Prayer Before and After. . .
“Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to be baptized by him” (Matt. 3, 13).
First Prelude: Let us again place ourselves in spirit on the banks of the Jordan, and contemplate our Divine Saviour receiving baptism from St. John.
Second Prelude: O my Jesus, let me realize the value of humility in Thy service, and strengthen my will to act in accordance with this knowledge.
First Point
In His baptism, Jesus teaches us a lesson of humility.
Jesus, our Saviour, came into the world to atone for the sins of men. Therefore, even in His circumcision He placed Himself on a level with sinners, and took upon Himself the obligation to fulfill the law, though for Him, the Lawgiver, it had no binding effect. Now, at the entrance upon His career, He received baptism in the midst of sinners, in order to declare Himself as the great Penitent Who had come to atone for the sins of the whole world. “Suffer it to be so now,” Jesus said to St. John “for so it becometh us to fulfill all justice” (Matt. 3, 15).
How different are the judgments of God from those of men! The Jews awaited a Messiah of renown, who would crush the Roman Empire, restore the kingdom of Israel and elevate it to the mightiest power on earth. And behold the Messiah appeared, the Son of God, humbly mingling among sinners, as though He were one of them.
Pride rules the world, and Jesus, Who came to save His people from their sins (Matt. 1, 21), and to crush the empire of the world, began His public career with a profound act of self-abasement. Even then, He proved to us that His kingdom is not of this world; He entered upon the path of humility which we must tread if we would share His glory. Christian wisdom consists essentially in following Jesus, our leader, in true humility.
What are my sentiments with regard to humility? Do I seek to draw God’s blessing upon my labors by true humility of heart?
Second Point
Through His baptism, Jesus willed to merit for us the graces of the sacrament of baptism.
St. Ambrose writes: “The Lord willed to be baptized, not in order to be cleansed, but to purify the water, that, sanctified by the flesh of Christ, which knew not sin, it would have the strength of baptism.”
The entire human race steeped in sin, was annihilated by the waters of the deluge; from the waters of baptism we should rise as children of God to a new life of grace. At the baptism of Jesus, the voice of the eternal Father was heard, saying: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3, 17), while the Holy Ghost hovered over the head of our Divine Saviour in the form of a dove.
What gratitude do we owe the Blessed Trinity for the inestimable grace of baptism through which we were made “beloved children” of God, and through which the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and the divine virtues were infused into our souls? Ought we not to strive diligently to render ourselves worthy of the Divine Sonship and acquit ourselves faithfully of the obligations it imposes upon us?
We have vowed solemnly to renounce Satan, his pomps and his works, and have corroborated these vows by our holy profession. Jesus by His profound abasement at His holy baptism merited abundant grace for us to fulfill all justice. If we are tempted by the spirit of pride or concupiscence, let us recall our sacred vows and anew promise our Divine Saviour to renounce sin and all proximate occasion to sin.
Affections:
O Jesus, Thou sole object of the divine pleasure, with grateful heart I renew the sacred vows of baptism and of my religious profession. Yes, I renounce all that might sever me from Thy love. With the help of Thy grace, which Thou refusest to none who humbly entreat Thee, I will follow Thee on the path of humility and penance, which Thou hast first walked. Help me to cleanse myself more and more of all sins and imperfections, that all my actions and omissions may merit the divine pleasure. Grant that I may never strive to please men, nor to gratify my sensible appetites; give me grace to seek solely Thy honor and Thy love.
Resolution: I will accept humiliations for love of Jesus and will even seek them voluntarily.
Spiritual Bouquet: “It is meet that all justice be fulfilled.”
Take, O Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding, and my whole will.
Thou hast given me all that I am and all that I possess;
I surrender it all to Thee that Thou mayest dispose of it according to Thy Will.
Give me only Thy love and Thy grace;
with these I will be rich enough, and will have no more to desire.
