Saturday January 6, 2024

And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (from Mark 1:7-11)

Good News Reflection for:

Saturday of Christmas Weekdays
January 6, 2024

Today’s Readings:

1 John 5:5-13
Ps 147:12-15,19-20
Mark 1:7-11
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/010624.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/daily-mass-reading-podcast-january-6-2024

How to Recognize the Father’s Voice

Do you know why Jesus was baptized? He wasn’t in need of repentance like everyone else who came to hear John the Baptizer.

Thirty years prior, Jesus had humbled himself to become one of us, uniting himself to sinners so that he could take onto himself the punishment of our sins. Now here, at the initiation of his public ministry, he surrendered himself to the baptismal water so that when we are baptized, he is there in the water with us, raising us up to a new life, the holy life, everlasting life.

Everything that Jesus did is meant to reveal, by his example, not only what God the Father is really like, but also who we are. As the Son of God, he shows the children of God what the Father created us to be like and how we can live as children of God.

So, when Jesus was baptized and the Holy Spirit descended upon him and the Father said, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased,” he showed us by example what happens at every person’s baptism.

The Holy Spirit descended upon you and the Father said about you: “You are my beloved child; with you I am well pleased!”

Do you find this hard to believe? Yes, it’s true that he knows what we do wrong. Yes, he knows how we have sinned and which sins we have not yet repented from. But he also knows how much you want to be one of his true children. He knows that you want to be holy. He knows that you’re working at it, improving from day to day or perhaps from week to week. The Father is very pleased with you because you are not rejecting him but are seeking to grow closer to him. The Father is very pleased with you because you are interested in healing your image of him. The Father is very pleased that you want to spend eternity with him.

What do you think the Father’s voice sounds like when he tells you that he is pleased with you? Can you bring to mind a parent or teacher or coach who praised you because something you did or said was very pleasing? Project that person’s voice and smile onto God the Father.

But what about your sins? What does the Father’s voice sound like when you sin? Is it scolding? Belittling? Frightening?

There’s a huge difference between the scolding voice of a human parent and Abba-Father’s corrective voice. The Devil likes to counterfeit the Father’s role. The Devil abuses our memories of getting scolded by humans who were displeased with us. He knows how to push your buttons and make you feel belittled and frightened of God’s displeasure.

The good news is: There’s an easy way to spot the difference between the Father’s reprimands and any other voice. When the Father calls our attention to what we’ve done wrong, we actually feel delighted. We feel the goodness behind the call to repent.

© 2024 by Terry A. Modica
From the book “The Father’s Heart”
ToTheFathersHeart.com

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