THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD (Cycle B)
Readings
Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 or Isaiah 55:1-11
Psalm 29:1-4, 9-10 or Isaiah 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6
Acts 10:34-38 or 1 John 5:1-9
Mark 1:7-11
Abbreviations: NABRE (New American Bible Revised Edition), NJB (New Jerusalem Bible), IBHE (Interlinear Bible Hebrew-English), IBGE (Interlinear Bible Greek-English), or LXX (Greek Septuagint Old Testament translation). CCC designates a citation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The word LORD or GOD rendered in all capital letters is, in the Hebrew text, God's Divine Name, YHWH (Yahweh).
The two Testaments reveal God's divine plan for humanity; therefore, we read and relive the events of salvation history in the Old and New Testaments in the Church's Liturgy. The Catechism teaches that the Liturgy reveals the unfolding mystery of God's plan as we read the Old Testament in light of the New and the New Testament in light of the Old (CCC 1094-1095).
The Liturgical Year: There are five Church seasons: Advent, Christmas, Lent, the Paschal Triduum (a three-day season), and Easter. There are also two blocks of "Ordinary Time." The relationship of the Solemnities of Christmas (Advent and Christmas) and Easter (Lent, Holy Triduum, and Easter) identifies the Sundays of the seasons of the Liturgical Year. The other parts of the year, called Ordinary Time, refer to the Sundays outside of the Christmas and Easter seasons, which fall under the heading of celebrations of the "Day of the Lord." Ordinary time isn't a season; it is just a way to describe the weeks between seasons. The word "ordinary" means regular or plain, but it also means "counted." Ordinal numbers are 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so on; this means "Ordinary Time" since we count the weeks between the Church's seasons in ordinal numbers.
The weeks of Ordinary Time are thirty-three or thirty-four, depending on the year, and divided into two parts of the liturgical year. The first part begins on the Sunday after Epiphany (although the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord perpetually impedes the first Sunday in Ordinary Time) and continues until Ash Wednesday. With the date of Easter varying every year, the first part of Ordinary Time may include as few as four weeks and as many as nine weeks. Part II of Ordinary Time begins the day after Pentecost and continues to the Saturday before the 1st Sunday of Advent.
We read through one of the Gospels during Sunday's liturgies each year during Ordinary Time. One year, we read Cycle A, which concentrates on readings from the Gospel of St. Matthew. The following year, we turn to Cycle B, which is St. Mark's Gospel, and in the third year, we focus on readings from St. Luke's Gospel until we repeat the cycle. God reveals His divine plan for humanity in the two Testaments, and the purpose of our liturgical readings is to make known the unfolding mystery of His plan (CCC 1094-1095).
The Theme of the Readings: Universal Salvation through
the Saving Waters of Christian Baptism
Our First Reading from Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7, is the first of
the four "Servant Songs" found in the book of the 8th century BC
prophet Isaiah (see Is 42:1-7; 49:1-7; 50:4-11 and 52:13-53:12). The "Servant
Song" passages speak of God's Servant in the singular as a Messiah sent by the
Lord to bring healing and justice to the people (the first Servant Song) and
who offers his life as a sacrifice for their sins (fourth Servant Song). The
Holy Spirit inspired New Testament writers, Jesus Himself, and Christian tradition
identify the fulfillment of the "Servant Songs" in the "the Chosen One"
(Is 42:1),
Jesus Christ, God's chosen "Servant" (see
Mt 3:16-17; 8:17; 11:2-5;
Lk 2:32; 4:16-21;
Jn 1:32-34;
1 Pt 2:24-25; etc.).
The alternate reading from Isaiah 55:1-11 is an invitation to participate in the blessings of the new and everlasting covenant (Is 55:3b) and to be converted while there is still time (55:6-11). These verses are reminiscent of the invitation to Wisdom's banquet in Proverbs 9:1-6. The new and everlasting covenant (see Jer 31:31-34) is also a reminder of the promises of the Davidic covenant, fulfilled in the New Covenant announced by Jesus at the Last Supper (Lk 22:20).
Our Psalm Reading is a hymn of praise inviting the members of the heavenly assembly (the angels who are "sons of God" collectively) to acknowledge the Lord's supreme sovereignty over the heavens and the earth. They recognize God's supremacy by crying out "Glory" to God, the eternal King in the heavenly Temple. Their hymn is similar to the song they sang at the Son of God's birth when the universal blessing promised to Abraham, and the prophet Isaiah's promise of universal salvation begins to be manifested in the life and redeeming mission of Jesus Christ.
