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.

Sunday Meditation: The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

And so Christmas is over, and we begin with Ordinary Time once more, but on the First Sunday we immediately start with a Feast.  Today we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. Let’s just watch the Gospel in film clip from the great Jesus of Nazareth movie.

The opening of heaven with the Voice of the Father and the descent of the Holy Spirit is a theophany.

 

The people were filled with expectation,

and all were asking in their hearts

whether John might be the Christ.

John answered them all, saying,

“I am baptizing you with water,

but one mightier than I is coming.

I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

 

After all the people had been baptized

and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying,

heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him

in bodily form like a dove.

And a voice came from heaven,

“You are my beloved Son;

with you I am well pleased.”

~Lk 3:15-16, 21-22

That is such a moving clip from the most iconic of Jesus movies.  Now let the video gel in your mind and then listen to Bishop Barron give the best explanation of why Jesus had to be baptized in his homily this week. 

It is not just because Jesus sanctifies the water for all to undergo baptism, though it is that too.  He was baptized to prepare Himself as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world.  That homily knocked my socks off.  That is one of Bishop Barron’s all-time best.

I like to pair an exegesis homily with a homily that draws out the pastoral significance of the passage. This week I present from St. Leo the Great Catholic Church in Lancaster, PA Fr. Peter Hahn’s homily.

 

Sunday Meditation: “Heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove.”

 

For the hymn this week, let’s go with the Negro Spiritual, “Wade in the Water.”

 

 

Negro spirituals are so good.  I love that hymn.  I don’t know Cynthia Liggins Thomas but that is beautiful. 

Sunday Meditation: The Baptism of the Lord

Why did Jesus need to be baptized? 

 

After all the people had been baptized

and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying,

heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him

in bodily form like a dove.

And a voice came from heaven,

“You are my beloved Son;

with you I am well pleased.”     

-Lk 3:21-22

 It wasn’t that he needed purification.  It was so he could consecrate the water for all time. 

 

Blues Tuesday: Eva Cassidy, "Wade In the Water"

This is not quite a blues song but a Negro Spiritual, song by a wonderful voice who unfortunately died way too young, Eva Cassidy.  It's usually arranged with a jazzy/blues back rhythm.


I post it honor of this past Sunday being the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.  This was actually played at my mass Sunday as the offertory hymn, though not as jazzy as this recording.  Our music director played it on the piano, and she gave a fairly good rendition.

 

 

 



You don't believe I've been redeemed,
Wade in the water
Just see The Holy Ghost looking for me
God's gonna trouble the water