Sunday ReadingsCommentary and Reflections

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord B

January 11, 2015

In preparation for this Sunday’s Liturgy

As aid in focusing our homilies and sharing

Prepared by Fr. Cielo R. Almazan, OFM

1st reading: Isaiah 42,1-4.6-71 Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased. Upon him I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry out, nor shout, nor make his voice heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench. He will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 He will not grow dim or be bruised until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching. 6 I, the LORD, have called you for justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant for 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.

The focus in on God’s servant and his mission.

1st reading: Isaiah 42,1-4.6-71 Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased. Upon him I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry out, nor shout, nor make his voice heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench. He will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 He will not grow dim or be bruised until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching.

CommentaryIn v.1, God speaks. He presents his servant.V.1 describes the servant as upheld, chosen, with God’s Spirit.V.1 also informs us of his mission: to bring justice to the nations.In v.2, the servant will work quietly, without funfare or publicity.In v.3, the servant treats the weak and wounded with care.V.4 describes the servant as stable. He will stay strong until he has accomplished his mission of establishing justice.V.4b adds information that not only the people in Jerusalem and hilly regions will benefit from him but also the people residing along Mediterreanean Sea.

1st reading: Isaiah 42,1-4.6-76 I, the LORD, have called you for justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant for 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.

In v.6, the Lord personally speaks to his servant.

God reminds him that it is He who calls him and saves from from falling down.

It is God who formed him and destined him to be a covenant and light for nations (macro level).

V.7 spells out the purpose of his vocation and formation:

To make blind see, to liberate the imprisoned, and enlighten the confused.

Reflections on the 1st reading

The servant described here sits well with Jesus. For us Christians, the servant in Isaiah refers to Jesus

Christ. Jesus is here and his mission is announced to us. For us who are in need of liberation, freedom and

healing, we must welcome Jesus in our hearts. He is the one who is assigned by God to help us. We cannot help ourselves, given our limited

knowledge and resources.

Resp. Psalm 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10 R. (11b) The Lord will bless his people with peace.

1 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.

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.

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.

Resp. Psalm 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10R. (11b) The Lord will bless his people with peace.

1 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.

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.

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.

CommentaryThe psalm is classified as royal psalm of Yahweh-King.Vv.1-2 exhort God’s children to give glory and praise to God, with proper attire.Vv.3-4 talk about God’s voice: over the waters (dominates natural powers), mighty, majestic.In v.9, the setting is in the Temple where everyone shouts “Glory.” (performance level)V.10 indicates where God-King sits: above the flood (where other kings cannot sit). God is not replaceable.

Reflections on the Psalm There is no great king than God. He deserves all our praises. He is not weakling; he is majestic. No one can take over his place. We must submit to his rule. When we give him honor, we must make our

volume loud. No to anemic, half-hearted participation in the

liturgy.

2nd reading: Acts 10,34-38No partiality34 Then Peter proceeded to speak and said, "In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. 35 Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.

The Word - Jesus36 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. The focus is on Jesus of Nazareth

(baptized and anointed)

2nd reading: Acts 10,34-38No partiality34 Then Peter proceeded to speak and said, "In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. 35 Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.

The Word - Jesus36 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.

CommentaryIn the passage, we hear Peter the apostle speak in the house or Cornelius (pagan, centurion).He speaks about God’s magnanimity. God is impartial. He does not play favorites.God helps every nation that fears him (Jewish and Gentile Nations). Vv.34-35God sends his word to the Israelites through Jesus (Lord of all) who preached peace in Galilee and Judea, through healing, exorcising.

Reflections on the 2nd reading Jesus is God’s instrument in making known his love and

concerns for us. Jesus has faithfully done his mission from Galilee to

Judea, right after his baptism. Jesus has shown God’s power through his preaching,

healing and exorcism. What more can we ask of God?

Gospel reading: Mark 1:7-11

7 This is what John the Baptist 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 that 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 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."

