Vatican City, 12 January 2014 (VIS) –
“I like to baptise children, I like it very much. … Every child
who is born is a gift of joy and hope, and each child who is baptised
is a prodigy of faith and a cause for celebration for the family of
God”, said the Pope after appearing at the window of his study to
pray the Angelus with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square,
shortly before baptising 32 children in the Sistine Chapel on the
festivity of the Baptism of Jesus.
“Today's Gospel emphasises that when
Jesus received baptism from John in the River Jordan, the heavens
opened up for him”, explained Pope Francis. “The manifestation of
the Son of God on earth marks the beginning of a great time of mercy,
after sin closed the heavens, raising a barrier between human beings
and their Creator. … In Christ, God gave us the guarantee of
indestructible love. Since the Word was made flesh, it is possible to
see the open heavens. It was possible for the shepherds of Bethlehem,
for the Magi from the East, for the Baptist, for Jesus' Apostles, for
St. Stephen, the first martyr... And it is also possible for each of
us, if we allow ourselves to be filled with God's love, which is
given to us the first time in Baptism, by means of the Holy Spirit”.
When Jesus received the baptism of
penance from John the Baptist, expressing his solidarity with the
penitent people – since He was without sin and therefore without
the need for conversion – God the Father let His voice be heard
from heaven. … Jesus received the approval of the celestial Father,
Who sent Him precisely because He wished to share in our condition,
in our poverty. Sharing is the true way to love. Jesus did not
disassociate Himself from us, He considered us to be His brothers,
and shared with us. And in this way He made us, along with Him,
children of God the Father. This is the revelation and the source of
true love”.
“Does it not seem to you that in our
times there is the need for a supplement of fraternal sharing and
love?” asked the Pope. “Does it not appear to you that we all
need a supplement of charity? Not that which is limited to offering
occasional help without involvement, without putting oneself on the
line, but rather that charity which implies sharing, taking on the
discomfort and suffering of one's brother”.
“We pray that the Holy Virgin sustain
us by her intercession in our efforts to follow Christ on the way of
faith and charity, the path we set out on by virtue of our Baptism”.
Following the Angelus, the Holy Father
addressed parents who are preparing for the baptism of their
children, joining with them in their joy, and inviting them to
“rediscover the beauty of faith and return anew to the Sacraments
and to the community”.
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