When the church celebrates the Baptism of Jesus, in the Jordan river, at 30 initiating His Public Ministry, and ending the Christmas Season, we should all call to mind “Our own Baptism” and praise and  worship the  Lord with humble and grateful hearts.  Furthermore, most appropriate, should we call to mind all of the blessings that came from that day when the priest poured the water on your head and pronounced the life-transforming words:  “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”   Your spiritual life all began in the golden, unrepeatable, sublime moment of time of   your Baptism, which will have repercussions on you for all eternity!

Why not read and meditate on the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan river (The first Luminous Mystery of the Rosary) found in  Lk. 3: 21-22;  bring into your own heart three fruits of this Biblical gem and then proceed to  render thanks to God for these incredible blessings.

1. JESUS’ HUMILITY.  Being the Son of God, He submits Himself to the rite of Baptism by John the Baptist His cousin, who protested of his unworthiness— not worthy to untie Jesus’ sandal strap.

2. JESUS’ PATIENCE.  Jesus waits on line until it is His turn. What a lesson for us who are impatient in so many ways and circumstances!

3. TRINITY.   A clear manifestation of the Trinity.   The voice of the Father could be heard; the symbolic Presence of the Holy Spirit could be seen in the dove;  Jesus Himself descends into the waters of the Jordan, thereby sanctifying all future waters that would be used for Baptism!

Now let us make the transition form Jesus’ Baptism in the Jordan river to your and to my Baptism!  Below is a list of graces that you can transform into a Litany of praise and thanksgiving!

1. FREEDOM FROM ORIGINAL SIN.  All of us, being sons and daughters of Adam and Eve, inherit Original Sin.  Baptism washes it clean!  New start!  Clean slate!  Baptismal innocence!

2. SON/DAUGHTER OF GOD THE FATHER.  How sublime and unmerited: through Baptism God the Father has adopted us as His  beloved son/daughter!  What dignity that we are truly a son/daughter of God the Father!

3. BROTHER/SISTER TO JESUS CHRIST.    Through Baptism, Jesus becomes our elder Brother.   If anyone ever asks you if you have an older brother, your response should be immediate: “Yes!  Jesus is my older brother.  What great company!

4.  INTIMATE FRIEND: THE HOLY SPIRIT.   Through Baptism, the Holy Spirit becomes your “Interior Friend”.  In the Sequence prayer for Pentecost one of the poetic expressions is that the Holy Spirit is “The Sweet Guest of the Soul”.  You are never alone! In grace, your Best Friend is waiting for your attention, conversation and love!

5. INDWELLING OF THE HOLY TRINITY.  This means that from the moment of Baptism, you are transformed into a living icon, temple, sanctuary, tabernacle, castle, of the most Glorious BLESSED TRINITY!   The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit have their abode within your heart!   How ineffable— beyond words for expression!

6. THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES (3) FAITH, HOPE, AND CHARITY.  With Baptism more gifts, the theological virtues.  Faith—- belief in God!  Hope— Trust in His loving Providential care!  Charity— infused love for God and neighbor! All free of charge!

7.  MORAL/CARDINAL VIRTUES.  Justice, Temperance, Prudence, and Fortitude. These moral virtues are infused in our soul in the moment of Baptism enabling us to practice virtue and live holy lives!

8. THE 7 GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.   Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding , Counsel, Fortitude, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.  Our little boat needs sails and wind.  The wind is the Holy Spirit and the opened sails to catch the wind  are the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit which should land us at the shore of salvation. These are powerful gifts to aid us to navigate through the storms of life and save our souls!

9. FREEDOM FROM THE DEVIL.   One of the Rites administered in Baptism is the Rite of exorcism, in which the chest of the child is anointed with a special oil and prayers offered for liberation and freedom from the devil.  Jesus came to set the captives free! Baptism introduces us to the freedom of the sons and daughters of God!  True freedom is freedom  at the service of God!

10. NEW FAMILY!  With Baptism, we enter into a new family– the Roman Catholic Church.  Jesus becomes our elder brother and we are all through Baptism transformed into family members, with God as our Father.   This family consist of our brothers and sisters detained in Purgatory  (Church Suffering); our brothers and sisters rejoicing in heaven(Church Triumphant); and our brothers and sisters struggling on earth. (Church Militant).   The binding force is charity— supernatural love for God and love for neighbor!

Conclusion!  Baptism is merely the start, but with it comes a serious commitment to renounce the devil and all of his seductions, to renounce and fight against sin in all forms and finally, to make a determined determination to become a saint by striving to imitate the “The King of all saints” Jesus, the Holy of Holies!  May our Lady, Mary most holy, intercede for us to live out fully our baptismal commitment and one day be worthy to merit the crown of glory in heaven! Mary, Mother of God and Queen of angels and saints, pray for us!

When asked what was the greatest commandment, Jesus summarized the ten commandments in two: “To love God with all your, heart, mind, soul, and strength, and then to love one’s neighbor as oneself.” ( Lk. 10:27).  These two (2) give  a summary of the whole of the commandments and the binding force is love.  Contemplate the cross with the two dimensions!  The “Vertical” first, loving God above all; then the “Horizontal” follows, the love of neighbor.  The priorities must be straight!   If not, IDOLATRY!

St. Thomas Aquinas asserts that the human heart is longing for God. Augustine reiterates the same with the classical words from his CONFESSIONS:  “O Lord you have made our hearts for thee and our hearts are restless until they rest in thee.”    The Psalmist expresses it poetically:  “As the deer yearns for the running waters, so my soul yearns for you, my God.”  Therefore, if we do no fall in love with the true God, then we will fall in love with one of the false gods of the modern world.   Just what is idolatry? Put simply, idolatry is when we place any person, place or thing above God.  God deserves first place; He indeed is a jealous God,  and when we place anyone, or anything before Him, idolatry!  In a”godless” society, idols become par for the course!   Why not name and identify the modern idols so that we can avoid them, renounce them in our own lives and persuade others to renounce them!

1. TELEVISION.  St. Elizabeth Ann Seton– the first American-born saint– made a stark but all too true prophecy that a “Black box” would enter into the homes of many Americans and end up by destroying countless families.  This “black box” is the television!     Unfortunately, many parents spend more time in front of the television than being involved and engaged in the lives of their children. The “Thing/object” prevails in importance over the person— the child, son or daughter!

2. COMPUTER.  Can be used for incredibly noble and good purposes.  Never have we had so much access to information as today, but never has there been so much confusion and immorality. Unfortunately, the number one site that is downloaded is PORN.  This has become the addiction # 1 in USA, especially starting with male teens ranging from 13-19.  Once this addiction has been established, then according to some experts, it is harder to conquer than addiction to Cocaine! It is gripping, enslaving, demeaning, and demonic!  In other words, introducing porn to the home is living with the devil underneath the same roof!

3. DRUGS.   In ever increasing numbers,  teens and even children are being exposed to the “Drug-Culture” and like porn, are becoming slaves to it, which results in a degrading, dehumanizing lowering of the innate dignity of the human person. Instead of living  to the heights of the christian life, many live a lowly animal existence, following only the basest of passions!

4. GAMBLING.  In cities, the Gambling Casinos are packed at almost all hours of the day. People are frenetically scurrying to the casinos, to gamble away their lives. Never happy, win or lose, in the pursuit of money!   The Beatles sang it with great gusto  but with utmost truth:  “Money can’t buy me love!”

5. DRINK.    The Holiday Season of Christmas, for many has been an open door to the vice of excessive drinking of alcohol, often resulting in drinking and driving which do not mix and fatal  car accidents!  One ends up, empty like the bottle that was drunk!

6. HORSES/ BETTING!    Then there is the pursuit of betting on horses, dogs or even the roosters! Time, energy, effort, all directed to seeing animals running around a circular path! How crazy!

7.  DRESS/THE MODE!  Huge sums of money are spent on exotic clothing, and all too often immodest dress. These individuals parade their body as if they were god, with the desire that men look at them as the center of the whole universe! Our Lady of Fatima made the prophecy that many immodest fashions would enter into the world that would greatly displease God; and this was in the year 1917! What about today!

8. PLEASURE.   HEDONISM.  This is the “philosophy of pleasure”.  For many, that which matters most is enjoying life to the fullest; having pleasure at the center of life.   Listen to these modern proverbs:  “It is Miller time!  You have to go for it!  You have one life to live; take advantage of it!  Eat drink and be merry for today you live and tomorrow you die!  Just go for it!  You deserve a break today…”

9 . MONEY/HAVING.   Many base their life, importance and value on how much they have in the bank. Erik From responds poignantly to this philosophy: “If you are what you have and you lose what you have, then who are you?”  The richest man in the world and the poorest will  end up in the same place: 6 feet beneath the ground.   Also, you never see a U HAUL van following a funeral car, have you????

10. SELF/EGO.    It is no longer “Theology” but “Me-ology”  Many have embraced the egotistic trinity of three important persons as the center of their lives: ME, MYSELF, AND, I!!!
Narcissus looked into the water and saw himself; he immediately fell in love with himself as the center of the universe. From this Greek myth we have the word “Narcissism”– which simply means selfishness. A life that is not “Christocentric— having Jesus Christ as the center, will obviously be “Egocentric”– having, “Me, Myself, and I” in the center. Put bluntly, this philosophy is ” My way or the highway!”

REMEDY!   The only remedy to decapitate, dethrone, demolish the idol in your life is to fall in love with God, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. That is to say to live out  Lk. 10:27:  “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD, YOUR GOD, WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR BEING, WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF…..”   Why not start today, right now, this very moment to renounce the idol(s) in your life and pledge your allegiance to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lord’s through the intercession of the Queen of Queens and Mother of God: Mary most Holy who is truly our life, our sweetness and our hope.  A heart purified of idols, a heart filled with the love of God: this is my philosophy of life! 

Hungry for the truth, studious and intelligent,  attentive contemplatives of nature and the stars, willing to sacrifice to the extreme,  with eyes lifted up to heaven– these exemplify the  virtuous disposition of the Magi, the Kings, the Wise men.  They were rewarded with the greatest of gifts, much more valuable than the gifts that they offered, JESUS THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!

The spiritual and moral lessons of the Wise men are abundant. May their example encourage us to pursue the truth,  to sacrifice ourselves  generously to attain the truth,  and finally, like them, may we always have the eyes of our heart lifted up to the higher realms of heaven, which is truly our eternal home!  TEACHINGS OF THE MAGI( KINGS/WISE MEN) related to JESUS THE KING OF KINGS….

1. CONTEMPLATE THE BEAUTY OF NATURE.   These men were natural contemplatives, appreciated nature as God’s gift of creation. For them nature was a window through which they could contemplate the author of nature, God the Creator.  May we utilize nature as a ladder to arrive at the Creator.

2. STARS. The stars pointed to God.   Through lives shining with holiness, may we reflect God and point to God.  Balthasar says  that in the firmament of heaven there are many stars, but some are brighter than others– some of the “Super-saints, like Joseph, John the Evangelist, Teresa of Avila.   You are called to be a shining star on earth, so that you will be eternally fixed in the  firmament of heaven!

3. TRUTH-SEEKERS.   The Magi were searching for the “Truth”.  They would not stop until they found it.  The “Truth” is a Person: Jesus the Christ!  He is the pearl of infinite price; He is the treasure in the field; He is the shining diamond. You have found Him, discovered His beauty. As St. John of the Cross states: “Jesus is a gold mind; the deeper we dig, the more abundant are the pockets of gold.  Dig deep into your hearts to find Jesus in daily meditation on His word!

4. SACRIFICE: COUNT THE COST!    Athletes have a saying:  “No pain, no gain!”  The Kings, in ardent pursuit of the truth, were willing to sacrifice by travelling long miles, on uncomfortable animals, through inclement weather, to encounter the Lord.  No sacrifice is to great  that ends in meeting Jesus face to face!

5. OBSTACLES  ON THE PATH.   Herod, proved to be a dangerous obstacle; so much so that he would furiously massacre the “Holy Innocents”. Still,  Herod did not deter the Kings in their pursuit of the “Light of the world.”  May the trials of life not discourage us but foster greater trust in Jesus, even though His plans are at times inscrutable and mysterious!   “JESUS I TRUST IN YOU!”

6. MOVING STAR.   The symbolism of the star is various!   Holy inspirations in the mind, consolations in the heart, holy examples of holy people, the past lives of the saints, the inspiring teaching of the Popes— all of these can indeed be stars to enlighten my path to the TRUE AND BEST STAR– JESUS THE LORD!   Be aware of the small-daily stars that point  to the “Star par-excellence”.

7. PILGRIMMAGE OF LIFE.   The kings undertook a long pilgrimmage.  This means that they set out on a holy journey, with a holy purpose to meet a holy person, the Newborn King Jesus the Lord.  We are pilgrim-people journeying to our true homeland heaven.  Keep your eyes elevated to the Lord Jesus who is seated at the right hand of the Father on high.  Two prisoners in the same cell gazed!  One looked down and saw the mud and worms; the other looked up and contemplated the starry sky. Which of the two are you???

8. ARRIVAL AND ENCOUNTER.    This bumper-sticker  is short and to the point:  “True wise men still find Jesus in the arms of Mary.”  Mary always leads us to Jesus.  St. Louis de Montfort asserted with conviction:   “The shortest, easiest, and most secure path to Jesus is through Mary.”
Indeed,  Mary is the shortcut to the Heart of Jesus!  If Jesus came in to the world through Mary, we should go to Jesus through Mary.

