Feast of the Baptism of the Lord- Ep. 13 - a podcast by Fr. John Arnold

In the Gospel today, Jesus descends into the waters of John the Baptist’s baptism and tells John that it must be so “to fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus is removing the weight of sin as death. He is paying the debts of all humanity. He is making all things right, ‘fulfilling righteousness.” Like with Noah and the Ark, the Holy Spirit descends like a dove as a sign that salvation in near. The heavens are torn open as is the veil of the Holy of Holies at the Crucifixsion.
Today Jesus said that he was baptized by John to ‘fulfill all righteousness.”

The baptism of the Lord links Christmas and Holy Week.
1. In Advent, we started out with Jesus’ prophecies about the end of the world and the story of John the Baptist and the coming Messiah
2. In Christmas, Jesus is laid in a manger, a place where animals eat. He would become food for us at the Last Supper. Jesus is wrapped in swaddling clothes. He will be wrapped in a shroud and laid in a tomb, instead of a manger.
3. At the Epiphany, Jesus is given gifts of gold frankincense and myrrh Gold is a gift for a king, for the charge above his head, the king of the Jews; Frankincense, used in the temple, because he is the priest and the sacrifice; Myrrh, used to prepare a dead body, because this will all be accomplished when he turns death into a doorway to eternal life.

The readings of Advent and Christmas come together in the story of the Lord’s baptism. The baptism of the lord links Christmas to the Paschal Mystery. When we participate in liturgy, we participate in these mysteries and so can answer yes to the great spiritual, "Were you there when the crucified the Lord.” We are there, because he is with us.

The music on this podcast was recorded by the St. Mark Choir and is used under a license provided by OneLicense # A-726294.

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