Selected quotes of Pope Benedict XVI offered daily for prayer and reflection….

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Baptism
 


Jesus who is baptized in the River Jordan is 'the new man who wants to live as a child of God, that is, in love; he is the one who, faced with the evils of the world, chooses the path of humility and responsibility, chooses not to save himself, but instead to offer his life for truth and justice.

 
Angelus Address
13 January 2013

 
 
 
Baptism
 


On the day of your Baptism, God drew you into his holiness (cf. 2 Pet 1:4). You were adopted as a son or daughter of the Father. You were incorporated into Christ. You were made a dwelling place of his Spirit (cf. 1 Cor 6:19). Indeed, towards the conclusion of your Baptism, the priest turned to your parents and those gathered and, calling you by your name, said: “you have become a new creation”

 
Address
Welcoming Celebration
Barangaroo
Sydney Harbor, Australia
17 July 2008

 
 
 
Baptism
 


With Baptism we do not simply emerge from the waters of the Jordan to proclaim our commitment to conversion, but the redeeming Blood of Christ that purifies and saves us is poured out upon us. It is the Father's beloved Son, in whom he was pleased, who regains for us the dignity and joy of calling ourselves truly "children" of God.

 
Homily
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
Sistine Chapel
11 January 2009

 
 
 
Baptism
 


The Feast of the Baptism of Jesus introduces us into the daily regularity of a personal relationship with him. Indeed, by immersion in the waters of the Jordan, Jesus united himself with us. Baptism is, so to speak, the bridge he built between himself and us, the road on which he makes himself accessible to us.

 
Homily
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
Sistine Chapel
11 January 2009

 
 
 
Baptism
 


Baptism is the bridge God built between Himself and us, the path by which He makes Himself accessible to us. It is the divine rainbow of our life, the promise of God's great 'yes', the doorway of hope and, at the same time, the sign indicating the way to follow, actively and joyfully, in order to meet Him and to feel we are loved by Him.

 
Homily
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
Sistine Chapel
11 January 2009

 
 
 
Baptism
 


By emerging Himself in the Jordan River, Jesus ... expressed His solidarity with people who recognize their sins, who chose to repent and change their lives. He helps us to understand that being part of the people of God means entering into a new life, a life in conformity with God. By this gesture Jesus anticipated the cross, beginning His active life by taking the place of sinners, bearing the weight of the sin of all humankind on His shoulders.

 
General Audience
Paul VI Hall
30 November 2011

 
 
 
Baptism
 


Saint John tells us that a soldier with a lance struck the side of Jesus, and from his open side – from his pierced heart – there came out blood and water (cf. Jn 19:34). The early Church saw in this a symbol of Baptism and Eucharist flowing from the pierced heart of Jesus. In his death, Jesus himself became the spring. The prophet Ezekiel saw a vision of the new Temple from which a spring issues forth that becomes a great life-giving river (cf. Ezek 47:1-12). In a land which constantly suffered from drought and water shortage, this was a great vision of hope. Nascent Christianity understood: in Christ, this vision was fulfilled. He is the true, living Temple of God. He is the spring of living water. From him, the great river pours forth, which in Baptism renews the world and makes it fruitful; the great river of living water, his Gospel which makes the earth fertile.

 
Homily
EASTER VIGIL
Holy Saturday
11 April 2009

 
 
 
Baptism
 


Having risen from death, he gives us life. This means that Baptism is not only a cleansing, but a new birth: with Christ we, as it were, descend into the sea of death, so as to rise up again as new creatures.

 
Homily
Easter Vigil
Holy Saturday
11 April 2009

 

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