Bulletins from 2024 (Page 7)

This weekend, we hear God’s call to Samuel and Jesus’ invitation to Andrew and his brother, Simon Peter, to follow Him. As He did for the disciples, the Lord welcomes us to “come and see” Who He is. Jesus’ identity is defined by His relationship with the Father and by fidelity to the Father’s will. Later in the gospel, we hear Jesus tell the apostles, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” The relationship of the Jesus and His followers is modeled on the intimate union of the Father and the Son. By virtue of Baptism, we enter into communion with the Father and the Son, through the indwelling of the Spirit. Our Baptism is both invitation and pledge of God’s abiding presence in our lives. The Lord calls us and gives us the grace to be able to follow, to “come and see” and to “remain in Him.”

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you (Isaiah 60:1). The great feast of Epiphany is a celebration of the revelation of Christ, the Light, to the whole world. And more than that: “Nations shall walk by your light.” The appearance of the magi, offering gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah and a challenge for us to continue their work. The Light that shines upon us is not for our personal benefit. As bearers of the Light, we are sent to bring the light of faith to all. We are sent to be evangelizers, sharers of the Good News of Jesus, not simply by our word, but by our lives. This Monday, we will celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, marking the conclusion of the Christmas Season. We will then begin Ordinary Time, the periods throughout the year that observe not major feasts or seasons, but the ‘ordinal’ or ‘numbered’ (hence, “Ordinary”) weeks. On February 14, we will enter Lent on Ash Wednesday; Easter will be early this year, on March 31. We will not return to Ordinary Time until May 20, the day after Pentecost. Let us keep the feasts and seasons together, hearing the Lord’s word, celebrating the Eucharist and growing more and more as the people He has joined together in faith.