Everyone must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ
Acts 2:14a, 36-40a, 41-42
On the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up with the Eleven,
raised his voice, and proclaimed:
"Let the whole house of Israel know for certain
that God has made him both Lord and Christ,
this Jesus whom you crucified."
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart,
and they asked Peter and the other Apostles,
"What are we to do, my brothers?"
Peter said to them,
"Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins;
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is made to you and to your children
and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call."
He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them.
Those who accepted his message were baptized,
and about three thousand persons were added that day.
They devoted themselves to the teaching of the Apostles
and to the communal life,
to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.
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Commentary on Acts 2:14a, 36-40a, 41-42
This exhortation to repentance follows the first of six discourses in Acts (Acts 2:14-36) dealing with Jesus’ resurrection and mission as Messiah. It also follows on the heels of the Pentecost event. The focus of this selection is the Jewish response to Peter's revelation that Jesus, who was put to death at the hands of the Jews, was the Messiah. Their admission of this truth provoked a simple response; "What are we to do, my brothers?"
Peter responds "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." A special note; this injunction by St. Peter does not supersede the command that the Trinitarian formula be used in baptism (e.g. ...In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. see Matthew 28:19). Rather, he is telling his audience they must repent and be washed clean of their sins in baptism. A benefit of this healing bath is also the reception of the Holy Spirit, a gift sealed in the Sacrament of Confirmation.
St. Luke records that the message of the Apostles was received in truth and "...about three thousand persons were added that day." The passage concludes with the Apostles fervently dedicating themselves to follow the command that Christ left them, to living in common, loving one another, and to proclaiming the Good News as they shared the Eucharist.
CCC: Acts 2:34-36 447, 449; Acts 2:36-38 1433; Acts 2:36 440, 597, 695, 731, 746; Acts 2:38 1226, 1262, 1287, 1427; Acts 2:41 363, 1226
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RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 34:2-3, 6-7, 8, 9
R. (6a) Look to the Lord and be filled with light.
I will bless the LORD at all times/-
praise shall be always in my mouth.
My soul will glory in the LORD
that the poor may hear and be glad.
R. Look to the Lord and be filled with light.
Look to God that you may be radiant with joy
and your faces may not blush for shame.
In my misfortune I called,
the LORD heard and saved me from all distress.
R. Look to the Lord and be filled with light.
The angel of the LORD, who encamps with them,
delivers all who fear God.
R. Look to the Lord and be filled with light.
Learn to savor how good the LORD is;
happy are those who take refuge in him.
R. Look to the Lord and be filled with light.
Psalm 34 is a song of thanksgiving and a favorite for celebrating the heroic virtue of the saints. The psalmist, fresh from the experience of being rescued (Psalm 34:5, 7), can teach the "poor," those who are defenseless, to trust in God alone. This psalm, in the words of one being unjustly persecuted, echoes hope for deliverance and freedom. The promise of salvation for those who follow the Lord gives hope to the poor and downtrodden.
GOSPEL
A I, the light, have come into the world.
Jesus cried out and said,
Jesus goes on to explain that he and the Father are one, and that, not only was he sent by God, but that all he said was from God. We note also that Jesus says that those who do not believe in him will not be condemned by the Lord; rather they condemn themselves through their own actions, and will be so judged on the last day.
During the Passover Feast, Jesus instructs Nicodemus on the need to turn away from the world of the flesh and focus instead on life in the Spirit of God. This passage is filled with the images of the Christian baptismal calling “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.” Placed in the Easter season, this can be seen as a reference to the Lord’s resurrection in the spirit.
CCC: Jn 3:2 581; Jn 3:3-5 782; Jn 3:5-8 691, 728, 1287; Jn 3:5 432, 720, 1215, 1225, 1238, 1257, 1262, 2790
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 34:2-3, 6-7, 8, 9
R. (6a) Look to the Lord and be filled with light.
I will bless the LORD at all times/-
praise shall be always in my mouth.
My soul will glory in the LORD
that the poor may hear and be glad.
R. Look to the Lord and be filled with light.
Look to God that you may be radiant with joy
and your faces may not blush for shame.
In my misfortune I called,
the LORD heard and saved me from all distress.
R. Look to the Lord and be filled with light.
The angel of the LORD, who encamps with them,
delivers all who fear God.
R. Look to the Lord and be filled with light.
Learn to savor how good the LORD is;
happy are those who take refuge in him.
R. Look to the Lord and be filled with light.
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Commentary on Ps 34:2-3, 6-7, 8, 9
Psalm 34 is a song of thanksgiving and a favorite for celebrating the heroic virtue of the saints. The psalmist, fresh from the experience of being rescued (Psalm 34:5, 7), can teach the "poor," those who are defenseless, to trust in God alone. This psalm, in the words of one being unjustly persecuted, echoes hope for deliverance and freedom. The promise of salvation for those who follow the Lord gives hope to the poor and downtrodden.
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GOSPEL
A I, the light, have come into the world.
Jesus cried out and said,
"Whoever believes in me believes not only in me
but also in the one who sent me,
and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.
I came into the world as light,
so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.
And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them,
I do not condemn him,
for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world.
Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words
has something to judge him: the word that I spoke,
it will condemn him on the last day,
because I did not speak on my own,
but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak.
And I know that his commandment is eternal life.
So what I say, I say as the Father told me."
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Commentary on Jn 12:44-50
Setting the stage for this passage from St. John’s Gospel, we find Jesus in the Temple precincts again, this time after his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. He has been teaching, and while many believed that he was the Messiah, the Pharisees were intimidating many present and most did not acknowledge this belief. Jesus expresses his frustration in this passage as we hear: “Jesus cried out and said, "Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me.”
Jesus goes on to explain that he and the Father are one, and that, not only was he sent by God, but that all he said was from God. We note also that Jesus says that those who do not believe in him will not be condemned by the Lord; rather they condemn themselves through their own actions, and will be so judged on the last day.
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B What is born of the Spirit is spirit.
There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
He came to Jesus at night and said to him,
"Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God,
for no one can do these signs that you are doing
unless God is with him."
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God."
Nicodemus said to him,
"How can a man once grown old be born again?
Surely he cannot reenter his mother's womb and be born again, can he?"
Jesus answered,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and Spirit
he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
What is born of flesh is flesh
and what is born of spirit is spirit.
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Commentary on Jn 3:1-6
During the Passover Feast, Jesus instructs Nicodemus on the need to turn away from the world of the flesh and focus instead on life in the Spirit of God. This passage is filled with the images of the Christian baptismal calling “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.” Placed in the Easter season, this can be seen as a reference to the Lord’s resurrection in the spirit.
CCC: Jn 3:2 581; Jn 3:3-5 782; Jn 3:5-8 691, 728, 1287; Jn 3:5 432, 720, 1215, 1225, 1238, 1257, 1262, 2790
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