Study and Meditations on this Sunday's Scripture Readings: January 9, 2011

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To help us prepare for this coming Sunday, here are the readings, studies and reflections for this coming Sunday’s Scripture readings. This Sunday is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. It is considered both the end of the Christmas season and the 1st Sunday of the liturgical season of Ordinary Time. At the Baptism, Jesus begins his public ministry as he is anointed king, priest and prophet–the Messiah.

Here are the Scripture readings from the U.S. Catholic bishops website.

My own weekly study can be found here under “Current Study.”

Here are three audio reflections on the readings by Sister Ann Shields, Dr. Scott Hahn and Fr. Robert Barron.

Here are a trio of Catholic Bible study podcasts on the Gospel Reading, each about an hour long:

–Sunday Gospel Scripture Study
–Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother
–St. Martha’s Adult Faith Formation

The Navarre Bible Commentary for each reading can be viewed here.

Further study resources for the Readings: St. Charles Borromeo Bible Study can be found here, and Catholic Matters can be found here.

Please consider supporting those who provide these free resources. Discussion, questions and charitable comments are always welcome!

http://www.hampshiredowns.org.uk/userfiles/image/Biblical images/Epiphany Baptism icon.jpg

 

[Barbkw]

Thank you for the links and post.

Not to draw the post off course, but Fr. Barron is going to be on the next “Faith and Culture” on EWTN Sunday.

 

[Fidelis]

Thank you for the links and post.

Not to draw the post off course, but Fr. Barron is going to be on the next “Faith and Culture” on EWTN Sunday.

Thanks, Barbkw.

 

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1st Reading -Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7

Our 1st Reading for this coming Sunday is the first suffering servant song of Isaiah. The suffering servant represents the finest qualities of Israel and her great leaders. In this first song, he is a “chosen one” like Moses (Psalm 106:23), David (Psalm 89:4), and all Israel (1 Chronicles 16:13; Isaiah 41:8); as the Servant, he fulfills the role of Davidic king (2 Samuel 3:18), Messianic king (Ezekiel 34:23-24), and prophet (Amos 3:3). His kingly prerogative is especially emphasized here. Not only is he set in contrast to the military tactics of Cyrus (29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A), but he is commissioned to “bring forth justice”, a legal decision ratifying and executing the divine will. The Bible, except in rare cases (Judges 4:5; 1 Samuel 7:6; 3:20) reserved that power to kings, priests, and local magistrates. The servant however has another quality: he imparts teaching (Torah), a task never done by kings but only by prophets (Isaiah 8:16; Zechariah 7:12) and priests (Jeremiah 2:8; Ezekiel 7:26).

The servant will suffer for his people and be put to death because he carries out the will of (Yahweh) God to the letter. But God will again raise him up and give him numerous spiritual offspring. The New Testament and Christian tradition have always seen these oracles as messianic prophecies. They were fulfilled in Jesus Christ and in him only.

Here is the 1st Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:

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.

 

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Here is the Navarre Bible Commentary (with RSV-CE text) on the 1st Reading:

First Song of the Servant of the Lord
-------------------------------------
*(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.”*

**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.

Concluded on the next post…

 

[Fidelis]

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 arid 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).

The Prophet Isaiah

 

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From the 1859 Haydock Commentary with Douay-Rheims text:

**
The office of Christ. The preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles…**

*1 Behold, my servant, I will uphold him: my elect, my soul delighteth in him: I have given my spirit upon him, he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

**Ver. 1. ***My servant. *Christ, who, according to his humanity, is the servant of God, (Challoner) and Redeemer of others; none else being able to satisfy for themselves. (Worthington) (Philippians ii. 7.) (Calmet) — This passage clearly refers to the Messias, (Chaldean; Kimchi) who was prefigured by Cyrus, ver. 6. (Calmet) (Hugo.) — It is quoted by St. Matthew (xii. 18.) who has some variations both from the Hebrew and the Septuagint, (Calmet) particularly the first part of ver. 4., which the Septuagint renders, “He shall shine, and shall not be broken.”

*2 He shall not cry, nor have respect to person, neither shall his voice be heard abroad.

3 The bruised reed he shall not break, and smoking flax he shall not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

4 He shall not be sad, nor troublesome, till he set judgment in the earth: and the islands shall wait for his law.*

Ver. 4. Islands. Septuagint and St. Matthew,* “the Gentiles shall hope in his name.” *(Haydock)

*6 I, the Lord, have called thee in justice, and taken thee by the hand, and preserved thee. And I have given thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles:

Ver. 6. Gentiles. This was literally verified in Christ. Cyrus is also styled the just, (chap. xli. 26.) and gave liberty to many nations.

