Deep love and affirmation

Reflection

Begin by recalling some special moment between yourself and your parents. Did you ever hear from them the equivalent of “This is my son, my daughter, the beloved: my favour rests on you”? In Jesus’ ministry, on several occasions, he felt such a word from his Abba, his Father. His baptism by John was one such moment, as was the Transfiguration later on. Such deep love and affirmation grounded him as a human being and as God’s prophet to the people of Israel. Our sense of calling grows out of our relationship with the Father, whose beloved we are, whose favour we too enjoy.

Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7; Psalm 29 (28); Acts 10:34-38; Matthew 3:13-17

Meditation (Matthew 3:13-17)

The Baptism of Jesus marks a turning point in his life, and the start of his public ministry. Recall moments when your life changed and you moved into a new phase.

The experience was one in which Jesus had a new sense of his own identity. What have been the experiences which have helped shaped your sense of who you are?

How have you come to an awareness of being a child of God, beloved by God, and one on whom rests the grace of God?

It is surprising that Jesus, the Saviour of the world, asks to be baptised by John. The request symbolises his desire to identify with us. At the same time he is filled with the Holy Spirit. That step of identifying with us is an important element in his being able to help us. Have you ever found that when someone identifies with you, it is easier for him/ her to help you? Has your ability to identify with others had any impact on your effectiveness in helping others?