The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord Lectionary: 21 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. 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. Reading 2 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.” 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.”
FAUSTI - It's the beginning of His ministry. Jesus "appears" at the Jordan: Only those who have accepted the call of the Baptist and are baptized by confessing their sins meet Him. Why does He also come? What sin does the Saint have? No sin! And for this He brings the sin of all! If to sin is to abandon the Lord, abandonment is felt not by those who abandon, but by those who are abandoned. Evil is brought by those who love and do not making it. Jesus, the Just One is the Lamb of God, who carries the sin of the world upon Himself, John will say when he sees Him coming (Jn 1:29). In the Jordan, on the threshold of the promised land, everyone pours out his sins: it is like a river of impurity that separates him from the promised land. In it the Just One plunges, and does the judgment of God. We leave our dirt in the water, coming out purified; He plunges into it, coming out laden with our filth. This choice of Jesus, standing in line with sinners and immersing Himself in our evil, reveals God as full sympathy for all His creatures. It is the Revelation of a Holy God, different from that which everyone accepts or denies, and Which will be manifested on the Cross. The Baptist recognizes the superiority of Jesus. He does not want to baptize Him because He wants His Baptism. He ignores that His Baptism comes precisely from His being baptized in us. We are baptized in His solidarity with us, in His Death ( Rom 6:3). If He, the Righteous One, does not die for us sinners, we die our death alone. We immerse ourselves in water but we do not receive the Spirit. If He, instead, dives and dies with us, we are no longer alone: whether we watch or sleep, we are always with Him (1 Th 5:10), Who has loved us and has given Himself for us (Gal 2:20). "Leave for now". Jesus asks me, as He asks John, that I do not prevent Him from entering into my death. Otherwise He cannot give me His life, right where I need it!. So it is convenient for us, for you and for Me, says Jesus. It suits you that I immerse Myself into your solitude and that I am close to you; and it suits me, because otherwise I would not be Emmanuel, the God Love. What is convenient for you is necessary for Me! So both you and I do all justice. Justice is what God wants. And God wants all men to be saved through the knowledge of their truth as children in the Son (1 Tim 2:4). His immersion in the waters of our death is for Him the obligatory passage to reveal Himself as the Son. "Behold, the heavens opened. " In His death the veil of the temple will be torn. God is no longer hidden; the sky, previously closed, has opened. The prophet's wish is fulfilled: "If thou wouldst open the heavens and come down!". (Is 63,19). "A voice" God has no face; one must not make images of Him, nor of man. For He is the Voice, Who expresses the Word, and His Face is the Son, Who realizes It. The Son is the very Face of the Father: "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (Jn 14:9). The Father confirms Jesus' choice, saying: "Bravo! You are my Son, the same as Me: you do what I like to do" ( Jn 14:9). Adam also wanted to be the same as God, but he did not know what God likes. The Father in the whole Gospel speaks only twice : Here and in the Transfiguration. Here to confirm the Son in His choice of Servant; there to reveal to us the Glory of this Son, that we may listen to Him and become also us like Him. Baptism is our birth to the Life of the Son.
