Rosary Musings: First Luminous Mystery

The First Luminous Mystery: the Baptism of Jesus

Matthew 3:13 (from the New Jerusalem Bible)

13 Then Jesus appeared: he came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John. 14 John tried to dissuade him, with the words, 'It is I who need baptism from you, and yet you come to me!' 15 But Jesus replied, 'Leave it like this for the time being; it is fitting that we should, in this way, do all that uprightness demands.' Then John gave in to him. 16 And when Jesus had been baptised he at once came up from the water, and suddenly the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him. 17 And suddenly there was a voice from heaven, 'This is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on him.'

I will always remember that Kieran was born on a Thursday, for I was trying to pray the Rosary during labour and it was the Luminous Mysteries, which are prayed on Thursdays (OK, so I kept forgetting which mystery I was on, but I was in labour, so I think I'm excused).  I see in the baptism of Jesus another way in which He is glorified in humbling Himself. He humbled Himself to be baptised, though He had no need of baptism, and in doing so the Trinity is revealed, along with the revelation of His divine status. It is amazing to think of.  I so often take the belief of the Trinity for granted, but what a revelation that must have been, for the Trinity to be truly revealed in that way!