Homiletic Tips for Feast of the Lord's Baptism

From Bishop Mylo Vergara, D.D.

We are challenged to seriously live out the three roles bestowed upon us when we were baptized: 

1) PRIEST- We all share a common priesthood in the way we worship the Lord, pray to him affectively and effectively, celebrate the Eucharist devoutly and concretely in our daily life; 

2) PROPHET -- We share our common prophetic role to proclaim the truth of Christ coming from his Word even though it will hurt secular sentiments-- His uncomfortable truth of justice, freedom, forgiveness and unconditional love; 

3) KING-- We share a common kingship of service willing to stoop down, to reach out to those who no longer go to Church, to serve the poor, the unwanted, the sick, the aged, the dying and especially those who have no one to turn to; 

4) A final thought: there are three baptisms outlined in the gospel-- 

[a] the baptism of water which is the baptism of repentance proclaimed by John the Baptist, 

[b] the baptism of the Spirit bestowed on us by, in and through Christ when we received the sacrament of baptism that made us children of the Father, co-heirs of his Kingdom,

[c] the baptism by fire granted to us when we received the sacrament of confirmation  empowering us with the gifts of the Holy Spirit to become a witness-soldier of Christ to the world. We are blessed with these three baptisms. Can we hear God the Father telling each of us? -- 'You are my beloved son/ daughter in whom I am well pleased.'

Advise to preachers: "When preaching takes place within  the context of the liturgy, it is part of the offering made to the Father and a mediation of the grace which Christ pours out during the celebration." (EG 138)

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