The Meeting of Jesus with the Samaritan Woman

A Dialogue that brings new life

John 4:5-42

1. Opening prayer

 Lord Jesus, send Your Spirit to help us read the Scriptures in the same way that You read them to the disciples on the road to Emmaus. With the light of the Word in the Bible, You helped them to discover the presence of God in the distressing events surrounding Your condemnation to death. The cross, which seemed to put an end to all hope, was revealed to them as the source of life and resurrection.

Create in us the silence necessary to hear Your voice in creation and in the Scriptures, in the events of daily life and in people, above all in the poor and the suffering. May Your word give us direction, just as it did to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, so that we too will experience the power of Your resurrection and bear witness to others that You are alive in our midst as the source of community, of justice and of peace. We ask this of You, Jesus, son of Mary, You who revealed the Father to us and sent us Your Spirit. Amen.

2. Reading

a) A key for unlocking the text:

The text describes the dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. It is a very human conversation, which shows how Jesus related to people and how He Himself learned and became enriched in talking with others. While reading the text, try to be aware of what surprises you most about the attitude both of Jesus and the woman.

b) A division of the text to assist a careful reading:

Jn 4:5-6: Sets the scene in which the dialogue takes place

Jn 4:7-26: Describes the dialogue between Jesus and the woman

 7-15: about water and thirst

 16-18: about the husband and family

 19-25: about religion and the place for adoration

Jn 4:27-30: Describes the effect of the conversation on the woman

Jn 4:31-38: Describes the effect of the conversation on Jesus

Jn 4:39-42: Describes the effect on the mission of Jesus in Samaria

c) The text:

5-6: So He came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and so Jesus, wearied as He was from  His journey, sat down beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.

7-15: There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to Him, "How is it that You, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." The woman said to Him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?" Jesus said to her, "Every one who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."

16-18: Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." The woman answered Him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband; this you said truly."

19-26: The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain; and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes, he will show us all things." Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He."

27-30: Just then His disciples came. They marvelled that He was talking with a woman, but none said, "What do you wish?" or, "Why are You talking with her?" So the woman left her water jar, and went away into the city, and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?" They went out of the city and were coming to Him.

31-38: Meanwhile the disciples besought Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." So the disciples said to one another, "Has any one brought Him food?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to accomplish His work. Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest? I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see how the fields are already white for harvest. He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."

39-42: Many Samaritans from that city believed in Him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me all that I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to Him, they asked Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His word. They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world."

3. A moment of silent prayer

so that the Word of God can enter into us and light up our lives.

4. Some questions

to help us in our meditation and prayer.

a) What most attracted your attention in Jesus’ attitude toward the woman during the dialogue? What method did Jesus use to help the woman become aware of a deeper dimension to life?

b) What most attracted your attention about the attitude of the Samaritan woman during her conversation with Jesus? How did she influence Jesus?

c) Where in the Old Testament is water associated with the gift of life and the gift of the Holy Spirit?

d) How does Jesus’ attitude during the conversation question me or touch something within me or correct me?

e) The Samaritan woman led the discussion towards religion. If you could come across Jesus and talk to Him, what would you like to talk about? Why?

f) Do I adore God in spirit and in truth or do I find my security in rituals and regulations?

5. A key to the reading

for those who wish to go deeper.

a) The symbolism of water:

* Jesus uses the word water in two senses. The first sense is the material, normal sense of water that one drinks; the second is the symbolic sense as the source of life and the gift of the Spirit. Jesus uses a language that people can understand and, at the same time, awakens in them the desire to go deeper and to discover a more profound meaning to life.

* The symbolic sense of water has its roots in the Old Testament, where it is frequently a symbol for the action of the Spirit of God in people. For example, Jeremiah compares running water to water in a cistern (Jer 2:13). The more water is taken from a cistern, the less it has; the more water is taken from a stream of living water, the more it has. Other texts from the Old Testament: Isa 12:3; 49:10; 55:1; Ezek 47:1-3. Jesus knew the traditions of His people and He uses these in His conversation with the Samaritan woman. Suggesting the symbolic meaning of water, He suggests to her (and to the readers) various episodes and verses from the Old Testament.

b) The dialogue between Jesus and the woman:

* Jesus meets the woman at the well, a traditional place for meetings and conversations (Gen 24:10-27; 29:1-14). He starts off from His own very real need because He is thirsty. He does this in such a way that the woman feels needed and she serves Him. Jesus makes Himself needy in her regard. From His question, he makes it possible for the woman to become aware that He depends on her to give Him something to drink. Jesus awakens in her the desire to help and to serve.

* The conversation between Jesus and the woman has two levels.

(i) The superficial level, in the material sense of water that quenches someone’s thirst, and in the normal sense of husband as the father of a family. At this level the conversation is tense and difficult and does not flow. The Samaritan woman has the upper hand. At the beginning, Jesus tries to meet her by talking about daily chores (fetching water), but He does not succeed. Then He tries by talking about family (call your husband), and still there is no breakthrough. Finally the woman speaks about religion (the place of adoration). Jesus then gets through to her by the door she herself has opened.

(ii) The deeper level, in the symbolic sense of water as the image of the new life brought by Jesus, and of the husband as the symbol of the union of God with the people. At this level, the conversation flows perfectly. After revealing that He Himself is offering the water of new life, Jesus says, "Go and get your husband and then return". In the past, the Samaritans had five husbands, or five idols, attached to the five groups of people who were taken off by the King of Assyria (2 Kings 17:30-31). The sixth husband, the one the woman had at present, was not truly her husband: "the one you have now is not your husband" (Jn 4:18). What the people had did not respond to their deepest desire: union with God, as a husband who unites himself to his spouse (Isa 62:5; 54:5). The true husband, the seventh, is Jesus, as promised by Hosea: "I will espouse you to me forever; I will espouse you in right and in justice, in love and in mercy. I will espouse you in fidelity, and you shall know the Lord." (Hos 2: 21-22). Jesus is the bridegroom who has arrived (Mk 2: 19) to bring new life to the woman who has been searching for it her whole life long, and until now, has never found it. If the people accept Jesus as "husband", they will have access to God wherever they are, both in spirit and in truth (vv. 23-24).

* Jesus declares His thirst to the Samaritan woman but He does not drink. This is a sign that we are talking about a symbolic thirst, which had to do with His mission: the thirst to accomplish the will of His Father (Jn 4:34). This thirst is ever present in Jesus and will be until His death. At the moment of His death, He says, "I am thirsty" (Jn 19: 28). He declares His thirst for the last time and so He can say, "It is accomplished." Then He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. (Jn 19:30). His mission had been accomplished.

c) The importance of women in the Gospel of John:

* In John’s Gospel, women feature prominently seven times, which are decisive for the spreading of the Good News. To women are given functions and missions, some of which, in the other Gospels, are attributed to men:

- At the wedding feast in Cana, the mother of Jesus recognizes the limits of the Old Testament and affirms the law of the Gospel, "Do whatever He tells you". (Jn 2:1-11).

- The Samaritan woman is the first person to have revealed to her by Jesus the great secret, that He is the Messiah. "It is I who speak to you." (Jn 4:26). She then becomes the evangelizer of Samaria (Jn 4: 28-30, 39-42).

- The woman, who is called an adulteress, at the moment of receiving the forgiveness of Jesus, becomes the judge of the patriarchal society (or of male power) that seeks to condemn her. (Jn 8:1-11).

- In the other Gospels it is Peter who makes the solemn profession of faith in Jesus (Mt 16: 16; Mk 8:29; Lk 9:20). In the Gospel of John, it is Martha, sister of Mary and Lazarus, who makes the solemn profession of faith (Jn 11:27).

- Mary, the sister of Martha, anoints the feet of Jesus for the day of his burial (Jn. 12:7). At the time of Jesus, the one who died on a cross was not buried nor embalmed. Mary anticipated the anointing of Jesus’ body. This means that she accepted Jesus as the Messiah-Suffering Servant, who must die on the cross. Peter did not accept this (Jn.13:8) and sought to dissuade Jesus from this path (Mt. 16:22). In this way, Mary is presented as a model for the other disciples.

- At the foot of the cross, Jesus says, "Woman, behold your son; son, behold your mother" (Jn. 19:25-27). The Church is born at the foot of the cross. Mary is the model for the Christian community.

- Mary Magdalene must announce the Good News to the brothers (Jn. 20:11-18). She receives an order, without which all the other orders given to the apostles would have no effect or value.

* The Mother of Jesus appears twice in John’s Gospel: at the beginning, at the wedding feast in Cana (Jn. 2:1-5), and at the end, at the foot of the cross (Jn. 19:25-27). In both cases, she represents the Old Testament that waits for the arrival of the New, and, in both cases, assists its arrival. Mary unites what has gone before with what would come later. At Cana, it is she, the Mother of Jesus, symbol of the Old Testament, who perceives its limits and takes steps so that the New will arrive. At the hour of Jesus’ death, it is the Mother of Jesus, who welcomes the "Beloved Disciple". In this case the Beloved Disciple is the new community, which has grown around Jesus. It is the child that has been born from the Old Testament. In response to Jesus’ request, the son, the New Testament, welcomes the Mother, the Old Testament, into his home. The two must journey together. The New Testament cannot be understood without the Old. It would be a building without a foundation. The Old without the New would be incomplete. It would be a tree without fruit.