7 That thou mightest open the eyes of the blind, and bring forth the prisoner out of prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house.

Ver. 7. *House. *The Jews out of captivity, prefigured the redemption of mankind. These miracles proved that Jesus was the Messias, Luke vii. 22.

 

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Other thoughts and comments on the 1st Reading:

**
1 Here is my servant whom I uphold: **God is the servant’s support and strength for it is God who has “chosen” him and in him God is “pleased.” St. Matthew and St. Mark and St. Luke say these words were repeated from heaven when Christ was baptized by John in the Jordan: “Thou art my beloved (chosen) servant (“son”, in Greek, can be translated son or servant, like “boy” in English) in whom I am well pleased.” (Lk. 3: 22; Mk. 1: 11; Mt. 3: 17).
**
my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations: **God is speaking, perhaps to the heavenly court. His words include not only the nation of Israel, but all nations. In the Old Testament the spirit of God was bestowed on kings, priests and prophets. It is given to the servant because he shall proclaim the will, the law of God, not only to the Jews but to all nations—his jurisdiction will be universal. Notice that God had said of his servant “with whom I am pleased”—this harkens to Jesus’ baptism which we celebrate with this feast, and the transfiguration. God created the whole world and desires to save all of it.

2 Not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street: Unlike oriental despots, he will accomplish his missions quietly and kindly.
**
3 A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench: **Nothing is more useless than a broken reed, nothing more loathsome than a smoking wick as used in the lamps of those days. Yet this servant can and will make something of them—his mercy and power can reach to the very dregs of humanity. Our Lord speaking of “mercy” applies these verses of Isaiah to himself (Mt. 12: 15-21).

It is interesting that the New American Bible omits the last part of verse 3 and the first part of verse 4 “he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be crushed.”

4 Until he establishes justice on the earth: To establish the justice, that is, the will of God on earth, is his mission—he will persevere, come what may, until he has done this.

**the coastlands will wait for his teaching: **The apostate Israelites spread throughout the Babylonian empire, to the far edges of the known world, and thus lost in the crowd are being called to conversion. The nations will also anxiously wait until he comes to bring them his teaching, i.e. the law of God.

[Verse 5 has been omitted from this reading]

6 I, the LORD, have called you: His mission is from God; his power is from God.

**for the victory of justice: **“Victory of justice” is one word in Hebrew. This single word might be better translated “conformable to my plan of salvation.”

I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you: This evokes images of the creation of the first man (Genesis 2:7). The term is also used for a potter who is carefully molding his clay (Isaiah 45:9; 64:8; Jeremiah 18:6; Romans 9:21).
**
and set you as a covenant of the people: **If they have a covenant relationship with God, they are part of God’s family. Israel is the firstborn of the nations and as the eldest brother it is to set the example and guide the others. The Jews had already a covenant, a pact with God, but the servant will make a new one and the nations will share in it; they too will have his light.
**
a light for the nations: To lead them from darkness.
**
7 To open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness: His work is to open the spiritual eyes of people, to free them from the captivity and the darkness of sin and ignorance of God. People must recognize their blindness and imprisonment before they can be cured and freed.

 

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Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs referencing Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7

536 The baptism of Jesus is on his part the acceptance and inauguration of his mission as God’s suffering Servant. He allows himself to be numbered among sinners; he is already “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”.232 Already he is anticipating the “baptism” of his bloody death.233 Already he is coming to “fulfill all righteousness”, that is, he is submitting himself entirely to his Father’s will: out of love he consents to this baptism of death for the remission of our sins.234 The Father’s voice responds to the Son’s acceptance, proclaiming his entire delight in his Son.235 The Spirit whom Jesus possessed in fullness from his conception comes to “rest on him”.236 Jesus will be the source of the Spirit for all mankind. At his baptism "the heavens were opened"237 - the heavens that Adam’s sin had closed - and the waters were sanctified by the descent of Jesus and the Spirit, a prelude to the new creation.

