Catechism Links
CCC 522, 711-716, 722: The prophets and the expectation of the Messiah
CCC 523, 717-720: The mission of John the Baptist
CCC 1042-1050: A new heaven and a new earth
CCC Cross Reference:
Is 40:1-3 719; Is 40:11 754
Ps 85:11 214; Ps 85:12 2795
2 Pt 3:9 1037, 2822; 2 Pt 3:11-12 671; 2 Pt 3:12-13 677; 2 Pt 3:13 1043, 1405
Mk 1:1 422, 515
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Reading 1
Is 40:1-5, 9-11
Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service is at an end,
her guilt is expiated;
indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD
double for all her sins.
A voice cries out:
In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill shall be made low;
the rugged land shall be made a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Go up on to a high mountain,
Zion, herald of glad tidings;
cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Fear not to cry out
and say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord GOD,
who rules by his strong arm;
here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
carrying them in his bosom,
and leading the ewes with care.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 85:9-10-11-12, 13-14
R. (8) Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD—for he proclaims peace to his people.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and prepare the way of his steps.
R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.
Reading II
2 Pt 3:8-14
Do not ignore this one fact, beloved,
that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years
and a thousand years like one day.
The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard “delay,”
but he is patient with you,
not wishing that any should perish
but that all should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief,
and then the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar
and the elements will be dissolved by fire,
and the earth and everything done on it will be found out.
Since everything is to be dissolved in this way,
what sort of persons ought you to be,
conducting yourselves in holiness and devotion,
waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God,
because of which the heavens will be dissolved in flames
and the elements melted by fire.
But according to his promise
we await new heavens and a new earth
in which righteousness dwells.
Therefore, beloved, since you await these things,
be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace.
Gospel
Mk 1:1-8
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way.
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.”
John the Baptist appeared in the desert
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
People of the whole Judean countryside
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.
John was clothed in camel’s hair,
with a leather belt around his waist.
He fed on locusts and wild honey.
And this is what he proclaimed:
“One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading Isaiah 40:1-5,9-11
‘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.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 84(85):9-14
Let us see, O Lord, your mercy, and give us your saving help.
I will hear what the Lord God has to say,
a voice that speaks of peace,
peace for his people.
His help is near for those who fear him
and his glory will dwell in our land.
Let us see, O Lord, your mercy, and give us your saving help.
Mercy and faithfulness have met;
justice and peace have embraced.
Faithfulness shall spring from the earth
and justice look down from heaven.
Let us see, O Lord, your mercy, and give us your saving help.
The Lord will make us prosper
and our earth shall yield its fruit.
Justice shall march before him
and peace shall follow his steps.
Let us see, O Lord, your mercy, and give us your saving help.
Second reading 2 Peter 3:8-14
There is one thing, my friends, that you must never forget: that with the Lord, ‘a day’ can mean a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord is not being slow to carry out his promises, as anybody else might be called slow; but he is being patient with you all, wanting nobody to be lost and everybody to be brought to change his ways. The Day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then with a roar the sky will vanish, the elements will catch fire and fall apart, the earth and all that it contains will be burnt up.
Since everything is coming to an end like this, you should be living holy and saintly lives while you wait and long for the Day of God to come, when the sky will dissolve in flames and the elements melt in the heat. What we are waiting for is what he promised: the new heavens and new earth, the place where righteousness will be at home. So then, my friends, while you are waiting, do your best to live lives without spot or stain so that he will find you at peace.
Gospel Mark 1:1-8
The beginning of the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is written in the book of the prophet Isaiah:
Look, I am going to send my messenger before you;
he will prepare your way.
A voice cries in the wilderness:
Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.
and so it was that John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. All Judaea and all the people of Jerusalem made their way to him, and as they were baptized by him in the river Jordan they confessed their sins. John wore a garment of camel-skin, and he lived on locusts and wild honey. In the course of his preaching he said, ‘Someone is following me, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to kneel down and undo the strap of his sandals. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
2nd Sunday of Advent
From: Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11
Prologue: Promise of Deliverance
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[1] Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
[2] Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord's hand
double for all her sins.
[3] A voice cries:
"In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
[4] Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
[5] And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."
[9] Get you up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good tidings;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings,
lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
"Behold your God!"