6. Psalm 19 (18)

God speaks to us through nature and through the Bible

The heavens are telling the glory of God;

and the firmament proclaims His handiwork.

Day to day pours forth speech,

and night to night declares knowledge.

There is no speech, nor are there words;

their voice is not heard;

yet their voice goes out through all the earth,

and their words to the end of the world.

In them He has set a tent for the sun,

which comes forth like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,

and like a strong man runs its course with joy.

Its rising is from the end of the heavens,

and its circuit to the end of them;

and there is nothing hid from its heat.

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;

the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;

the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;

the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever;

the ordinances of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold;

sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover by them is Thy servant warned;

in keeping them there is great reward.

But who can discern his errors?

Clear thou me from hidden faults.

Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins;

let them not have dominion over me!

Then I shall be blameless,

and innocent of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord,

my rock and my redeemer.

7. Final Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank You for Your word, which has helped us see better the will of the Father. Let Your Spirit illumine all that we do and give us the strength to carry out  what Your Word has made us see. Let us, like Mary, Your Mother, not only listen to the Word but also put it into practice. You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

The Transfiguration of Jesus

Matthew 17:1-9

1. LECTIO

a) Initial Prayer:

Oh God, who in the glorious Transfiguration of Christ, the Lord, confirmed the mysteries of faith by the witness of the Law and of the prophets and  have admirably pre-announced our definite adoption as Your children, may we listen to the Word of Your Beloved Son to become coheirs of His immortal life.

b) Reading of the Gospel:

1 Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There in their presence He was transfigured: His face shone like the sun and His clothes became as dazzling as light. 3 And suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them; they were talking with Him. 4 Then Peter spoke to Jesus. 'Lord,' he said, 'it is wonderful for us to be here; if you want me to, I will make three shelters here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.' 5 He was still speaking when suddenly a bright cloud covered them with shadow, and suddenly from the cloud there came a voice which said, 'This is My Son, the Beloved; He enjoys my favor. Listen to Him.' 6 When they heard this, the disciples fell on their faces, overcome with fear. 7 But Jesus came up and touched them, saying, 'Stand up, do not be afraid.' 8 And when they raised their eyes they saw no one but Jesus. 9 As they came down from the mountain Jesus gave them this order, 'Tell no one about this vision until the Son of man has risen from the dead.'

c) Moments of silence:

So that God’s Word may enter into us and enlighten our life.

2. MEDITATIO

a) Key for the Reading:

The Gospel according to Matthew insists on the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven. This is why Matthew’s Gospel is the Gospel of the Church, that is of the People of God guided by its Head and Master Jesus, the Christ. The text which narrates the event of the Transfiguration forms part of a section of the Gospel in which, the Evangelist develops the theme of the beginning of the coming of the Kingdom in a group of disciples who gradually will constitute the Body of the Church. We find the account of the Transfiguration in all the Synoptic Gospels (Mk 9: 2-8; Lk 9: 28-36), and we also find a reference to this event in the second letter of Peter (2 Pet 1:16-18). The text of Matthew (17: 1-9) though presents some diversity. The account is found immediately after the first announcement of the Passion and the mentioning of the conditions necessary for the following of Christ and also the event of the glorification of the Son of Man in the glory of the Father (Mt 16: 21-28). Before the glorification, Jesus has to go to Jerusalem for the fulfillment of the Pascal mystery, that is: Passion, Death and Resurrection (Mt 16: 21). Those who desire and wish to follow Jesus have to deny themselves and then, also carry their cross to follow the Master. (Mt 16: 24). Only in this way can we participate in His glory: “Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for My sake will find it” (Mt 16: 25). Those who do not accept the event of the Cross in the life of Christ and therefore in the program of following him, are considered by Jesus as “Satan”, because they do not think “according to God but as human beings do” (Mt 16: 23). The command which Jesus addresses to Peter: “Get behind me, Satan!” (Mt 16: 23) reminds us of a similar expression used by Jesus in the parable of the final judgment “When the Son of man comes in His glory”, (Mt 25: 31-46): “Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Mt 25:41). This curse is addressed to those who do not know the Lord and  do not form part of His Kingdom.

Then follows the account of the Transfiguration (Mt 17: 1-9) with the question on the coming of Elijah and the healing of the epileptic demoniac (Mt 17: 10-21). After these events Jesus, for the second time, announces His Passion (Mt 17: 22) and concerning the question of the payment of taxes for the needs of the temple, Jesus plays on the words regarding the reality of son-ship (Mt 17:24-27). In the Transfiguration the Father declares that Jesus is “My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him” (Mt 17: 5). We are also sons and daughters, in Him, of the same Father (Mt 5: 45; Mt 17:25-26).

Jesus then presents Himself as our guide on the journey towards the Kingdom. In the account of the Transfiguration Jesus is presented as the new Moses who encounters God “on a high mountain” (Mt 17:1) in the “bright cloud” (Mt 17: 5), with His face shining (Mt 17: 2. Moses also encounters God in the cloud on Mount Sinai (Ex 24: 15-18) with the bright face (Ex 34: 29-35). Elijah also encounters the Lord on Mount Horeb, the mountain of God (1 Kings 19: 9-13). Just as in the event of Sinai (Ex 19: 20; 33-34), here also in the Transfiguration there is the revelation of the new law. To listen to the Beloved Son in whom God the Father is pleased (Mt 17: 5). This new law, given by God on Tabor by means of the new Moses, reminds us of what the Patriarch says in the Book of Deuteronomy: “Yahweh, your God will raise up a prophet like me; you will listen to him” (Deut 18:15). In this text of the Transfiguration, more important than the law, of which Jesus is the fulfillment (that is why after the vision the Apostles “saw no one, but Jesus alone” (Mt 17: 7), the revelation on the part of the Father,  who proclaims the divine filiation of Jesus Christ is stressed.  Besides this proclamation in the Transfiguration, the identity of the Son is proclaimed two other times in the Gospel of Matthew: at the beginning and at the end. After the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, a voice from heaven says: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am pleased” (Mt 3: 17); and when Jesus dies on the Cross, the centurion exclaims using words of revelation and of faith: “Truly this one was the Son of God!” (Mt 27:54). Besides, in this proclamation, the Father reveals Jesus as the servant of the Lord, pre-announced by Isaiah: “Behold my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom my soul delights” (Isa 42:1).

The discovery of the identity of the Son, arouses in the three witnesses the fear of God, falling on their faces (Mt 17: 6). Already at the beginning of the Gospel, in the birth of Jesus, the Magi “Entering into the house saw the Child with His mother Mary, and falling to their knees, they did Him homage” (Mt 2: 11). A similar reaction is also found in the Gospel of John, after the self revelation of the Lord, in the account when Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane. Jesus says to them: I am He!” [...] As soon as he said, “I am he”, they moved back and fell on the ground” (Jn 18:5-6). Also in the Book of Revelation, John “in ecstasy” (Rev 1:10), saw “one similar to a son of man […] his face like the sun shining with all its force” (Rev 1:12-16), and because of all these visions he fell at his feet like dead (Rev 1: 17). The apostle in Rom 14: 11 and Phil 2:10 will proclaim that before the Lord, “in the name of Jesus every knee will bow before Him in heaven, on earth and in the underworld; every tongue shall proclaim that Jesus Christ is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father”.

This vision is strictly linked to the mystery of the Passover, it seems like an apparition of the Risen Jesus in all His glory, it is a pre-announcement of the future life. For this reason, “coming down from the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about this vision until the Son of man has risen from the dead” (Mt 17: 9).

b) To orientate the meditation and the realization:

= Read once again the passage from the Gospel, and find in the Bible all the texts quoted in the key to the reading. Try to find other parallel texts which can help you to penetrate deeper into the text in meditation.

= Some questions:

i) Have you ever asked yourself who the Person of Christ is? Does your vision of the identity of Jesus correspond to that proclaimed in the Transfiguration?

ii) What meaning does the proclamation of Jesus as Son of God have in your life?

iii) Jesus cannot be understood without the Pascal mystery of the Passion, Death and Resurrection. What sense does this mystery have for you? How do you live it daily?

3. ORATIO

a) Psalm 97:

I seek Your face, oh Lord, show me Your face.

Yahweh is king!

Let earth rejoice, the many isles be glad!

Cloud, black cloud enfolds Him,

saving justice and judgement the foundations of His throne.

I seek Your face, oh Lord, show me Your face.

The mountains melt like wax,

before the Lord of all the earth.

The heavens proclaim His saving justice,

all nations see His glory.

For you are Yahweh,

Most High over all the earth, far transcending all gods.

I seek Your face, oh Lord, show me Your face.

b) Concluding prayer:

Let us rejoice, Beloved,

and let us go forth to behold ourselves in your beauty

to the mountain and to the hill,

to where the pure water flows,

and further, deep into the thicket.