232. Jn 1:29; cf. Isa 53:12.

233. Cf. Mk 10:38; Lk 12:50.

234. Mt 3:15; cf. 26:39.

235. Cf. Lk 3:22; Isa 42:1.

236. Jn 1:32-33; cf. Isa 11:2.

237. Mt 3:16.

555 For a moment Jesus discloses his divine glory, confirming Peter’s confession. He also reveals that he will have to go by the way of the cross at Jerusalem in order to “enter into his glory”.295 Moses and Elijah had seen God’s glory on the Mountain; the Law and the Prophets had announced the Messiah’s sufferings.296 Christ’s Passion is the will of the Father: the Son acts as God’s servant;297 the cloud indicates the presence of the Holy Spirit. "The whole Trinity appeared: the Father in the voice; the Son in the man; the Spirit in the shining cloud."298

    *You were transfigured on the mountain, and your disciples, as much as they were capable of it, beheld your glory, O Christ our God, so that when they should see you crucified they would understand that your Passion was voluntary, and proclaim to the world that you truly are the splendor of the Father.*299

295. Lk 24:26.

296. Cf. Lk 24:27.

297. Cf. Isa 42:1.

298. St. Thomas Aquinas, STh III, 45, 4, ad 2.

299. Byzantine Liturgy, Feast of the Transfiguration, Kontakion.

580 The perfect fulfillment of the Law could be the work of none but the divine legislator, born subject to the Law in the person of the Son.337 In Jesus, the Law no longer appears engraved on tables of stone but “upon the heart” of the Servant who becomes “a covenant to the people”, because he will “faithfully bring forth justice”.338 Jesus fulfills the Law to the point of taking upon himself “the curse of the Law” incurred by those who do not “abide by the things written in the book of the Law, and do them”, for his death took place to redeem them “from the transgressions under the first covenant”.339

337. Cf. Gal 4:4.

338. Jer 31:33; Isa 42:3, 6.

339. Gal 3:13; 3:10; Heb 9:15.

713 The Messiah’s characteristics are revealed above all in the "Servant songs."82 These songs proclaim the meaning of Jesus’ Passion and show how he will pour out the Holy Spirit to give life to the many: not as an outsider, but by embracing our "form as slave."83 Taking our death upon himself, he can communicate to us his own Spirit of life.

82. Cf. Isa 42:1-9; cf. Mt 12:18-21; Jn 1:32-34; then cf. Isa 49:1-6; cf. Mt 3:17; Lk 2:32; finally cf. Isa 50:4-10 and Isa 52:13-53:12.

83. Phil 2:7.

 

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A meditation on the 1st Reading for practical application from Catholic Matters:

**APPLICATION: **This prophecy of Isaiah was chosen for today, the feast which commemorates the baptism of Christ in the Jordan, because on that occasion the Father’s voice from heaven proclaimed that Christ was “his beloved servant in which he was well pleased.” Following the interpretation of the inspired Evangelists and of the ancient and constant tradition of the Church, we can have no hesitation in seeing in these words of Isaiah, written five centuries or so before Christ, a description of the Savior who came on earth to teach Jew and Gentile the new law of God, the law of love and mercy.

He who was the Son of God took our human nature in order to represent us, and as one of us to give our heavenly Father the perfect obedience and service which no mere man had done ever since the creation, and which no mere man could ever do. This perfect obedience or service of God which Christ, the perfect servant, gave the Father, went as far as the acceptance of the shameful and excruciating death on a cross. But all this he accepted gladly for us—it was in our name he did it—and because he did it, we are all raised to a new relationship with God. He has made us all, Jew and Gentile, the whole human race, adopted sons of his heavenly Father.

As members of his mystical body we can now, because he is our Head, give a service to God worthy of our new status, a service which God accepts from us because it is given to him and through “Christ our Lord.”

This Sunday, as we offer the Mass, the sacrifice of Christ renewed before our eyes, let us try to realize the privilege that is ours. We are able, through Christ, to offer a sacrifice which gives infinite honor to God. We are able in spite of all our weaknesses and all our faults to give a service that is pleasing to God and to make some return for all he has done for us. We have become “good and faithful servants” because Christ the Son of God became the perfect servant of God for our sakes.

