Today’s readings speak about the new birth and how the church offers her children the covenant and the act of baptism.
Genesis begins with the promise of the blessing that encompassed all the Earth on the third day as a symbol of what the resurrection gave on the third day and we live its effect in Holy Baptism and Abraham’s willingness to offer his son a sacrifice and Isaac obeyed to the slaughter as a symbol of Christ’s obedience to death and Isaac’s deliverance from death on the third day as a symbol of the Lord’s resurrection on the third day.
“and went to the place of which God had told him.
Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.
and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son–blessing I will bless
you, In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed,” (Genesis 22)
The book of Isaiah calls on peoples to be renewed in order to live salvation and a new life.
“Renew to me, O Algeria, but Israel, I will be eternally saved by the Lord.”
Proverbs of Solomon warns of the strange waters of the world.
“And do not lift up your eyes towards her, and drink from a strange spring and move to a strange river, stay away from strange waters so that you may live a long time and increase the years of life for you”.
And in the book of Job,it is about the action of the spirit in baptism and the new nature that we receive.
“Indeed He would have brought you out of dire distress, Into a broad place where there is no restraint; And what is set on your table would be full of richness.” (Job 36)
And in the book of Tobit,it is about salvation from Satan and about enlightenment as a sign of the work of the spirit in the waters of baptism
And in the Matins psalm,it is about baptism; spiritual washing.
” Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” (Psalms 51)
In the Matins gospel,it is about the cross; the peak of the revelation of God’s love for mankind and the foundation of salvation and new birth.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3)
In Pauline Epistle, we read about the exodus of the people from the land of Egypt an example of baptism in the New Testament and the importance of man’s commitment to the holy life, lest we have the fate of the people in the old days, despite the greatness of what God did with them. “Moreover, brethren, I do not
want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea,
all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.”(1 Corinthians 10)
And in the Catholic Epistle,it is about the gift of liberation from the power of sin.
“I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.
I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one” (1 John 2)
And in Praxis,it is about the faith of the people of Samaria and their acceptance of baptism.
“But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.
Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip,” (Acts 8)
And in the psalm of the liturgy,it is about the call to baptism which is the mystery of the Enlightenment of the children of God.
“They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed.” (Psalms 34)
The Gospel of the liturgy concludes with baptism and the birth from above from water and the spirit in the dialogue of the Lord with Nicodemus.
” Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3)
The summary of readings
The revelations, gifts and effects of baptism are death and resurrection as in the story of the slaughter of Isaac. Genesis
Renewal. The book of Isaiah
The waters of life. The Book of Proverbs
Deliverance from the mouth of the enemy; Satan. Book of Job.
Enlightenment. The book of Tobit and the Psalms of the liturgy.
Ablution. The Matins Psalm
Super divine love. The Matins gospel
Anew life according to God’s thought. Pauline Epistle
Forgiveness of sins. Catholic Epistle
The futility of the magic of the world.Praxis
The Kingdom road. The Gospel of the liturgy