January 12, 2020 The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
2020년 1월 12일 주님 세례 축일
오늘의 복음 : http://info.catholic.or.kr/missa/default.asp
제1독서
이사야서. 42,1-4.6-7<또는 사도 10,34-38>
주님께서 이렇게 말씀하신다. 1 “여기에 나의 종이 있다.
그는 내가 붙들어 주는 이, 내가 선택한 이, 내 마음에 드는 이다.
내가 그에게 나의 영을 주었으니 그는 민족들에게 공정을 펴리라.
2 그는 외치지도 않고 목소리를 높이지도 않으며
그 소리가 거리에서 들리게 하지도 않으리라.
3 그는 부러진 갈대를 꺾지 않고 꺼져 가는 심지를 끄지 않으리라.
그는 성실하게 공정을 펴리라.
4 그는 지치지 않고 기가 꺾이는 일 없이 마침내 세상에 공정을 세우리니
섬들도 그의 가르침을 고대하리라.
6 ‘주님인 내가 의로움으로 너를 부르고 네 손을 붙잡아 주었다.
내가 너를 빚어 만들어 백성을 위한 계약이 되고 민족들의 빛이 되게 하였으니
7 보지 못하는 눈을 뜨게 하고 갇힌 이들을 감옥에서,
어둠 속에 앉아 있는 이들을 감방에서 풀어 주기 위함이다.’”
제2독서
사도행전.10,34-38
그 무렵 34 베드로가 입을 열어 말하였다.
“나는 이제 참으로 깨달았습니다.
하느님께서는 사람을 차별하지 않으시고,
35 어떤 민족에서건
당신을 경외하며 의로운 일을 하는 사람은 다 받아 주십니다.
36 하느님께서 예수 그리스도 곧 만민의 주님을 통하여
평화의 복음을 전하시면서 이스라엘 자손들에게 보내신 말씀을
37 여러분은 알고 있습니다.
그리고 요한이 세례를 선포한 이래 갈릴래아에서 시작하여
온 유다 지방에 걸쳐 일어난 일과,
38 하느님께서 나자렛 출신 예수님께 성령과 힘을 부어 주신 일도 알고 있습니다.
이 예수님께서 두루 다니시며 좋은 일을 하시고
악마에게 짓눌리는 이들을 모두 고쳐 주셨습니다.
하느님께서 그분과 함께 계셨기 때문입니다.”
복음
마태오.3,13-17
13 그때에 예수님께서는 요한에게 세례를 받으시려고
갈릴래아에서 요르단으로 그를 찾아가셨다.
14 그러나 요한은 “제가 선생님께 세례를 받아야 할 터인데
선생님께서 저에게 오시다니요?” 하면서 그분을 말렸다.
15 예수님께서는 “지금은 이대로 하십시오.
우리는 이렇게 해서 마땅히 모든 의로움을 이루어야 합니다.” 하고 대답하셨다.
그제야 요한이 예수님의 뜻을 받아들였다.
16 예수님께서는 세례를 받으시고 곧 물에서 올라오셨다.
그때 그분께 하늘이 열렸다.
그분께서는 하느님의 영이 비둘기처럼 당신 위로 내려오시는 것을 보셨다.
17 그리고 하늘에서 이렇게 말하는 소리가 들려왔다.
“이는 내가 사랑하는 아들, 내 마음에 드는 아들이다.”
January 12, 2020
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass
Reading 1
Is 42:1-4, 6-7
Thus says the LORD:
Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am pleased,
upon whom I have put my spirit;
he shall bring forth justice to the nations,
not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.
a bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,
until he establishes justice on the earth;
the coastlands will wait for his teaching.
I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice,
I have grasped you by the hand;
I formed you, and set you
as a covenant of the people,
a light for the nations,
to open the eyes of the blind,
to bring out prisoners from confinement,
and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.
Or:
Acts 10:34-38
Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered
in the house of Cornelius, saying:
"In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly
is acceptable to him.
You know the word that he sent to the Israelites
as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all,
what has happened all over Judea,
beginning in Galilee after the baptism
that John preached,
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and power.
He went about doing good
and healing all those oppressed by the devil,
for God was with him."
