Today’s feast of the Baptism of Jesus ends the Christmas season in the church liturgical calendar. I suspect that the vast majority of you have long ago taken down Christmas decorations. If you have waited until now to take them down, good for you! Some people leave their Christmas decorations up until February 2, which is the feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the temple. Nevertheless, back to today’s feast.

Did you ever wonder why Jesus was baptized? He was sinless, so why did he submit to baptism? Matthew tells us in the gospel today that Jesus requested John to baptize him. First, unlike the baptism we received, John’s baptism was a Jewish ritual to prepare for the end time, which John said was coming quickly. In addition to changing one’s life in a positive way, this kind of baptism was also an entry rite for those who wanted to follow the teaching of John the Baptist. Jesus was portrayed as being attracted to John the Baptist and his message. Matthew makes it clear that the situation is awkward, which both Jesus and John recognize. But as soon as Jesus emerges from the waters of baptism, the real meaning of the event becomes clear. His identity as God’s beloved Son is confirmed by the Holy Spirit and proclaimed by the voice of God, declaring that Jesus is God’s beloved Son. In a real way, Jesus’ baptism can be seen as inaugurating Jesus into a ministry that will begin immediately. This confirmation of Jesus’ divine ministry fulfills the Old Testament prophet’s proclamations. The next step for Jesus will be his confrontation with the devil in the wilderness. There, he will be challenged to prove his identity.

While Christian baptism we have received frees us from original sin, it does much more than that! Quoting from the baptismal ritual book: “Baptism is, above all, the sacrament of that faith by which men and women, enlightened by the Spirit’s grace, respond to the gospel of Christ….Further, baptism is the sacrament by which men and women are incorporated into the Church, built into a house where God lives, in the Spirit, into a holy nation and a royal priesthood.” In other words, our baptism is our entry rite for those who want to follow Jesus and his teachings. And, as Jesus commissioned his apostles to “Go make disciples of all nations…” at our baptism we are commissioned to do the same.

The vast majority of us were baptized as infants and likely do not realize that making disciples of Jesus isn’t just the calling of priests and religious. ALL who are baptized Christian are supposed to be making disciples! The feast of The Baptism of Jesus is a wake up call for all of us to be about doing what we are commissioned to do!

Fr Don

I hope you still have your Christmas decorations up! After all, today we celebrate the Epiphany, known in many cultures as “little Christmas.” Christmas celebrates the birth of the long awaited for messiah of the Jewish people. This good news is revealed by angels to a group of shepherds abiding in the fields keeping watch over their flocks by night. Epiphany celebrates the birth of the savior of all nations. This good news is revealed by a star followed by gentile magi to the place where the child lay. When the wise men came to Herod in Jerusalem inquiring about the child whose star they had followed, the scribes Herod called together were able to explain where the messiah should be born, but they remained quite unperturbed about the news. Although they were familiar with visions like the one in today’s first reading, they seemed impervious to the possibility that Isaiah’s promised caravans and gift-bearing royalty had, at long last, arrived on their doorstep. For whatever reason, they did not accompany the travelers from the East on their journey to Bethlehem. Similarly, many my know the whole of Christianity but make no movement. The power that forever altered heaven and earth leaves many people completely unmoved. But what a difference! With only a rumor to go by, the visitors from the East traveled a far distance in search of One whom they thought would make a difference in the world. Obviously, that “rumor” that good news, has spread throughout the world, and today’s feast attests to the universal scope of Jesus’ mission and God’s all-inclusive plan of Salvation. The various ways in which this feast is celebrated by believers everywhere also witnesses to the international character of the church.

One of those traditions, not too familiar in the United States is marking of the church doors with chalk, which we are doing today. Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night, Theophany, or Three Kings Day marks the occasion of a time-honored Christian tradition of “chalking the doors.” The formula for the ritual — adapted for 2020 — is simple: take chalk of any color and write the following above the entrance of your home: 20 + C + M + B + 20. The letters have two meanings. First, they represent the initials of the Magi — Caspar, Malchior, and Balthazar — who came to visit Jesus in His first home. They also abbreviate the Latin phrase, Christus mansionem benedicat: “May Christ bless the house.” The “+” signs represent the cross, and the “20” at the beginning and the “20” at the end mark the year. Taken together, this inscription is performed as a request for Christ to bless those homes so marked and that He stay with those who dwell therein throughout the entire year.

Have a blessed Christmas Season!

Fr Don

If I were to ask you if yours was a holy family, what would your response be? I suspect the vast majority of you would roll your eyes and say “my family? No Way!” It seems that every family has a “black sheep” or is dysfunctional in some way. Many families have secrets they prefer to keep in the closet about a living or deceased relative. Family life is not always easy! But, we can all help our families to be better, even if they cannot be perfect. And, let us not confuse perfection with holiness. One does not have to be “perfect” to be holy! Today’s feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph can give us some ideas of how to become of holy family.

