Christians must rediscover baptism and mission, says the Pope
Vatican City (AsiaNews) On the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Christians, too, must rediscover the baptism, sign of one's full commitment to the faith and true participation to Church life.
At the end of Christmas celebrations, the Pope in today's Angelus invited Christians to commit themselves to a "new re-evangelisation".
The rediscovery of baptism expresses itself in the commitment of one's life to God "in the daily application of the Commandment of love".
Here are the Pope's remarks in introducing the Marian prayer:
"Today we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, an event the Evangelists consider as the beginning of His messianic ministry.
"Once begun, Christ's mission was fulfilled in the Paschal Mystery in which He, through his death and resurrection, took away the sin of the world. (cf Jn 1:29).
"A Christian's mission begins with the baptism, too. Rediscovering the baptism through appropriate adult catechesis is an important part in the new re-evangelisation.
"Renewing in a more mature way one's commitment to the faith is a condition for true participation in the Eucharistic Celebration which represents the apex of Church life.
"May Holiest Mary help all those who through the baptism are reborn 'from the water and the Spirit' and make of their own lives a constant oblation to God in the Commandment of love and so exercise the common priesthood of every baptised person."
Following the Angelus prayer, together with some greetings, the Pope said:
"My thoughts on the Sunday of the Baptism of the Lord go to all the children who were baptised this year.
"I embrace and bless them. I bless the godparents and especially the parents of the newly baptised, urging all of them to nourish in the children, by word and by example, the seed of divine life born from the baptism.
"Good Sunday to all!"
.png)
