Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

My Dear Parishioners,
 
We assemble on the Lord’s Day commemorating the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Today’s Gospel periscope from John is a reminder to us that in Year B of the Lectionary, which is focused on the Gospel of Mark, Johannine segments are inserted due to Mark’s Gospel being so short. We will be even more aware of this later in the year when for five weeks we will hear the “Bread of Life Discourse”, that is chapter 5 of John’s Gospel.
 
For today we told of the introduction of Saint Peter to the Lord Jesus by his brother, Saint Andrew. Saint Andrew is given the Greek title, “Protoclete”, which means “the First Called.” His feast day is November 30th. As Saint Andrew introduced his brother Peter to the Lord, so too does Andrew introduce us to Advent and the new liturgical year. Saint Andrew is the patron of Constantinople which serves as the see for the Ecumenical Patriarch of the Orthodox Churches. As Peter and Andrew were brothers, so too are the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. The Orthodox Church, although not in full communion, is the closest Church to the Catholic Church. We share Apostolic Succession (valid holy orders), the same sacramental system, veneration of the Mother of God and Ever Virgin Mary, some common liturgical celebrations and more. All of the Roman Pontiffs of the past century have work diligently to heal the division between East and West. As the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity approaches we ask the Lord to restore the union East and West shared for the first 1,000 years of the Church’s history.
 
Next Monday, January 22nd, I will be leaving on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land which will be led by our Bishop, His Excellency, the Most Reverend Arthur Serratelli. The group will include both clergy and lay people. I will be going with Father Marcin, our former assistant, who I am looking forward to spending this time with.
 
This coming Saturday, January 20th, our annual ROCKAWAY MARCH FOR LIFE will take place. We begin with the 8 AM Mass followed by coffee and bagels in Hayes Hall and then it is off to our walk around Park Lake reciting the Rosary for the protection of human life from conception to natural death. The Catholic Church’s PRO LIFE stand is another common belief we share with our Orthodox brothers and sisters. I hope you will join with me and participate in this witness for life!
 
Our outdoor crèche and lights will remain until the leave-taking of Christmas on February 2rd, the 40th day and the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple.
 
God bless you!
Father Zig