Greeting
Today Jesus was baptized in the Jordan; the Father recognized him as his beloved Son; the Holy Spirit prepared him for his mission of service. May the Lord’s Spirit of sonship and service be always with you. R/ And also with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
Today, on the feast of the Lord’s baptism, Jesus, though he was without sin, made himself one with sinners, with outcasts, with the poor in any way, to bring them God’s forgiveness and life. He accepted that difficult mission. At our baptism we have become one with him. Do we too, like him, accept our mission to be good servants of God and people, even when this is a difficult task? After all, we are Jesus’ disciples.
Penitential Act
We too are God’s beloved sons and daughters since the time we were baptized. Have we answered God’s love? Let us ask the Lord to forgive us. (pause)
Lord Jesus, servant of God, you taught us how to serve. Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, beloved Son of the Father, through you we became his daughters and sons: Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you made yourself one with all sinners and with the weak: Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord, and take all our sins away. Make us live as people loved by God and lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray that with Jesus we may be faithful servants of God and people (pause) God our Father, with Jesus you call us to be your beloved sons and daughters and with him you give us the mission to become humble and dedicated servants. Grant that we may not break those crushed by sin and sorrow. Help us to serve always the cause of right, to be eyes to the blind and a voice for the downtrodden. May we please you in all we do. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. R/ Amen.
First Reading: Isaiah 42:1-4,6-7 Here Is My Beloved Servant; My Spirit Rests On Him
The prophet announces that God’s Spirit will guide his faithful servant to bring justice and compassionate, respectful love to the world. This prophecy is fulfilled in Jesus. His mission is also ours.
Second Reading: Acts 10:34-38 The Good News Is For All
Peter tells us that the Spirit of God rested on the Lord Jesus and that his Good News is destined for all.
Gospel: Mattew 3:13-17 This Is My Beloved Son
Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan is the occasion to make him known as the promised Savior: the Father calls him his beloved Son; the Holy Spirit will guide him.
Intercessions
Today let us pray 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 serve and help the poor, let us pray: R/ Lord, hear your people.
– For all those who do not 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 those 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 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. Forgive us our cowardice and 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 loyal 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 in the Jordan Jesus was invested with his mission of bringing God’s liberating love to people. The Spirit guided him to carry out that mission in uncompromising faithfulness. At our baptism with water and the Spirit, we have received the mission to live like Jesus, to go about doing good as he did, to be faithful and just to God and to people. May the God in whose name we have been baptized protect, guide and bless you for this task: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Let us go in the name of the Lord. R/ Thanks be to God.
Reflection:
Jan 8 Mon:
Mk 1:7-11
We are your beloved chosen children
John said, “After me comes one who is more powerful than I am; I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.”.… And the moment he came up out of the water, heaven opened before him, and he saw the Spirit coming down on him like a dove. And these words were heard from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved, the One I have chosen.”
Tess had been a domestic helper in Saudi Arabia before she went to Macau, where she worked for more than 20 years also as a domestic helper. But different from her previous place of employment, she was free to practice her faith in Macau. Though she had not any college degree or any formal training in church ministry, she gathered other domestic helpers to form a Bible sharing group. After working the whole week, instead of spending their holiday playing cards, or telling endless stories, they gathered every Sunday to pray together, meditate on the Bible, and share about their faith life.
She animated the group and became the counselor to many of them, listening to their problems and helping them go through life though she herself had problems of her own. Tess saw this as part of her baptismal commitment to be available to others, specially to those in need. All were all sisters and brothers in the Lord for they had only one Father in heaven, and they were all his beloved children.
O Father God, we are your beloved chosen children. Teach us to live as you want us to; teach us to love our sisters and brothers like you love everyone of us. Amen.