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10
R. (11b) The Lord will bless his people with peace.
Give to the LORD, you sons of God,
give to the LORD glory and praise,
Give to the LORD the glory due his name;
adore the LORD in holy attire.
R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.
The voice of the LORD is over the waters,
the LORD, over vast waters.
The voice of the LORD is mighty;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.
R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.
The God of glory thunders,
and in his temple all say, "Glory!"
The LORD is enthroned above the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as king forever.
R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.
Alleluia
Mk 9:7
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The heavens were opened and the voice of the Father thundered:
This is my beloved Son, listen to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Mt 3:13-17
Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan
to be baptized by him.
John tried to prevent him, saying,
"I need to be baptized by you,
and yet you are coming to me?"
Jesus said to him in reply,
"Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us
to fulfill all righteousness."
Then he allowed him.
After Jesus was baptized,
he came up from the water and behold,
the heavens were opened for him,
and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove
and coming upon him.
And a voice came from the heavens, saying,
"This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."
http://evangeli.net/gospel/tomorrow
«Jesus arrived from Galilee and came to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him»
Fr. Antoni CAROL i Hostench
(Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain)
Today, we contemplate the Messiah —the Anointed— by the river Jordan «to be baptized by him [John]» (Mt 3:13). And we can see Jesus Christ as betokened by the visible physical occurrence of the Holy Spirit and, through audible words, by the Father, who proclaims of Jesus the following: «This is my Son, the Beloved; he is my Chosen one» (Mt 3:17). Here, we have a marvelous motive and, at the same time, an encouraging incentive to live a life: to be beloved and chosen by the Heavenly Father. To enthrall the Father!
Somehow, we already request it in the collect prayer of today's mass: «Almighty and eternal God (...), turn us from the darkness of sin to the light of holiness, that we may be ready to meet you in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ». God, who is infinitely good, “loves us well” all the time. But, do we allow him to?; are we worthy of his divine benevolence?; do we correspond to this benevolence?
To deserve such divine benevolence and complacence, Christ has provided the waters with a regenerating and purifying strength, so that, when baptized, we truly become sons of God. «Maybe someone will wonder: ‘why did He want to be baptized, if He is Holy? Our Divine Lord Jesus Christ was baptized not to be made holy by the waters, but to make holy the waters’» (St Maximus of Turin).
All this —undeservedly! — places us in a connatural level with divinity. But this first regeneration does not suffice: we need to experience the Baptism once more through a kind of continuous “second baptism”, which is our spiritual rebirth. Parallel to the Rosary's first Mystery of Light —Christ's Baptism in the Jordan river— we must contemplate Mary's example in the fourth Joyful Mystery: Purity of Heart. She, Immaculate, and a pure virgin, is quite willing to submit herself to the purification process. We crave for the simplicity, sincerity and humility that allow us to constantly live our purification as a sort of “second baptism”.
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
The Sound of Joy
“He came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened for him.” (Matthew 3:16)
Isaiah tried to prepare the people. The Messiah will surprise us. He will not vanquish his enemies, garbed as a king or warrior or sage. The holy one comes as a servant, ministering quietly to the forgotten. We imagined a conqueror trampling over the earth, not a friend to broken creatures.
Old expectations are stubborn. They do not surrender easily. Surely salvation is earned. Don’t we compete for God like we compete for all goods? Isn’t more and more the goal? only freeloaders get a pass. Doesn’t God grade our achievements to divvy up glory?
When we pause from the race, these questions arise. Who finds us in the ditch? Who doesn’t restrict entry? Who embraces the lowly and troublesome? Who throws a party when the lost one is found? Who does not await inspections to deem us worthy? In the pause, our eyes widen. We look for greatness in the wrong places. Glimpsing the face of God, we pass from death to life.
John was uncomfortable. By the river was Jesus, feet sunk in the mud like the throng awaiting the waters. John was just a messenger. To baptize the holy one was not proper, not just. Jesus reassured him: treat me the same. He came to share in our humanity. He came to serve sinners, not to rule from above.
Jesus emerged joyous from the water to the divine chorus. In accepting our humanity, we find God’s embrace. “Here is my beloved. I am well pleased.”
