Psalm 23

Santa Inês, rogai por nós

Santa Inês, auxiliada pelo Espírito Santo, com muita sabedoria, ela permaneceu fiel ao seu voto e ao seu compromisso; até que as autoridades, vendo que não podiam vencê-la pela ignorância, mandaram, então, degolar a jovem cristã. Ela perdeu a cabeça, mas não o coração, que ficou para sempre em Cristo.

Eu venho, Senhor,

Salmo 39 (40), 7-8a.8b-9.10 e 17 (R. 8a e 9a)

Eu venho, Senhor,
para fazer a vossa vontade.

Não Vos agradaram sacrifícios nem oblações,
mas abristes-me os ouvidos;
não pedistes holocaustos nem expiações,
então clamei: «Aqui estou».

«De mim está escrito no livro da Lei
que faça a vossa vontade.
Assim o quero, ó meu Deus,
a vossa lei está no meu coração».

Proclamarei a justiça na grande assembleia,
não fechei os meus lábios, Senhor, bem o sabeis.

Alegrem-se e exultem em Vós
todos os que Vos procuram.
Digam sempre: «Grande é o Senhor»
os que desejam a vossa salvação.

O Senhor jamais esquecerá a sua aliança

SALMO RESPONSORIAL Salmo 110 (111), 1-2.4-5.9 e 10c (R. 5b)

Louvarei o Senhor de todo o coração,
no conselho dos justos e na assembleia.
Grandes são as obras do Senhor,
admiráveis para os que nelas meditam.

Instituiu um memorial das suas maravilhas:
o Senhor é misericordioso e compassivo.
Deu sustento àqueles que O temem
e jamais esquecerá a sua aliança.

Enviou a redenção ao seu povo,
firmou com ele uma aliança eterna.
Santo e venerável é o seu nome;
o louvor do Senhor permanece eternamente.

Tu és sacerdote para sempre

SALMO RESPONSORIAL Salmo 109 (110), 1.2.3.4 (R. 4bc)

Tu és sacerdote para sempre,
segundo a ordem de Melquisedec.

Disse o Senhor ao meu Senhor:
«Senta-te à minha direita,
até que Eu faça de teus inimigos escabelo de teus pés.

O Senhor estenderá de Sião
o ceptro do teu poder
e tu dominarás no meio dos teus inimigos.

A ti pertence a realeza desde o dia em que nasceste
nos esplendores da santidade,
antes da aurora, como orvalho, Eu te gerei».

O Senhor jurou e não Se arrependerá:
«Tu és sacerdote para sempre,
segundo a ordem de Melquisedec».

BAPTISM OF THE LORD

Mt 3:13-17. “This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

BAPTISM OF THE LORD

The Gospel reading for this Sunday is from Matthew 3:13-17. Its subject is the baptism of Jesus.

In this passage, John the cousin of Jesus baptizes Jesus. This is also one of the few passages from the Gospels where we encounter the term “righteousness.” In context, it means simply to do what is right and necessary, not by Levitic standards, but by the standards laid down by Jesus in the Gospels.

By having John baptize Jesus, Jesus is simply setting in example that the rest of us ought to follow. It is an event important enough in the life of Jesus that all four Gospels recount this event. And yet there is some theological irony in the story, since Jesus uses a term beloved by protestants (“righteousness”) in a context associated with a very “catholic” and “sacramental” act. This is, from the perspective of reformed Christianity, a bit contradictory. Reformed Christians do not believe, unlike most Catholics and Protestants, that grace is propagated sacramentally. Yet here is Jesus, establishing the precedent to baptize “in all righteousness,” and participating in a sacramental act.

How do we know that the baptism of Jesus is a sacramental act, or at least indicative of one? It’s not all that complicated. The Sacred Author Matthew often pairs themes in the beginning and the end of his Gospel. At Matthew 28:19-20, which is the last verse of his entire Gospel, Matthew says:
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. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.

In chapter 28, Matthew the Evangelist gives us the “Trinitarian Formula” for baptism. Jesus requires that we baptize, in the name of the Triune God. He also establishes the theology of three persons in one God with this passage.

The Church requires that we baptize Christians, and the Church calls baptism a sacrament because a) Jesus mandated the authority to do so “in all righteousness” (Mt 3:15) , b) it is a universal obligation (Mt 28:19), and c) the Holy Spirit is propagated as a result of the baptism (Mt 3:16).

Matthew’s is not the only Gospel where we see the baptism of Jesus result in a “work,” where the cause of the “work,” (the baptism) results in a direct effect (the overt presence of the Holy Spirit). In fact, baptism, though accepted by all Christians, is such a theological dilemma for evangelical and reformed Christians that some insist (in complete contradiction to Scripture) that “justification by faith” may be more important in respect to salvation than the need to baptize.
This position is not only false, it directly contradicts the order of Jesus to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” In order to further develop this argument, I thought I’d simply cite excerpts from Scripture on baptism:
Here is John 1:32:
And John bore witness, “I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it remained on him.

And here is further affirmation of the universal mandate to baptize. This passage from Mark 1:8 affirms Catholic, not reformed teaching on grace: I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Notice that John the Baptist says absolutely nothing about justification by faith. No, this is an order to baptize – (a “work” ) in order to propagate grace and effect salvation. As if Matthew, Mark and John were not enough, we also have this “testimony” from Luke the Evangelist (3:21-22) as to the sacramentality and universality of baptism as “work” propagating “grace:”
Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, “Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased.”

BAPTISM

Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, as we are born of the water and the Spirit. Baptism is necessary for salvation (John 3:5), and conveys a permanent sign that the new Christian is a child of God. Jesus himself was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist (Mark 1:9-11). The martyr St. Ignatius of Antioch, in his Letter to the Ephesians written about 100 AD, stated that Jesus "Christ was baptized, that by himself submitting he might purify the water." Baptism is prefigured in the Old Testament through the saving of Noah and his family during the Flood (Genesis 7:12-23, 1 Peter 3:20-21), and Moses crossing of the Red Sea during the Exodus, leaving captivity for the Promised Land (Exodus 14:1-22).

The Greek word baptizein means to "immerse, plunge, or dip." The infant or candidate is anointed with the oil of catechumens, followed by the parents, godparents, or candidate making the profession of faith. The essential rite of Baptism consists of the minister immersing the baby or person in water or pouring water on his head, while pronouncing "I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." The infant or candidate is then anointed with sacred chrism.

What has taken place in Baptism is indicated by the rites that follow it, the clothing in the white garment and giving of the lighted candle: the baptized person has "put on Christ" and has now become light. Here are three Scriptural sources in the New Testament (See also Matthew 3:13-17, Luke 3:21-22; Acts 1:21-22; Romans 6:3-4; Ephesians 4:5; Colossians 2:11-13, I Peter 3:21):

"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." Gospel of Matthew 28:19-20
"In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee
and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove;
and a voice came from heaven, "Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased."
Gospel of Mark 1:9-11 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." Gospel of John 3:5

My Lord God

Prayer of Thomas Merton

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this, you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.