Meditations on the Mysteries of the Rosary: The Baptism of Jesus

Mark 1:7

The next set of mysteries for meditation are the Luminous Mysteries! These mysteries were actually only added in 2002 by one of our family patron saints, St. John Paul II.  Luminous means “full of light” and so of course, something to think about while meditating on these mysteries, but I also like to personally think of them as the “miraculous mysteries” because each mystery does dwell, on the miraculous aspects of Jesus’ ministry. The first Luminous mystery is the Baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:7-11), in which God the Son, humbles  Himself to “be like us in all things but sin” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 470, and Hebrews 4:15) submits Himself to the sacrament of Baptism- the sacrament by which we all enter into the Christian life of grace and become part of God’s family. By doing so, He sanctifies the Baptismal waters, and shows us the way to heaven. 

  I have this beautiful rosary meditation book, “Splendors of the Rosary” from Magnificat by Pierre-Marie Dumont. I have shared from it  before. There is classical art and commentary on it for every mystery, plus a written meditation and sometimes a poem or hymn. The painting for “The Baptism of Christ” is by Paolo Caliari called “Veronese” dated c. 1561. There are so many things I love about this painting: the humble and submissive position of Christ, the visible angels hiding behind Jesus, watching the event with wonder and awe, John the Baptist and his willing but hesitant manner as he baptized the Son of God, (can you imagine what he was feeling at that moment?!) God the Father and the Holy Spirit present above, but what has made such an impression on me, is the author’s commentary on the angel dipping his foot in the water. “Only the 2 angels who emerge from the Divine light can discern, in this image of a man bent down under the weight of the sins of the world, the incarnation of Eternal Love. They bow in adoration, one of them dips his foot in the waters of the Jordan..” 

I have looked at this angel many times and thought, how often the holiness of God is present before me, and I miss it? In my every day life? I pray I can live in awe of His miraculous presence in my life, in what seems like, an ordinary event on the outside, but in which there are angels present, life changing grace present, the Trinity present, if I pause to notice.