Scripture Readings:

First Reading: Isaiah 42;1-7

Psalm Reading: Psalm 28

Second Reading: Acts 10:34-38

Gospel: Matt 3:13-17

First Reading Is 42:1-4, 6-7 A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah Behold my servant with whom I am well pleased. 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.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 29:1-2, 3-4, 9-10 (R.) 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.

Second Reading Acts 10:34-38 A reading from the Acts of the Apostles God anointed him with the Holy Spirit. 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.

Gospel Mt 3:13-17 A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew After Jesus was baptized, he saw the Spirit of God coming upon him. 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, sayin“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Discipleship Questions:

1. How much does your Baptism mean to you?

2. Please read the Scripture readings for today and reflect upon the opening question.

3. Please read Matthew 3:13-15 and reflect upon the same question.

4. Please read the following and discuss: Now let’s focus on the fact that Jesus insisted upon being Baptized. Remember in our Gospel reading we read:

Matt. 3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

For the early church this gospel incident provided something of a puzzle. Why would Jesus, the sinless One, insist on Baptism by John? Why be washed by the waters of Jordan River as though He were a repentant sinner?

The answer to this question should give us great hope and joy.

world now knew who He was and it must never be forgotten that this came at the very time when He fully identified with each and every one of us – from the sinner to the saint, from the pedophile to Mother Theresa, from the alcoholic daily fighting this terrible demon to the innocent baby suckling at his mother’s breast.

Jesus entered Right from the start of His public ministry, Jesus wanted to be identified with the great mass of humanity who are just like you and me – all of us in our journey through life have at times chosen to fall short of what we were created to be and do.

What was Jesus actually doing when He submitted to this cleansing – this washing with water?

He was fully identifying with each and every one of us in a magnificent act of solidarity or absolute unity!

He wanted to identify with those of us who have become conscious of the brokenness of our relationship with God, and have felt the compelling need to return to God like the prodigal sons and daughters that we so often are!

But was this just a ritual act or was it something much more profound than that?

What I’m getting at here is that Hollywood is good at playing theatrics: good at choosing a sentimental word or gesture or series of actions that will capture the imaginations and hearts of their audience. Was what Jesus did just that – a theatrical act to make a point?

No – absolutely not because Jesus Himself clearly had a mystical experience precisely at the very moment when He emerged from His identification with us in the waters of the River Jordan!

5. Please read the following and discuss: You see, when you and I were baptized we shared in the baptism of our Lord. Each and every one of us has been incorporated into His baptism. At whatever age we received baptism, the heavens were opened and divine love and power showered down upon us from heaven. At that very moment, heaven and earth were one in each one of us!

The Holy Spirit hovered over us as He did Jesus and deep down at the very source of our beings – our very souls hear the divine declaration – “This is my beloved son or daughter, in whom I am very well pleased!” and it’s precisely because of this that we pray “OUR FATHER who art in heaven. . . Amen.” And it’s precisely because of this that we can cry “Abba” - Daddy! To our heavenly father who is very well pleased with us!

A metaphor that may help us get a grasp on the enormity of this reality might be to compare what happens at our baptism to be the reverse of what happens at our birth.

Before our birth we are one with our mother but at birth the one becomes two. In fact what happens at Baptism is the reverse of this. At baptism we’re reincorporated into the very inner being of the Trinity and the distant deity becomes “Daddy – Father!”

Perhaps another metaphor that may help us grasp what happens at baptism is the scene in bike scene in ET. I’ll bet some of us might remember this. I remember gasping for breath when it happened.

We should wake up every morning with God’s divine voice ringing in our ears, “You are my Beloved son, beloved daughter!

For this very reason it’s very appropriate to read this particular Gospel at every baptism. Each and every Christian has the right to hear, “You are my beloved son, my beloved daughter, in whom I take delight,” Personally addressed to him or her by God.

At our baptism we receive a new heart and a new spirit or spiritual inclination.

The old heart and spirit of stone die during the Sacrament of Baptism.

And God places His Holy Spirit within us to help our new heart and the new spirit to remain righteous, obeying His Holy ways. [Ezek. 36:26]

This is the most beautiful thing that happens to us during the Sacrament of Baptism, something that most Christians don’t even realize.

This transformation is what it means to be reborn.

God actually creates a new heart and a new spirit within us. [Jn. 3:3, 5, 7; 1 Jn. 4:7, 5:1, 4]

We are truly not the same anymore – we are a new creation!

The Sacrament of Baptism gives birth to our life of faith.

While the Sacrament of Confirmation strengthens us.

And in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, we receive food to live a holy life.

Because Jesus obeyed His Father, we’re made righteous during the Sacrament of Baptism.

We were buried with Christ during the Sacrament of Baptism so that now we may be raised as a new creation;

We’re all new! As I meditated upon what my baptism has come to mean to me I searched for a way of expressing it. I searched for a metaphor or simile to grasp it and I finally came up with this one.