Our God is an awesome God,
who reigns from heaven above,
with wisdom power and might,
our God is an awesome God.

The prophecy of Isaiah in today’s first reading
is fulfilled in multiple ways today.
Isaiah proclaims,
“Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am well pleased.

The prophecy is certainly fulfilled
in the One whose baptism we celebrate today,
for Jesus is definitely one “upon whom [God] has put [the] spirit.”

It is likewise fulfilled in Giovanni Merlini,
who was beatified earlier today in Rome.
His life of faith and ministry
have demonstrated that same fidelity to God.
While not as perfectly as Jesus did,
the Church rightly calls him “Blessed.”

But they are not the only ones.
We, too, are among those whom God has chosen,
whom God has called to be servants,
who are among God’s chosen ones,
and are those upon whom God has put the Spirit.

Our God is an awesome God,
who reigns from heaven above,
with wisdom power and might,
our God is an awesome God.

In the Acts of the Apostles,
Peter proclaims to the house of Cornelius
and to us
that “God shows no partiality.
Rather, in every nation whoever fears God and acts uprightly
is acceptable to [God.]”

Not only was Cornelius and his family blessed by the Spirit
and by the Good News about Jesus Christ,
so was Blessed Giovanni Merlini,
We were likewise blessed by the same Good News:
“the word that [God] sent to the Israelites
as [God] proclaimed peace through Jesu Christ,
who is Lord of all…
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power.”
Jesus, Giovanni Merlini and we have all been
anointed in the water of baptism
with that same Holy Spirit.

Our God is an awesome God,
who reigns from heaven above,
with wisdom power and might,
our God is an awesome God.

According to our gospel,
when Jesus was baptized,
“the Spirit descended upon him”
and “a voice came from heaven,
‘You are my beloved Son;
with you I am well pleased.’”

Today in Rome, the Church proclaims
that Giovanni Merlini was also one of God’s beloved children,
and that God is well pleased with him.

Our God is an awesome God,
who reigns from heaven above,
with wisdom power and might,
our God is an awesome God.

As we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord
and the beatification of Giovanni Merlini,
we also celebrate that we, too, have been baptized,
that the Spirit of the Lord has come upon us,
and that God is well pleased with us.

Until the day of his Baptism,
Jesus had done nothing outstanding.
He may have been an extraordinary carpenter,
a loving son and a good friend,
but he had not yet preached the Word of God.
He had not yet worked any wonders.
He had not fed huge crowds,
healed anyone who was sick,
or told any parables that proclaimed the Kingdom of God.
He had no disciples,
and until the heavens were opened
and the Spirit descended upon him,
no one thought he was any different from everyone else.
He didn’t stand out in a crowd.
He didn’t proclaim the scriptures in the synagogue
let alone interpret God’s word
to the people who gathered there.
And yet God was well pleased with him.

When we were baptized,
we received the same Spirit
that Jesus received.
And though we may not have heard it,
God cried out, “You are my beloved child
and I am well pleased with you.”

Our God is an awesome God,
who reigns from heaven above,
with wisdom power and might,
our God is an awesome God.

While we may never be beatified like Giovanni Merlini
or canonized like Gaspar del Bufalo,
God has still sent the Spirit upon us.
God is still well pleased with us.
Not because of what we have done,
but because of what God has done
and is doing in our lives.

Like Jesus and Giovanni Merlini,
we are called to proclaim the Good News of our salvation
so that others may know how truly blessed they are,
so that others may know the mercy of God in their lives,
so that we and they may know
what an awesome God we have.

Our God is an awesome God,
who reigns from heaven above,
with wisdom power and might,
our God is an awesome God.