Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
“After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’” (Mt 3:15-17). On this, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we hear God the Father declare that Jesus, the son of Mary is, indeed, His Son as well. And, He is well pleased with him. Immediately after his baptism, Jesus defies Satan’s temptations and begins his public ministry, declaring “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt 4:17).
At our baptism, we, too, become sons and daughters of God and God is well pleased with us. After the child is baptized, the priest instructs the faithful: “Dearly beloved, this child has been reborn in baptism. He is now called a child of God, for so indeed he is.” The priest also declares to the newly baptized: “God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has freed you from sin, given you a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and welcomed you into his holy people.” At baptism, our sins are removed and we are given the power to overcome Satan’s temptations with the help of the Holy Spirit. We are also welcomed into the Church, which is called to continue the work Jesus began and bring God’s kingdom to fulfillment. What a wonderful privilege it is!
The Second Vatican Council has recalled us all to the earliest times of the Church when everyone who was baptized was called to share in the mission of the Church. In one of the most significant documents that resulted from Vatican II, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, the council Fathers spoke very clearly of the variety of roles that the priests, religious and laity play in the Church. After outlining the hierarchical structure of the Church, with the pope as successor of Peter surrounded by his fellow bishops who are assisted by priests and deacons and religious, this document states that “[t]he apostolate of the laity is a sharing in the salvific mission of the Church. Through Baptism and Confirmation all are appointed to this apostolate by the Lord himself” (#33).
Catholic Relief Service Annual Collection
“Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt 25:40). One of the many ways in which we share in the apostolate of our Lord is through our care for the needy in our midst. Our parish is very generous throughout the year in responding to a number of appeals and this weekend we will join with all parishes throughout the country in taking up the annual collection for Catholic Relief Services. Founded over 80 years ago, it now serves 136 million people in 110 countries on five continents. The mission of CRS is to assist impoverished and disadvantaged people, working in the spirit of Catholic social teaching to promote the sacredness of human life and the dignity of the human person. Although its mission is rooted in the Catholic faith, its operations serve people based solely on need, regardless of their race, religion or ethnicity. It provides much-needed assistance worldwide to millions of people in desperate situations. As we read in the newspapers or hear on the news, natural disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and droughts) and man-made calamities (oppressive governments, war, persecution, drugs and human trafficking) put millions of people at great risk and in need of our care. For example, hundreds of thousands of men, women and children living in Myanmar and Thailand lost everything in a recent earthquake. CRS is providing nutritious food and clean water to communities throughout those countries. Right here in our own country, CRS recently funded a program of the office of Migration and Refugee Services of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to combat human trafficking among indigenous Hawaiians in the Diocese of Honolulu and on the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation in the Diocese of Ogdensburg, New York.
As so many impoverished people around the world struggle to survive, the U.S. government’s drastic reduction in financial aid to so many charitable organizations, including CRS, adds another layer of dire need to their already difficult lives. Despite its smaller budget, CRS continues to help in a wide variety of ways. Let us unite ourselves with Catholic Relief Services in reaching out to care for the poor here in our own country and around the world. I am confident that you will, once again, be generous in this important collection and that God will bless you for your generosity.