On this wonderful day as we hear about the baptism of our Lord. We ought to rejoice with joyful hearts as we recall our very own baptism. For God our loving Father had revealed His Son our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ to us. The love and favour which rests on our Lord, now rests upon us His children through the baptism we received.
Such is God our Father’s great love for us that it was given freely even while we were great sinners. So that we might have hope of eternal life with Him.
Light of all nations, let us bathe in Your light. As You went down into the waters at Your baptism so too do we go with You, to rise to new birth in You. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Now and forever. Amen
First reading
Isaiah 55:1-11
Thus says the Lord:
Oh, come to the water all you who are thirsty; though you have no money, come!
Buy corn without money, and eat, and, at no cost, wine and milk.
Why spend money on what is not bread, your wages on what fails to satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and you will have good things to eat and rich food to enjoy.
Pay attention, come to me;listen, and your soul will live.
With you I will make an everlasting covenant
out of the favours promised to David.
See, I have made of you a witness to the peoples, a leader and a master of the nations.
See, you will summon a nation you never knew,
those unknown will come hurrying to you, for the sake of the Lord your God, of the Holy One of Israel who will glorify you.
Seek the Lord while he is still to be found, call to him while he is still near. Let the wicked man abandon his way, the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn back to the Lord who will take pity on him, to our God who is rich in forgiving; for my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways not your ways– it is the Lord who speaks.
Yes, the heavens are as high above earth as my ways are above your ways, my thoughts above your thoughts.
Yes, as the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.
Gospel
Mark 1:7-11
In the course of his preaching John the Baptist said:
‘Someone is following me, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to kneel down and undo the strap of his sandals. I have baptised you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.’
It was at this time that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised in the Jordan by John. No sooner had he come up out of the water than he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit, like a dove, descending on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on you.’
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