[10] Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
[11] He will feed his flock like a shepherd,
he will gather the lambs in his arms,
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.
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Commentary:
40:1-55:13. These chapters make up the second part of the book of Isaiah, also known as "Second Isaiah" or "Deutero-Isaiah". Almost everything here refers to a period of history one or two centuries later than that of "First Isaiah". The oppressor is no longer Assyria but Babylon, which conquered Jerusalem in 587-586 BC, and then began a series of deportations that sent the upper classes of Jerusalem and Judah into exile. Many years later (539 BC), Cyrus, king of the Persians, conquered the Babylonians and issued a decree allowing those deportees who so wished to return home. These events are echoed in Second Isaiah's oracles, songs, lamentations and denunciations, and the prophetic visions of the final, enduring deliverance and restoration of the chosen people and the city of Zion.
The various literary units in this part of the book are grouped into two Is 52:7-11 sections more or less by subject. The first (40:1-48:22) implies that the Jews are still held against their will in Babylon. Their deliverance is announced, thanks to the power of the Lord, who rules the world and determines the course of human affairs; he has chosen Cyrus, king of Persia, called here his "anointed", his messiah, to redeem Israel from exile (44:24-45:25).
This section, too, contains the announcement that God will choose a "servant", whom he will send empowered by the Spirit to establish law and justice (42:1-9, the first "song of the Servant").
The second section celebrates the glorious restoration of the people of God on Zion; in this, too, the "Servant of the Lord" will play the key role; the section contains the last three "songs of the Servant" (49:1-6; 50:4-9; 52:13-53:12).
40:1-48:22. The historical background to these chapters is the time immediately after the return of the exiles from Babylon, which is depicted as a "new exodus". The exodus from Egypt was the prototype of all God's interventions on his people's behalf: now we hear of another one, "new" because the power with which God, the Creator of all things, acts now surpasses that to be seen in the exodus. The news that deliverance is at hand greatly consoles the people: we are told this at the start, and it is repeated in the oracles that follow. For this reason, this part of the book of Isaiah is usually called the "Book of Consolation", and it has been interpreted as an anticipation of the consolation that Christ will bring: "The true consolation, balm and release from all human ills is the Incarnation of our God and Saviour" (Theodoret of Cyrus, "Commentaria In Isaiam", 40, 3).
The section opens with a song of joy over the imminent release of the exiles (40:1-11). After this a number of oracles are grouped together which describe the reason why the people should hope in the Lord who is mighty and desires to save, who is ready to do so (42:1-25), to manifest himself as the Redeemer of Israel (43: 1-44:23) and bring salvation to Jerusalem (44:24-48:19). The section ends with a prophecy of the redemption of his people and a call to leave Babylon (48:20-22).
40:1-11. The section begins on a formal note with an anonymous voice proclaiming the Lord's consolation (vv 1-5) The same voice calls on the prophet himself to proclaim that the word of God and his message of salvation will endure forever (vv. 6-11). The oracles are addressed to those people of Jerusalem who have been deported to Babylon. When they were first spoken, many decades had passed since these people and the previous generation were forced to leave the holy city.
Those years of suffering and exile have more than atoned for their sins. The time comes for them, with the Lord's help, to set out on the return journey. That journey is mentioned throughout this section. The voice speaking in the name of the Lord boosts their morale: it won't be a difficult journey; they will find a way opened up for them which will bring them to the glory of the Lord. As in the exodus from Egypt, on the "way" from Babylon to Jerusalem they will see wonderful evidence of the power of God.
The words spoken by the mysterious voice, inviting them to set out, fills the returnees with hope. The four Gospels see these words fulfilled in the ministry of John the Baptist, who is the voice crying in the wilderness "Prepare the way of the Lord" (cf. v. 3). And, indeed, John, with his call to personal conversion and his baptism of repentance, does prepare the way for people to find Jesus (cf. Mt 3:3; Mk 1:3; Lk 3:4; Jn 1:23), whom the Gospels confess to be "the Lord" (cf. v. 3). John the Baptist is his herald, the "precursor": "The voice commands that a way be opened for the Word of God, the path smoothed and all obstacles removed: when our God comes, he will be able to walk without hindrance. Prepare the way of the Lord: this means to preach the gospel and to offer consolation to his people, with the desire that the salvation of God embrace all mankind" (Eusebius of Caesarea, "Commentana In Isaiam", 40, 366). Hence, in Christian tradition, "John the Baptist is 'more than a prophet' (Lk 7:26). In him, the Holy Spirit concludes his speaking through the prophets. John completes the cycle of prophets begun by Elijah (cf. Mt 11: 13-14). He proclaims the imminence of the consolation of Israel; he is the 'voice' of the Consoler who is coming (Jn 1:23; cf. Is 40:1-3)" ("Catechism of the Catholic Church", 719).
