come to him; he goes out to the nations.

He goes out to “bring forth justice to the nations,” (Isaiah 42:1). Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus travels all over Palestine to “open the eyes of the blind, … bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness,” (Isaiah 42:7).

From the moment of his baptism, Jesus has been going out into the world. But he doesn’t do it alone. First, he goes out. Then he calls and send out Peter and Paul and the other apostles, and indeed other disciples like the 72 we read about in Luke 10:1-23. And now, my brothers and sisters, Jesus is sending you – each and every one of us who have been baptized according to our skills and abilities.

Now he doesn’t send you out alone. No! Jesus comes to you and he comes to me every day to fill us with the same Spirit that filled him at baptism. But there’s a catch. We need to be open to receiving Jesus every day.

You see, our baptism – our salvation – destines us to be united with God in heaven. And indeed, our baptism marks us with the seal of the Lord. But the Gospel does not teach that once saved, always saved. Our salvation, which is freely given, depends, as Scripture and St. Paul so often tell us, on our perseverance – our living and dying with Christ, (see Romans 6:8-13, 17-18; 2 Corinthians 4:11, Galatians 2:20; Colossians 2:20; Philippians 1:21; 2 Timothy 2:11, to name a few).

Part of what that means is that every day, you and I have a choice. Do we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior? Or will we today give into the luxuries and temptations this world has to offer? You see, if we believe – if we really believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, then that should affect the way we live our lives each and every day. We sacrifice some of the comforts this world offers so that we, following the example of Jesus, Peter, Paul, the apostles and the first disciples, reach out to those who cannot come to church, those who do not come to church and those who will not come to church.

We reach out and share with the them the Good News of Jesus Christ! And how do we do that? By following Jesus’ example. We don’t hit them with the Bible or call them to repent. That might work for some, but for most people, following Jesus’ example, we need to meet people where they are. That’s how we start. Now, this might be the person working the cash register when you go to buy a cup of coffee on your way to work. It could be one of your coworkers who seems overly curious about what you do in church. And it could be the people you encounter if Jesus calls you to go out on a mission trip. As we begin each day, we should rise with joy and profess, “Here I am, Lord! Send me to share Your Good News!”

My brothers and sisters, the Baptism of the Lord that we remember today challenges each and every one of us. Are we living lives of the baptized? That’s a good question, and that leads us to homework! After being nourished by Word of God and by the Eucharist, I encourage you to reflect on the following two challenges this week.

  1. First, what does it mean to believe in a God that is not you? What does it mean to believe in your own holiness and goodness?
  2. Second, ask the Holy Spirit to settle on you, to give you courage and strength to share your faith with those you encounter.

I think doing our homework will help us strengthen our lives of as baptized disciples of Christ Jesus. Do you got it? Do you get it? Then go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

Image credit: Baptism of the Christ #2 – Daniel Bonnell www.bonnellart.com (USA/Contemporary)

References:

  1. Himes, Michael. The Mystery of Faith: An Introduction to Catholicism. Cincinnati, Ohio: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2004.
  2. Hoisington, Thomas. “Baptism of the Lord – January 12, 2020.” Homiletic & Pastoral Review, January 2020. Accessed 11 January 2020. https://www.hprweb.com/2019/12/homilies-for-january-2020/.
  3. Kurz, William S. SJ. Acts of the Apostles. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2013.
  4. Lectio Divina Of The Gospels. Washington, D.C.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2019.
  5. Mitch, Curtis, and Edward Sri. The Gospel Of Matthew. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2014.

Catechism Links: Easily search the Catechism at http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm

  1. Jesus’ baptism, 535-36, 1223-24
  2. The dove, 701
  3. Seal of the Lord, 1272-74
  4. Confirmation, 1286
  5. Christ as beloved Son, 444
  6. Christ as servant, 713
  7. Salvation outside the Church, 776, 846-48
  8. Jesus anointed by the Spirit, 438, 486
  9. Judge of the living and the dead, 678-79

Mass Readings http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/011220.cfm
First Reading Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7
Thus says the LORD:
Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am pleased,
upon whom I have put my spirit;
he shall bring forth justice to the nations,
not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.
a bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,
until he establishes justice on the earth;
the coastlands will wait for his teaching.

