Feast
of the Baptism of the Lord
Il-Festa tal-Magħmudija tal-Mulej
Messalin C 135
Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. Speak
tenderly to Jerusalem Zion , herald of glad tidings; cry out
at the top of your voice, Jerusalem Judah
L-Ewwel Qari - mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Isaija 40, 1-5, 9-11
"Farrġu, farrġu l-poplu
tiegħi -igħid Alla tagħkom. Kellmu lil
qalb Ġerusalemm u għidulha li ntemm il-jasar tagħha, tħallset ħżunitha, ħadet mingħand il-Mulej darbtejn
ġħal dnubietha kollha." Leħen jgħajjat: "Ħejju t-triq għall-Mulej
fid-derżert, wittu għal Alla tagħna mogħdija fix-xagħri. Jintradam kull wied, u
jitniżżlu l-muntanji u l-għoljiet; kull art imħabbta titwitta kull art imħarbta
ssir maqgħad. U tfiġġ il-glorja tal-Mulej, u l-bnedmin jarawha lkoll f'daqqa,
għax fomm il-Mulej tkellem." Itla' fuq il-muntanja għolja, int li ġġib
il-bxara t-tajba lil Sijon! Għolli leħnek bil-qawwa kollha, int li tagħti l-aħbar it-tajba lil Ġerusalemm;
għajjat, la tibżax. Għid lill-ibliet ta' Ġuda:"Hawn hu Alla tagħkom! Hawn
hu Sidi l-Mulej, li ġej bil-qawwa, u jaħkem bil-qawwa ta'driegħu. Hawn hu bi
ħlasu miegħu, u r-rebħa tiegħu quddiemu. Bħal ragħaj li j irgħa l-merħla
tiegħu; bi driegħu jiġmagħha, u l-ħrief
fi ħdanu jerfagħhom; u n-nagħaġ ireddgħu bil-mod imexxihom." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Responsorial Psalm PSALM
104:1b-2, 3-4, 24-25, 27-28, 29-30
R. (1) O
bless the Lord, my soul.
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
you are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
You have spread out the heavens like a tent-cloth; R/
you are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
You have spread out the heavens like a tent-cloth; R/
You have constructed your palace upon the waters.
You make the clouds your chariot;
you travel on the wings of the wind.
You make the winds your messengers,
and flaming fire your ministers. R/
You make the clouds your chariot;
you travel on the wings of the wind.
You make the winds your messengers,
and flaming fire your ministers. R/
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you have wrought them all—
the earth is full of your creatures;
the sea also, great and wide,
in which are schools without number
of living things both small and great. R/
In wisdom you have wrought them all—
the earth is full of your creatures;
the sea also, great and wide,
in which are schools without number
of living things both small and great. R/
They look to you to give them food in due time.
When you give it to them, they gather it;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. R/
When you give it to them, they gather it;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. R/
If you take away their breath, they perish and return to
the dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth. R/
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth. R/
Salm Responsorjali - Salm
103 (104)
R/ Bierek ruħ tiegħi, il-Mulej.
Mulej, Alla tiegħi, inti kbir
bil-bosta!
Bis-sebħ u l-ġmiel init
mlibbes,
bid-dawl, bħal b'mantell,
inti mkebbeb.
Inti frixt is-smewwiet bħal
tinda. R./
Waqqaft fuq l-ilma
l-għamajjar għoja tiegħek.
Inti tagħmel is-sħab mirkeb
tiegħek,
fuq ġwienaħ ir-riħ tiġġerra.
l-irjieh tagħmilhom ħabbara
tiegħek,
u l-ilsna tan-nar qaddejja
tiegħek. R/
Kemm huma huma kotran
l-għemejjel tiegħek, Mulej!
Kollha bl-għerf għamilthom;
mimlija l-art bil-ħlejjaq
tiegħek.
Dan il-baħar ta' kobor u wisa' bla tarf,
li fih jimraħ ħut bla għadd;
bħejjem żgħar u bhejjem kbar. R/
Minnek jistennew il-ħlejjaq
kollha
li tagħtihom ikilhom f'waqtu.
Inti tagħtihom, u huma jiġbru;
tiftaħ idejk, u jixbgħu bil-ġid. R/
Jekk taħbi wiċċek, huma
jinfixlu;
jekk teħdilhom nifishom,
imutu,
u lejn it-trab jerġgħu jmorru.
Malli tibgħat in-nies
tiegħek, jinħolqu,
u inti ġġedded il-wiċċ ta'
l-art. R/
Beloved: The grace
of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and
worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as
we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of our great God and
savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness
and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good. When
the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, not because of any
righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, He saved us through the
bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he richly poured out on us
through Jesus Christ our savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and
become heirs in hope of eternal life. This is the Word of The Lord.