In the second part of the oracle, the anonymous voice asks the prophet to speak in the name of the Lord (vv. 6-8). Merely human plans can only go so far; but the word of God stands forever. In the things that the voice says there must be an allusion to the might of Babylon, which withers like the flower of the field when the "breath of the Lord blows upon it", because it challenged the goodness of God. The message to be given to the people speaks of trusting in the power of God, who comes not to lay waste but to protect and recompense those in his care (vv. 9-11). Here we find for the first time the simile of the "flock" being applied to the people of God, one of a number of figures of speech used in Holy Scripture to describe God's tender care of his people (cf. Jer 23:3; Ezek 34:1ff; Ps 23:4) and which Christian tradition uses to explain the mystery of the Church: "The Church is a sheepfold whose one and indispensable door is Christ (Jn 10:1-10). It is a flock of which God himself foretold he would be the shepherd (Is 40:11; Ezek 34: 11-31), and whose sheep, although ruled by human shepherds, are nevertheless continuously led and nourished by Christ himself, the Good Shepherd and the Prince of the shepherds (cf. Jn 10:11; 1 Pet 5:4), who gave his life for the sheep (cf. Jn 10:11-15)" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 6).
The words of vv. 6-8 will later be used in the First Letter of St Peter to confirm the validity of the precept of brotherly love (1 Pet 1:24-25).
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From: 2 Peter 3:8-14
True Teaching
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[8] But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. [9] The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. [10] But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and the works that are upon it will be burned up.
Moral Lessons to be Drawn
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[11] Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of persons ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness awaiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be kindled and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire! [13] But according to his promise we wait for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
[14] Therefore, beloved, since you wait for these, be zealous to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.
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Commentary:
8. This passage from v. 4 of Psalm 90 was often cited by Jewish rabbis in their calculations about how long the messianic times would last and when the end of the world would be; later on, millenarists would use it as a basis for their farfetched theories about Christ and his saints bearing temporal rule for a thousand years over an earthly kingdom prior to the End. The author of the letter cites the psalm as an authority for the view that time is a function of Creation and has no connection with the eternity of God: the fact that the Parousia has not happened is no reason to deny that it will happen.
9-10. In this passage we are reminded that God, in his great mercy, does not seek our condemnation but, rather, wants all men to be saved (cf. 1 Tim 2:4; Rom 11:22) and shows wonderful patience towards them. The fact that the Parousia has not yet come about is quite compatible with the certainty that it will happen, and happen all of a sudden; therefore, far from being an excuse for making Christian life less demanding, the Parousia is a spur to stay vigilant (the Master himself used the simile of the thief: cf. Mt 24:43 44; Lk 12:39). "Since we know neither the day nor the hour, we should follow the advice of the Lord and watch constantly so that, when the single course of our earthly life is completed (cf. Heb 9:27), we may merit to enter with him into the marriage feast and be numbered among the blessed (cf. Mt 25:31-46) and not, like the wicked and slothful servants (cf. Mt 25: 26), be ordered to depart into the eternal fire (cf. Mt 25:41)" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 48).
"The earth and the works that are upon it": there are so many variants in the Greek manuscripts that it is almost impossible to reconstruct the original text: but they all convey the idea that the earth will be affected by this universal cataclysm.
11-16. The writer now follows up these considerations with a moral exhortation, based on the conviction that the old world will disappear (v. 12) producing new heavens and a new earth (v. 13), and that men living in the period prior to this cataclysm will not know when it is going to happen (v. 15).
