The Voice, the Water and the Spirit

Readings for January 13, 2013

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Feast of the Baptism of the Lord 

Il-Magħmudija tal-Mulej                                                                                                    

Messalin C 135

Reading1 - Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11

Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service is at an end,  her guilt is expiated; indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins.  A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!  Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low; the rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country, a broad valley. Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.  Go up on to a high mountain, Zion, herald of glad tidings; cry out at the top of your voice, Jerusalem, herald of good news! Fear not to cry out and say to the cities of Judah: Here is your God! Here comes with power  the Lord GOD, who rules by a strong arm; here is his reward with him, his recompense before him. Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care. This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Ewwel Qari -  Isaija 40, 1-5, 9-11

"Farrġu, farrġu l-poplu tiegħi -igħid Alla tagħkom. Kellmu lil qalb Ġerusalemm u għidulha li ntemm il-jasar tagħha, tħallset  ħżunitha, ħadet mingħand il-Mulej darbtejn ġħal dnubietha kollha." Leħen jgħajjat: "Ħejju t-triq għall-Mulej fid-derżert, wittu għal Alla tagħna mogħdija fix-xagħri. Jintradam kull wied, u jitniżżlu l-muntanji u l-għoljiet; kull art imħabbta titwitta kull art imħarbta ssir maqgħad. U tfiġġ il-glorja tal-Mulej, u l-bnedmin jarawha lkoll f'daqqa, għax fomm il-Mulej tkellem." Itla' fuq il-muntanja għolja, int li ġġib il-bxara t-tajba lil Sijon! Għolli leħnek bil-qawwa kollha, int  li tagħti l-aħbar it-tajba lil Ġerusalemm; għajjat, la tibżax. Għid lill-ibliet ta' Ġuda:"Hawn hu Alla tagħkom! Hawn hu Sidi l-Mulej, li ġej bil-qawwa, u jaħkem bil-qawwa ta'driegħu. Hawn hu bi ħlasu miegħu, u r-rebħa tiegħu quddiemu. Bħal ragħaj li j irgħa l-merħla tiegħu; bi driegħu jiġmagħha, u l-ħrief  fi ħdanu jerfagħhom; u n-nagħaġ ireddgħu bil-mod imexxihom."  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Responsorial Psalm -  Psalm 104

R. (1) O bless the Lord, my soul.

O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
you are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
You have spread out the heavens like a tent-cloth;                      R/

You have constructed your palace upon the waters.
You make the clouds your chariot;
you travel on the wings of the wind.
You make the winds your messengers,
and flaming fire your ministers.                                                        R/

How manifold are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you have wrought them all—
the earth is full of your creatures;
the sea also, great and wide,
in which are schools without number
of living things both small and great.                                               R/

They look to you to give them food in due time.
When you give it to them, they gather it;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.      R/

If you take away their breath, they perish and return to the dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.                                              R/

Salm Responsorjali   -  Salm 103 (104)

     

R/                      Bierek ruħ tiegħi, il-Mulej.

Mulej, Alla tiegħi, inti kbir bil-bosta!

Bis-sebħ u l-ġmiel init mlibbes,

bid-dawl, bħal b'mantell, inti mkebbeb.

Inti frixt is-smewwiet bħal tinda.                                       R./

Waqqaft fuq l-ilma l-għamajjar għoja tiegħek.

Inti tagħmel is-sħab mirkeb tiegħek,

fuq ġwienaħ ir-riħ tiġġerra.

l-irjieh tagħmilhom ħabbara tiegħek,

u l-ilsna tan-nar qaddejja tiegħek.                                     R/

Kemm huma huma kotran l-għemejjel tiegħek, Mulej!

Kollha bl-għerf għamilthom;

mimlija l-art bil-ħlejjaq tiegħek.

Dan il-baħar  ta' kobor u wisa' bla tarf,

li fih jimraħ ħut bla għadd;

bħejjem żgħar u bhejjem kbar.                                         R/

Minnek jistennew il-ħlejjaq kollha

li tagħtihom ikilhom f'waqtu.

Inti  tagħtihom, u huma jiġbru;

tiftaħ idejk, u  jixbgħu bil-ġid.                                            R/

Jekk taħbi wiċċek, huma jinfixlu;

jekk teħdilhom nifishom, imutu,

u lejn it-trab  jerġgħu jmorru.

Malli tibgħat in-nies tiegħek, jinħolqu,

u inti ġġedded il-wiċċ ta' l-art.                                           R/

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Reading 2 - Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7

Beloved: The grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good. When the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, He saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.  This is the Word of The Lord.

It-Tieni Qari  -  Titu 2, 11-14;, 3, 4-7

Ibni, dehret il-grazzja ta' Alla, għas-salvazzjoni lill-bniedmin kollha; hi trawwimna nwarrbu l-ħażen u l-ġibdiet  tad-dinja;  biex ngħixu bir-rażna u l-ġustizzja u t-tjieba f'dan iż-żmien,  u nistennew it-tama ħienja u d-dehra tal-glorja tal-kbir Alla u Salvatur tagħna. Hu ta lilu nnifsu għalina biex jifdina minn kull ħażen u jnaddafna u jagħmel minn poplu magħżul għalih, poplu mħeġġeġ għall-għemil it-tajjeb. Iżda meta feġġet it-tjieba ta' Alla, Salvatur tagħna, u l-imħabba tiegħu għall-bnedmin, hu salvana  bil-ħasil ta' twelid ġdid u t-tiġdid tal-Ispirtu s-Santu, mhux minħabba l-opri tajba li stajna għamilna aħna, iżda minħabba l-ħniena tiegħu. Dan l-ispirtu hu xerrdu bil-kotra fuqna b'Ġesu' Kristu,  is-Salvatur tagħna, biex bis-saħħa tal-grazzja tiegħu nitqaddsu u nsiru werrieta tal-ħajja ta' dejjem skont it-tama li għandna.     Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Gospel - Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

The people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ. John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened 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.  This is the Word of The Lord.

