Key Message:
We keep focusing on our imperfections, whereas God focuses on who we are.
Homily:
Inferences from the Baptism of our Lord Jesus:
1. Why was our Lord Jesus Christ baptized? Our Lord said, “In order for me to be obedient to my Almighty Father, you have to baptize me.” He was satisfying all that was required to be righteous.
2. Father gave His approval to Jesus that He is His only Son to do His ministry. That was one of the significant events in Baptism. This was the first time ‘God our Almighty Father’ testified Jesus as His beloved Son. Till then our Lord Jesus was known to humanity majorly as Son of Saint Joseph and Mamma Mary. When our Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem He was introduced to the shepherds and the kings. Once Saint Joseph and Mamma Mary rushed out of Bethlehem, they were known only as an ordinary couple and baby Jesus only as a human child. But during Baptism, God our Father lifted the veil of our Lord Jesus and exposed His true identity – the only Son of our Almighty God.
During our Baptism too, our Almighty Father gives us the approval that we are His children and writes our names in His big palm. He writes our names in His palm so that our names will always be in front of His eyes. Even if we forget ourselves, our Almighty Father cannot forget us. He continually sees our names embedded in His hands.
Thank God for your parents for baptizing you as a baby. Your names are already written in Almighty God’s hands!!
3. Anointing of the Holy Spirit – The first thirty years of His life went in silent preparation for His future ministry. It was the plan of Almighty God for Jesus to live among us the next three years of His life and teach us all that we require in just those three years. During His Baptism, God anointed our Lord Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit for performing His ministry. The infilling of the Holy Spirit was required for Jesus to complete God’s will in His life.
If our Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of Almighty God, required the Holy Spirit, how much more would we require to accomplish our duties..
Like our Lord Jesus, we are also anointed by the Holy Spirit. During the first thirty years of His life our Lord Jesus had the measure of the Holy Spirit for His silent days. For the next three years He needed a huge anointing of the Holy Spirit for fulfilling His ministry calling. The more anointing the more powerful the ministry.
Sometimes we do not realise that we have the Holy Spirit. We have the Holy Spirit for accomplishing our duties silently just like the first 30 years of our Lord. But we need to ask for His help. As I was not well, I was lying down and writing this homily. But I was not able to get any points. So I asked the Holy Spirit to help me out. I immediately heard the silent voice, ‘sit and write’. Once I sat, I was able to get the points I needed to write this homily.
We need to speak to the Holy Spirit as a person next to us. Unlike a human friend, He is always with us. The Bible says “The Holy Spirit is a comforter, a helper”. He will guide us in what way we should go and comfort us when we are stressed out. Our Lord Jesus Christ said, “It is good that I go away, since only then the Holy Spirit will come to you”. Our Lord Jesus was in the human body so He couldn’t be with all at all times. But the Holy Spirit can be with us all the time. Our Lord Jesus wanted us to individually experience the presence of God and individually enjoy God’s comfort. Continue speaking with the Holy Spirit.
When we have a responsibility to work for God’s ministry we need more and more anointing of the Holy Spirit. Our Lord Jesus Christ asked the Apostles to remain in Jerusalem and pray till the comforter came. He did not allow them to begin their ministry till the powerful anointing of the Holy Spirit. How did they prepare to receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit? They praised God. Praising God is a simple way to receive the anointing. When we feel far away from God or are not able to feel His presence, do not feel dejected. Humbly praise Him. He loves you. He will run towards you.
4. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased”… Our Almighty Father testified that He is well pleased with our Lord Jesus even before He started working for Him. God says the same for us, when we love Him. Each of us is immensely valuable in God’s sight. But we are still unhappy because we are unhappy with ourselves. Even Though God is happy with us we are not happy with ourselves. We are not happy with the way we look, what we do, what we do not do and so on.. And we keep comparing ourselves with others and keep disliking ourselves more and more. God does not want us to live in this world disliking us. We dislike our own selves then how can we enjoy a fulfilled life? Let us not be too hard on ourselves when we make mistakes. When Jesus was living on this earth, while His Apostles kept making multiple mistakes, did He condemn any of them? Consider that our Lord Jesus is with you now. You have made a mistake. Will He condemn you or forgive you? He can only forgive, because He loves you so much. Then why fret about it and miss doing good for the Lord? So lighten up and do not take your mistakes so seriously!! We are with us more than anyone else in this world. So let us enjoy our own company.
While Jesus enjoys us, let us also enjoy ourselves and Jesus!!
