John di Baptist dey baptize Christ, painting by Francesco Trevisani
Baptism of di Lord—Feast
Sunday wey follow Epiphany
Or, if dem celebrate Epiphany on January 7 or 8, di Monday wey follow am
Colour for Liturgy: White/Gold
Go straight to: Di full version – Di short version
Podcast channels:
Apple – Spotify – iHeart – Audible
Quotation:
For those days, Jesus come from Nazareth for Galilee, and John baptize Am for River Jordan. As He dey come out from di water, He see as heaven tear open and di Spirit dey come down on Am like dove. And one voice come from heaven, “You na My beloved Son; You dey please Me well well.” ~Mark 1:9–11
Reflection: Di Feast of di Baptism of di Lord be like bridge for di Church liturgy wey join Christmas season to Ordinary Time. During Christmas season, we reflect on how God di Son become human being, how dem born Am, how dem present Am for di Temple, and Epiphany. Today, we see Jesus dey make di world know who He be, as He begin di three years of His public ministry.
Jesus begin His ministry with one action wey show how deeply He stand together with human beings wey sin don spoil. John di Baptist don dey preach for desert and dey baptize people to show repentance. John baptism no be di same as our baptism today. Instead, na only sign wey show say person ready to turn away from sin and turn to God. Jesus, as we know, no get anything to repent of. He no get sin at all. But that one no stop Am from freely choosing to receive di baptism of repentance. Why He go do that kind thing?
To put am simply, Jesus choose to join Himself with human beings wey sin don spoil, carry our own sins for Himself, and suffer di consequences of those sins. With humility, He allow people to see Am as sinner wey need to repent. He do this because He love us and because He long to become one with us, so that we fit become one with Am.
As Jesus bow His holy head to receive di baptism of repentance, He join Himself and His divinity with everybody wey don already choose to repent. And He give power to every act of repentance wey other people go make after that time, even reach today. When we repent today, we meet Jesus inside that same water of repentance.
No be only di Eternal Son dey present for that baptism of repentance; di Father and di Holy Spirit dey there too. Di Spirit come down on Jesus in di form of dove, and di Father Voice speak to confirm say He and His Son be one. So, every time we humble ourselves and repent, like when we join di crucifixion, di Trinity, and holy water together as we enter church and bless ourselves, no be only our Lord we dey meet. We also receive di Holy Spirit wey dey pour out upon us, and we share more fully in how di Father for Heaven don adopt us as His sons and daughters.
As we remember Jesus baptism for di liturgy, we celebrate say our Christian baptism na di beginning of this new unity with di Holy Trinity. But we also celebrate how we be one with God, and how this unity dey become new again every time we repent of our sins from inside our heart. If we understand fully wetin dey happen every time we admit our sins and repent of them, we no go ever tire to repent. Every time we admit our sin and repent, we meet Christ afresh, receive di Holy Spirit wey dey pour out upon us even more, and confirm and deepen how di Father for Heaven don adopt us as His children.
Prayer: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, You come to me for my baptism, and even as sin don spoil my condition, You join me with Yourself in Your divinity. I pray make I always know everything wey dey separate us, and make I no ever tire to repent of my sin. Dear Lord, I repent once again. I beg for Your mercy and forgiveness, and I open myself more fully to You, Your Father, and di Holy Spirit. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, na You I trust.
Dem take dis reflection from:
Saints and Feasts for the Liturgical Year
Volumes One–Four
Read more for other websites:
Catholic Saint Dem & Feast Dem
All di Saint Dem for di Liturgical Year
(Short Version)
Baptism of di Lord—Feast
Di Feast of di Baptism of di Lord be like bridge for di Church liturgy wey join Christmas season to Ordinary Time. During Christmas season, we reflect on how God di Son become human being, how dem born Am, how dem present Am for di Temple, and Epiphany. Today, we see Jesus dey make di world know who He be, as He begin di three years of His public ministry.
John di Baptist don dey preach for desert and dey baptize people to show repentance, as sign say person ready to turn away from sin and turn to God. Jesus, as we know, no get sin at all, but He choose to receive di baptism of repentance so that He go join Himself with human beings wey sin don spoil. Because He love us, He carry our own sins for Himself, and He go later suffer di consequences of those sins.
As Jesus bow His holy head to receive di baptism of repentance, He join Himself and His divinity with everybody wey don already choose to repent. And He give power to every act of repentance wey other people go make after that time, even reach today. When we repent today, we meet Jesus inside that same water of repentance.
No be only di Eternal Son dey present for that baptism of repentance; di Father and di Holy Spirit dey there too. Di Spirit come down on Jesus in di form of dove, and di Father Voice speak to confirm say He and His Son be one. So, every time we humble ourselves and repent, like when we join di crucifixion, di Trinity, and holy water together as we enter church and bless ourselves, no be only our Lord we dey meet. We also receive di Holy Spirit wey dey pour out upon us, and we share more fully in how di Father for Heaven don adopt us as His sons and daughters.
As we dey remember di baptism of Jesus, we dey celebrate di fact say our Christian baptism na di beginning of new unity with di Holy Trinity. We dey also celebrate how we be one with God, and this unity dey become new every time we repent of our sins from inside our heart. Every time we acknowledge our sin and repent, we dey meet Christ afresh, receive more outpouring of di Holy Spirit, and confirm and deepen our place as children wey di Father for Heaven don adopt.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, You come meet me for my baptism and unite me, for my condition as sinner, with You for Your divine nature. I pray make I no ever tire to repent of my sin. I dey beg for Your mercy and forgiveness, and I dey open myself more fully to You, Your Father, and di Holy Spirit. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, na You I trust.