[00:00:05] Hello! My name is Sally-Moriarty Flask; welcome to: From His Word to Our Hearts, my weekly Bible Study podcast. Together we will explore the readings to be proclaimed at the Catholic Mass on Sunday, January 12, 2025, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This week's episode is entitled: In Hope of Eternal Life and in these readings, we'll explore how we can be guided by John the Baptist's example of strength and humility, despite the difficulties we may encounter along the way. As we journey through the readings this week, consider the following: If we are truly honest with ourselves, humility is hard - for all of us! So, how can we be humble without being humiliated? How can we be meek without being weak? It's all about Jesus!
[00:01:03] So let's begin.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, we praise you and we thank you for the many blessings you shower upon us each day. Help us to set aside our egos and our self-absorption so that we can see the light of your Son more clearly. For it is his light that will guide us to eternal life in your kingdom. We ask this through your beloved Son, Jesus. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Now that we've opened our hearts in prayer, let's listen to what God is telling us in the Scriptures.
Our Gospel this week is from Luke 3: 15-16, 21-22.
“The people were in expectation, and all men questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he were the Christ, John answered them all, ‘I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.’ Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’”
[00:02:28] The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord was instituted in 1955 by Pope Pius XII; then in 1969, Pope Paul VI set the date of the feast as the Sunday after Epiphany. That's all well and good, until Epiphany is transferred to a Sunday… and I talked about that last week: Epiphany is January 6th everywhere else in the world… in the U.S. it's always transferred to Sunday. So, when that happens, that throws the date of the Baptism of the Lord into confusion… meaning sometimes it's celebrated on Sunday and sometimes it's transferred to a Monday. How, you may ask, is a regular person supposed to know when this Feast should take place?
[00:03:19] Well, the simple answer is… you won't necessarily know. This is one of those times that we have to trust the USCCB (the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) and our local diocese to get the date right each year. And if you remember, back in November, when I talked about the Solemnity of Christ the King I mentioned a book called the Ordo… that's another one of those instances when the Ordo is invaluable.
[00:03:48] We are fortunate this year, however, that the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord falls on a Sunday. That actually only happens about a little less than 70% of the time. So, we're lucky this year. There is one other thing I have to mention before we go on… back in 1981, Pope John Paul II instituted the practice of baptizing babies on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. It started with just nine babies in the Pauline Chapel (which is the Pope's private chapel in the Vatican) and was later moved to the Sistine Chapel to accommodate larger numbers of infants. And the best part about it is - that practice continues to this day! What an amazing and beautiful custom! But can you imagine… being told that you are baptized by the Pope? I've never even seen the Pope in person, so that - to me - is just an amazing occurrence. And… and again, how beautiful! Now to go on to our readings, since we are in Cycle C this year (this Liturgical Year) we hear Luke's version of Jesus' baptism this year. Every evangelist relates this event in some form or fashion… Matthew's version is the most detailed; Luke's - the one we heard earlier - is the most succinct; and John actually relates the story from the Baptist's perspective. But all the Gospels include the Baptism of Jesus. So, let's dive into Luke's account.
[00:05:38] “The people were in expectation, and all men questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he were the Christ,”
[00:05:47] Israel had been subjected to military conquests and foreign rule for centuries. At the time of Jesus, Israel was under the control of the Roman Empire, and the Jewish people chafed under that rule. There had been a number of uprisings, revolutionary leaders came to the fore time and again… basically, Israel was tired of being subject to rule by foreigners. And remember, the promised Messiah was expected to be a conquering hero that would free the Jewish people once and for all. So, speculation was rampant - at that time - that the coming of the Christ (which is Christos in Greek, Messiah in English), the coming of the Christ was imminent. So, all in all, it's quite understandable that the crowds were questioning John's identity. Might he be the promised Messiah?
[00:06:51] “John answered them all,”
In other words, the Baptist clarifies his role… he is not the Messiah, he is the herald of the Messiah, and he does so by saying…
“I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie;”
[00:07:15] That statement is in all FOUR Gospels and Acts. There is absolutely no question that John - despite his fiery nature, despite his popularity - is not grabbing the spotlight for himself. He understands his role… he understands his place in history… he knows he is not the one the Jews have been waiting for… but he also knows that the long-awaited Messiah is coming! John tells the crowd…
“he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
[00:07:59] HE (meaning the Messiah) WILL BAPTIZE YOU - not with water alone, as I am doing - but with THE HOLY SPIRIT AND FIRE.
