Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

(I John 2:29-3:6; John 1:29-34)

All the gospels feature John the Baptist near their beginning.  However, none picture John in quite the same way.  In the Gospel of Mark John does not know who is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit is.  In John’s gospel, the Baptist points to Jesus as he.

Mark claims that John’s baptism forgives sins.  So what more can Baptism with the Holy Spirit do?  It makes the baptized children of God, heirs of heaven, and temples of the Spirit on earth.  Knowing that Christians can act viciously, one may think the gospel is a fantasy.  But a person may devolve after becoming a child of God.  He or she may lose sanctity through serious sin. 

Living a spiritual life, we take Baptismal sanctity seriously.  We strive to act like the person we have become.  With the grace of the Holy Spirit, we can succeed in this endeavor as sure as we can learn to read.

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