FAUSTI - It's the beginning of His ministry. Jesus "appears" at the Jordan: Only those who have accepted the call of the Baptist and are baptized by confessing their sins meet Him. Why does He also come? What sin does the Saint have? No sin! And for this He brings the sin of all! If to sin is to abandon the Lord, abandonment is felt not by those who abandon, but by those who are abandoned. Evil is brought by those who love and do not making it. Jesus, the Just One is the Lamb of God, who carries the sin of the world upon Himself, John will say when he sees Him coming (Jn 1:29). In the Jordan, on the threshold of the promised land, everyone pours out his sins: it is like a river of impurity that separates him from the promised land. In it the Just One plunges, and does the judgment of God. We leave our dirt in the water, coming out purified; He plunges into it, coming out laden with our filth. This choice of Jesus, standing in line with sinners and immersing Himself in our evil, reveals God as full sympathy for all His creatures. It is the Revelation of a Holy God, different from that which everyone accepts or denies, and Which will be manifested on the Cross. The Baptist recognizes the superiority of Jesus. He does not want to baptize Him because He wants His Baptism. He ignores that His Baptism comes precisely from His being baptized in us. We are baptized in His solidarity with us, in His Death ( Rom 6:3). If He, the Righteous One, does not die for us sinners, we die our death alone. We immerse ourselves in water but we do not receive the Spirit. If He, instead, dives and dies with us, we are no longer alone: whether we watch or sleep, we are always with Him (1 Th 5:10), Who has loved us and has given Himself for us (Gal 2:20). "Leave for now". Jesus asks me, as He asks John, that I do not prevent Him from entering into my death. Otherwise He cannot give me His life, right where I need it!. So it is convenient for us, for you and for Me, says Jesus. It suits you that I immerse Myself into your solitude and that I am close to you; and it suits me, because otherwise I would not be Emmanuel, the God Love. What is convenient for you is necessary for Me! So both you and I do all justice. Justice is what God wants. And God wants all men to be saved through the knowledge of their truth as children in the Son (1 Tim 2:4). His immersion in the waters of our death is for Him the obligatory passage to reveal Himself as the Son. "Behold, the heavens opened. " In His death the veil of the temple will be torn. God is no longer hidden; the sky, previously closed, has opened. The prophet's wish is fulfilled: "If thou wouldst open the heavens and come down!". (Is 63,19). "A voice" God has no face; one must not make images of Him, nor of man. For He is the Voice, Who expresses the Word, and His Face is the Son, Who realizes It. The Son is the very Face of the Father: "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (Jn 14:9). The Father confirms Jesus' choice, saying: "Bravo! You are my Son, the same as Me: you do what I like to do" ( Jn 14:9). Adam also wanted to be the same as God, but he did not know what God likes. The Father in the whole Gospel speaks only twice : Here and in the Transfiguration. Here to confirm the Son in His choice of Servant; there to reveal to us the Glory of this Son, that we may listen to Him and become also us like Him. Baptism is our birth to the Life of the Son.
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
RispondiEliminaLectionary: 21
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.
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.
Reading 2
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.”
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.”
FAUSTI - It's the beginning of His ministry. Jesus "appears" at the Jordan: Only those who have accepted the call of the Baptist and are baptized by confessing their sins meet Him. Why does He also come? What sin does the Saint have? No sin!
RispondiEliminaAnd for this He brings the sin of all!
If to sin is to abandon the Lord, abandonment is felt not by those who abandon, but by those who are abandoned. Evil is brought by those who love and do not making it.
Jesus, the Just One is the Lamb of God, who carries the sin of the world upon Himself, John will say when he sees Him coming (Jn 1:29).
In the Jordan, on the threshold of the promised land, everyone pours out his sins: it is like a river of impurity that separates him from the promised land. In it the Just One plunges, and does the judgment of God.
We leave our dirt in the water, coming out purified; He plunges into it, coming out laden with our filth. This choice of Jesus, standing in line with sinners and immersing Himself in our evil, reveals God as full sympathy for all His creatures. It is the Revelation of a Holy God, different from that which everyone accepts or denies, and Which will be manifested on the Cross.
The Baptist recognizes the superiority of Jesus.
He does not want to baptize Him because He wants His Baptism.
He ignores that His Baptism comes precisely from His being baptized in us.
We are baptized in His solidarity with us, in His Death ( Rom 6:3).
If He, the Righteous One, does not die for us sinners, we die our death alone. We immerse ourselves in water but we do not receive the Spirit.
If He, instead, dives and dies with us, we are no longer alone: whether we watch or sleep, we are always with Him (1 Th 5:10), Who has loved us and has given Himself for us (Gal 2:20).
"Leave for now". Jesus asks me, as He asks John, that I do not prevent Him from entering into my death. Otherwise He cannot give me His life, right where I need it!.
So it is convenient for us, for you and for Me, says Jesus. It suits you that I immerse Myself into your solitude and that I am close to you; and it suits me, because otherwise I would not be Emmanuel, the God Love.
What is convenient for you is necessary for Me!
So both you and I do all justice.
Justice is what God wants.
And God wants all men to be saved through the knowledge of their truth as children in the Son (1 Tim 2:4).
