7 January 2018
The Baptism of the Lord
1st: Isaiah 55:1-11
Psalm: Isaiah 12:2-6
2nd: 1 John 5:1-9
Gospel: Mark 1:7-11
In the course of his preaching John the Baptist said, ‘Someone is following me, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to kneel down and undo the strap of his sandals. I have baptised you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.
It was at this time that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised in the Jordan by John. No sooner had he come up out of the water than he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit, like a dove, descending on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on you.’
Mysteries of Jesus Public Life
The baptism of Jesus is on his part the acceptance and inauguration of his mission as God’s suffering Servant. He allows himself to be numbered among sinners; he is already “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”. Already he is anticipating the “baptism” of his bloody death. Already he is coming to “fulfill all righteousness”, that is, he is submitting himself entirely to his Father’s will: out of love he consents to this baptism of death for the remission of our sins. The Father’s voice responds to the Son’s acceptance, proclaiming his entire delight in his Son.
The Spirit whom Jesus possessed in fullness from his conception comes to “rest on him”. Jesus will be the source of the Spirit for all mankind. At his baptism “the heavens were opened” – the heavens that Adam’s sin had closed – and the waters were sanctified by the descent of Jesus and the Spirit, a prelude to the new creation.
Jesus Baptism,
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 536
That which is accomplished in our baptism should be manifested in Christ’s baptism, which was the exemplar of ours. Now the baptism which the faithful receive is hallowed by the invocation and the power of the Trinity; according to Matthew 28:19: “Go ye and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Wherefore, as Jerome says on Matthew 3:16-17: “The mystery of the Trinity is shown forth in Christ’s baptism. Our Lord Himself is baptized in His human nature; the Holy Ghost descended in the shape of a dove: the Father’s voice is heard bearing witness to the Son.” Therefore it was becoming that in that baptism the Father should be manifested by a voice.
St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica,
Tertia Pars, Q.39
Feasts of the Week
Sun 7 Baptism of the Lord
Thu 11 St. Theodosius (Jerusalem)
Sat 13 St. Hilary, Bishop and Doctor.
Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Psalter Week I
Readings for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
1st Samuel 3:3-10, 19
Psalm: 39:2,4,7-10
2nd: 1 Corinthians 6:13-15, 17-20
Gospel: John 1:35-42
Saint Hilary of Poitiers, Bishop and Doctor
St. Hilary was born in Poitiers, France in the early fourth century to a noble pagan family. He had a good education. His conversion and baptism took place after he began studying Holy Scripture where he found the truth which he was seeking. His learning and zeal for the Faith caused him to be chosen as leader of the local community, in fact he is the first bishop of whom we have record in that area. He played an important role against the Arian heresy which was very powerful at the time due to the protection of Emperor Constantius, who exiled Hilary to the coasts of Phrygia, where our saint continued his studies and writings. Since his reputation for learning and virtue kept growing, he was constantly invited to councils assemblies and discussions mainly for reconciliation with the Arians and Semi-Arians. In 361, Emperor Constantius admitted Hilary back in Poitiers where he had a triumphant entrance taking back his see and continuing his fight against heresies and divisions in the Church until his death in 368. It is not clear what happened to his remains, the Church of Puy claims to posses his relics; according to a tradition his body was taken to the church of St-Denys near Paris; yet some say that Protestants stole it from St-Hilaire at Poitiers and burned it in 1572.
St. Hilary, pray for us.
Sunday 14 Jan. Parish Lunch, LPH, 1pm ‘Bring and Share’. All welcome
Week of prayer for Christian Unity begins Thurs Jan 18th. An ecumenical service involving all the Churches in Paphos, is on Friday 19th January at 6pm in Agia Kyriaki. Come and praise the only Savior of the world.
Re-cycling fund raising for Archangel Michael Hospice. The hospice now has a re-cycling bin in the basement car park. It takes Plastic, metal, paper, cardboard, glass and cloth. The more often we fill it the more the Hospice makes. Why not get together with friends and make a weekly trip?
Caritas: Needs urgently some duvets and gas heaters. Thank you for your prayers and support.
Mass Times HERE