Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

“The Leper”
by Alexandre Bida, 1850s

 
Readings for Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading I: 1 Samuel 4:1-11
 
The Philistines gathered for an attack on Israel.
Israel went out to engage them in battle and camped at Ebenezer,
while the Philistines camped at Aphek.
The Philistines then drew up in battle formation against Israel.
After a fierce struggle Israel was defeated by the Philistines,
who slew about four thousand men on the battlefield.
When the troops retired to the camp, the elders of Israel said,
“Why has the LORD permitted us to be defeated today
by the Philistines?
Let us fetch the ark of the Lord from Shiloh
that it may go into battle among us
and save us from the grasp of our enemies.”
 
So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there
the ark of the LORD of hosts, who is enthroned upon the cherubim.
The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were with the ark of God.
When the ark of the LORD arrived in the camp,
all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth resounded.
The Philistines, hearing the noise of shouting, asked,
“What can this loud shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?”
On learning that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp,
the Philistines were frightened.
They said, “Gods have come to their camp.”
They said also, “Woe to us! This has never happened before. Woe to us!
Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods?
These are the gods that struck the Egyptians
with various plagues and with pestilence.
Take courage and be manly, Philistines;
otherwise you will become slaves to the Hebrews,
as they were your slaves.
So fight manfully!”
The Philistines fought and Israel was defeated;
every man fled to his own tent.
It was a disastrous defeat,
in which Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers.
The ark of God was captured,
and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were among the dead.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on 1 Sm 4:1-11
 
The chronicle of Samuel continues with the story of the defeat of the Hebrews by the Philistines. The story, in addition to providing a historical reference, also fulfills the first prophecy of Samuel, that God would punish the blasphemy of the sons of Eli (see 1 Samuel 2:12ff and 1 Samuel 3:11-14). Their death in the battle in which the ark of the covenant was captured is the underlying lesson of this historical text and may have been interpreted as the reason for the defeat of the army of Israel. We note the Philistines, when speaking of the arrival of the ark in the camp of the army of Israel, refer to the arrival of “gods.” This plural address reflects the polytheistic views of the Philistines who assumed Israel also worshiped many gods.
 
-------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25
 
R. (27b) Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy.
 
Yet now you have cast us off and put us in disgrace,
and you go not forth with our armies.
You have let us be driven back by our foes;
those who hated us plundered us at will.
R. Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy.
 
You made us the reproach of our neighbors,
the mockery and the scorn of those around us.
You made us a byword among the nations,
a laughingstock among the peoples.
R. Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy.
 
Why do you hide your face,
forgetting our woe and our oppression?
For our souls are bowed down to the dust,
our bodies are pressed to the earth.
R. Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25
 
Psalm 44 is a lament. The song calls to the Lord for help, asking God why he has allowed his faithful to be defeated. The singer pleads with God to come to the aid of his people for they are in great need.
 
-------------------------------------------
Gospel: Mark 1:40-45
 
A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said,
“If you wish, you can make me clean.”
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,
touched the leper, and said to him,
“I do will it. Be made clean.”
The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.
Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once.
Then he said to him, “See that you tell no one anything,
but go, show yourself to the priest
and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them.”
The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.
He spread the report abroad
so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.
He remained outside in deserted places,
and people kept coming to him from everywhere.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mk 1:40-45
 
St. Mark’s account of this incident is almost identical to that of St. Luke (see Luke 5:12-16).  This healing occurs after the leper demonstrates faith that Jesus can accomplish this feat, even though there are only two times in Old Testament Scripture when this was done (Numbers 12:10-15; 2 Kings 5:1-14). In this account of Jesus curing the leper, we see two remarkable details. First, it was Hebrew law that those designated as “unclean” could not approach anyone closer than about ten feet. This leper was clearly much closer. He was close enough to Jesus that he “stretched out his hand and touched him.” Not just with a word was this leper made clean. The Lord touched him, which by Hebrew law was taboo. In one action the Lord demonstrates his power over the disease and his authority over the law.
 
Jesus asks the leper not to tell anyone how this was accomplished, but to show the Hebrew priest he was clean and be allowed to rejoin the community. The leper did not remain silent about what had happened, so the Lord is mobbed by those seeking God’s favor. Unlike the account in St. Luke, Jesus does not embrace the notoriety but withdraws to deserted places.  Nonetheless, people seek him out, "coming to him from everywhere.”
 
