The Baptism of the Lord

Thoughts from Fr. Bill…….

Dear friends, what a jolt, to jump from the three kings arriving
in Bethlehem last week to the baptism of the adult Jesus this
week! Yet the Baptism of the Lord is one with the nativity and
the Epiphany: they are all manifestations of the Lord. The
Baptism of the Lord is one more way given to us to learn who
Jesus Christ is. So as we celebrate this final Sunday of the
Christmas season, what have we learned this Christmas about
who Jesus Christ is for us?

National Vocation Awareness Week will be celebrated in our
country January 13-19, 2013. Please ask Our Lord for more
dedicated, holy priests, deacons and consecrated women and
men. May they be inspired by Jesus Christ, supported by our
faith community, and respond generously to God’s gift of a
vocation.

This Friday marks the beginning of the annual Week of Prayer
for Christian Unity. In a time when the sad divisions that
separate the Christian churches seem even stranger, perhaps it
is a good time to pray for unity! It is a time to reflect on
Christ’s prayer the night before he died: “The glory that you
have given me I have given them, so that they may be one as
we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become
completely one, so that the world may know that you have
sent me, and have loved them even as you have loved
me” (John 17:22-23).

Recently the Diocese of Greensburg released the Pastoral
Code of Conduct. All staff, ministers (ministers of Holy Communion)
and volunteers who are engaged with youth and
young adults must sign the Acknowledgement of Receipt of
the Code of Pastoral Conduct, as well as attend Virtus
(Protecting God’s Children) training. On Saturday January 19
we will host a Virtus Training from 10 AM –Noon. You may
also complete the training On-Line. Please call the office to
register or to get information concerning On-Line training.
Thank you for your attention is this very important matter.
Praying our psalm response this week, O bless the Lord, my
soul, will remind us that our very lives are meant to “bless
God” – by our being blessings to others.

Fr. Bill
Peace

Trying to live a full life in the service of the Lord,
failing frequently and falling on the mercy of God each time….