Saint Rita Catholic Church and School in Webster, NY - An Introduction to the Sunday Scripture Readings

“This Is My Beloved Son, With Whom I Am Well Pleased”

This Sunday is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. It marks the close of our Christmas season, the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, and liturgically, the return to ordinary time. This feast is the revelation of Jesus as the Anointed One, the Messiah, the beloved Son of God.

Our readings today draw an unbroken line from the Old Testament prophesies of Isaiah, prefiguring “the chosen one in whom I am pleased”, the one who will “open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement.”

Our first reading (Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7) is an excerpt from one of four poems of Isaiah called the “servant songs”. Isaiah wrote of a meek and humble servant, anointed by God as “a covenant to the people.” He will be a “light to the nations”. It is this prophesy that comes alive in the Baptism of Jesus that we hear in today’s Gospel.

Our Epistle reading (Acts 10:34-38) is an excerpt of a speech given by St. Peter to the household of Cornelius, a Gentile Roman Centurion. It would have been highly improper for a Jew of Peter’s stature to enter into the home of an unclean Gentile. And yet, Peter recognized the will of God in “showing no partiality” to “whoever fears him.” At the end of this speech, Peter baptized Cornelius and his entire household. Thus, Jesus was a “light to the nations”, not only to the Jews.

Our Gospel reading (Matthew 3:13-17) is Matthew’s account of the Baptism of the Lord. John wanted to refuse to baptize Jesus but Jesus insisted, so as “to fulfill all righteousness”; in other words, to fulfill the Old Testament prophesies Jesus may have had in mind today’s prophesy from Isaiah. Even though Jesus had no need for baptism, as He did not know sin, He chose to enter into a sinful world in solidarity with those He sought to save. At the baptism’s conclusion, the heavens opened and the Spirit of God descended upon Him.

In a sense, Jesus’ act of entering into a very human baptism is an extension of His entering into the human condition, to become one with us, to live among us. He entered into this dark, messy world of ours in order to “bring out the prisoners from confinement” - a confinement of sin and darkness.

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/011126.cfm