Quotes from John Bartunek

You will always face difficulties in prayer. Just accept it.

As soon as Jesus was baptised he came up from the water, and suddenly the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him. And a voice spoke from heaven, 'This is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on him.

John offered baptism in order to help his fellow Jews repent, but Christ, who was sinless, did not need to repent. Rather, Jesus' submission to baptism foreshadows his work on the cross, where although he had no sin of his own, he "made himself sin" (2 Corinthians 5:21) in order to wipe away our sins.

That's what comes across in this account of Jesus' baptism: it's all about Jesus taking my part, coming down to my level in order to lift me up to his level. What more could he have done to prove himself our friend?

Why did St John baptize with water from the Jordan River? Why does the Church use water as baptism even now? What role has water played in the history of salvation?

Next, taking him to a very high mountain, the devil showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. 'I will give you all these' he said, 'if you fall at my feet and worship me.' Then Jesus replied, 'Be off, Satan! For scripture says: You must worship the Lord your God, and serve him alone.' Then the devil left him, and angels appeared and looked after him.

While he agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane on the eve of his Passion, he resisted the devil's onslaught with the prayer to his Father: "Yet not as I will, but as you will" (Matthew 26:39). Christ is the Lord, and humility is his scepter.