You are my beloved child

Today we celebrate the baptism of the Lord, led by the humble confession of St John the Baptist that he is not the Christ.

To be baptised means to be born again/anew on the dying with Christ and rising with Him to new and full life as the heir of the heavenly Kingdom. Through baptism we have become members of God’s household as beloved sons and daughters. We have been set apart in Christ and are endowed with the dignity of our Creator, as original sin is washed away.

We reflect on our baptism today, a special and deep gift bestowed on us and given to us by God Himself. In Baptism we received an honour and dignity beyond anything and all things. At the garden of Eden our parents stripped themselves of the eternal dignity of being intimate friends of God, in baptism we receive the gift and seed of imperishibility. We received the dignity lost in the garden through our Yes!

On the Sacrament of baptism we die with Christ and rise with Him in His glory. We become an new person as we are called usually with a new name, we are clothed in purity and beyond angelic-dignity as we clad on new clean and white clothes. We are annoyed by the Holy Spirit and are slippery from the grip of the devil. We are signed with the mark of faith, the cross, and become the epiphany of God every where.

We are made sons and daughters of the Lord our God. We are given the authority of Christ as we are overshadowed by God the Holy Spirit. Making us alta Christus, we are ambassadors of Christ, we become His Presence.

We are made the beloved of the Father. God is a loving Father and he loved us into being, he loves us to re-birth and loves us eternally! Baptism opens our eyes to the true image of God, who is love as we have been schooled in the past week. Our hearts too are opened to this God is love and remodeled to love like and through Him. Our minds are overcome by this love destroying all the idols we had created of who God is. Some images of God we have are the main hindrance of our growth in faith. Our images of who God is are idols because they are not the one that is given us at the baptism of the Lord, the one of a Loving Father who is well pleased in you. Most of us cannot imagine God being please in and through us because of the idols we have . Today’s celebration calls us to destroy the idols we have formed over the years and we are currently forming by reminding us that we are the beloved of the Father. Today God’s voice rings aloud and should never be quietened. This is the strength and definition of all Christians, that I AM THE BELOVED OF THE FATHER! These words from the Father should guide us as we wake up, work, struggle, succeed, are in pain, join, confusion and all because they will help us to remain holy and humble, joyful and hopeful. These words should guide our daily response to the call of God. These words should prepare my mind and heart for prayer, mould words of my prayers and determine the time of my daily prayer.

These blessed words from the Father, “you are my beloved child,” should guide me in how I live and love, how I share my life and serve others. As the Beloved of the Father, I will bask in the love of my father and invite others to this great experience. There is nothing to compare with the Love of God and there is no better honour than to be the Beloved of the Father, with whom He is well pleased.

These blessed words of the Father are the mantra to healing us in overcoming any addiction and sinful habit, when we remember that we are Beloved and pleasing to God we no longer feel useless or inadequate, we now start to reflect and realise the grandeur of our being in Christ.

1. Born Anew: Baptism means being born again/anew, dying with Christ, and rising with Him to new and full life as the heir of the heavenly Kingdom.

2. Members of God’s Household: Through baptism, we become members of God’s household as beloved sons and daughters.

3. Set Apart in Christ: We are set apart in Christ and endowed with the dignity of our Creator, as original sin is washed away.

1. Honour and Dignity: In baptism, we receive an honour and dignity beyond anything and all things.

2. Restoration of Dignity: We receive the dignity lost in the Garden of Eden through our “yes” to the sacrament of baptism.

3. New Creation: We become a new person, often symbolized by a new name, clothed in purity and dignity. Righteousness is a gift of baptism as we embrace the Person and being of God’s Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

1. Sons and Daughters of God: We are made sons and daughters of the Lord our God.

2. Authority of Christ: We are given the authority of Christ as we are overshadowed by God the Holy Spirit.

3. Ambassadors of Christ: We become ambassadors of Christ, His Presence in the world.

1. God is Love: Baptism opens our eyes to the true image of God, who is love.

2. Remodeling Our Hearts: Our hearts are remodeled to love like and through Him.

3. Destroying Idols: We are called to destroy the idols we have formed, reminding us that we are the beloved of the Father.

1. Guiding Principle: The words “I am the beloved of the Father” should guide our daily responses to God’s call.

2. Prayer and Service: These words should guide our prayer, mold our words, and determine our actions.

3. Sharing God’s Love: As the beloved of the Father, we are called to bask in God’s love and invite others to this experience.