His immersion in the waters of our death is for Him the obligatory passage to reveal Himself as the Son.
"Behold, the heavens opened. " In His death the veil of the temple will be torn.
God is no longer hidden; the sky, previously closed, has opened.
The prophet's wish is fulfilled: "If thou wouldst open the heavens and come down!". (Is 63,19).
"A voice" God has no face; one must not make images of Him, nor of man.
For He is the Voice, Who expresses the Word, and His Face is the Son, Who realizes It.
The Son is the very Face of the Father: "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (Jn 14:9).
The Father confirms Jesus' choice, saying: "Bravo! You are my Son, the same as Me: you do what I like to do" ( Jn 14:9).
Adam also wanted to be the same as God, but he did not know what God likes.
The Father in the whole Gospel speaks only twice :
Here and in the Transfiguration.
Here to confirm the Son in His choice of Servant; there to reveal to us the Glory of this Son, that we may listen to Him and become also us like Him.
Baptism is our birth to the Life of the Son.
FAUSTI - It's the beginning of His ministry. Jesus "appears" at the Jordan: Only those who have accepted the call of the Baptist and are baptized by confessing their sins meet Him. Why does He also come? What sin does the Saint have? No sin!
RispondiEliminaAnd for this He brings the sin of all!
If to sin is to abandon the Lord, abandonment is felt not by those who abandon, but by those who are abandoned. Evil is brought by those who love and do not making it.
Jesus, the Just One is the Lamb of God, who carries the sin of the world upon Himself, John will say when he sees Him coming (Jn 1:29).
In the Jordan, on the threshold of the promised land, everyone pours out his sins: it is like a river of impurity that separates him from the promised land. In it the Just One plunges, and does the judgment of God.
We leave our dirt in the water, coming out purified; He plunges into it, coming out laden with our filth. This choice of Jesus, standing in line with sinners and immersing Himself in our evil, reveals God as full sympathy for all His creatures. It is the Revelation of a Holy God, different from that which everyone accepts or denies, and Which will be manifested on the Cross.
The Baptist recognizes the superiority of Jesus.
He does not want to baptize Him because He wants His Baptism.
He ignores that His Baptism comes precisely from His being baptized in us.
We are baptized in His solidarity with us, in His Death ( Rom 6:3).
If He, the Righteous One, does not die for us sinners, we die our death alone. We immerse ourselves in water but we do not receive the Spirit.
If He, instead, dives and dies with us, we are no longer alone: whether we watch or sleep, we are always with Him (1 Th 5:10), Who has loved us and has given Himself for us (Gal 2:20).
"Leave for now". Jesus asks me, as He asks John, that I do not prevent Him from entering into my death. Otherwise He cannot give me His life, right where I need it!.
So it is convenient for us, for you and for Me, says Jesus. It suits you that I immerse Myself into your solitude and that I am close to you; and it suits me, because otherwise I would not be Emmanuel, the God Love.
What is convenient for you is necessary for Me!
So both you and I do all justice.
Justice is what God wants.
And God wants all men to be saved through the knowledge of their truth as children in the Son (1 Tim 2:4).
His immersion in the waters of our death is for Him the obligatory passage to reveal Himself as the Son.
"Behold, the heavens opened. " In His death the veil of the temple will be torn.
God is no longer hidden; the sky, previously closed, has opened.
The prophet's wish is fulfilled: "If thou wouldst open the heavens and come down!". (Is 63,19).
"A voice" God has no face; one must not make images of Him, nor of man.
For He is the Voice, Who expresses the Word, and His Face is the Son, Who realizes It.
The Son is the very Face of the Father: "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (Jn 14:9).
The Father confirms Jesus' choice, saying: "Bravo! You are my Son, the same as Me: you do what I like to do" ( Jn 14:9).
Adam also wanted to be the same as God, but he did not know what God likes.
The Father in the whole Gospel speaks only twice :
Here and in the Transfiguration.
Here to confirm the Son in His choice of Servant; there to reveal to us the Glory of this Son, that we may listen to Him and become also us like Him.
Baptism is our birth to the Life of the Son.