Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 1, 29-34
John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
He is the one of whom I said,
‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’
I did not know him,
but the reason why I came baptizing with water
was that he might be made known to Israel.”
John testified further, saying,
“I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”
John the Baptist’s Testimony
1. Coming towards him. Jesus is on the move; He is working to save souls. That is his great mission and it’s our mission too, from the moment of our baptism. Our mission involves trying to help people to fulfil themselves. This is not like it was in times of the Crusades when people were sought out to become Catholics in order to make the religion stronger. No! Our aim is that people may know that they are valuable and that we care about them because they are God’s sons and daughters. We do not judge their past or their life, but rather, we come to bring Jesus to them. We come to share God’s peace with them. Today we recognize that we need a church that is close to people, because for so long, you and I have closed in on ourselves. Today, many do not have peace in their hearts. Who are you going to reach out to today, or this year?
2. Baptism. It is one of the greatest sacraments. It is the door that gives us access to the other sacraments. That is why this sacrament must be highly valued. Remember that you were anointed so that no evil should harm your soul. Remember that you were bathed to cleanse you completely and to make you a spiritually pure person. Remember that during your Baptism ceremony, your parents and godparents lit a candle, as a sign of Jesus, the Light of the World, that you received within your soul, because you have come to illuminate the world.
3. To learn. It will be our duty to work towards getting to know Jesus more deeply. He breaks our mental frameworks and shows us a different way of thinking and living, even of living our religion. The key point is our encounter with Him. That encounter will allow us to o get to know Him more and more deeply. It is like a love relationship. He looks for us so that we may know Him and when He finds us, He takes us and touches the deepest part of our souls and hearts. That leads us to want to be with Him, to get to know Him more, and to love Him, because we cannot love what we do not know.
Never forget that something good is on the way!
God bless you, be with you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
