THE BAPTISM OF JESUS

This stained glass suncatcher is centered on the Baptism of Jesus. This event marks the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. It is here that Jesus, in his human nature, is anointed by the Father through the Holy Spirit, to commence his public ministry. All four Gospels recount in different ways that, as Jesus came up from the water, heaven was “torn opened” (Mk 1:10) or “was opened” (Mt 3:16; Lk 3:21); that the Spirit came down upon him “like a dove”; and that in the midst of all this a voice resounded saying “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Mt 3:17). This proclamation by the Father clearly reveals who Jesus is – the beloved divine Son of the Father. This proclamation of the Father is repeated again at the Transfiguration of Jesus though with the imperative “to listen to him”. In this event the central mystery of the trinity is beginning to emerge and is later affirmed when Jesus sends his Apostles out into the world after his Resurrection with these words: “ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19).

The Trinitarian revelation of this event is seen in this window by a symbol of the Father above Jesus emerging from the Jordan River and a dove beneath the baptismal scene re presenting the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the unity of the old and new covenant symbolized by the Menorah to his left and the cross on his right. The twenty aqua blue circles in the frame of the window represent the twenty mysteries of the Rosary. The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan is the first of the five luminous mysteries. The red-orange-yellow star like shapes in between the rosary beads represent the angels assigned to serve Jesus in his earthly ministry. The seven winged shapes at the top of the window represent the seven spirits (angels) the surround the throne of God mentioned several times in the book of revelation.