I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice,
I have grasped you by the hand;
I formed you, and set you
as a covenant of the people,
a light for the nations,
to open the eyes of the blind,
to bring out prisoners from confinement,
and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.

Responsorial
Psalm 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10
R/ (11b) The Lord will bless his people with peace.
Give to the LORD, you sons of God,
give to the LORD glory and praise,
Give to the LORD the glory due his name;
adore the LORD in holy attire.
R/ The Lord will bless his people with peace.
The voice of the LORD is over the waters,
the LORD, over vast waters.
The voice of the LORD is mighty;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.
R/ The Lord will bless his people with peace.
The God of glory thunders,
and in his temple all say, “Glory!”
The LORD is enthroned above the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as king forever.
R/ The Lord will bless his people with peace.

Second Reading
Acts 10:34-38
Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered
in the house of Cornelius, saying:
“In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly
is acceptable to him.
You know the word that he sent to the Israelites
as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all,
what has happened all over Judea,
beginning in Galilee after the baptism
that John preached,
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and power.
He went about doing good
and healing all those oppressed by the devil,
for God was with him.”

Alleluia
Mark 9:7
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The heavens were opened and the voice of the Father thundered:
This is my beloved Son, listen to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Matthew 3:13-17
Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan
to be baptized by him.
John tried to prevent him, saying,
“I need to be baptized by you,
and yet you are coming to me?”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us
to fulfill all righteousness.”
Then he allowed him.
After Jesus was baptized,
he came up from the water and behold,
the heavens were opened for him,
and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove
and coming upon him.
And a voice came from the heavens, saying,
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Posted on

13 The Baptism of the Lord

John the Baptist baptising Jesus Christ in a river

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Hello! Today we celebrate the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Today’s Gospel comes from Luke 3:15-16, and 21-22. There is so much going on in today’s readings! We can’t possibly cover them all in the few minutes we have together, but hopefully this podcast will serve as a good supplement to what you hear preached this weekend in church. So let’s jump right in!

So John is baptizing people. Interesting footnote: neither John nor Jesus invented baptism. The ritual purification of sins by bating had been practiced by the Jews for centuries and is the equivalent to our Sacrament of Reconciliation.<1> But John preached that this bath was necessary to prepare for the coming of the Messiah.

Now, the question that people often ask is, if Jesus is just like you and just like me in every way except sin, why does He need to be baptized by John? Why does He need to enter this sin-cleansing ritual?

Well, on one level, if John is telling people they must be baptized to access the Messiah, then Jesus entering the water is a way of his signaling to the rest of us that God is not asking us to do anything that Jesus is not willing to do. Jesus entering the pool and the heavens opening up so that God’s grace poured down affirms that baptism is the way to enter into this community – the way to enter the Church.

On another level, Jesus entering the pool and accepting baptism by John was His acceptance of God’s will for His life and it marked the beginning of his mission as God’s suffering Servant. He subjects himself to John in baptism just like He will subject himself to those who would later crucify him.

Also, Jesus enters this water that is ritually filled with the sins of the people. He immerses Himself in the water and He carries these sins with Him all the way to the cross. Out of love, He consented to His baptism of death for the remission of our sins.

As we end this Christmas season and begin Ordinary Time, we do so knowing that, in our own Baptism, we become the adoptive sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus, members of His Church. This means that we, too, are called to humbly submit ourselves to God’s wise and loving plan for our lives.

