Friends, in today's Gospel, John the Baptist gives witness to the role of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ baptism.

Baptism is the moment when the Holy Spirit draws us out of this fallen world and into a new world. And with this in mind, we can understand the relationship between Baptism and the other sacraments. Baptism is birth in the spiritual order, the beginning of a proper spiritual life. The other sacraments represent the specifications of that life.

For instance, a living thing needs to be nourished. This is the role that the Eucharist plays. But do you see why only baptized people can receive the Eucharist? If you’re not alive, there is no point in feeding you.