Catechism Links**
Baptism of Jesus by John: 438
Baptism of the Holy Spirit compared to John's baptism: 720
Importance of Jesus' Baptism: 536-537, 1223
**The Homiletic Directory does not provide links for the Baptism of the Lord. These references are taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, © 1994, United States Catholic Conference, Inc. – Libreris Editrice Vaticana, p. 756.
CCC Cross Reference:
Is 40:1-3 719; Is 40:11 754
Is 42:1-9 713; Is 42:1 536, 555; Is 42:3 580; Is 42:6 580
Ps 29:2 2143
Ps 104 288; Ps 104:24 295; Ps 104:27 2828; Ps 104:30 292, 703
Acts 10:35 761; Acts 10:38 438, 453, 486, 1289
Ti 2:12 1809; Ti 2:13 449, 1041, 1130, 1404, 2760, 2818; Ti 2:14 802; Ti 3:5 1215; Ti 3:6-7 1817
Lk 3:16 696; Lk 3:21 608, 2600; Lk 3:22 536
Back to Deacon’s Bench ‘07
Back to Servant of the Word ‘10
Back to SOW II '13
Back to SOW II '16
Back to SOW II '19
Back to SOW II '22
Reading I
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.
Or
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 a 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 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10*
* This option is offered by the USCCB but is not present for this solemnity in the Lectionary for Mass.
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.
Or:
Ps 104:1b-2, 3-4, 24-25, 27-28, 29-30
R. (1) O bless the Lord, my soul.
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
You have spread out the heavens like a tent-cloth;
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.
You have constructed your palace upon the waters.
You make the clouds your chariot;
you travel on the wings of the wind.
You make the winds your messengers,
and flaming fire your ministers.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you have wrought them all -
the earth is full of your creatures;
the sea also, great and wide,
in which are schools without number
of living things both small and great.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.
They look to you to give them food in due time.
When you give it to them, they gather it;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.
If you take away their breath, they perish and return to the dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
R. O bless the Lord, my soul.
Reading II
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.”
Or:
Ti 2:11-14; 3:4-7
Beloved:
The grace of God has appeared, saving all
and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires
and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age,
as we await the blessed hope,
the appearance of the glory of our great God
and savior Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness
and to cleanse for himself a people as his own,
eager to do what is good.
When the kindness and generous love
of God our savior appeared,
not because of any righteous deeds we had done
but because of his mercy,
He saved us through the bath of rebirth
and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
whom he richly poured out on us
through Jesus Christ our savior,
so that we might be justified by his grace
and become heirs in hope of eternal life.
Gospel:
Lk 3:15-16, 21-22
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.”
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.
Alternative first reading Isaiah 42:1-4,6-7
Thus says the Lord:
Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom my soul delights.
I have endowed him with my spirit
that he may bring true justice to the nations.
He does not cry out or shout aloud,
or make his voice heard in the streets.
He does not break the crushed reed,
nor quench the wavering flame.
Faithfully he brings true justice;
he will neither waver, nor be crushed
until true justice is established on earth,
for the islands are awaiting his law.
I, the Lord, have called you to serve the cause of right;
I have taken you by the hand and formed you;
I have appointed you as covenant of the people and light of the nations,
to open the eyes of the blind,
to free captives from prison,
and those who live in darkness from the dungeon.
Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 103(104):1-4,24-25,27-30
Bless the Lord, my soul! Lord God, how great you are.
Lord God, how great you are,
clothed in majesty and glory,
wrapped in light as in a robe!
You stretch out the heavens like a tent.
Bless the Lord, my soul! Lord God, how great you are.
Above the rains you build your dwelling.
You make the clouds your chariot,
you walk on the wings of the wind,
you make the winds your messengers
and flashing fire your servant.
Bless the Lord, my soul! Lord God, how great you are.
How many are your works, O Lord!
In wisdom you have made them all.
The earth is full of your riches.
There is the sea, vast and wide,
with its moving swarms past counting,
living things great and small.
Bless the Lord, my soul! Lord God, how great you are.
All of these look to you
to give them their food in due season.
You give it, they gather it up:
you open your hand, they have their fill.
