Greeting

We have been baptized in Christ Jesus
and died to sin
to rise to a new life.
May the risen Lord be always with you.
R/ And also with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

When Jesus asked John the Baptist to baptize him in the Jordan, just as John had baptized other people, Jesus saw that his task was to save people from their sins. He himself was without sin, but he made himself one with the people in their weakness. And then God confirmed him in his task by saying: "This is my beloved Son." When we were baptized, we expressed, through our parents and godparents, that we had become one with Jesus. Since that day we share with Jesus in his task of serving and saving people. If we do so, then God can tell us too: "you are my beloved son or daughter."

Penitential Act

Though we have become one with Jesus in baptism,
we have not lived as one with him.
We now seek forgiveness from the Lord.
(PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, you committed yourself wholeheartedly
to the Father and to people:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Jesus Christ, the Father recognized
how you were going to serve him and people,
when he said: "This is my beloved Son":
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you unite us to yourself
and commit us with you.
May we too hear from the Father:
"You are my beloved sons and daughters":
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Lord, forgive us our reluctance to serve
and all our other sins.
Lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.

Opening Prayer

Let us pray that the Spirit
make us live the life of Jesus
(PAUSE)
Lord, our loving God,
pour out on us the Holy Spirit
who came down on Jesus
when he was baptized in the Jordan
and who guided Jesus in his life and death.
Let the Spirit breathe on us
freedom from fear and hatred,
the fire of his love, fervor in prayer.
May he bring harmony in our communities
and lead us in our mission
of making all people your sons and daughters,
that all may praise and thank you
through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading Introduction: Behold my servant with whom I am well pleased.

First Reading: Is 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: Ps 29:1-2,3-4,5,9-10

R. 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 Introduction: God anointed him with the Holy Spirit

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."

Gospel Introduction: After Jesus was baptized, he saw the Spirit of God coming upon him

Gospel Reading: Mt 3:3-17

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."

Commentary

For thirty years Jesus lives simply in the quiet village of Nazareth, all the while preparing a public ministry that begins when He enters the waters of the river Jordan. Although He did not need to be baptized, Jesus associates Himself with the message of John the Baptist, "Reform your lives, the Kingdom of God is at hand."

At the Jordan River Jesus inaugurates a new way of life, the life that you and I have entered through the Sacrament of Baptism. May our keeping of the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord keep us faithful to following Jesus, who alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

 

General Intercessions

United by our one Lord Jesus Christ, let us pray to the Father of all, and let us say.
R/ Lord, hear us through your Son.

- For all those who believe that Jesus is really God's Son and for all those who seek him, whether they know it or not, let us pray: R/ Lord, hear us through your Son.

- For all those who are baptized, that they may live as God's beloved sons and daughters, let us pray: R/ Lord, hear us through your Son.

- For all those who believe in Christ, that they may soon be united in one faith, one hope, one love and one body, let us pray: R/ Lord, hear us through your Son.

- For those whose life seems without meaning, for those who despair because of their faults, for all the loners in life, let us pray: R/ Lord, hear us through your Son.

- For this and every Christian community, that we may seek God's will together and draw strength from this eucharist, let us pray: R/ Lord, hear us through your Son.

Father, we thank you that you are our Father. Give us your Holy Spirit and gather us together to praise and love you now and for ever.
R/ Amen.

Prayer over the Gifts

Our God and Father,
these gifts of bread and wine
will become your beloved Son Jesus
on whom your favor rests.
Strengthen us with his body and blood
and let his Holy Spirit renew us
as people who live without compromise
the message of justice and love
and the very life of your Son.
In this way, may we truly be
your beloved sons and daughters
on whom your favor rests,
now and for ever. R/ Amen.

Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer

Let us give wholehearted thanks to the Father for having made us in baptism his beloved sons and daughters together with Jesus our Lord.

Invitation to the Lord's Prayer

Baptized in the Holy Spirit
and children of the Father
through Jesus, his beloved Son,
we pray with all trust Jesus' own prayer : R/ Our Father...

Deliver Us

Deliver us, Lord, from every evil
and grant us your peace in our day.
Revive in us the grace of baptism
and guide us by your Holy Spirit,
that we may be loyal to our mission
of living the life of Jesus in this world,
as we wait in joyful hope
for the coming in glory
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...

Prayer for Peace

Lord Jesus Christ,
let the star of your peace rise today
on the body of the Church
and on all who believe in you.
In its light, may we learn
to love and to serve one another
and to share the joy of your peace
with all willing to accept it,
now and for ever. R/ Amen.

Invitation to Communion

This is Jesus our Lord,
the beloved Son of the Father,
on whom God's favor rests.
Happy are we to be invited
to share his table
and to live his life. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...

Prayer after Communion

Our God and Father,
you have opened heaven to us
to strengthen us with the Bread of life
and to fill us with the Holy Spirit.
Make us new and call us away
from our certainties and attachments.
Send us out to go forward without fear
on the road of justice and peace,
that we may be your beloved children
together with your faithful Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Blessing

At his baptism in the Jordan
Jesus was invested with his mission
of bringing God's liberating love to people.
The Spirit guided him to carry out that mission
in uncompromising faithfulness.
At our baptism with water and the Spirit,
we have received the mission
to live like Jesus,
to go about doing good as he did,
to be faithful and just to God and to people.

May the God in whose name we have been baptized
protect, guide and bless you for this task:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.

Let us go in the name of the Lord. R/ Thanks be to God.