All this should not make Christians afraid; in fact, it should bolster their hope (vv.12-14). God will keep his promise to grant heaven to those who persevere in good; but this hope of future reward should not lead one to neglect temporal affairs: "Far from diminishing our concern to develop the earth, the expectancy of a new earth should spur us on, for it is here that the body of a new human family grows, foreshadowing in some way the age which is to come" (Vatican II, "Gaudium Et Spes", 39).
Hope opens the way to upright conduct (v. 11) of an even higher standard (v. 14). Christians should realize that they have a pressing duty to grow in virtue as long as they live in this world (v. 15): "God may have given us just one more year in which to serve him. Don't think of five, or even two. Just concentrate on this one year, that has just started. Give it to God, don't bury it! This is the resolution we ought to make" (St. J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 47).
The practice of virtue leads to holiness and enduring union with God (v. 14; cf. 1 Thess 3:13). "'While we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord' (2 Cor 5:6) and, although we have the first fruits of the Spirit, we groan inwardly (cf. Rom 8:23) in our anxiety to be with Christ (cf. Phil 1:23). The same love urges us to live more for Him who died for us and who rose again (cf. 2 Cor 5:15). We make it our aim, then, to please the Lord in all things (cf. 2 Cor 5:9) and we put on the armor of God that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil and resist the evil day (cf. Eph 6: 13)" ("Lumen Gentium", 48).
12. "Waiting for and hastening": these two verbs convey the idea that Christian hope is something dynamic; it is in no way passive. Contrary to a view quite widespread among the Jews of the time, it does not mean that the Parousia will come sooner, the more meritorious men are; what it means is that the more closely united to Christ they are, the nearer they are to his glory. Therefore, it is urgent that all should embrace faith in Christ. We who have this faith pray in the Our Father, "Thy kingdom come." The first Christians made the same petition in their ejaculatory prayer, "Marana tha", "Come, Lord" (1 Cor 16:22; Rev 22:20), referring to the second coming of the Lord.
"The day of God": the usual expression in the New Testament is "the day of the Lord" (1 Cor 1:8; 5:5; 1 Thess 5:2; 2 Thess 2:2; 2 Pet 3: 10); both expressions refer to the point at which Christ will come to judge the living and the dead.
13. "New heavens and a new earth": one of things promised for the End is that creation will be renewed, re-fashioned: the prophets proclaimed this (cf. Is 65: 17), and the New Testament speaks of drinking new wine at the heavenly banquet (cf. Mt 14:25), being given a new name (cf. Rev 2:17), singing a new song (cf. Rev 5:9), living in a new Jerusalem (Rev 21:3). All this imagery conveys the idea that the whole universe will be transformed, man included (cf. Rom 8:19-22). "We know neither the moment of the consummation of the earth and of man (cf. Acts 1:7) nor the way the universe will be transformed. The form of this world, distorted by sin, is passing away (cf. 1 Cor 7:31), and we are taught that God is preparing a new dwelling and a new earth in which righteousness dwells (cf. 2 Cor 5:2; 2 Pet 3:13), whose happiness will fill and surpass all the desires of peace arising in the hearts of men" ("Gaudium Et Spes", 39).
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From: Mark 1:1-8
The Ministry of John the Baptist
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[1] The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
[2] As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, "Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare the way; [3] the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."
[4] John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. [5] And there went out to him all the country of Judea, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. [6] Now John was clothed in camel's hair, and had a leather girdle around his waist, and ate locusts and wild honey. [7] And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. [8] I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
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Commentary:
1. With these words St Mark gives us the title of his book and emphasizes that Jesus is the Messiah foretold by the prophets and that he is the only Son of the Father, whose nature he shares. The title summarizes the content of the Second Gospel: Jesus Christ, true God and true Man.
The word "gospel" means good tidings, the good news God sends to mankind through his Son. The content of this good news is, in the first place, Jesus Christ himself, his words and his actions. "During the Synod [1974 Synod of Bishops], the Bishops very frequently referred to this truth: Jesus himself, the Good News of God (Mk 1:1, Rom 1:13), was the very first and the greatest evangelizer: he was so through and through, to perfection and to the point of the sacrifice of his earthly life" (Paul VI, "Evangelii Nuntiandi", 7). The Apostles, who were chosen by our Lord to be the basis of his Church, fulfilled his commandment to present to Jews and Gentiles, by means of oral preaching, the witness of what they had seen and heard--the fulfillment in Jesus Christ of the prophecies of the Old Testament, and the forgiveness of sins, adoptive sonship and inheritance of heaven offered by God to all men. For this reason the word "gospel" can also be used in the case of the Apostles' preaching.
