Posted on January 11, 2015 View all news
Laudetur Jesus Christus!
Gelobt sei Jesus Christus!
Praised be Jesus Christ!
Today we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. Over these past few weeks, we have looked forward to the birth of Christ, we have celebrate the birth of Christ, witnessed his manifestation to the nations with the three wise men, and now we celebrate the beginning of His public ministry. How quickly we have passed over 30 years of the life of the Lord, and how long we spend on 3 short years. But this is a message to us, that in the 3 years of Christ’s public ministry, he accomplished all that we needed for Salvation. Christ has truly come into the world, as these past few weeks have reminded us. Now begins the work of our redemption. To help us mediate on this, I leave us with this reflection from St. Gregory of Nazianzus. Have a blessed week ahead!
“I am not able to restrain the outbursts of my happiness. I feel changed and elated. I forget my own meanness while I undertake and try to discharge the office of the great John. It is true that I am not the Forerunner, but at least I come from the desert. Christ is enlightened, or rather, He enlighteneth us with His own light. Christ is baptized; let us go down with Him into the water, that we may come up with Him. John is baptizing. Jesus cometh. He cometh that He may make holy him who baptizeth Him; He cometh to bury the old Adam in the waters; He cometh to hallow the blessed flood of Jordan. He Who is Flesh and Spirit cometh to open for all that should ever be baptized that power of generation whereby new peoples are constantly begotten of water and the Holy Ghost. The Baptist will not receive Him. Jesus striveth with him. I, saith John, have need to be baptized of thee. Thus speaketh the candle to the Sun, the voice to the Word. Jesus came up out of the water, having, in a manner, washed the whole world, and brought it up with Him. And He saw the heavens opened not divided, even those heavens which Adam had once shut upon himself and us his descendants, when the cherub’s fiery sword barred the gates of Paradise. And the Holy Spirit bare witness, witness unto Him Who is of One Substance with Himself. And witness was given from Heaven, unto Him that came down from heaven.”