Baptism is a Call to a Prophetic Career

January 13,  2019

The Baptism of the Lord 

Lectionary: 21  

Il-Magħmudija tal-Mulej

Reading 1     -   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

Qari I       mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Isaija 40, 1-5.9-11

“Farrġu, farrġu l-poplu tiegħi – jgħid Alla tagħkom. Kellmu lil qalb Ġerusalemm u għidulha li ntemm il-jasar tagħha, tħallset ħżunitha, ħadet mingħand il-Mulej darbtejn għal dnubietha kollha”. Leħen jgħajjat: “Ħejju t-triq għall-Mulej fid-deżert, 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 jirgħa l-merħla tiegħu; bi driegħu jiġmagħha, u l-ħrief fi ħdanu jerfagħhom; u n-nagħaġ ireddgħu bil-mod imexxihom”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm   -  PSalm 104:1B-2, 3-4, 24-25, 27-28, 29-30

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. O bless the Lord, my soul.

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. O bless the Lord, my soul.

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. O bless the Lord, my soul.

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. O bless the Lord, my soul.

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. O bless the Lord, my soul.

Salm Responsorjali   -  SALM 103 (104), 1b-2.3-4.24-25.27-28.29-30

Mulej, Alla tiegħi, inti kbir bil-bosta!

Bis-sebħ u l-ġmiel inti mlibbes,

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

Inti frixt is-smewwiet bħal tinda.

R/. (1): Bierek ruħ tiegħi, il-Mulej!

Waqqaft fuq l-ilma l-għamajjar għolja tiegħek.

Inti tagħmel is-sħab mirkeb tiegħek,

fuq ġwienaħ ir-riħ tiġġerra.

L-irjieħ tagħmilhom ħabbara tiegħek,

u l-ilsna tan-nar qaddejja tiegħek.

R/. (1): Bierek ruħ tiegħi, il-Mulej!

Kemm huma kotrana 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;

bhejjem żgħar u bhejjem kbar.

R/. (1): Bierek ruħ tiegħi, il-Mulej!

Minnek jistennew il-ħlejjaq kollha

li tagħtihom ikilhom f’waqtu.

Inti tagħtihom, u huma jiġbru;

tiftaħ idejk, u jixbgħu bil-ġid.

R/. (1): Bierek ruħ tiegħi, il-Mulej!

Jekk taħbi wiċċek, huma jinfixlu;

jekk teħdilhom nifishom, imutu,

u lejn it-trab jerġgħu jmorru.

Malli tibgħat in-nifs tiegħek, jinħolqu,

u inti ġġedded il-wiċċ tal-art.

R/. (1): Bierek ruħ tiegħi, il-Mulej!

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 saviour, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life. This is the Word of the Lord

Qari II      -      mill-Ittra ta’ San Pawl lil Titu 2, 11-14; 3, 4-7

Ibni, dehret il-grazzja ta’ Alla, għas-salvazzjoni lill-bnedmin 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 hienja u d-dehra tal-glorja tal-kbir Alla u Salvatur tagħna, Ġesù Kristu. Hu ta lilu nnifsu għalina biex jifdina minn kull ħażen u jnaddafna u jagħmel minna 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’Ġesù 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

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   -   Qari skont San 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-qfieli tal-qorq tiegħu. Hu jgħammidkom bl-Ispirtu s-Santu u n-nar”.  Ġara li, wara li tgħammed il-poplu kollu, Ġesù tgħammed ukoll u, waqt li kien qiegħed jitlob, is-smewwiet infetħu, u niżel l-Ispirtu s-Santu u deher fuqu fis-sura ta’ ħamiema. U mis-sema ġie leħen jgħid: “Inti Ibni l-għażiż; fik sibt l-għaxqa tiegħi”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Baptism is a Call to a Prophetic Career

A reflection by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

The theme of Christ’s Epiphany – of Jesus inaugurating his divine mission on earth – reaches its fulfilment in the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The feast seemingly brings an end to the Christmas season, but Christmas really ends with the feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2.

