THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD
SOLEMNITY
Psalter PROPER
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, God, for ever and ever.
First Reading: Isaiah 42:1–4, 6–7
Thus says the Lord: Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching. I, the Lord, have called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 29:1–2, 3–4, 3, 9–10
R/ The Lord will bless his people with peace.
- Give to the Lord, you sons of God, give to the Lord glory and praise, Give to the Lord the glory due his name; adore the Lord in holy attire.
- The voice of the Lord is over the waters, the Lord, over vast waters. The voice of the Lord is mighty; the voice of the Lord is majestic.
- The God of glory thunders, and in his temple all say, “Glory!” The Lord is enthroned above the flood; the Lord is enthroned as king forever.
Second Reading: Acts 10:34–38
Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered in the house of Cornelius, saying: “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him. You know the word that he sent to the Israelites as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”
Gospel Acclamation: Mark 9:7
Alleluia, alleluia. The heavens were opened and the voice of the Father thundered: This is my beloved Son, listen to him. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Matthew 3:13–17
Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?” Jesus said to him in reply, “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him. After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
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
“This is my Son, the Beloved.” When Jesus was baptised, the Holy Spirit descended on him and the Father acknowledged him as his beloved Son. When we are baptised, we too receive the Holy Spirit and we become children of God. Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, went about doing good and curing those who had fallen into the power of the devil. We too are filled with the Holy Spirit, and we should be agents of righteousness in this world. Our baptism has made us priests, prophets and kings: as priests, we should sanctify the world by our prayers and works of mercy; as prophets, we should stand for the truth and denounce the ills of society; as kings, we should ensure that wherever we have authority and influence (in our homes, our workplaces and our social or religious gatherings), we contribute to positive change by promoting justice and fairness. In these ways, we shall truly be the servants of God, his chosen ones in whom his soul delights. Let us renew our baptismal vows today and ask Jesus for the grace to be faithful to