Vicar's News - 11. 01.2026
- Fr Ian
- 5 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Sunday service at 9.30am until 1 February 2026
Sat@6 at Sat@6
The Baptism of Jesus
This feast provides the opportunity to reflect upon one’s own baptism. The Sacrament of Baptism is snot a one-time event, imposed by parents on their children, to make them a child of God. The contemporary understanding of Baptism is as something that continuously takes place within the context of everyday life.
Baptism is God’s gift of gracious love and a response to this gift is to go out to others in a mission of love. The Baptismal ritual is just the beginning of the process of growing into the Body of Christ. Each person is called to be a living witness to the Gospel in their everyday life to make a difference in their own part of the world. Christians are called to build a world based on love and justice, where human dignity is respected and affirmed, and people live in right relationships with each other.
Why did Jesus undergo baptism with John? The people baptised by John did so because it was an external sign of their repentance and their desire to change their heart and to live according to the covenant. Jesus was not baptised because he identified with them as a sinner, but rather he identified with the crowd as a fellow human being and in doing so, he expressed his total solidarity with the human race. Through this identification, he may have felt the burden of the pain and suffering people were experiencing as a result of the current state of affairs. This theme of Jesus identifying with the sinner is found throughout Matthew’s Gospel. A key element is that Jesus is accepted and confirmed by God. Jesus is being ‘missioned’ by his Father for the work he is just about to begin. This work includes teaching, healing and liberating those suffering oppression. This element is far more important than limiting this event to just being about sinfulness.
Music on Sunday
CANTOR EUCHARIST @ 9.30AM
Organist: Christopher Cook
Cantor: Ethan Rowe
Prelude: From Suite du Deuxième Ton – Louis-Nicolas Clérambault (1676-1749)
Hymns: Processional Crown him with many crowns
Gradual All praise to you, Christ Jesus
Thanksgiving Joyful, joyful we adore you
Post Communion Jesus shall reign
Setting: Christ Church Mass – Philip Matthias (b. 1954)
Psalm: 29 TiS 17
Anthem: Gebet – Hugo Wolf (1860 1903)
Motet: Panis Angelicus – César Franck (1822–1890)
Postlude: Christ, unser Herr, zum Jordan kam BWV 684 – Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
The Melbourne Anglican
The Diocese is ceasing production of The Melbourne Anglican - TMA. A notice to this effect can be read here. Sadly, after many successful years, particularly under the editorship of Roland Ashby, the magazine form is only a shadow of its former self (whatever happened to Beryl Rule?), and is not cost effective to produce and maintain the editorial staff.
Rosters
Comments