CCC: Mk 1:40-41 2616; Mk 1:41 1504
-------------------------------------------
Reflection:
 
Oh, the happy leper touched by Christ.  The one completely without sin takes away the sin of one punished and outcast. A person untouchable by ordinary people was made clean.  This gesture by Jesus toward the leper sums up the Lord’s mission to us.  Though we did not know it we were unclean, like the leper.  Our lesions did not show.  They were, for the most, part on the inside.  We were dying of a disease that had afflicted us since Adam and Eve first allowed sin and death to come into the world.  And then God’s Son stretched out his hand and touched us.
 
If our sins were manifested like the sores of leprosy, the lines to get into the confessional would be endless.  A vain people would flock to the one who could heal them on a daily basis. For in the confessional, he stretches out his hand and touches us.  But it does not work that way.  Sin hides in the flesh and is not exposed for all to see.
 
When Jesus touched the leper and healed him, that happy soul was reconciled to Jesus, to God, and to his community.  If our sins were manifested like the sores of leprosy, those who are relatively clean would avoid them, would see them as outcast.  And there would be one more motivating factor, beyond simple vanity: to be reconciled with God and allowed to come to his table, so he could stretch out his hand in the Eucharist.
 
We who seek God know that while our sins do not show, the one who sees in secret knows what we have done.  The one who knows each hair on our heads knows our hearts as well.  We rejoice in this knowledge because we are aware that like the leper of the Gospel, Jesus, even now, stretches out his hand to us and makes us clean.  He invites us to his heavenly banquet foreshadowed on earth in the sacrifice of the Mass.  He blesses us with his touch and makes us holy.
 
Pax

---

[1] The picture is “The Leper” by Alexandre Bida, 1850s.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, except for the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.

Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

“Hannah Giving Her Son Samuel to the Priest”
by Jan Victors, 1645

 
Readings for Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading I: 1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20
 
During the time young Samuel was minister to the LORD under Eli,
a revelation of the LORD was uncommon and vision infrequent.
One day Eli was asleep in his usual place.
His eyes had lately grown so weak that he could not see.
The lamp of God was not yet extinguished,
and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD
where the ark of God was.
The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.”
 
Samuel ran to Eli and said, “Here I am.  You called me.”
“I did not call you,” Eli said.  “Go back to sleep.”
So he went back to sleep.
Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli.
“Here I am,” he said. “You called me.”
But Eli answered, “I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep.”
At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD,
because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet.
The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time.
Getting up and going to Eli, he said, “Here I am.
You called me.”
Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth.
So Eli said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply,
‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’”
When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
the LORD came and revealed his presence,
calling out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
 
Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him,
not permitting any word of his to be without effect.
Thus all Israel from Dan to Beersheba
came to know that Samuel was an accredited prophet of the LORD.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on 1 Sm 3:1-10, 19-20
 
This passage contains the story of the call of Samuel popularized by the song, “Here I Am Lord.” It is clear from the text that this historical period did not have regular contacts with those gifted with prophecy. (“It was rare for the Lord to speak in those days.”) [4] It is the priest Eli who recognizes that it is God calling to the young Samuel and tells the boy how to respond.
 
"God's revelation to Samuel, which elevates him to the rank of prophet, contains a second message of calamity to the house of Eli.  The narrative consists of five parts: an introduction, dialogues between Eli and Samuel, the revelation (in the center), again dialogue between Eli and Samuel, and conclusion." [5]
 
Although it is not contained in the selection, verses 11-18 provide the context of Samuel’s first oracle. It turns out to be a punishment upon the family of Eli, whose sons have blasphemed. Samuel's fame, we are told, spreads as his favored status as prophet becomes known.
 
CCC: 1 Sm 3:9-10 2578
-------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 40:2 and 5, 7-8a, 8b-9, 10
 
R. (8a and 9a) Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
 
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.
Blessed the man who makes the LORD his trust;
who turns not to idolatry
or to those who stray after falsehood.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
 
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
 
“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me.
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!”
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
 
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 40:2 and 5, 7-8a, 8b-9, 10
 
While Psalm 40 is a song of thanksgiving, it is also combined with a lament.  The psalmist's faithful anticipation is rewarded by God's favor, shown to one who is steadfast in service to the Lord. Praise and thanksgiving are given to God whose justice is applied to all. This selection of the psalm has a teaching or didactic note, as we hear the implied criticism of any who had not turned from false wisdom of pagans, idolatry, and sacrifices.  God’s harsh justice will be celebrated.
 
