THE SOLEMNITY OF THE BAPTISM OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.
THE SOLEMNITY OF THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD.
"I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the holy Spirit.” (Mark 1: 8).
THE GOSPEL:
"The people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ. John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
“After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3 : 15 - 16, 21 - 22).
Sunday 12th January 2025 is the great feast of the Baptism of the Lord.
John the Baptizer bore witness to Jesus as the expected Messiah who will baptize us with the Holy Spirit. (Mark 1: 8).
Who is the Holy Spirit and why is the Baptism in the Holy Spirit the ultimate Christian experience?
#1. The Holy Spirit is the Big Gift. The Free Gift.
#2. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of joy and consolations. A rich experience of joy and consolations await us when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit.
#3. "The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth." (1 John 5: 6).
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth who leads us to all the truth about the person and work of Jesus the Christ.
The Baptism of Jesus launches His mission. Our Baptism with the Holy Spirit should similarly launch our mission. This is because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Mission and the Mission is Evangelization.
The Church exists for only one purpose: to evangelize. It is the Holy Spirit who helps us to accomplish this Mission.
Have you been baptized with the Holy Spirit? Yes. At your Baptism. The grace of the Holy Spirit we received at Baptism was strengthened or confirmed in the Sacrament of Confirmation.
What if you say: I have been baptized and confirmed but I don't experience the joy and consolations of the Holy Spirit. Why? There could be two reasons:
#1. Activate the Holy Spirit in you. Like a new credit card, you need to activate it before you can start to use it. How do you activate the Holy Spirit?
Ask with expectant faith for the Holy Spirit to come to you and become active in you.
You can make a 9 Day Novena to increase your desire and preparation. There are many websites on the internet with Holy Spirit Novena templates.
#2. The second reason why you may not experience the promised joy, peace and comforts of the Holy Spirit is Sin. Any unconfessed sin will block the gift of the Holy Spirit. Remedy: Go to Confession.
The Church honors the Most Holy Name of Jesus in January.
"Faith in Jesus and in the power of His Holy Name is the greatest spiritual force in the world today.
It is a source of joy and inspiration in our youth; of strength in our manhood,
when only His Holy Name and His grace, can enable us to overcome temptation; of hope, consolation and confidence at the hour of our death, when more than ever before, we realise, that the meaning of Jesus is‘Lord, the Saviour.’
We should bow in reverence to His Name and submission to His Holy Will.”(Blessed Henry Suso - 1290-1365)
Click the link below for the Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, Prayer Intentions, etc.
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