Bless the Lord, my soul! Lord God, how great you are.
You hide your face, they are dismayed;
you take back your spirit, they die.
You send forth your spirit, they are created;
and you renew the face of the earth.
Bless the Lord, my soul! Lord God, how great you are.
Alternative psalm:
Psalm 28(29):1-4,9-10
The Lord will bless his people with peace.
O give the Lord, you sons of God,
give the Lord glory and power;
give the Lord the glory of his name.
Adore the Lord in his holy court.
The Lord will bless his people with peace.
The Lord’s voice resounding on the waters,
the Lord on the immensity of waters;
the voice of the Lord, full of power,
the voice of the Lord, full of splendour.
The Lord will bless his people with peace.
The God of glory thunders.
In his temple they all cry: ‘Glory!’
The Lord sat enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits as king for ever.
The Lord will bless his people with peace.
Second reading Titus 2:11-14,3:4-7
God’s grace has been revealed, and it has made salvation possible for the whole human race and taught us that what we have to do is to give up everything that does not lead to God, and all our worldly ambitions; we must be self-restrained and live good and religious lives here in this present world, while we are waiting in hope for the blessing which will come with the Appearing of the glory of our great God and saviour Christ Jesus. He sacrificed himself for us in order to set us free from all wickedness and to purify a people so that it could be his very own and would have no ambition except to do good.
But when the kindness and love of God our savior for mankind were revealed, it was not because he was concerned with any righteous actions we might have done ourselves; it was for no reason except his own compassion that he saved us, by means of the cleansing water of rebirth and by renewing us with the Holy Spirit which he has so generously poured over us through Jesus Christ our saviour. He did this so that we should be justified by his grace, to become heirs looking forward to inheriting eternal life.
Alternative second reading Acts 10:34-38
Peter addressed Cornelius and his household: ‘The truth I have now come to realize’ he said ‘is that God does not have favorites, but that anybody of any nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him.
‘It is true, God sent his word to the people of Israel, and it was to them that the good news of peace was brought by Jesus Christ – but Jesus Christ is Lord of all men. You must have heard about the recent happenings in Judaea; about Jesus of Nazareth and how he began in Galilee, after John had been preaching baptism. God had anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, Jesus went about doing good and curing all who had fallen into the power of the devil.’
Gospel Luke 3:15-16,21-22
A feeling of expectancy had grown among the people, who were beginning to think that John might be the Christ, so John declared before them all, ‘I baptize you with water, but someone is coming, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandals; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Now when all the people had been baptized and while Jesus after his own baptism was at prayer, heaven opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily shape, like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; my favor rests on you.’
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
Feast: Baptism of the Lord
From: Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7
First Song of the Servant of the Lord
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(Thus says the Lord,) [1] "Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations. [2] He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; [3] a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. [4] He will not fail or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.
[6] "I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, [7] to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness."
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Commentary:
42:1-9. The Lord, who revealed his power by creating the world (40:12-31) and showed his determination to save mankind by his intervention in history (4l:1-29), now announces a new stage in his plans (v. 9). To advance them he will give a special mission to the "servant of the Lord"; in the prophetic text, this personage plays the key role in making known and putting into effect the salvific plans of God. Four passages over the course of chapters 42-55 speak of the servant and his mission; these passages may originally have made up a poem of their own. These oracles are usually called the "Songs of the Servant". Most biblical scholars see 42:1-9 as being the first song or, rather, the first stanza of that poem. The other three passages are: 49:1-6; 50:4-11; and 52:13-53:12. They combine to make a very beautiful poem, but they raise difficult questions as to style and content. They have been the subject of a great deal of commentary, and the identity of the "servant" is still a matter of debate. Those who consider the four passages to be parts of the one poem take it that the "servant" in each is one and the same person and has one and the same mission. Scholars who do not regard the four passages as originally part of a single poem interpret the person and mission of the servant as being different in each.
There are basically three theories as to who the servant is. One theory is that he is a particular individual -- a king of the house of Judah, or the prophet himself or, Of course, a future Messiah, who will redeem Israel The second theory is that the servant is a collectivity he stands for Israel, or for some group within Israel. The third theory argues that the servant is meant to be depicted ambiguously -- that is in a way that allows him to be interpreted in both of the ways mentioned previously -- as a person of significance but someone who can symbolize all Israel.
