Vigils Reading – Baptism of the Lord

THE KISS OF THE DOVE

From a homily by Bede the Venerable

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John gave testimony, saying,’I saw the Spirit descending like a dove

from heaven, and it rested on him’. It is good that the Spirit descended upon the

Lord in the form of a dove, so that the faithful may learn that they cannot be

filled with his Spirit unless they are simple, unless they possess true peace with

their brothers and sisters, which is signified by the kiss of doves.

Ravens also have kisses, but they tear flesh (which a dove does not do at

all), signifying those who speak peace with their neighbor, but wicked things

are in their hearts. A dove, which by nature is innocent of the tearing of flesh,

most suitably fits those innocents who pursue peace and sanctity with everyone,

solicitous to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. And so the Spirit,

by descending as a dove, does not represent merely its own innocence and

simplicity, or that of him on whom it descended, but likewise that of those who

think of him in goodness and seek him in simplicity of heart.

The Lord himself says in praise of the piety that they share with one

accord, and of the gentleness granted by a spiritual grace, One is my dove; she is

the only one of her mother, the elect of her progenetrix. Indeed, he calls the

grace of the Spirit ‘the mother and progenetrix of the Church’. By that inspiring

grace she too receives the capacity of being rightly called a dove. Accordingly, in

Hebrew, the language in which holy scripture was set forth, ‘spirit’ is a name

that is feminine in gender. On this account, the Church is appropriately given

the name ‘the one dove of Christ,’ and ‘the elect of her mother and progenetrix,’

for undoubtedly it is not because of her own merits, but because of gift of

spiritual grace she has received, that she is gathered into the unity of the

Christian faith from many nations, that she is gladdened by a mutual dove-like

peace, and that she is blessed by her share in election.

‘And I,’ John says,‘was not aware of him’. You understand what is

implied: ‘I did not recognize him as sublimely as I recognized him when the

Spirit descended upon him’. ‘But he who sent me to baptize with water said to

me, “The one upon whom you will see the Spirit descending and resting upon

him, he it is who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.”‘ The Lord baptizes with the

Holy Spirit, pardoning sins through the gift of the Holy Spirit. For either he

would first baptize some of his disciples with water, through whom the river of

baptism would flow to the rest of the faithful; he would baptize them too with

the Spirit by unloosing them from their sins and administering the gifts of the

Spirit – or else his faithful, calling upon his name, would baptize the elect with

water and anoint them with sacred chrism.

Nevertheless, he himself baptizes them in the Holy Spirit, for no one

except him is capable of releasing the bonds of sins or of bestowing the gifts of

the Holy Spirit.