Later, the evangelists, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote down part of this oral teaching; and thus, through Sacred Scripture and apostolic Tradition, the voice of Christ is perpetuated throughout the centuries to reach all generations and all nations.
The Church, which carries on the mission of the Apostles, must make the "gospel" known. This it does, for example, by means of catechesis: "The primary and essential object of catechesis is, to use an expression dear to St Paul and also to contemporary theology, 'the mystery of Christ.' [...] It is therefore to reveal in the Person of Christ the whole of God's eternal design reaching fulfillment in that Person. It is to seek to understand the meaning of Christ's actions and words and of the signs worked by him, for they simultaneously hide and reveal his mystery. Accordingly, the definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch but in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ: only he can lead us to the love of the Father in the Spirit and make us share in the life of the Holy Trinity" (Bl. John Paul II, "Catechesi Tradendae", 5).
2-3. The Gospel quotes Isaiah in particular perhaps because he was the most important of the prophets who foretold the coming of the Messiah: that is why St Jerome called Isaiah the "Evangelist of the Old Testament".
4. St John the Baptist presents himself to the people after spending five years in the desert. He invites the Israelites to prepare for the coming of the Messiah by doing penance. The figure of St John points to the continuity between the Old and New Testaments: he is the last of the prophets and the first of the witnesses to Jesus. Whereas the other prophets announced Jesus from afar, John the Baptist was given the special privilege of actually pointing him out (cf. Jn 1:29; Mt 11: 9-11).
The baptism given by the Precursor was not Christian Baptism: it was a penitential rite; but it prefigured the dispositions needed for Christian Baptism -- faith in Christ, the Messiah, the source of grace, and voluntary detachment from sin.
5. "Confessing their sins": by seeking John's baptism a person showed that he realized he was a sinner: the rite which John performed announced forgiveness of sins through a change of heart and helped remove obstacles in the way of a person's acceptance of the Kingdom (Lk 3:10-14).
This confessing of sin was not the same as the Christian sacrament of Penance. But it was pleasing to God because it was a sign of interior repentance and the people performed genuine penitential acts (Mt 3:7-10; Lk 3:7-9). In the Sacrament of Penance, in order to obtain God's forgiveness one must confess one's sins orally. In this connection Bl. John Paul II has said: "And keep in mind that the teaching of the Council of Trent on the need for confession of all mortal sins still holds and will always hold (Sess. XIV, Chap. 5 and Can. 7). The norm taught by St Paul and by the same Council of Trent, according to which the worthy reception of the Eucharist must be preceded by the confession of sins when one is conscious of mortal sin, is and always will be in force in the Church (Sess. XIII, Chap. 7 and Can. 11)" ("Address to Penitentiaries of the Four Major Basilicas in Rome", 30 January 1981).
8. "Baptizing with the Holy Spirit" refers to the Baptism Jesus will institute and shows how it differs from the baptism of John. In John's baptism, as in the other rites of the Old Testament, grace was only signified, symbolized. "By the baptism of the New Law, men are baptized inwardly by the Holy Spirit, and this is accomplished by God alone. But by the baptism of John the body alone was cleansed by the water" (St. Thomas Aquinas, "Summa Theologiae, III, q. 38, art. 2 ad 1). In Christian Baptism, instituted by our Lord, the baptismal rite not only signifies grace but is the effective cause of grace, i.e. it confers grace. "Baptism confers the first sanctifying grace and the supernatural virtues, taking away Original Sin and also personal sins if there are any, together with the entire debt of punishment which the baptized person owes for sin. In addition, Baptism impresses the Christian character in the soul and makes it able to receive the other sacraments" ("St. Pius X Catechism", 295). The effects of Christian Baptism, like everything to do with the sanctification of souls, are attributed to the Holy Spirit, the "Sanctifier". It should be pointed out, however, that like all the "ad extra" actions of God (i.e. actions external to the intimate life of the Blessed Trinity), the sanctification of souls is the work of all three Divine Persons.
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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. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
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