(John of the Cross, Spiritual Canticle, 36)

4. CONTEMPLATIO

“Let us go forth to behold ourselves in your beauty”

This means: Let us so act that by means of this loving activity we may attain to the vision of ourselves in your beauty in eternal life. That is: That I be so transformed in your beauty that we may be alike in beauty, and both behold ourselves in your beauty, possessing then your very beauty; this, in such a way that each looking at the other may see in the other their own beauty, since both are your beauty alone, I being absorbed in your beauty; hence, I shall see you in your beauty, and you will see me in your beauty, and I shall see myself in you in your beauty, and you will see yourself in me in your beauty; that I may resemble you in your beauty, and you resemble me in your beauty, and my beauty be your beauty and your beauty my beauty; wherefore I shall be you in your beauty, and you will be me in your beauty, because your very beauty will be my beauty; and thus we shall behold each other in your beauty. (John of the Cross, Spiritual Canticle, 36/5)

Jesus’ encounter with the devil in the desert

Temptations in the desert of life

Matthew 4:1-11

1. Opening prayer

 Lord Jesus, send Your Spirit to help us read the Bible as You read it to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word written in the Bible, You helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of Your sentence and death. Thus, the cross, which seemed to signal the end of all hope, appeared to them as source of life and resurrection.

Create silence in us that we may listen to Your voice in Creation and in Scripture, in events and people, above all in the poor and the suffering. May Your word guide us so that we too, like the disciples on the way to Emmaus, may experience the force of Your resurrection and witness to others that You are alive in our midst as source of brotherhood and sisterhood, of justice and peace. We ask this of You, Jesus, son of Mary, who have revealed the Father and sent Your Spirit. Amen

2. Reading

a) A key to the reading:

Let us read this text describing the temptations of Jesus, temptations that are also those of all human beings. While reading this text we should pay attention to the following: what are the temptations, where do they take place, and how does Jesus deal with them?

b) A division of the text to help with the reading:

Mt 4:1-2: The situation where and whence the temptation arises: desert, spirit, fast and hunger

Mt 4:3-4: The temptation concerning bread.

Mt 4:5-7: The temptation concerning prestige.

Mt 4:8-11: The temptation concerning power.

c) The text:

1-2: Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward He was hungry.

3-4: And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But He answered, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"

5-7: Then the devil took Him to the holy city, and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, 'He will give his angels charge of you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'"

8-11: Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; and he said to Him, "All these I will give You, if You will fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! for it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.'" Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

3. A time of prayerful silence

so that the Word of God may enter into our hearts and enlighten our lives.

4. Some questions

to help us meditate and pray.

a) What were the temptations? What is the connection between the Spirit, the desert, the fast and hunger and the temptation of Jesus?

b) What does the word temptation suggest to us today? How does it affect me in my daily life?

c) The tempter or Satan is he what takes me away from or makes me deviate from God’s path. It may be that I have already been Satan for someone, just like Peter was for Jesus.

d) The Spirit leads Jesus into the desert to be tempted by the devil. This calls to mind the temptations of the people in the desert after the exodus from Egypt. What does Matthew wish to suggest and teach through this reminder of the temptations of the people in the desert?

e) The devil uses the Bible to tempt Jesus. Jesus uses the Bible to overcome  temptation! Can the Bible be used for everything? How and for what end do I use the Bible?

f) The temptation of the bread. How can we speak of God to those who have all they need? How can we speak of God to those who are hungry?

g) The temptation concerning prestige. Prestige from knowledge, from money, from faultless moral conduct, from appearances, from fame, from honor: Do these exist in my life?

h) The temptation concerning power. Wherever two people meet, a relationship of power comes into play. How do I use the power that comes my way: in my family, in the community, in society, in my neighborhood? Do I give in to the temptation?

5. A key to the reading

for those who wish to go deeper into the matter.

= Jesus was tempted. Matthew renders the temptations intelligible: temptation of  bread, temptation of prestige, temptation of power. These are various forms of messianic hope that, then, existed among the people. The glorious Messiah who, like a new Moses, would feed the people in the desert: "command these stones to turn into bread!" The unknown Messiah who would impose himself on all by means of a spectacular sign in the Temple: "throw yourself from here!" The nationalist Messiah who would come to dominate the world: "All these things I will give to you!"

= In the Old Testament, identical temptations allow the people in the desert to fall after their exodus from Egypt (Deut 6:3; 6:16; 6:13). Jesus repeats history. He resists the temptations and prevents them from perverting God’s plan. The tempter or Satan is whatever makes us deviate from God’s plan. Peter was Satan for Jesus (Mt 16:23).

= Temptation was always there in the life of Jesus. It went with Him from the beginning to the end, from His baptism to His death on the cross. The more the proclamation of the Good News of the Kingdom spread in the midst of the people, the greater the pressure on Jesus to adapt Himself to the messianic expectations of the people to be the messiah desired and expected by others: "a glorious and nationalist messiah", "a messiah king", "a messiah high priest", "a messiah judge", "a warrior messiah", "a messiah doctor of the law". The letter to the Hebrews says, "Like us, he was tried in all things, except sin" (Heb 4:15).

= But temptation never succeeded in distracting Jesus from His mission. He continued firmly on His journey as "The Servant Messiah", as proclaimed by the prophet Isaiah and awaited especially by the poor, the anawim. In this, Jesus did not fear provoking conflicts with the authorities and with those dearest to Him. All those who tried to make Him deviate from his path received hard replies and unexpected reactions:

* Peter tried to take Him away from the cross: "Far from it, Lord, this will never happen!" (Mt 16:22). And he heard the reply, "Get behind me, Satan!" (Mk 8:33).

* His relatives, wanted to take Him home. They thought He was mad (Mk 3:21), but they heard harsh words, which seemed to create a rupture (Mk 3:33). Then, when Jesus had become famous, they wanted Him to appear more often in public and to remain in Jerusalem, the capital (Jn 7:3-4). Again, Jesus replies showing that there is a radical difference between his purpose and theirs (Jn 7:6-7).

* His parents complained: "Son, why have You done so?" (Lk 2:48). But Jesus replies, "Why were you looking for Me? Do you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?" (Lk 2:49).

* The apostles were glad of the publicity Jesus was getting in the midst of the people and wanted Him to turn towards the people. "Everyone is looking for You!" (Mk 1:37). But they heard the refusal, "Let us go elsewhere, to the neighboring villages and cities, so that I may preach also to them; it is for this that I have come!" (Mk 1:38).

* John the Baptist wanted to coerce Jesus into being "the strict judge messiah" (Lk 3:9; Mt 3:7-12; Mt 11:3). Jesus reminded John of the prophecies and asked him to compare them to facts, "Go tell John what you have heard and seen!" (Mt 11:4-6 and Isa 29:18-19; 35:5-6; 61:1).

* The people, when they saw the signs of the multiplication of the bread in the desert, concluded, "This surely is the prophet who is to come on earth!" (Jn 6:14). They got together to urge Jesus to be "the messiah king" (Jn 5:15), but Jesus took refuge on the mountain to be with the Father in solitude.

* When in prison and at the hour of darkness (Lk 22:53), the temptation to be "the warrior messiah" appeared. But Jesus says, "Put your sword back into its scabbard!" (Mt 26:52) and "Pray that you may not enter into temptation" (Lk 22:40,45).

= Jesus turned to the Word of God and there found light and nourishment. Above all, it is the prophecy of the Servant, proclaimed by Isaiah (Isa 42:1-9; 49:1-6; 50:3-9; 52:13-53, 12) that fills Him and motivates Him to go on. At the baptism and in the transfiguration, He receives the Father’s confirmation for His journey, His mission. The voice from heaven repeats the words with which Isaiah presents the Servant of Yahweh to the people, "This is My beloved Son, hear Him!" (Mk 1:11; 9:6).

= Jesus defines His mission with these words, "The Son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life for the redemption of many!" (Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45). This lesson He learned from His mother, who said to the angel, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to your word!" (Lk 1:38). By turning to the Word of God to deepen awareness of His mission and by seeking strength in prayer, Jesus faced temptations. In the midst of the poor, the anawim, and united to His Father, faithful to both, He resisted and followed the way of the Servant Messiah, the way of service to the people (Mt 20:28).

6. Psalm 91 (90)

God our protector is with us in times of temptation

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High,

who abides in the shadow of the Almighty,

will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress;

my God, in whom I trust."

For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler

and from the deadly pestilence;

He will cover you with His pinions,

and under His wings you will find refuge;

His faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

You will not fear the terror of the night,

nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,

nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

Because you have made the Lord your refuge,

the Most High your habitation,

no evil shall befall you,

no scourge come near your tent.

For He will give his angels charge of

you to guard you in all your ways.

On their hands they will bear you up,

lest you dash your foot against a stone.

You will tread on the lion and the adder,

the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.

Because he cleaves to me in love, I will deliver him;

I will protect him, because he knows My name.

When he calls to Me, I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble,

I will rescue him and honor him.

With long life I will satisfy him,

and show him My salvation.

7. Closing prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank You for Your word, which has made the Father’s will clearer to us. May Your Spirit enlighten our actions and give us the strength to follow what Your Word has revealed to us. Like Mary, Your Mother, may we not only listen to the Word but also put it into practice. Who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.

Salt of the earth and light of the world

Listen to the Word of Jesus,

beginning with today’s experience

Matthew 5:13-16 

1. Opening prayer

Lord Jesus, send Your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that You read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of Your sentence and death.

Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.

Create silence in us so that we may listen to Your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May Your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, may experience the force of Your resurrection and witness to others that You are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of You, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed the Father to us and sent us Your Spirit. Amen.

