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We have begun the Ordinary Time in the liturgical calendar on the Monday after the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, transitioning from the Christmas Season, which was preceded by the Advent Season. The fact that the Christmas Season concludes with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord in the liturgical calendar makes sense, given that John the Baptist and his role in preparing for the adventus of Christ were reflected on two Advent Sundays in row: the 2nd and the 3rd Advent Sundays on all liturgical cycles – A, B, C. What John the Baptist was calling the Israelites to prepare for by citing Isaiah 40 with an emphasis on verse 3 was not necessarily the birth of Christ but rather his public appearance. Certainly, it was when he came to the Jordan River to be baptized, while John the Baptist was baptizing others, that Christ made his first public appearance and was recognized as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world by John (John 1:29). Therefore, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord ends what we began preparing for during the Advent Season, preceding the Christmas Season.
When we began the liturgical year on the First
Sunday of Advent, we initiated our journey to find Christ at his adventus. The coming of Christ was
prophesized in Isaiah 7:14, about 700 years before the birth of Christ, and so
it happed as Mary, the Blessed Virgin, gave birth to Jesus, upon conceiving him
in her Immaculate womb by the power of the Holy Spirit (i.e. Matthew 1:18),
making Theos-Logos incarnated, as
written in John 1:1, 14.
Celebrating the birth of Christ, we began the
Christmas season, reflecting on what it means that Christ was born as an עָנָו/anav in the stable on the outskirts of Bethlehem, though he draws
the Davidic royal lineage (i.e. Isaiah 9:7, 11:10; Romans 15:12; Matthew
1:1-17; Revelation 5:5, 22:16) and is considered as a King (i.e, Zechariah 9:9),
who rules the world with justice (Psalm 72). At the same time, we also meditate
on the roles that the Holy Family played for the growth of Jesus.
During this celebratory liturgical season, our
Christmas joy increased as the presence of Christ was witnessed more people –
first by the shepherds on the day of his Nativity (Luke 1:1-20), by Simeon and
Anna at his Presentation in the Temple (Luke 2:22-38), and by the Magi from
east (Matthew 2:1-12). In fact, these
are the first three theopanies occurred during Jesus’ infancy. The third
theophany, God in infant Jesus manifesting to the Magi, is also known as Epiphany.
Because the Magi did not report to him about Jesus’ whereabouts, King Herod the
Great, who wanted to hunt down the newborn King, ordered to massacre all boys
who were 2 years old and younger in the Bethlehem area (Matthew 2:16-18), and
these children slain by Herod’s paranoia were memorized as the Holy Innocent on
December 28. In the meantime, the Holy Family sought a refuge in Egypt, as
Joseph was warned about Herod’s vicious plan to kill Jesus (Matthew 2:13). We
honored the Holy Family on the Sunday after Christmas (unless Christmas falls
on Sunday). After Herod’s death, the
Holy Family returned from Egypt, though keeping a safe distance from Jerusalem,
where a successor of Herod the Great was (Matthew 2:19-23), and Jesus continued
to grow in wisdom and statue, and in favor with God and people (Luke 2:52).
Then, when he was about 30 (Luke 3:23), Jesus appeared to be baptized on the
banks of the Jordan River, where John the Baptist was preparing for the way of
the Messiah Lord to come, anticipating the fulfillment of Isaiah 40:1-5. John
acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah – the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of
the world – to complete his mission and to usher into the new Messianic era
after a long period without a prophet from the time of Malachi to John the
Baptist himself. The Baptism of the Lord signals the beginning of Christ’s
public mission with the 4th theophany, as Jesus finally came out of
the obscurity and made himself more visible to those who had prepared
themselves to accept him as the Messiah and his salvific teaching. Thus, the
Baptism of the Lord concludes the Christmas Season and transitions into the
Ordinary Time.
Following the Sunday in celebrating the Baptism of
Christ, we have begun the Ordinary Time before the Lenten Season. To punctuate the beginning of the Ordinary
Time on Cycle C, we have reflected on Christ’s first miracle during the wedding
banquet at Cana (John 2:1-11) for the 2ns Sunday in Ordinary Time and on
Christ’s first preaching in the synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21) for
the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.
