Letter from the Pastor
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January 11, 2026
It seems to go by so quickly each year, even as the stores start earlier each year. Christmas decorations are put up right after Halloween; most people have their trees up by Thanksgiving. By the time Dec. 25th arrives, they are so tired of Jingle Bells and Rudolph; people take the decorations down way before Jan 6th. We cannot forget that Christmas begins on Dec. 25th; it is not a one-day affair.
For those who try to keep the Twelve Days of Christmas, it is getting more difficult each year. Believe it or not, liturgically today ends the Christmas Season, with the Baptism of the Lord. Those of us who are old enough to remember, the crèche would stay up in Church for 40 days until February 2nd, while the poinsettias and trees would disappear after Jan 6th.
Last Sunday, we celebrated the Epiphany of the Lord. It was His first manifestation that He is God, when the Wise Men arrived and worshipped Him, giving Him the gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. The Baptism is Our Lord's second epiphany. When our Lord descended into the Jordan River, He sanctified its waters and He gave the waters of Baptism the power to make us God’s beloved children. Baptism is our second birthday. We are born again, now not just our parents’ children, now we are God’s children.
In the mystery of Christ’s Baptism, we again celebrate the truth of the Lord’s Incarnation. In fact, our Lord’s Baptism is the definitive manifestation as the Messiah or Christ to Israel, and as the Son of the Father to the entire world. The Father’s voice from heaven shows that Jesus of Nazareth is the eternal Son and the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove shows the Trinitarian nature of the Christian God. The true and unique God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, shows Himself in Christ, through Him, with Him and in Him.
Baptism is not uniquely Christian. In the ancient world, civilizations as the Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Eastern religions all practiced forms of baptism. It is a central religious ceremony in Hinduism, American Indian nations, and Judaism. Different types of washings and purification by water are practiced in almost every other religion in the world, including Islam, Buddhism, and Shintoism.
The Baptism of the Lord was originally one of three Gospel events marked by the Epiphany, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord was declared a separate event from the coming of the Magi. The third Epiphany was the wedding at Cana.
The Baptism of the Lord is not only about what happened that day in the Jordan. It also points to our own baptism. Do you know the date of your baptism, or the priest who baptized you? Do you pray for your godparents? Baptism is not just a nice thing or a cultural thing to do. It is the means to salvation; it begins our relationship with God our Father, Jesus our brother. Babies should be baptized as soon as possible after birth, don’t wait. Listen to your mother and “get the kid baptized.” Seriously, on the day of our baptism, we become God’s children, no longer a “mere creature of earth”.
Today’s feast invites us to remember that we belong to God too, and we are His beloved sons and daughters.
On the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, recommit us to living with our greatest dignity:A Beloved Child of God