2. Reading

a) Key for the reading of both parables:

If you have a chance, read Matthew 5:1-12,  which meditated on the eight Beatitudes. The Beatitudes constitute the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount and describe the eight doors of entry into the Kingdom of God, by a life in community (Mt 5:1-12). This Sunday we meditate the continuation (Mt 5:13-16) which presents two well known parables, of the light and of the salt, with which Jesus describes the mission of the community. The community has to be salt of the earth and light of the world. Salt does not exist for itself, but to give flavor to food. Light does not exist in itself, but to illuminate the road. We, our community, do not exist for ourselves, but for others and for God.

Almost always when Jesus wants to communicate an important message, He has recourse to a parable or to a comparison, taken from daily life. In general, He does not explain the parable, because it is a question of things that we all know from experience. A parable is a provocation. Jesus provokes the audience to use its own personal experience to understand the message which He wants to communicate. In the case of the Gospel of this Sunday, Jesus wants that each one of us analyze the experience that he or she has of salt and light to understand the mission that is ours as Christians. In this world, is there someone, perhaps, who does not know what salt is or what light is? Jesus begins with two very common and universal things to communicate his message.

b) A division of the text to help in the reading:

Matthew 5:13: The Parable of the salt

Matthew 5:14-15: The Parable of the light

Matthew 5:16: Application of the parable of the light.

c) The text:

13 “You are salt for the earth. But if salt loses its taste, what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled under people's feet. 14 You are light for the world. A city built on a hill-top cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way your light must shine in people's sight, so that, seeing your good works, they may give praise to your Father in heaven.” 

3. A moment of prayerful silence

so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life. 

4. Some questions

to help us in our personal reflection.

i) Which part of the text struck you most? Why?

ii) In the first place, before trying to understand the meaning of Jesus’ words about the salt, try to reflect within yourself on the experience that you have of the salt in your life and try to discover this: “According to me, salt, for what is it good?”

iii) Starting then from this personal experience concerning the salt, try to discover the meaning of Jesus’ words for your life and for the life of the community, of the Church. Am I being salt? Is our community being salt? Is the Church being salt?

iv) What meaning does light have in your life? What has been your experience concerning light?

v) What is the meaning of the parable of the light starting from the application which Jesus Himself makes in the parable? 

5. For those who desire to deepen more on this theme

a) Context of the discourse of Jesus:

Literary context. The four verses of the Gospel of this Sunday (Mt 5: 13-16) are found among the eight Beatitudes (Mt 5:1-12) and the explanation of how the Law transmitted by Moses is to be understood (Mt 5:17-19). Then follows the new reading which Jesus makes of the commandments of the Law of God (Mt 5:20-48). Jesus asks us to consider the purpose of the Law which according to Him is contained in the words: “Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48). Jesus asks us to imitate God! At the origin of this new teaching of Jesus is found the new experience which He has of God the Father. Observing the Law in this way, we will be salt of the earth and light of the world.

Historical Context. Many converted Jews continued to be faithful in the observance of the Law, just as they had done during their childhood. But now, having accepted Jesus as the Messiah, and, at the same time, being faithful to the teaching received from their parents and the Rabbi, they were cutting themselves out from their Hebrew past, they were expelled from the synagogues, from the ancient teachers and even from their parents (Mt 10:21-22). And in their own Christian community, they heard the converted pagans say that the Law of Moses had been surpassed and that it was not necessary to observe it. They were between two fires. On one side, the ancient teachers and companions excommunicated them. On the other side, the new companions criticized them. All this caused tension and uncertainty in them. The openness of some criticized the closeness of others and vice-versa. This conflict brought about a crisis which led them to close up in their own position. Some wanted to go ahead, others wanted to place the light under the table. And many asked themselves: “But definitively, what is our mission?” The parables of the salt and the light help us to reflect on the mission.

b) Commentary on the text:

Matthew 5:13: The parable of the salt

Using images of daily life, with simple and direct words, Jesus makes known what is the mission and the reason for being of the Community: to be salt! In that time, because of the great heat, people and animals needed to eat much salt. The salt was delivered in great blocks by the suppliers and these blocks were placed in the public square to be consumed by the people. The salt which remained fell on the ground, was no longer good for anything and it was stepped on by everyone. Jesus recalls this usage to clarify the mission which the disciples have to carry out. Without salt nobody could live, but what remained of the salt was good for nothing.

Matthew 5, 14-16: The Parable of the Light

The comparison is obvious. Nobody lights a candle to place it under a bushel. A city on a mountain top cannot remain hidden. The community must be light, has to illuminate. It must not be afraid to show the good that it does. It does not do it to make it seen, but what it does can and should be seen. Salt does not exist for itself. Light does not exist for itself. This is the way a community should be: it cannot close itself in self.

c) To broaden the vision on the Beatitudes:

I. The parables in the context of the community of that time

Among the converted Jews there were two tendencies. Some thought that it was no longer necessary to observe the Laws of the Old Testament, because we have been saved by faith in Jesus and not by the observance of the Law (Rom 3:21-26). Others thought that they, being Jews, had to continue to observe the laws of the Old Testament (Acts 15:1-2). In each one of these two tendencies there were some more radical groups. Before this conflict, Matthew seeks a balance to unite both extremes. The community has to be a space where this balance can be reached and where it can be lived. The community has to be the center of irradiation of this lived experience and show everyone the true meaning and the objective of the Law of God. The communities cannot go against the Law, nor can they close themselves up in themselves in the observance of the Law. Like Jesus, they have to take a step ahead and show in practice the objective which the Law wants to attain, that is, the perfect practice of love. Living in this way they will be “Salt of the Earth and Light of the World”.

II. The various tendencies in the communities of the first Christians

* The Pharisees did not recognize the Messiah in Jesus and accepted only the Old Testament. In the communities there were persons who sympathized with the mentality of the Pharisees (Acts 15: 5).

* Some converted Jews accepted Jesus as Messiah, but did not accept the freedom of Spirit with which the communities lived in the presence of the risen Jesus (Acts 15: 1).

* Others, whether converted Jews or Pagans, thought that with Jesus the end of the Old Testament had been attained and that, therefore, it was not necessary to maintain and to read the books of the Old Testament. From now on, only Jesus and the life in the Spirit! James criticizes this tendency (Acts 15:21).

* There were Christians who lived fully their life in community in the freedom of the Spirit that they no longer considered either the life of Jesus nor the Old Testament. They wanted only the Christ of the Spirit! They said, “Jesus is cursed!” (I Cor 12:3).

* The great concern in the Gospel of Matthew is to show that these three unities: (1) the Old Testament, (2) Jesus of Nazareth and (3) the life in the Spirit, cannot be separated. The three form part of the same and unique project of God and communicate to us the central certainty of faith: the God of Abraham and of Sarah is present in the community thanks to faith in Jesus of Nazareth. 

6. Prayer: Psalm 27

Yahweh is my light

Yahweh is my light and my salvation,

whom should I fear?

Yahweh is the fortress of my life,

whom should I dread?

When the wicked advance against me to eat me up,

they, my opponents, my enemies,

are the ones who stumble and fall.

Though an army pitch camp against me,

my heart will not fear,

though war break out against me,

my trust will never be shaken.

One thing I ask of Yahweh,

one thing I seek:

to dwell in Yahweh's house all the days of my life,

to enjoy the sweetness of Yahweh,

to seek out His temple.

For He hides me away under His roof on the day of evil,

He folds me in the recesses of His tent,

sets me high on a rock.

Now my head is held high above the enemies who surround me;

in His tent I will offer sacrifices of acclaim.

I will sing, I will make music for Yahweh.

Yahweh, hear my voice as I cry.

Pity me, answer me!

Of You my heart has said, 'Seek His face!'

Your face, Yahweh, I seek;

do not turn away from me.

Do not thrust aside Your servant in anger,

without You I am helpless.

Never leave me, never forsake me, God, my Savior.

Though my father and mother forsake me,

Yahweh will gather me up.

Yahweh, teach me Your way,

lead me on the path of integrity because of my enemies;

do not abandon me to the will of my foes

false witnesses have risen against me,

and are breathing out violence.

This I believe: I shall see the goodness of Yahweh

in the land of the living.

Put your hope in Yahweh, be strong,

let your heart be bold, put your hope in Yahweh. 

7. Final Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice what your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, Your mother, not only listen to but also practice the Word. You live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

The Beatitudes

God thinks in a way diverse from us

Matthew 5, 1-12

1. Opening prayer

Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.

Create in us silence so that we may listen to your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of your resurrection and witness to others that you are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us your Spirit. Amen.

2. Reading

a) Key for reading the text on the Beatitudes:

On this Sunday, the Church invites us to meditate on the eight Beatitudes. Once, seeing the immense crowd who followed him, Jesus went up on the mountain near the Lake of Galilee. Sitting on the top, and looking at the crowds, he made this solemn proclamation: “Blessed are the poor, the afflicted, the humble, those who hunger and thirst for justice, those who struggle in behalf of peace, those who are concerned for the poor, the pure in heart, the persecuted for the cause of justice!” Words of fire which, even today, resound in the world! Throughout two thousand years, they have struck thousands of persons, and they make us think and ask ourselves: “What is happiness? Who is truly happy?”

