A reading from the prophet Isaiah (40:1-5, 9-11)
‘Comfort, O comfort my people,’
says your God.
‘Speak to the heart of Jerusalem
and cry out to her
that her period of service is ended,
her penalty has been paid;
from the hand of the Lord she has received
double for all her sins.’
A voice crying out,
‘In the desert prepare a way for the Lord.
Make straight across the wastelands
a highway for our God.
Let every ravine be filled in,
every mountain and hill be brought down;
the crooked shall be straight,
the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed
and all humanity shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’
Go up on a high mountain, Zion,
herald of good news!
Lift up your voice with power, Jerusalem,
herald of good news!
Lift it up without fear!
Say to the cities of Judah,
‘See, here is your God.’
See the Lord God coming with power,
his arm rules for him,
see, his reward is with him,
his prize goes before him.
He tends his flock like a shepherd,
gathering the lambs in his arms,
holding them against his breast
and leading the mother ewes.
The opening chapter of the second Isaiah, familiar during Advent, is read again on this final day of the Christmas season. It announced to the people: ‘See, here is your God.’ The faithful God cares for his people and like a shepherd brings them home from exile. The feast of the Baptism of the Lord has the Father announce: ‘This is my Son, the beloved!’ The fidelity of God is again apparent in the self-offering of Jesus, as he shows solidarity with the people who seek the good news of God’s forgiveness.
Psalm 104 (103) This great psalm of creation speaks of the Spirit who brings life.
A reading from the letter of saint Paul to Titus (2:11-14, 3:4-7)
The grace of God our Saviour has been revealed to the whole human race, teaching us that, giving up impiety and all worldly passions, we should be self-restrained and live righteous and religious lives in this present world, waiting for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Christ Jesus. He offered himself for us in order to ransom us from all our faults and to purify a people to be his very own, eager to do good. When the kindness and love of God our Saviour for humanity were revealed, not because of any works of righteousness we had ourselves done but in accordance with his own mercy, he saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal in the Holy Spirit which he generously poured over us through Jesus Christ our Saviour so that, justified by his grace, we should become heirs in hope of eternal life.
The two parts of this reading served as the second reading at the Night Mass and the Dawn Mass of Christmas Day. They speak of the ‘revealing (epiphaneisthai)’ of the ‘grace (charis)’ of God (2:11), and of the ‘kindness (chrestotes)’ and ‘love (philanthropia)’ of God our Saviour (3:4). These three attributes of God, which are virtually synonymous, are revealed in the gift of the Son. God through Christ ‘ransomed (lutroun)’ us, and ‘purified (katharizein)’ us. God’s kindness was not deserved by any ‘works of justice (dikaiosune)’ we have performed, but he saved us ‘in accordance with his mercy (eleos)’, ‘through the washing of rebirth (dia loutrou paliggenesias)’, and through ‘the renewal in the Holy Spirit (anakainoseos pneumatos hagiou)’, doubtless references to the baptism by which Christians are given new life through water and the Holy Spirit.
A reading from the holy gospel according to Luke (3:15-16, 21-22)
There was a feeling of expectancy among the people; they were all questioning in their hearts whether John might himself be the Messiah. John answered them all by saying, ‘I baptise you with water, but one more powerful than me is coming, and I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.’
Now it happened that while all the people were being baptised and while Jesus, after his own baptism, was at prayer, heaven opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in a physical form, like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; in you I am well pleased.’
This version of the baptism of Jesus taken from the gospel of Luke includes a part of the preparatory preaching of John the Baptist, in which he speaks of baptism ‘with the Holy Spirit (pneuma hagion) and with fire’. The baptism of Jesus is reported rather obliquely because the accent is on the prayer of Jesus, and the manifestation of the Spirit. The voice of God is addressed to Jesus, in words identical with those found in Mark’s account (Mark 1:11).
Why does John refer to baptism ‘in fire’ (Matthew 3:11 Luke 3:16)?
Jesus is frequently found at prayer in the gospel of Luke.