 

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2nd Reading - Acts 10:34-38

These verses of Acts are read for us today because they contain a reference to our Lord’s baptism. Our second reading takes place at the home of Cornelius, the Roman centurion. Cornelius was a proselyte of the type who, attracted by Judaism’s monotheistic beliefs and strict code of ethics, attended synagogue services and observed the 10 commandments but did not become full members of the Jewish community by circumcision and observance of the dietary restrictions. Cornelius was visited by an angel while he was at prayer and directed to summon Peter from Joppa. When Peter arrived and heard of the vision of Cornelius he instructed him in the story of the life, death, and messiahship of Jesus. At the end of the instruction the Holy Spirit fell upon Cornelius and all his household and conferred upon them the gift of tongues. Peter found this sufficient justification to baptize them, although they were Gentiles – the first Gentile converts. Today we hear some of Peter’s instruction to them prior to the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Here is the 2nd Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:

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.”

 

[Fidelis]

Here is the Navarre Bible Commentary (with RSV-CE text) on the 2nd Reading:

**
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).

Peter’s Address
---------------

*[34] And Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality,
*
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.
*
[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.*

 

[Fidelis]

From the 1859 Haydock Commentary with Douay-Rheims text:

*34 Then Peter, opening his mouth, said: In truth, I perceive *that God is no respecter of persons.

35 But in every nation, he that feareth him, and worketh justice, is acceptable to him.*

Ver. 35.* In every nation,* &c. That is to say, not only Jews, but Gentiles also, of what nation soever, are acceptable to God, if they fear him, and work justice. But then true faith is always to be presupposed, without which, (saith St. Paul, Hebrews xi. 6.) it is impossible to please God. Beware then of the error of those, who would infer from this passage, that men of all religions may be pleasing to God. For since none but the true religion can be from God, all other religions must be from the father of lies; and therefore highly displeasing to the God of truth. (Challoner) — He that feareth him, and worketh justice. So he calls the prayers, alms-deeds, and charitable works of this Gentile Cornelius. (Witham)
*
36 God sent the word to the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all).*
**
Ver. 36.** God sent the word. By this word, some understand the eternal Word, the Son of God; but by the next verse, we may rather expound it of the word of the gospel preached. Jesus Christ … he is Lord of all things. A proof of Christ’s divinity. (Witham)

*37 You know the word which hath been published through all Judea: for it began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached,

Ver. 37. For it began, or its beginning was, &c.

38 Jesus, of Nazareth: how God anointed him with the Holy Ghost, and with power, who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed by the devil: for God was with him.

 

[Fidelis]

Other thoughts and comments on the 2nd Reading:

34 Then Peter proceeded to speak and said, "In truth, I see that God shows no partiality: Literally, “God is not one showing favors” this is an allusion to Deuteronomy 10:17. God has no favorites and doesn’t accept bribes. Salvation is available to all. Because of the vision Peter saw and because of the words of Cornelius he has just heard, from which it is evident that Cornelius is dear to God, Peter understands that Christ’s salvation is not only for Jews but for Gentiles too (see Rom 2:10-11; Gal 3:28; CCC 761).
**
35 Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him: What is translated as “uprightly” is literally, “practices righteousness.” It is the one who accepts and respects God does God’s will. This can be done even if one is not a Jew.
**
36 You know the word (that) he sent to the Israelites: Refers to Jesus the Christ, the Word made Flesh, who is Lord of all (John 1:1). Christ preached to the Jews only, but he gave the order to his Apostles to preach to all nations.
**
as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all: The proclamation (that Jesus is Lord of all) was first made to the Jews (the sons of Israel) will be made to the Gentiles (see Psalm 107:20). The “proclaimed peace” could be an allusion to Isaiah 52:7 (which we heard in the liturgy on Christmas Day) which describes the function of the herald of the good news that was to be made to Jerusalem. This is the essence of the gospel: peace with God leading to peace between all men brought about by Christ’s sojourn on earth.
**
37 what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached: The baptism of John was a baptism of repentance—being reunited to God through acknowledgment of and sorrow for sins.

**38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the holy Spirit and power: ** Jesus was a Nazarene and this was a play on Isaiah 11:1 "a shoot [Hebrew: *nazir

] will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a branch will bear fruit." Nazareth means “branch-town”. The mention of anointing is an allusion to Isaiah 61:1 (see the 3rd Sunday of Advent Cycle B). It also recalls Jesus’ investiture with the “power” of the Spirit at His baptism (Luke 3:22; 4:14,18; CCC 438), and to the words of the Father proclaiming him his beloved servant—the Messiah. This does not mean that Jesus became the messiah at his baptism—this was a sign to the others. Jesus is the spirit-filled agent of God’s saving activity.