Some advise: After the reading of the Beatitudes, it is good not to begin immediately to study and to analyze the words of Jesus. In the first place, it is good to keep silence in our heart for a moment and believe that we are in the midst of the people gathered together at the foot of the mountain, near the lake, watching Jesus and listening to his words.

b) A division of the text to help the reading:

Matthew 5, 1: The solemn proclamation of the new Law

Matthew 5, 2-10: The eight doors which permit one to enter the Kingdom of God

Matthew 5, 11-12: Jesus declares Blessed those who are persecuted

c) The text:

1 Seeing the crowds, he went onto the mountain. And when he was seated his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them: 3 How blessed are the poor in spirit: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 4 Blessed are the gentle: they shall have the earth as inheritance. 5 Blessed are those who mourn: they shall be comforted. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for uprightness: they shall have their fill. 7 Blessed are the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers: they shall be recognised as children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 11 'Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.

3. A moment of prayerful silence

so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.

4. Some questions

to help us in our personal reflection.



i) Which part of the text struck you the most? Why?

ii) Where, when and for whom does Jesus pronounce this discourse?

iii) Which are the groups of persons whom Jesus declares blessed? Which is the promise for each group?

iv) Do these groups which Jesus speaks about exist today? Who are they and where are they found?

v) How can it be understood that a person can be poor and happy at the same time?

vi) Try to remember two moments in which you truly felt happy in life. Is your opinion of happiness the same as that of Jesus?

vii) What type of happiness do people seek today?

5. A key for reading

For those who wish to deepen into this theme.

a) Context of the discourse of Jesus:

In Matthew’s Gospel Jesus appears as the new Legislator, the new Moses. Being the Son he knows the Father. He knows what the Father had in mind when, in the past, he gave the Law to the people through Moses. It is because of this that Jesus is able to offer us a new version of God’s Law. The solemn announcement of this New Law begins here, in the Sermon on the Mountain. In the Old Testament the Law of Moses is represented in five books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Imitating the old model, Matthew presents the New Law in five great discourses distributed throughout his Gospel: the Discourse (Sermon) on the Mountain (Mt 5 to 7), The Discourse on the Missions (Mt 10), the Discourse on the Mystery of the Kingdom present in life (Mt 13), the Discourse on the Community (Mt 18), the Discourse on the future of the Kingdom (Mt 24 and 25). But for Matthew the study of the Law alone is not sufficient. It is necessary to observe well the practice of Jesus, because in it the Spirit of God acts, he is who animates the letter of the Law from within. The description of the practice of Jesus occupies the narrative part intermingled among the five Discourses and has the purpose of showing how Jesus observes the Law and incarnates it in his life.

b) Commentary on the text:

Matthew 5, 1: The solemn announcement of the New Law

In the Old Testament, Moses went up to Mount Sinai to receive the Law from God. Jesus also, the new Moses, goes up on the mountain and looking at the crowd who followed him, proclaims the New Law. Up until this moment, there were only four disciples with Jesus (Mt 4, 18-22). But in fact, an immense crowd followed him. Surrounded by disciples, Jesus begins to teach them, proclaiming the Beatitudes.

Matthew 5, 3-10: The eight doors to enter into the Kingdom

The Beatitudes constitute the solemn opening of the Sermon on the Mountain. In it Jesus defines who can enter into the Kingdom. There are eight categories of persons. Eight entrance doors. There is no other door to enter into the Kingdom, in the Community! Those who desire to form part of the Kingdom must identify themselves with one of these categories or groups.

Blessed are the poor in spirit

It is neither the rich nor the poor who has the mentality of the rich. But it is the one who like Jesus lives poor (Mt 8, 18), believes the poor (Mt 11, 25-26) and sees in them the first recipients of the Good News (Lk 4, 18). It is the poor who has the Spirit of Jesus!

Blessed are the peacemakers

It is not the passive person who loses the will and no longer reacts. But they are those who have been “pacified” and now, like Mary, live in “humiliation” (Lk 1, 48). They have lost the land that they possessed, but they will regain it (Ps 37, 7.10-11.22. 29. 34). Like Jesus, they try to be “meek and humble of heart” (Mt 11, 19).

Blessed are those who mourn

It is not a question of just any kind of sadness, but of a sadness in the face of injustice and the lack of humanity which exists in the world (Tb 13, 16; Ps 119, 136; Ez 9, 4; 2 P 2,7). They are sad because they do not accept the situation in which humanity is.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice

It is not only a question of the justice sought for in tribunals and which many times is the legalization of injustice. But it is, above all, the Justice of God, which is sought, doing in such a way that things and persons can occupy the place that belongs to them in the plan of the Creator.

Blessed are the merciful

It is not only philanthropy which distributes alms, but it is a question of imitating God who has entrails of mercy for those who suffer (Es 34, 6-7) Mercy means to have the heart in the misery of others to diminish their pain. It means to do in such a way that the suffering of others is not foreign to us.

Blessed arte the pure in heart

It is not a question of legal purity which only sees the exterior, but it is a question of having a purified gaze to accept the Law of God in the heart which becomes transparent, and allows persons to recognize the calls from God in the events of life and of nature.

Blessed are the peacemakers

It is not only the absence of war. The peace which God wants on earth is the total and radical reconstruction of life, of nature and of communal life or living together. It is the Shalôm, the Peace announced by the prophets and given by Jesus to his disciples (Jn 20, 21).

Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of justice

In the world constructed and organized according to the egoism of persons and groups of persons (like the Neo-liberal system which dominates the world today) the one who desires to live the disinterested love will be persecuted and will die on the cross.

The 1^st and the 8^th categories (the poor and the persecuted in the cause of justice) receive the same promise of the Kingdom of God. and they receive it now, because Jesus says “the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs!” Between the 1^st and 8^th categories, there are other six who receive a promise which will be fulfilled in the future. In these six promises there is a new project. It is the project of the Kingdom, which wants to reconstruct life in its totality: in the relation with the material goods, with the persons, and with God. The Christian Community, poor and persecuted, is already a sign of the Kingdom! It is its seed!

(1) The first pair Meek and those who Mourn, refers to the relation to material goods. For the future they expect an equitable sharing of the goods of this world among all.

(2) The second pair Hunger and Thirst for justice and Merciful, refers to the relation between persons and community. For the future they expect the fraternal reconstruction of human living together.

(3) A third pair, Pure in heart and Peacemakers, refers to the relation with God: to see God and to be sons of God. For the future they expect the reconstruction of the relation with God.

The eight Categories

                        The eight Promises

                                               The project of the Kingdom

1. The poor in spirit

                   The Kingdom is theirs

                                               The seed of the Kingdom

2. The meek

3. Those who mourn

                   Will possess the earth

                   Will be consoled

                                               Just sharing of goods

                                               Eliminates inequality

4. Hunger and thirst for justice

5. The merciful

                   Shall have their fill

                   Will receive mercy

                                               Reconstructs the fraternal

                                               and just relationship

6. The pure in heart

7. The peacemakers

                   Will see God

                   Will be sons of God

                                               God is present,

                                               Friendly and faithful Presence

8. Persecuted in the cause of justice

                   The Kingdom is theirs

                                               The seed is crucified

Matthew 5, 11-12: Jesus declares that the persecuted are blessed

He pronounces a word of consolation to the persecuted. At the time of Matthew, around the years 80’s after Christ, this project of reconstruction of life and of living together or community living was about to be assumed by the Christian community, all of them poor and without the sense of expression. This is why they are persecuted. This last word of Jesus confirms the community in the resistance out of love for the Gospel.

c) Broadening our vision on the Beatitudes

* The community which receives the Beatitudes

Matthew mentions eight Beatitudes. Luke only has four and four curses (Lk 6, 20-26). The four mentioned by Luke are: “You who are poor, you who are hungry, you who weep, you who are hated and persecuted” (Lk 6, 20-23). Luke writes for the community of converted pagans. They live in the hostile context of the Roman Empire.

Matthew writes for the community of converted Jews, who live in the context of breaking away from the Synagogue. Before breaking away, they enjoyed a certain social acceptance. But now, after the breaking away, the community entered in crisis and in it they began to appear different tendencies and struggles among them. Some belonging to the line of Pharisees wanted to maintain the same rigour in the observance of the Law, to which they were accustomed before their conversion to Jesus. But in doing this, they excluded the little ones and the poor. The new Law introduced by Jesus asks that all be accepted in the community as brothers and sisters. For this, the solemn beginning of the New Law presents eight Beatitudes which define the categories of persons who should be accepted in the community: the poor, the meek, those who mourn, those who hunger and thirst for justice, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the persecuted.

* The poor in spirit?

Jesus recognizes richness and the value of the poor (Mt 11, 25-26). His mission was “to announce the Good News to the poor” (Lk 4, 18). He himself lived as a poor person. He possessed nothing himself, he had nowhere to lay his head (Mt 8, 18). And to those who want to follow Jesus he asks that they choose between God and money (Mt 6, 24). Poor in spirit is the person who before the poor has the spirit of Jesus.

Every time that in the story of the People of God they seek to renew the Covenant, it is begun by re-establishing the rights of the poor and of the excluded. Without this, it is not possible to renew the Covenant! This is what the prophets did, this is what Jesus does. He denounces the system which excludes the poor and those who are persecuted, those who fight for justice. In the name of God, Jesus announces a new Project which accepts the excluded. The community around Jesus has to be an example where this future Kingdom begins to be shaped. It should be characterized by a new type of relation to material goods, to persons and to God himself. It should be the seed of a new nation! Behold, a very important task for us Christians, especially for the young. Because this is the only way to merit credibility and to give a very concrete example of the Kingdom, an alternative of life which is really Good News of God for the poor and the excluded.

