Sunday Meditation: To Fulfill All Righteousness

Today we close the Christmas liturgical season with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.  In Year A we are presented with Matthew’s version of Christ’s baptism, and only in Matthew’s account does Jesus, who was without sin, explain why He needs to be baptized: “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”  It is also fitting that John who baptizes Jesus, has prepared the way, and I think the baptism concludes the preparation.  With the baptism, Jesus inaugurates His ministry. 

Here is something to think about: how are you preparing the way for Jesus?

 

 

 

Here is today’s Gospel reading.

 

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.”

~Mt 3:13-17

 

I go back to Bishop Edward Weisenberger for today explanatory homily.  He makes a number of observations I had not realized before.

 

To summarize Bishop’s Wiesenberger's observations: 1) It is Jesus who initiates the baptism, 2) He chooses to be baptized to stand in solidarity with mankind, 3) The heavens opening upon the baptism so that a new possibility of communicating with God appears, 4) The dove descending is an allusion to the waters in the first chapter of Genesis; this implies a new creation, 5) God identifying Jesus as “my Son” is a reference to King David, 6) “My Beloved” alludes to Isaac in the 22^nd chapter of Genesis, and 7) “well pleased” alludes to the suffering servant in Isaiah chapter 42 and 44.  Wow, so much in just five verse lines of Gospel.  All four of the Gospels are wonderfully written in their own individual way.

The pastoral homily returns us to Fr. Samuel Hakeem O.P.

Remember your baptism.  It initiates your relationship with God.  The water poured on His head sanctifies the water, pours into the Jordan, flows into the seas, sanctifying the entire world so that it returns sanctified to sanctify you.  Isn’t that beautiful!

 

Sunday Meditation: “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”

 

The choir at my Mass today sang this lovely Catholic hymn, “When Jesus Comes to Be Baptized” performed by Stanbrook Abbey.

At least I think it’s Catholic.