A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 7, n. 7)
Baptism of the Lord, Year B – January 11, 2009
“The Spirit and the Water and the Blood”
BIBLE READINGS
Is 55:1-11 // I Jn 5:1-9 // Mk 1:7-11
(N.B. Series 7 of BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD: A LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY LITURGY includes a prayerful study of the Sunday liturgy of Year B from the perspective of the Second Reading. For other reflections on the Sunday liturgy of Year B, please go to the PDDM Web Archives: WWW.PDDM.US and open Series 1 & 4.)
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS
Our celebration of the Christmas mystery has filled us with delight and enabled us to focus on the meaning of the Lord’s incarnation. The Christmas season concludes with the celebration of the Lord’s Baptism in which the Spirit anointed Jesus for his messianic mission as Savior of the world. Moreover, the Father acknowledged him as his “beloved Son” in whom he is well pleased (cf. Mk 1:7-11). The baptism at River Jordan was the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry and the formal inauguration of the reign of God that the Servant-Son was to fulfill and proclaim. Thus Isaiah’s prophetic vision of abundance, peace and salvation came to be fulfilled in him (cf. Is 55:1-11). As we contemplate the saving event of the Lord’s baptism in today’s liturgy, we relish the radical irruption of the redeeming love and compassionate mercy of God in our human history. Immersed into the waters of River Jordan, the Servant-Son Jesus would soon be immersed into the “blood bath” of the cross for the world’s salvation.
The second reading of this Sunday’s liturgy (I Jn 5:1-9) reinforces the reality of the messianic role of Jesus, whom the author John acknowledges energetically as fully human and fully divine in both life and death. The threefold witness of “the Spirit and the water and the blood” confirms Jesus’ authenticity as the Messiah and the Son of God. The scholar Aelred Rosser comments: “The point is that all three (water, blood and Spirit) testify that Jesus is truly the Messiah. In Jesus’ baptism we see two of these: the water of the Jordan River and the hovering Spirit accompanied by the voice revealing to the Baptist that this truly is the Son of God. Only later will we see the third witness – blood – in Jesus’ suffering and death. All three give testimony – not water only, John says, but water and blood! This Jesus, the Word who was with God in the beginning and who is God, is the same Jesus who shed his blood in love for the salvation of the world.”
The immersion of Jesus into the waters of the Jordan, by which he accepted the Father’s saving plan for him to be a “suffering Servant” and his immersion into the “blood bath” of his passion and death on the cross, by which he brought the divine redemptive plan to completion, were made possible through the presence of the Holy Spirit who anointed Jesus with power and love. Indeed, we could proclaim with wonder and love that Jesus Christ was “baptized” in “the Spirit and the water and the blood”.
Today’s baptized Christians are likewise immersed into Christ’s paschal destiny in “the Spirit and the water and the blood”. Our immersion into the waters of baptism, which incorporates us into the divine life, also makes us participants in Christ’s redemptive “blood bath” on the cross. Through the threefold sacrament of initiation (baptism-confirmation-Eucharist) we are vivified, anointed and strengthened by the Holy Spirit – the spirit of truth who testifies to Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God. By faith the Christian disciples are filled with the power of the Spirit. Fortified with the grace of God, they are enabled to overcome hostile forces that would prevent total surrender to God’s benevolent will. Indeed, faith in Jesus as the Son of God and Savior permeates the Christian disciples with courage and power, making possible “the victory that conquers the world” (I Jn 5:5).
The following story circulated through the Internet illustrates the victorious power of a faith-filled Christian and how he lives out fully the challenge of his baptismal consecration in “the Spirit and water and the blood”.
This is a true story of something that happened just a few years ago at USC. There was a professor of philosophy there who was a deeply committed atheist. His primary goal for one required class was to spend the entire semester to prove that God couldn’t exist. His students were always afraid to argue with him because of his impeccable logic. Sure, some had argued in class at times, but no one had ever really gone against him because of his reputation.
At the end of every semester on the last day, he would say to his class of 300 students, “If there is anyone here who still believes in Jesus, stand up!” In twenty years, no one had ever stood up. They knew what he was going to do next. He would say, “Because anyone who believes in God is a fool. If God existed, he could stop this piece of chalk from hitting the ground and breaking. Such a simple task to prove that he is God, and yet he can’t do it.” And every year, he would drop the chalk onto the tile floor of the classroom and it would shatter into a hundred pieces. All of the students would do nothing but stop and stare. Most of the students thought that God couldn’t exist. Certainly, a number of Christians had slipped through, but for twenty years, they had been too afraid to stand up.
Well, a few years ago there was a freshman who happened to enroll. He was a Christian, and had heard the stories about his professor. He was required to take the class for his major, and he was afraid … But for three months that semester, he prayed every morning that he would have the courage to stand up no matter what the professor said, or what the class thought. Nothing they said could ever shatter his faith … he hoped.
Finally, the day came. The professor said, “If there is anyone here who still believes in God, stand up!” The professor and the class of 300 people looked at him, shocked, as he stood up in the back of the classroom. The professor shouted, “You fool!!! If God existed, he would keep this piece of chalk from breaking when it hit the ground!” He proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it slipped out of his fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the pleat of his pants, down his leg, and off his shoe. As it hit the ground, it simply rolled away unbroken. The professor’s jaw dropped as he stared at the chalk. He looked up at the young man, and then ran out of the lecture hall. The young man who had stood proceeded to walk to the front of the room and shared his faith in Jesus for the next half hour. Three hundred students stayed and listened as he told of God’s love for them and of his power through Jesus.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART
What is your response to the Lord’s invitation, “Come to the water”? How do you heed the exhortation, “Listen that you may have life”?
What role does the Holy Spirit play in the baptism of Jesus? What is the meaning of the Father’s avowal: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased”?
What is the significance of the threefold testimony of “the Spirit and the water and the blood”? What is the personal meaning for you of being “baptized” in “the Spirit and the water and the blood”?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD
Leader: Loving Father,
your Servant-Son Jesus Christ
was strengthened by the witness of “the Spirit and the water and the blood”
and immersed into his paschal destiny as Savior of the world.
We thank you for the saving event of the Lord’s baptism
by which the Holy Spirit anointed Jesus
for his messianic mission
and ushered him into public ministry.
Help us to realize that like Jesus,
we too were baptized in “the Spirit and the water and the blood”.
As baptized persons,
strengthen in us the faith that overcomes hostile forces
and conquers the world.
We trust in your love.
We believe that in Jesus, your Servant- Son,
we will share in your life,
forever and ever.
Assembly: Amen
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“So there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood, and the three are of one accord.” (I Jn 5:7-8)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION
ACTION PLAN: Pray that the Christian disciples of today may fully realize the meaning and the challenge of being united with Christ’s baptism in “the Spirit, the water and the blood”. Hold on to your baptismal faith and by your commitment to charity, justice and peace, witness to the world that you are configured to Jesus Christ.
ACTION PLAN: To help us live to the full our baptismal faith, make an effort to spend an hour in Eucharistic Adoration. Visit the PDDM WEB site (www.pddm.us) for the EUCHARISTIC ADORATION THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR: A Weekly Pastoral Tool (Year B, vol. 5, # 7).
Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang PDDM
PIAE DISCIPULAE DIVINI MAGISTRI
SISTER DISCIPLES OF THE DIVINE MASTER
60 Sunset Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314
Tel. (718) 494-8597 // (718) 761-2323
Website: WWW.PDDM.US