It-Tieni Qari - mill-Ittra lil Titu
2, 11-14;, 3, 4-7
Ibni, dehret
il-grazzja ta' Alla, għas-salvazzjoni lill-bniedmin kollha; hi trawwimna
nwarrbu l-ħażen u l-ġibdiet
tad-dinja; biex ngħixu bir-rażna
u l-ġustizzja u t-tjieba f'dan iż-żmien,
u nistennew it-tama ħienja u d-dehra tal-glorja tal-kbir Alla u Salvatur
tagħna. Hu ta lilu nnifsu għalina biex jifdina minn
kull ħażen u jnaddafna u jagħmel minn
Gospel - Luke 3:15-16,
21-22
The people were filled
with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the
Christ. John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water, but one
mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” After all the people had
been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was
opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a
voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased”. This is the Word of The Lord.
Evanġelju - Qari
Skont San Luqa 3, 15-16, 21-22
F'dak
iż-żmien, il-poplu kien qiegħed jistenna ħerqan, u kulħadd kien jistaqsi lilu nnifsu dwar Ġwanni, jekk kienx hu l-Messija. Għalhekk
Ġwanni qabad u qal lil kulħadd: "Jien, ngħid għalija, ngħammidkom bl-ilma,
imma ġej wieħed aqwa minni, li ma jistħoqqlix inħollu l-fqieli tal-qorq tiegħu. Hu jgħammidkom
bl-Ispirtu s-Santu u n-nar." Ġara li, wara li tgħammed il-poplu kollu, Ġesu' tgħammed ukoll u, waqt li kien qiegħed jitlob, is-smewwiet infetħu, u niżel l-Ispirtu s-Santu
u deher fuqu fis-sura ta' ħammiema.U mis-sema ġie leħen jgħid: "Inti Ibni
l-għażiż; fik sibt l-għaxqa tiegħi."
Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
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COMMENTARY
by Fr Thomas Rosica CSB
Baptism Is a Call
to a Prophetic Career
The
theme of Christ’s epiphany — of Jesus inaugurating his divine mission on earth
— reaches its fulfillment in the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The feast
seemingly brings an end to the Christmas season, but Christmas really ends with
the feast of the Presentation of the Lord on Feb. 2. In next Sunday’s Gospel story, Jesus begins
his ministry in Galilee after the baptism
preached by John. In describing the expectation of the people, Luke is characterizing
the time of John’s preaching in the same way as he had earlier described the
situation of other devout Israelites in the infancy narrative. John the Baptist
tells of one far greater than he, one with a more powerful baptism.
In
contrast to John’s baptism with water, Jesus is said to baptize with the Holy
Spirit and with fire. From the point of view of the early Christian community,
the Spirit and fire must have been understood in the light of the fire
symbolism of the pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). As part
of John’s preaching, the Spirit and fire should be related to their purifying
and refining characteristics (Ezekiel 36:25-27; Malachi 3:2-3). When Jesus is baptized, the voice from heaven
booms out and names him: “…. my Son, the Beloved ….” This affirmation is the
defining moment for the prophet from Nazareth Israel Jordan
We,
too, are called to a prophetic career.
When
we were baptized into Christ Jesus, we were baptized into his death. Our
baptism is a public, prophetic and royal anointing. We receive the life of the
Church and are called to sustain that faith life. Faith is about concern for
others. Faith is a public — not private — responsibility.
Baptism
is a call to a prophetic career. How we live that out may vary from person to
person. The ways may not be as dramatic as the adventures of an Isaiah or a
John the Baptist, yet they are in that same great prophetic tradition. To be
prophetic is to become involved and to get our hands and feet dirty.
Through
our own baptism, we can become a light to others, just as Jesus is a light to
us, and to the world. Our own baptism fills us with a certain boldness,
confidence and enthusiasm, reminding us that the Gospel must be proclaimed with
gratitude for its proven beauty.
When
we slowly discover the demands of that faith, and where the way of repentance
leads, when we can tell good from evil; when we search for what God wants to do
in our lives and ask him to help us accomplish it; when we learn as much as we
can about God and his world; when we come near to God, then — at that moment —
the person for whom the heavens opened is revealed also to us.
Baptism
in today’s Church
In
many parts of the world today, baptizing children has already become the
exception. The number of unbaptized infants, children, young people, and adults
is on the rise. The decline in the practice of baptism is the result of an
erosion of family ties and a departure from the Church. During numerous
priests’ retreats, gatherings of priests and pastors, I have often heard it
discussed that when the priest does not see visible signs of the practice of
faith, then the Church would have the right to refuse the sacraments to people,
especially baptism. It is a very complex question.
Could
we not, however also listen anew to the Gospel missionary injunction to
“baptize, preach and teach” not by waiting for the people to come to us but by
going out to meet the people where they are in today’s messy world? What is
demanded of us is a new missionary fervor and zeal that do not require
extraordinary events. It is in ordinary, daily life that mission work is done.
Baptism is absolutely fundamental to this fervor and zeal. The sacraments are
for the life of men and women as they are, not as we would like them to be! I
can hear Venerable Pope John Paul II crying out to us: “Duc in altum!” It is
not in the shallow, familiar waters that you will find those who most need you!
May this feast of the Lord’s
Baptism be an invitation to each of you to remember with gratitude and renew
your own baptismal promises. Relive the moment of the water that rushed over
you. Pray that the grace of your own baptism will help you to be light to
others and to the world, and give you the strength and courage to make a
difference in the world and in the Church.
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