CCC: Ps 40:2 2657; Ps 40:7-9 LXX 462; Ps 40:7 2824
-------------------------------------------
Gospel: Mark 1:29-39
 
On leaving the synagogue
Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.
Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.
They immediately told him about her.
He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.
Then the fever left her and she waited on them.
 
When it was evening, after sunset,
they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.
The whole town was gathered at the door.
He cured many who were sick with various diseases,
and he drove out many demons,
not permitting them to speak because they knew him.
 
Rising very early before dawn,
he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.
Simon and those who were with him pursued him
and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages
that I may preach there also.
For this purpose have I come.”
So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons
throughout the whole of Galilee.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mk 1:29-39
 
Jesus comes to the house of Simon (Peter) and Andrew from Capernaum. He continues to heal the sick and to cast out demons. This episode is somewhat different in that it occurs in a private setting, attended by the three privileged disciples. Scholars speculate that this, like other such accounts (Mark 4:10, 34; 5:37-40; 6:31-32), is an eyewitness report of the Lord’s revelation in the privacy of a home setting.
 
It is noteworthy that Mark tells us that as Jesus cast out demons, he was “not permitting them to speak because they knew him.” Demons presumably had supernatural powers and were therefore able to recognize the nature of Jesus. Because of this, he silenced them. He did so, it is proposed, because he needed to show the people (and his disciples) that he was not the “royal messiah,” but something unexpected.[6] The Gospel tells us that the Lord then went off to a deserted place to pray, and it was only when Simon and his companions came and found him that he continued his mission of proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom of God.
 
CCC: Mk 1:35 2602
-------------------------------------------
Reflection:
 
As we continue to see Christ revealing the Father’s love for us in Scripture in the fullness of his ministry, we also are given an additional insight into his obedience.  Taken alone, we might see the Gospel story of Jesus exercising his preaching and healing gifts as an expression of his self-directed salvific mission.  Indeed, because of the eternal nature of the Lord, this “purpose” is implicit throughout the period from his baptism to his crucifixion. 
 
However, we also are given the story of Samuel’s call.  Samuel, who was dedicated from birth to be set aside for service to God, is now a young man in the service of the very priest who spoke to his mother, Hannah. He is the same priest who gave her the temple blessing on her prayer that she might bear a son.  We are told that, in this period of history, encounters with God were rare and the role of the prophets had not yet developed into something recognized easily or expected.  It is the priest Eli, after having been awakened three times by Samuel, who recognizes the boy has been receiving a call from the Lord God.  He tells the boy how to respond.  From that point forward the story becomes one of call and response.
 
When we are given the story of the call of Samuel as a powerful example of how the call of God can be made known, we see that Jesus is also responding to the call of the Father.  Although in a different way because he is also true God, Jesus, nonetheless, is obedient to the Father’s will (we see this most graphically in his prayer in the garden just before the passion).
 
So the clear lesson we must take from God’s word today is to be alert and open to God’s call.  He came to Samuel as a summons in the night.  Because they are of the same essence, God’s will was made known to his Son Jesus very directly.  We will probably not be so fortunate as to have the Father’s will about our actions announced to us clearly. This is due, in a large degree, to the fact that when we pray, most of us spend most of our time talking and little time listening. 
 
Today our prayer is this; that we be given the grace to listen patiently and respond to God with zeal and love when he makes our purpose known to us.  As his disciples who want to do his will, it is critical that we listen for his voice, whether it comes at night indistinctly in a dream, through a sudden insight driven by the Word of God, or in brilliant flashes of clarity. (We can always hope for the latter.)
 
Pax

---

[1] The picture is “Hannah Giving Her Son Samuel to the Priest” by Jan Victors, 1645.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, except for the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] Jerome Biblical Commentary (Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968), 9:13, 27-36, p. 166.
[5] The Jewish Study Bible (Oxford University Press, New York, NY, © 2004), 567.
[6] The Navarre Bible, Gospels and Acts (Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002), 230.

Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

Optional Memorial for Saint Hilary, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
 
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. Hilary
 
Biographical information about St. Hilary

“Jesus Casts out an Unclean Spirit”
by Bernard Picart, c. 1673-1733

 
Readings for Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading I: 1 Samuel 1:9-20
 
Hannah rose after a meal at Shiloh,
and presented herself before the LORD;
at the time, Eli the priest was sitting on a chair
near the doorpost of the LORD’s temple.
In her bitterness she prayed to the LORD, weeping copiously,
and she made a vow, promising: “O LORD of hosts,
if you look with pity on the misery of your handmaid,
if you remember me and do not forget me,
if you give your handmaid a male child,
I will give him to the LORD for as long as he lives;
neither wine nor liquor shall he drink,
and no razor shall ever touch his head.”
As she remained long at prayer before the LORD,
Eli watched her mouth, for Hannah was praying silently;
though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard.
Eli, thinking her drunk, said to her,
“How long will you make a drunken show of yourself?
Sober up from your wine!”
“It isn’t that, my lord,” Hannah answered.
“I am an unhappy woman.
I have had neither wine nor liquor;
I was only pouring out my troubles to the LORD.
Do not think your handmaid a ne’er-do-well;
my prayer has been prompted by my deep sorrow and misery.”
Eli said, “Go in peace,
and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”
She replied, “Think kindly of your maidservant,” and left.
She went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband,
and no longer appeared downcast.
Early the next morning they worshiped before the LORD,
and then returned to their home in Ramah.
When Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah,
the LORD remembered her.
She conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son
whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the LORD for him.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on 1 Sm 1:9-20
 
Much of this passage is a prayer from Hannah to God. It takes the form of an offered covenant, if you (God) do this, I (Hannah) will do that. In this instance, Hannah offers a male child given in answer to her prayer as a nazir, one completely dedicated to God. (Nazirite, from the Hebrew word nazir, meaning: "set apart as sacred, dedicated, vowed." The nazirite vow could be either for a limited period or for life. Those bound by this vow had to abstain from all the products of the grapevine, from cutting or shaving their hair, and from contact with a corpse. They were regarded as men of God like the prophets; cf Amos 2:11-12 , see also Numbers 6:1-3.)
 
The priest Eli, after discovering that Hannah’s behavior was from grief not intoxication, offered her solace and a blessing. The prayer of Hannah is answered with the conception and birth of Samuel.
 
CCC 1 Sm 1 489; 1 Sm 1:9-18 2578
-------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm:  1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd
 
R. (see 1) My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
 
“My heart exults in the LORD,
my horn is exalted in my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in my victory.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
 
“The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
 
“The LORD puts to death and gives life;
he casts down to the nether world;
he raises up again.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
he humbles, he also exalts.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
 
“He raises the needy from the dust;
from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on 1 Sm 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd
 
“A hymn attributed to Hannah, the mother of Samuel, as her thanksgiving to God because she has borne a son despite her previous sterility. She praises God as the helper of the weak (1 Samuel 2:1-2), who casts down the mighty and raises up the lowly (1 Samuel 2:3-5), and who alone is the source of true strength (1 Samuel 2:8-10); the hymn ends with a prayer for the king (1 Samuel 2:10). This canticle has several points of resemblance with Our Lady's Magnificat.” [4]
 
-------------------------------------------
Gospel: Mark 1:21-28
 
Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers,
and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught.
The people were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;
he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are–the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet!  Come out of him!”
The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
All were amazed and asked one another,
“What is this?
A new teaching with authority.
He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.”
His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mk 1:21-28
 
Jesus is teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum. “The account of a single day's ministry of Jesus on a sabbath in and outside the synagogue of Capernaum combines teaching and miracles of exorcism and healing. Mention is not made of the content of the teaching but of the effect of astonishment and alarm on the people. Jesus' teaching with authority, making an absolute claim on the hearer, was in the best tradition of the ancient prophets, not of the scribes.” [5] First the Lord astonishes the people with the “authority” of his teaching in the tradition of the prophets, as opposed to the scribes, and then proceeds to demonstrate the effectiveness of his authority by casting out an unclean spirit.
 
He encounters an “unclean spirit,” so called because it does not recognize the authority of God. Jesus commands the spirit to leave and it obeys. God in the person of Christ, after all, has authority over all things. In this way we see once more the assurance that Jesus is true God. The exchange between the Lord and this “unclean spirit” is instructive. The spirit attempts to gain mastery over Jesus by using his full name, “Jesus of Nazareth.” The address used by the one possessed, “I know who you are – the Holy One of God,” is an attempt to ward off the power of Jesus, not a profession. Jesus rebukes the spirit and orders it out. The event stirs fear as well as awe in those present.
 
