Tuesday, February 5, 2008

This week’s Gospel: The Baptism of the Lord

This week’s Gospel as in the Codex Fuldensis Gospel: The Baptism of the Lord
Using data publicly available from:
http://www.catholic-ew.org.uk/liturgy/Calendar/2008/Jan08.html
and The Sunday Missal to cross-check
This Week's Gospel: Matt 3: 13 - 17.
(13th-January-2008) The Baptism of the Lord, Year A

As soon as Jesus was baptised he saw the Spirit of God coming down on him.
The reading is entirely contained in the caput listed. The reading, is taken mainly from Matthew, but is liberally augmented from Luke and John. The caput, so augmented runs on slightly longer than the given reading, so is given in entirety, as the context still holds good.
Note this paragraph, and refer to Psalms 2: 7.
And behold a voice from heaven saying:
Thou art my beloved Son.
In thee I am well pleased.

The acknowledgement of a son by his father is commonly referred to in Jewish lore as the rite of begetting. Indeed, in the psalm, that actual word is used in the declaration, thus if we take the psalms as verbum Dei, then Our Lord is not the only acknowledged, (begotten), son of G_d, but is though, the only publickly acknowledged Son.
There is no concept in Jewish lore of adoption. A son, acknowledged is a son every bit as much as a son born of blood.
Our Lord, also made much that he would acknowledge his followers before his Father, and reject the unfaithful, so acting for the Father, take the faithful as brothers, acknowledged, not adopted, and so, also true sons, and daughters of G_d.
See Mt 10:32 - 33.
Note also, whereas the Vulgate has Jesus coming out of Gallilee to be baptized, Codex Fuldensis has Him coming into Gallilee.
XIIII. Ubi Ihesus baptizaretur ab Iohanne.
(Where Jesus is baptized by John.)

Then cometh Jesus to Galilee, to the Jordan, unto John, to be baptised by him. And Jesus himself was beginning about the age of thirty years: being, as it was supposed, the son of Joseph.

But John stayed him, saying: I ought to be baptised by thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering, said to him: Suffer it to be so now. For so it becometh us to fulfil all justice. Then he suffered him.

Now it came to pass, when all the people were baptised, that Jesus also being baptised and praying, forthwith came out of the water:

And lo, the heavens were opened to him: and he saw the Spirit of God descending in a bodily shape, as a dove, and coming upon him.


And behold a voice from heaven saying:
Thou art my beloved Son.
In thee I am well pleased.


And John gave testimony, saying: I saw the Spirit coming down, as a dove from heaven; and he remained upon him. And I knew him not: but he who sent me to baptise with water said to me:

He upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining upon him, he it is that baptiseth with the Holy Ghost, and I saw: and I gave testimony that this is the Son of God.

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