January 13, 2019
The
Baptism of the Lord
Il-Magħmudija tal-Mulej
Reading 1 - ISaiah 40:1-5, 9-11
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
Qari I mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Isaija 40, 1-5.9-11
“Farrġu,
farrġu l-poplu tiegħi – jgħid Alla tagħkom. Kellmu lil qalb Ġerusalemm u
għidulha li ntemm il-jasar tagħha, tħallset ħżunitha, ħadet mingħand il-Mulej
darbtejn għal dnubietha kollha”. Leħen jgħajjat: “Ħejju t-triq għall-Mulej
fid-deżert, 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
jirgħa 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
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. O bless the Lord, my soul.
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. O bless the Lord, my soul.
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. O bless the Lord, my soul.
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. O bless the Lord, my soul.
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. O bless the Lord, my soul.
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. O bless the Lord, my soul.
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. O bless the Lord, my soul.
When you give it to them, they gather it;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.
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. O bless the Lord, my soul.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.
Salm Responsorjali - SALM 103 (104), 1b-2.3-4.24-25.27-28.29-30
Mulej, Alla tiegħi, inti kbir bil-bosta!
Bis-sebħ u l-ġmiel inti mlibbes,
bid-dawl, bħal b’mantell, inti mkebbeb.
Inti frixt is-smewwiet bħal tinda.
R/.
(1): Bierek ruħ tiegħi, il-Mulej!
Waqqaft fuq l-ilma l-għamajjar għolja tiegħek.
Inti tagħmel is-sħab mirkeb tiegħek,
fuq ġwienaħ ir-riħ tiġġerra.
L-irjieħ tagħmilhom ħabbara tiegħek,
u l-ilsna tan-nar qaddejja tiegħek.
R/.
(1): Bierek ruħ tiegħi, il-Mulej!
Kemm huma kotrana 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;
bhejjem żgħar u bhejjem kbar.
R/.
(1): Bierek ruħ tiegħi, il-Mulej!
Minnek jistennew il-ħlejjaq kollha
li tagħtihom ikilhom f’waqtu.
Inti tagħtihom, u huma jiġbru;
tiftaħ idejk, u jixbgħu bil-ġid.
R/.
(1): Bierek ruħ tiegħi, il-Mulej!
Jekk taħbi wiċċek, huma jinfixlu;
jekk teħdilhom nifishom, imutu,
u lejn it-trab jerġgħu jmorru.
Malli tibgħat in-nifs tiegħek, jinħolqu,
u inti ġġedded il-wiċċ tal-art.
R/. (1): Bierek ruħ tiegħi,
il-Mulej!
Reading
2 -
TItus 2:11-14; 3:4-7
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 saviour, so that we might be justified by his grace and
become heirs in hope of eternal life. This
is the Word of the Lord
Qari II - mill-Ittra ta’
San Pawl lil Titu 2, 11-14; 3, 4-7
Ibni,
dehret il-grazzja ta’ Alla, għas-salvazzjoni lill-bnedmin 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 hienja u d-dehra tal-glorja
tal-kbir Alla u Salvatur tagħna, Ġesù Kristu. Hu ta lilu nnifsu għalina biex
jifdina 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-qfieli tal-qorq tiegħu. Hu jgħammidkom bl-Ispirtu
s-Santu u n-nar”. Ġara li, wara li
tgħammed il-poplu kollu, Ġesù tgħammed ukoll u, waqt li kien qiegħed jitlob,
is-smewwiet infetħu, u niżel l-Ispirtu s-Santu u deher fuqu fis-sura ta’
ħamiema. U mis-sema ġie leħen jgħid: “Inti Ibni l-għażiż; fik sibt l-għaxqa
tiegħi”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
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Baptism is a Call to a
Prophetic Career
A reflection by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB
The theme of Christ’s Epiphany –
of Jesus inaugurating his divine mission on earth – reaches its fulfilment 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 February 2.
In Sunday’s Gospel story (Luke
3:15-16, 21-22), Jesus begins his ministry in Galilee
after the baptism preached by John. By describing the expectation of the people
(3:15), 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 (2:25-26, 37-38). 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 baptise with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Luke 3:16).
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: “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I
am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). This affirmation is the defining moment for the
prophet from Nazareth Israel
Through his baptism by John in the
muddy waters of the Jordan Jordan River and on the Cross. In the Jordan 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 life in faith. 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 as we are. 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 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. This 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
fervour 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
fervour 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 Saint
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 Sunday’s 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 when the water rushed over you.
Pray that the grace of your own baptism will help you to be a 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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