A New Presentation for Sunday's Liturgy

Baptism Of The Lord

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This presentation is originally prepared in Spanish by Fr. Cristo Rey García Paredes, cmf. The original version,along with other very useful materials for pastoral agents and Christians in general can be found at: http://ciudadredonda.org

January 11, 2004 - Sunday, FEAST OF THE LORD'S BAPTISM (C)

A. My Beloved Son
B. What About Our Baptism?

Readings:
Is 40:1-5, 9-11; Ps 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10; Tit 2:11-14; 3:4-7; Lk 3:15-16, 21-22

Commentaries / Gospel Reflections from:
Sunday's Into Silence • Diario Biblico • Daily Gospel

Greeting (See Second Reading)

God has revealed to us his kindness and love
in Jesus Christ our Savior
by saving us through the cleansing water of rebirth
and by renewing us with the Holy Spirit.
May the Lord Jesus be always with you. R/ And also with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

A. My Beloved Son

Still in the Christmas sprit we celebrate today the Lord's Baptism. On Christmas he manifested himself as a child, yet he was no other than God's Son. At the Epiphany he manifested himself to the Gentiles as the Savior of all people. Today he manifests himself as the Son intensely loved by the Father, with the Spirit resting on him and guiding him. Now he can begin his mission. In this eucharist we ask our Lord to make us aware how we too, through baptism, are beloved sons and daughters of the Father, and how the fire of the Spirit should inflame us.

B. What about Our Baptism?

On this feast of Our Lord's baptism the liturgy reminds us of our own baptism. At his baptism Jesus saw the mission ahead of him and committed himself to it. He received heaven's confirmation that the Father and the Holy Spirit were with him in his mission of saving people. At our baptism too the Father accepted us as his beloved sons and daughters and gave us the mission of living the life of Christ for all people to see. We ask the Lord here with us to give us the insight and strength to accept our Christian mission in life.

Penitential Act

Let us examine ourselves before the Lord
to see whether we are taking our Christian life seriously.
             (PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, beloved Son of the Father,
the Father assured you of his approval:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Jesus Christ, the Spirit came down on you
and confirmed that you were doing
what was right and good:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you brought us in baptism
the love of the Father
and the fire of the Spirit:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Forgive us, Lord,
that we have not fully used
the grace of our baptism.
Renew us and lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.

Opening Prayer

Let us pray that with Jesus
we may be God's beloved sons and daughters
             (PAUSE)
God our Father,
with your whole people reborn in baptism
we give you thanks.
In Jesus, each of us has become
your beloved son or daughter.
Fill us with the fire of the Holy Spirit
who guided Jesus in life and death.
Let this Spirit set us free
to serve you and one another
with unselfish, grateful love.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. R/ Amen.

Scripture Readings

First Reading Introduction: Here Is Your God
     To his repentant people, God promises a savior who will be like a loving shepherd. At his baptism Jesus will be revealed as that Savior and God's own Son.

First Reading: Is 40:1-5, 9-11

Be comforted, my people,
be strengthened, says your God.
Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, proclaim to her
that her time of bondage is at an end,
that her guilt has been paid for,
that from the hand of Yahweh
she has received double punishment
for all her iniquity.

A voice cries,
"In the wilderness prepare the way for Yahweh.
Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley will be raised up;
every mountain and hill will be laid low.
The stumbling blocks shall become level
and the rugged places smooth.
The glory of Yahweh will be revealed,
and all mortals together will see it;
for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken."

A voice says, "Cry."
and I say, "What shall I cry?"
"All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty as the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower wilts,
when the breath of Yahweh blows upon it.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will forever stand."

Go up onto the high mountain, messenger of Zion,
lift up your voice with strength,
fear not to cry aloud when you tell Jerusalem
and announce to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!

Here comes your God with might;
his strong arm rules for him;
his reward is with him,
and here before him is his booty.
Like a shepherd he tends his flock:
he gathers the lambs in his arms,
he carries them in his bosom,
gently leading those that are with young.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10 or Ps 104:1b-2, 3-4, 24-25, 27-28, 29-30

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

Ps 104:1b-2, 3-4, 24-25, 27-28, 29-30

R. (1) O bless the Lord, my soul.

O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
You have spread out the heavens like a tent-cloth;
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.

You have constructed your palace upon the waters.
You make the clouds your chariot;
you travel on the wings of the wind.
You make the winds your messengers,
and flaming fire your ministers.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.

