Matthew 3:13-17 After Jesus was baptized, he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him

Sharing Guidelines
*Sharing is not a time for teaching or debate; it is a time to sense the marvelous work of the Holy Spirit who leads the gathering.
*Reflection sharing is not meant to teach others but to share the meaning you personally have discovered. Therefore, do not criticize or debate another person’s sharing. Avoid boasting of your own understanding or knowledge.
*Respect the grace of the Holy Spirit, who reveals the meaning of the Word while dwelling among us, and listen attentively to others’ sharing, holding it in your heart.
*Keep confidential any personal reflections or stories shared in the group; practicing brotherly love means not passing along private matters outside the meeting.
*When speaking, always use the first person singular (“I”). Be careful not to distance or generalize your story by using the third person (“he,” “they”) or the first person plural (“we”).
*Keep it short.

Gospel. (Matthew 3:13-17)  13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?” 15 Jesus said to him in reply, “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him.

16 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. 17 And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” “The Gospel of the Lord.”
◎ “Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.”

Today’s Reflection

John’s baptism was understood as washing away sins, and washing away sins was a way to come closer to God. To wash our sins, we try hard to look at our faults. Thinking about what we did wrong before going to confession can feel painful. Honestly, what hurts even more than feeling sorry for my sins is facing the shame of what I have done.

Jesus has no sin, yet He still receives baptism. In today’s Gospel, His baptism is described as fulfilling “all righteousness.” Since the time of the prophets, “righteousness” meant meeting God in the right way. This meeting often happened in places of conflict, where the weak were suffering because of the powerful. God chose to be close to people who were hurting or sad.

When we see Jesus being baptized, we can think about the times we meet people in our daily lives—when we talk, laugh, or spend time together. Some meetings help us grow in goodness. But sometimes, instead of helping each other, we end up blaming one another and hurting each other inside.

Today’s Gospel ends with these words: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” According to Isaiah, this Son is the suffering servant who carries other people’s sins and keeps silent, even in pain. It is not easy to take on another person’s burden. But at the very least, we can try not to place more burdens or guilt on others.

Righteousness can sometimes come from strong decisions and actions in difficult moments. But more often, it is completed through simple daily acts of love—emptying ourselves, giving of ourselves, and being patient again and again, even seventy times seven times.(박병규 요한 보스코 신부)

Sharing

1. Share a word or phrase that touched your heart.

2. Reflect on your priorities in life. Are they aligned with God’s righteousness? If not, what is getting in the way?

3. Reflect on how John the Baptist prepared the way of the Lord. Have you ever planned or joined a service or mission work on your own initiative? If not, what kind of work for the Lord would you like to do, and how can you make Jesus’ way a way of righteousness?

4. John the Baptist was very humble, saying he was not worthy even to untie Jesus’ sandals. What keeps us from staying humble in our faith life? How can we remain on the path of humility?

5. Resolution: Based on today’s message, what kind of life should you try to live?