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
THE END OF CHRISTMAS AND THE BEGINNING OF A NEW WORLD | ||
| "After Jesus was baptized, He came directly out of the water. Suddenly the sky opened and he saw the Spirit of God descend like a dove and hover over Him." �Matthew 3:16 | ||
"Mary" Christmas on this last day of the Christmas season, the celebration of the Baptism of Jesus. The Lord is calling us to end Christmas by going back to Baptism, the beginning of our Christian life. Today is an ideal time to renew our baptismal promises by rejecting Satan, all his works, and all his promises and by believing ever more deeply in the Triune God. When we end Christmas in Trinitarian, baptismal faith, we know in a life-changing way we are beloved sons and daughters of God our Father, with whom He is well pleased (Mt 3:17). This affirmation of perfect, infinite, unconditional, eternal fatherly love fills us "with the Holy Spirit and power" (see Acts 10:38). Loved by the Father and filled with the Spirit, we imitate Jesus and go "about doing good works and healing all who were in the grip of the devil" (Acts 10:38). In this way, we establish "the victory of justice" on the earth (Is 42:6) "to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness" (Is 42:7). This year, the culture of death may well give way to a civilization of love and life. The renewal of your baptismal promises today has a lot to say about the future of the world. on this last day of Christmas, renew your Baptism. | ||
| Prayer: Abba, may every detail of my life be deeply affected by the fact that You have adopted me as Your child (Rm 8:15). | ||
| Promise: "I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations." �Is 42:6 | ||
| Praise: "Our Lord voluntarily submitted himself to the baptism of St. John, intended for sinners, in order to 'fulfill all righteousness.' Jesus' gesture is a manifestation of his self-emptying" (Catechism, 1224). |
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
Jesus humbly submitted to baptism by John
Why did Jesus, the Sinless one, submit himself to John's baptism at the River Jordan? John preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 3:3). In this humble submission of Jesus we see a foreshadowing of the "baptism" of his bloody death upon the cross. Jesus' baptism is the acceptance and the beginning of his mission as God's suffering Servant (Isaiah 42:1-4). He allowed himself to be numbered among sinners. Jesus submitted himself entirely to his Father's will. Out of love he consented to this baptism of death for the remission of our sins. Do you know the joy of trust and submission to God? .
Jesus' baptism - beginning of a new creation
The Father proclaimed his entire delight in his Son and spoke audibly for all to hear. The Holy Spirit, too, was present as he anointed Jesus for his ministry which began that day as he rose from the waters of the Jordan river. Jesus will be the source of the Spirit for all who come to believe in him. At his baptism the heavens were opened and the waters were sanctified by the descent of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, signifying the beginning of a new creation.
Heaven will open for those who bow before the Lord
How can we enter into the mystery of Jesus' humble self-abasement and baptism? Gregory of Nazianzus (329-389 AD), an early church father tells us:
"Let us be buried with Christ by Baptism to rise with him; let us go down with him to be raised with him; and let us rise with him to be glorified with him."
Do you want to see your life transformed in the likeness of Christ? And do you want to become a more effective instrument of the Gospel? Examine Jesus' humility and ask the Holy Spirit to forge this same attitude in your heart. As you do, heaven will open for you as well.
The Holy Spirit transforms us in the likeness of Jesus
The Lord Jesus is ever ready to renew and refashion us in his likeness through the gift and working of the Holy Spirit - and he anoints us for mission as ambassadors of his kingdom of righteousness (moral goodness), peace, and joy (Romans 14:17). We are called to be the "light" and salt" of his kingdom that radiate the beauty and aroma of his mercy and goodness to those around us (Matthew 5:13,15-16). The Lord Jesus wants his love and truth to shine through us that many others may may find new life, freedom, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Ask the Lord Jesus to fill you with his Holy Spirit that you may radiate the joy of the Gospel to those around you.
"Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and with the fire of your love and goodness. May I always find joy and delight in seeking to please you in doing your will just as you have delighted in the joy of pleasing your Father and doing his will."
Psalm 29:1-3, 9-10
1 Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of God, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name; worship the LORD in holy attire.
3 The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, upon many waters.
9 The voice of the LORD makes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forests bare; and in his temple all cry, "Glory!"
10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king for ever.
