Having concluded the celebration of the Holy Mass for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord and the Rite of Baptism of Children in the Sistine Chapel this morning, at noon local time (6:00am EST), the Holy Father, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to recite the Angelus with the faithful and with pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter's Square.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today, at the conclusion of the liturgical season of Christmas, we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The liturgy calls us to a fuller knowledge of Jesus whose birth we have just celebrated. For this reason, the gospel (cf Lk 3:15-16, 21-22) illustrates two important elements: the relationship that Jesus had with people and the relationship He had with his Father.
In the story of the baptism which was bestowed by John the Baptist on Jesus in the waters of the Jordan, we first see the role of the people. Jesus is in the midst of the people. It is not only the background to the scene, but it is an essential component of the event. Before plunging into the water, Jesus plunges into the crowd; he joins the crowd and fully assumes the human condition, sharing everything except sin. In his divine holiness, full of grace and mercy, the Son of God took on flesh in order to take upon himself and to take away the sin of the world: to take away our miseries, our human condition. Therefore today's encounter too is an epiphany, because by going to be baptized by John, among the penitent people, Jesus manifests the logic and meaning of his mission.
By joining the people who ask John for the Baptism of conversion, Jesus also shares the deep desire for interior renewal. And the Holy Spirit who descends on Him in bodily form, like a dove (Lk 3:22) is the sign that with Jesus, a new world begins, a new creation which includes all those who welcome Christ in their life. The Father's words are also addressed to each of us who are reborn with Christ in Baptism: You are my beloved Son: in you I am well pleased (Lk 3:22). This love of the Father, which all of us received on the day of our baptism, is a flame that has been lit in our hearts, and requires us to be nourished by prayer and charity.
The second element emphasized by the evangelist Luke is that after immersion among the people and in the waters of the Jordan, Jesus immerses himself in prayer, that is, in communion with the Father. Baptism is the beginning of the public life of Jesus, of his mission in the world as an envoy of the Father to manifest his goodness and his love for all people. This mission is accomplished in constant and perfect union with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Even the mission of the Church and the mission that belongs to each one of us - to be faithful and fruitful - is that we are called to graft onto the mission of Jesus. It is a matter of evangelization that is continually new and an apostolate of prayer, providing a clear Christian witness. not according to human projects, but according to God's plan and style.
Dear brothers and sisters, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is a favourable opportunity to renew the promises of our Baptism with gratitude and conviction, committing ourselves to live daily in harmony with our Baptism. It is also very important, as I have told you several times, to know the date of our Baptism. I could ask: Who among you knows the date of his baptism? Not all of you, for sure. If any of you do not know that date, when you get home, ask your parents, your grandparents, your uncles, your godparents, your family and friends ... Ask them: On what date was I baptized, when were you baptized? And then do not forget it: it is a date that should be kept in our hearts to be celebrated every year.
Jesus, who has saved us not because of our own merits but in order to carry out the immense goodness of the Father, makes us all merciful. May the Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy, be our guide and our model.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters!
I offer my cordial greetings to all of you, dear Romans and pilgrims.
I greet the professors and the alumni of Los Santos from Maimona and from Talavera la Real in Spain: the parish groups that have come from Poland, and also the Polish members of the Neo-catecheumenal Way - you have come to celebrate the birthday of Kiko, surely - and I greet the faithful from Loreto and from Vallemare, in the province of Rieti.
This morning, in keeping with the custom of today's feast, I had the joy of baptizing a wonderful group of newborns. Let us pray for them and for their families. And, on this occasion, I renew my invitation for everyone to always keep alive the memory of your own Baptism. That is where we find the roots of our life in God; the roots of our eternal life, which Jesus gave us through his Incarnation, his Passion, his Death and his Resurrection. In Baptism, we find our roots! Let us never forget the date of our Baptism.
Having concluded the Christmas season, with tomorrow's liturgy we will continue Ordinary Time. Like Jesus did after his baptism, let us allow ourselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit in everything that we do. But for this reason, we need to call upon the Spirit! We need to learn how to call on the Holy Spirit more often on a daily basis in order to live ordinary experiences with love, then we can make ordinary things extraordinary.
