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The Baptism of the Lord

January 12, 2020

From The Font

“After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens…”

It’s true that the theological buzzword “Holy Trinity” does not appear in Scripture in any language. And yet here at the Baptism of the Lord in the Jordan river, we see the Most Holy Trinity as clearly as can be. We hear the Father’s voice. We see Jesus, referred to by the voice as the Son. We see the Spirit of God (AKA the “Spirit of the Divine” or the “Holy Spirit”) descending upon Him as the voice of the Father speaks. And this all happens as His ministry begins. At the Ascension, we’ll see something similar happen and that’s when we’ll hear Jesus give the great commandment to go to all the nations and baptize them in the name of the Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

In our Protestant dominated part of the world, it’s important to keep in mind that the Bible DOES contain most every bit of teaching that we need for salvation, but it DOES NOT hold the fullness of truth - only Jesus, Himself, has that. There are parts of the Bible which are easy enough to understand. There are also parts of the Bible which are really, really tied to a deep understanding of Jewish traditions and daily life… No one but an expert, for example, can really grasp all the signs and symbols Jesus employs at the Last Supper. And so when we lead our Christian lives, we can’t rely too much on our own ability to read the Bible in order to understand the teachings of Jesus and of the moral life. For that we have to rely upon the Church. Even beyond the intellectual challenges of Bible study, the spiritual life that one needs to dig in to the scriptures is demanding and so we have to rely upon centuries of saints and scholars.

That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t study the bible - we must study the bible. Rather, it means we should look to the bible for what the Lord is saying to me and to the Church for what the Lord is saying to all humanity. Jesus is always revealing Himself to each of us and if we listen, we’ll come to recognize Him. If we get lost in complexity beyond us, we’ll miss Him.

Thoughts from Fr. Ryan

Baptism is found in almost all the ancient religions in which morality is praised. (Not all religions consider morals to be important! The religion of the Babylons and the Persians didn’t.) Where morality matters, the symbolic washing away of sin and immorality is present. Even in our own lives, many of us who have some impetus to put away or overcome some sin will unconsciously begin by cleaning the house or washing ourselves in some extraordinary way. It’s just a part of human nature to associate physical dirt and disorder with emotional, mental and spiritual dirt and disorder.

The Jews had a few kinds of baptism. After all, John the Baptist wasn’t being Christian when he baptized people in the Jordan river - he was being Jewish. Jesus innovated on the common practice though. For one, He called for Baptism “in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” When was the last time you took a shower “in the name” of someone? It’s an odd sort of thing to be washed “in the name” or “by the authority” of another. This addition of a statement of authority goes well beyond a symbolic action of washing and implies an actual forgiveness of sin… Which is a big deal. In fact, it’s something which the Jews considered blasphemous - no man can claim the authority of God and so no man can forgive sins… Jesus, though, as God, gives authority freely to those who would Baptize others and who would actually forgive sins in the process of the washing. That’s a big deal!

The second big innovation that Jesus added to Baptism was the idea of being made part of the Church through it. Now, it’s worth knowing that the Jews would’ve considered this a big innovation but the Romans wouldn’t have batted an eyelash. The Romans had all sorts of weird cults in their cities and initiation rituals went from normal to insane, from signing a document to cutting oneself with a sword… The Romans were only really surprised by the Christian idea that only one God was the real God and that all the other gods were fakes.

Speaking of seemingly weird initiation rituals, the reason St Peter and St Paul in the Acts of the Apostles connected Baptism to Circumcision is that the Jews understood that symbols of initiation mattered. Even adult men who became Jews had to be circumcised. Baptism as an initiation actually goes far beyond simple symbol, though. It imparts a sacramental seal or “character” which cannot be voided or undone.

While some people are put off by the echos of Christianity that we see in pagan religions, human psychology and whatever else, we, as Christians, should expect them. God created the world and He knit together every one of us in our mother’s womb. Of course our minds are going to be drawn to a baptism-like psychological ritual. Of course we’re going to see something similar in Judaism and Greco-Roman religion. The fullness, though, is reserved for the religion and the Faith given to us by the Son, Himself.

Calendar of Events

  • Confessions every Fri & Sat from 5p until Mass at 5:30p and on Sun from 9a until 9:30a Mass

  • Pastoral Council meeting monthly on the third Tuesday after the 5:30p Mass except Jun & Dec

  • Sunday Morning Catechism in the Hall after the 9:30a Mass unless otherwise indicated

  • Jan 15 Wednesday Night Catechism following 5:30 p.m. Mass

  • Jan 21 Pastoral Council Meeting following 5:30 p.m. Mass

For Your Information:

WEDNESDAY EVENING CATECHISM...JANUARY 15, 2020 following the 5:30 p.m. Mass. Topics to be decided. If you have suggestions, please text Father Ryan this week. Also, do you prefer a DVD, film, or other prepared presentation. or a short talk prepared by Father with time for questions? Guests are welcome!

PASTORAL COUNCIL..will hold its regular meeting on TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, at 6:00 p.m(after 5:30 p.m. Mass) in the Church Center. All members are requested to make a special effort to attend. Parishioners are encouraged to attend to contribute to the discussions.

CANDLES ON THE ALTAR OF SACRIFICE… Anyone wishing to provide candles for the altar in honor of their loved one or in prayer for some intention may do so simply by asking. A small donation is recommended, but not required. A list of dates is in the sacristy and a date can be reserved up to one year in advance.

