News - January 2020 RSS Feed

Parish news and updates for the week

Summary: Transformation is the theme, yet again, as we look at the words and movement of Jesus in today’s gospel selection. Jesus is inviting people to move from darkness to light. Jesus identifies with the servant, Isaiah in calling the people out of their gloom, and is in fact in the land of Zebulun and Naphtali. The preaching of Jesus, the prophets of old and the present day prophets, if authentic, call and lead people to understand that transformation of heart and mind is what our God seeks in each person and community.

2019-2020 English Faith Formation calendar of events

Click here to see important dates for First Communion

Summary: In today’s gospel we encounter the prophet John. Notice that in this gospel he is never referred to as the Baptist. His purpose in this gospel, as in the others, is to announce and point to Jesus as the Messiah. This is John’s unique call from God, to indeed prepare the way of the Lord and point to Jesus as the Lamb of God. John makes it clear that his call is to be the, if you will, advance man for Jesus. John, like all of us who claim Jesus Christ as Messiah, are to point to Jesus. Ultimately, our call, like that of John’s, is to direct others to Christ Jesus.

Parish news and updates for the week

Summary: In this very brief story, we are given a glimpse of the relationship between Jesus and Saint John the Baptist. Both individuals are true models of humility. Jesus humbles himself when he comes forward to be baptized as an example for others, while Saint John the Baptist states that his baptizing of others is merely a preamble to the great baptism that will come through Jesus. Neither men are driven by ego, but rather are led by the virtue of humility.

Parish news and updates for the week

Summary: The gospel speaks of those earnestly seeking the newborn king. Those searching are from outside the nation of Israel, the Gentiles. The magi represent the nations of the world seeking the light and are guided by a star. Interestingly, there were those who had already had been chosen and called by God and they felt that they had no need to search for this Messiah. King Herod feared for his throne, though his fear was unwarranted, given that Jesus was to be a different kind of king. There seems to be a truth about human nature and it that we can easily become locked into our own way of thinking and not allow the least bit of new light to enter into our lives. God is ever seeking to allow new light to seep into our lives in order to see God more clearly. The truth is we must make ourselves available to the light and seek unity among others from various nations, races and creeds. This is God’s will: unity.

Parish news and updates for the week