The Gospel in today’s Mass tells the story that marks the beginning of the mission of Jesus as the Messiah. The Solemnity of the Baptism of Jesus brings the Christmas Season to a close and opens the door to another period of Ordinary Time. This Jesus we read about, who presented Himself to John the Baptist to be baptized in the Jordan River will be the gentle servant of God. He is one who will reach out to the poor, the needy and the marginalized. He will serve people of different cultures and those who worship God in different ways.
As we focus on where we need to be in this new year, we remind ourselves everyday that the baptismal waters have flowed over each of us in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Through baptism, we are made children of God and are invited to share in the mission of Jesus.
With each passing day, I struggle to think of how I can adequately say thank you to the many, many people who contributed so much of their time and energy to building the Body of Christ in the past year. Some of your contributions to mission and ministry are known only to a few. The less visible or hidden things people do, however, are very often the things that hold everything together. If I were to begin naming people, I would surely forget someone. You know what you have offered to the Church so please everyone accept my humble thanks.
2011 will present us with more interesting challenges. We will pull all our resources together and make it a banner year for St. Michael’s. The Spirit will continue to lead us and each day listen as you hear the same voice Jesus heard at the Jordan. “This is my child, the Beloved, in whom I am well pleased.” Matt 3:17
Peace in Christ,
Fr. Lio
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