First Reading

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (40:1-5, 9-11)

Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service is at an end, her guilt is expiated; indeed, she has received from the hand of the Lord double for all her sins. A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God! Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made now; the rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country, a broad valley. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Go up onto a high mountain, Zion, herald of glad tidings; cry out at the top of your voice, Jerusalem, herald of good news! Fear not to cry out and say to the cities of Judah: Here is your God! Here comes with power the Lord God, who rules by his strong arm; here is his reward with him, his recompense before him. Like a shepherd he bosom, and leading the ewes with care.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalms of David (104:1-2, 3-4, 24-25, 27-28, 29-30)

(R) O Lord, my God, you are great indeed!

O Lord, my God, you are great indeed! You are clothed with majesty and glory, robed in light as with a cloak. You have spread out the heavens like a tent-cloth. (R)

You have constructed your palace upon the waters. You make the clouds your chariot; you travel on the wings of the wind. You make the winds your messengers, and flaming fire your ministers. (R)

How manifold are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you have wrought them all - the earth is full of your creatures; the sea also, great and wide, in which are schools without number, of living things both small and great. (R)

They look to you to give them food in due time. When you give it to them, they gather it; when you open your hand, they are filed with good things. (R)

If you take away their breath, they perish and return to the dust. When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. (R)

Second Reading

A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to Titus (2:11-14, 3:4-7)

Beloved: The grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of the great God and savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good.

When the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Gospel

Gospel Acclamation

(R) Alleluia, alleluia!

John said: One mightier than is coming; he will baptized you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (R)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (3:15-16, 21-22)

The people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ. John answered them all, saying, "I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."

After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

(P) The Gospel of the Lord.
(R) Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

The second reading is taken from the letter of Saint Paul to Titus which is part of the collection of Paul's letters known as "the Pastoral Letters." Today as we examine this passage for our reflection let us look, first, at the purpose of the letter.

Who was Titus? And why did Paul write the letter to him? From the writings of Paul we gather that Titus, a Gentle, was a convert and friend and coworker of Paul who called him his "son in Christ". He seemed to have accompanied Paul to several places to preach the gospel of Jesus. After one such missionary journey to a place called Crete, which is one of the largest and most populous Greek islands, Titus stayed behind to help organize the Church whereas Paul travelled to other places. Sometime later, Paul, who was quite concerned about false teachings, leadership, godliness and other problems in the new community at Crete, wrote to Titus. The letter contains valuable information and admonitions for all Christians.

Today we read a part of the letter (2:11-14; 3:4-7). He writes, "The grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly and devoutly in this age, as we wait the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of the great God and savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good. When the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy."

What does Paul mean by "the grace of God"? The grace of God is the manifestation, or appearance of God in Jesus Christ. God took on human flesh in the person of his Son Jesus so that humankind may believe in Him. But the appearance of God was an unmerited favor or gift of God and, it is for all people. In other words, the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ did not result from the merit or religious practices or good works of humankind, but because of his mercy upon them. And no sinner was beyond the reach of God's grace. Therefore, Paul reminded Titus and his community that first and foremost their faith must be rooted in the incarnation of Jesus Christ.

They had to acknowledge Jesus as their Lord and Savior. However, Paul told them that the grace of God also instructs them to live upright and godly lives. And the grace of God cleanses them from their sins and purifies their lives to do good deeds. He reminded them that believing in God's grace would motivate them to right living which is essential for eternal life.

What then is the message for us today?

Whether you are a new convert or a long time Christian, young or old, rich or poor, you can apply the message of Paul to your own faith-life. I believe Paul could write these words of inspiration and encouragement to Titus because Paul himself had a strong faith in the grace of God. If Paul, who was a persecutor of the church, could experience God's grace through Jesus Christ, then all of us, despite our unworthiness and sinfulness can also find mercy and grace in Him. Therefore let us not be hesitant or afraid but move courageously and confidently forward, towards the throne of grace where kindness, mercy and benevolence abound.

At the same time let us examine how seriously we consider our beliefs about God. Do we accept and believe in the doctrine of the Incarnation of Christ which is central to our faith? Do we truly believe that God became a man in the form of Jesus Christ, thus making Jesus truly God and truly man? Or do we see him just as a man or just as God? This is vital because our belief in God, for who He is and what He can accomplish in our life, impacts every decision we make. If you believed that He was God and human as well then you would honor Him; fear Him; obey Him and trust Him as God, and you would follow him; listen to him and try to be like him in everything, as a human being.

However, because we are only human and not gods ourselves we are just as susceptible to false teachings and manipulations as in the time of Paul. We often bow to the pressures of worldly desires and godless living. We many times easily get swept up into a society that ignores God and chooses darkness over the light, Jesus Christ. Many of us tend to focus more on the form of worship and ceremony than we do on the content of the faith it proclaims. And while the form of worship is important in our relationship to God, without a firm belief in the doctrines or the sacraments, our faith could become very shallow and superficial.

Hence we must make our belief in the Son of God Jesus Christ a priority in our life, as well as encourage it in others. Especially, as leaders of the church and communities, Christian parents and godparents, Christian friends and fellow believers, we have the responsibility, like Paul, to constantly exhort and direct others on the doctrines and sacraments that are basic to our faith, and oversee their faith and conduct. Even if we do not write long letters, like Paul or leaders of the church, we must make an effort to encourage our children and godchildren and friends to live a godly life, teach them our doctrines; remind them of the darkness of sin and unbelief; urge them constantly to change their way of life and quote biblical texts and stories to teach them God's way.

Nothing is more significant than a solid foundation in Christ and his teaching. Nothing is more motivational than the grace of God to live a godly or holy life. Even if they reject your suggestions and disobey your instructions, persevere to become a beacon light. You do not have to dislike and hate them because God has given them the freedom to choose. But, like Paul, we can take up our responsibility as bearers of the light.

(P) Amen.

God Bless You!

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