* Be blessed, happy today

The Gospel says exactly the contrary to that which the civil society in which we live affirms. In society the poor is considered an unhappy person, and happy the one who possess money and is able to spend as he wills. In our society, happy is the one who has fame and power. The unhappy ones are the poor, those who mourn and weep! On Television, the romances, shown in episodes diffuse the myth of the happy and fulfilled persons, and without being aware, the romances shown in episodes become the examples of life for many of us. These words of Jesus still keep their sense in our society: “Blessed are the poor! Blessed are those who mourn!” And for me, being a Christian, who in fact is Blessed?

6. Prayer: Psalm 117

God deserves to be praised.

Alleluia! Praise Yahweh,

all nations, extol him, all peoples,

for his faithful love is strong

and his constancy never-ending.

7. Final Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice that which your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, your mother, not only listen to but also practise the Word. You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

The beginning of the proclamation of the Good News

and the call of the first disciples

Matthew 4:12-23

1. OPENING PRAYER

In the darkness of a starless night,

a night of no sense,

You, the Word of life,

like lightning in the storm of forgetfulness,

entered within the bounds of doubt

under cover of the limits of precariousness

to hide the light.

Words made of silence and of the ordinary,

Your human words, heralds of the secrets of the Most High:

like hooks cast into the waters of death

to find man once more, immersed in his anxious follies,

and reclaim him, plundered,

through the attractive radiance of forgiveness.

To you, Ocean of Peace and shadow of eternal Glory,

I render thanks:

Calm waters on my shore that awaits the wave, I wish to seek You!

And may the friendship of the brothers protect me

when night falls on my desire for You. Amen.

2. READING

a) The text:

12 Hearing that John had been arrested He withdrew to Galilee, 13 and leaving Nazareth He went and settled in Capernaum, beside the lake, on the borders of Zebulon and Naphtali. 14 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: 15 Land of Zebulon! Land of Naphtali! Way of the sea beyond Jordan. Galilee of the nations! 16 The people that lived in darkness have seen a great light; on those who lived in a country of shadow dark as death a light has dawned. 17 From then onwards Jesus began His proclamation with the message, 'Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is close at hand.' 18 As He was walking by the Lake of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast into the lake with their net, for they were fishermen. 19 And He said to them, 'Come after me and I will make you fishers of people.' 20 And at once they left their nets and followed Him. 21 Going on from there he saw another pair of brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they were in their boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and He called them. 22 And at once, leaving the boat and their father, they followed Him. 23 He went around the whole of Galilee teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing all kinds of disease and illness among the people.

b) A moment of silence:

Let us allow the voice of the Word to resonate within us.

3. MEDITATION

a) Questions for reflection:

- Jesus settled by the sea: the Son of God settled beside human beings. The sea, this mysterious and boundless world, as immense in its horizon as the heavens are; the one reflected in the other, bordering on each other, distinct, a mutual reflection of calm and peace. Jesus, land of God, comes to live by the sea and becomes land of humankind. Shall we go and live beside God as the Word was before He came to us? Or is our fragile life in the flesh sufficient for us?

- The people that lived in darkness have seen a great light: immersed in darkness, men and women live their days in resigned pain and without the hope of anything changing for them. The world where faith is denied is a world immersed in darkness until light comes into it. Christ, the light of nations, has come into the world and darkness has dissipated so that the light might shine. Has the darkness within us dissipated?

- They left their nets at once and followed him. At once. Left. Followed. Difficult words for our way of life. To respond to God: yes, but calmly. To leave whatever we are doing for the Lord: yes, but first we must think well. How would it be if we did as the Apostles did: at once, left everything and followed Him? 

b) A key to the reading:

The God of the universe who created heaven and earth with His Word alone, leaves His dwelling place and comes to live beside the sea in a foreign land, to speak the language of earth so that heaven may be made known. The Son of man, too, the master from Nazareth, leaves the home of His youth to go to the Galilee of the peoples beyond the Jordan. The darkness of ignorance that flickers across the centuries is pierced by a great light. The shadows of death hear words that open new ways and new life: «Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near». To change itinerary, to come close to the light is not something strange for those who are familiar with the presence of the Most High. Because the eyes get used to the presence and the human heart easily forgets the past darkness when it is enjoying splendor. Repent. How? Human relationship becomes the new way along the sea-shore. There are brothers along the shore, pairs of brothers: Simon and Andrew, James and John. God does not come to break these relationships, but takes them up so as to fish in a new more shining life, in His life and His sea. 

As He was walking… The way is a great secret of the spiritual life. We are not called to stand still, but for us also to go by the sea, the sea of the world where people are the fish, immersed in bitter, salty and inhuman waters. Fishers of people. One cannot fish without the net of love, without a father who guards the boat, without a boat to launch into the deep. The net of human relationships is the only possible weapon of evangelizers, because with love we can go on a great fishing expedition, and love must not only be proclaimed but brought. To be called in pairs means precisely this bringing of a visible, concrete love, the love of brothers who enjoy the same parents, the love in whose veins flows the same blood, the same life. 

Follow me… to call others to walk, fish and witness. The nets break, but every fisherman is capable of repairing a broken net. Love is not a knick-knack that is broken with use! The art of accommodation makes precious every possible relationship among people. What matters is going, trusting in that new name, always and still called LIFE. 

Those called, go and follow Jesus. But where does Jesus go? He walks all over Galilee, teaches in the synagogues, preaches the good news of the kingdom, heals all kinds of diseases and infirmities of the people. Every sea person, apostle of the Kingdom, will act like Jesus: will walk the ways of the world and stop in the market places of people, will tell the good news of God and will take care of the sick and infirm, will make visible the concern of the Father for each one of His sons and daughters. 

4. PRAYER (Isa 43:1-21)

Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by your name, you are mine.

Should you pass through the waters, I shall be with you;

or through rivers, they will not swallow you up.

Should you walk through fire, you will not suffer,

and the flame will not burn you.

For I am Yahweh, your God, the Holy One of Israel,

your Savior.

Since I regard you as precious,

since you are honored and I love you,

I therefore give people in exchange for you,

and nations in return for your life.

Do not be afraid, for I am with you.

You yourselves are my witnesses,

declares Yahweh,

and the servant whom I have chosen,

so that you may know and believe me and understand that it is I.

I, I am Yahweh, and there is no other Savior but me.

Thus says Yahweh, who made a way through the sea,

a path in the raging waters,

No need to remember past events,

no need to think about what was done before.

Look, I am doing something new, now it emerges;

can you not see it?

Yes, I am making a road in the desert and rivers in wastelands.

The people I have shaped for Myself will broadcast My praises.

5. CONTEMPLATION

The waters of the sea that cover the earth tell me of the flow of your life, Lord. When sky and sea blend at the horizon, it seems as if I am seeing all that You are being reloaded into our being. A flow that is a soft wave of presence and an unspeakable story of love, made up of names, events, ages, secrets, placid emotions and unforeseen troubles, a story made up of lights and grey times, of enthusiasms and calm drowsiness. This sea that is humanity invaded by Your peace contains words without end, the words of your Word who wanted profoundly to take on the vest of the sand of time. How many words on the shores and ocean beds that are silently gathered, if only I am disposed to listen, Your words that the waves of life bring to shore and that are roads for navigators, ancient and new words, words never forgotten and words wrapped in mystery. Lord, may the waves of humanity not sweep me away, but may they become trails of communion for the fragile boat of my journey. May I learn from You to launch into the deep to fish in the dark nights of the human story, when the fish are more prone to allow themselves to be caught. At Your word, my God, I will cast the nets, and when I bring the boats to shore, I will go on following the footsteps You have left on the shore of history, when You chose to clothe Yourself with our muddy clothes.

John the Baptist announces Jesus

as the Lamb of God

John 1:29-34 

1. Opening prayer

 In this prayerful reading of the Gospel of John, we recall the words of Saint John Henry Newman to accompany and stimulate us, words that he liked to use in prayer to the Lord: Stay with me, and I shall begin to shine as you shine; to shine so as to be light for others.

Jesus, the light will all come from you: nothing will be because of me. It will be You who shine on others through me. Grant that I may praise You thus, in the way that You like most, shining on all those who are around me. Give them and me Your light; enlighten them together with me, through me. Teach me to spread Your prais e, Your truth, Your will. Grant that I may make You known not through words but by example, that influence of solidarity that comes from what I do, visibly resembling Your saints, and clearly full of the love that grows in my heart for You» (Meditations and Devotions). 

2. The text

29 The next day, he saw Jesus coming towards him and said, 'Look, there is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. 30 It was of Him that I said, "Behind me comes one who has passed ahead of me because He existed before me." 31 I did not know Him myself, and yet my purpose in coming to baptize with water was so that He might be revealed to Israel.' 32 And John declared, 'I saw the Spirit come down on Him like a dove from heaven and rest on Him. 33 I did not know Him myself, but he who sent me to baptize with water had said to me, "The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is to baptize with the Holy Spirit." 34 I have seen and I testify that He is the Chosen One of God.'

3. A prayerful silent pause

The Word of God demands that we want and welcome it through a meditation of silence. Quiet yourself, allow yourself to welcome the presence of God in His Word; a silence that makes room in your heart so that God may come and talk to you.

