If anyone is to be exempt from Baptism, it would be Christ. Instead, he chose to be Baptized by St. John. The reason he did so, was to identify more with humanity. It's like Pope Francis saying that pastoral leaders must share the smell of their flock.
The Baptism of the Lord is a significant event. It is the first time when the Holy Trinity is fully revealed. God the Father is the voice from the heavens. "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." The Beloved Son is the Christ. Christ is Divine Person with two natures, divinity and humanity. The Holy Spirit (third person) descends upon Christ LIKE a dove.
At the Baptism of the Lord, Almighty God is fully revealed. God is a Trinity of Persons. God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
In centuries past, people often wonder who is this God that made everything possible. How do we address this God, or invoke God's name. How is this God compared to other gods? Who is responsible for creating the environment and the creatures that inhabit the land. Who orders the natural laws that we operate within? Who is behind all of this?
When Moses encountered God at the burning bush, he asked God: "Who are you so that I may let Pharaoh know who sent me." Today, we still ask the same question: "Dear God, who are you?"
In the fullness of time (at the Baptism of the Lord), God as Trinity of Persons is fully revealed. This is the way that God chose to reveal God-self to us. God is Trinity!
Why is the revelation of God significant for us? It's because deep down we want to be close to God. St. Augustine once said: "My heart is restless until it rests in Thee." In other words, we were created to know, love and serve God. It's part of our DNA to know God and remain close to God.
The Gospels also tell us that God created humanity out of love. And God sustains human life because of love. St John says: "For God so love the world that he gave his only son...so that we may have eternal life (John 3:16)."
The belief that God is Trinity, can help shape our lives to its fullness. For instance, if we say that God the Father is the creator, that means that all of creation is good. For instance, when I was in Anacortes, a parishioner named Vltako. He goes on a hike every morning at Washington Park. There's a huge tree that overlooks the water. The tree is a popular place for family photos. On his hike every morning, he give thanks to God for the beautiful creation. Understanding that God the Father is creator, can help us to love and appreciate the beauty of creation. If the Father is creator, we will also do our best to care for the environment and be good stewards of our life and the world.
The second person of the Trinity is God the Beloved Son. While we cannot see God the Father, nor the God the Holy Spirit (since they do not have human nature), we can see God the Son. Because Christ is fully God and fully human. The Son is fully present at the Holy Mass.
Let me give you an example of how we can honor the Beloved Son. Let's say that a child woke up Sunday Morning and said to his parents: "I don't want to go to Church today because I can pray in bed." (That's just an excuse for laziness - I'm sharing this story from personal experience). The child does have a point because we can pray almost everywhere. Just like the parishioner who prayed daily at Washington Park. But this pertains to God as Father and not as Son. It is Christ who said: "Do this in memory of me." Also, St. Paul says: "As often as we eat the bread and drink the cup we proclaim his death until he comes again."
It is only at the Holy Mass that we are most united to Christ. It is at Mass that we partake in the Body and Blood of Christ. If a person says that they can pray everywhere and don't need to go to Mass, you can begin by telling them that God is Trinity of Persons. If we leave out one of the Divine person, the image of God is incomplete. It's not the way that God chose to reveal God-self.
Finally, the third person is the Holy Spirit. There are physical images of the Holy Spirit such as dove and water (Baptism), oil (sacrament of Anointing), wind and fire (Pentecost) . The Holy Spirit is the soul of the Church. It's amazing that the Catholic Church continues to operate despite outward and inward problems. Why? Because of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit breathes life and sustains the Church. The Holy Spirit is the Lord and giver of life.
The Holy Spirit helps all of us to be in communion with Christ and one another. This happens at Mass through the gestures offering of peace. It also happens when we partake from the same bread and same cup (one body of Christ). We are one in the Spirit! St John says it well: "How can we love a God that we cannot see if we do not love a brethren that we can see."
Baptism makes us adopted children of God. It also enlarges our understanding of family. After Baptism, my brother and sister are not just biological but spiritual. Everyone who is Baptized is my brother and my sister. If I don't care for my brother or sister in Christ, then I don't have the complete picture of God the Trinity. I would be leaving out the Holy Spirit.
Recently, the Archbishop has released a statement about Immigration Reform. It is so that immigrants can prolong their stay for three years here in America. And this reform would benefit parents of citizens and young children. I read another recently that most immigrants (about 75%) are composed of women and children. The Bishops are reaching out to parishioners to advocate this reform because the immigrants are also our brethren in Christ.
Our understanding of God the Trinity shapes our way of life. We can always resort to the Nicene Creed for guiding proper conduct and behavior. If we are not acting accordingly, it's usually because the image of God is incomplete. One of the persons of the Trinity is not accounted for. The Baptism of the Lord event is crucial in shaping who we are. We are God's beloved. We recall the mystery of Salvation at Holy Mass. And we love and care for one another because we are one in the Holy Spirit.
