I was probably 10 when I was playing with my cousin in our grandmother’s house. He accidentally poked my eye. When Lola (Grandma) saw this, she called me over. 

She placed her handkerchief on my teary eye and gently blew into it. I felt her warm breath soothe my irritated eye.

“Now . . . how does your eye feel?” Lola asked.

I replied, “Better, Lola! Thank you!” This time both my eyes were moist because I was touched by her concern. 

Only as an adult many years later did I discover what Lola Conching’s name meant—Consuelo, meaning consolation. Comfort! And truly, that’s how she had lived her life!

You and I share a common name because of Jesus. “Beloved.” That is God’s name for you and me! Marc V. Lopez (marcvlopez88@gmail.com)

reflect

You are not what you have. You are not what you have done. Because of Jesus, you are God’s beloved! Always. Do you believe that truth? Live your life loved!

Beloved! That’s who I am to You! Thank You, Heavenly Father! Can I hug You? Amen.

St. Marguerite Boureoys, virgin, pray for us.

First Reading | Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11

The phrase “the glory of the Lord will be revealed” sends shivers down my spine. This promise gets me excited every time I read it because it assures me that whatever I am going through must be worthwhile because “the glory of the Lord” is about to be revealed. Jesus is the glory of the Lord; the Holy Spirit is the glory of the Lord; the Church is the glory of the Lord; the saints are the glory of the Lord; and you and I are meant to be the glory of the Lord.

¹ Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. ² Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service is at an end, her guilt is expiated; indeed, she has received from the hand of the Lord double for all her sins. ³ A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God! ⁴ Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low; the rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country, a broad valley. ⁵ Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all the people shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. ⁹ Go up onto a high mountain, Zion, herald of glad tidings; cry out at the top of your voice, Jerusalem, herald of good news! Fear not to cry out and say to the cities of Judah: Here is your God! ¹⁰ Here comes with power the Lord God, who rules by a strong arm; here is his reward with him, his recompense before him. ¹¹ Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 104:1-2, 3-4, 24-25, 27-28, 29-30

R: O bless the Lord, my soul.

¹ O Lord, my God, you are great indeed! You are clothed with majesty and glory, ² robed in light as with a cloak. You have spread out the heavens like a tent-cloth. (R) ³ You have constructed your palace upon the waters. You make the clouds your chariot; you travel on the wings of the wind. ⁴ You make the winds your messengers, and flaming fire your ministers. (R) ²⁴ How manifold are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you have wrought them all—the earth is full of your creatures; ²⁵ the sea also, great and wide, in which are schools without number of living things both small and great. (R) ²⁷ They look to you to give them food in due time. ²⁸ When you give it to them, they gather it; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. (R) ²⁹ If you take away their breath, they perish and return to their dust. ³⁰ When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. (R)

Second Reading | Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7 

Jesus reveals the fullness of God’s love for us. What other motive could God the Father have in sending His Son but to love us? This truth can be difficult to accept as we look at our imperfections. We do not feel God's love because of our sins. But whatever we choose to do,God’s love remains. He is the divine beggar and will always accept a repentant sinner back into His arms.

¹¹ Beloved: The grace of God has appeared, saving all ¹² and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, ¹³ as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of the great God and of our savior Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good. ^3:4 When the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, ⁵ not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.

Gospel | Luke 3:15-16, 21-22 

The baptism of Jesus sanctifies the waters of baptism for us. We are saved by the waters of baptism because Jesus became human like us and fulfilled the Father’s will. As we are immersed in the waters of baptism, we join Christ in His death on the cross and rise from the same waters to new life with Him in the resurrection.

Gospel Acclamation

John said: One mightier than I is coming; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

¹⁵ The people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ. ¹⁶ John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” ²¹ After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened ²² and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Reflect:

How do you know God is pleased with you? What do you think is pleasing to Him?

Read the Bible in one year! Read MATTHEW 1 - 4 today.

You Are Made for Greatness

In today’s Gospel, as Jesus goes into the water to be baptized, the heavens opened up and the voice of the Father was heard declaring: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (v. 22). Every time I read this line, I can’t help but recall a compelling scene from the animated movie The Lion King.

It is about the adventures of Simba, a young lion destined for greatness as successor of Mufasa, the king of Pride Rock. Simba’s evil uncle Scar wanted to usurp the position of king from Mufasa and devised an “accident” that kills Mufasa. Scar then manipulated the young Simba into thinking that he caused his father’s death and tricked him into going in exile. Scar then assumed the position of king.

In exile, Simba grew living a carefree life and forgot the greatness he was destined for. But one day, the mandrill Rafiki brought Simba into a river where, in his own reflection, Simba vaguely saw Mufasa’s image. Then, from the sky, Simba heard Mufasa declare over and over again, “You have forgotten you are my son. Remember who you are!” This vision emboldened Simba to go back to Pride Rock, challenged the evil Scar, and reclaimed the dignity of being king.

In our own baptism, God destined us for greatness—the greatness of being His adopted children and heirs to the Kingdom of heaven. The devil tricks us with many Scars that manipulate us into forgetting who we really are and who are called to be. These are the Scars of money, power, pleasure, possession, mediocrity, and sin. 

But like the experience of Simba, we encounter in the waters of baptism the Father, who also declares to us, “You are My beloved child. In you, I am well pleased.” Fr. Joel Jason

reflection question

What Scar do you need to defeat so you can reclaim your rightful destiny as heir to the Kingdom?

Lord, what is man that You care for me? Mortal man that You keep me in mind? 

Today, I pray for: __________________________________________