Vol. 5 No.18 DoM Gospel Reflection
Luke 3: 15-16, 21-22
The Baptism of Our Lord—January 10, 2015
By Tina Brown
As I stand here today and tell you, I have once again learned a most valuable lesson in procrastination and not obeying thy elder’s. Audrey has asked me twice to do the commentary for DOM with the opportunity to choose the Gospel of Choice. I declined on both occasions but certainly figured when the time came for me to accept I would choose a lengthy Gospel, assuring I would have ample material to discuss in the time permitted. Then as I was “put on the spot” by two persuasive members of DOM to do this week’s commentary and at “the last hour”, I reluctantly accepted. That ol’ catholic guilt telling me I should have accepted the
challenge before today and could have wiggled out of this as they did. I went to the car, pulled out the Magnificat and discovered the scripture for January 10th was a total of 2 short paragraphs. Just the way I had envisioned the beginning of the new year and my first
commentary with DOM at St. Ignatius.
We have just read from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, “The Baptism of The Lord Jesus.” Thinking, I know what Baptism means to me but wanting to be completely accurate I looked up the Catholic meaning in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and so glad I did!
Baptism is the Celebration of the Christian Mystery, the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway and the door which gives us access to the other sacraments. Baptism is Gods Most Beautiful And Magnificent Gift. In the church we call it a GIFT, Grace, Anointing, Enlightenment,
Garment of Immortality, Bath of rebirth and the Seal. It is the Gift because it is conferred on those who bring nothing of their own. Grace because it is given even to the guilty, Baptism because it is buried in water, Anointing for it is Priestly and Royal, Enlightenment because it radiates light, Clothing since is veils our shame, Bath because it washes and Seal as it is our guard and the sign of Gods leadership. Wow, it means all of this and as we mentioned last week, we should spend some time in “Our Memory Bank of Faith” in the New Year; most of us cannot remember or recall our own Baptism. We may know where we were baptized, know we wore a beautiful garment of white, have photo’s and know who our Godparent’s are but that is just about it. This brought me to the realization that our humble God Baptized his son with the first sacrament for our sake. Because of this, can we believe our parents gave us to God as a Gift for each of our own Baptism and invited Godparents, family and friend’s to witness just as it was for Jesus at the Jordan River? After considering this I have always assumed the most precious gift my parents gave to me was my Faith but now I realize it was truly my Baptism. And I assure you, if I told my Father this he would agree and remind me it was also FREE. We grew up hearing God’s gift’s is and will always be FREE.
The story of Jesus Baptism is written in all four Gospel’s. This week we read the Gospel according to Luke. To understand his version I wanted to research Luke just a little. Well, it turned out to be an impossible attempt but I will note a few things I thought were noteworthy.
He was a physician by trade, student of the apostles and had a love of art. He acknowledged the other Gospels that had been written before his but thought it was necessary to present and demonstrate a regimen for Spiritual Health and Spiritual Growth. He wanted his reader’s to “seek to know Jesus as his first followers did by making Jesus’ story a part of our LIVES.”
An important component to his writing was to show Jesus not only as a noble figure who awes and incite’s but also as a model who inspires us. Luke’s inspiration added another element to his persistency and interest in the role of the Holy Spirit and his profound presence with Jesus is still the same as today. I now know that Luke’s Gospel tells us more about the The Mother of Jesus than any other book in the New Testament. He puts together some of the
most beautiful traditions we have about her life and mission. Luke is able to weave various strands of biblical tradition into his narrative, adding beauty and depth to his already elegant pose. In Luke 46, the first sentence we hear from him is, Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord.” Magnifies or Magnificat is a hymn of praise and a recital of God’s covenant faithfulness. Don’t We all treasure our Magnificat St. Ignatius supplies to its member’s every month?!
In Luke 3:15 we read, the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ? We know John the Baptist, which means “Immerser” was a chosen one. We have heard through the many past few readings in December about John.
He is and was a significant part of our Lord’s ministry. Beginning with our Mother Mary, who had found favor with God. In Luke 1: 36 the Angel Gabriel tells Mary, “Behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, for nothing shall be impossible for God.” In Luke 1:39 Mary traveled to Judea, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted her cousin Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant, leaped in her womb and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit. In Luke, Elizabeth says, “how does this happen to me? For the
moment the sound of Mary’s greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. John was conceived with sin but when her womb leaped with joy he was without original sin. We learn in Luke 1:57-66,when the time came, Elizabeth gave birth to a son.
On the eighth day he was to be circumsized and they would name him Zechariah after his father, but his mother, Elizabeth says, NO, he shall be called John. They had no kin with this name and the people turned to Zechariah, who wrote on a tablet, “his name is John.” The name John means, “The Lord is Gracious”, and with the birth of John to Zechariah and
Elizabeth, God’s Grace was showered upon his people. John was to herald the good news that all can have new life with the Father through Christ. This new life will be a gracious gift from God; it is nothing which can be earned by our own effort.
Luke tells us that John had a call from God to preach. Luke identifies John with the prophets whose ministries began with similar calls. John will one day be described as “more than a prophet; he is also the precursor of Jesus.” John was also chosen to Baptize our Redeemer. He knew and speaks of the Messiah as one “Mightier” then he. John recites in this Gospel, I am not worthy to untie the thongs of his sandals. He understood his place and accepts it graciously. He could baptize with water but the one greater than him, will baptize with
the Holy Spirit and with Fire. (Luke uses this term to mean purifying and refining characteristics.) As Jesus walks to John in the Jordan River try to imagine you on the bank
of the river. Jesus is Baptized and The Heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him, meaning he “CAME UPON HIM” and it was to prepare our Lord and to strengthen him for a ministry and a later time of suffering. The Gospel goes on to tell us, in bodily form like a DOVE. The dove was a symbol of Peace and Innocence. Now I ask myself and you, as you watched from the River Bank, Were you being baptized or were you skeptical of what was happening? Were we already a follower who wanted to be Baptized or were we just curious?
Would we have wanted our heart and soul to have Peace and Innocence? I believe we would have and so glad our Baptism is copied after Jesus. This beautiful gift and sacrament reassures me how important it is to recommit to our Baptismal rites when we are asked.
The next time you say “I Do” to the Baptism rites remember that most of us received this rite just as our Lord and it is the Gift of Life that forms us each in our walk to our Lord’s salvation. We can put that in our “Memory Bank” of our Faith and journey as “older” children of God. This Gospel of Luke ends with a powerful image, ” God our father telling Jesus, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” This was our Lord’s intention, it his beautiful way of telling Jesus, throughout his life Jesus was Beloved of the Father and he Pleased him. Through this Gospel we can see the parallel of our own Baptism? The gift given to Jesus by his father here on earth is the same gift given to us by our Father in heaven and our earthly parents so we too can prepare ourselves to be with our heavenly Father.
Resources
Luke 3: 15-16,21-22
Baptism of the Lord
1. Catechism of the Catholic Church/Definition of Baptism
2. WAU/Luke, A Devotional Commentary, Fr. Joseph A. Mindling
Introduction to the Gospel According to St. Luke, (pg. 3-10,44-48)
3. Sacra Pagina/The Gospel of Luke/Daniel J. Harrington, S.j.
Interpretation, (3:15-16, 3:21-22)
4. Ignatius Catholic Study Bible/New Testament
Luke 3, (pages 111-113)
5. Magnificat/December 2015/Volume 17, No.10
(Pg., 161-178)
Author Info
