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January 7, 2022As the Christmas Season draws to a close, I want to offer a special thanks to Anna Lee who did such outstanding work in decorating our Church for Christmas. I am also grateful to Ron Bossick and his crew for taking care of the outside nativity scene.
The Baptism of the Lord is a Christmas feast, a feast of the epiphany of God in human flesh and blood. The Christmas Season ends at close of day this Sunday. Monday, we move into Ordinary time. And the Gospel for Monday of the First Week in Ordinary Time is taken from the Gospel of Mark (Mk 1:14-20). According to St. Mark after Jesus was baptized, he returned
“to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God: ‘This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.’”
In The Little Blue Book, a devotional for Advent and Christmas, Bishop Ken Untener offered a reflection on this proclamation at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry: “the word “repent” doesn’t mean (as it is often thought to mean) simply beating your beast and promising to do penance to make up for your sins. It means literally to re-think, to see things in a new way.
When I begin a day, I can automatically fall into a routine way of thinking, fed by the news, traffic and weather reports, opinion polls, etc. My world becomes flat. “Repent” means to “re-think” – to see a wider, deeper world, a world in which God is present, a world with a destiny that goes beyond history and flows into the kingdom of God.
Prayer opens my eyes to that world. It’s a real world. Take a look at it through new eyes. The way God sees it.” Join us at daily Mass, to begin seeing things as God sees them.
Sunday, January 9, 2022 | The Baptism of the Lord | by the Faithful Disciple
Is 42:1-4, 6-7 or Is 40:1-5, 9-11 | Acts 10:34-38 or Ti 2:11-14; 3:4-7 |Lk 3:15-16, 21-22
GROW: For cradle Catholics, baptism may be the most important step on the Christian journey that none of us actually remembers. Which is too bad! After all, the Catechism of the Catholic Church instructs us that baptism is “the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit.” (#1213) Yes, baptism cleanses us of original sin, but it’s much more than that! We need only look to Jesus to see that. Though without sin, Jesus’ baptism is a turning point in his life all the same. The Holy Spirit descends upon him and a voice from heaven cries out, “You are my beloved Son.” So begins the public ministry, in which Jesus would carry out his Father’s saving mission. Through our baptism, at any age, we, too, become God’s beloved sons and daughters. Through word and sacrament, Jesus invites us to share in his mission by turning our lives over to our Father as we embrace our Christian journey.
GO: Baptism is often referred to as “the doorway to the Church” because through this sacrament, our sins are forgiven and we are united to Christ and his Church. It is the door which gives access to all the other sacraments. (Cf., CCC 1213) At the conclusion, the celebrant asks God to continue to pour out his blessing upon those being baptized and send his peace to all who are gathered. As baptized Christians, we are now adopted children of God; we are disciples who are empowered, through the wisdom and strength of the Holy Spirit, to share the Good News and help build the kingdom of God on earth. Sound intimidating? It shouldn’t. Each day that we “put on Christ” and do his work, God is re-creating us and making us into something far better than we could ever be on our own. Embrace this faith you have been given and go out and share your gifts and talents with others, confident in the Spirit that guides you.
SERVE: Think of something you have been told you are very good at by friends or coworkers – something for which you have been “anointed,” in a sense. In what way can you do something specific to lead others with care in this area, or perhaps do a very particular good yourself?