The Baptism of the Lord is a significant event. It is the first time when the Holy Trinity is fully revealed. God the Father is the voice from the heavens. "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." The Beloved Son is the Christ. Christ is Divine Person with two natures, divinity and humanity. The Holy Spirit (third person) descends upon Christ LIKE a dove.
At the Baptism of the Lord, Almighty God is fully revealed. God is a Trinity of Persons. God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
In centuries past, people often wonder who is this God that made everything possible. How do we address this God, or invoke God's name. How is this God compared to other gods? Who is responsible for creating the environment and the creatures that inhabit the land. Who orders the natural laws that we operate within? Who is behind all of this?
When Moses encountered God at the burning bush, he asked God: "Who are you so that I may let Pharaoh know who sent me." Today, we still ask the same question: "Dear God, who are you?"
In the fullness of time (at the Baptism of the Lord), God as Trinity of Persons is fully revealed. This is the way that God chose to reveal God-self to us. God is Trinity!
Why is the revelation of God significant for us? It's because deep down we want to be close to God. St. Augustine once said: "My heart is restless until it rests in Thee." In other words, we were created to know, love and serve God. It's part of our DNA to know God and remain close to God.
The Gospels also tell us that God created humanity out of love. And God sustains human life because of love. St John says: "For God so love the world that he gave his only son...so that we may have eternal life (John 3:16)."
The belief that God is Trinity, can help shape our lives to its fullness. For instance, if we say that God the Father is the creator, that means that all of creation is good. For instance, when I was in Anacortes, a parishioner named Vltako. He goes on a hike every morning at Washington Park. There's a huge tree that overlooks the water. The tree is a popular place for family photos. On his hike every morning, he give thanks to God for the beautiful creation. Understanding that God the Father is creator, can help us to love and appreciate the beauty of creation. If the Father is creator, we will also do our best to care for the environment and be good stewards of our life and the world.
The second person of the Trinity is God the Beloved Son. While we cannot see God the Father, nor the God the Holy Spirit (since they do not have human nature), we can see God the Son. Because Christ is fully God and fully human. The Son is fully present at the Holy Mass.
Let me give you an example of how we can honor the Beloved Son. Let's say that a child woke up Sunday Morning and said to his parents: "I don't want to go to Church today because I can pray in bed." (That's just an excuse for laziness - I'm sharing this story from personal experience). The child does have a point because we can pray almost everywhere. Just like the parishioner who prayed daily at Washington Park. But this pertains to God as Father and not as Son. It is Christ who said: "Do this in memory of me." Also, St. Paul says: "As often as we eat the bread and drink the cup we proclaim his death until he comes again."
It is only at the Holy Mass that we are most united to Christ. It is at Mass that we partake in the Body and Blood of Christ. If a person says that they can pray everywhere and don't need to go to Mass, you can begin by telling them that God is Trinity of Persons. If we leave out one of the Divine person, the image of God is incomplete. It's not the way that God chose to reveal God-self.
Finally, the third person is the Holy Spirit. There are physical images of the Holy Spirit such as dove and water (Baptism), oil (sacrament of Anointing), wind and fire (Pentecost) . The Holy Spirit is the soul of the Church. It's amazing that the Catholic Church continues to operate despite outward and inward problems. Why? Because of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit breathes life and sustains the Church. The Holy Spirit is the Lord and giver of life.
The Holy Spirit helps all of us to be in communion with Christ and one another. This happens at Mass through the gestures offering of peace. It also happens when we partake from the same bread and same cup (one body of Christ). We are one in the Spirit! St John says it well: "How can we love a God that we cannot see if we do not love a brethren that we can see."
Baptism makes us adopted children of God. It also enlarges our understanding of family. After Baptism, my brother and sister are not just biological but spiritual. Everyone who is Baptized is my brother and my sister. If I don't care for my brother or sister in Christ, then I don't have the complete picture of God the Trinity. I would be leaving out the Holy Spirit.
Recently, the Archbishop has released a statement about Immigration Reform. It is so that immigrants can prolong their stay for three years here in America. And this reform would benefit parents of citizens and young children. I read another recently that most immigrants (about 75%) are composed of women and children. The Bishops are reaching out to parishioners to advocate this reform because the immigrants are also our brethren in Christ.
Our understanding of God the Trinity shapes our way of life. We can always resort to the Nicene Creed for guiding proper conduct and behavior. If we are not acting accordingly, it's usually because the image of God is incomplete. One of the persons of the Trinity is not accounted for. The Baptism of the Lord event is crucial in shaping who we are. We are God's beloved. We recall the mystery of Salvation at Holy Mass. And we love and care for one another because we are one in the Holy Spirit.
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