CCC: Mk 1:21 2173; Mk 1:24 438; Mk 1:25 1673; Mk 1:26 1673
-------------------------------------------
Reflection:
 
The Gospel story continues to tell of Jesus’ time in Capernaum.  He begins by teaching in the synagogue.  We are not told what he taught, only that what he said was perceived by those present as having authority, “and not as the scribes.”  Scripture scholars say that this means the people who heard him accepted what Jesus said as being binding, that is, what he taught them imposed a burden of obedience upon them.  St. Mark makes it clear that what the Lord teaches comes from God and carries the weight of God’s authority with it.  Jesus commands and the people must answer.
 
Jesus’ authority does not end there.  Following his teaching episode, while still in the synagogue, he encountered a “man with an unclean spirit.”  In St. Mark’s Gospel this refers to demonic possession.  Once again Jesus demonstrates the power and authority of God as he casts the demon out of the man.  It is noteworthy that in the exchange between Jesus and the “unclean spirit,” the demon tries to gain some control over Jesus by using his human name, “Jesus of Nazareth.”  The readers of St. Mark’s time may have seen this as another proof of Jesus’ messianic identity (Matthew 2:23).  The Lord instead silences the possessing spirit and commands it to be gone.
 
This story is more than a simple tale of Jesus’ life for us.  It reminds us that the Lord has authority in our lives.  Can we reject that authority?  Sure, God gave us the ability to reject Christ’s authority the same as he gave us the ability to sin in other ways as well.  When we reject Jesus’ authority, when we ignore his teaching, we have stepped away from God the Father and have chosen a path that leads to death.  In order for us to accept the life that is offered, the gift of Christ’s sacrifice, we must acknowledge his authority over us.
 
Our prayer today then is that we clearly hear the voice of the teacher, that we find the strength to bow to his authority and to put away pride, greed, and any impure thoughts that will lead us down the wrong path.  We pledge to accept Jesus’ authority and choose life.
 
Pax

---

[1] The picture is “Jesus Casts out an Unclean Spirit” by Bernard Picart, c. 1673-1733.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] NAB footnote on 1 Samuel 2:1ff.
[5] NAB footnote on Mark 1:21-45.

Monday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

“The Calling of St Peter and St Andrew”
by Jacob Willemsz. de Wet the Elder, c.1650

 
Readings for Monday of the First Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading I: 1 Samuel 1:1-8
 
There was a certain man from Ramathaim, Elkanah by name,
a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim.
He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu,
son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
He had two wives, one named Hannah, the other Peninnah;
Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.
This man regularly went on pilgrimage from his city
to worship the LORD of hosts and to sacrifice to him at Shiloh,
where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas,
were ministering as priests of the LORD.
When the day came for Elkanah to offer sacrifice,
he used to give a portion each to his wife Peninnah
and to all her sons and daughters,
but a double portion to Hannah because he loved her,
though the LORD had made her barren.
Her rival, to upset her, turned it into a constant reproach to her
that the LORD had left her barren.
This went on year after year;
each time they made their pilgrimage to the sanctuary of the LORD,
Peninnah would approach her,
and Hannah would weep and refuse to eat.
Her husband Elkanah used to ask her:
“Hannah, why do you weep, and why do you refuse to eat?
Why do you grieve?
Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on 1 Sm 1:1-8
 
The books of 1 and 2 Samuel, using stories about Samuel, Saul, and David describe a one hundred year period of sacred history. This introductory passage speaks the genealogy of Samuel’s father and of the early life of his mother and family. “Polygamy deviates from the standard established at the creation (Genisis 1:27; 2:24) and yet it was tolerated in early biblical history as a concession to human weakness (Genisis 29:15-39; Deuteronomy 21:15-17).” [4]  Though Hannah, Elkanah’s first wife, was favored by her husband, she could bear him no children. This was seen at the time, at least by her rival, Peninnah, as a punishment from God.  For his part, Elkanah, her husband, attempted to console her, reminding her to look at her call as his wife.
 
CCC: 1 Sm 1 489
-------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 116:12-13, 14-17, 18-19
 
R. (17a) To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
 
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people,
In the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 116:12-13, 14-17, 18-19
 
Psalm 116 is a song of thanksgiving. This selection is an individual prayer and promise to God. The singer understands that the Lord is their salvation. A little confusing is: “Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones.” The meaning is that the death of God's faithful is painful to God, not that God is pleased with the death.
 
This selection from Psalm 116 also recalls the Passover ritual, referring to the “cup of salvation.” The psalm rejoices in God’s saving works in releasing the people from their bondage.
 