(Indulgence of 300 days; once a day — Pope Leo XIII, May 26, 1883)
First Prelude: Let us again place ourselves in spirit on the banks of the Jordan, and contemplate our Divine Saviour receiving baptism from St. John.
Second Prelude: O my Jesus, let me realize the value of humility in Thy service, and strengthen my will to act in accordance with this knowledge.
First Point
In His baptism, Jesus teaches us a lesson of humility.
Jesus, our Saviour, came into the world to atone for the sins of men. Therefore, even in His circumcision He placed Himself on a level with sinners, and took upon Himself the obligation to fulfill the law, though for Him, the Lawgiver, it had no binding effect. Now, at the entrance upon His career, He received baptism in the midst of sinners, in order to declare Himself as the great Penitent Who had come to atone for the sins of the whole world. “Suffer it to be so now,” Jesus said to St. John “for so it becometh us to fulfill all justice” (Matt. 3, 15).
How different are the judgments of God from those of men! The Jews awaited a Messiah of renown, who would crush the Roman Empire, restore the kingdom of Israel and elevate it to the mightiest power on earth. And behold the Messiah appeared, the Son of God, humbly mingling among sinners, as though He were one of them.
Pride rules the world, and Jesus, Who came to save His people from their sins (Matt. 1, 21), and to crush the empire of the world, began His public career with a profound act of self-abasement. Even then, He proved to us that His kingdom is not of this world; He entered upon the path of humility which we must tread if we would share His glory. Christian wisdom consists essentially in following Jesus, our leader, in true humility.
What are my sentiments with regard to humility? Do I seek to draw God’s blessing upon my labors by true humility of heart?
Second Point
Through His baptism, Jesus willed to merit for us the graces of the sacrament of baptism.
St. Ambrose writes: “The Lord willed to be baptized, not in order to be cleansed, but to purify the water, that, sanctified by the flesh of Christ, which knew not sin, it would have the strength of baptism.”
The entire human race steeped in sin, was annihilated by the waters of the deluge; from the waters of baptism we should rise as children of God to a new life of grace. At the baptism of Jesus, the voice of the eternal Father was heard, saying: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3, 17), while the Holy Ghost hovered over the head of our Divine Saviour in the form of a dove.
What gratitude do we owe the Blessed Trinity for the inestimable grace of baptism through which we were made “beloved children” of God, and through which the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and the divine virtues were infused into our souls? Ought we not to strive diligently to render ourselves worthy of the Divine Sonship and acquit ourselves faithfully of the obligations it imposes upon us?
We have vowed solemnly to renounce Satan, his pomps and his works, and have corroborated these vows by our holy profession. Jesus by His profound abasement at His holy baptism merited abundant grace for us to fulfill all justice. If we are tempted by the spirit of pride or concupiscence, let us recall our sacred vows and anew promise our Divine Saviour to renounce sin and all proximate occasion to sin.
Affections:
O Jesus, Thou sole object of the divine pleasure, with grateful heart I renew the sacred vows of baptism and of my religious profession. Yes, I renounce all that might sever me from Thy love. With the help of Thy grace, which Thou refusest to none who humbly entreat Thee, I will follow Thee on the path of humility and penance, which Thou hast first walked. Help me to cleanse myself more and more of all sins and imperfections, that all my actions and omissions may merit the divine pleasure. Grant that I may never strive to please men, nor to gratify my sensible appetites; give me grace to seek solely Thy honor and Thy love.
Resolution: I will accept humiliations for love of Jesus and will even seek them voluntarily.
Spiritual Bouquet: “It is meet that all justice be fulfilled.”
Take, O Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding, and my whole will.
Thou hast given me all that I am and all that I possess;
I surrender it all to Thee that Thou mayest dispose of it according to Thy Will.
Give me only Thy love and Thy grace;
with these I will be rich enough, and will have no more to desire.
(Indulgence of 300 days; once a day — Pope Leo XIII, May 26, 1883)
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