The Baptism of Jesus

Marble statue of Jesus and the Baptist by Giuseppe Mazzuoli

As we celebrate Jesus’ Baptism today, may we look back at our own baptism and see how faithful we have been to the commitment our parents made for us. I ask 3 simple questions today for your consideration:
1. How proud are you of the decision your parents took when they introduced you to the Catholic faith by baptizing you?
2. Do you know the names of your godparents, the name of the priest who baptized you, the church in which you were baptized?
3. If you were chosen as a godparent for a child, do you keep in contact with that child, who may now be a teenager, an adult, a parent, and do you make sure they attend church regularly? Remember that this was one of the promises you made when you stood as a godparent on the baptism day.
The marble statues of Jesus and John the Baptist: In 1666, a project for the main altar of St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, by Malta's greatest sculptor, Melchiorre Gafa was approved and begun. Gafà intended a large sculpture group in bronze depicting the Baptism of Christ. Following Gafà's tragic death in 1667 in a foundry accident while tending to this work in Rome, the plans were abandoned. Only in 1703, Giuseppe Mazzuoli, Gafà's only pupil, finished a marble group of the Baptism of Christ which might have been influenced by his master's undocumented designs.