[00:08:12] HOLY SPIRIT - meaning a sharing of the divine life and love… and FIRE - meaning purification. This will be a baptism like none other, like none that came before.
[00:08:26] “Now when all the people were baptized,”
All the people - that means Jews, Gentiles, tax collectors, soldiers… we heard that before, right? On the 3rd Sunday of Advent we heard the verses that preceded this passage. Luke spelled out for us the various types of people that were coming to be baptized by John in this ritual washing intended for repentance. So, all the people had been baptized.
[00:08:54] “and when Jesus also had been baptized”
[00:08:58] Those seven words affirm the continuity between John's ministry and the ministry of Jesus, which is yet to come. Now, it's usually about this time that we stop and ask ourselves, wait… Jesus was without sin, so why did he need to repent? Why was he baptized in a purely ritual purification?
[00:09:30] Well, the best answer I can offer is that Jesus allowed himself to be baptized to demonstrate his solidarity with all of humanity!
[00:09:44] Saint Ambrose (a 4th century bishop and theologian) put it this way: “The Lord was baptized, not to be cleansed himself, but to cleanse the waters, so that those waters, cleansed by the flesh of Christ which knew no sin, might have the power of Baptism.”
[00:10:07] In other words, the waters of Baptism were made efficacious for all future baptisms by Christ's actions on the banks of the Jordan River. So…
[00:10:20] “Jesus had been baptized and was praying,”
Meaning he was communicating with his Heavenly Father.
“the heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove,”
[00:10:36] This public manifestation of the Holy Spirit, descending upon Jesus, inaugurates his mission as the Messiah and focuses everyone's attention on him - in that place and at that moment. And why? Luke tells us…
“a voice came from heaven,”
[00:11:04] That is a mind-blowing statement! We need to stop and realize how the Jews, the Gentiles, the tax collectors, the sinners, the soldiers… what they would have felt and experienced at that moment. A voice came from heaven? We tend to skip past that. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah… that's history - it happened… but put yourself in the scene!
[00:11:35] A dove came and hovered above Jesus, and then a voice came from heaven… and with that voice from heaven - think about this - we encounter the fullness of the Holy Trinity! The voice of the Father, upon the person of the Son, with the presence of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove! Three distinct persons, one divine essence! And what does that voice say? What does the voice of the Father say?
[00:12:10] “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
[00:12:16] Wow! Yes, those words - at that moment - are directed at the person of Jesus, the beloved Son of God the Father. But - this is so mind-blowing to me - we should all hear an echo of those very words through our own Baptisms!
[00:12:37] Baptism is often called the gateway Sacrament, right? Meaning that it grants us access to all the other Sacraments of the Church, but also that through it we are born again, born into a new life, a spiritual life, making us not only a member of the Church, but also a vital part of the Mystical Body of Christ!
[00:13:06] In our own Baptisms, we are grafted onto Christ and we assume our Christian identity of priest, prophet, and king, right? We're baptized priest, prophet, and king. In our role as priest, we offer intercessory prayer for others to God; as prophet, we speak to others on God's behalf, telling them of the truth of God's word; and as king, we lead others to God.
[00:13:38] And we should hear: “you are my beloved; with you I am well pleased.” We should hear the echo of those words in our own Baptism.
[00:13:48] Just as Christ, through his baptism, made the waters efficacious… so God, through our Baptism, adopts us as his beloved sons and daughters. Do we always live our Baptismal promises perfectly? Of course not! But that is because to live them well requires humility. And humility, as we said in the beginning, is hard!
[00:14:23] But in a recent homily, the pastor of my church offered a piece of advice that I think speaks directly to this situation. And I quote… “It's not about me, it's about Jesus.”
[00:14:38] That doesn't mean that meekness and humility somehow become magically easy to live. No, we all know it doesn't work that way, but it does help remind me - and hopefully now you, as well - that with God's grace, humility may become… not easy - never easy - but a bit more attainable!
