BAPTISM OF THE LORD Lectionary #21C

The first or second reading from Year A may be used in place of these readings. In a way, these readings hark back to Advent, particularly to the Third Sunday of Advent, since today's Gospel picks up where that Gospel ends. The baptism of Jesus is put in the context of our own call (second reading) and of cosmic restoration (first reading).

Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11. The return of the exiles is such a powerful event that people feel as if the desert itself prepares a smooth path for them to walk. From the perspective of a ruined Jerusalem and Judah, it is as if God is physically returning to the land with the exiles.

Psalm of the Day: Ps (103) 104. A hymn of praise to the Lord as creator and sustainer of the universe. Note: Because this set of readings was new with the 1998 Lectionary for Mass , most of the older music resources do not have a setting of Psalm 104 that contains all the verses used today. Most of them do have a setting with the refrain “Lord, send out your spirit.” You might consider using one of these settings, if a more appropriate arrangement is not available, or use a setting of the psalm from Year A: Psalm (28) 29 with the refrain “The Lord will bless his people with peace.” Here are some settings of the Year A psalm:

El Señor Bendice a Su Pueblo (Manzano) FYC 192
The Lord Will Bless His People (Batastini) RS 58
The Lord Will Bless His People (Booth) GP 191/SP4 12
The Lord Will Bless His People (Forrester/Somerville) CBW 38
The Lord Will Bless His People (Guimont) GC 40
The Lord Will Bless His People (Kreutz) PC3 50/SMM4 34/PRM B15
The Lord Will Bless His People (Proulx/Gelineau) WOR 785
The Lord Will Bless Us with Peace (Whitaker) MI-BB 749

Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7. Once more, this feast at the end of the Christmas cycle harks back, this time to the readings for Christmas. After outlining the way Christians should live, the writer points out that our opportunity to live this way is a gift of divine mercy.

Luke 3:15-16, 21-22. After the echo of the Third Sunday of Advent, this reading offers Luke's version of Jesus' baptism. It appears to be a simple report that these things happened; it does not say who (if anyone) saw or heard any of it.

Songs for the Liturgy

A Living Hope (2,G) CBW 613
All the Ends of the Earth -- Dufford (G) GP 683/MI-BB/GC 520/GC2 526/JS 595
*All You Who Are Thirsty (G) RS 644/GC 501/RS 644
Arise, Your Light Is Come! (1) CBW 302
Baptized in Water (G) WOR 720/RS 903/GC 798/GC2 797/CBW 614/WC 603/WS 417
Bathed in the Waters of Life JS 546/MI-BB
Before the Sun Burned Bright (G) GP 577/CBW 504
Blessed Quietness (G) LMGM 72
Christ, You are the Fullness (2,G) CBW 431
*Come, Taste and See (G) GP 526/MI-BB
*Down Galilee = s Slow Roadways (G) HG 16
Everyone Moved by the Spirit (G) GP 412
God Sends Us His Spirit (G) WOR 724/GC 467
God, Who at the Font Once Named Us (1,G) WC 769
Hail to the Lord's Anointed (1,G) WC 510
Healing River (G) RS 715/GC 584/GC2 564
Healing River of the Spirit (1,Ps) MI-BB
Here Am I (1) RS 822
I've Just Come from the Fountain (G) LMGM 110/WC 604
Joy to the World (1) WOR 399/CBW 328/GP 318/LMGM 19/BB/RS 524/GC 343/GC2 353/WC 487/JS 336/WS
Now in This Banquet, vss 3-4 (1) GC 833/GC2 825/RS 933/CBW 608
O Christ, the Great Foundation (G) WOR 618/RS 781, 782/CBW 527
O God of Love, O King of Peace (Ps) WOR 652/WC 858/RS 833/CBW 681
Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness (1,G) CBW 582
Praise to You, O Christ Our Savior (G) JS 674/MI-BB/RS 652/GC 515/GC2 517/CBW 442/GP 662
Priestly People, v 1 (E,1,G) WC 740/WS
Send Down the Fire (G) GC 466/GC2 477
Song of the Holy Spirit (G) JS 460/CBW 526/BB
Song over the Waters (G) RS 855/GC 585/GC2 559
Songs of Thankfulness and Praise (G) WOR 410/CBW 348/BB/RS 529/GC 376/GC2 383/WC 512/JS 368/WS 363
The Church of Christ in Every Age (1) WOR 626/RS 803/WC 930/JS 843/MI-BB
The Church's One Foundation (G) CBW 604/GP 46/MI-BB/WC 743/GC 661/JS 779/WS
The Spirit of God (G) WC 793/GC 458/JS 424/WS 536
The Voice of God (1,G) WOR 358/CBW 433
There Is One Lord (G) GP 453/WOR 657/MI-BB/WC 598/RS 835/GC 809/GC2 796/JS 699/WS 422
Wade in the Water (G) LMGM 107/GC 812/GC2 793/JS 544/MI-BB/GP 456
Waters of Love (Ps,G) WC 600
*When Jesus Came to Jordan (G) WOR 697/RS 878
*When Jesus Comes to Be Baptized (G) CBW 350/JS 372
*When John Baptized by Jordan 's River (G) WOR 412/RS 538/CBW 325/JS 373/WC 517
Wonderful and Great (Ps) WC 918
You Are the Voice (G) RS 659/GC 549/GC2 538/CBW 576
You Have Anointed Me (1) RS 795/GC 676/GC2 662/GP 555
*You Will Draw Water (PsB) GC 620/WC 344/JS 116