Reflection for the Solemnity of the Baptism of our Lord

Baptism

Why should I join?
What does it mean?

“He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

It wouldn’t be unusual to wonder about baptism, what it means. We might also wonder why Jesus was baptized.

For us, baptism is membership in the body of Jesus, the Church – we are made part of Jesus by descending into the water, as He descended into death. With this membership we are promised that we, like Jesus, will rise again.

For us, baptism is washing. We are washed of sin. In baptism we recognize that we fall short of the glory of God. As St. Paul wrote to the Romans “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” We know that we are sinful, no one is perfect and without failings. In baptism we acknowledge our sinfulness and our reliance on God, who through Jesus’ sacrifice washes us of our sinfulness, brings us forgiveness, and welcomes us back – always, no matter what.

For us, baptism is proclamation that Jesus is the Son of God, true God and true man. We proclaim the triune nature of God, Jesus’ sacrificial death, resurrection, and ascension. In baptism we proclaim the Creed – stating definitively what we believe by faith. At Jesus’ baptism the heavens were opened. The Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove. The Father’s voice is heard: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” This is God revealed, as He is, plain and simple, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Jesus’ baptism pointed to all these things. At Jesus’ baptism John publicly recognized and declared that Jesus was the One who was awaited, the Messiah, the One who would baptize “with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

Jesus’ baptism also showed that He identified with sinners. His baptism symbolized sinners’ baptism into His righteousness. In addition, Jesus baptism showed His approval of John’s baptism, bearing witness to it, that it was from heaven and approved by God. Later, after His resurrection, He would tell His followers that by baptizing the many they would be made His disciples. In Jesus’ baptism the reality of God was revealed in testimony direct from heaven.

All the glorious truth of the mercy of God found in Jesus Christ is on display at His baptism. We join ourselves to that glory and truth in our baptism.

In the dynamics of baptism we join ourselves to all the truth of Jesus. We proclaim that God has freed us by His grace and our acceptance of that grace. We declare with all the faith that we have – we are members of His body, and that He is our Lord and God. We are His members – and it means this: That we receive His mercy and glory.

Bible Study for the Third Week of Christmas
  • 1/6 – Luke 1:1-4 – Lord Jesus, grant that I may follow all things concerning You closely, and share the joy that knowledge of You brings.
  • 1/7 – 2 Samuel 22:29 – God, You gave us Your only Son to be our light. You have lifted the veil of darkness from our lives. Grant that I may continue to share the light You have given me and dispel darkness wherever it might be found.
  • 1/8 – Job 33:28 – Lord, in times of trouble You rescue Your faithful. Grant that I may be counted among Your faithful. Grant too that when I fall short of Your love, I return to You, confident of Your mercy.
  • 1/9 – Psalm 18:28 – Lord, grant that I may not count intellectual knowledge of You as sufficient, but rather that I seek Your light so that it fill the entirety of my being.
  • 1/10 – John 1:4 – Lord Jesus, from eternity You have been light and life. Grant that I never forsake Your light and Your gift of life.
  • 1/11 – Isaiah 60:19 – Lord, all things will pass away, even the sun and moon. Grant that I may be found among Your children, living in Your eternal light.
  • 1/12 – Romans 13:12 – Lord Jesus, help me in my weakness. Grant me Your grace so that I might repent of my sin, reform my life, and live in Your light.

Pray the week: Lord Jesus, grant that the light of Your star shine in my life. Help me to lead many to Your light.

Epiphany Visitations – KolÄ™da – House Blessings

With the celebration of the Solemnity of the Epiphany, Deacon Jim is available to come to your homes for the traditional Epiphany home blessing. Please see him, write, call, or E-mail to make an appointment. Blessing appointments are available through February 12th (prior to Ash Wednesday).

To prepare your home for the blessing please have the blessed chalk and incense available as well as your blessed candle, gromnica.

