January 8, Monday, Baptism of the Lord
Daily readings: Isaiah 55:1–11; 1 John 5:1–9; Mark 1:7–11
Holy Mother Church celebrates the Baptism of the Lord Jesus, and with that, the Season of Christmas comes to an end. But the mission for which Jesus took human form begins with his baptism.
The First Reading from Prophet Isaiah describes the definite plans of God to make an everlasting covenant with His people as a sign of His steadfast love. The reading opens with an invitation to the universe. The invitation is for all those who are hungry and thirsty. The Lord God offers three kinds of drinks.
The first one is waters. Water, in its plural form, signifies abundance. It is for the soul. This is what Jesus offers in John 7:37. It is the water that will flow from the believer’s heart. The second type of drink is wine. It is a symbol of joy. Jesus offers this as the Savior of the world. The third type of drink is milk. It is essential for the growth and development of the babies. Here is the symbol of the Word of God, as we also read in 1 Peter 2:2. It is a reminder that God’s Word will accomplish its purpose, namely giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater.
The Second Reading from the First Letter of St. John establishes the fact that the one who believes in Jesus as Christ is born of God. Three elements testify to Jesus: water, blood and Spirit. The water refers to Jesus’ baptism. Blood points out Jesus' death. Jesus’ incarnation is the work of the Holy Spirit.
The Gospel Reading presents the scene that we celebrate today. The sinless Jesus walks into Jordan to identify himself with the sinners. It is a public event. Two noteworthy incidents take place. (i) The heaven opens, and (ii) The Spirit of God descends and remains upon him. Both events indicate Jesus' anointing. Jesus experiences his Sonship. He becomes the Messiah. It was believed that when the Messiah comes, he will have the Spirit of God dwelling upon him.
Call to Action for Catholic Living: we are called to celebrate the Sonship of Jesus and our brotherhood with him. How do we find ways and means to celebrate our brotherhood with the less fortunate in our world today?
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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