Members of ARCWP gather to celebrate the Baptism of Jesus
Homily led by Mary Theresa Streck and Community Reflection
“As I was meditating on the readings for today, I thought about the reading from Isaiah and imagined that most observant Jews in first century Judea also meditated on that beautiful love poem. I thought of Jesus sitting in the synagogue in Galilee listening to this same reading just as you and I are listening to it today. And since the synagogues of that time were primarily a community gathering place, I imagine Mary, Joseph and Jesus sitting with their neighbors to listen and discuss their sacred text. “
Homily by Lynn Kinlan ARCWP
Our first reading is the one of four Suffering Servant Songs or poems crafted by Isaiah as an ongoing conversation between Yahweh and Israel. The songs profile Jews as chosen or beloved (which are synonyms in Greek) people of the covenant, endowed with the Spirit of God who is present with them even in tough times.
Isaiah’s original audience were Jews who had been deported from Palestine to Babylon after Jerusalem and the first temple were destroyed. Imagine, they were exiled from their language, culture and homeland and now this poet guy Isaiah is telling them how they should bring light to the nations and work to free captives.