The Word of the Lord.

These two Psalms communicate to us the Grace and Healing Power of Holy Baptism. God desires us to become like him, and he has chosen to initiate our salvation by Holy Baptism. Christ himself was Baptized, however he was baptized for the purpose of showing us how to become Holy for God, Loving to God, and Partaking of his Love and Life for Eternity. He made Baptism his own. How did he do this? Well, before Christ was Baptized, Baptism did not have any healing power, nor Grace, but was simply an outward act of repentance, an outward expression of an inward decision. But now Christ, being fully God, sanctified the waters, so that when one is Baptized, that human being created in the image of God will receive Forgiveness of Sins, God's Grace that can and will transform Christians into being like God, Union with Jesus Christ, and partaking of the Divine Nature by God's Grace, sharing in God's Love and Life for Eternity. And with Christians being Baptized for a long time, this is still true, for we always have the incomprehensible Love of God filled in our hearts. That is why the depths of the sea resound in the roar of your [God's] waterfalls; all our waves and your breakers sweep over me, indicating the power, Grace, and sanctification of Baptism, and being Baptized we Christians can always praise the Lord with great and wonderful joy from the rising of the sun to its going down. Don't forget the wonderful gift of Baptism! It is truly a wonderful gift full of God's Love from God himself. Amen.