CCC: Ps 116:12 224; Ps 116:13 1330; Ps 116:17 1330
-------------------------------------------
Gospel: Mark 1:14-20
 
After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
The Kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”
 
As he passed by the Sea of Galilee,
he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;
they were fishermen.
Jesus said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Then they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along a little farther
and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
 
They too were in a boat mending their nets.
Then he called them.
So they left their father Zebedee in the boat
along with the hired men and followed him.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mk 1:14-20
 
It is noteworthy to observe that all of the Gospel accounts show Jesus beginning his public ministry after the active ministry of St. John the Baptist has ended. The “Voice” decreases while the “Word” increases (see John 3:30). We see the charismatic power of the Lord in the call of the first disciples from St. Mark’s Gospel. They follow him without inducement beyond his simple invitation to follow him. It is also notable that three of these first four, Simon, James, and John, develop the closest relationships with the Lord of all the disciples. From other Gospel sources (John 1:35-42), we know that at least Andrew was a disciple of St. John the Baptist and would have shared Jesus' status with his brother, Simon (Peter).
 
CCC: Mk 1:15 541, 1423, 1427; Mk 1:16-20 787
-------------------------------------------
Reflection:
 
Can we imagine the thoughts of the true man Jesus who walks into the Jordan, and upon coming out hears the voice of God pronouncing him, in a formal way, to be his son.  The man, Jesus was not quite ready to go into the world on his Father’s mission.  First he had to be tested in the desert and defeat his enemy by rejecting temptation. 
 
Once this was done, he had a huge task in front of him.  He was charged with bringing the whole world to God, his Father.  To do this he needed help.  He needed help because, as the great prophets had seen, the Son of God would be rejected, persecuted, and would offer his life for the life of the world. When he had fulfilled this mission, he would return to the Father.  He needed others to take the work forward on earth.
 
Again, putting ourselves into the mind of Christ the true man, he would have returned from the desert and begun to look for worthy disciples to which he could entrust God’s great plan.  He would have looked for men to do this as his Father had chosen the vessel to carry him in the womb.  He did not choose kings, princes, or even the chief priests and scribes.  He chose men who were humble, faith filled, and who feared the Lord.  It was no accident that Saints Peter, Andrew, and Zebedee’s sons, James, and John were called first.  The Lord may have even recognized Saint Andrew.  It is quite possible that Andrew was at the Jordan with Saint John the Baptist when the Lord approached him to be baptized.  He was, after all, one of John’s disciples first.
 
What is remarkable to us was not just that all these working men said yes, rather it was that the did so immediately; even to the point where James and John left their father right in the middle of processing the day’s labor.  The Lord did not promise them fame, fortune, or even comfort. All he said was: ““Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
 
With this message starting our short sojourn in Ordinary Time, we must ask ourselves: what must the Lord do for us to get us to take up his call?  We have much more knowledge of what we are getting ourselves into.  We can see what can be gained from it? Shouldn’t we be jumping at the chance to further God’s plan?  What is holding us back?
 
Today our prayer is this: that we will clearly hear Jesus’ call to us and understand what he wishes us to do.  We pray also that our hearts be open to sacrifice comfort and wealth for his sake, as those first disciples did.  May this year be one in which we make giant strides for the Kingdom of God, whose heralds we are called to be.
 
Pax
 

---

[1] The picture is “The Calling of St Peter and St Andrew” by Jacob Willemsz. de Wet the Elder, c.1650.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, Old and New Testament (Ignatius Press, © 2024, San Francisco, CA.), 421

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Catechism Links [1]
 
Baptism of Jesus by John: 438
Baptism of the Holy Spirit compared to John's baptism: 720
importance of Jesus' Baptism: 536-537, 1223
 
Additional Information about the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

“Baptism of Christ”
by Tintoretto, 1540’s

 
Readings for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7
 
Thus says the Lord:
Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am pleased,
upon whom I have put my spirit;
he shall bring forth justice to the nations,
not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.
a bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,
until he establishes justice on the earth;
the coastlands will wait for his teaching.
 
I, the Lord, have called you for the victory of justice,
I have grasped you by the hand;
I formed you, and set you
as a covenant of the people,
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.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Is 42:1-4, 6-7
 
This passage begins what is known as the “First Song of the Servant of the Lord.” There are three more passages considered by some to be parts of one poem (Isaiah 49:1-6; Isaiah 50:4-7; and Isaiah 52:13—53:12). While there is some scholarly debate about the original intent of these poems, the prophetic view sees in these songs a reference to the coming messiah.
 