I have posted a number of pictures of the River Jordan on my Instagram feed, but I will include some additional photos this week as well, just to help you put this place in perspective. It's also important to understand that the River Jordan would have looked radically different in Jesus’ day! It would have been wider, it would have been cleaner; now it's a muddy creek more than a vibrant river, but it's still the same place.
That takes us to our First Reading, which is again from Isaiah. It's Isaiah 40: 1-5, 9-11.
[00:15:47] “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’ Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God!’ Because the LORD God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosoms, and gently lead those who are with young.”
[00:17:12] This beautiful reading is proclaimed on the 2nd Sunday of Advent in Cycle B, which would have been last Liturgical Year, and my parish also uses it every year as part of Advent Lessons and Carols… which is a celebration of scripture readings, Advent music, and prayers intended to focus our hearts and minds on the importance of the Advent season. And as I said, this reading is always part of that liturgy.
[00:17:39] This passage is from Second Isaiah (the opening of second Isaiah, actually), and it was written during the Babylonian exile. The prophet is offering the people a message of hope amidst the darkness of their situation, absolutely! But Isaiah is also being honest… the fall of Jerusalem, the exile… those things happened because the people were not faithful to the covenant, certainly… but God has not abandoned his people! He is allowing them to be punished, yes, but more in the way of a parent allowing a child to experience the appropriate consequences of their own disobedience! So, yes, the exile has occurred, but restoration will come!
[00:18:32] “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins.”
[00:18:48] The city of Jerusalem, destroyed by the Babylonians, is here personified as a woman whom God now addresses with gentleness… saying that her time of suffering is over; her punishment was justified, but it's been served.
[00:19:11] Think of – truthfully - think of a parent bringing their child out of a timeout while the child's still crying, and you put your arms around them and you want to give them comfort, right? That's what this passage - this opening of this passage - always makes me think of. And it's worth noting here that the NAB says SERVICE rather than WARFARE… HER SERVICE HAS ENDED, not that HER WARFARE IS ENDED.
[00:19:40] “A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.’”
[00:20:08] Isaiah is saying here that preparations must be made for a grand triumphal procession in which God will bring the exiles back home to the Promised Land… and all of the earth will cooperate with that! Make straight in the desert a highway for our God… every valley lifted up, every mountain made low, uneven ground level, rough places be made a smooth plain… the earth will cooperate - will do God's bidding.
[00:20:49] “Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God!’”
[00:21:05] When Isaiah says: GO UP A HIGH MOUNTAIN, ZION - he means, of course, a theological mountain… Mount Zion is already a mountain (sort of). So, he isn't telling a mountain to climb a mountain… it's more a message that Jerusalem cannot be a passive recipient of this good fortune! The city itself must become a prophet and must share her good news with others.
[00:21:37] Again, I've included photos on my Instagram - in the past - of the city of Jerusalem, which sits atop Mount Zion, and I'll put some more pictures of that on this week, and you will be able to clearly see that the city sits - again, I hesitate to say - on top of a mountain… it's more like a small hill, but you'll get the idea!
[00:22:04] “Behold, the LORD God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.”
[00:22:28] That last section assures the exiles that God is all-powerful! God has both the power to end the exile and the love to restore the people, the city, and the land… the power to change the course of history and yet the concern to care gently and lovingly for each person.
[00:22:56] We see this in two specific metaphors in that section, right? One that's military and the other pastoral. In the military metaphor, God is the victorious general returning home, leading a great throng of exiles. And in the pastoral metaphor, God is the gentle shepherd who carefully and lovingly leads the exiles back to their homeland.
[00:23:25] And every section of this passage has a specific message for us… just as it did for the exiles to whom it was originally written! In the first section, God is speaking to the city of Jerusalem, yes, but he's speaking to us as well. He's saying that we're not always faithful to our Baptismal promises, but he is always willing to forgive us, to offer us comfort, and to welcome us back when we seek his forgiveness.
[00:24:00] In the second section, when the voice cries in the wilderness Isaiah is saying, prepare to return to the Promised Land, certainly, but we also hear John the Baptist's Advent message, right? And it's not just for Advent - we need to constantly prepare our hearts and our minds and our lives to receive God. We don't know the day or the hour when he will come again, right? So, we need to constantly tear down the barriers we erect between ourselves and other people… we need to fill in those valleys that separate us - be they social, monetary, philosophical, political… instead of creating a roadblock, we need to make a straight path to reach others - and for God to reach us!
