And it happened in those days that Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee came and was baptised in the Jordan, by John. 

And immediately , coming up from the water, he saw the heavens were torn apart and the Spirit, as a dove coming down on him. And there was a voice from heaven ‘You are my Son, the beloved, in you I am well pleased.’

O thou, who art the light of the minds that know thee,
the life of the souls that love thee,
and the strength of the wills that serve thee;
help us so to know thee that we may truly love thee;
so to love thee that we may fully serve thee,
whom to serve is perfect freedom.
Amen

And all the Judean region came out to him,
and all the Jerusalemites,
and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River,
confessing their sins. 

And John was wearing camel hair and a belt of leather around his waist,
eating locusts and wild honey. 

And he proclaimed:
‘The one stronger than me is coming after me.
I am not worthy to bend down and untie the strap of his sandals. 
I have baptised you with water, he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.’

God be in head and in my understanding;
God be in my eyes and in my looking;
God be in my mouth and in my speaking;
God be in my heart and in my thinking;
God be at my end and at my departing.

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ [Son of God].

As it stands written in Isaiah, the prophet:
Behold I send my messenger before your face, 
who will prepare your way. (Mal 3:1, Ex 23:20)

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 
‘Prepare the way of the Lord.
Make straight his paths.’ (Isa 40:3)

John appeared in the wilderness,
baptising,
and preaching a baptism of repentance
for the forgiveness of sins. 

Eternal Light, shine into our hearts;
Eternal Goodness, deliver us from evil;
Eternal Power, be our support;
Eternal Wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance:
That we may seek your face
with all our heart and mind and soul and strength. Amen.

Alcuin