Baptism of the Lord
Apple ran a commercial not long ago called “Behind the Mac – Greatness.” It shows artists and creators, such as Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish, and Lady Gaga, working behind their MacBooks. The narration says, “There’s a certain kind of person who doesn’t wait for greatness. They make it.” It’s a compelling message. There’s beauty in using our gifts with passion and purpose. But there lies a hidden weight in that idea: If you are what you make, what happens when you can’t anymore? When the project fails, the passion fades, or the spotlight moves on, where is greatness then? Today’s Gospel offers a differing vision of greatness. Jesus steps into the Jordan River. He hasn’t preached, healed, or performed a single miracle. Then the heavens open, and the Father speaks: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” It’s not a reward for success. It’s not earned. Before He does anything “great,” Jesus receives the greatness of His identity from the Father. And so do you. At your baptism, God said the same thing over you: “You are my beloved.” That is your true identity, not constructed or earned but received. When we see ourselves and others this way, everything changes for the better. We discover a greatness that can never be taken away. This week, reflect on your baptism: look up the date, thank God for it, pray for those baptized with you, or visit the church where it happened. Let your identity be rooted there. — Father John Muir
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
This weekend we celebrate the baptism of the Lord. My future nephew in law was not baptized a Catholic as a baby and as he and his fiancée – my niece – were visiting me in preparing to get married he inquired about becoming a Catholic. When I told him that I could and would be able to make him a Catholic, he was thrilled. He has not stopped talking about it and he invited his family to be in attendance. I think he may even be secretly more excited about this than he is over his upcoming wedding. This had me thinking, my brothers and sisters, what about us? Most of us were probably baptized as infants so we don’t remember the day itself, but do we ever think about what it means to be baptized? What it means to be a Catholic? Do we get excited about it? We should, for it was a great gift given to us, it has cleansed us from our sins. It has enrolled us in the ONE TRUE faith, which means we have a better chance of getting into heaven (do not misread this for it does not mean only Catholics go to heaven but it does mean the odds are in our favor). It is the gift that just keeps giving if we follow the faith we have been given. As we celebrate the baptism of the Lord let us celebrate our own baptism and the wonderful gift we have been given.
God Bless you and have a wonderful week, Fr. Michael
SCRIPTURAL REFLECTIONS ON STEWARDSHIP
“John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, yet you are coming to me?”
The Catholic Catechism states that “Jesus’ immersion in the water is a sign for all human beings of the need to die to themselves to do God’s will.” In other words, as baptized Catholics there is only one gift that we need to give to Jesus – the gift of ourselves. Surrender yourself to God, place your trust in Him and allow the Holy Spirit to work through you for the greater glory of God.
EVERYDAY STEWARDSHIP
RECOGNIZE GOD IN YOUR ORDINARY MOMENTS
Wide-Open Eyes
When my first child was born, we had a nursery created for him that featured images from “The Beginner’s Bible” painted on all the walls. (You may have seen this Bible before, where the Biblical figures in the book all had large wide-open eyes.) Images of Adam and Eve, David and Goliath, and Jesus were displayed on all four walls. On the largest wall was a big picture of Noah’s Ark with lots of animals. As our son got older, we would point to images on the wall as we read bedtime stories to him. Our son is now in his 20’s and living several hours from us, so those days are far behind in our rearview mirror of life. We prepared quite a lot for his birth. When our next two children were born, the preparation time had decreased significantly. Most parents know what I am talking about. The newness of your first-born brings with it so much emotion that you are compelled to spend countless hours preparing. When the next children are born, you are certainly excited, but you act differently and with a little more reserve. For most readers, this is not your first Advent. It probably won’t be your last. If you approach these December days simply as a way to prepare for Christmas, you may find yourself just doing the same old thing as last year. However, if you spend this time reflecting on the time when Jesus returns or when you shall see him face-to-face, you might be able to stir up some of that emotion of anticipation within you. Jesus is coming again. When people of all ages understand that reality, it can be a cause for large, wide-open eyes indeed.- Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS
SEND A SEM A SENTIMENT
On the bulletin board in the vestibule is a list of seminarians. The Archdiocese is encouraging the faithful to send cards, letters, and well wishes to the seminarians. Take a picture of the list with your phone and send one (or more) of them a little uplifting message. Thank You!
