Dear Friends
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord and with this we conclude our Christmas Celebrations. The Church has been basking in festivities in the past few weeks when our Lord was revealed or manifested as our Lord and Savior in such Solemnities as Christmas, The Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord. It is so good to be celebrating this awesome remembrance of our Lord taking on human flesh and being one with us as Emmanuel. Unfortunately, we cannot linger on in this mode forever for we have to move on. That is what the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord does. Jesus is baptized in order to begin his most important task of proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God. He was a man on a mission. Peter tells us in the Acts (10:38) that after his baptism Jesus “went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” Isaiah further speaks of our mission namely: I, the Lord, have called you for the victory of justice…. To open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness” (42: 6-7). This idea is beautifully conveyed in a breathtaking poem by Howard Thurman: When the Song of the Angels Is Stilled.
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and the princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flocks,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among people,
To make music in the heart.
Yes, my dear friends we need to move on to take on the work of Christmas in the real world we live in. Come let us make music in the heart of every people we meet.
We are embarking on another hectic and action filled semester. So, buckle up and get ready. Soon we will be celebrating the 2nd Anniversary of the Dedication of our wonderful place of worship and many wonderful programs are scheduled for all of our spiritual growth.
Have a Blessed Week!
With Love,
Fr. John