St. Peter testified to God's gift of universal salvation through the Sacrament of Christian baptism in our Second Reading from the Book of Acts. Peter spoke of God's gift of salvation to Jews and Gentiles as he prepared to baptize the men, women, and children gathered in the house of the Roman centurion Cornelius, a Gentile who came to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord. Cornelius and his family's baptism fulfilled St. Simeon's prophecy when he held the Christ-child in his arms at Jesus's Temple dedication and foretold a universal blessing and promise of the gift of salvation for Jews and Gentiles (Lk 2:30-32).
In today's Gospel reading, we remember Jesus's Baptism by St. John the Baptist in the waters of the Jordan River. The Gospels relate Jesus's baptism as another epiphany (manifestation) of Jesus as the promised Messiah, the "Chosen One," and the "Servant" Son of God promised by the prophets (First Reading). The event of Jesus's baptism presents for the first time in Scripture the revelation of the Most Holy Trinity: the Holy Spirit descending from Heaven in the form of a dove over God the Son, and God the Father's voice, heard identifying Jesus as God the Son (Mt 3:16-17; Mk 1:12-13; Lk 4:21-22).
Jesus gave us the Sacrament of Baptism to renew our souls by imparting to the baptized a new life for a covenant relationship as reborn sons and daughters of the Almighty (Mt 28:19-20; Jn 3:3-5). For those baptized by "water and the Spirit," the waters of Christian baptism become the "the springs of salvation" that the prophet Isaiah promised (Is 12:3) that will "cleanse you of all your filth... and give you a new heart and a new spirit," as Ezekiel foretold (Ezek 36:24-27). The waters of Christian baptism are God's invitation to all humanity to receive the promises of an eternal covenant through King David's heir, the Redeemer-Messiah. The waters of Christian baptism become God's invitation to all humanity to receive the promises of the eternal covenant that He made through King David's heir. Jesus, the Redeemer, and Davidic Messiah fulfilled God's invitation made through Isaiah: "Pay attention and come to me, listen, that you may have life. I will make with you the everlasting covenant, the steadfast loyalty promised to David" (Is 55:3 NABRE). Jesus commands us to baptize all who profess faith in Him as necessary for their Eternal salvation, saying, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned" (Mk 16:16 NABRE). Faith is the first step, but faith must be followed by action that demonstrates our commitment to faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior (Jam 2:24).
The First Reading Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 ~ The Servant of the
Lord
1 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, 2 not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in
the street. 3 A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall
not quench until he established justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait
for his teaching. [...] 6 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, 7 to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out
prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.
Our first reading from the Old Testament is from the first of the four "Servant Songs" found in the book of the 8th century BC prophet Isaiah (see Is 42:1-7; 49:1-7; 50:4-11 and 52:13-53:12). The Old Covenant people of God believed the "Servant Songs" spoke of the promised Davidic King-Messiah. Modern Jews see the "servant" as Israel. However, the Holy Spirit inspired New Testament writers, Jesus Himself, and Christian tradition identify the fulfillment of these prophecies in the "the Chosen One" (Is 42:1), who is the "Servant of God," Jesus Christ (see Mt 3:16-17; 8:17; 11:2-5; Lk 2:32; 4:16-21; Jn 1:32-34; 1 Pt 2:24-25; etc.). The four "Servant Song" passages speak of the Servant in the singular as a Messiah sent by God to bring healing and justice to the people (first Servant Song) and who offers his life as a sacrifice for their sins (fourth Servant Song). There are other prophecies in the "songs" that are not fulfilled in Israel's corporate covenant people but perfectly fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth (see the chart Isaiah's Messianic Prophecies).
Isaiah presents God's Servant as a prophet with a mission and a divine destiny (verse 6). He is anointed by God's Spirit (verse 1) to teach the world (verses 1 and 3). His mission is to teach gently but firmly without crushing the fragile spirit of those who are weak (verses 2-3). God has called Him to teach despite opposition to His mission. He will transcend the missions of other prophets as God's supreme prophet:
The early Church Father, St. Justin Martyr (died c. 155 AD), wrote concerning Isaiah 42:6-7: "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).
