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 1:32-34 NABRE)
Even when we're told what to look for, we don't always see it. We get caught up in our own issues and concerns. We need to be more like John, who heard and stayed aware, looking for this sign. Looking for the dove. When we stay aware, looking for the doves in our own lives that confirm who Jesus really is, we find ourselves caught up in God's issues and concerns rather than our own.
Lord God, please keep my eyes turned upward, looking for the dove, looking for your Spirit who illuminates the reality of Jesus your son. Protect me from the cares and concerns of this life, seeing them not as hardships to steal my attention, but rather as chances to rely on your grace, as opportunities to remember my own baptism, as gifts which, despite their difficulty, help me to grow in the knowledge and understanding of your greatness and my own dependence upon you.
Today, I will celebrate baptism, the dying to sin and the rising filled with the Spirit.
Saint Claude de la Colombière, who promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us.
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