God's proclamation is for you and me
by Sister Lynne Marie Simonich
We celebrate the Baptism of the Lord and the beginning of Ordinary Time this weekend. In the Gospel, a voice is heard “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). “Beloved” – if you look up that word there are many meanings: dearest, precious, cherished, treasured, loved! WOW – do you know that God says that about each of us? You are my beloved daughter -- you are my beloved son! We are all cherished by our gracious God and brought to life each day by God’s love.
At our baptisms we were given the “light of Christ” to carry to all those we meet. We were given new life -- life in the Spirit. So much to celebrate as we end the Christmas Season.
“Almighty ever-living God, who, when Christ had been baptized in the River Jordan and as the Holy Spirit descended upon him, solemnly declared him your beloved Son, grant that your children by adoption, reborn of water and the Holy Spirit, may always be well pleasing to you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy spirit, God forever and ever. Amen”
(Opening Prayer for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord,
©2010 International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.)
We all have times when we need to remember we are a beloved child. I love the word itself and it gives me a warm and wanted feeling.