Today’s Gospel includes a lot of freedom and peace. We get to be witnesses of Jesus getting baptized in the Jordan. This gospel made me reflect on my own baptism. Thinking about how amazing it is to have parents that chose to raise me within the church and make sure that I received the sacraments as I grew up. This is one of few times that we actually get to hear God speak within the scriptures, and he says, “You are my beloved son; with you I am well pleased.”
Thinking about how beautiful that day must have been, I reflected back in high school when I was talking to one of my home parish priests, Fr. Allen, I told him a lot about my self-doubts, and that I didn’t feel that I was worthy or good enough a lot of the times to be in a close relationship with Jesus.
I will never forget that he told me that I needed to sit down with this exact passage put myself in the Jordan with Jesus, and imagine Jesus baptizing me. He said think about God‘s voice booming through the clouds after being baptized and saying, “this is my daughter with you I am well pleased.” Of course, I couldn’t help but burst with tears because my mind couldn’t even wrap around being in the arms of Jesus, but also being confirmed in who I am by God alone.
It was such an overwhelming experience that whenever those doubts flood into my head, I put myself back into this scenario and think about how absolutely loved I am and worthy that I am to be redeemed by him.
