Sunday, January 12, 2025

This weekend we celebrate the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.  With this feast, we end our celebration of Christmas and begin Ordinary time.  In fact, this is also the first of the 34 Sundays of Ordinary time. This feast is very appropriate for this transition, because, as we hear in the Gospel, Jesus received the call from His Father to leave His life of 30 years with His family and begin His ministry. In one sense, His “hour had come.”
 
Notice what we are told: After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him… Jesus was praying.  So often we are told that He goes off by Himself to a deserted place to pray.  He did it before He selected His apostles, His “inside” team.  He did it in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus needed the help and guidance of His Father and He took the time to be quiet and listen.
 
We need direction in life and God wants to and will give it to us.  But we have to give Him the chance. The way we do that is by spending quiet time, sharing our concerns and struggles, but then being quiet and listening.
 
Our lives are very hectic.  We rush from one thing to another. Our phones and the internet are always calling for our attention.  Let’s make sure, in the middle of all the noise and distractions, that we are giving the Lord the time and attention He needs in order to guide us.  That way, we will never get lost.  God bless.
 
Church sign of the week: Exercise daily: walk with the Lord!