Key Message:
We keep focusing on our imperfections, whereas God focuses on who we are.
Homily:
Inferences from the Baptism of our Lord Jesus:
1. Why was our Lord Jesus Christ baptized? Our Lord said, “In order for me to be obedient to my Almighty Father, you have to baptize me.” He was satisfying all that was required to be righteous.
2. Father gave His approval to Jesus that He is His only Son to do His ministry. That was one of the significant events in Baptism. This was the first time ‘God our Almighty Father’ testified Jesus as His beloved Son. Till then our Lord Jesus was known to humanity majorly as Son of Saint Joseph and Mamma Mary. When our Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem He was introduced to the shepherds and the kings. Once Saint Joseph and Mamma Mary rushed out of Bethlehem, they were known only as an ordinary couple and baby Jesus only as a human child. But during Baptism, God our Father lifted the veil of our Lord Jesus and exposed His true identity – the only Son of our Almighty God.
During our Baptism too, our Almighty Father gives us the approval that we are His children and writes our names in His big palm. He writes our names in His palm so that our names will always be in front of His eyes. Even if we forget ourselves, our Almighty Father cannot forget us. He continually sees our names embedded in His hands.
Thank God for your parents for baptizing you as a baby. Your names are already written in Almighty God’s hands!!
3. Anointing of the Holy Spirit – The first thirty years of His life went in silent preparation for His future ministry. It was the plan of Almighty God for Jesus to live among us the next three years of His life and teach us all that we require in just those three years. During His Baptism, God anointed our Lord Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit for performing His ministry. The infilling of the Holy Spirit was required for Jesus to complete God’s will in His life.
If our Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of Almighty God, required the Holy Spirit, how much more would we require to accomplish our duties..
Like our Lord Jesus, we are also anointed by the Holy Spirit. During the first thirty years of His life our Lord Jesus had the measure of the Holy Spirit for His silent days. For the next three years He needed a huge anointing of the Holy Spirit for fulfilling His ministry calling. The more anointing the more powerful the ministry.
Sometimes we do not realise that we have the Holy Spirit. We have the Holy Spirit for accomplishing our duties silently just like the first 30 years of our Lord. But we need to ask for His help. As I was not well, I was lying down and writing this homily. But I was not able to get any points. So I asked the Holy Spirit to help me out. I immediately heard the silent voice, ‘sit and write’. Once I sat, I was able to get the points I needed to write this homily.
We need to speak to the Holy Spirit as a person next to us. Unlike a human friend, He is always with us. The Bible says “The Holy Spirit is a comforter, a helper”. He will guide us in what way we should go and comfort us when we are stressed out. Our Lord Jesus Christ said, “It is good that I go away, since only then the Holy Spirit will come to you”. Our Lord Jesus was in the human body so He couldn’t be with all at all times. But the Holy Spirit can be with us all the time. Our Lord Jesus wanted us to individually experience the presence of God and individually enjoy God’s comfort. Continue speaking with the Holy Spirit.
When we have a responsibility to work for God’s ministry we need more and more anointing of the Holy Spirit. Our Lord Jesus Christ asked the Apostles to remain in Jerusalem and pray till the comforter came. He did not allow them to begin their ministry till the powerful anointing of the Holy Spirit. How did they prepare to receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit? They praised God. Praising God is a simple way to receive the anointing. When we feel far away from God or are not able to feel His presence, do not feel dejected. Humbly praise Him. He loves you. He will run towards you.
4. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased”… Our Almighty Father testified that He is well pleased with our Lord Jesus even before He started working for Him. God says the same for us, when we love Him. Each of us is immensely valuable in God’s sight. But we are still unhappy because we are unhappy with ourselves. Even Though God is happy with us we are not happy with ourselves. We are not happy with the way we look, what we do, what we do not do and so on.. And we keep comparing ourselves with others and keep disliking ourselves more and more. God does not want us to live in this world disliking us. We dislike our own selves then how can we enjoy a fulfilled life? Let us not be too hard on ourselves when we make mistakes. When Jesus was living on this earth, while His Apostles kept making multiple mistakes, did He condemn any of them? Consider that our Lord Jesus is with you now. You have made a mistake. Will He condemn you or forgive you? He can only forgive, because He loves you so much. Then why fret about it and miss doing good for the Lord? So lighten up and do not take your mistakes so seriously!! We are with us more than anyone else in this world. So let us enjoy our own company.
While Jesus enjoys us, let us also enjoy ourselves and Jesus!!