On the day of our Baptism, as Pope St. John Paul II explains, we were anointed with the Oil of Catechumens, the sign of Christ’s gentle strength, to fight against evil. Blessed water was poured over us, an effective sign of interior purification through the gift of the Holy Spirit. We were then anointed with Chrism to show that we were thus consecrated in the image of Jesus, the Father’s Anointed One. The candle lighted from the Paschal Candle was a symbol of the light of Faith which our parents and godparents must have continually safeguarded and nourished with the life-giving grace of the Spirit.<2>

The Church teaches that, “Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit and the door which gives access to the other Sacraments,” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1213). So we are challenged by the Gospel to grow in our baptism every day. Today then is a good day to pause and to review our baptismal promises.

During baptism, we are asked, or for infant baptism our parents and godparents were asked, “Do you believe in God the Father, the maker of heaven and earth?” In other words, do you believe in God – that there is a God and that you are not that God?

The second question, “Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father?” In other words, do you believe that, although you are not God, the one who is equal to God did not think being in the form of God was anything to be clung to, so emptied Himself, taking on the form of a servant and becoming human like all other human beings (Philippians 2:6–7)? Can you believe that what you and I are, a creature, is so powerful, so important, so wonderful that God has chosen to be a creature along with you?

And finally, “Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting?” That the Spirit and the Church are linked in this third question is significant. Do you believe that the Spirit of God is present in the world, not first and foremost in you or in me, but in us? In other words, do you believe that the Spirit dwells primarily not in individuals but rather in the community – in the Church? It’s not enough to drink a cup of coffee on your porch, watch the sun rise and say to yourself, “I’ve praised and worshipped God.” If we are physically able to go to Church, then through our baptism we are called to be part of the community and present every weekend. If we are not physically able to go to church, then we should let the church know. There are ways to watch the mass on television or via the internet, but the church would like to send someone to you to bring you the Eucharist so that even at home, you’re connected to the community.<3>

At various times throughout the year, our liturgy begins with a sprinkling rite, where the priests and deacons go out into the community sprinkling us with water. So, too, has it long been a custom for people to bless themselves with holy water when entering a church. These are reminders and reaffirmations of our baptism. It’s a way for us to recommit ourselves to baptism again and again. At every stage of our lives, we are called to discover anew what baptism really demands of us.

Homework! After having been nourished by the Word of God proclaimed and by the Eucharist, please reflect on these questions:

  1. First, what does it mean to believe in a God a that is not you?
  2. Second, what does it mean to believe in your own holiness and goodness?
  3. Finally, what are some ways this year that you can deepen in your baptismal promises? Some examples might be going to mass on a regular basis and perhaps an occasional daily mass; going to confession once a month; joining a faith formation or Bible study program at your parish or through a trustworthy online source.

You’ll find the homework in the notes for this podcast or on the website, deaconrudysnotes.org. I think by doing our homework, we can be mindful of our baptism and we can challenge ourselves to grow in our faith so that we can be better disciples of Jesus Christ. Do you get it? Well, good! May each of us grow in our baptism through the grace of Jesus Christ. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. +Amen!

Notes
<1> Until the fall of the Temple in 70 AD, it was common for Jewish people to use a special pool called a Mikveh – literally a “collection of water” – as a means of spiritual cleansing, to remove spiritual impurity and sin. Men took this bath weekly on the eve of the Sabbath. Women, took this ritual bath monthly. Converts were also expected to take this bath before entering Judaism. To this day, the Orthodox Jews still retain the rite. See also: The Gospel of Luke, by Pablo T. Gadenz, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, a Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2018, 81-83.
<2> John Paul II, “Feast of the Baptism of the Lord,” Vatican Website, January 7, 2001, para. 2, accessed January 12, 2018, http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/2001/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_20010107_baptism.html
<3> “Rite of Baptism for Children.” In The Rites of the Catholic Church, the Roman Ritual Revised by Decree of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council and Published by the Authority of Pope Paul VI. Study ed. Vol. 1. 2 vols., 360-466. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1990.

Further reading
Himes, Michael J. The Mystery of Faith: An Introduction to Catholicism. Cincinnati, OH: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2004.