The Baptism of the Lord,1/10

“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” 

You know when you read a quote from the gospels that’s spoken to someone else in the bible, but you also feel like it’s directed towards you? The bible can be incredibly consoling in that respect -- you can read a book written thousands of years ago and still feel like it’s written for you. And well, it is. It was written for every single one of us, meant as a guide for every stage in our lives. Words that have the power to lift us out of despair, encouraging us to cling to hope. Words that shake us from complacency, filling us with zeal. Holy words that have the power to transform our lives.

The concluding verse from this Sunday’s Gospel, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” is clearly spoken by God the Father, directed towards Jesus. But His words continue to ring out within ourselves. We too are His beloved sons and daughters. How easy it is to sometimes forget the love of the Father. It’s easy to get caught up in viewing God the Father as a distant figure and to focus more on abiding by the “rules” of the Father rather than building a loving relationship.

This verse is a clear reminder of God’s love for each and every one of us. “You are my beloved.” Let this verse ring out within us always, especially in difficult times so we may never forget the unconditional love of the Father who has created us and willed us to be with Him for eternity.