PRAYER REQUESTS
That God will relieve their suffering and restore them to health.
Please pray for: Kellie Salata, Kelly Chinchar, Jessica, Daniel Breslin, Stanley, Joseph Marrone, Anthony, Michael, Joseph, Jessica Esopo, Steve, Audra, Bernadette, James Weiss, Baby Ford, Rosemary Malangone, Elizabeth Malangone, Sue West, Danny, Colleen Emery, Richard, Joan Russo, Christina Martin, Mornia Evans, Valerie Valverde, Diana McGuckin, Manny Scarangella, Cheryl Prinjinski, Stephen West, John K. Hammel, Bryan Westfall, Cathy Bruno.
Holy Name Medical Center is looking for Eucharistic Ministers, volunteers, who are willing to help out in giving out Holy Communion to their patients. If you are interested, you can email them at pokafor@holyname.org or call their office at 201-833-3243 or stop by their Pastoral Care Office, behind the chapel, lobby/ground floor at Holy Name Medical Center.
SCRIPTURAL REFLECTIONS ON STEWARDSHIP
“When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.”
Putting our complete trust in the Lord without expecting anything in return. Striving to put God first in all things and follow Him wherever He may lead us. Joseph was a model of these pillars of our faith. As we prepare for the birth of our Lord, pray for the strength and courage to be a model of discipleship, just as Joseph was.
MANY THANKS to all those who helped in decorating our Church for Christmas so beautifully!
The gift of Bread & Wine for the second two weeks of December has been given in memory of Charles Sylvestri by Jesse & Joanna Sylvestri.
The Sanctuary Lamp for the first two weeks of December has been given in memory of Carmela & Augie Sylvestri by Jesse & Joanna Sylvestri. The second two weeks have been given in memory of Walter Eckel, Stanley Czlapinski, the Eckel Family and the DeMeo Family by Maryann Eckel.
Please consider sponsoring our Bread & Wine, Altar Flowers, and the oil for the Sanctuary Lamp.
Opportunities for Parish Support
There are several ways you can help support our parish and honor loved ones at the same time. As you may have noticed on the first Sunday of every month in our bulletin, we thank the donors of our Altar Gifts. You can donate the Bread & Wine, Altar Flowers, or the Sanctuary Lamp in a two-week block for $50 in someone’s memory. We have blocks open for this year. We also need to purchase a new Easter candle each year (the tall candle on the altar) for $300-$400 which can also be donated in someone’s memory. You do not have to fund the entire amount, anything you wish to donate towards the purchase of our Easter candle is appreciated. We also have masses available for your intentions. If you wish to honor someone in any of these ways, please call the rectory.
Prayer for our Nation
God our Father, giver of life, we entrust the United States of America to your loving care. You are the rock on which this nation was founded. You alone are the true source of our cherished rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Reclaim this land for your glory and dwell among your people. Send your Spirit to touch the hearts of our nation’s leaders. Open their minds to the great worth of human life and the responsibilities that accompany human freedom. Remind your people that true happiness is rooted in seeking and doing your will. Through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, patroness of our land, grant us the courage to reject the “culture of death.” Lead us into a new millennium of life. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Praying the ROSARY
The Rosary is a meditation, a time to recall and think about the life of Jesus as seen and experienced by Mary. As the model of faith, Mary’s life sets a pattern that we strive to follow: saying ‘yes’ to God’s will in our lives and sharing His love and message with others. The Mysteries of the Rosary form a mini lesson of faith, using the highlights and significant moments of the life of Jesus. Like paging through a family scrapbook, we see in brief the events of salvation history that are the core of our belief and the hope of our eternal life.
WE NEED BULLETIN ADVERTISERS!!
We would like to thank all the advertisers who have supported us throughout the past year. Our parish benefits greatly from the ads you see in the bulletin. The revenue pays for the printing which is an important means of communication for the parish. If we do not have enough advertisers, the cost of our bulletin goes up. We thank the local businesses that advertise with us especially in these tough economic times. We have some spaces on the back of our bulletin that need filling so if you would like to advertise your business as well as benefit your church, please contact John Patrick Publishing at 1-800-333-3166.
Please support our advertisers at the back cover of bulletin.