Sunday, January 11, 2015

Baptism of the Lord - Our Baptism in the Lord - Pope Baptizes Today children

Today the Holy Mother Church celebrates the Baptism of the Lord amidst violence and terror. In France around 20 people have died and in Nigeria a child of 10 was used to explode a bomb and many have been killed...every day there is killing and looting...every day humanity is at stake and on the cross roads.....human life cannot be diminished or destroyed by human beings because the author of Life is God....who assumed our sins and became one of us....to show that He loves.....Jesus Baptism reminds us that the Father of Jesus loves us all....white and Black, Brown and red, all are under the umbrella of God's Love.....ths sky opens up over everyone who loves God and His own image.....He says "You are my Beloved son and Daughter "

You are my Son, the Beloved, the One I have chosen.” The baptism of Jesus by his cousin John the Baptist at the Jordan River inaugurates Jesus’ mission to the poor and sinners. Today’s feast which ends the liturgical Christmas season reminds us of our own baptism, not so much of our being cleansed but, more important, of our being made adopted children of God called to be men and women for others.

     The spirit of our baptism is not to just impose a creed or ritual but is meant to be a call to share a life. In our baptism each one of us is called to a life of kindness and honesty, of compassion and forgiveness, of fairness and love. The type of life we live is the real evidence of the reality of our baptism.

     One truly baptized is a person who lives right-side-up in a world that is upside-down. He/she lives his/her life in such a way that he/she does not add to the world’s problems but is part of the solution to the world’s problems. One truly baptized is the presence of love in today’s world.

     How do we live this mission of love demanded by our baptism? Our Church has so many “retired” Christians, those who are not genuine pilgrims because they do not advance in life, baptized people who continue in their sinfulness and with their fraternization with the enemy. One truly baptized is one horrified at his/her own sinfulness and the sinfulness of the world.

     Our baptism is not only about the forgiveness of original sin. Our baptism is a challenge and a call to live holy lives, lives of love. The better we understand our baptism, the more we will be dissatisfied with lives without purpose or direction and the more we will aspire for holiness. If we wish to convince others of the value of their baptism, we must live the challenges demanded of us by our baptism. We have to live the faith we professed when we were baptized to be able to help others believe in God and live lives of faith (DAILY HOMILY)

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