The Baptism of the Lord, January 8, 2024

Gospel

Mk 1:7-11

This is what John the Baptist proclaimed: 
“One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water; 
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee 
and was baptized in the Jordan by John.
On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open 
and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.
And a voice came from the heavens, 
“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Reflection

What stood out to me in this Gospel were the words of John the Baptist when he said “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals, I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit”. There is such humility in his proclamation because he is acknowledging the coming of someone even greater than he (Jesus), so much so that he recognizes how unworthy he is to even unfasten Jesus’s sandals. As one can imagine at that time the task of removing or loosening the sandals from someones feet was a lowly job done by servants, and to me this is John proclaiming how he is a servant of God. John's humility I think is also rooted in his understanding of the divine mission of Jesus. He recognizes that he is preparing the way for someone far more significant and powerful, someone who will bring a baptism not just of water but of the Holy Spirit as he said, “I have baptized you with water; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit”. John's role was to prepare the hearts of the people for the arrival of the Messiah, and he humbly acknowledges this in his words and actions in this Gospel.

This Gospel being very much about baptism also reminded me of what a gift it is as the first sacrament we receive when entering the Catholic faith. As well as how important of a sacrament it truly is as Jesus seemingly did not need to be baptized. Jesus was sinless from birth and inherently free of the need for repentance, yet He chose to undergo this sacrament, to demonstrate its profound necessity for humanity. And then in response to His baptism God answered with approval, “and a voice came from the heavens, You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased”. This is just what I imagine God saying every time someone gets baptized as they become a newly adopted son or daughter of God and a new member of the Church. What a beautiful sacrament that marks the beginning of a lifelong journey of faith an

d the pursuit of eternal life in heaven.