After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened [for him], and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove [and] coming upon him.
And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17 NABRE)
At this, the very beginning of Jesus' public ministry, God approves Jesus. His baptism in the Jordan River is his coming out party. It is the signal of the beginning of his public ministry. In this moment, described for us in such amazing language, the holy Spirit comes upon Jesus to give him exactly what he needs, equipping him for his ministry.*
God gives us what we need, at exactly the moment we need it. His timing is perfect, and we need to patiently wait for his gifts. As we wait, we pray continually. In our ignorance of his plan, we sometimes ask for patient endurance. We praise him for his greatness. We thank him for his mercy.
Lord, thank you for equipping me to do your work by the Holy Spirit dwelling within me. So often, I would have no other recourse than to rely on my own human reaction to difficulties and I know from experience that leads me only to failure and loss. Please bolster my confidence in you, Holy Spirit, so that I might always yield to your promptings rather than the impulses of my own thinking, so that I might seek to grow in the gifts you give me rather than pursuing the blessings of others, and so that I might spread your fruits in the world and expand your kingdom.
Today, I will open my heart to God's acceptance of me, and I will accept his power to confront the challenges of this day.
Saint Maria Crocifissa Di Rosa, founder of the Handmaids of Charity, pray for us.
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