Things to talk about:

• Why did John baptize people? Why did Jesus come to the Jordan for John to baptize him?
• What do you think the conversation between John the Baptist and Jesus means?
• When you love someone, what would you do for that person? How do people show you that you are loved? How do you know that Jesus is the beloved of God? Discuss what it means to be beloved.
• What are some of the things we are called to do as baptized Christians?

Things to do:

• Look through pictures of each person’s baptism and share memories from that day. (When we were baptized in Jesus’ name, our sins were forgiven and we received the Holy Spirit and were made children of God.) Where were the adults baptized? If possible, make a plan to visit some of the churches of your family Baptisms. Light a candle and say a prayer asking God to send the Spirit to be faithful to the promises made at your baptism.
• Walk through the classroom hallway to find the art print of John baptizing Jesus. What do you see in this artists’ depiction of Jesus’ baptism?

Closing Prayer

Prepare a prayer space and include on it a bowl with holy water and the Bible open to this Gospel.

Pray that we will always be faithful to our baptismal promises to be disciples of Jesus. As a sign of our commitment, have each person bless themselves with the water. Pray together the Our Father.

Name those who need our prayers. Close with the Sign of the Cross.

Catholic Insight

The baptism of Jesus in in the Gospel’s of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Matthew is the only to include dialogue between Jesus and John. Matthew’s account also included the announcement made by the voice from heaven, “This is my beloved son…” (Mark & John say the voice addresses itself to Jesus, “you are my beloved son…”

John baptizes for repentance. In accepting this baptism, Jesus unites himself with all sinners even though he is sinless. John distinguishes this baptism from the baptism the Messiah brings.

The baptism of Jesus is another manifestation of Christ, another epiphany. Just as Jesus’ baptism inaugurates his mission, our Baptism inaugurates our missions as Christians.

Jesus’ baptism marks a transition from the Christmas season to Ordinary Time. This feast is the high point of the Christmas season. Before Jesus’ birth, angels announced who Jesus would be; at his birth, shepherds and the Magi recognize Jesus as the Messiah. At his baptism, Jesus accepts that he is God’s son and begins his mission.

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Did you know… we who are baptized in Jesus’ name are also God’s beloved, and our mission is the same as Jesus: to bring justice and peace to the world.

Additional key concepts for this week:

Anointed– being set apart by God with holy oil for a sacred purpose, signifying the presence of the Holy Spirit for healing, strengthening, and consecration, especially in sacraments like Baptism, Confirmation, and the Anointing of the Sick, marking us as belonging to Christ and sharing in His mission. It’s a sign of divine presence, promising spiritual strength, forgiveness, and a foretaste of resurrection, not just a physical cure. Jesus is refered to as Christ, which means the “Anointed One.”

Original Sin – We inherit a human nature that is weakened, ignorant, suffering, and a propensity towards evil. St. Augustine taught original sin as the hereditary stain passed down from Adam. Baptism removes original sin and restores sanctifying grace, freeing us from this fallen condition and missioning us into Christ’s redemptive work. Jesus’s death and resurrection offer the ultimate victory, reversing the effects of original sin and offering a path back to God’s grace. 

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Resources adapted from 52Sundays.com, Celebrating the Lectionary, At Home with the Word, Celebrating Families, Sunday Connection