[00:24:48] That message can never be limited only to Advent - we need to hear it over and over!
Then in the third section, when Isaiah tells Jerusalem she cannot be a passive recipient of God's goodness, that is a reminder to us as well! We can't be passive recipients of God's grace. We must share that goodness with others… we must evangelize!
[00:25:22] And finally, the reminder that God is both powerful and loving. We say that… we hear it… we say it… we repeat it… but do we really believe it? And do we believe it's personal? That God will take care of each one of us?
[00:25:47] The answer, of course, is a resounding YES! God IS both powerful and loving, and he WILL take care of each and every one of us.
[00:25:57] As far as whether or not we believe it, that's a whole other story. Because - in our culture, in our world, in our individualistic, independent society - we have to work really hard to believe that! Which takes us back to where we started, right? Humility is hard, but meekness is NOT weakness.
[00:26:27] And it's not about me… it's not about you… it's about God!
[00:26:35] God is greater than anything… God can overcome anything… he created everything - he's in charge!
[00:26:45] And he will always… ALWAYS… care lovingly, gently, tenderly, for each and every one of us.
[00:27:00] Our Responsorial Psalm this week is Psalm 104. And the refrain is:
“Bless the LORD, O my soul!”
And here are the verses:
[00:27:11] “O LORD my God, you are very great! You are clothed with honor and majesty, who cover yourself with light as with a garment, who have stretched out the heavens like a tent. You have laid the beams of your chambers on the waters, who make the clouds your chariot, who ride on the wings of the wind, who make the winds your messenger, fire and flame your ministers. O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Yonder is the sea, great and wide, which teems with things innumerable, living things both small and great. These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. When you hide your face, they are dismayed; and when you take away their spirit, they die and return to the dust. When you send forth your Spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the earth.”
[00:28:27] This Psalm is classified as a Hymn of Praise to God. God created everything, he exerted his dominion over all things he brought into being… all of creation has been tamed - domesticated - by God's will and according to his plan.
[00:28:48] This Psalm depicts the earth as a peaceful and flourishing paradise, filled with order, safety, and prosperity. Unfortunately, thanks to our sinful human nature, that isn't always the case, right? But if we allow our pride to decrease and our humility to increase, who knows, maybe we'll get there!
[00:29:19] One thing I want to point out, before we go on to the Second Reading, is a slight difference in translation. In the final verse, the RSV says: WHEN YOU TAKE AWAY THEIR SPIRIT, THEY DIE. That's lowercase spirit, by the way, and it's a bad translation. The Hebrew word here is ruham, which means their breath. When you take away their breath, they die. That's a better translation. And in the next phrase: WHEN YOU SEND FORTH YOUR SPIRIT, THEY ARE CREATED. That is uppercase Spirit, meaning the Holy Spirit - the Spirit of God. That is a good translation, but I just wanted to point that out… to point out that contrast there: WHEN YOU TAKE AWAY THEIR BREATH, THEY DIE… meaning that we rely on God for everything - even our lives - and that he holds us in existence. And when he sends forth His Spirit, we are created - and then in Baptism, recreated.
[00:30:22] That leads us to our Second Reading, which is from the Letter of Saint Paul to Titus 2: 11-14, 3: 4-7.
[00:30:34] “For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds. When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and the renewal in the Holy Spirit, which He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.”
[00:31:40] Titus was a disciple of Paul and a traveling companion of Paul during his Third Missionary Journey which took place between 52 and 58 AD, before his captivity in Rome. Titus, we know, was of Gentile origin and was tasked with the care of churches in Crete.
[00:32:06] This is one of what are called Paul's Pastoral Letters, which are 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. And of the three, this is the shortest of Paul's Pastoral letters. It was written about 66 AD, and - for the sake of completeness - I'll mention that the authorship of this letter is disputed in some circles. For our purpose, that doesn't really matter - whether Paul was the actual author or not - it's just something else for theologians to argue over unless or until the Church weighs in definitively on the situation… and I wouldn't hold my breath about that! This letter has been attributed to Paul for centuries, and I don't see that changing. So, what does Paul have to say to Titus?
