Dearly beloved parishioners,
Grace and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you and your families!
Do you remember your birth date? Have you ever forgotten your birthday? Do you celebrate your birthday? How?
Are you baptized? Do you remember your baptism date? Do you ever celebrate your baptism day? If so, how? If not, why?
The above questions come to mind as we celebrate today the Baptism of the Lord. This feast marks the end of the Christmas
Season, and we return to Ordinary Time in the Church’s Liturgical Calendar. The Baptism of the Lord marks the end of Jesus’ early
and hidden life and the beginning of his public ministry. Jesus’ baptism is unlike our baptisms, because he had no need of
baptism since he is God, and without sin. He was not made clean by the waters of the Jordan, instead, by going down into the
waters he makes the waters of baptism holy and efficacious to remove sin. By his Incarnation, Jesus chose to take something of
ours in order to give us something of his. He took on our humanity, not despising its fallen condition, in order to make us like
unto God. Jesus is Emmanuel, which means, God with us. This God is a God who stands in solidarity with us. To save humanity,
he became like us in all things, but sin. Although he is without sin, he stands in line with sinners, asks for and receives baptism
at the hands of John The Baptizer so that he can closely identify with us and form us as beloved sons and daughters of God.
In keeping with the teaching of sacred scriptures, the Church believes that baptism is necessary for salvation. It is our entrance
into the church and the ‘Gateway’ to all the other sacraments. For example, in order to receive the Holy Eucharist, the Sacrament
of Reconciliation, the sacrament of matrimony, or be ordained one needs to first be baptized. Baptism cleanses us from the stain
of the sin inherited from our first parents, Adam and Eve, which we call Original Sin, and also makes us Christians and members
of God’s family, the Church. The 2nd Century Christian Apologist, Tertullian, is reputed for saying, with regard to Christians, fiunt
non nascitur - that is, “Christians are made not born.” Though a person might have been born into a Christian home or go to Mass
weekly, they are not Christians until they are made so through baptism. Thus, baptism is core to who we are as Christians. It is
our birth into the family of God.
While our natural birth is important, our spiritual birth is even more so. Hence, it seems important for me to remember my
baptism date and to celebrate it as I would my natural birth date. So, do you remember your baptism date? Is it important to you
that you were born into God’s family on a given date? Does that day still inform the direction of your life and the choices you
make or is it only a memory that has no significance? Do you realize that when you were baptized you were claimed for God, and
as such you are no longer to live for yourself but for God? The Baptism of the Lord is a good opportunity for each one of us to
recall that wonderful moment when we made those promises to reject sin and to live for God, or when those same promises
were made on our behalf by our parents and godparents, and to make those words of commitment count once again. This new
year, let us make this our goal.
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My gratitude to Bill Odell and our staff, Gail Waltman, Jenny Peterson, Abby Kyle, Brenda McDonald, and Roy Lawson for helping
to transform our church from Advent to Christmas. We enjoyed the beauty of your creative decoration. Thank you and God bless.
We would like to express our gratitude to Alexis Duffy and all volunteers who helped put together the Children’s Christmas
Pageant. It was well done. I had fun seeing the children dressed as the characters for the Christmas story. We look forward to
another such event. Thank you. May the Lord bless you abundantly.
We also express gratitude to Daniel and Christy Piennette for donating a kneeler for our altar servers’ use, and we pray for God’s
blessing on them for their generosity. Thank you!
We are grateful to Kerry Wallace and her team, as well as the Knights of Columbus, for the beautiful “Cookies with Santa” event
they put up for our children. The children enjoyed themselves, and look forward to more such events for them and their families.
Thank you and God bless you!
May Jesus bless you, and may Our Lady protect you!