**He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him: **Christ showed his power over the demons; He had the divine power which miracles demand, only God can alter the laws of nature, which he has made. Prophets and holy men in the Old Testament worked miracles by calling on God to give them this power; Christ was God; through his own power he worked his miracles.

Peter’s summary of Jesus’ ministry very closely parallels how events were related in Mark’s Gospel. According to early Church testimony, Peter served as a source for that Gospel.

 

[Fidelis]

Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs referencing Acts 10:34-38

**438 **Jesus’ messianic consecration reveals his divine mission, "for the name ‘Christ’ implies ‘he who anointed’, ‘he who was anointed’ and ‘the very anointing with which he was anointed’. The one who anointed is the Father, the one who was anointed is the Son, and he was anointed with the Spirit who is the anointing.’"35 His eternal messianic consecration was revealed during the time of his earthly life at the moment of his baptism by John, when “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power”, "that he might be revealed to Israel"36 as its Messiah. His works and words will manifest him as “the Holy One of God”.37

35. St. Irenaeus, Adv. haeres. 3,18,3:PG 7/1,934.

36. Acts 10:38; Jn 1:31.

37. Mk 1:24; Jn 6:69; Acts 3:14.

486 The Father’s only Son, conceived as man in the womb of the Virgin Mary, is “Christ”, that is to say, anointed by the Holy Spirit, from the beginning of his human existence, though the manifestation of this fact takes place only progressively: to the shepherds, to the magi, to John the Baptist, to the disciples.123 Thus the whole life of Jesus Christ will make manifest "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power."124

123. Cf. Mt 1:20; 2:1-12; Lk 1:35; 2:8-20; Jn 1:31-34; 2:11.

124. Acts 10:38.

**The Church - prepared for in the Old Covenant

761** The gathering together of the People of God began at the moment when sin destroyed the communion of men with God, and that of men among themselves. The gathering together of the Church is, as it were, God’s reaction to the chaos provoked by sin. This reunification is achieved secretly in the heart of all peoples: “In every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable” to God.156

156. Acts 10:35; cf. LG 9; 13; 16.

781 "At all times and in every race, anyone who fears God and does what is right has been acceptable to him. He has, however, willed to make men holy and save them, not as individuals without any bond or link between them, but rather to make them into a people who might acknowledge him and serve him in holiness. He therefore chose the Israelite race to be his own people and established a covenant with it. He gradually instructed this people. . . . All these things, however, happened as a preparation for and figure of that new and perfect covenant which was to be ratified in Christ . . . the New Covenant in his blood; he called together a race made up of Jews and Gentiles which would be one, not according to the flesh, but in the Spirit."201

201. LG 9; cf. Acts 10:35; 1 Cor 11:25.

1289 Very early, the better to signify the gift of the Holy Spirit, an anointing with perfumed oil (chrism) was added to the laying on of hands. This anointing highlights the name “Christian,” which means “anointed” and derives from that of Christ himself whom God "anointed with the Holy Spirit."100 This rite of anointing has continued ever since, in both East and West. For this reason the Eastern Churches call this sacrament Chrismation, anointing with chrism, or myron which means “chrism.” In the West, the term Confirmation suggests that this sacrament both confirms and strengthens baptismal grace.

100. Acts 10:38.

 

[Fidelis]

Some questions about the 2nd Reading for personal study and reflection:

1. According to St. Peter in our 2nd Reading, when did Jesus’ public ministry begin in earnest? In what way was his power manifested from then on?

1. Read Acts10:34. If, as this verse says, God shows no partiality, how is it that some people (such as the saints) seem to be more “graced” than others? How do you think God regards you in comparison to those “graced” people?

 

[Fidelis]

A meditation on the 2nd Reading for practical application from Catholic Matters:

APPLICATION: That day, nearly two thousand years ago, when Christ by his baptism in the Jordan, began his public preaching of salvation for all men, is a day—a feastday—no true Christian can ever forget. The baptism of John was for sinners—a sign of change of heart and a turning to God. Christ had no sin, he had never turned away from God, he was God—but he was the representative of sinful humanity. He represented us sinners that day and opened the door of salvation for us. In that ceremony Christ was proclaimed by the heavenly Father to be his son and faithful servant, and the power of the Holy Spirit came upon him.