In this first song (vv 1-9) the servant certainly comes across as a figure of mystery: v. 1 gives him very special universal transcendental attributes, Verses 2-3a show his humility but they are followed immediately by verses saying that he is someone able to "establish justice in the earth", to be "a light to the nations' someone who can "bring light to the nations" and "open the eyes that are blind and set captives free...". The "servant" can do all this because the Lord has "put his Spirit on him" (cf. v. 1), that is, he is someone chosen by God and he has the help of the Spirit of the Lord to carry out his mission to teach his Law to the very ends of the earth. So, these words could be describing the prophet's own conviction that he has a mission to perform -- to proclaim the word of God; a mission that he did not seek but, rather, had given to him. But the servant could also stand for the whole people of Israel (cf. 41:8) -- for in the same way were the people chosen by God to bear witness to him before all mankind concerning the Law they had received from the Lord.
The Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles without attempting to discover exactly who this servant was originally (or whom he was meant to stand for) interpreted the main features of the servant as being a prophecy about Jesus, in whom the Father is most pleased, and who, in the unity of the Holy Spirit is truly the light for all nations and the liberation of all the oppressed. For example, in the accounts of the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan and of the Transfiguration, the voice of the Father refers to those features: This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased (Mt 3:17); "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" (Lk 9:35). The Gospel of Matthew, which makes a point of showing that the Scriptures find fulfillment in Jesus, explicitly quotes vv. 2-4 of this oracle of Isaiah to show that in Jesus is fulfilled the prophecy of the servant, who was rejected by the leaders of the people and whose quiet and kindly teaching would bring the light of truth to the world (Mt 12:15-21). And later in his Gospel, when St Matthew recounts the passion and death of our Lord (cf. Mt 27:30), he again makes the link between Christ and the servant.
The expression "light to the nations" (v. 6) seems to find an echo in what Jesus says about his being the light of the world (Jn 8:12; 9:5) and also in the "Benedictus" of Zechariah (Lk 1:78-79). There is an evocation of v. 7 in Jesus' reply to the messengers from John the Baptist who ask him whether he is he who is to come (cf. Mt 11:4-6: Lk 7:18-22); cf. the note on 29:15-24. And so St Justin will say, commenting on vv. 6-7: "Everything that is said here, my friends, refers to Christ and to the peoples who have been enlightened by his presence" (Dialogus Cum Tryphone", 122, 2).
The Church in the Second Vatican Council acknowledges her duty to strive to use every opportunity to show that Christ is truly, the "light of the nations" (v. 6): "Christ is the Light of nations. Because this is so, this Sacred Synod gathered together in the Holy Spirit eagerly desires by proclaiming the Gospel to every creature, to bring the light of Christ to all men a light brightly visible on the countenance of the Church ("Lumen Gentium", 1).
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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. 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: Acts 10:34-38
Peter's Address
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[34] And Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, [35] but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. [36] You know the word which he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), [37] the word which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: [38] how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
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Commentary:
34-43. Peter's short address is his first to non-Jews. It begins with the central idea that God is impartial: he wants all men to be saved through the proclamation of the Gospel (vv. 34-36). This is followed by a summary of Jesus' public life (vv. 37-41) and, finally, the statement (the first time it appears in Acts) that Jesus Christ has been made Judge of the living and the dead (v. 42). As in all Christian preaching to Gentiles, proofs from Scripture take a secondary place (v. 43).
34. This verse refers to 1 Samuel 16:7, where the Lord, in connection with the anointing of David as king of Israel, tells the prophet, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." When God calls and offers salvation to his elect, he does not judge as men do. With him distinctions regarding social class, race, sex or education do not count.
Here St Peter proclaims that the Old Testament prophecies about the Jews and the Gentiles forming one single nation (Is 2:2-4; Joel 2:28; Amos 9:12; Mich 4:1 ) and Jesus' words calling everyone to enter his Kingdom (cf. Mt 8:11; Mk 16:15-16; Jn 10:16) should be interpreted literally.
