READINGS

1st Reading: Isaiah 40:1–5, 9–11
2nd Reading: Titus 2:11–14; 3:4–7

Gospel: Luke 3:15–16, 21–22

 

January 10, 2016 is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. It marks the last day of the Christmas season for the Catholic Church.

Our Lord’s baptism is an announcement of both God’s mercy and His glory. For in the 1st Reading, Isaiah gives us the reassurance of God’s mercy and that God’s glory will soon be revealed as God Himself has promised.

1 Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. 2 Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service has ended, that her guilt is expiated, That she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins.

5 Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together for the mouth of the LORD has spoken. (Isaiah 40:1-2, 5 | NABRE)

Then in the Gospel of Luke, we see the words of Isaiah realized when Jesus’ glory is revealed at His baptism. It through Jesus’ suffering that that suffering because of sin has ended.

21 After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened 22 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.” (Luke 3:21-22 | NABRE)

The last two verses of the day’s Gospel is similar to those found in the accounts of Matthew and Mark. All three Gospels are one in saying that the heaven’s being opened and a voice speaking.

Despite Jesus not needing to be baptized, He still allowed himself to be for He humbled Himself to be with us and to become one of us. It is also though Jesus’ baptism, that God opened heaven’s door for us, thus also opening the door to God’s mercy.

From the 2nd Reading, Saint Paul tells Titus that is not by our doing that we were saved, but because of God’s love and mercy, which is achieved through Jesus Christ.

4 But when the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, 5 not because of any righteous deeds we have done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior. (Titus 3:4-6 | NABRE)

The Feast of the Lord’s Baptism is made even more significant this year as it is the Jubilee of Extraordinary Mercy, as declared by the Church. It is an opportunity for us to seek mercy for our shortcomings and to receive God’s grace.