Holy Spirit and Fire: Reflections on the Readings for the Baptism of the Lord

Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 or Isaiah 5:1-5, 9-11
Psalm 29:1-2, 3-4, 9-10 or Psalm 104:1b-2, 3-4, 24-25, 27-28, 29-30
Acts 10:34-38 or Titus 2:11-14, 3:4-7
Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

As I write this I am one of the few houses on my street that still has external Christmas decorations up. The house behind me that had a colorful display has taken theirs down, but their lit tree is still visible through their front window. Most of the houses on my street kept their outside displays up until Epiphany, but some say they should stay until this weekend, the Baptism of the Lord.

Both of the possible readings from Isaiah give descriptions of the Lord and are examples of the multiple prophesies in Isaiah relating to the Messiah. Isaiah 42 speaks to the Lord’s gentleness, “a bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench.” The chosen one will bring justice and eagerly awaited teaching. His tasks will include being “a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.” This is the answer Jesus gives to John the Baptist’s disciples when, imprisoned, he sends them to ask Jesus if He is the One (Matthew 11:2-5). Note also the mention of a covenant to the people, pointing to Jesus as the new covenant.

The alternate reading from Isaiah reminds us of John the Baptist as the early part of Luke chapter 3 reiterates these words about the “voice crying out in the desert.” (Luke 3:4) Recall John was preaching a baptism of repentance, yet Jesus who had nothing to repent insists on being baptized by him: “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” (Matthew 3:15) Bishop Sheen explains it this way: “It is equally absurd to say that Our Lord should not have been baptized because He had no personal guilt. If He was to be identified with humanity, so much so as to call Himself the ‘Son of Man,’ then He had to share the guilt of humanity. And this was the meaning of the baptism by John.” (Life of Christ)

Again in this reading Isaiah tells us about the characteristics of the Lord as the Good Shepherd: “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.”

The responsorial taken from Psalm 29 reminds us that the Lord is everywhere and fills the earth with His glory. He is our King forever. We must give the Lord His due, with glory and praise. In this way, by doing His will, He will bless us with peace. And so this reminds us of another of Jesus’s titles, “Prince of Peace.”

The alternate responsorial, from Psalm 104, also speaks to the glory of God’s works, which are manifold. Again, God is everywhere and His creation, including the heavens, the creatures of the earth, the creatures of the sea all depend on God for their continual existence. This is a concept most of us take for granted, “If you take away their breath, they perish and return to the dust.” And yet, God is constantly renewing creation as we read the phrase which is part of the prayer to the Holy Spirit: “When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.” And so we must bless the Lord for all of His goodness.

The reading from Acts reminds us of what we learned last week in the feast of the Epiphany; “God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.” While “salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22), Peter’s words remind us that it is open to all nations and all peoples. Peter also refers to the baptism that John preached (a baptism of repentance, Luke 3:3) and how Jesus filled with the Holy Spirit and power, “healed those oppressed by the devil.” Jesus still heals us who are oppressed by sin, if we let Him.

The alternate reading from St. Paul’s letter to Titus, also talks to Jesus’s healing and cleansing us from our sins. One of the key points it emphasizes is that this is done out of God’s mercy (and love), not because we might be righteous. It is through the grace of Jesus that we are justified and become heirs leading to eternal life. Note also some of the words in the first part of this reading which we hear at every mass: “as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus Christ ...” The monologue of the priest after the main body of the Lord’s Prayer uses almost identical words: “as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.” So often our Protestant brethren try to claim that Catholics are not biblical, yet this is just one small example of the many parts of the mass that are directly from the Bible.

The gospel excerpt from Luke not only tells us of John the Baptist’s humility, “one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.” It also notes that the baptism Jesus will bring is “with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Recall Jesus’s conversation with Nicodemus (John 3:1-10) when Jesus states that you must be born of the Spirit and “You must be born from above.”

Luke then tells us that when Jesus had been baptized, “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.’” There are some who call themselves Christian but who do not believe in the Trinity. Some deny the Trinity because that word is not actually in the Bible. However, the Trinity is manifested many times in the Bible, right from the beginning at creation (God, His Spirit hovering over the waters, and the Word speaking creation, Genesis 1:1-3). Jesus’s baptism is one very dramatic rendering of the Trinity. Recall also Jesus’s commandment just before His Ascension, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20).

As an aside, this Sunday also marks the beginning of Ordinary (as in “ordinal”) Time, which will take us to Ash Wednesday (March 5, 2025) when Lent begins and then will continue after Pentecost.