But this was all for us; as God he already had all things in common with the Father and the Holy Spirit. But in his human nature—our weak human nature which he took on himself in order to be one of us, and our representative—he was on that day proclaimed God’s true and faithful servant. At the same moment we human beings were accepted in him and through him (i.e. through his perfect obedience even unto the death on the cross) as God’s adopted children. The mission of Christ was for us. The Incarnation took place because God’s infinite love wanted man, the masterpiece of his whole creation, to have a share in the divine gifts of the Blessed Trinity. God united the divine with the human nature in Christ. We mortal men were raised above our human nature; we would become immortal, not that we would never die on this earth—Christ himself died in his human nature-but “he would raise us up on the last day” to share forever with the Father, the Holy Spirit and the Incarnate Son the eternal bliss of heaven.

How could a Christian, one who knows all this, ever refuse to do the little part he is called on to do—“to fear God, that is, to reverence and respect him and to do what is right”? Reverence and respect for God should come easily from anyone who realizes what God has done for him. But true respect for God is not proved by a few distracted prayers and a grudging attendance at Sunday Mass. It is proved by striving to keep the laws Christ gave us, i.e. doing what is right, every day of our lives. This is difficult at times but if we keep our eternity—the unending life—before our eyes, the few short years of hardship and training on earth, will seem very short indeed. There is no comparison between what God has prepared for us, and promises us, and the trifling conditions he asks us to fulfill in order to earn his promised reward.

 

[Fidelis]

Gospel - Matthew 3:13-17

The fact of Jesus’ baptism (an account of which appears in all four Gospels) has been a christological and theological issue to be reckoned with almost since it happened. After all, why would Jesus, who was sinless, participate in a rite for sinners? Also, why would Jesus, the Messiah and clearly superior to John the Baptist, submit to the authority of John?

John’s mission was to prepare his fellow-Jews for the inauguration of the messianic kingdom, expected and eagerly awaited, for centuries. His baptism, a washing of the people in the Jordan waters, was an outward sign of their inner repentance, and a turning of their hearts to God. Jesus had no sins of which to repent, and his heart was always with God. He was God in human nature, but he wished to be associated with all pious Jews, and so, like them, to be baptized by John. This was his way of inaugurating the messianic era. God’s revelation to the Baptist and to the bystanders, which immediately followed the baptism, showed that it was the inaugural act of Christ’s messianic mission.

Here is the Gospel Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:

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.”

 

[Fidelis]

From the Navarre Bible Commentary on this passage (RSV-CE text):

Jesus is Baptized
-----------------
*[13] Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. *

13. Jesus spent about thirty years (Lk 3:23) in what is normally called the “hidden life”. We should marvel at the silence of the Incarnate Word of God during this period. There may be many reasons why he waited so long before beginning his public ministry, but one factor may have been the Jewish custom whereby rabbis did not carry out their function as teachers until they were thirty years old. Whatever the reason, by his long years of work beside St Joseph, our Lord teaches all Christians the sanctifying value of ordinary life and work.

The Baptist prepares the people to receive the Messiah, according to God’s plan; and it is only then that Jesus commences his public life.

*[14] John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” *

**14. **St John’s reluctance to baptize Jesus is not surprising since he had given such forthright witness to Him. Jesus did not need to be baptized by John since he had no sin, but he chose to receive this baptism (see the note on v. 15) before beginning to preach, so to teach us to obey all God’s commands (he had already subjected himself to circumcision, presentation in the temple and being redeemed as the first-born). God wished Jesus to humble himself even to the extent of submitting to the authority of others.

*[15] But Jesus answered him, “Let is be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. *

15. “Righteousness” (or “justice”) has a very deep meaning in the Bible; it refers to the plan which God, in his infinite goodness and wisdom, has marked out for man’s salvation. Consequently, “to fulfill all righteousness” should be understood as fulfilling God’s will and designs. Thus, we could translate “fulfill all righteousness” as: “fulfill everything laid down by God.” Jesus comes to receive John’s baptism and hence recognizes it as a stage in salvation history–a stage foreseen by God as a final and immediate preparation for the messianic era. The fulfillment of any one of these stages can be called an act of righteousness. Jesus, who has come to fulfill his Father’s Will (Jn 4:34), is careful to fulfill that saving plan in all its aspects. See the note on Mt 5:6.