In Sunday’s Gospel story (Luke 3:15-16, 21-22), Jesus begins his ministry in Galilee after the baptism preached by John. By describing the expectation of the people (3:15), Luke is characterizing the time of John’s preaching in the same way as he had earlier described the situation of other devout Israelites in the infancy narrative (2:25-26, 37-38). John the Baptist tells of one far greater than he, one with a more powerful baptism.

In contrast to John’s baptism with water, Jesus is said to baptise with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Luke 3:16). From the point of view of the early Christian community, the Spirit and fire must have been understood in the light of the fire symbolism of the pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). As part of John’s preaching, the Spirit and fire should be related to their purifying and refining characteristics (Ezekiel 36:25-27; Malachi 3:2-3).

When Jesus is baptized, the voice from heaven booms out and names him: “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). This affirmation is the defining moment for the prophet from Nazareth. It is God’s declaration of love to God’s new Israel; it is God’s bestowal of supreme authority; it is God’s surprise for the world of the proud and powerful.

Through his baptism by John in the muddy waters of the Jordan, Jesus opens for us the possibility of accepting our human condition and of connecting with God as we were intended to. Jesus accepts the human condition, and this includes suffering and death. He stretches out his arms in the Jordan River and on the Cross. In the Jordan, Jesus received his commission. On the Cross he completed it. Jesus’ baptism by John in the Jordan identifies him deeply with the people he has come to redeem.

We, too, are called to a prophetic career.

When we were baptized into Christ Jesus, we were baptized into his death. Our baptism is a public, prophetic, and royal anointing. We receive the life of the Church and are called to sustain that life in faith. Faith is about concern for others. Faith is a public – not private – responsibility.

Baptism is a call to a prophetic career. How we live that out may vary from person to person. The ways may not be as dramatic as the adventures of an Isaiah or a John the Baptist, yet they are in that same great prophetic tradition as we are. To be prophetic is to become involved and to get our hands and feet dirty.

Through our own baptism, we can become a light to others, just as Jesus is a light to us, and to the world. Our own baptism fills us with a certain boldness, confidence, and enthusiasm, reminding us that the Gospel must be proclaimed with gratitude for its proven beauty.

When we slowly discover the demands of faith, and where the way of repentance leads, when we can tell good from evil; when we search for what God wants to do in our lives and ask him to help us accomplish it; when we learn as much as we can about God and his world; when we come near to God, then – at that moment – the person for whom the heavens opened is revealed also to us.

Baptism in today’s Church   

In many parts of the world today, baptizing children has already become the exception. The number of unbaptized infants, children, young people, and adults is on the rise. The decline in the practice of baptism is the result of an erosion of family ties and a departure from the Church. During numerous priests’ retreats, gatherings of priests and pastors, I have often heard it discussed that when the priest does not see visible signs of the practice of faith, then the Church would have the right to refuse the sacraments to people, especially baptism. This is a very complex question.

Could we not however also listen anew to the Gospel missionary injunction to “baptize, preach, and teach” not by waiting for the people to come to us but by going out to meet the people where they are in today’s messy world? What is demanded of us is a new missionary fervour and zeal that do not require extraordinary events. It is in ordinary, daily life that mission work is done. Baptism is absolutely fundamental to this fervour and zeal.

The sacraments are for the life of men and women as they are, not as we would like them to be! I can hear Saint John Paul II crying out to us: “Duc in altum!” It is not in the shallow, familiar waters that you will find those who most need you!

May Sunday’s feast of the Lord’s Baptism be an invitation to each of you to remember with gratitude and renew your own baptismal promises. Relive the moment when the water rushed over you. Pray that the grace of your own baptism will help you to be a light to others and to the world, and give you the strength and courage to make a difference in the world and in the Church.

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