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Jesus came to be baptized by John, by Chromatius (died 406 AD)
"John's baptism was looking toward repentance. Its purpose was to bring hearers to the point of experiencing conviction for their offenses. John, however, did not want anyone to draw the conclusion that Jesus himself also came to the Jordan to repent of his sins. So he sets this point straight from the outset by calling him both Lamb and Redeemer of all the sin that is in the world. He who is able to take away the sins of the whole world was himself without sin.
"Jesus therefore descended to fulfill all the observances of the law, and in this context he was baptized by John in Galilee at the Jordan. But John, recognizing the Lord as his God through the Holy Spirit, declared that he was unworthy to bear his sandals. He excused himself from doing what he was directed to do, because he could not conceive that baptism was necessary for the one whom he knew had come to blot out the sins of the world. He rather pleaded that he himself ought to be baptized by Christ, saying, 'It is I who should be baptized by you, and do you come to me?' It is as if he were saying, 'I am a man. You are God. I am a sinner because I am a man. You are sinless because you are God. Why do you want to be baptized by me? I do not refuse the respect you pay me, but I am ignorant of the mystery. I baptize sinners in repentance. But you have no taint of sin. So why do you want to be baptized? Why do you want to be baptized as a sinner, who came to forgive sins?' This is what John in effect was saying to the Lord." (excerpt from TRACTATE on MATTHEW 12:1)
[Note: Chromatius was an early Christian scholar and bishop of Aquileia, Italy. He was a close friend of John Chrysostom and Jerome. He died in 406 AD. Jerome described him as a "most learned and most holy man."]
http://www.homilies.net/
Baptism of the Lord
Baptism of the Lord - A Cycle - Matthew 3:13-17 - 05
Last week I watched a woman in the public library teaching a 20 year old man how to fill out a job application. In the US, twenty-one per cent of adults cannot read or count. They cannot read a newspaper nor do the simplest math.
All four Gospels tell us about the Baptism by John at Waddi Kharrar in the muddy Jordan River. Their eagerness to tell us indicates the importance attached to it by the early Church.
Until the Baptism, Jesus had lived a laid back life in Nazareth for thirty years. His was a humdrum existence as a craftsman. There was no hassling of His person. His biggest problem was to encourage clients to pay their bills. Life with His mother in their sleepy village was blissful. There were three good meals daily, red wine, and early to bed. There was time to study the books in the village library. Who could ask for more?
All that was about to change with the appearance of John the Baptist making his wet and noisy entrance into history in the Jordan River. Jesus' situation would change utterly. The good life was put in limbo. Though He looked back on the good old days wistfully, He would not enjoy them again. The work for which He was sent by His Father was beginning. It would consume all His energies. It would cost Him His life.
Jesus was running, not walking, into the tsunami of world history. He would hold nothing back. It would be all systems go. His life would make a difference. Billions of people would be richer for it.
He would fulfill the job definition given to Him by His Father. It is laid out in detail in today's Isaiah. He was "to open the eyes of the blind, free prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon those who live in darkness."
once He stepped into those running cold waters and was baptized by the Baptist, His cover would be forever blown. He would wear a bull's eye on His back. The Nazareth safe house would become a memory.
He was aware of the consequences to Himself. He knew that good people do not always win. Life, said President John F Kennedy, is not fair. But Christ dismissed His forebodings with a shrug. "We must," said He, "do this if we would fulfill all of God's demands."
His Father was delighted with His decision. He drew Himself up, thrust forth His chest, and bellowed for all to hear down through the centuries. "This is my Son, with whom I am pleased." What other father in history has spoken so glowingly of his son? What a shot in the arm those words were for Jesus!
Incidentally, would that more parents would say something similar of the accomplishments of their adult children and often. How much more emotionally healthy these adults would be. Love must be visible if it is to be genuine. (Unknown)
Today's Acts of the Apostles tell us what the baptized Jesus did in six famous words. "He went about doing good works."
The baton has been passed to us. We, like Christ, must excel. Now is the acceptable moment for each of us to become a difference in someone else's life. Human problems and hurts surround us everywhere. We too, like Jesus, must go about doing good.