Lo, the monarchs of the East now
Wend their way to Bethlehem,
There to find the promised Savior,
There with gifts to greet Him
||: In a manger poor and lowly
Lies the precious Savior,
Born to rule the hearts of mankind
In eternal splendor. :||

Kings and Wise Men note the malice
At the Child directed,
Dreadful tidings and great sadness,
Herod’s plot affected.
||: But the fearless monarchs hurry
Forward unto Bethl’em;
As the star leads to the Savior,
Giving hope unto them. :||

Standing there before the mother,
Precious gifts each bearing,
Bowing low before the Savior,
Kings present their off’ring.
||: O what fortune beyond measure
We cannot but envy,
Who will say what we can offer
To the Holy Baby? :||

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Epiphany

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Does God play…
hide and seek?

“Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him.”

Have you ever stopped for directions? The typical joke is that a man will drive around for hours, trying to find a destination, while a woman would immediately stop and ask for directions.

From our reading of the scripture we see that the Wise Men/Kings/Astrologers/Magi did stop and ask directions. They received directions, an answer in response to their search for The Answer, and made their way to Bethlehem.

It seems inconsistent doesn’t it? The Wise Men were following a star. Besides being men, why would they stop for directions if they had the star to guide them?

The lesson here is that something greater was happening. We need to unfold the map, and get our directions by reading between the lines a little.

Certainly, the gospel account is true. The Astrologers saw a sign in the skies and intuited that something wonderful had happened. That intuition isn’t just some human trait, but God’s grace at work in them, asking them to take action. They chose to believe and act on that grace. They decided to believe and follow a light – a star.

The star they followed wasn’t just something in the sky; it was the light glowing in their hearts that drove them onward toward God. That light drove them toward Jesus, the reality of God’s promise to all people.

The Wise Men received a great blessing – from outside of God’s chosen people, God called these men. With the power of His love – that is, His grace – He called Gentile leaders to come to His Son. These representatives of all nations responded. They headed toward Jesus (stopping for directions along the way).

God doesn’t play hide-and-seek. His grace is for all people in the same way as was given to the Magi. The light of His star exists in all hearts as a little flicker, an ember. If we choose to act on that grace and head toward Jesus, that ember will be fanned into a great flame, greater than any star.

When touched by the spark of grace we must not brush it off or put it out. Rather we stop and ask directions. We start in our faith community, our local church. From there, we set out and find Him as fully as we are able. Finding Him we also become His messengers (like the Magi – who as travelers were also bearers of news). With a great light in us we go out and proclaim the Good News. God is not hiding – we only need to fan His many embers into great stars revealing Jesus to all.

January 2013 Newsletter

Happy New Year and a new newsletter! Our January 2013 newsletter and calendar is complete and now available. Tons of events, Soup on Sunday, our annual meeting (yes, we are a democratic church where you have a voice and a vote and can expect accountability) everything you’d ever want to know — all in one place. You may view and download a copy right from this website.

January 2013 Newsletter.

Wise Men Seek Him

Soup on Sunday featured in the local Press

Our first Soup on Sunday event was featured in the Schenectady Gazette and the Albany Times Union. Our thanks to the reporters and photographers that joined us. We look forward to next month’s event on Sunday, January 27th. Hot soup, sandwiches, and good company every last Sunday of the month from 11:30am till 1:30pm.

Soup on Sunday
Victoria Konicki, 11, stirs the pot of soup at the Holy Name of Jesus National Catholic Church during their first Soup on Sunday event on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012 in Schenectady, NY. Konicki’s father is the Deacon of the church. Deacon Jim Konicki said that “the congregation wanted to offer a place for anyone to come for free nourishment, a safe place where people can gather for fellowship and support for one another”. The church will hold the free Soup on Sunday event the last Sunday of every month from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. The Golub Corporation and Hannaford both gave donations that aid in the running of the program. Deacon Konicki said that for the congregation charity and outreach are very important. (Photo credit: Paul Buckowski / Times Union)