Have a good Sunday. Don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and goodbye.
(Original text in Italian)
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today, at the conclusion of the liturgical season of Christmas, we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The liturgy calls us to a fuller knowledge of Jesus whose birth we have just celebrated. For this reason, the gospel (cf Lk 3:15-16, 21-22) illustrates two important elements: the relationship that Jesus had with people and the relationship He had with his Father.
In the story of the baptism which was bestowed by John the Baptist on Jesus in the waters of the Jordan, we first see the role of the people. Jesus is in the midst of the people. It is not only the background to the scene, but it is an essential component of the event. Before plunging into the water, Jesus plunges into the crowd; he joins the crowd and fully assumes the human condition, sharing everything except sin. In his divine holiness, full of grace and mercy, the Son of God took on flesh in order to take upon himself and to take away the sin of the world: to take away our miseries, our human condition. Therefore today's encounter too is an epiphany, because by going to be baptized by John, among the penitent people, Jesus manifests the logic and meaning of his mission.
By joining the people who ask John for the Baptism of conversion, Jesus also shares the deep desire for interior renewal. And the Holy Spirit who descends on Him in bodily form, like a dove (Lk 3:22) is the sign that with Jesus, a new world begins, a new creation which includes all those who welcome Christ in their life. The Father's words are also addressed to each of us who are reborn with Christ in Baptism: You are my beloved Son: in you I am well pleased (Lk 3:22). This love of the Father, which all of us received on the day of our baptism, is a flame that has been lit in our hearts, and requires us to be nourished by prayer and charity.
The second element emphasized by the evangelist Luke is that after immersion among the people and in the waters of the Jordan, Jesus immerses himself in prayer, that is, in communion with the Father. Baptism is the beginning of the public life of Jesus, of his mission in the world as an envoy of the Father to manifest his goodness and his love for all people. This mission is accomplished in constant and perfect union with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Even the mission of the Church and the mission that belongs to each one of us - to be faithful and fruitful - is that we are called to graft onto the mission of Jesus. It is a matter of evangelization that is continually new and an apostolate of prayer, providing a clear Christian witness. not according to human projects, but according to God's plan and style.
Dear brothers and sisters, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is a favourable opportunity to renew the promises of our Baptism with gratitude and conviction, committing ourselves to live daily in harmony with our Baptism. It is also very important, as I have told you several times, to know the date of our Baptism. I could ask: Who among you knows the date of his baptism? Not all of you, for sure. If any of you do not know that date, when you get home, ask your parents, your grandparents, your uncles, your godparents, your family and friends ... Ask them: On what date was I baptized, when were you baptized? And then do not forget it: it is a date that should be kept in our hearts to be celebrated every year.
Jesus, who has saved us not because of our own merits but in order to carry out the immense goodness of the Father, makes us all merciful. May the Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy, be our guide and our model.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters!
I offer my cordial greetings to all of you, dear Romans and pilgrims.
I greet the professors and the alumni of Los Santos from Maimona and from Talavera la Real in Spain: the parish groups that have come from Poland, and also the Polish members of the Neo-catecheumenal Way - you have come to celebrate the birthday of Kiko, surely - and I greet the faithful from Loreto and from Vallemare, in the province of Rieti.
This morning, in keeping with the custom of today's feast, I had the joy of baptizing a wonderful group of newborns. Let us pray for them and for their families. And, on this occasion, I renew my invitation for everyone to always keep alive the memory of your own Baptism. That is where we find the roots of our life in God; the roots of our eternal life, which Jesus gave us through his Incarnation, his Passion, his Death and his Resurrection. In Baptism, we find our roots! Let us never forget the date of our Baptism.
Having concluded the Christmas season, with tomorrow's liturgy we will continue Ordinary Time. Like Jesus did after his baptism, let us allow ourselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit in everything that we do. But for this reason, we need to call upon the Spirit! We need to learn how to call on the Holy Spirit more often on a daily basis in order to live ordinary experiences with love, then we can make ordinary things extraordinary.
Have a good Sunday. Don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and goodbye.
(Original text in Italian)
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