Bulletin Reflection of the Baptism of the Lord - 12 January 2020

Today, we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, the official end to the Christmas season.  There is still some confusion about the timing of the Christmas season, so I found this statement on the website of the Conference of the US Bishops for clarification: “The liturgical season of Christmas begins with the vigil Masses on Christmas Eve and concludes on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. During this season, we celebrate the birth of Christ into our world and into our hearts, and reflect on the gift of salvation that is born with him…including the fact that he was born to die for us.”  

It might seem strange to us that we end the Christmas season with Jesus’ baptism, as the other major feast days in the Christmas season have to do with his birth and with his family.  But, the Church concludes the Christmas season with this feast day because Jesus' baptism reinforces the Christmas message. His baptism tells us that God's chosen way of being with us is not as a faraway ruler of the universe up in the heavens, but as God who chooses solidarity with us in all our human weakness. Jesus' baptism show God as Emmanuel, as one of us.

As God with us, as God incarnate, Jesus leads us to be be what we were created to be.  The other religions in the world do not see God as incarnate as one of us human beings.  God chose to come to us in incarnate form in order to reveal his immense love for us.  

What I find to be interesting is that the Orthodox Church uses this Gospel depicting Christ’s baptism as the Gospel reading for the feast of the Epiphany.  They see Christ’s decision to submit to John’s baptism as the first revelation of who Jesus is.  What is also interesting is that this Gospel of Christ’s baptism is the first depiction of God as Trinity.  In this Gospel, Jesus is the beloved Son of God who is affirmed by the voice of God the Father and the Holy Spirit descending upon him like a dove.   

We wish all of you blessings as our Christmas season comes to an end and as we enter some weeks of Ordinary Time before the start of Lent.  As we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord today, may we be reminded of how our own baptism is a call for us to be in union with God and with God’s family.  As Jesus’ baptism was a sign of his communion and solidarity with us, so we are called to communion and solidarity with God and with our brothers and sisters.  

9 January 2020 – Thursday after Epiphany – 1 John 4:19- 5:4, Luke 4:14-22

     All this week, this last week of the Christmas season, we have been hearing readings from the first letter of John.   One of the main topics of this letter is love, which we’ve been hearing about all this week. Today, we are told that we cannot say that we love God if we do not love our brothers and sisters.  The letter does not say that we love our brothers and sisters when it is convenient or easy, just that we are to love our brothers and sisters. It also says that this love is not meant to be burdensome. We know that is not always so easy, that sometimes we need to grow into this love and forgiveness, to pray for it and meditate over it and to ask God’s grace to help us when it is difficult to do.  We also hear from the Gospel, as Jesus reads from the prophet Isaiah that “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me.”  Perhaps this is the key to loving as God loves us, to rely on his Spirit to help us to love, to help us to grow in this love.  Like Jesus, we are to bring his Good News to all, to bring glad tidings to the poor and the oppressed.  And the Spirit will lead us in doing this.  It is something we cannot do on our own. 

When does the Christmas season begin and end in the Catholic faith?

In our secular world here in the United States, it seems like the Christmas season begins the day after Thanksgiving and then ends on December 26.  However, our faith takes a different view of the Christmas season.  Here is how the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops describes the season of Christmas.  

"The liturgical season of Christmas begins with the vigil Masses on Christmas Eve and concludes on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. During this season, we celebrate the birth of Christ into our world and into our hearts, and reflect on the gift of salvation that is born with him…including the fact that he was born to die for us."

Blessings to all of you this Christmas season.  And Happy New Year.  

Quote - St Elizabeth Ann Seton - He raises me from the dust...

Elizabeth Ann Seton, (1774 - 1821) is the first canonized American born saint (canonized in 1975 by Pope Paul VI).  She founded the first congregation of religious sister to be founded in the United States. She is the patron saint of Catholic schools and of widows. Her feast day is January 4.  Pope Paul VI had this to say about her:  “Elizabeth Ann Seton is a saint. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is an American. All of us say this with special joy, and with the intention of honoring the land and the nation from which she sprang forth as the first flower in the calendar of the saints. Elizabeth Ann Seton was wholly American! Rejoice for your glorious daughter. Be proud of her. And know how to preserve her fruitful heritage.”  Here is a great quote of hers, a quote that has a basis in the psalms: 

“He raises me from the dust to feel that I am near Him. He drives away all terrors to fill me with his consolations. He is my Guide, my Friend and Supporter. With such a Guide, can I fear? With such a Friend, shall I not be satisfied. With such a Supporter, can I fall?”

Quote - St Gregory Nazianzus - on God's grace - January 2

January 2 is the feast day of St Gregory Nazianzus.  He shares this feast day with his contemporary and friend St Basil the Great.  Both of them wrote a great deal about the Trinity and in defense of the faith against the heresies of their day.  Here is a great quote from St Gregory about God's grace: 

"Grace is given not to them who speak [their faith] but to those who live their faith."

Quote - St Basil the Great - Living out God's justice and mercy - on his feast day - January 2

On January 2, we celebrate the feast day of Basil the Great.  He is known for being a great theologian, on his writings on the Trinity and on defending the faith against the Arian heresy.  However, here is a wonderful quote of his on how we are called to live out God's love and mercy in our lives.  It really gives us a lot to think about. 

“When someone steals another's clothes, we call them a thief. Should we not give the same name to one who could clothe the naked and does not? The bread in your cupboard belongs to the hungry; the coat unused in your closet belongs to the one who needs it; the shoes rotting in your closet belong to the one who has no shoes; the money which you hoard up belongs to the poor.”

Quote - January 3 - The Holy Name of Jesus -

Today - we celebrate the feat of the Holy Name of Jesus.  Philippians 2:10 states: At the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  

May we all honor the Holy Name of Jesus.