The Vatican

Pope on the Baptism of the Lord: God loves us as beloved children

On the feast of the Baptism of Jesus this Sunday, Pope Francis stressed at the Angelus that this day "makes us contemplate the face and voice of God, which are manifested in the humanity of Jesus", and that "God is love, God loves us all as children, let us remember that!".    

Francisco Otamendi-January 12, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes
Baptism of the Lord.

Pietro Perugino (1482), Baptism of the Lord, Sistine Chapel (Vatican). @Web Gallery of Art

Before the AngelusIn the Sistine Chapel, the Pontiff presided at the celebration of the Holy Mass on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord with the rite of the Baptism of the children, in this case 21 babies of Vatican employees.

In imparting to them the first of the sacraments of Christian initiation, Francis prayed that they "grow in faith, in true humanity and in the joy of the family," with some impromptu words.

Then, at the Angelus, with the faithful and the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square, he began pointing to that "the feast of the Baptism of Jesus, which we celebrate today, closes the Christmas season with the manifestation of the Lord in the Jordan River". 

God reveals his face and makes his voice heard

In the background of the Gospel scene narrated by St. Luke is "the people in expectation, from which emerges the figure of Jesus who joins them to receive baptism for the forgiveness of sins". 

And when Jesus also receives baptism, the Epiphany of God takes place, who not only reveals his face in the Son, but also makes his voice heard, saying: 'You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased' (v. 22). And the Pope has paused to consider the face and the voice. 

"God is love."

"It is in the face of the beloved Son that we know who God truly is; and it is in the face of the beloved Son that we can also glimpse our essential elements, discover that we too are children of the Father and recognize his presence in our sisters and brothers".

Secondly, the Father makes his voice heard, saying: 'You are my beloved Son'.

"God, through his Word, shows us the essence of his nature: love. God is love, God loves us all as children, let us remember that! Whoever accepts this love 'abides in God and God in him'," writes St. John (1 Jn 4:16), "becomes a son like Jesus". The voice of the Father also says to each of us: 'You are my beloved Son,' the Pope affirmed, practically in the words of Benedict XVI in his encyclical Deus caritas est.

Do we remember the date of our baptism? 

Among the questions to consider personally, the Holy Father asked: "Let us ask ourselves: do we feel loved and accompanied by God or do we think that he is distant from us? Are we capable of recognizing his face in Jesus and in our brothers and sisters? Do we listen to his voice? And let us also take the opportunity to ask ourselves: do we remember the date of our baptism?"

It is an important day to "engrave in our hearts," he said, encouraging parents and sponsors to ask about the date. "It is the day on which we are reborn to new life, introduced into the mystery of Christ and the Church. Let us entrust ourselves to the Virgin Mary, invoking from her the help to know how to live as beloved children." 

Closeness to Los Angeles victims and families

At the conclusion, the Pontiff expressed his closeness to the victims and families of the devastating fires in Los Angelesin the United States. The Pope sent a telegram to Archbishop Jose Gomez, in which he expressed his condolences to all the families and assured them of his prayers. He also asked for a round of applause for the priest John Merlini, beatified at St. John Lateran, and to pray for the children baptized this morning.

The authorFrancisco Otamendi

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