FUND RAISING WITH GROCERY TICKETS... If you shop at Doug’s and do not already do so, you may want to save your grocery tickets and place them in the bag on the table at the entrance to church. The church will be given 1% of the total of combined purchases (excluding milk, cigarettes, and alcohol). Our thanks to the ANGEL who collects the tickets and prepares them to submit to Doug’s

PRAYER FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF A NEW BISHOP...Praise to you, Lord our God, our eternal shepherd and guide. In your faithfulness, grant to the Diocese of Alexandria a new bishop whose watchful care will serve to continue the good work of his predecessors. In your Love, give us a shepherd who will lead us in being Christ’s heart of mercy, voice of hope,and hands of justice. Help him to fill our minds and hearts with the truth of the Gospel, the power of the sacraments, and the desire to build up your holy Church. We ask this through Jesus Christ,your Son our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen

Our Return to the Lord

  • Weekly Budget FY 2019-20 $2,111
  • December Budget $10,555
  • December Income $ 9,341
  • January Budget $ 8,444
  • Collection January 4/5 $ 3,874
  • January Income to Date $ 3,874

Stewardship Our Baptism, like the Lord’s, is a consecration to service. The bishops pastoral on stewardship reminds us that “...there is a fundamental obligation arising from the sacrament of baptism that people place their gifts, their resources--their very selves--at God’s service in and through the Church.”

Mass Schedule & Intentions for the Coming Week

  • Sat 5:30p In memory of Louise Testa/Magoun
  • Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Deceased members of our Parish
  • Mon NO MASS
  • Tue 5:30p In memory of Marie Phillips MIchele/Harris
  • Wed 5:30p In memory of Suzanne Wood/Fulton
  • Thu 9:00a In memory of Gus Gremshell Legacy Nursing Home
  • Fri 5:30p In memory of Becky Lancaster/Fulton
  • Sat 5:30p In memory of Eva Reynolds/death anni/family
  • Sun 9:00a Pro Populo for the Living & Dead members of our Parish Family

ALTAR CANDLES this week are burning for the special intentions of Sug Regan

Assistants at Holy Mass

  • 1/11 5:30p
    • Lector: M Rome
    • EMHCs: P & M Gilfoil
  • 1/12 9:00a
    • Servers: M Wood & E Kivett
    • Lector: J Howington
    • EMHCs: C Howington & A Keene
  • 1/18 5:30p
    • Lector: A Farlow
    • EMHCs: MA Gilfoil & L Bullard
  • 1/19 9:00a
    • Servers: C Marsh, H Ellerbee, K Ellerbee
    • Lector: P Collins & M Wood
    • EMHCs: B Smith & K Collins
  • 1/25 5:30p
    • Lector: P Wilks
    • EMHCs: B Wilks & M Rome
  • 1/26 9:00a
    • Servers: W Sullivan, M Wood, C Ellerbee
    • Lector: A Oliver
    • EMHCs: N & M Ernst

Let us Rejoice in the Lord!

Happy Birthday Pat Gilfoil (Jan 15), Renee Wood (Jan 18)

In Our Daily Prayers…

Our Holy Father Pope Francis and Pope-Emeritus Benedict XVI; Archbishop Aymond and our Diocesan leaders, our President, Governor, Mayor and national, state and local elected representatives

Our parishioners who are sick, shut-in, or otherwise in need of our prayers: Terri Brown, Pat Bullard, Connie Copes, Elizabeth Crothers, Susan Gilfoil, C.W. and Alyce Keene, Bill Kennedy, Ed Mills, Kathleen Mills, Sue & Mike Rome, Delia Trichell and Don Wood

Those under full-time care: Frances Kennedy, Sue Scurria (Texas), Margaret Fortenberry of Tensas, Sharon Hansen of Gonzales, Consuelo Marsh of Lake Providence, Jean Cantrell, Marie Cedotal

Our friends and relatives who need our prayers: Lee Adams (Smith), Ashley Weimer Alexander (Regan), Pam Amacker (Gilfoil), Jenna Faye Allen (Florence), Marie Farlow Bellard, Hattie Brown (Lancaster), Jerry Bullard, Colton Bullock (Farlow), Richard Chappuis (Johnson), Karen Cobb, Jami Cook (Wilks), Carol Dipert (Rome), Joe Farlow, Mike Farlow, Melinda and son, Will, Fewell (Farlow), David Fortenberry, Meg Gaumnitz (Copes), Thom Gilfoil, Charlotte Green, Kathy Garley Hanlon (Gilfoil), Cooper Harris (R Wood), Bo Holloway, Diane Johnson (Johnson), Terry Lynn Jones (Howington), Ben Lenhart (G Marsh), LaLa Lopez (Hernandez), Michelle McGuire (Gilfoil), Tobie McKowen (Wilks), Keith Melancon (Regan), Tucker Melancon (Johnson), Lindsay Mills, Debbie Pettis (Rome), Sam and Betty Phillips (Hodge), Wayne Pitre (Gilfoil), Debbie Prine (Wilks), Lee and Tiffney Rome, Dianne W. Roper (Murphy), Linda Sanchez (Wilks), Walter Scott, Andy Sevier, Beverly Sibile (Gilfoil), Theresa Thom (Rome), Elaine and James Trimble (Rome), Adam Triplett (Reynolds), Teresa Vidrine (Wilks), Conner and Hudson Wood (nephews of Bart)

Our collegiates: Aidan Collins, Norman Ernst, Anna Ginn, Josh Hall, Chris Hall (USMC), Matt Hall (USArmy), Nick Hall, Emmy Lu Marsh, Maddie Oliver, Bailey Rome, Blake Sullivan, Brice Wood

Those Catholics residing at Christian Acres, Louisiana Transitional Center for Women, and our local Detention Centers and for their families and loved ones.

PLEASE LET US KNOW OF ANYONE WHO IS ILL OR HOSPITALIZED OR WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE A VISIT. PLEASE HELP US TO UP-DATE OUR PRAYER LIST BY ADVISING US OF ANYONE WHO SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE PRAYER LIST.