4. A symbolical reading

This Gospel passage speaks of two animals of great spiritual value in the Bible: the lamb and the dove. The first alludes to significant texts in the Bible: the paschal meal of the exodus (cc.12-13); the glory of the Christ-Lamb in the Apocalypse.

a) The symbol of the lamb:

Let us turn our attention to the symbol of the «Lamb (amnos) of God», and to its meaning.

- A first biblical allusion for an understanding of this expression used by John the Baptist to point out the person of Jesus, is the figure of the victorious Lamb in the book of the Apocalypse: in 7:17 the Lamb is the shepherd of the nations; in 17:14 the Lamb squashes the evil powers on earth. In Jesus’ time, people imagined that at the end of time a victorious lamb or one that would destroy the powers of sin, injustice and evil would appear. This idea conforms to the eschatological preaching of John the Baptist who warned that God’s anger was imminent (Lk 3:7), that the axe was already laid at the roots of the trees, and that God was ready to cut down and throw on the fire every tree that did not bear good fruit (Lk 3:9; Mt 3:12 and Lk 3:17).

Another very powerful expression with which the Baptist introduces Jesus is in Matthew 3:12: «His winnowing-fan is in His hand; He will clear His threshing-floor and gather His wheat into the barn; but the chaff he will burn in a fire that will never go out». It is not wrong to think that John the Baptist could describe Jesus as the Lamb of God who destroys the sin of the world. In fact, in 1 John 3:5 it is written, «Now you know that He appeared in order to abolish sin»; and in 3:8: «It was to undo all that the devil has done that the Son of God appeared». It is possible that John the Baptist greeted Jesus as the victorious lamb who, by God’s command, was to destroy evil in the world.

- A second biblical allusion is to the Lamb as the suffering servant. This figure of the suffering servant or of Jhwh is the subject of four canticles in Deutero-Isaiah: 42:1-4, 7, 9; 49:1-6, 9, 13; 50:4-9, 11; 52:13-53, 12. We need to ask ourselves whether the use of «Lamb of God» in John 1:29 is not colored by the use of “lamb” to allude to the suffering Servant of Yahweh in Isaiah 53. Did John really consider Jesus the lamb as the suffering Servant?

There certainly are no clear proofs that the Baptist made such a connection, nor are there proofs that exclude such a possibility. Indeed in Isaiah 53:7 it is written that the Servant: «never opened his mouth, like a sheep that is dumb before its shearers, never opening its mouth». This description is applied to Jesus in Acts 8:32, and so this likeness between the Suffering Servant and Jesus was made by the early Christians (see Mt 8:17 = Isa 53:4; Heb 9:28 = Isa 53:12).

Besides, in John the Baptist’s description of Jesus in 1:32-34, there are two aspects that recall the figure of the Servant: in v. 32 John the Baptist says that he saw the Spirit coming down on Jesus and resting on him; in 34 he identifies Jesus as the chosen of God. Thus also in Isaiah 42:1 (a passage which the synoptics also connect with the baptism of Jesus) we read: «Here is My servant whom I uphold, My chosen one in whom My soul delights (see Mk 1:11). I have endowed Him with my spirit». Again in Isaiah 61:1: «The Spirit of the Lord Yahweh has been given to me». These biblical allusions strengthen the possibility that the Evangelist made a connection between the Servant of Isaiah (chapters 42 and 53) and the Lamb of God.

In other parts of John’s Gospel we also find Jesus described with the traits of the suffering Servant (12:38 = Isa 53:1).

One interesting aspect to be noticed is that the Lamb of God is said to take away the sin of the world. In Isaiah 53:4, 12, it is said that the Servant bears or takes on himself the sins of many. By His death, Jesus takes away sin or takes it on Himself.

Thus according to the second interpretation, the Lamb as suffering Servant, is Christ who offers Himself freely to eliminate sin from the world and restore His brothers and sisters in the flesh back to God.

We find a modern confirmation of this interpretation of Jesus as “Lamb of God” in a document of the Italian bishops: «The Apocalypse of John, going even to the ultimate depths of the mystery of the One sent by the Father, recognizes in Him the Lamb who is sacrificed “since the foundation of the world” (Rev 13:8), the One whose wounds healed us (1 Pet 2:25; Isa 53:5)» (Communicating the Gospel in a changing world, 15).

- A third biblical allusion is the Lamb as the paschal lamb. John’s Gospel is full of Paschal symbolism especially in relation to the death of Jesus. For the Christian community for whom John is writing his Gospel, the Lamb takes away the sin of the world by His death. In fact, in John 19:14 it is written that Jesus was sentenced to death at midday on the eve of the Pasch, that is at the time when priests began to sacrifice paschal lambs in the Temple for Easter. Another connection of the paschal symbolism with the death of Jesus is that while Jesus was on the cross, a sponge soaked in vinegar was raised up to Him on a stick (19:29), and it was the stick or hyssop that was dipped into the blood of the paschal lamb to sprinkle the doorposts of the Israelites (Ex 12:22). Then in John 19:36 the fulfillment of Scripture that not one bone of Jesus would be broken, is clearly a reference to the text in Exodus 12:46 where it is written that not one bone of the paschal lamb must be broken. The description of Jesus as the Lamb is found in another of John’s works, namely the Book of Revelation: in 5:6 mention is made of the sacrificed lamb; in 7:17 and 22:1 the Lamb is the one from whom flows the spring of living water and this aspect is also an allusion to Moses who made water flow from the rock; finally, in 5:9 reference is made to the redeeming blood of the Lamb, another paschal motif that recalls the salvation of the houses of the Israelites from the danger of death.

There is a parallel between the blood of the lamb sprinkled on the doorposts as a sign of liberation and the blood of the lamb offered in a sacrifice of liberation. Soon Christians began to compare Jesus to the paschal lamb and, in doing so, they did not hesitate to use sacrificial language: «Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed» (1 Cor 5:7), including Jesus’ task of taking away the sin of the world.

b) The symbol of the dove:

This second symbol also has several aspects to it. First of all, the expression “like a dove” was common to express the affective connection with the nest. In our context it says that the Spirit has found its nest, its natural habitat of love in Jesus. Moreover, the dove symbolizes the love of the Father that rests on Jesus as in a permanent dwelling place (see Mt 3:16; Mk 1:10; Lk 3:22).

Then the expression «like a dove» is used in connection with the verb to descend to express that it is not a question of the physical aspect of a dove but the way the Spirit descends (like the flight of a dove), in the sense that it does not strike terror but rather inspires trust. Such biblical symbolism of the dove does not have parallel symbolisms in the Bible; however an old rabbinical exegesis compares the hovering of the Spirit of God over the primordial waters to the fluttering of the dove over its nest. It is not impossible that in using this symbol, John wanted to say that the descent of the Spirit in the shape of a dove was a clear reference to the beginning of creation: the incarnation of God’s plan in Jesus is the summit and aim of God’s creative activity.

The love of God for Jesus (corresponding to the movement of the dove returning to its nest) urges Him to pass on the fullness of His divine essence (the Spirit is love and loyalty).

5. The message

a) Christ is our salvation: The Baptist had the task of pointing out in Jesus «the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world». The proclamation of the Gospel, the word of Jesus Christ, is as essential and indispensable today as it was yesterday. We never cease to need liberation and salvation. Proclaiming the Gospel does not mean communicating theoretical truths nor is it a collection of moral teachings. Rather, it means allowing people to experience Jesus Christ, who came into the world – according to John’s witness – to save humankind from sin, evil and death. So we cannot transmit the Gospel and at the same time not pay attention to the daily needs and expectations of people. To speak of faith in Jesus, Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, means to speak to people of our time, first asking ourselves what do they seek in the depths of their hearts.

“If we wish to hold on to an appropriate criterion…, we shall need to nurture two complementary focal points… Jesus Christ is witness to both. The first consists of our effort to listen to the culture of our world so as to discern the seeds of the Word already present there, even beyond the visible borders of the Church. To listen to the most intimate expectations of our contemporaries, consider seriously their wishes and desires, seek to understand that which burns in their hearts and what makes them afraid and diffident”. Besides, paying attention to the needs and expectations of people «does not mean renouncing what is different in Christianity or the transcendence of the Gospel… the Christian message points to a fully human way of life but does not limit itself to presenting mere humanism. Jesus Christ came so that we may partake of the divine life, of that life which has been called “the humanity of God”. (Communicating the Gospel in a changing world n. 34)

b) The Spirit does not come only to rest on Jesus, but to possess Him permanently so that He may share Himself with others in baptism. Finally, “the lamb who pardons sins and the dove of the Church meet in Christ”. Here is a quotation from St. Bernard where he brings together the two symbols: “The lamb is among animals what the dove is among birds: innocence, sweetness and simplicity”.

c) Some practical suggestions:

- Renew our availability to collaborate with the mission of Christ in communion with the Church by helping people to be free of evil and of sin.

- To stand by men and women on their journey that they may live in hope in Jesus who liberates and saves.

- To give witness to one’s joy in experiencing the efficacy of the word of Jesus in one’s life.

- To live by communicating faith giving witness to Jesus, savior of all people.     

6. Psalm 40

This psalm speaks of the situation of a person who, freed from some oppression, finds no more authentic attitude in reply to God than an existential and total availability to His word.

I waited, I waited for Yahweh,

then He stooped to me and heard my cry for help.

He put a fresh song in my mouth, praise of our God.

You wanted no sacrifice or cereal offering,

but You gave me an open ear,

You did not ask for burnt offering or sacrifice for sin;

then I said, 'Here I am, I am coming.'