The focus is on the baptism of Jesus.

Gospel reading: Mark 1:7-11Preaching of John 7 This is what John the Baptist 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."

Baptism of Jesus 9 It happened in those days that 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 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."

A simple outline!

Gospel reading: Mark 1:7-11Preaching of John 7 This is what John the Baptist

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."

Baptism of Jesus 9 It happened in those days that

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 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."

Commentary Vv.7-8 indicate the contents of

John’s preaching: The greatness of the

Messiah His (John’s) unworthiness to

serve him. V.9 simply describes the coming

of Jesus for baptism. Jesus comes from Nazareth of

Galilee. Vv.10-11 describe what happens

after Jesus’ baptism: Heavens torn open The Spirit descending like a

dove A voice affirming: You are my

beloved Son…”

Reflections on the gospel reading John the Baptist has done an excellent job in preparing

the people for the coming of Jesus. John knows his role and limitation as the precursor. John is humble. He recognizes his unworthiness to

encounter Jesus. John preaches the greatness of Jesus. With Jesus’ baptism, the heavens are opened. In his baptism, God affirms, “You are my beloved Son,

in whom I am well pleased.” In our baptism, God declares our sonship. We belong to

him.

Tying the 3 readings and Psalm The first reading talks about mission of God’s Word. The psalm talks about praising God. This is our

mission. The second reading talks about being begotten by

God. The gospel reading talks about the baptism of Jesus.

Today we celebrate the Lord’s Baptism. We must develop the meaning of the Lord’s Baptism through the readings.

To really bring out the meaning of Jesus’ baptism, we must take into consideration his context of mission.

How to develop your homily / sharing Discuss the meaning of Jesus’ baptism. Jesus is baptized with a purpose. It is a way to introduce him to the people. In his baptism, the heavens open and the Spirit

descends upon him and the Father declares him to be his beloved Son.

Attentive listeners will sense that Jesus comes from God, possesses the power of the Holy Spirit and has a big mission.

Jesus must be taken seriously.

Right after his baptism, Jesus begins his ministry.

The intelligent reader will presume Jesus is led by the Spirit of God (given to the Israelite kings and prophets in

the Old Testament) in his mission.

Through the first reading, we know more about Jesus, if we believe he is the one being prophesied.

Jesus’ mission is to liberate us from oppression and to establish a just world.

Jesus is a person who treats the faltering with delicadeza.

The second reading presents Jesus’ mission after his baptism.

His mission is to bring the message of peace.

He is itinerant. He does good works, not only in his own hometown in Galilee, but also in Jerusalem, in Judea.

Jesus proves himself to be a faithful Son of God.

Let us also look into our own baptism. When we are baptized, God declares

publicly that we are his children. We belong to him, to God’s family. Our baptism is also the beginning of our

mission, that is why, the sacrament of baptism is called the sacrament of initiation (to belong to the Church).

As God’s children, we are enjoined to spread God’s love (Gospel of Joy, Pope Francis).

We don’t live our faith sitting down, but sweating it out.

Mission is not only for the priests, nuns and consecrated people.

Mission is the task of everyone. The vocation of the laity and the family is

to give witness to Christ in their homrd, work places and the secular world.

Baptism leads us to listen to the Word of God and reflect on it.

Baptism leads us to participate in the eucharist, the food that gives us true satisfaction.

The eucharist is the sacrament that strengthens us in our mission to spread God’s reign.

Our Context of Sin and Grace Unbaptized children True meaning of baptism

not known by many Baptism without

catechism Irresponsible godparents

(living immoral lives)

Zealous missionaries Well catechized parents

who want their kids baptized

Sense of belongingness to the Church

Receives the sacraments until death

Suggested Songs Go Tell Everyone Isang Pananampalataya Lord, have mercy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpRghV_Ngnc

When We Eat http://youtu.be/0qg_-wvSm7M