Responsorial Psalm 29:1b-4, 9-10 ~ Yahweh is Acclaimed King of the Earth
The response is: "The Lord will bless his people with peace."
1b Give to the LORD, you sons of God, give to the LORD
glory and praise, 2 give to the LORD the glory due his name; adore the LORD in
holy attire.
Response:
3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters, the LORD,
over vast waters. 4 The voice of the LORD is mighty; the voice of the LORD is
majestic.
Response:
9 The God of glory thunders, and in his temple all say,
"Glory!" 10 The LORD is enthroned above the flood; the LORD is enthroned as
king forever.
Response:
Psalm 29 repeats God's divine covenant Name, YHWH [Yahweh], eighteen times (ten times in our passage). This hymn of praise invites the members of the heavenly assembly (angels who are collectively "sons of God") to acknowledge God's supreme sovereignty over the heavens and the earth. The heavenly host acknowledges God's supremacy by crying out "Glory" in the heavenly Temple to God the eternal King (verses 1b-2a and 9b-10). LORD, in capital letters, replaces the Divine Name in some Old Testament translations like the NABRE.
3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters, the LORD,
over vast waters. 4 The voice of the LORD is mighty; the voice of the LORD is
majestic.
The phrase "the voice of Yahweh," repeated seven times in
verses 3-9, is probably meant to suggest the sound of thunder (verse 9a), just
as the Israelites heard God's voice as thunder in the Theophany at Mt. Sinai
(Ex 19:16, 19). The "voice" or Presence of Yahweh "over vast waters" is also
probably a reminder of the presence of God's Spirit over the waters of Creation
in Genesis 1:1 as He orchestrated the Creation event.
9 The God of glory thunders, and in his temple all say,
"Glory!" 10 The LORD is enthroned above the flood; the LORD is enthroned as
king forever.
The angels, who witnessed God's supreme power (3-9a),
acknowledge the enthronement of the King of the universe forever with their cry
of praise, "Glory!" (verses 9b-10). Their tribute to God in the heavenly Temple
begins like the hymn of praise the angels sang at the birth of the Christ child
in Luke 2:14, which also starts with the word "Glory." We repeat their cry of
praise and joy in our Lord God in singing the "Gloria" in the celebration of
the Mass.
The Second Reading Acts 10:34-38 ~ Jesus's Gift of
Universal Salvation to Believers
34 Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered in the
house of Cornelius, saying: "In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. 35 Rather,
in every nation, whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him. 36 You
know the word that he sent to the Israelites as he proclaimed peace through Jesus
Christ, who is Lord of all, 37 what has happened all over Judea, beginning in
Galilee after the baptism that John preached, 38 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."
This passage is St. Peter's fifth kerygmatic address (the Greek word kerygma means "proclamation," from keryks = herald). His speech to the assembly of "God-fearing" Gentiles in the home of the Roman centurion Cornelius (verses 34-43) has the same basic outline as St. Peter's other proclamations of Jesus as Lord and Savior. His basic kerygmatic message includes:
What is unique about this message is that Peter addresses it to Gentiles and acknowledges that God shows no partiality. Every nation who fears Him and acts righteously is acceptable to Him (verses 34-35). Extending the Gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ to the Gentiles fulfills the Old Testament prophets' prophecies like Isaiah, as St. Peter states to the group of Romans he is about to baptize. He tells them, "To Him, all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name" (Acts 10:43; underlining added). The Catholic (universal) Church works to fulfill this mission today and will continue to achieve it in the future until Christ returns to claim all the faithful of His Church.
Alternate Second Reading 1 John 5:1-9 ~ Born of God
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is
begotten by God, and everyone who loves the Father loves [also] the one begotten
by him. 2 In this way, we know that we love the children of God
when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For the love of
God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not
burdensome, 4 for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the
victory that conquers the world is our faith. 5 Who
[indeed] is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is
the Son of God? 6 This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus
Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the one that
testifies, and the Spirit is truth. 7 So there are three that testify, 8 the
Spirit, the water, and the blood, and the three are of one accord. 9 If we
accept human testimony, the testimony of God is surely greater. Now the
testimony of God is this, that he has testified on behalf of his Son.