*[16] And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on him; *

16. Jesus possessed the fullness of the Holy Spirit from the moment of his conception. This is due to the union of the human nature and divine nature in the person of the Word (the dogma of the hypostatic union). Catholic teaching says that in Christ there is only one person (who is divine) but two natures (divine and human). The descent of the Spirit of God spoken of in the text indicates that just as Jesus was solemnly commencing his messianic task, so the Holy Spirit was beginning his action through him. There are very many texts in the Old Testament which speak of the showing forth of the Holy Spirit in the future Messiah. This sign of the Spirit gave St John the Baptist unmistakable proof of the genuineness of his testimony concerning Christ (cf. Jn 1: 29-34). The mystery of the Holy Trinity is revealed in the baptism of Jesus: the Son is baptized; the Holy Spirit descends on him in the form of a dove; and the voice of the Father gives testimony about his Son. Christians must be baptized in the name of the three divine persons. “If you have sincere piety, the Holy Spirit will descend on you also and you will hear the voice of the Father saying to you from above: ‘This was not my son, but now after Baptism he has been made my son’” (St Cyril of Jerusalem, “De Baptismo”, 14).

[17] and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

17. Literally, as the RSV points out, “This is my Son, my (or the) beloved”. When the expression “the beloved” goes with “the son”, normally it refers to an only son (cf. Gen 16; Jer 6:26; Amos 8:10; Zech 12:10). Repetition of the article and the solemnity of the passage show that, in the language of the Bible, Jesus is not just one more among the adopted sons of God, nor even the greatest of them. Rather, it declares strongly and correctly that Jesus is “the Son of God”, the Only-begotten who is totally different from other men because of his divine nature (cf. Mt 7:21; 11:27; 17:5; Jn 3:35; 5:20; 20:17; etc.).

Here we can see the fulfillment of the messianic prophecies, especially Isaiah 42:1, which is applied now to Jesus through the voice of the Father speaking from heaven.

 

[Fidelis]

From the *1859 Haydock Commentary *with DRV text;

Jesus Christ comes to [John the Baptist], and is baptized.

*13 *Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan, unto John, to be baptized by him.

14 But John stayed him, saying, I ought to be baptized by thee, and comest thou to me?

15 And Jesus answering said to him: Suffer it now: for so it becometh us to fulfil all justice. Then he suffered him.

16 And Jesus being baptized, went up presently out of the water: and behold the heavens were opened to him: and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him,*

Ver. 16. He . . . went up, &c. Christ was in the river when he was baptized. As soon as he went out, and was praying, says St. Luke, (iii. 21,)* the heavens were opened to him*, or in favour of him; and he saw the Spirit of God descending: i.e. Christ himself saw the shape of the dove, which was also seen by the Baptist, as we find, John i. 33. And it was perhaps seen by all that were present. — As a dove, or like a dove in a bodily shape. The dove was an emblem of Christ’s meekness and innocence. (Witham) — Calmet supposes that it was St. John that saw the Spirit of God descend thus upon Jesus Christ. The Greek text is favourable to this interpretation. But the Vulgate supposes it was Jesus Christ himself. St. John declares that he saw the Spirit; (John i. 32,) but this apparent disagreement is easily cleared, by supposing that both saw the shape of the dove, and also the surrounding crowd, and that they all heard the voice of the Father, as it was heard by the disciples in the transfiguration on Mount Thabor, (chap. xvii,) and by the crowd in the temple. John xii. (Tirinus)

*17 And behold a voice from heaven, saying: This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.

**Ver. 17. **This most solemn testimony of God the Father, relative to his own beloved Son, is repeated below in chap. xvii; and is of such great moment, that the Holy Ghost would have it repeated not only by three evangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke, but also by St. Peter, as a fourth evangelist, 2nd Peter chap. i. (Tirinus) — In Greek, the emphatic article o uios mou o agapetos, strengthens the proof that Jesus Christ, upon whom the Spirit of God descended in the shape of a dove, was not the adoptive, but natural Son of God, born of Him before all ages, and should silence every blasphemous tongue and pen that can attempt to rob Jesus Christ of his divinity, and poor man of all hopes of salvation, through this God-man, Christ the Lord. But if it here be asked, why Jesus Christ, who was innocence itself, yes, and the very essence of sanctity, condescended so far as to be baptized with sinners, we answer, with the Holy Fathers, that it was, 1. to sanction the baptism and ministry of his precursor; 2. not to lose this opportunity of teaching humility, by placing himself among sinners, as if he had stood in need of the baptism of penance for the remission of sins; and lastly, with St. Ambrose, that it was to sanctify the waters, and to give to them the virtue of cleansing men from their sins by the laver of baptism. (Haydock)