By Sean Flatley
Pastoral Council Vice Chair
2008-2011

January 10th, 2010
Luke 3:15-16, 21-22 –
15-16: The people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ.  John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming.  I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”21-22: After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove.   And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

If you had not noticed, today’s Gospel is two separate readings from Luke 3, combined to make one reading.  The first part of the reading is 3:15-16, which talks about John the Baptist.  John was out in the wilderness baptizing people in the Jordan for forgiveness of their sins, conversion of their lives and preparing them for the coming of the Lord.  Many people were wondering if maybe
John was the Christ.  John tells them that he is not and more importantly, that he can only baptize them with water.  He then tells them that the Christ will baptize them with the Holy Spirit and fire. 

The second part of today’s Gospel reading (3:21-22), is about Jesus himself being baptized and the Holy Spirit descending on him in the form of a dove.  It also has God speaking from heaven proclaiming Jesus as his son.  Now the important part to note is that Jesus did not need to be baptized for the forgiveness of his sins since he did not sin.  Jesus was baptized to affirm to us that this is the right way to seek forgiveness and conversion of heart.  And as we all know, this is the first sacrament we receive.  This is how we become a part of the body of Christ, a part of the Catholic Church.  It is the first step we take in our faith journey which will hopefully end in Heaven with Jesus.

If you read Luke 3:17, which is between these two passages, John proclaims “His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire”.  This
of course lets us know what he means by Jesus baptizing with the Holy Spirit and fire.  Those who receive the Holy Spirit and live their lives to serve and please God are like the wheat and will be gathered into Heaven.  Those who fail to live their lives according to God’s word, are like the chaff, and are separated from God for eternity in the unquenchable fire we know as hell.

After his baptism in the Jordan, Jesus goes out into the desert and is tempted by the devil for 40 days.  Following his time in the desert, Jesus starts his public mission.