Tag: baptism

Eucharistic Gospel Reading for the 2^nd  Sunday after the Epiphany: Year A

The Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 3:13-17:

“But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.” (Matthew 3: 15)

So Jesus comes to John to be baptized and John has second thoughts. But Baptism is in many ways like crucifixion, you must be handed over into the hands of others for it to be done to you. One does not baptize one’s self.  It is in this way we are communal.  We need and must have others in whom we place ourselves. This then, according to our Lord Jesus, fulfills all righteousness.

“And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. (Matthew 3: 16)  This coming up out of the water has been interpreted in many ways.  It could mean that as he was pushed beneath the surface of the water (full emersion) and that his face being brought back above the surface on the way up; or , it could mean as he was stepping back up on the bank, out of the water where he knelt while John took water in his hands and lifted it over Jesus’ head. Either way, baptism is baptism.  My most memorable baptism was also in the Jordan where 49 Christian clergy were on tour to the Holy Land.  That water was really cold! Below is a picture of me being baptized in February of 2018 by a pastor from California. This was my third baptism, the first one I was unaware of, (only discovered it through school transcripts from St. Vincent DePaul Catholic School; the second I received of my own desire. This 3^rd Baptism in the Jordan river of Israel, was because I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be baptized where Jesus Himself was baptized.

 

In Matthew’s Gospel we hear the voice of God speaking to us, “And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”” (Matthew 3: 17) 

The voice doesn’t say “You” as if speaking to Jesus directly.  The voice informs us that this is our Lord Jesus and that God is so pleased with him. Baptism is one of two Holy Sacraments for Christians, the other being Holy Communion.  In accordance with the Canons of our Church one must be baptized before receiving Communion.  This makes One Baptism for the forgiveness of sins the preeminent sacrament. I personally believe that even after the water stops moving over us, the Holy Spirit continues moving over us always. We who have been baptized must keep in mind that the Holy Spirit of God is at work in us and that God will be well pleased with us if we continue in our Baptismal Covenant and its Confirmation.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray: First Sunday after the Epiphany: The Baptism of our Lord (BCP p. 214)
Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River
Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him
with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his
Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly
confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy
Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Daily Office Readings for Saturday of Proper 18: Year 1

Morning, Psalm 55; Evening, Psalms 138, 139:1-17;
1^st Kings 18:41 to 19:8; Philippians 3:17 to 4:7; Matthew 3:13 to 17:

“Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he consented:” (Matthew 3:13 to 15).

I understand John. He knows he was born only to announce the coming of the Author of life and love. Yet, he thought, “I am not the one, but you, shouldn’t you baptize me, not me baptize you?”

We say that the baptism of John was a baptism of repentance. Fine, but our Lord Jesus had nothing to repent from.  John himself was a servant for sinners in order that they might repent. Therefore, shouldn’t those of us being baptized, be baptized into the call of servanthood? 

In the Episcopal Church, baptism makes us Christian. And, I am proud to say we accept the Trinitarian baptism of all Christian faiths. Later in our lives, if we remain steadfast, we are Confirmed by our Bishop.  Confirmation then, makes us Episcopalians.

In our Creed we say that we believe in one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I think I have been baptized three times.  I only discovered the first one when I sent off for my transcripts for college and my transcripts from Saint Vincent de Paul’s school in Nashville, Tennessee reported that I was identified by baptismal certificate.  I never knew that.  My intentional baptismal was at Saint Anne’s Episcopal Church, Memphis, Tennessee at the Easter Vigil of 1980.  That Baptism, I did know about. And lastly, I could not pass up the opportunity to be baptized in the Jordan River itself when I visited the Holy Land in February of 2018.

Even while we hold on to our sacred traditions we really don’t know what life will bring us on the morrow. Our Lord Jesus set us the example of humility. He was handed over to Mary for birth. He handed himself over to John to be baptized. And, shamefully, he was handed over by us to be crucified.

I pray that in my baptism, with God’s help, I will seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving my neighbor as myself; and I will strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being. So help me God.

Today we remember Cyprian of Carthage, Bishop and Martyr and his information may be found at: Cyprian of Carthage

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray: (The Collect for Saturdays BCP p. 99)      

Almighty God, who after the creation of the world rested from all your works and sanctified a day of rest for all your creatures: Grant that we, putting away all earthly anxieties, may be duly prepared for the service of your sanctuary, and that our rest here upon earth may be a preparation for the eternal rest promised to your people in heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of Proper 13: Year 1

 Morning, Psalm 78:1 to 39; Evening,  Psalm 78:40 to 72;
2^nd  Samuel 7:18 to 29; Acts 18:12 to 28; Mark 8:22 to 33

“Now there came to Ephesus a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria. He was an eloquent man, well-versed in the scriptures.  He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord; and he spoke with burning enthusiasm and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John:” (Acts 18: 24 and 25).

My initial thought about Apollos’ baptism of John is that that is the only baptism that Jesus himself knew. Now John the Baptist did talk of a baptism by fire and the Holy Spirit by Jesus, but there is no record of any baptism by Jesus himself, although he did set the example for all who choose to follow him by being baptized.

It was the 17^th Century Anglican Priest, Richard Hooker, who said as Anglicans we have Scripture, Tradition, and Reason as our three-legged stool.  And, unlike other Christian traditions of faith, we acknowledge that if any one of the three legs were missing, the stool would topple. Not only that, each leg must be the same length or there is unbalance.

Baptism breaches the line between Scripture and Church Tradition.  It is Scripture that has been interpreted by the Church in many different ways depending on one’s particular Christian faith tradition. While everyone in the Bible were consenting adults, at least the individuals we read about, there are occasions where like with Lydia’s “household” being baptized, we don’t know the makeup of such households. Such households could include children, even babies. There are other cases where “households” were moved to being baptized due to miraculous signs by the apostles.  It is the Acts of the Apostles that really begins our Christian Church no matter what stripe we are.  Baptism is the making of the Christian.

We must acknowledge however, that Apollos, in our Acts reading for today, “was an eloquent man, well-versed in the scriptures.”  And, he was baptized.  So as far as he was concerned, he had done everything right.

The Acts story continues, “[Apollos] began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the Way of God to him more accurately:” (Acts 18: 27). This still happens today. People move around from Church to Church as they grow in the faith.  Apollos listened to Priscilla and Aquila and their teaching made sense to him. He already had the gifts, gifts that needed to be focused. Later, he greatly helped those who, through grace, had become believers. Grace then is the love component poured on us by God.

As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John

Let us pray: (BCP p. 819)

O God, you prepared your disciples for the coming of the Spirit through the teaching of your Son Jesus Christ: Make the hearts and minds of your servants ready to receive the blessing of the Holy Spirit, that they may be filled with the strength of his presence; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.