From: Luke 3:15-16, 21-22
The Preaching of John the Baptist (Continuation)
Jesus Is Baptized
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Commentary:
15-17. Using excessive imagery, John announces Christian Baptism, proclaiming
that he is not the Messiah; He, who is on His way, will come with the authority
of supreme Judge that belongs to God, and with the dignity of the Messiah, who
has no human equal.
21-22. In its liturgy the Church remembers the first three solemn manifestations
of Christ’s divinity—the adoration of the Magi (Mt 2:11), the baptism of Jesus (Lk
3:21-22; Mt 3:13-17; Mk 1:9-11) and the first miracle of our Lord worked, at the
wedding at Cana (Jn 2:11). In the adoration of the Magi God revealed the divinity
of Jesus by means of the star. At His baptism the voice of God the Father, co-
ming “from heaven”, reveals to John the Baptist and to the Jewish people — and
thereby to all men—this profound mystery of Christ’s divinity. At the wedding at
Cana, Jesus “manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him” (Jn 2:11).
“When He attained to the perfect age,” St Thomas Aquinas comments, “when
the time came for Him to teach, to work miracles and to draw men to himself,
then was it fitting for His Godhead to be attested to from on high by the Father’s
testimony, so that His teaching might be the more credible: ‘The Father who
sent Me has Himself borne witness to Me’ (Jn 5:37)” (”Summa Theologiae”, III,
q. 39, a. 8 ad 3).
21. In Christ’s baptism we can find a reflection of the way the sacrament of Bap-
tism affects a person. Christ’s baptism was the exemplar of our own. In it the
mystery of the Blessed Trinity was revealed, and the faithful, on receiving Bap-
tism are consecrated by the invocation of and by the power of the Blessed Trini-
ty. Similarly, Heaven opening signifies that the power, the effectiveness, of this
sacrament comes from above, from God, and that the baptized have the road
to Heaven opened up for them, a road which Original Sin had closed. Jesus’s
prayer after His baptism teaches us that “after Baptism man needs to pray con-
tinually in order to enter Heaven; for though sins are remitted through Baptism,
there still remains the inclination to sin which assails us from within, and also
the flesh and the devil which assails us from without” (St Thomas, “ibid.”, III, q.
39, a. 5).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: White.
EITHER:
First reading
Isaiah 40:1-5,9-11 ©
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all mankind shall see it
‘Console my people, console them’
says your God.
‘Speak to the heart of Jerusalem
and call to her
that her time of service is ended,
that her sin is atoned for,
that she has received from the hand of the Lord
double punishment for all her crimes.’
A voice cries, ‘Prepare in the wilderness
a way for the Lord.
Make a straight highway for our God
across the desert.
Let every valley be filled in,
every mountain and hill be laid low.
Let every cliff become a plain,
and the ridges a valley;
then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed
and all mankind shall see it;
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’
Go up on a high mountain,
joyful messenger to Zion.
Shout with a loud voice,
joyful messenger to Jerusalem.
Shout without fear,
say to the towns of Judah,
‘Here is your God.’
Here is the Lord coming with power,
his arm subduing all things to him.
The prize of his victory is with him,
his trophies all go before him.
He is like a shepherd feeding his flock,
gathering lambs in his arms,
holding them against his breast
and leading to their rest the mother ewes.
OR:
Alternative First reading
Isaiah 42:1-4,6-7 ©
Here is my servant, in whom my soul delights
Thus says the Lord:
Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom my soul delights.
I have endowed him with my spirit
that he may bring true justice to the nations.
He does not cry out or shout aloud,
or make his voice heard in the streets.
He does not break the crushed reed,
nor quench the wavering flame.
Faithfully he brings true justice;
he will neither waver, nor be crushed
until true justice is established on earth,
for the islands are awaiting his law.