In the scroll of the book it is written of me,

my delight is to do Your will;

Your law, my God, is deep in my heart.

I proclaimed the saving justice of Yahweh in the great assembly.

See, I will not hold my tongue, as You well know.

7. Closing prayer

Father, who on the day of the Lord

gather Your people to celebrate

the One who is First and Last,

the Living One who has conquered death,

grant us the strength of your Spirit so that, having broken the chains of evil,

we may render You the free service

of our obedience and love,

so that we may reign with Christ in glory.

For He is God, who lives and reigns with You,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever.

(From the Liturgy)

The baptism of Jesus in the Jordan

Matthew 3:13-17

1. Opening prayer

“We praise You, invisible Father, giver of immortality: You are the source of life, the source of light, the source of every grace and truth, lover of humankind and lover of the poor, who reconciles all with You and draw all to You through the coming of Your beloved Son.

Make us living people, grant us Your Spirit of light so that we may know You, the true One and the One whom You sent, Jesus Christ.” (Serapion’s Anaphora)

2. Reading

a) Introduction:

This Gospel fragment (Mt 3:13-17) is part of a narrative section of Matthew the Evangelist, the section that introduces the public life of Jesus. After the flight into Egypt, Jesus lives in Nazareth. Now, as an adult, we find Him on the banks of the river Jordan. The meeting of the two is part of the concluding section dedicated to John the Baptist. Anyone who wishes to go deeper into the personality of John and his message (Mt 3:1-12 has already been presented to us in the liturgy of the second Sunday of Advent) needs to keep in mind the whole of chapter 3 of Matthew. Our passage concentrates especially on the acknowledgement of the divinity of Christ at the time of His baptism. God the Father reveals the identity of Jesus.

b) A division of the text as an aid to its reading:

Matthew 3:13  setting

Matthew 3:14-15  dialogue John-Jesus

Matthew 3:16-17  epiphany/theophany

c) The text:

13 Then Jesus appeared: He came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 John tried to dissuade Him with the words, 'It is I who need baptism from You, and yet You come to me!' 15 But Jesus replied, 'Leave it like this for the time being; it is fitting that we should, in this way, do all that uprightness demands.' Then John gave in to Him. 16 And when Jesus had been baptized He at once came up from the water, and suddenly the heavens opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him. 17 And suddenly there was a voice from heaven, 'This is my Son, the Beloved; my favor rests on Him.'

3. A moment of silent prayer

so that the Word of God may penetrate our hearts and enlighten our lives.

4. Some questions

to help us in our meditation and prayer.

a) Why does Jesus “appear” after His hidden life in Nazareth?

b) How does awareness of His identity and mission grow?

c) Have I, at some time, taken on something new in my life?

d) Who or which experience has most revealed to me my identity, vocation and mission?

e) What does the memory of my baptism mean to me?

5. Meditation

a) A key to the reading:

Together with a historical-chronological reading of the passage, the episode of the baptism of Jesus and His meeting with John before He begins His public life, we need to keep in mind also a symbolical reading, assisted by the Fathers of the East, a symbolism that is the framework of this liturgical season of Christmas and which concludes with the full manifestation of God as man: a synthesis of the manifestation-epiphany of the Son of God in the flesh.

b) A commentary on the text:

Mt 13: 13 The adult Jesus

After John “appears” on the scene (13:1), Jesus of Nazareth, the town where He spent His childhood and early youth (Mt 12:23), goes to the river Jordan. As a good Israelite, He watches the authentic religious movements that spring up among the people. He shows that He approves of the work of John and decides to be baptized with water, not, of course, to receive forgiveness for sins, but to unite Himself and share fully in the expectations and hopes of all men and women. It is not humankind that goes to Him, but He who goes towards humankind, according to the logic of the incarnation.

Mt 13:14-15 the dialogue of John with Jesus

John’s attempt to prevent the baptism of Jesus is his acknowledgement of the difference between the two and an awareness of the new (the New Covenant) making its appearance. “The one who follows me… will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire… his winnowing-fan is in his hand… will clear… will gather… will burn…” (vv.11-12). Jesus’ attitude is still one of submitting to God’s saving plan (in this way, do all that righteousness demands), respecting the manner (in humility-kenosis) and the times (the time-kairos). We also see the difference between the two from their families of origin (priestly for John), from the places (Jerusalem for John, Nazareth for Jesus) from the manner of conception (a proclamation to the father, Zachary, in the old style; a proclamation to the mother, Mary), the parents’ ages (those of John old). Everything points to the passage from the old to the new. Matthew prepares the readers for the newness of the Christ: “you have heard it said, but I say to you” (Mt 5).

Mt 13:16-17 the presentation of God the Father and the Holy Spirit

In Matthew’s Gospel we have the solemn “adoration of the Magi” in acknowledgement of the royalty and divinity of Jesus. Luke also adds the acknowledgement of Elizabeth (Lk 1:42-43), of the angels (Lk 2:13-14) of the shepherds (Lk 2:20), and of the aged Simeon and Anna (Lk 2:30; 28). All the Evangelists record the proclamation of the divine identity of Jesus by God the Father and the Holy Spirit present in the form of a dove. Matthew says clearly “This is” not “you are” my Son, the Beloved. Jesus is divine by nature and also the new Adam, the beginning of a new humanity reconciled with God as well as nature reconciled with God by means of Christ’s immersion in the waters. The heavens are reopened after being closed for such a long time by sin, and earth is blessed.

The descent of Christ into the waters prefigures His descent into hell and the words of the Psalmist come true (Ps 74:13-14), he crushes the head of the foe. The Baptism not only prefigures, but inaugurates and anticipates Satan’s defeat and the liberation of Adam.

However, it will not be easy to recognize the Messiah in His weakness. John himself has some doubts when in prison, and he sends his disciples to ask “are you the one who is to come or are we to wait for someone else?” (Mt 11:3).

6. For those who wish to go deeper into the liturgical and ecumenical aspects

In the tradition of the Eastern churches, the Baptism of Jesus is the most important liturgical feast of the Christmas cycle. On 6 January they celebrate together the baptism, birth, visit of the Magi, the wedding feast of Cana, as one fact. Rather than the historical development of the life of Jesus, they stress His theological-saving relevance. They do not dwell on the sentimental aspect, but on the historical manifestation of God and His acknowledgement as Lord.

Cyril of Jerusalem says that Jesus gives the waters of baptism “the color of His divinity” (III mystagogic catechesis, 1).

Gregory Nazianzen writes that the creation of this world and the creation of the spiritual world, once foes, reunite in friendship, and we humans, united in one choir with the angels, partake of their praises (PG 46,599).

The descent into the waters corresponds to the descent into the bowels of the earth symbolized by the birth in a cave. The destructive waters become waters of salvation for the just.

The Old Testament readings of the liturgical Vespers recall the saving waters: the Spirit hovers over the waters at the time of creation (Gen 1), the waters of the Nile save Moses (Ex 2), the waters open for the people of Israel to go through (Ex 14), the waters of Mara become sweet (Ex 15), the waters of the Jordan open before the Arc (Josh 3), the waters of the Jordan heal Naaman the leper (2 Kings 5) etc. Jesus then at the wedding feast in Cana transforms water into wine (Jn 2) as a sign that the time of salvation has come.

At this feast in the eastern liturgy, there is a tradition of blessing water in a spring or river by immersing the cross three times (the triple baptismal immersion). This recalls the prophet Isaiah: let the wilderness and the dry lands exult (Isa 35:1-10), come to the water all you who are thirsty (Isa 55: 1-13), draw water joyfully (Isa 12:3-6).

7. Psalm 114 (113)

Alleluia!

When Israel came out of Egypt,

the House of Jacob from a people of foreign speech,

Judah became his sanctuary,

and Israel his domain.

The sea fled at the sight,

the Jordan turned back,

the mountains skipped like rams,

the hills like sheep.

Sea, what makes you flee?

Jordan, why turn back?

Why skip like rams, you mountains?

Why like sheep, you hills?

Tremble, earth, at the coming of the Lord,

at the coming of the God of Jacob,

who turns rock into pool, flint into fountain.

8. Closing prayer

Jesus, source of life, who comes to cancel Adam’s sentence, in the Jordan You killed hatred; grant us the peace that is beyond all thought. Resplendent Word sent by the Father, after You have uprooted the sins of mortals, come and dissipate the long and sad hours of the night, and by your baptism, let Your children rise resplendent from the waves of the Jordan. May the human race clothe itself in white, come out of the waters as children of God and transform creation into the image of the creator. (From oriental liturgical “chants”)

From October 11 to 15 a meeting of bursars was held in St Joseph’s Retreat Centre in the hills outside Bali in Indonesia. The bursars from Indonesia and its commissariats and mission in China, from the Philippines and its mission in Papua New Guinea, from Australia and its mission in Timor Leste, from the St. Thomas province and Latin Delegation in India and from the mission of the St. Elias province, New York in Vietnam were joined by the General Councillor for Asia, Australia and Oceania, Fr Albertus Herwanta and the Bursar General, Fr Kevin Alban. Over the course of the four days information was exchanged regarding the financial situation in the various entities that make up the region. Several practical recommendations were made about communications, formation and fund raising which will be presented to the superiors of the region. The group agreed that the experience had been very positive and that there would be another meeting in October 2011 in the Philippines.

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