In this first song, Isaiah’s prediction brings us almost the exact words spoken by God as Jesus walks out of the Jordan following his baptism: “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased.” The image of God infusing his spirit is fulfilled as the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove at Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 16:12; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22). He goes on in v. 2-4 to describe the compassionate and loving character of the messiah.
 
In v. 6-7, Isaiah focuses on the new covenant established with the people. “The expression ‘light to the nations’ (v.6) seems to find an echo in what Jesus says about his being ‘the light of the world’ (John 8:12; 9:5) and also in the Benedictus of Zechariah (Luke 1:78-79). There is an evocation of v.7 in Jesus’ reply to the messengers from John the Baptist who ask him whether he is ‘he who is to come’ (cf. Matthew 11:4-6; Luke 7:18-22); […] And so St. Justin will say commenting on vv. 6-7: ‘Everything that is said here, my friends, refers to Christ and to the peoples who have been enlightened by his presence.’ (Dialogus cum Tryphone, 122, 2)” [5]
 
CCC: Is 42:1-9 713; Is 42:1 536, 555; Is 42:3 580; Is 42:6 580
-------------------------------------------
OR
Acts 10:34-38
 
Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered
in the house of Cornelius, saying:
“In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly
is acceptable to him.
You know the word that he sent to the Israelites
as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all,
what has happened all over Judea,
beginning in Galilee after the baptism
that John preached,
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and power.
He went about doing good
and healing all those oppressed by the devil,
for God was with him.”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Acts 10:34-38
 
In this selection from Acts, Peter is speaking in the house of Cornelius following the vision he was given showing him that nothing God created should be considered profane. Peter pondered this vision because it challenged the precepts of Jewish dietary laws and laws forbidding contact with Gentiles at certain times. It expands the invitation to salvation saying that God is for everyone, not just the Israelites. Peter then launches into the Good News which he starts with a description of the baptism of the Lord and how the Holy Spirit descended.  The passage concludes with Peter saying his mission is to reveal God’s love in his healing ministry.
 
CCC: Acts 10:35 761; Acts 10:38 438, 453, 486, 1289
-------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10
 
R. (11b) The Lord will bless his people with peace.
 
Give to the Lord, you sons of God,
give to the Lord glory and praise,
Give to the Lord the glory due his name;
adore the Lord in holy attire.
R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.
 
The voice of the Lord is over the waters,
the Lord, over vast waters.
The voice of the Lord is mighty;
the voice of the Lord is majestic.
R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.
 
The God of glory thunders,
and in his temple all say, “Glory!”
The Lord is enthroned above the flood;
the Lord is enthroned as king forever.
R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10
 
Psalm 29 is a hymn extolling the power of God. These strophes describe the immense power of God in nature. His majesty encompasses the earth (“enthroned above the flood”) and his kingship is established over all the earth, forever. This psalm selection focuses our attention on the baptismal font as it addresses water, the symbol and source of life, in two of the three strophes.
 
CCC: Ps 29:2 2143
-------------------------------------------
Gospel: Matthew 3:13-17
 
Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan
to be baptized by him.
John tried to prevent him, saying,
“I need to be baptized by you,
and yet you are coming to me?”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us
to fulfill all righteousness.”
Then he allowed him.
After Jesus was baptized,
he came up from the water and behold,
the heavens were opened for him,
and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove
and coming upon him.
And a voice came from the heavens, saying,
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mt 3:13-17
 
The story of the baptism of Jesus from St. Matthew’s Gospel, while short, is the most complete account of the interaction between Jesus and St. John the Baptist in the Synoptic Gospels. Jesus recognizes the symbolic nature of what the Baptist is doing and tells him, over his objections, to “fulfill all righteousness.”
 
“Jesus puts John’s view of justice in a new light.  In the Old Testament, ‘justice’ meant the attribution of holiness to God and of sinfulness to man. Therefore, the Master could not possibly be baptized by the disciple. The human hand held out in a gesture of forgiveness of the all-pure and holy Head would surely incur horrendous blasphemy. Would it not whither on the spot? But what if the Master himself should request it? Jesus’ petition of baptism somehow fulfills the divine justice abundantly and more meticulously than the traditional assignation of the virtue of guilt.” [6]
 
The event unfolds with Jesus coming up from the water and the Holy Spirit descending. What God says, as reported by St. Matthew, differs slightly from the Gospels of Mark and Luke in that the address takes the form of a proclamation, as opposed to a statement to the Lord himself (“This is my beloved Son,” as opposed to “You are my beloved Son" (Mark 1:11) or (Luke 3:22)).
 
