Feast of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus

My Dear Parishioners,

As we gather to celebrate the Lord’s Day we commemorate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus in the Jordan. As I wrote in my article last Sunday, today’s commemoration is one of the mysteries we celebrate in the feast of the Epiphany. The Gospels tell us that the Lord Jesus left His home in Nazareth and traveled to the Jordan River where He encountered His cousin and precursor John the Baptist. When the Prophet John sees Jesus He acknowledges Him as the Holy One sent by God to bring salvation. The Lord Jesus asks to be baptized by John, not for the forgiveness of sins because He has none, but to show us the way in which we must follow. Jesus’ baptism becomes an inauguration ceremony from which He now begins His very active three years of ministry before being put to death. Baptism becomes the starting point for service in God’s realm.

Today at the liturgy we will bless water to recall the Lord’s baptism and our own. We will be sprinkled with this blessed water mindful of our call to service in God’s Kingdom. You are invited to take home with you some of the blessed water for your devotion at home. Today can be the day in which you gather as a family for the home blessing as I also wrote in last Sunday’s article. The blessed water can be sprinkled in every room of the home asking for the Lord’s blessing. Such practices draw the family close together and unite the family to Christ.

The bath of baptism is the rite which has configured us to Christ and which has endowed us with the Holy Spirit who empowers us for service in the works of mercy. In this Jubilee Year of Mercy we will be continually reminded of the CORPORAL and SPIRITUAL WORKS OF MERCY which we should be performing on a regular basis. Such work readies us for eternal life as we emulate the works which Jesus performed during His ministry. In today’s Mass we have a beautiful reading from the Apostle Paul to Titus which says: “ When the kindness and generous love of God our Savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of His mercy, He saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that we might be justified by His grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.”

Baptism does many things for us including making us members of Christ’s mystical body, the Church. The Church is His presence in the world which He established until He returns in glory. Our support of the Church and its up-building are signs of our love for Christ Jesus. I am so proud of you, my parishioners, for the generosity you have shown to the BISHOP’S ANNUAL APPEAL. I was recently informed by the diocese that our goal was $15,645 and that $25,392 has been pledged. You know that the majority of the funds from the appeal go directly to Catholic Charities which help the poor, the disabled and those in need. Our seminarians, retired priests and inner city school children also benefit from your generosity.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF CHRIST’S CHURCH THROUGH THE BISHOP’S ANNUAL APPEAL.

The Lord Jesus calls us to be promoters of LIFE. He said that “ He came to bring life and bring it to the fullest.” I invite you to join with me and make this year’s ROCKAWAY MARCH FOR LIFE the biggest ever.

We begin with the 8 o’clock Mass on Saturday at Saint Cecilia Church followed by a light breakfast in Hayes Hall and then our walk around Parks Lake as we pray the Rosary for the unborn and all those vulnerable ones whose life is threatened in our “c ulture of death.” Let’s show Rockaway the Church on the march for the sanctity of human life!

God Bless You!
Fr. Zig