Catholic Daily Reading + Reflection: Sunday, 10 January 2021 - The Spirit, The Water And The Blood

Sunday, 10 January, 2021

THE BAPTISM OF OUR LORD (FEAST)
Vestment: White
Today’s Rosary: Glorious Mystery
SHENDAM: Tomorrow is the 4th Anniversary of the episcopal ordination of Most Revd Phillip Dung, 11th January 2017

Death Anniversary: YOLA: Bishop Christopher Abba – 10/1/10

End of Christmas season: The Ordinary time of the year till Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.

Theme of the Feast: Jesus Begins His Public Life. After the Christmas festivities, the liturgy presents us with the public life of Jesus, which begins with his baptism by John. The first reading describes the call, the gift of the Spirit and the mission of the “servant of the Lord.” The Gospel shows that Jesus is this faithful “servant” of the Father. The word of God this Sunday invites all Christians to follow Jesus who is about to begin a journey that will take him to death and resurrection.

ENTRANCE ANTIPHONE.

After the Lord was baptized, the heavens were opened, and the Spirit descended upon him like a dove, and the voice of the Father thundered: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

COLLECT

Almighty ever-living God, who when Christ had been baptised in the River Jordan, and as the Holy Spirit descended upon him, solemnly declared him your beloved Son, grant that your children by adoption, reborn of water and the Holy Spirit, may always be well pleasing to you. Through our Lord…

Or

O God, whose Only Begotten Son has appeared in our very flesh, grant, we pray, that we may be inwardly transformed through him whom we recognized as outwardly like ourselves. Who lives and reigns with you…

FIRST READING

“Come to the waters, hear, that your soul may live. ”
A reading from the Book of Isaiah (Isaiah 55:1-11)

Thus says the Lord: “Ho, every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, merciful love for David. Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. Behold, you shall call nations that you know not, and nations that knew you not shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. “Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I intend, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Isaiah 12:2-3.4bcd.5-6 (R. 3)

R/. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

“Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the Lord God is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation.”
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. R/.

“Give thanks to the Lord
call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the nations,
proclaim that his name is exalted.” R/.

“Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
let this be known in all the earth.
Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” R/.

SECOND READING

“The Spirit, the water, and the blood.”
A reading from the first Letter of Saint John (1 John 5:1-9)

Beloved: Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and every one who loves the parent loves the one begotten by him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the witness, because the Spirit is the truth. There are three witnesses, the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has borne witness to his Son.

The word of the Lord.

ALLELUIA Cf. John 1.29

Alleluia. John saw Jesus coming towards him and said: Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Alleluia.

GOSPEL

You are my Son, the beloved,’ my favour rests on you.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark1:7-11)

At that time: John preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptised you with water; but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.” In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL

You are my Son, the Beloved.

PRIEST: My brothers and sisters the baptism of Jesus is one of the most important events recorded in the New Testament.

May we like Jesus be open to the Spirit as we make our prayers to God our Father



READER:
For the Church, (pause) may she always remain perfectly open to the Holy Spirit, so that through her closeness to Christ, she too may remain Beloved of the Father. (pause) Lord, send your Spirit among us; and he will renew the face of the earth we pray Oh Lord.



For the world’s leaders, (pause) may they recognize the need for the comforting strength of God’s Holy Spirit, which alone can give the world true meaning and purpose. (pause) Lord, send your Spirit among us; and he will renew the face of the earth we pray Oh Lord.



For those troubled in conscience, (pause) may they be released by the Spirit to lead full Christian lives, proclaiming without fear that Jesus is Lord. (pause) Lord, send your Spirit among us; and he will renew the face of the earth we pray Oh Lord.



For the members of this community, (pause) may we renew our baptismal commitment, through the power of the Holy Spirit, and so be filled with Christian love, joy and hope. (pause) Lord, send your Spirit among us; and he will renew the face of the earth we pray Oh Lord.



Conscious of the Holy Spirit among us, we make our private petitions to God our Father.



PRIEST: Father, you sent your Holy Spirit on Jesus during his baptism. Send it upon us today so that we might live out more fully our own baptismal commitment to you.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Personal Devotional: Day 9

21 Day Novena for Personal and Family Deliverance & Restoration in the New Year 2021 (2nd January - 23rd January 2021)

Fasting Guideline: (i) Fast on the first day of the prayers, (ii) Every Fridays throughout the period and (iii) The last day of the prayers from 6am – 6pm (If you have the grace to fast from 6am-12noon or 6am-6pm in the 21days of the prayers you’re free to do so).
Note: The sick, pregnant women, nursing mothers are please advised to exercise caution in the fast.


1. Opening Prayer: The name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Amen.



2. Prayer point:
Starting today pray seriously asking God for deeper revelation of anything wrong with the foundation of your family for the next 4 days.



3. Reflection: Jer. 33:3 and Psalm 80



4. Say the Rosary of Liberation (Personal Devotion) 
from Day 7 to Day 13 and trust God with all your heart for his wonders


5. Prayer of Confirmation and trust in God

Lord, God Almighty, I thank you for protecting me from every form of evil and bringing me the gift of your divine health.
I thank you for breaking the chains of oppression and delivering me from every form of sin, sickness, disease and lie of the enemy.
I thank you for the powerful name of Jesus to which every knee shall bow.
Thank you for giving me your authority over all the power of the enemy. Nothing shall harm me.
Thank you for your full armor, your name, your most precious Blood and your Holy Spirit.
No weapon formed against me shall prosper.
Thank you heavenly father for all your protection and provisions, for yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, now and forevermore. Amen



6. Recite the Rosary (Glorious Mysteries): Offer this mystery for your Family members, immediate and extended for unity and peace.



7. Concluding Prayers:

Dear Lord, I surrender to your mercy; Lord I surrender to your loving kindness; merciful God, I surrender to your saving grace.
(Repeat as severally as you can)
“I surrender my life and my destiny to you oh Lord, wash it with the BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST.”

In the power and authority that you have given me, I say to all addictions, perversions,
chemical dependencies, hopelessness, worry, doubt, fear, despair and all symptoms
of any such illness, that you must submit to the name of Jesus.

I cast down every argument and proud obstacle that exalts itself against the knowledge of
God in the mighty name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen