Gospel
Luke 3:15-16, 21-22
At that time: As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, ‘I baptise you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.’
Now when all the people were baptised by John the Baptist and when Jesus also had been baptised and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’
We reflect on one of the most profound revelations of Jesus: God the Father and the Holy Spirit make it clear that Jesus is Lord.
This immensely significant moment sees the Spirit of Christ pass into the water, so that we too might be baptised with the Holy Spirit. It is the moment we transition from creatures to children. Our relationship with the Master (with a capital M) of the house is no longer contractual but unconditional. We are no longer servants in uniforms but members of the family, free to feel at home. Among ourselves, we are not competitors but siblings. When we make mistakes, we are forgiven, not dismissed. We no longer await a wage but an inheritance, and everything in this house is considered ours. God is my Father, and His house is my home.
Applied to Married Life:
Lauren: There’s no place like home, is there, Morgan? At home, you can relax, kick off your shoes, wear your pyjamas… you can rest in your spouse.
Morgan: Absolutely, Lauren. Home is where the heart is.
Lauren: That’s exactly how I feel in our Church community. With them, we’re like family. I feel the same when I step into a church or stand in the middle of nature. It’s my Father’s house, and I feel at home there.
Morgan: When the world doesn’t feel like home, it’s because we’ve lost our sense of being children of the same Father.
Lauren: What an incredible gift, to be children of God. It changes everything about how we experience the world when we recognise Him as our Father.
Mother,
How wonderful it is to be Your children. Praise be to Jesus Christ, who has made us children of God—nothing more, nothing less.