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From: Titus 2:11-14, 3:4-7
The Incarnation, the Basis of Christian Ethics and Piety
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[2:11] For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, [12] training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, [13] awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, [14] who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.
[Beloved], [3:4] ... when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, [5] he saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit, [6] which he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, [7] so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.
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Commentary:
2:11-14. This section is almost like a hymn in praise of saving grace and God's loving kindness as manifested in Christ. The terse, sober style, with phrases piled on one another, and very few verbs, is typical of St. Paul. The duties just described (2:1-10) -- of older men, women, young people and slaves -- all point to Christians' having a common lifestyle, which is the fruit of grace. God is the source of that grace, and salvation its goal, and it is given to us through Jesus Christ.
Thus, divine grace manifested in the Incarnation is actively at work to redeem us; it brings salvation; it sanctifies us, enabling us to live godly lives; and it is the basis of our hope in the second coming of the Lord. All these dimensions of the action of grace summarize revealed doctrine on righteousness (justification) in Jesus Christ. Thus, in the Incarnation, God's salvific will, embracing all men, is manifested in a special way (cf. 1 Tim 2:4); in the Redemption, Christ, the only Mediator and Savior (cf. 1 Tim 2:5) obtains for us the gift of grace, whereby man becomes a sharer in the good things of salvation. Jesus is our model; by means of grace he instructs the Christian on how to control his defects and grow in virtue. The instruction we receive is not only an external one: God inwardly moves us to seek holiness (cf. Rom 5:1-5 and note). Grace also channels our hope, for Christians are motivated not only by the memory of a past event (our Lord's life on earth) but also, and especially, by the fact that Jesus is in the glory of heaven even now and that we are invited to share his inheritance (cf. 2 Pet 3:12-13).
13. "The glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ": an explicit confession of faith in the divinity of Jesus Christ, who is stated at one and at the same time (with only one article in the original Greek) to be God and Savior. This expression is the hinge on which the entire hymn turns: Jesus Christ our God is the one who came at the Incarnation, who will manifest himself fully at his second coming, and who through his work of redemption has made it possible for man to live a life pleasing to God.
This verse is reminiscent of Romans 9:5, where St. Paul wrote: "to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race according to the flesh is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed for ever. Amen."
14. The mention of Jesus Christ at the end of the previous verse leads St. Paul to summarize the doctrine of the Redemption in this lovely passage. Four essential elements in redemption are listed: Christ's self-giving; redemption from all iniquity; purification; and Christ's establishment of a people of his own dedicated to good deeds. The reference to Christ's self-giving clearly means whereby we are set free from the slavery of sin; Christ's sacrifice is the cause of the freedom of the children of God (analogously, God's action during the Exodus liberated the peple of Israel). Purification, a consequence of redemption, enables a man to become part of God's own people (cf. Ezek 37-23). The expression "a people of his own" is a clear allusion to Exodus 19:5: through the covenant of Sinai God made Israel his own people, different from other nations; through the New Covenant of his blood Jesus forms his own people, the Church, which is open to all nations: "As Israel according to the flesh which wandered in the desert was already called the Church of God, so, too, the new Israel, which advances in this present era in search of a future and permanent city, is called also the Church of Christ. It is Christ indeed who has purchased it with his own blood; he has filled it with his Spirit; he has provided means adapted to its visible and social union [...]. Destined to extend to all regions of the earth, it enters into human history, though it transcends at once all times and all racial boundaries" ("Lumen Gentium", 9).
3-7. The main subject of the chapter is the theological basis of social obligations (vv. 1-2); every Christian should bear witness to salvation history, to the change from sin to grace, and the change from an era of slavery and error to the era of freedom and rebirth ushered in by Christ.
The "old regime" is sketched out in a very vivid way (v. 3), showing the effects of sin on man in his three dimensions: in relation to himself, sin makes a person foolish, rebellious, wayward, a slave; in respect of God, he becomes hateful in his rebellious pride; and as far as others are concerned he becomes their enemy -- "hating one another".
