Mass Readings for the Day:
1 John 5:5-15; Psalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20; Mark 9:6; Mark 1:7-11 or Luke 3-23-28 or 3:23, 31-34, 36, 38
The Gospel for this day invites us to reflect on the institution of the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, beginning with Jesus, and how God has given us both Sacraments so that we may become members of the Church and receive the Holy Spirit.
1. The Baptism of Jesus distinctly marked the start of His public ministry. It was a public event when Saint John the Baptist baptized Him and all who were present could see and hear the revelation that Jesus is the Messiah or Christ, which means “The Anointed One.”
2. On that day, the Holy Trinity was also revealed:
“On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.””
3. The Gospel for today narrates about the institution of the Sacrament of Baptism and the Sacrament of Confirmation. Before the time of John the Baptist and before the coming of Christ, the faith of the Jews was naturally exclusive to the Jews themselves as they were considered the chosen people of God- the descendants of Abraham, or the Israelites. On the other hand, the Gentiles, or the non-Jews, were those who did not worship the One True God. That is why in the Old Testament, they were mostly people with the “worst” sins you could think of, in layman’s terms. But through Jesus’ Baptism by Saint John, the Gentiles who wanted to practice the Jewish faith in God could already be baptized and later on, be ministered by Jesus and His Apostles.
4. Here in the Philippines, given our ancestry, I’d assume that most of us descended from the “Gentiles” unless perhaps a great, great grandfather of ours happens to be Jewish by blood. Despite that, those of us baptized in the name of Christ are now called “the children of God” or “Christians.”
5. Jesus also instituted the Sacrament of Confirmation when He came out of the water, just as Catholics are anointed to fulfill our mission in life, in the name of Christ. With the mark of this Sacrament, we are aided by the gifts of Holy Spirit to fight Satan and the evil side. God calls and confirms us to be instruments to carry out His plan of salvation for men.
“The Kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21)
Through our Baptism and Confirmation, the Holy Spirit lives within our soul. The Catholic teaching on the “Indwelling of the Holy Spirit” actually means the “Indwelling of the Holy Trinity- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”
That is why our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Saint Paul the Apostle said, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?”
However, the presence of the Holy Trinity is only retained in a person who is in the state of grace; in the soul of the just (Source: Catholic Dictionary).
If people desecrate their bodies with the sins of the flesh, immorality, and have malice toward people, and cause them pain or suffering because of hatred, revenge, and evil thinking, how can they have God present in their lives? Without the presence of God in a person’s soul, he becomes a slave and an instrument of the devil to hurt people around him. That person eventually is led to his own demise. He may seem winning initially, but without the real fruits of the Holy Spirit in his life, he’s only driving his soul to eternal death or Hell.
The First Reading reminds us that “Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life.”
It must be our constant goal to fulfill our mission as Catholic Christians, which we received in Baptism and in Confirmation. We must give justice to being called the children of God. Let others feel the presence of God in us, and be an aid to their salvation, so that someday, we will all be together in Heaven.
A simple prayer I wrote for the day:
Most Holy Trinity, grant my soul the grace to be worthy of your Indwelling so that others may feel You and Your love through me.
Special Reminder:
It is the First Saturday of the Month and of the Year- Day of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Saint Joseph, pray for us!
Mama Mary, pray for us!
Amen.
She graduated cum laude from the University of Santo Tomas, the country's Pontifical and Catholic university, with an AB in Legal Management and minor units in Theology.
As an unmarried woman, prayer holds a central place in her daily life, with a focus on the Rosary and the Divine Office. Embodying her faith, she emphasizes the growth of her inner spiritual life, guided by the wisdom of Carmelite spirituality.
God manifested to her in a unique and radical manner, which made her know Who He truly is and led her to total surrender of her life to Him.
She has studied the Bible with her family, developing a particular fondness for the Old Testament.
Her adorable and intelligent toy poodle is a delightful companion in her daily life, bringing warmth and joy to her home.
Her hobbies include reading about everything, learning Japanese and German, listening to music and playing the flute.
In her leisure time, she enjoys gaming on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch OLED, Nintendo 3DS, iOS and OS, and collecting things related to PlayStation and Nintendo.
Email: [email protected]
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