Forerunner's Day

Gospel Reading
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In the fifteenth year of the reign of Caesar Tiberius, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and the land of Thraconitis, and Lyzanias tetrarch of Abylene under the great cohenes Anan and Caiaphas, Ioannes, son of Zechariah, came throughout the region of Jordan preaching repentance and the coming of the kingdom of heaven. “I am,” he said, “the voice crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths, and all flesh will see the Savior sent by God.” Covered in a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his loins, he fed on locusts and wild honey. And all Jerusalem went to him, and all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan, and repenting of their sins, he baptized them in the river. And he said, “I baptize you in water for repentance but there is one who will come after me whose shoes I am not worthy to untie who will baptize you with fire and breath. He will hold his fan in his hand and purify his threshing floor, he will gather the wheat into his barn, and he will burn the chaff in an unquenchable fire.” 

On that day, Ieshu came to John to be baptized. He immediately went into the river, and while he was praying, the sky cleared and a dove came to rest on him. And Ioannes said: “behold the Divine Agnus, behold him who blots out the sins of the world. This is he of whom I said: ‘a man will come after me who is far above me.’” And Ioannes refused to baptize the Savior, saying: “And what! It is I who should be baptized by you, and it is you who come to me.” Ieshu replied: “This is how decrees should be carried out.” Then Ioannes resisted no longer, and gave this testimony: “I did not know him, but he who sent me to give water baptism told me: ‘the one on whom you will see a dove descend and rest on him is the one who baptizes with fire and breath.’ Now, I saw a dove in heaven resting on him. I saw it and testified that he is God's firstborn son.” This happened in Bethany, beyond the Jordan, and Ieshu was about 30 years old at the time.

‘The Baptism of Christ’ by Andrea del Verrocchio (Florence 1435 – Venice 1488) and Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci 1452 – Amboise 1519).