On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him. (Mark 1:10)
I invite you, sister, to take a moment with me now: Read this Scripture once more. Close your eyes and try to imagine what the moment after Jesus’ baptism may have looked like. Ask the Spirit to bless your holy imagination; ask Him to show you.
Saint Mark’s description is striking. He doesn’t write, “the clouds gently parted,” or “the skies opened up”—no. The heavens were torn open. This moment of Christ's baptism is powerful as God calls Him His Son! Similarly, when we receive the sacrament of Baptism, God rushes into our lives and completely transforms us by His Spirit. We truly become a new creation and are made His children.
In this Christmas season (yes, it’s still Christmas!), we celebrate the great mystery of the Incarnation. What a gift it is to have a God who desires to be so present to us. He desires it so much that He comes down from Heaven and breaks into our world as an infant. His very name is Emmanuel, God with us. He institutes the Eucharist, that each time we go to Mass, we might receive Him—Body broken, Blood poured out—into our own bodies. Christ dies for us, that we might have new life in Him: the gift we receive through Baptism.
God is waiting to tear into our lives, sisters. He wants to bless us! Pray with me today, that the Spirit would open our hearts in this new year, that God might break in and radically transform our souls in an everlasting way.
Spend some time in prayer with Jesus. Ask Him to show you what elements of your life He desires to make new. How might He be calling you to live out your Baptism more fully?
Elise Howe is a devoted wife, momma, vocal artist and teacher. She currently resides in New York City, though she will always be a Midwestern gal at heart. Elise has a heart for ministry, dark chocolate (but not too dark) and coffee with a generous amount of cream + sugar. Find out more about her here.
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