The beginning of the Holy Family was not easy! The angels singing and the shepherds adoring sound great. But in a sense Mary and Joseph were “on the road.” They had to leave their current home to register for the census. There was no place in the inn when Mary’s time to deliver came. Many of you mothers can imagine what that was like. Even a motel today is not where you would want to give birth and a barn isn’t even imaginable! In spite of all the hardship Mary and Joseph experienced, they were outstanding parents. Think of Joseph listening to the angel in his dream and taking Mary and Jesus to Egypt to keep Jesus safe from Herod. Before they were merely “on the road,” but now they are refugees in another country. Even when they are able to return to their own country, Joseph still had to settle them in a different part of the country to be safe.

Our first reading tells us how God sets a father and mother over a family and how the children are to treat their parents – with honor. Our reading from Colossians spells that out for us. Because of Jesus we are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved. That means that we must live in a special way as Jesus, Mary, and Joseph did. It means we must have compassion for one another and be kind, gentle, and patient with one another. Just as the Lord is forgiving of our faults, we must be forgiving of one another. But, most of all, we must be loving with one another. None of this is easy for sure, but it is necessary.

Something else is necessary as well. We must have gratitude in our hearts to God. Our mother and father gave us life or we would not even be here today. That in itself is a wonderful miracle of love and one that calls for gratitude.

Family life isn’t easy – but with a little more respect, kindness, patience and love, our families can become holier. Celebrate your family today and do so with gratitude for each member – even the one(s) who are a challenge to your patience!

Have a blessed Christmas season!

Fr Don

After three Sundays of Advent with no mention of the birth of Jesus in our Scripture readings at Mass, finally we have them today, the fourth and final Sunday of Advent. In our first reading, Isaiah the prophet and king Ahaz of Judah have a dramatic encounter amid the threat of an attack against Jerusalem and the king’s efforts to build up the city’s defenses. Isaiah challenges the king to consider what he is doing to secure his kingdom’s relationship with God. Isaiah invites the king to choose any sign at all that will convince him of God’s love and protection over the city. Isaiah wants the king to trust that the attack he so much fears will never materialize. Surprisingly, the king refuses the invitation to trust. He already has his own plans in place and feels that asking for a sign from God will be an imposition. Isaiah has had enough of such talk! The king is already making the people weary with his fears and limited thinking. Isaiah reproaches the king for this latest example showing his lack of faith, which the prophet imagines must by now be proving tiresome to God as well. Isaiah announces that God is going to give the king a sign that will make it perfectly clear his fear of attack is entirely without foundation. A virgin will conceive and bear a son who will be given the name Emmanuel, meaning, “God is with us.” This name will give testimony to the faith of that young woman, who knew of God’s power to save and give life. Her faith stands in stark contrast to the lack of faith displayed by King Ahaz and his royal household.

In Matthew’s gospel account today, his focus is on another person of faith – Joseph. In the Gospel proclaimed on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, we heard Mary say “yes” to God’s plan for her life – even though she did not totally understand what God was asking of her. Today we hear Joseph give his “yes” also – to the dream, the angel’s message, and to the responsibility of being a husband and a foster father.

Although we have little time even to consider saying “yes” to one more thing, this is exactly what God is inviting us to do! Consider opportunities to say, “yes” to His invitation between now and Christmas Day. While Christmas celebrates the Word made flesh, Christ has no body now but yours, to carry on His mission. Some suggestions….invite someone without family to join yours for Christmas dinner. Leave a card and small gift for neighbors or at the nursing home. Take a plate of homemade cookies to a new mom or make a generous donation to a charity. What IS God asking you to do to celebrate Christmas?

Have a Blessed Christmas in 3 days!

Fr Don

Whoo hoo! It is the Third Sunday of Advent! I guess the more correct way to say it is Gaudete Sunday – Latin translation to English…..REJOICE! We light the rose-colored candle in the Advent wreath and rose-colored vestments are an option for the priest to wear. Last year a parishioner sent me a text with an amusing cartoon about the rose-colored vestments. The priest is at the altar celebrating Mass wearing rose-colored vestments. The girl altar server says to the boy altar server: “I like Father’s pink robe.” The boy altar server responds: “It’s not pink!” The girl altar server says: “How do you know?” The boy altar server says: “Because Jesus rose from the dead. He didn’t pink from it!”

As the Scripture readings for the Third Sunday of Advent moves us closer to the Christmas celebration of the First Coming of Jesus, we do have reason to REJOICE!! In our first reading, the prophet Isaiah announces that God is approaching to deliver the people and to advance the plan of salvation. The first half of the reading contrasts the lifeless conditions of a desert with a lush garden teeming with life. The latter half of the reading brings this lovely imagery to bear on the human condition. Sin and ignorance have rendered the people spiritually weak and feeble. Their eyes are unable to see by the light of heaven; their ears are deaf to God’s word; they are unable to make progress along the way of life. But now, they sing and dance as they return to God. That was then. We have reason to REJOICE NOW! For in the Gospel, when John the Baptist, in prison, asks whether Jesus is the one to come, Jesus tells John’s disciples to go back and tell John what they see and hear. The blind regain their sight! The lame walk! Lepers are cleansed! The deaf hear! The dead are raised! As Christians, we know and experience these very things in our life today because of the suffering, death, and Resurrection of Jesus. So indeed, we have two reasons to REJOICE today. First, Jesus came which we celebrate at Christmas, and second, Jesus will come again!!

Have a blessed Advent!

Fr Don