9.  PROSTRATION.   Posture of great humility, penance, and adoration— three important virtues to attain to holiness!  Humility: all the good we can do comes from God!  Penance: conversion of heart on a daily basis. Adoration: Principle and Foundation, we are called to  PRAISE    the Lord!  Let us follow and imitate the Magi!

10. GENEROSITY IN GIVING: “GIVE UNTIL IT HURTS!  (Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta).  The three gifts are extremely symbolic and practical at the same time!
a) Gold= Jesus is King!  We are called to give alms. The spiritual transcends the material!
b) Frankincense=Jesus is God!   Called to a deep offering of the incense of prayer; we are called to radiate the sweet fragrance of Christ through an ever-deepening prayer life!
c)Myrrh= The Humanity of Jesus destined to suffer and die for us!  Called to a life of sacrifice, of a daily dying to self so as to live the fullness of the Resurrection!   Good Friday leads to Easter Sunday!

In conclusion, may we follow the true lights that lead us to the ETERNAL LIGHT,  JESUS, THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD!  One day, we will be one of those stars shining brightly in the firmament of heaven. May Our Lady the “Morning Star”, the   (“Stella Maris”– Star of the Sea, direct our eyes always to the True and authentic Light!

  James and John, Peter and Andrew, Benedict and Scholastica, Monica and Augustine,  Francis and Clare, Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross, John Bosco and Dominic Savio, Margaret Mary and Claude de la Colombiere,   Basil and Gregory— what do all of these couplets share as a common thread?  They  were all saints and they helped each other mutually— as spiritual friends– to attain true sanctity of life.   The Bible states that finding a true friend is indeed a treasure, a pearl of infinite price.   Jesus came to the world as one of us, but very close to us, being God and man. He even stated at the Last Supper,  “I call you friends…”  Therefore, what are true signs of an authentic “Spiritual Friendship” and what are the benefits? Let’s dive in!

1. JESUS THE TRUE FRIEND.   In order to establish a true spiritual friendship, there must be a “Third” Friend in that duo; that “Friend” is Jesus Christ.  He is that true and faithful Friend that will never fail us.   The deeper and more sincere one’s friendship with Jesus is, the deeper he can establish a “Spiritual Friendship ” with another.

2. MUTUAL PRAYER.  True friends should pray constantly and mutually, one for the other. Indeed the greatest gift we can give to another is prayer!

3. MUTUAL SHARING OF SPIRITUAL TREASURES.   St Ignatius of Loyola in the Spiritual Exercises, the last exercise which is “The Contemplation to attain love” comments on this point.
“Love consists in a mutual sharing of goods, for example, the lover gives and shares with the beloved what he possesses, or something of that which he has or is able to give; and vice versa, the beloved shares with the lover.  Hence, if one has knowledge, he shares it with with the one who does not possess it; and so also if one has honors, or riches.  Thus, one always gives to the other.”
(Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola, #231:  The Contemplation to attain love).

4. SPIRITUAL TREASURES PRIMARILY.    Giving is part of friendship; however, the primacy should be given to that of spiritual treasures. St. Thomas Aquinas astutely observes that in giving in the material realm the giver is impoverished. However, giving in the spiritual realm, both the giver and the receiver leave both enriched!  So, give, but give even more spiritually!

5. FRIENDSHIP DESTROYER!   Good friends can become arch-enemies if  either of the two allows the devil of envy to insinuate his ugly head in their midst.  Crush the ugly head of the devil of enemy by  rejoicing in your friend’s success.  Let the words of St. Paul be your binding force:  “We should weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice.”

6. FRATERNAL CORRECTION.  Although difficult, although risky, although, delicate, fraternal correction is necessary in true “Spiritual Friendships”.  If a true friend is aware of his friend walking toward a spiritual precipice, about to be burnt by fire, about to be attacked by ravenous wolves, then he should speak out!   Doctors are all in accord with “Preventive medicine is better than curative medicine.” 

7. WILLINGNESS TO BE CORRECTED.   In humility, it should be said, that he who corrects should be just as willing to be the one corrected!  Only God is perfect!

8.  NO FAIR-WEATHER FRIEND.   A true friend will be there in the good times as well as the bad times.  He is there at the party as well as at the funeral.  He is there when the sun shines and the birds sing and the flowers exude fragrant aroma.  However, he is there at the funeral, the dark and cloudy days, the endless tunnel where no light appears visible.  A true friend is faithful to what spouses  promise on their wedding day:    “I promise to be faithful to you in good times and bad, health and sickness, riches and poverty, until death do we part.” 