I, the Lord, have called you to serve the cause of right;
I have taken you by the hand and formed you;
I have appointed you as covenant of the people and light of the nations,
to open the eyes of the blind,
to free captives from prison,
and those who live in darkness from the dungeon.
EITHER:
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 103(104):1-4,24-25,27-30 ©
Bless the Lord, my soul! Lord God, how great you are.
Lord God, how great you are,
clothed in majesty and glory,
wrapped in light as in a robe!
You stretch out the heavens like a tent.
Bless the Lord, my soul! Lord God, how great you are.
Above the rains you build your dwelling.
You make the clouds your chariot,
you walk on the wings of the wind,
you make the winds your messengers
and flashing fire your servant.
Bless the Lord, my soul! Lord God, how great you are.
How many are your works, O Lord!
In wisdom you have made them all.
The earth is full of your riches.
There is the sea, vast and wide,
with its moving swarms past counting,
living things great and small.
Bless the Lord, my soul! Lord God, how great you are.
All of these look to you
to give them their food in due season.
You give it, they gather it up:
you open your hand, they have their fill.
Bless the Lord, my soul! Lord God, how great you are.
You hide your face, they are dismayed;
you take back your spirit, they die.
You send forth your spirit, they are created;
and you renew the face of the earth.
Bless the Lord, my soul! Lord God, how great you are.
OR:
Alternative Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 28(29):1-4,9-10 ©
The Lord will bless his people with peace.
O give the Lord, you sons of God,
give the Lord glory and power;
give the Lord the glory of his name.
Adore the Lord in his holy court.
The Lord will bless his people with peace.
The Lord’s voice resounding on the waters,
the Lord on the immensity of waters;
the voice of the Lord, full of power,
the voice of the Lord, full of splendour.
The Lord will bless his people with peace.
The God of glory thunders.
In his temple they all cry: ‘Glory!’
The Lord sat enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits as king for ever.
The Lord will bless his people with peace.
EITHER:
Second reading
Titus 2:11-14,3:4-7 ©
He saved us by means of the cleansing water of rebirth
God’s grace has been revealed, and it has made salvation possible for the whole human race and taught us that what we have to do is to give up everything that does not lead to God, and all our worldly ambitions; we must be self-restrained and live good and religious lives here in this present world, while we are waiting in hope for the blessing which will come with the Appearing of the glory of our great God and saviour Christ Jesus. He sacrificed himself for us in order to set us free from all wickedness and to purify a people so that it could be his very own and would have no ambition except to do good.
But when the kindness and love of God our saviour for mankind were revealed, it was not because he was concerned with any righteous actions we might have done ourselves; it was for no reason except his own compassion that he saved us, by means of the cleansing water of rebirth and by renewing us with the Holy Spirit which he has so generously poured over us through Jesus Christ our saviour. He did this so that we should be justified by his grace, to become heirs looking forward to inheriting eternal life.
OR:
Alternative Second reading
Acts 10:34-38 ©
God had anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit
Peter addressed Cornelius and his household: ‘The truth I have now come to realise’ he said ‘is that God does not have favourites, but that anybody of any nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him.
‘It is true, God sent his word to the people of Israel, and it was to them that the good news of peace was brought by Jesus Christ – but Jesus Christ is Lord of all men. You must have heard about the recent happenings in Judaea; about Jesus of Nazareth and how he began in Galilee, after John had been preaching baptism. God had anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, Jesus went about doing good and curing all who had fallen into the power of the devil.’
Gospel Acclamation
cf.Lk3:16
Alleluia, alleluia!
Someone is coming, said John, someone greater than I.
He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
Alleluia!
Gospel
Luke 3:15-16,21-22 ©
‘Someone is coming who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire’
A feeling of expectancy had grown among the people, who were beginning to think that John might be the Christ, so John declared before them all, ‘I baptise you with water, but someone is coming, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Now when all the people had been baptised and while Jesus after his own baptism was at prayer, heaven opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily shape, like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on you.’