God the Son was not created like all other creatures; He was "begotten by God" (verse 1; also see John 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18; Acts 13:33), and all who believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior are also begotten by God through the Sacrament of Christian Baptism. As St. John wrote in the prologue to his Gospel: But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by man's decision but of God (Jn 1:12-13). Those spiritually reborn into the family of God by the Sacrament of Baptism become permeated with God's divine love. And all those who love God also love the other children in God's covenant family. At our baptism, we became purified of our sins, and the Holy Spirit placed the love of God in us like a divine seed. It germinated and grew vertically and horizontally until it bore the fruit of love for God (vertically) and neighbor (horizontally). If we practice our faith by keeping God's commandments, the result is that with Christ, we will be victorious over the world (verse 4).
5 Who [indeed] is the victor over the
world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is the
one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by
water and blood. The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth.
7 So there are three that testify, 8 the Spirit, the
water, and the blood, and the three are of one accord. 9 If we accept human
testimony, the testimony of God is surely greater. Now the testimony of God is
this, that he has testified on behalf of his Son.
In the Gospel of John 19:30 and 34, St. John testified that
three elements came from the dead body of the Savior: His Spirit, water, and
blood. In verses 7-8, St. John wrote that Jesus breathed out His spirit along
with the water and blood from His pierced side as three witnesses, So there
are three witnesses, the Spirit, water and blood; and the three of them coincide.
These three testimonies converge: blood and water join with the Spirit to
bear witness to the origin, mission, and sacrifice of God the Son who gives
life!
The Gospel of Mark 1:7-11 ~ The Baptism of God's Beloved Son
7 And this is what he proclaimed: "One mightier than I
is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his
sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water, he will baptize you with the Holy
Spirit." 9 It happened in those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and
was baptized in the Jordan by John. 10 On coming up out of the water, he saw
the heavens being torn open and [immediately = euthus] the Spirit, like a dove,
descending upon him. 11 And a voice came from the heavens, "You are my beloved
Son, with you, I am well pleased."
In verses 7-8, the person described in Mark 1:2-3 and named John the Baptist in verse 4 finally speaks. He announces the coming of the One before whom he is unworthy and who "will baptize with the power of the Holy Spirit." John the Baptist is preparing the way for the Messiah's advent by cleansing the people in preparation for the ministry of Jesus the Redeemer- Messiah and Son of God. Jesus is the greater and John the lesser. Notice that Mark presents the Baptist according to his mission: he points the way to God the Son, and then he fades away to give prominence to Jesus.
7b I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of
his sandals.
According to Jewish customs, to untie a master's sandals
was considered such a demeaning task that a Jewish slave/servant was not
required to do it (Mek. 21:1; b Ketub. 96a). "To be unworthy" of such a task
would be to lower oneself below the status of a slave.
8 I have baptized you with water, he will baptize you
with the Holy Spirit."
"He will baptize with the Holy Spirit" is in the future
tense. The prophet Ezekiel promised a purification of immersion/baptism by the
Holy Spirit in the name of God (Ezek 36:25-27). So, while the promise is not
new, the announcement of the one who will provide the gift is new.
Mark 1:9-11 ~ The Baptism of Jesus
9 It happened in those days Jesus came from Nazareth
of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. 10 On coming up out of the
water, he saw the heavens being torn open and [immediately = euthus] the Spirit,
like a dove, descending upon him. 11 And a voice came from the heavens, "You
are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased."
Scripture presents St. John the Baptist's mission as
God's prelude to the saving mission of God the Son as foretold by the prophets.
St. Mark does not provide some of the details of Jesus's baptism found in Matthew
and Luke's Gospels, and St. John's Gospel does not describe this event since he
does not repeat what is adequately covered in the Synoptic Gospels. We only
read about Jesus's baptism after the fact in John's Gospel (John 1:28-34).
If Jesus is God and, therefore, without sin, why did He submit to John's baptism of repentance? For Jesus, it was not a baptism of repentance but an anointing by the Holy Spirit for the three holy offices He fulfilled as supreme prophet, priest, and Davidic king in preparation for His ministry. He was also demonstrating the anointing through baptism by water and the Spirit, to which everyone who believes in Him must summit to be reborn into the family of God and thereby receive the gift of eternal salvation (Mk 16:16).