It was not until the Baptism of the Lord that Christ
made himself appear to the public to begin his ministry, and he was about 30
years old at that time (Luke 3:23). It means that Christ’s presence was not
really acknowledged during his first 30 years of life, except by the shepherd
at his Nativity, by Simeon and Anna at his Presentation, and by the Magi at
Epiphany, as reflected during the Christmas Season. Christ’s prenatal presence
in Mary’s womb was recognized by Elizabeth, during Mary’s visitation to her
(Luke 1:43), as reflected during the later Advent Season (4th Sunday Gospel reading on
Cycle C: Luke 1:39-45). Therefore, theophany in Christ has been made publically
upon the feast of the Baptism of Christ to be reflected in the Gospel readings
through the Ordinary Time, the Lenten Season, the Paschal Triduum, the Paschal
Season. Then, during the post-Pentecost Ordinary Time until the end of a
liturgical year with the week of Christ the King, we continue to reflect
Christ’s actions, including miracles, and teaching in our apostolic
applications, as guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit, another Parakloetos,
while post-Ascension Christ prepares our heavenly dwelling place (John 14:1-5,
16, 26; 16:7).
Upon the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Christ
has made himself publically recognizable in his ministry into the Ordinary
Time, through the Lenten Season, Paschal Triduum, and into the Paschal Season. It is no longer as his presence was hidden in
the womb of Mary, as in the Advent Season, and not as his presence was only
recognized by the shepherds at his Nativity, by Simeon and Anna at his Presentation
in the Temple, and by the Magi at Epiphany, as in the Christmas Season, upon
the Baptism of the Lord. As we have begun the Ordinary Time, following the
Advent and Christmas Seasons, during which we have sought out him, Christ’s
very presence can be acknowledged by anyone who seek him in faith, upon his
Baptism. As we find him, we follow him in the Paschal Mystery, so that we will
be well-prepared upon the Paschal Season, for our apostolic commission on
Pentecost. This will make our apostolic journey very fruitful, further
reflecting the meaning of Christ’s miracles and teaching, throughout the
remaining liturgical year – through the post- Paschal-Season Ordinary Time.
Christ’s first miracle and first preaching are
certainly suited to keep us in perspective as we find and follow him through
his Paschal Mystery to start the Ordinary Time into the Lenten Season and
further into the Paschal Season. The
first miracle saved the wedding banquet at Cana from disruption and the first
preaching made it clear to the public of the fulfillment of Isaiah 61:1-2, the
year of favor, which means the time of salvation. Because Christ metaphorically describes of his
time on earth to minister us is like a wedding feast (i.e. Matthew 9:15), preserving the wedding banquet from disruption
as his first miracle signals that nothing can compromise his public ministry to
its completion on the Cross. And, his
first teaching in Nazareth reminds us that his mission is to save us by
bringing the Good News to the anawim,
who have not been treated not only by the world but even by religious leaders
of time. Thus, by citing the first two verses of Isaiah 61 out of the scroll,
Christ is also making a public announcement that his mission is also
restorative justice.
The main part of the
Gospel reading for the 3rd Sunday on Cycle C, Luke 4:14-21,
in which Jesus made himself known to the public of his Messianic identity by
indicting that he was the fulfillment of Isaiah 61:2-1. What came to this world with the public
appearance of Christ in the synagogue in Nazareth in his very first preaching
was the beginning of the salvific period.
The question is, “Have we found Christ in his public
appearance?” and “Are we now listening to Christ and are his words sinking deep
in our hearts? “ and “Are we paying attention to the miraculous signs that
Christ is making for us?”, as we further journey into the Ordinary Time, into
the Lenten Season and Paschal Triduum, and the Paschal Season. Let us also
learn from how the people in Galilee and Jerusalem reacted to Christ’s ministry
as this liturgical year further unfolds.
Blessed are the anawim,
as Christ said to begin his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-12). As his
beloved anawim, for whom he came to this world and bring the Good News, we are
glad and rejoice as at the undisrupted wedding banquet, as his mission on earth
unfolds.
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