Sunday, January 9 : Saint Gregory Nazianzen

Christ is illumined, let us shine forth with him; Christ is baptized, let us descend with him that we may also ascend with him. (…) John baptizes, Jesus comes to him; perhaps to sanctify the Baptist himself, but certainly to bury the whole of the old Adam in the water. But before this, and for the sake of this, to sanctify Jordan. As he is Spirit and flesh, so he consecrates us by Spirit and water. (…) Now Jesus goes up out of the water; for with himself he carries up the world and sees the heaven split open (cf. Mk 1:10) which Adam had shut against himself and all his posterity when he was expelled from the Paradise defended by the flaming sword. Now the Spirit bears witness to his Godhead, for he descends upon one who is like him, as does the Voice from heaven (for he to whom witness is borne comes from thence), and like a dove seen in bodily form it bestows honour on his body since God, by showing himself in bodily form, has deified the body also. In the same way, in distant ages past, a dove came to proclaim an ending to the Deluge (Gen 8:11). (…) As for us, let us venerate today the baptism of Christ and celebrate this feast in worthy fashion. (…) Wash yourselves and keep yourselves clean. For God rejoices in nothing so much as the amendment and salvation of humankind, on whose behalf all these words and mystery are directed. Be like lights in the world (Phil 2:15), a life-giving force to others. Stand as perfect lights beside that great Light and learn the mystery of the illumination of heaven, enlightened more purely and more clearly by the blessed Trinity.

Roman Catholic Ordinary Calendar – rosary,team