As Jesus came up from the water of John's baptism, there were three divine signs from Heaven:
The Hebrew word for "spirit" is ruah, translated as "spirit," "wind," or "breath." Two events in the Old Testament recall the descent of the "spirit" or "divine wind" of God hovering over water and the image of a dove over water. The descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove over Jesus and the waters of the Jordan River recall:
Jesus's baptism is both a new beginning and a new creation.
St. Mark intended to tell how the Son pleased the Father, beginning with God the Father's announcement from Heaven. The opening of the gates of Heaven at Jesus's baptism, which the Fall of Adam had closed, marked the beginning of a new era in salvation history (CCC 536, 1026). God resides above in the heavenly Sanctuary, and human history takes place below on Earth. However, opening access to Heaven now promises a new intimacy with God not enjoyed by humankind since before the Fall of Adam in Eden. God has torn the heavens open at Jesus's baptism, never to shut them again (Mk 1:10). Through this gracious opening in the void between Heaven and Earth, God has now poured forth His Spirit onto the earthly realm of humanity (Gen 7:11; Is 24:18; 64:1; Ezek 1:1; Rev 4:1; 11:19). The gift of God's Spirit in the new creation fulfilled the promise made through the prophet Isaiah (Is 42:1-5; 11:1-3; 61:1; 63:10-14). As the One gifted with the Spirit (verse 10), Jesus will provide His faithful with a baptism by the Spirit and a spiritual rebirth in His sacrificial death.
The Gospel of Mark, like the other Synoptic Gospels, presents the first revelation of the Most Holy Trinity to humanity at Jesus's baptism:
11 And a voice came from the heavens, "You are my
beloved Son, with you I am well pleased."
According to the Gospels, God the Father's voice was heard
from Heaven three times during Jesus's ministry, beginning with His baptism:
The voice of God the Father from Heaven calling Jesus "my beloved Son" recalls another father and an angel who referred to a son in the same way. It is the only other time in the Old Testament with the same description for a son. In Abraham's test of a covenant ordeal in Genesis 22, God commanded him to sacrifice his "beloved son" (Gen 22:1, 12). The event foreshadows God the Father offering His "beloved Son" in sacrifice for the salvation of humanity (Heb 11:17-19). In Jesus's submission to St. John's ritual purification for the forgiveness of sins, the sinless Jesus, both man and God, has shown His obedience to the will of God the Father. Jesus begins His earthly ministry to restore and redeem the faithful remnant of the old Israel as the emissaries of His new Israel. Through the Holy Spirit, God will empower His emissaries to call all the nations of the Earth into a relationship with God the Son that promised not the Old Sinai Covenant's temporal blessings but the eternal blessings of a new and everlasting covenant promised by the prophets (Jer 31:31; 32:40; 50:5; Heb 13:20).
There is a question one might ask, "Is Baptism necessary for salvation?" The answer is an emphatical "Yes!" Jesus affirmed that baptism is necessary for salvation in His discussion with the Pharisee Nicodemus in John's Gospel (Jn 3:1-7; also see Mt 28:19-20; Mk 16:15-16 and CCC 436, 783, 1257). After His resurrection, Jesus told His disciples: "Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned." God will save whomever He will, but the required response to faith in Jesus Christ is the Sacrament of Baptism. It is the only means Jesus has given His Church to lead souls to salvation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms this truth: "The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation. He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them. Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament. The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are 'reborn of water and the Spirit.' God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments" (CCC 1257).
Additional Catechism references for this lesson (*
indicates Scripture quoted or paraphrased in the citation):
Isaiah 42:1-9 (CCC 713*);
42:1 (CCC 536*, 555*);
42:3 (CCC 580);
42:6 (CCC 580)
Acts 10:35 (CCC 761); 10:38 (CCC 438, 453, 486, 1289)
1 John 5:1 (CCC 2780*, 2790*); 5:6-8 (CCC 1225*); 5:8 (CCC 694*)
Necessity of Baptism (CCC 846*, 1257*, 1258-60, 1261*, 1277)
Baptismal promises (CCC 1185, 1254, 2101, 2340)
Christian life rooted in (CCC 1266)
Holy Spirit and Baptism (CCC 691*, 694*, 698*, 701*, 798*, 1274, 2017, 2670)
The baptism of infants (CCC 403, 1231, 1233, 1250-52, 1282, 1290*)
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