Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea,
where he spent some time with them baptizing. 
John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim,
because there was an abundance of water there,
and people came to be baptized,
for John had not yet been imprisoned. 
Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew
about ceremonial washings. 
So they came to John and said to him,
“Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan,
to whom you testified,
here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.”
John answered and said,
“No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. 
You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Christ,
but that I was sent before him. 
The one who has the bride is the bridegroom;
the best man, who stands and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. 
So this joy of mine has been made complete. 
He must increase; I must decrease.” (John 3: 22-30)

We close the week of readings for the feasts of the Epiphany and the Baptism of Jesus with a difficult reading from John’s gospel, which takes us to the Jordan Valley where John the Baptist originally preached and baptized.

According to Raymond Brown in his commentary on John, this account in the 3rd chapter of John’s gospel describes a baptismal activity of Jesus and his disciples that took place earlier on, immediately after Jesus was baptized by John.                                      After gathering disciples– some pointed out by the Baptist himself – Jesus began a baptismal ministry  that other disciples of John objected to.

The reading from John’s gospel is placed here, the day before the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus, to remind us as we read the various accounts of his baptism from Mark, Matthew and Luke, that Jesus began a baptismal ministry in Judea before he went to Galilee. 

In Baptism we not only become God’s children but we’re called to bring his invitation to others. Baptist calls us to ministry. 

In our reading we also hear John the Baptist’s beautiful confession: “I am not the Christ,
but that I was sent before him. 
The one who has the bride is the bridegroom;
the best man, who stands and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. 
So this joy of mine has been made complete.”

St. Augustine expresses it so:
 
“I listen. He is the one who speaks.

I am the enlightened. He is the Light.

I am the ear. He is the Word. “