How manifold are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you have wrought them all --
the earth is full of your creatures;
the sea also, great and wide,
in which are schools without number
of living things both small and great.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.

They look to you to give them food in due time.
When you give it to them, they gather it;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.

If you take away their breath, they perish and return to the dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.

Second Reading Introduction: God's Grace Is Shown in Jesus
     God sent us a Savior to give us God's life. In his Son Jesus he showed us how great his compassionate love is.

Second Reading: Tit 2:11-14; 3:4-7

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, teaching us to reject an irreligious way of life and worldly greed, and to live in this world as responsible persons, upright and serving God, while we await our blessed hope-the glorious manifestation of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus. He gave himself for us, to redeem us from every evil and to purify a people he wanted to be his own and dedicated to what is good.

But God our Savior revealed his eminent goodness and love for humankind and saved us, not because of good deeds we may have done but for the sake of his own mercy, to the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit poured over us through Christ Jesus our Savior, so that having been justified by his grace we should become heirs in hope of eternal life.

Gospel Introduction: You Are My Beloved Son
     In his description of Jesus' baptism Luke recognizes Jesus as God's Son. His Father invests Jesus with his mission as Savior and the Holy Spirit will guide him.

Gospel Reading: Lk 3:15-16, 21-22

The people were wondering about John's identity, "Could he be the Messiah?" Then John answered them, "I baptize you with water, but the one who is coming will do much more: he will baptize you with Holy Spirit and fire. As for me, I am not worthy to untie his sandal."

Now, with all the people who came to be baptized, Jesus too was baptized. Then, while he was praying, the heavens opened: the Holy Spirit came down upon him in the bodily form of a dove and a voice from heaven was heard, "You are my Son, this day I have begotten you."

Commentary

HOW do you recognize John the Baptist in Christian art? He's the scruffy one-even though it's a scruffiness made genteel by generations of artists. He came from the desert, where "he wore a garment made of camel-hair and his food was locusts and wild honey" (Mt 3:4). His message was equally rough: he didn't begin, "My dear brothers and sisters"; he began, "Brood of vipers!" (Lk 3:7). Could he be the Messiah, the Promised One? Many thought he might be. This shows that they had no glamorized image of the Messiah. They expected a thrashing! God would burn up most of them up like chaff, John promised. This was a significant phrase: the Pharisees regarded the common people as chaff-empty husks. John's words must have cut them to the bone.

John's cousin too came from the desert, but his attitude was so different. Looking at the crowd "he felt sorry for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is rich but the laborers are few'" (Mt 9:36). He does not see them as chaff, but as harvest-ripe and full of life. It is because he believes in us that we are able to believe in him.

General Intercessions

Let us pray today to our Father in heaven, who sent his Son among us as a servant, to set us free and to make us new. Let us say to him: R/ Lord, hear your people.

- For the Church and its leaders, that they and we may not seek compromises with wealth and power, but learn to commit ourselves in love and to help the poor, let us pray: R/ Lord, hear your people.

- For all those who do not yet know Christ or who are estranged from the Church, that the way we live Christ's gospel may reveal to them the love of the Lord, let us pray: R/ Lord, hear your people.

- For us Christians and for all people, that the Holy Spirit may guide us to respect all who are little and defenseless; that we may not crush them but give them justice, let us pray: R/ Lord, hear your people.

- For all who are baptized, that they may follow Christ and that like him they may learn to serve rather than to be served, let us pray: R/ Lord, hear your people.

- For us and for all our Christian communities, that the eucharist may strengthen in us the gifts of the Holy Spirit and make us ever more faithful to our vocation as God's beloved children, let us pray: R/ Lord, hear your people.

Lord our God, you have called us to become new when we were baptized. Keep renewing us through your Spirit, that we may have the courage to go with Christ all the way, for he is your Son and our Lord 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.

Introduction 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 faithful 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...

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
Jesus saw his vocation:
to serve God and people.
At our baptism
we were given our vocation.
It is, in our own small way,
the vocation of Jesus.
Let each of us become
a faithful servant
and son or daughter of the Father,
a humble servant of those around us.
And may almighty God bless you all:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.

Go in the peace and the love of the Lord. R/ Thanks be to God.

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Additional Resource Material for this Sunday

Ideal for catechetical and liturgical dramatization of today's gospel.

God's Justice • Baptism in Jordan River
(Lk 3:15-16, 21-22)

(taken from the book A Certain Jesus, Vol. 1)
Click here for other Readings --> Index of A Certain Jesus