Today is the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that Jesus “begins his public life after having himself baptized by St. John the Baptist in the Jordan. […] Our Lord voluntarily submitted himself to the baptism of St. John, intended for sinners, in order to ‘fulfill all righteousness.’ Jesus’ gesture is a manifestation of his self-emptying. The Spirit who had hovered over the waters of the first creation descended then on the Christ as a prelude of the new creation, and the Father revealed Jesus as his beloved Son.”
CHALLENGE
Jesus didn’t need to be cleansed from sin, but we do. Take a moment and think about how few sins would be committed if everyone just kept their baptismal promises! Then today, solemnly renew your baptismal promises.
Want to learn more about the Order of Mercy, also known as the Mercedarians? Mercy, Ransom, Redemption is a compilation of short stories about Mercedarian saints, blesseds, brothers, priests, and third order members of the Order.