However, the coming of Christ has opened up a new panorama (vv. 4-7). As elsewhere in these letters (cf. 1 Tim 3:15; Tit 2:11-14), we have here a hymn to Christ which may well have come from primitive Christian liturgy or from a confession of faith. It summarizes Christian teaching on the Incarnation, the Redemption and the application of salvation to the individual.
According to this text, the Incarnation is the revelation of God our Savior, who makes known his goodness ("benignity", a word which often occurs in the Old Testament and sometimes in the New: cf. Rom 2:4; 11:22; Gal 5:22; Eph 2:7)and "loving goodness" (literally "philanthropy", a word taken from Greek). The Redemption is referred to in Old Testament language: "he saved us in virtue of his own mercy."
Finally, the Christian's access to salvation is something gratuitous: without any prior merit on our part, God's mercy has sought us out (v. 5; cf. note on Rom 3:27-31); Baptism is the door to salvation, for it is the sacrament of "regeneration and renewal" (cf. Eph 5:26); the Holy Spirit sent by Christ (cf. Jn 14:26) makes the waters of Baptism effective; his grace gives life to the soul and entitles it to eternal life (cf. Gal 4:7; Rom 8:16-17). The Council of Trent specified that "justification is not only the remission of sins, but sanctification and renovation of the interior man through the voluntary reception of grace and gifts whereby a man becomes just instead of unjust and a friend instead of an enemy, that he may be an heir in the hope of life everlasting" ("De Iustificatione", chap. 7).
The magnificent resume of faith in Christ contained in Titus 3:3-7 also helps Christians see how to approach their work and social involvement; the Second Vatican Council has reminded us once again that "the promised and hoped-for restoration has already begun in Christ. It is carried forward in the sending of the Holy Spirit and through him continues in the Church in which, through our faith, we learn the meaning of our earthly life, while we bring to term, with hope of future good, the task allotted to us in the world by the Father, and so work out our salvation" ("Lumen Gentium", 48).
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From: Luke 3:15-16, 21-22
The Preaching of John the Baptist (Continuation)
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[15] As the people were in expectation, and all men questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he were the Christ, [16] John answered them all, "I baptize you with water; but He who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
Jesus Is Baptized
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[21] Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, [22] and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from Heaven, "Thou art My beloved Son; with Thee I am well pleased."
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Commentary:
15-17. Using excessive imagery, John announces Christian Baptism, proclaiming that he is not the Messiah; He, who is on His way, will come with the authority of supreme Judge that belongs to God, and with the dignity of the Messiah, who has no human equal.
21-22. In its liturgy the Church remembers the first three solemn manifestations of Christ's divinity--the adoration of the Magi (Mt 2:11), the baptism of Jesus (Lk 3:21-22; Mt 3:13-17; Mk 1:9-11) and the first miracle of our Lord worked, at the wedding at Cana (Jn 2:11). In the adoration of the Magi God revealed the divinity of Jesus by means of the star. At His baptism the voice of God the Father, coming "from heaven", reveals to John the Baptist and to the Jewish people – and thereby to all men--this profound mystery of Christ's divinity. At the wedding at Cana, Jesus "manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him" (Jn 2:11). "When He attained to the perfect age," St Thomas Aquinas comments, "when the time came for Him to teach, to work miracles and to draw men to himself, then was it fitting for His Godhead to be attested to from on high by the Father's testimony, so that His teaching might be the more credible: 'The Father who sent Me has Himself borne witness to Me' (Jn 5:37)" ("Summa Theologiae", III, q. 39, a. 8 ad 3).
21. In Christ's baptism we can find a reflection of the way the sacrament of Baptism affects a person. Christ's baptism was the exemplar of our own. In it the mystery of the Blessed Trinity was revealed, and the faithful, on receiving Baptism are consecrated by the invocation of and by the power of the Blessed Trinity. Similarly, Heaven opening signifies that the power, the effectiveness, of this sacrament comes from above, from God, and that the baptized have the road to Heaven opened up for them, a road which Original Sin had closed. Jesus's prayer after His baptism teaches us that "after Baptism man needs to pray continually in order to enter Heaven; for though sins are remitted through Baptism, there still remains the inclination to sin which assails us from within, and also the flesh and the devil which assails us from without" (St Thomas, "ibid.", III, q. 39, a. 5).
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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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