Evanġelju -  Luqa   3, 15-16, 21-22

F'dak iż-żmien, il-poplu kien qiegħed jistenna ħerqan, u kulħadd kien jistaqsi lilu nnifsu dwar  Ġwanni, jekk kienx hu l-Messija. Għalhekk Ġwanni qabad u qal lil kulħadd: "Jien, ngħid għalija, ngħammidkom bl-ilma, imma ġej wieħed aqwa minni, li ma jistħoqqlix inħollu  l-fqieli tal-qorq tiegħu. Hu jgħammidkom bl-Ispirtu s-Santu u n-nar."  Ġara li, wara li tgħammed il-poplu kollu, Ġesu' tgħammed ukoll u,  waqt li kien qiegħed jitlob, is-smewwiet infetħu, u niżel l-Ispirtu s-Santu u deher fuqu fis-sura ta' ħammiema.U mis-sema ġie leħen jgħid: "Inti Ibni l-għażiż; fik sibt l-għaxqa tiegħi."  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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COMMENTARY

on the Gospel reading by Larry Broding 

(Catholic Liturgical resources www.word-sunday.com)

A Time For Quiet Realization

 

Has something of importance ever slipped by you unnoticed? 
When did you realize its importance? What did you do about it?

I don’t know about you. But I can only do one thing at a time. “Multi-tasking” is difficult for me. I stand in awe of people who can do more than one thing at a time.

When I am pressured and try to do more than one thing at the moment, I can get confused. These are the times I am vulnerable. Someone could approach me with a matter of importance, and I would treat it as trivial. I must admit I have made too many wrong decisions when important decisions needed to be made. Simply because I was distracted, confused.

If you are like me, then a time for reflection each day is a must. For, in reflection, we can see the gravity of events around us. And take action.

Jesus was no different. But his reflection came in times of prayer.

This gospel can be divided into two sections: John’s rejection of the title “Messiah” and the introduction of the real Messiah.

If we were to attempt a literal translation of the reading it would probably go like this:   As the people (in John’s audience) waited in expectation (in response to John’s message), and as all wondered in their hearts concerning John, if not he might be the Christ,  John answered, saying to everyone (there), “I baptize you with water, on the one hand. But, on the other hand, (he) comes, ONE mightier than I, WHOSE strap of (HIS) sandal I am not (worthy) enough to loosen on HIM. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

Let me explain further:  The words “whose strap of (his) sandal I am not (worthy) enough to loosen on him” is clumsy in English, it is elegant in Greek. The clause begins (“whose”) and ends (“on him” which is actual “his”) with possessive pronouns that refer to “strap.”

“He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” - The baptism of fire could refer to the Final Judgment or to spiritual maturation. In the first sense, the Holy Spirit and the Final Judgment are opposed to each other. Christ as the Great Judge would favour his followers with the Spirit, while condemning those who rejected the Spirit.  In the second sense, the Spirit was the support for the Christian undergoing persecution (i.e., “fire”). Those who expected to grow in the Spirit would encounter opposition, even martyrdom, as a result of their choice. Spiritual maturity had a cost.

Luke presented the ministry of the Baptism as a dialogue between himself and his audience. John preached. His audience took his message to heart. At the core of John’s message was preparation for the Christ.

As the people’s expectations for the Messiah rose, John defined his own status. He was the prophet, not the Messiah. He was not worthy of the Coming One. Just as Mark wrote, Luke recorded the Holy Spirit and fire prediction of John. As the note above stated, there has been some discussion about the relationship between the Holy Spirit and fire. Personally, I think they are the same, God’s love and justice.

“ It happened (that) everyone (in John’s audience) was baptized also JESUS having been baptized and that, as HE was praying, the heavens were opened, 22 the Holy Spirit visibly as a dove came down on HIM, and (there) was a voice from heaven: “YOU are my SON, (my) BELOVED, in YOU I am well pleased.”

Unlike Matthew and Mark, Luke envisioned the revelation of the Trinity (descent of the Spirit and the voice from heaven) while Jesus was at prayer, not as he emerged from the water.  Unlike the accounts found in Mark and Matthew, Luke simply recorded the fact that Jesus had been baptized (past tense). The revelation of the Trinity occurs during Jesus’ prayer, not as he rose out of the water. [21] This reflected Luke’s emphasis not on historical event, but upon the revelation of it importance. For Luke, it was not when an event “happens to me”; it is the moment I “get it,” I make the connection. For Luke, prayer was the time of revelation and insight; Luke portrayed Jesus in prayer before the major decisions of his ministry.

For Luke, prayer was the time for grace, God with us. This could not be underestimated. Luke used the images of a actual dove and a actual voice to communicate the concrete reality of God’s grace with us. The heavens were torn open, so there was no barrier between God and his people. [21-22] Grace was now present; the time of realization was in prayer.

When do you realize times of grace?
How has your prayer time given you those “graced” moments?

Luke recorded the message of John and the baptism of Jesus along the lines of Mark and Matthew. But he changed one small detail. The moment of realization was in prayer.

Prayer is a time for gentle insight and peace. It is not earth shattering, but it can be earth moving. God can rule with justice, insight, and liberation, but we must take the time to realize his gifts in prayer.

We cannot multitask prayer and expect results.

This coming week, plan for prayer time as a time for reflection. Slow down and concentrate on your words to God. And your presence with God. See how God will bless your time with him.