|
Christ’s baptism: ‘Thou art my beloved Son’
Jan. 13: The Baptism of the Lord
Scripture readings:
• Isaiah 42:1-7
• Psalm 29:1-4, 9-10
• Acts 10:34-38
• Luke 3:15-16, 21-22
Synopsis: The Sundays between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday highlight the various ways Christ’s divinity was revealed. The first such manifestation was to the Magi. This Sunday focuses on the baptism of Jesus, the first in a series of epiphanies culminating in the miraculous catch of fish and the calling of Peter several weeks from now. The passage from Isaiah in the first reading foreshadows the events surrounding Jesus’ baptism and illuminates his mission: He shall “bring forth justice to the nations” and be “a light for the nations.” His gentle demeanor and patience is expressed in the verse: “A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench.” The second reading, from Peter’s speech to a Roman Centurion, contains the essential Gospel message, or kerygma. Peter explains how Jesus, at his baptism, was anointed by the Holy Spirit who empowered him to perform the miracles that Cornelius had heard so much about. The baptism of Jesus marked the beginning of his public ministry and is an important turning point in salvation history. Many people wondered if John might be the Christ. John, the last of the Old Testament prophets, is the “bridge” to the New Testament (see Malachi 3:23). Christ’s divinity was revealed to all by the voice from heaven: “Thou art my beloved Son.” Thus Jesus began his missionary activity by revealing his divinity while simultaneously identifying himself with sinners. Jesus would complete his mission in the same way it began by identifying himself with sinners on the cross.
Key verse: “I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations” (Isa 42:6).
Catechism of the Catholic Church: “The faithful are born anew by baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of confirmation, and receive in the Eucharist the food of eternal life. By means of these sacraments of Christian initiation, they thus receive in increasing measure the treasures of the divine life and advance toward the perfection of charity” (No. 1212).
Pope Benedict XVI: “Jesus loaded the burden of all mankind’s guilt upon his shoulders; he bore it down into the depths of the Jordan. He inaugurated his public activity by stepping into the place of sinners. His inaugural gesture is an anticipation of the Cross. This also explains why, in his own discourses, Jesus uses the word ‘baptism’ to refer to his death” (“Jesus of Nazareth,” Vol. 1).
Life application: Our entire life as Christians is patterned after Christ’s life. As such we’re called to be a “light to the nations.” Some people think that Catholicism is a set of rules we have to follow. But really the whole Christian life is about becoming one with Christ and reflecting his glory. Through our baptism we are mystically united to Christ. Baptism not only cleanses us from sin, it makes us a “new creation” (2 Cor 5:17), a child of God and a partaker of the divine nature. We don’t just believe in Christ in a detached, impersonal sort of way. We actually take his life into us and, over time, are transformed into his likeness (2 Cor 3:18).
James Cavanagh is director of Evangelization and Catechesis for Metro-area Parishes of the Denver Archdiocese. Cavanagh’s column is distributed by the Denver Catholic Register.
|
Read Today's Scriptures online
[click here]
Archives: "Breaking Open the Word"
[click here]
ATTENTION EDITORS!!
Subscribe today!
For an affordable cost, you, too, can publish Breaking Open the Word in your newspaper, bulletin or journal.
For more information, contact Roxanne King, editor of the Denver Catholic Register, at editor@archden.org or by calling 303-715-3215.
|