Bible Study for the Second Week of Christmas
  • 12/30 – 1 Timothy 3:1 – Lord Jesus, You have called men from among us to shepherd Your people. Grant them Your every grace as they undertake the noble cause of responding to Your call.
  • 12/31 – 1 Peter 2:25 – Lord Jesus, Your shepherds follow in Your footsteps. Grant them the strength to protect the souls entrusted to their care.
  • 1/1 – Isaiah 40:11 – Lord Jesus, grant Your grace to Your shepherds as they lead us in this new year. Assist them in imitating Your heart as they care for, gather, carry, and gently lead Your people.
  • 1/2 – John 10:4 – Lord Jesus, grant Your shepherds a heart for their people. May they, through Your grace, treat each of their people as family to be cared, sharing in their victories and defeats, successes and struggles.
  • 1/3 – Hebrews 13:17 – Lord Jesus, grant Your people loving hearts toward those responsible for our souls. Provide us with the temperament, resources, and spirit to work side-by-side with Your chosen ones in joy.
  • 1/4 – 1 Peter 5:1-2 – Lord Jesus, grant Your Holy Church many vocations, for the need for shepherds among us is great. May many men respond generously to Your call willingly and eagerly.
  • 1/5 – 1 Thessalonians 5:13 – Lord Jesus, grant that Your people may carry great love and esteem for the shepherds among us, and for all who serve in Your Holy Church.

Pray the week: Lord Jesus, I praise and thank You for sending us good shepherds to lead Your Holy Church.

First Soup on Sunday — Thank You

Our first ever Soup on Sunday event was wonderful. Thank you to Bob and Stephanie for coordinating, for all who came to work, for the support of Golub Corporation and Hannaford Markets, and to our guests. We look forward to our second Soup on Sunday to be held Sunday, January 27th. Tell everyone you know to join us for a warm meal – always FREE!

Reflection for the Solemnity of the Humble Shepherds

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He called,
they and I answered.

“I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, says the LORD.”

There are several very good reasons for our Church to have established this special Solemnity, that of the Humble Shepherds.

Our initial thoughts go to the remembrance of those men, who kept watch over their flocks by night, to whom the angel first appeared to announce the good news of the Lord’s birth.

Since God deigned to provide first news of His birth to these men, the Holy Church should rightly honor them and their witness to His coming. The community of the Church, each of us, should also take after their example by listening, responding, and taking action.

Next, our thoughts should go to those men around us that God continues to speak to and through. They work among us as leaders. They draw us to the goodness of the Lord. These are the shepherds among us; they are the bishops, priests, and deacons of our Holy Church.

What does it mean to be such a shepherd?

Like the shepherds on that hillside, today’s shepherds must listen. Listening is difficult, especially if the one speaking to you doesn’t use the phone, Facebook, E-mail, texting, or smoke signals. His word comes in very subtle ways, and they seem easy to set aside and ignore. Yet, if we dare to listen, we will hear Him speaking to us, setting forth a vital mission and challenge that we need to take on.

Like those shepherds, today’s responded and went. They left everything they thought they might be behind. They went to be what He wants them to be. Whether drafted, or going voluntarily (even reluctantly sometimes), they still chose to respond. They didn’t sit on the hillside wondering, “What if?” They didn’t miss the chance.

Also like the shepherds that went that night, they took something away with them, the experience of meeting the Lord who challenges us, who supports us, who is our best friend and confidant. They met Him and were changed in that meeting. They then took what they learned, and with the Lord’s help went out on mission, to build the Church, to gather co-workers, and to build family and community.

They lead because they have heard and seen abundantly. They tell others, many of who and astonished and do not accept their word. Those that do hear, who may also be astonished at first, but who then follow by listening, responding and taking action themselves are God’s witnesses in the world.

See & Experience the Bible Like Never Before

The Bible is an epic five-week, 10 hour television mini-series premiering March 3, 2013 on the History Channel from Emmy Award winning husband and wife team, Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. For two hours each Sunday night millions of viewers will see the Bible from Genesis to Revelation come to life in a way never before seen. The final episode of the series will air on Easter Sunday and will feature the death and resurrection of Jesus.