9. SPOUSES/MARRIED COUPLES.  St. Thomas Aquinas asserts that on a human level, married spouses should be the best of friends. May that be the case!  The married vocation is a vocation that should lead to  sanctification, growth in holiness and heaven. The ultimate choice of a future spouse should be the following: this person will be my best spiritual friend, life-long partner, whom  I will cherish and help to be a bridge and ladder to heaven.   Maybe a high ideal, but we should aim high!!!!

10. MERCY.  True spiritual friends are always ready and willing to forgive the weaknesses, limitations, and failures of the other. In a word, to be ready to forgive the 70 times 7 times.  “Be merciful as your heavenly father is merciful.”

Of primary importance, the advantage of finding, establishing and cultivating a true “Spiritual Friendship” is that both friends serve as solid bridges to unite with the “Best of all Friends” Jesus the Lord.  He said, “I do not call you servants but friends….”  May God provide us with a solid spiritual friend in this life, to be a trampoline to unite us with the saints in heaven— our  ultimate destiny. Heaven is FRIENDSHIP, with the angels, the saints, the Blessed Mother and with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Seat of Wisdom, Cause of our joy, Spiritual vessel, Vessel of honor, Singular vessel of devotion, Mystical Rose, Tower of ivory, House of Gold, Ark of the Covenant, Gate of Heaven, Morning Star, Mystical Rose– these are all poetical and prayerful expressions  venerating in the highest degree Mary.  Still, the greatest title given to Mary is Mother of God. This was her most sublime and greatest privilege!

On Christmas we celebrate the most important birthday in the history of the world: the Birthday of Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Mary. Then on January 1st, we start the New Year celebrating the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God.  How does  Mary’s Motherhood effect you and me in our own personal lives? Hopefully in a very powerful way!  Let us reflect on the nature of Motherhood, who a Mother really is and what she does for her children and apply this to Mary, The Mother of God and our Mother and her influence on our life!

1. LIFE.   She is our life our sweetness and our hope. Mary gave birth to Jesus, the Life of the world….The  WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE.      Mary attains for us, through her powerful prayers, spiritual life in abundance in this life.  She is the “Full of grace” and ardently desires to attain for us the most signal graces.  Being the “Mediatrix of all graces”, all the graces pass through her hands to our souls.

2. NOURISHMENT.    The nature of a Mother is to nourish her children.  Mary draws us close to Jesus who is “The Bread of Life”.  In Guadalupe, Lourdes, and Fatima, she asked for a church so that the Mass would be celebrated to nourish the people with the “Bread of the Word’, but especially “The Bread of Life” in the Eucharist.

3. PROTECTION.   Those who invoke Mary in moral and spiritual danger have quick recourse and protection from their heavenly Mother.  St Francis de Sales was on the brink of despair and he prayed the Memorare to Mary and the temptation to despair subsided, ceased and  Francis went on to become a priest, Bishop, Founder, writer, Doctor of the Church. It was through the help and protection of Mary.

4. HEALING!  She has the title “Health of the Sick”.  Pope John Paul II stated that Marian sanctuaries are “Spiritual clinics” where wounded and sinful souls receive healing, health and refreshment!   This healing takes place when a morally wounded soul enters and leaves the confessional.   Sin wounds our soul; confession heals it.

5. MOTHER AND TEACHER.   Her last words recorded can be found in the Wedding Feast of Cana, when she says:    “Do whatever He tells you!”   These are the last recorded words of Mary in the Bible and what superb advice!  If the world would simply heed these short but  wise words of Mary, who is also known as “Seat of Wisdom”, then the whole world would be saved!  

6.  COMFORTS.   A good mother will comfort and console her desolate and dejected child.  St. Juan Diego experienced profound desolation at the prospect of his elderly uncle dying.  Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to him an reassured him that his uncle would be healed.  And healed indeed he was!  In moments of sorrow, doubt, sadness we should run to Mary. One of her titles is “Comforter of the Afflicted”.

7. LOVES HER CHILD.   If there is ever an important attribute of a true mother in relation to her child it is that of love.  Mothers can always find reason to love their children even when their children have acted in a very unloving way.  Remember always!  Despite your falls and the depths of the fall, Mary as Mother still loves you, cares for you and is praying for you. Her love for us never changes.

In conclusion, let us renew our love, trust, and confidence in Mary our Heavenly Mother.  St. Therese of Lisieux affirmed that Mary is Queen, but she is Mother even more than Queen!
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.