Gospel : Luke 3 : 15 – 22
Year C
All the people were baptised ….
Was there really such a rush to come to John the Baptist? What matters! Through whatever really happened long ago, St. Luke puts before us a vast crowd of people, all those who, down through the centuries, will come to receive Baptism, the crowds of sinners of all times who will aspire to a better life.
You come to mix with them; You show solidarity with this sinful people. You join with them on the road to conversion in having Yourself Baptised like them. Thus You can better draw them with You, and make them into the people of the children of God.
Jesus was praying ….
You pray at the moment of Your Baptism, You show us the way to conversion and You draw us into Your Filial dialogue with the Father. To be converted, is to turn away from self in order to turn towards God, it is to move from self-centred to God-centred.
Baptism has made us children. Teach us to pray, Lord Jesus, to say with You : Our Father!
The sky opened ….
Relations are possible again between heaven and earth. With You and through You, the crowd of sinners has become again the people of God. The Spirit, Who inspired Your prayer, now inspires ours, and in You, the Father can recognise us as His children.
The Spirit descended like a dove ….
Like at the beginning of the world, the Spirit hovers over us … He comes into us: God sent into our hearts the Spirit of His Son Who cries out : Abba! Father! (Gal.)
A voice from heaven was heard: You are My Son!
Jesus, You are the eldest of many brothers (Rom.8:29). Baptism makes us members of Your Body. So the Father’s voice is directed also to us. Let us, like You and in You, be to the full, sons and daughters of God.
