EVENT : BAPTISM OF THE LORD
COLOUR: WHITE
READINGS :Isaiah 55:1-11; Resp. Psalm. Isa. 12:2-3.4bcd.5-6; 1John 5:1-9; Mark 1:7-11.
THEME: BAPTISM EQUALS US WITH JESUS
Greetings beloved people of God. I welcome you to "My Catholic Homily Digest". On this Second Sunday of the year, which doubles also as the baptism of the Lord, I wish to reflect with you on the theme: " Baptism Equals Us With Jesus". Beloved, do not be shocked by the theme of today's reflection because it is a valid statement. By the celebration of the baptism of Jesus today, the Christmas season has come to an end. And the public ministry of Jesus commences. However, just like every other thing that Jesus did, His baptism was meant to teach us the necessity of rebirth into the fellowship of God's children. Jesus does not need baptism for he was pure purity. But to make us all equal, he had to take the lead that we might follow. According to the teaching of the Church, baptism brings about a fundamental equality of all God's people. By his baptism, Christ has sanctified the batismal waters, thereby uniting all believer as one people. For since we all receive one baptism, there is no inequality arising from race, nationality, social status, colour, culture or sex (Gal. 3:28).
Beloved, the fact that one is reborn in Christ through baptism is infinitely more important than being born into certain parents, class, social caste or race (CCC. Art. 35, Pg. 80). This is why the saintly Archbishop of Onitsha, Obiefuna, of blessed memory, once opined that "the waters of baptism is thicker than the blood of families ties". Dearest in Christ, the mystery and privileges obtained from baptism are innumerable. Firstly, by baptism, one is made entirely a new creature irrespective of past misdeeds and s/he receives full remission of all past sins, but original and actual just like that (Act. 2:38, CCC, Art 31, Pg 76). . And all the punishments due to those sins are cancelled (Cf. Council of Florence: DS 1316). Furthermore, through baptism, sanctifying grace and other graces are infused on the baptised. Thus, since baptism does not completely remove certain temporal consequences inherent in life as weaknesses of character such as 'concupiscence', these graces obtained through baptism enable us to wrestle favourably with temporal inclinations.
Finally child of God, baptism takes us from merely being slaves and servants of God through being friends of Jesus, and finally being brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ. It makes us adopted children of God and heirs to the kingdom of heaven (Gal. 4:4-6; Rom. 8:29). As sons and daughters of God, with Jesus as the first born Son, we should not be shy to demand our birth rights from God, we should not be too shy to call God "My Father" (Cf. John 20:17). We are not meant to shiver before God, our loving father, we should not suffer want or hardship, sickness and death. But we are deprived of all these benefits because despite our baptism, we have rushed back to the pool of sin. And like dirty and stinky pigs, we feel too unworthy to approach God or to even raise our head. I pray that through the grace of the baptism of Jesus today, we may renew our baptismal resolution to die to sin and rise into the new life of Jesus Christ.
Oh that today you would listen to his voice harden not your hearts (Ps.95:7-8)
LET US PRAY : Lord Jesus, through your baptism, you have sanctified the baptismal font. Help me to imitate you all the days of my life.......
The Lord be with you....... and with your Spirit.
May Almighty God bless you in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit......Amen
HAPPY BAPTISM OF THE LORD BELOVED FRIENDS.
@ Fada Emmanuel Nnamdi Megwara, MSP. ⛪
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