When, because of human horrors, we run on empty, reflect on the following lines. I found them on a poster designed to motivate salespeople working for money. But they could have been written for those of us working for Christ. "A winner is always part of the answer. A loser always part of the problem. A winner always has a program. A loser always an excuse. A winner says, `Let me do it for you.' A loser shouts, `That's not my job.' A winner sees an answer for every problem. A loser a problem for every answer. A winner says, `It may be difficult, but it's possible.' A loser says, `It may be possible, but it's too difficult.'"
Why not teach the illiterate of the US to read and write? Become a literacy volunteer. Let your life make a difference. Free the illiterate from their economic and cultural jail.
Follow labor agitator Mother Jones' advice, "Pray for the dead, but fight like hell for the living."
When the job is done, you shall have the pleasure of hearing the Father shout with joy as He did at His Son's Baptism, "This is my child, with whom I am pleased."
Immortality will come to such as are fit for it; and they who would be great souls in the future must be great souls now. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Frjoeshomilies.net
Baptism of the Lord
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord: Take the Plunge!
Jesus saw John baptizing. He saw people there with John, sincere people, responding to John's call and committing themselves to the New Kingdom of God that John said was at hand. Jesus saw people seeking to change the world by changing themselves, by repenting their sins and reforming their lives.
Jesus saw John, the last of the prophets of the Old Order and the first of the prophets of the New Order. John proclaimed that God will triumph. He said that the one Who Is To Come would be here soon.
Jesus saw the sincere people, the impassioned John, the determination for God to reign, and Jesus wanted to be baptized. He would proclaim to the world that He was one with these people. John immediately recognized that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ, infinitely superior to John, but Jesus told him to baptize him. The people washed by John's baptism and consecrated to prepare for God must know that the Christ was united to them.
Jesus seized the moment that John was offering. He took the plunge. He went down into the water and was baptized. And the voice from heaven rang out, "This is my Beloved Son with Whom I am well pleased."
Take the plunge. Seize the moment. Seize the day, Carpe Diem in the Latin poem by Horace. (Horace's Odes 1:11). The pagan poet was not talking about tomorrow, though, he was only talking about making the best use of the day. The Christian, though, seizes the day to take advantage of the moment that God gives us to allow him to change our lives and His world. The Christian seizes the day to prepare for tomorrow.
So a senior couple moves in down the block. They seem to be nice people, but they mostly keep to themselves. You welcome them, but then you let them be, a few waves here and there, but no real contact. Every Sunday you drive by their house on the way to Church and you notice their car in the driveway. "Perhaps they are not Christian," you think. Then you notice that they put up a few Christmas decorations. "Maybe they just don't go to Church," you wonder. But you let it be. You'd like to invite them to Church, but you feel a bit awkward. After all, you rarely speak with them. A few months later you learn that the husband has had a stroke and is in the hospital. Should you visit? You barely know them. But you take the plunge and go to the hospital. They really appreciate your concern. A friendship develops. The man is able to go home, but he is limited in what he can do. So you stop by frequently, chew the rag, and help with some of their chores. As your leaving one Saturday, you say that you'll stop by on Sunday after Mass. They ask, "Would you mind if we come with you?" God's grace entered their lives because you seized the day, you went down into the river, you made that visit to the hospital.
Then there's that kid in school who is basically obnoxious. His language is bad. His attitude is worse. Everything in his world is as black as the clothes he wears. You figure that there is no reason to try to be friends with him. There is no reason, except that God wants the kid to know that God loves him. You see him alone one day and decide that you need to take the plunge into the river. "We're having an ice cream social after the Life Teen Mass this weekend. Do you want to come? It's cool, and there will be at least 50 kids there." You figure that you will be shot down, but to your surprise he says, "OK." He meets you at the Church, and he likes it. It's not just the ice cream social he likes. He likes being with kids who are positive about life. His life gradually changes because you seized the day. You went into the river and declared yourself one with someone who was searching for God.
There are many graced moments in our lives. There are many times that we can allow God to draw us closer to Him. Some of these times are obvious, like confirmation, marriage, conventions and retreats, the celebration of the critical moments in the faith life of our children and grandchildren. There are other times that might not seem so obvious, ordinary times when we are called to make the ordinary extraordinary by seizing the day, respond to God's call and plunge into the river. We are called to seize the day and be one with all who are seeking the Kingdom of God.