CCC: Mt 3:13-17 535, 1286; Mt 3:13 1223; Mt 3:14-15 608; Mt 3:15 536, 1224; Mt 3:16-17 1224; Mt 3:16 536; Mt 3:16 & par. 701; Mt 3:17 444, 713
-------------------------------------------
Reflection
 
The baptism of Jesus, like our own baptisms, marks a beginning and an end. For the Lord, it is the end of his preparation. He was born to a task. His self-imposed incarnation was for a purpose. He was to reveal God’s love to all creation. All that we have been talking and hearing about since the Nativity of the Lord a few short weeks ago has pointed to this moment.
 
The story we have heard about the Lord’s humble but miraculous birth to a virgin in Bethlehem was to fulfill the prophecy of his coming. The whole weight of the prophets was thrown behind that starlit birth in a manager. The world’s anticipation was recognized as the magi came bearing gifts. It was not just to the Jews that the Light came into the world, but to the whole of mankind.
 
In Scripture, during those days immediately following the angelic proclamation that the Prince of Peace had come to us, we heard how his father, St. Joseph, listened to those heavenly messengers and fled to Egypt with Mary, the Mother of God, and their new son. The story continues with details of how Herod’s plot to stop God’s plan was foiled through the cries of the first martyrs, the Holy Innocents.
 
Those early years of the Lord’s life were not shared with us. He comes to the baptismal bath now as a man of thirty, prepared to take up the mantle of the Messiah. He submits to the symbolic bath of St. John the Baptist, his cousin, and emerges, at once crowned with the Holy Spirit. Now, joined with the "substance," "person," or "hypostasis”[7] that is the Holy Spirit he would later leave as a gift, the beginning is at an end and the work of the Lord is at hand.
 
For us too, the gift of new life in baptism was both an end and a beginning. We were given as a gift of new life and a share in God’s creative work to our parents. If we were baptized, as most of us were, as infants, our parents stood up in front of the faith community to which they belonged and promised, as our proxies, in our place, that the faith we share would be the faith of their child.
 
We were brought to that bath as human children and came out of it changed, altered in essence. Like a piece of steel that is tempered in fire, in its raw form we cannot see a difference between the metal and the finished product. But when tested, there is strength in that tempered steel not found in it before it passed through the fire. When we received that baptism, the heart that beat within us was strengthened with the Holy Spirit. Just as Christ welcomed the Spirit at his baptism we were given that same gift.
 
Something else happens as well. There is a drowning, sin is washed away. Again, as the impurities of metal are removed during the fabricating process, the soul is washed clean. The sins no longer exist, something new rises out of that water, freed from the nature that allowed Adam and Eve to be deceived by Satan. We are freed from that fallen nature of disobedience to the Father. The old self dies in that bath, drowned in the love of God for his children.
 
Once transformed in the waters of baptism, we were anointed with holy chrism. Upon our crowns was placed that sacred oil which set us aside, now as something holy, something of God. Changed in character, we were then offered as a gift to the Son who saved us.
 
Next, we were presented with the Light of Christ from the new fire of the Easter candle, and clothed in a white garment, making us as new creations, now reborn in Christ.
 
For those of us baptized as infants we do not remember the event that opened the gates of heaven for us. For those of us lucky enough to have been “made new” later in life, those effects were no doubt felt as they occurred. Whether we were old or young, when we passed through that holy bath we were set upon a new course. Like Jesus, that mission was placed before us and we are called to follow his example.
 
Today as we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we are reminded of our own call to holiness. In Jesus’ life, this event marked a new beginning. We now embark upon our own continued journey. As we reflect upon our lives to this point, we are called once more to ask ourselves if we have done what God has called us to do. We are called, as a holy people, set aside for Christ, to take up the message given by the angels at the Lord’s birth. We are called, as the adopted sons and daughters of God, to bring that message of love and peace to all we meet. That is what the journey upon which the Lord embarks is about; that is our mission as well.
 
Pax

---

[1] The Homiletic Directory does not provide links for the Baptism of the Lord.  These references are taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (United States Catholic Conference, Inc. – Libreris Editrice Vaticana, © 1994), 756.
[2] The picture is “Baptism of Christ” by Tintoretto, 1540’s.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] The Navarre Bible, Gospels and Acts (Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002), 186.
[6] Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I (Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996), 130.
[7] CCC 249-256.