[00:32:56] “For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men”
[00:33:01] When we hear THE GRACE OF GOD, we should - first and foremost - think of a sharing in the divine life, absolutely. But, remember last week when I talked about Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his concepts of cheap grace and costly grace? Well, I think it's worth mentioning that again. Costly grace is what Paul is talking about here! And it's the grace that calls us to follow Jesus Christ; it is grace that cost God the life of his Son… and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. And then, whenever we hear grace and salvation together - we have to picture the Cross. For it is upon the Cross that our salvation was won. Remember, the path of discipleship always goes through the Cross! And why has that grace appeared?
“training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world,”
[00:34:12] Paul here is essentially offering a household code - what was called a household code. In other words, conduct that is right and proper behavior within a family, within the church, and within society at large. And why do we want to behave rightly? Why is it important for us to behave rightly? Paul tells us that is because we are…
“awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,”
We have to hear, in those words, not only the Incarnation of Christ but his Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Second Coming… because they are all inextricably linked!
[00:35:04] “Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us”
On the Cross!
“to redeem us from all iniquity”
That is the salvation won for us on the Cross and our justification - our return to right relationship - with the Father.
“and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.”
In other words, Jesus claims us as his own… we belong to him! And because of that we should want to do good things!
[00:35:46] “When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,”
Okay, I have to point out, Paul is - interestingly enough - using the designation Savior to refer to both the Father and the Son in this passage. And we'll see that when we get a little further in this sentence.
[00:36:07] “[When our Savior appeared,] he saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness,”
That's so important, right? Salvation is a gift freely given by God and one that can never ever be earned! Nothing that we do… no deeds of righteousness… can ever earn for us the gift of salvation - it is freely offered.
[00:36:36] “but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit,”
Meaning baptism, of course… and Jesus’ Baptism, remember, is at the heart of every Christian baptism! Think back to what Saint Jerome said… The Lord was baptized not to be cleansed himself, but to cleanse the waters for us.
And it is through our Baptism that we are cleansed and empowered to live lives of faith. So, through God's mercy, through the grace of our Baptism…
“which he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,”
That's linked those two items together and - hopefully - that should make more sense… the designation of Savior for both the Father (who set these things in motion) and the Son (who brought them to fruition). Paul brought that together right there!
[00:37:42] Everything in this passage - this letter to Titus, up to this point - has been a recitation of past saving actions on the part of God the Father and Jesus the Son, as well as current saving actions continued through the Holy Spirit.
[00:38:02] And that is intended to remind all of us - Titus, the churches in Crete, but us as well - that we live in that “in-between-time” - that “already but not yet” age, right? The Age of the Church! The kingdom has been established by Jesus, but will not be fulfilled until the end of the Age that we live in… that in-between-time: the time of Jesus Incarnation and his Second Coming… that “already but not yet” manifestation of the kingdom.
[00:38:50] But the passage then leaves us with a promise for the future…
“that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.”
[00:39:03] That is the promise made to each one of us! That we are HEIRS IN HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE… that's where the title of this episode came from! And that is how we should live every day… IN HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE!
[00:39:24] But that is - at the same time - our challenge… can we, in all of our pride, our individuality, our imperfection… can we be strong and purposeful in our jobs, our relationships, our families, our lives… while still being meek and humble… IN HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE?
[00:39:56] Well, the short answer is… that, yes, we can… if we make our lives not about us… but about Jesus! Bringing back that comment - that line - from my pastor's homily: it's not about us, it's about Jesus! And that - for us - is the HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE!
[00:40:24] If you would like to reach out to me with questions or comments, send me an email at
[email protected]
Thank you for listening and until next we meet, may God shower His blessings upon you like a soft and gentle rain and may he hold you, safe and secure, in the palm of his hand.
From His Word to Our Hearts is produced by SFS Audio Solutions.
The content of the show was assembled by me, Sally Moriarty-Flask.
Our music was composed by Jimmy Flask and is used with permission of the composer. All rights reserved.
Information regarding references used in preparing the exegesis for this podcast is available upon request.
Thank you for listening and God bless.
