Baptism And The Heavens

Et statim ascendens de aqua vidit coelos apertos... Mysterium trinitatis in baptismati domini demonstratur. Dominus baptizatur, Spiritus descendit in specie columbae, Patris vox testimonium Fili prabentis auditur. Aperiuntur autem coeli, non reseratione elementorum, sed spiritualibus oculis, quibus et Ezechiel in principio voluminis sui apertos eos esse commemorat. Sedit quoque columba super caput Jesu, ne quis putaret vocem Patris ad Joannem factam, non ad Dominum. Pulcher autem cum dixisset: Et Spiritum tanquam columbam descendentem, addidit, et manentem in ipso. Hoc etenim Mediatori Dei et hominum donum est speciale collatum. ut implens semel eum Spiritus sanctus, nunquam recederet, sed perpes in illo maneret. Nam fidelibus ejus ad insignia virtutum et miracula facienda aliquando gratia Spiritus confertur, aliquando tollitur. Quibus tamen ad operationem pietatis et justitiae, ad amorem Dei et proximi conservandum, nunquam gratia Spiritus abest. Unde de illo Spiritu promittitur, dicente eis Domino: Vos autem cognoscetis eum quia apud vos manebit, et in vobis erit. Verum specialiter in Domino manet Spiritus semper, non quomodo in electis ejus juxta mensuram fidei, sed sicut Joannes ait: Vidimus gloriam ejus, gloriam quasi Unigeniti a Patre, plenum gratiae et veritatis. Manet autem in illo Spiritus, non ex eo tantum tempore quo baptizatus est in Jordane, sed ex illo potius quo in utero conceptus est virginali. Nam quod in baptizatum descendere visus est Spiritus, signum erat conferendae nobis in baptismo gratiae spiritualis, quibus in remissionem peccatorum ex aqua et Spiritu regeneratis amplior ejusdem Spiritus gratia per impositionem manus episcopi solet coelitus dari. Sicut etiam hoc quod apertos coelos vidit post baptisma, nostri utique gratia factum est, quibus per lavacrum undae regeneratricis janua panditur regni coelestis, quae, peccantibus quondam protoplastis ac paradiso ejectis, toti generi humano interpositis cherubim et flammeo gladio clausa est. Exstinguitur namque haec flamma cuique fidelium, cum aquis vitalibus tingitur. Reconciliatur angelicis spiritibus, cum ad pacem sui redierit Creatoris, adeo ut si percepta fidei sacramenta puro corde et corpore servaverit, mox solutus carne regna possit intrare coelestia. Alioqui quomodo tunc aperirentur Domino coeli, qui cum homo fieret et habitaret nobiscum in terra, coelum pariter divina potentia continebat et terram? Sed et hoc quod vox paterna de coelis innotuit: Tu es Filius meus dilectus, in te complacui, non ipse Filius quod nesciebat docetur, sed nobis quod credere debeamus ostenditur: Ipsum videlicet qui baptizandus cum aliis venit ad Joannem homo, verum esse Dei Filium; non solum ipsius Joannis, sed et totius mundi Dominum, et ideo veraciter in Spiritu sancto baptizare valentem. Nos quoque vox eadem docuit per aquam ablutionis et spiritum sanctificationis Dei posse filios effici. Quotquot enim receperunt eum, dedit eis potestatem filios Dei fieri. Bene autem in specie columbae descendit Spiritus sanctus, quod multum simplex est animal, atque a malitia fellis alienum, ut figurate nobis insinuaret quod simplicia corda quaerit, nec habitare dignatur in mentibus impuris, qualis fuit Simon ille cui dicebat Petrus: Non est tibi pars, neque sors in sermone hoc; in felle enim amaritudinis et obligatione iniquitatis video te esse. Sanctus Beda, In Marci Evangelium Expositio, Liber I, Caput I Source: Migne PL 92.138b-139b

And immediately as He rose up from the waters the heavens were opened... 1 The mystery of the Trinity is revealed in the baptism of the Lord. The Lord is baptised, the Spirit descends in the form of a dove, the voice of the Father is heard bearing witness to the Son. Yet the heavens were not opened with the wrenching apart of the elements but to spiritual eyes, as with Ezekiel who in the beginning of his book recalls the things revealed to him. Then the dove sat on the head of Jesus, lest it be thought that the voice of the Father was addressed to John and not to the Lord. Well it is said, 'And the spirit descended like a dove,' and then it is added, 'and remained on Him,' for this is the special gift given to the Mediator of God and man, that once He was filled with the Spirit it never withdrew, but it remained with Him always. For sometimes the grace of the Holy Spirit is given to His faithful ones as a sign of virtue, or for the making of miracles, and then it is taken away, but for the works of piety and righteousness and the preservation of love of one's neighbour and God the grace of the spirit is never taken away. Whence concerning the spirit that is promised the Lord says to them, 'You shall know Him because He shall remain with you, and in you He shall be.' 2 But the spirit remains in the Lord always especially, not as in the elect according to the measure of faith, but as John says, 'We have seen His glory, the glory as the only unbegotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.' 3 And the spirit remains in Him not only from the time when He was baptised in the Jordan, but from that point when He was conceived in the virginal womb. For that the spirit was seen to descend at the baptism was a sign given to us for the baptism of spiritual grace, by which for the forgiveness of sins through water and the regeneration of the spirit there is more of that spirit's grace than is accustomed to be found in the laying on of the blessed hands of a bishop. Therefore Him seeing the heavens opened after baptism was done for our sake, because by the washing of the waters of regeneration the doors of the heavenly kingdom are opened, those gates from which sin cast out the first formed man and which were then closed to the whole human race by the setting of a Cherubim with a flaming sword there. 4 This flame is extinguished for the faithful when it is touched by the life giving waters. It reconciles us with angelic spirits when it returns us to peace with the Creator, so that if a man shall serve the holy teachings of the faith with a pure heart and body, soon with the dissolution of the flesh he shall be able to enter the kingdom of heaven. Yet how were the heavens opened to the Lord who had become a man and dwelt with us on the earth, when the Divine power encompasses both heaven and earth? But even this the Father's voice from heaven takes note of when it says, 'You are my beloved son, in you I am well pleased.' For He is not a Son who was ignorant and taught, but it was for us, that we should believe, that it was revealed. That is, He came to John as a man to be baptised with other men, He who was truly the son of God, and Lord not only of John but even of the whole world, and therefore rightly it was beneficial to be baptised in the Holy Spirit. We also learn from that voice that we can be made into sons of God by the cleansing waters and the sanctification of the spirit. 'As many as received Him, He gave power to be sons of God.' 5 Well indeed, then, did the Holy Spirit descend as a dove, because it is a most innocent animal and has nothing to do with any bitter wickedness, but its figure intimates to us that we should seek simplicity of heart, 6 and scorn to live with soiled minds, as Peter said to Simon, 'You have no part nor lot in this matter. For I see you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity.' 7 Saint Bede, Commentary on the Gospel of Mark, Book 1, Chapter 1 1 Mk 1.10 2 Jn 14.17 3 Jn 1.14 4 Genes 3.24 5 Jn 1.12 6 Wisdom 1.1 7 Acts 8.21-23