You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased

13 JANUARY (Lk 3,15-16.21-22)

Today, Jesus is anointed Messiah of the Lord, His Anointed. the Lord does not use olive oil for him as it was used for priests and kings of the Old Covenant. There is a divine, eternal and supernatural oil for him. Jesus is anointed, wrapped, impregnated with the Holy Spirit that rests upon Him in bodily form like a dove. The dove is the symbol of peace. With Christ peace between God and humanity is made. That is how this made peace is sung by St. Paul in his Letter to the Ephesians.

Therefore, remember that at one time you, Gentiles in the flesh, called the uncircumcision by those called the circumcision, which is done in the flesh by human hands, were at that time without Christ, alienated from the community of Israel 7 and strangers to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh, abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims, that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile both with God, in one body, through the cross, putting that enmity to death by it. He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (Ephesians 2,11-22).

However, there is a substantial difference between the ancient prophecy of Isaiah and what today the Gospel reveals. For Isaiah, the Messiah is the servant of the Lord. Today, the Word of the Father tells us that Jesus is his Son, his Beloved. He is the Son whom he has begotten before all ages.

Then all the army leaders, Johanan, son of Kareah, Azariah, son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, high and low, approached the prophet Jeremiah and said, “Grant our petition; pray for us to the Lord, your God, for all this remnant. We are now few who once were many, as you well see. Let the Lord, your God, show us what way we should take and what we should do.” Very well! the prophet Jeremiah answered them: I will pray to the Lord, your God, as you desire; whatever the Lord answers you, I will tell you; I will withhold nothing from you. And they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be our witness: we will truly and faithfully follow all the instructions the Lord, your God, will send us. Whether it is pleasant or difficult, we will obey the command of the Lord, our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us for obeying the command of the Lord, our God.” Ten days passed before the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. Then he called Johanan, son of Kareah, his army leaders, and all the people, high and low, and said to them: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to offer your prayer: (Is 42,1-9).

The mystery of Jesus Christ is great. He is greater than John not only for the mission – even this is also greater, it is the mission of missions – but especially for the Person that performs it. The Person is God, the true God, the Only true Son of the Father, begotten by him in the today of eternity before time. Everything that exists was created. The Son is eternal as the Father is eternal. He is begotten, not created.

Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah. 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. 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.”

Our Messiah, Saviour, Redeemer, Liberator is not simply a man; he is a true man and a true God: perfect in divinity and perfect in humanity. Jesus is not the son of God by adoption, by election, by covenant. He is true Son of God by generation. Jesus is the only true natural, eternal Son of God. God is Father for this generation. Otherwise he would be only our Creator. The fatherhood of God is his eternal essence.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints make us understand the mystery.