Saint Theodosius the Cenobiarch / BVM
Psalter: Week II
White
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Mt 3: 16-17
After the Lord was baptized, the heavens were opened, and the Spirit descended upon him like a dove, and the voice of the Father thundered: This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.
Collect
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, one God, for ever and ever.
First Reading : Isaiah 40:1-5,9-11
‘Console my people, console them’ says your God. ‘Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call to her that her time of service is ended, that her sin is atoned for, that she has received from the hand of the Lord double punishment for all her crimes.’ A voice cries, ‘Prepare in the wilderness a way for the Lord. Make a straight highway for our God across the desert. Let every valley be filled in, every mountain and hill be laid low. Let every cliff become a plain, and the ridges a valley; then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all mankind shall see it; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’ Go up on a high mountain, joyful messenger to Zion. Shout with a loud voice, joyful messenger to Jerusalem. Shout without fear, say to the towns of Judah, ‘Here is your God.’ Here is the Lord coming with power, his arm subduing all things to him. The prize of his victory is with him, his trophies all go before him. He is like a shepherd feeding his flock, gathering lambs in his arms, holding them against his breast and leading to their rest the mother ewes.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 103(104):1-4,24-25,27-30
R/ Bless the Lord, my soul! Lord God, how great you are.
Lord God, how great you are, clothed in majesty and glory, wrapped in light as in a robe! You stretch out the heavens like a tent.
Above the rains you build your dwelling. You make the clouds your chariot, you walk on the wings of the wind, you make the winds your messengers and flashing fire your servant.
How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your riches. There is the sea, vast and wide, with its moving swarms past counting, living things great and small.
All of these look to you to give them their food in due season. You give it, they gather it up: you open your hand, they have their fill.
You hide your face, they are dismayed; you take back your spirit, they die. You send forth you spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the earth.
Second Reading : Titus 2:11-14,3:4-7
God’s grace has been revealed, and it has made salvation possible for the whole human race and taught us that what we have to do is to give up everything that does not lead to God, and all our worldly ambitions; we must be self-restrained and live good and religious lives here in this present world, while we are waiting in hope for the blessing which will come with the Appearing of the glory of our great God and saviour Christ Jesus. He sacrificed himself for us in order to set us free from all wickedness and to purify a people so that it could be his very own and would have no ambition except to do good. But when the kindness and love of God our saviour for mankind were revealed, it was not because he was concerned with any righteous actions we might have done ourselves; it was for no reason except his own compassion that he saved us, by means of the cleansing water of rebirth and by renewing us with the Holy Spirit which he has so generously poured over us through Jesus Christ our saviour. He did this so that we should be justified by his grace, to become heirs looking forward to inheriting eternal life.
Gospel Acclamation : Lk 3:16
Alleluia, alleluia! Someone is coming, said John, someone greater than I. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Alleluia!
Gospel : Luke 3:15-16,21-22
A feeling of expectancy had grown among the people, who were beginning to think that John might be the Christ, so John declared before them all, ‘I baptise you with water, but someone is coming, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Now when all the people had been baptised and while Jesus after his own baptism was at prayer, heaven opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily shape, like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on you.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept, O Lord, the offerings we have brought to honour the revealing of your beloved Son, so that the oblation of your faithful may be transformed into the sacrifice of him who willed in his compassion to wash away the sins of the world. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Communion Antiphon : Jn 1:32, 34
Behold the One of whom John said: I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.
Prayer after Communion
Nourished with these sacred gifts, we humbly entreat your mercy, O Lord, that, faithfully listening to your Only Begotten Son, we may be your children in name and in truth. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
After Jesus’ Baptism, we observe him in a moment of prayer. Why this moment of prayer? This quiet prayer carries a powerful message; it teaches us that even in moments of our greatest strength, we need to pause and turn towards God in prayer to find that connection with God that fuels our journey. The descent of the Holy Spirit and the divine voice affirm Jesus’ identity, purpose, and mission: “You are my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on you.” Jesus’ Baptism serves as a reminder to us that amid the rush of our daily lives, the anxieties of the world, and the constant noise, we need to find those moments where we connect with the divine spark within, seek guidance, and draw strength for the journey ahead. May the stillness of Jesus’ prayer guide us, the descent of the Holy Spirit empower us, and the Father’s voice echo in our hearts to remind us that God delights in us (cf. Zeph 3:17).