From the desk of Fr. Peter

Peace and grace to you!

This weekend we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord in which God reveals Jesus as the beloved Son. This event always calls us to reflect first upon John’s baptism of repentance (turning-to-God) and why Jesus was baptized by John. Even John questioned it. Jesus expressed his desire to fulfill righteousness, which means to fulfill God’s plan — to do God’s will. Jesus entered creation and was born a man so that human beings could share divine life with God.

Today upon his baptism, we see something new: Jesus is anointed with the Holy Spirit! In this event, Jesus makes the waters of baptism holy so that those who experience Christian baptism are reborn, cleansed from sin and re-created as children of God, united to God as members of Christ’s own body and sharing in the life of the Holy Spirit. As Christians we are enabled to live and love as God’s beloved sons and daughters and we are empowered to carry on the saving mission of Jesus in the world. We are called and sent to work for justice and peace and share the Gospel message so that other people may be free from error, darkness and sin. For many of us who were baptized as infants, we have never fully understood or embraced the radical character of our baptism. That is why Feasts like today’s and the renewal of our baptismal promises are so important. They help us to understand more fully what baptism really means. Such occasions also help us recommit ourselves to living more deeply the covenant of love as Jesus Christ taught us. The baptism of Jesus was the starting point of his public ministry when he taught the people about God and the moral life. He worked many miracles of healing to show God’s power comes as love and mercy for the person who desires salvation. This was Jesus’ mission and ours too. Jesus still works miracles through those who do good works in his name. I hope that many of us have a sense of renewal and a spring in our step knowing that we share in such a beautiful and important work. May God bless all your efforts! +++ Fr. Peter

May the light of faith guide you to eternal life!

We celebrate the Epiphany this weekend, which means “manifestation.” It refers to the events around Christ’s birth that show how God is revealing his plan of salvation for the whole human race; not just the Jewish people. The first reading prophecies that a ruler shall arise from the assembly of faith who will truly be like a great light in the heavens! This ruler will establish true justice, peace, and he will govern with heavenly wisdom and be recognized by all nations as a gift from God. St. Paul speaks of a stewardship of divine grace that was given him by God in order that he may continue guiding all nations in the light of the Gospel: God’s love and mercy shown toward the human race in Jesus.

The Gospel story depicts Wise Men from the East. They saw a light in the heavens that they had never seen before and they believed this star signaled that a very important and great king had been born. The journey of the Magi speaks of the yearning for peace, justice, love and mercy in every human heart through history. The Magi represent everyone who seeks the truth in hope of healing, peace and salvation. Herod, on the other hand, represents those who feel threatened by authority, accountability and change. This also pertains to the fallen part of human nature and selfish inclinations to seek to fulfill only our own desires with little or no regard for God or others. We are given an example of the forces at work within ourselves through the characters in the story. We seek the truth and are guided by God’s heavenly wisdom which leads us to peace through serving God first and others. This is the path by which we discover justice, mercy and love. We have a choice to follow the wisdom of God or we can turn away. The conclusion of the story is that the Wise Men experienced Jesus in humble simplicity and were enriched by him in a profound, mystical way. They went away in a new direction because they had been changed by the light of God’s love and goodness. Herod remained hardened and dark in selfishness. Let us pray that we too will seek God’s wisdom so that we will shine more brightly with the joy and peace found only in Jesus and his cross. Let us ask Jesus to touch others with his light through us. God bless you always! +++ Fr. Peter