Feast of The Baptism of Christ 2014

 Scripture Readings For Sunday's Mass are here.

I love this video of Pope Francis talking about Baptism in 2013. It radiates humour and Joy, and today, 8th January, 2014, at his General Audience, he once again asked Christian people to learn the date of their Baptism and celebrate it like a feast day.

 Click here for a translation of the Pope's catechesis which was given in Italian.



Reflections from the Archives
  • Baptism of Jesus Christ 2013 post here.
  • Baptism and Joy Of Christianity 2012 post here
  • Baptism, Justice and Beatitudes 2012 post here
  • and another 2011 post is here

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Daniel Bonnell- Image source
Gloria Ssali- Image source
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Marco Rupnik 


This video below from 2013 was made in 2013 for the feast of the Baptism of Jesus Christ, at the original site at Qasr al Yahud at the Jordan River, from where the photos above are taken. It is not too far from the old city of Jericho. It starts with a procession to the Baptism site.




Andrei Rublev- Image source
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 More thoughts from Pope Francis on Baptism..

“For me ecumenism is a priority. Today there is an ecumenism of blood. In some countries they kill Christians for wearing a cross or having a Bible and before they kill them they do not ask them whether they are Anglican, Lutheran, Catholic or Orthodox. Their blood is mixed. To those who kill, we are Christians. We are united in blood, even though we have not yet managed to take necessary steps towards unity between us and perhaps the time has not yet come. Unity is a gift that we need to ask for. I knew a parish priest in Hamburg who was dealing with the beatification cause of a Catholic priest guillotined by the Nazis for teaching children the catechism. After him, in the list of condemned individuals, was a Lutheran pastor who was killed for the same reason. Their blood was mixed. 

The parish priest told me he had gone to the bishop and said to him: “I will continue to deal with the cause, but both of their causes, not just the Catholic priest’s.” This is what ecumenism of blood is. It still exists today; you just need to read the newspapers. 

Those who kill Christians don’t ask for your identity card to see which Church you were baptized in.”
- Pope Francis, in an interview with La Stampa.

Coptic Icon of Theophany- Image source

He Qi - Image source from Gallery

A 2012 post on Baptism from Fr. Ron Rolheiser, which contains a poem by Jesuit Fr. John Shea.(sad news about John Dear S.J. which I'm struggling to understand.)

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More from Pope Francis......

"When I speak of prudence I do not think of it in terms of an attitude that paralyzes but as the virtue of a leader. Prudence is a virtue of government. So is boldness.  One must govern with boldness and prudence. 

 I spoke about baptism and communion as spiritual food that helps one to go on; it is to be considered a remedy not a prize. Some immediately thought about  the sacraments for remarried divorcees, but I did not refer to any specific cases; I simply wanted to point out a principle. We must try to facilitate people’s faith, rather than control it. 

Last year in Argentina I condemned the attitude of some priests who did not baptize the children of unmarried mothers. This is a sick mentality."


From Pinterest- Image source Original unknown.
Verrocchio - Image source

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