May Jesus, baptized by John, give us the courage to join Him in the Jordan River.
Stmaryvalleybloom.org
* Available in Spanish - see Spanish Homilies
Baptism of the Lord
Alexmcallister.co.uk
Baptism of the Lord
Baptism of the Lord
John the Baptist was a very fierce man. This might be what you would expect of someone who lived most of his life in the desert. He knew all about hardship and he had the marks of penance on his body. Much of his message was taken up in condemnation, condemnation of those living a life of luxury and giving no thought to the life of the Spirit. But if John was so fierce why did so many people come to him, people from all over Palestine? If I preached fierce condemnatory sermons each week you would soon get fed up, so why did the people flock to hear John.
They came because he had a message of hope. Yes, he was fierce, but he was also gentle. He tapped into something deep inside each person. He knew that each one of us is profoundly aware of their own guilt and wants to repent and he drew this out. But he was also able to tell them that one of their deepest yearnings was also about to be filled, a Saviour was about to come. one who would reach out to them with the hand of healing and salvation. They came to John because he had a message of hope, and the hope he pointed to was Jesus.
You can see the beautiful humility and gentleness in John when Jesus asks him for Baptism and he says: 'But it is I who need Baptism from you.' Jesus, just as gently, tells him to go ahead. Jesus was commencing his public ministry, John had been preaching that the Saviour was already here and so Jesus came to John to make, if you like, a formal start to his ministry. Jesus, of course, had no need of Baptism. It has often been speculated over the centuries why he received Baptism from John. But, if you think about it, it was entirely typical of him.
The Church places this feast so close to the Feast of the Incarnation, Christmas and that gives us a clue. There was no strict necessity for the incarnation; God could have brought about our salvation in an instant if he wanted to. Jesus, through the incarnation, chose to take on human form and by becoming like us brought about our salvation. Jesus undergoes Baptism in order to be like us and show us the way to salvation. In the same way he will undergo death in order to make salvation possible for us.
Jesus chooses this propitious moment to be baptised by John, and it became a moment of wonderful revelation. The Holy Spirit descending like a dove and the voice of God blessing and approving Jesus action. He begins his ministry in this wonderful way. It is a ministry we are going to hear about through the words of St Matthew over the next year. It was a ministry which was truly blessed by God, he through healing and teaching over the next three years made God present to the people in a truly wonderful way.
This is the first reference in the Bible to the Holy Spirit coming in the form of a dove. A dove was not an image that was generally used by the Hebrews. In fact, about the only reference to a dove is Noah sending out the dove over the waters to find land, the dove returned bearing an olive branch.
But what a wonderful coincidence of images. Here Christ descends into the waters of Baptism; the flood in Noah's time is generally seen as a prefigurement of this Baptismal water. The Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove on Jesus as a sign of the Father's favour and the assurance of salvation. The dove returns to Noah with the sign that salvation, dry land, is at hand. Scripture is full of such lovely parallels; that is why it is so fruitful for meditation. We would hardly think that there could be a direct connection with Noah's flood and yet there it is. And what better image of salvation could there be than dry land.
Most of us were baptised as infants, we have no recollection of our Baptism, yet we know it was the most significant day of our life. It was the day we were specially singled out by God for ministry in the world. It is the sign of his special favour resting upon us. We have through that closely linked sacrament, Confirmation, had the power of the Holy Spirit poured out on us. We, like Christ, have begun a ministry for we are the instruments he has chosen to communicate his salvation to the world.
If we undertake it with due seriousness, it is a ministry which will be marked by miracles, healings, powerful signs from heaven, temptations, and moments of deep communion with God. It will transfigure our lives and we will become God's windows on the world, conduits of his love to all we meet. But it will be a Baptism, and Baptism means death. It means going down into the water and literally drowning. It is a death to self.
If we are to be true followers of Christ this is what it will mean. It won't be at all easy but in order to achieve greatness real sacrifice is necessary. Then when we break through that ultimate barrier our own bodily death the church will gather and pray over us that wonderful and powerful prayer: You have been baptised with Christ may you now rise with him in glory.
To draw out this connection with our own Baptism instead of reciting the Creed today we will renew our Baptismal promises.
More Homilies
January 9, 2017 The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.
January 12, 2014 The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
