January 4, 2026 - The Baptism of the Lord
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
With the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the Christmas season comes to a close and we will continue with so called Ordinary Time. The Child of Bethlehem now steps into the waters of the Jordan, and His public ministry begins. What appears at first to be a simple moment quickly becomes a profound revelation of who Jesus is — and who we are. Jesus comes to John not because He needs repentance, but because He chooses solidarity. He enters the waters alongside sinners, taking His place with humanity in all its brokenness and hope. In doing so, He shows us the heart of God: a God who does not stand at a distance, but who steps into our lives fully and freely.
As Jesus emerges from the water, the heavens open. The Spirit descends like a dove. And the voice of the Father is heard: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” This is not only a revelation of Jesus’ identity; it is also a revelation of ours. Through our own baptism, we are joined to Christ. What the Father speaks over Jesus, He now speaks over us: You are my beloved. Before we do anything, before we prove ourselves worthy, before we succeed or fail — we are claimed by God’s love.
Baptism is not simply a ritual from the past or a family tradition. It is the foundation of Christian life. It is the moment when we are washed clean, filled with the Holy Spirit, and sent into the world as disciples. Just as Jesus’ baptism marked the beginning of His mission, our baptism marks the beginning of ours. This feast invites us to remember our own baptism — perhaps not the day itself, but the grace that still flows from it. It calls us to renew our commitment to live as God’s beloved children: rejecting sin, choosing holiness, and bearing witness to Christ in our daily lives.
As we leave the Christmas season behind and return to Ordinary Time, the message is clear: the light revealed at Christmas now shines through us. Strengthened by our baptism, may we live with confidence in God’s love and courage in our calling, knowing that we, too, are beloved sons and daughters of the Father.
With the change of seasons, i want to take the opportunity to express my gratitude to all of you for the support of the parish whole year around, and for your generosity. I want to thank all those who serve the parish at any capacity in any ministry, be it Ashers, alter servers, readers, Eucharistic ministers and all those participating in any prayer group. Thank you for your help with all tasks of cleaning our buildings and around property, decorating the church for different seasons. I want to thank the choirs, organizers of posadas and pageants before Christmas. Without all of your help and support we could not minister and do all things that happen in our Parish. I thank for our outreach and your support of it. Thanks for the organizing of the feasts and foundries, for cooking, cleaning and decorating. Thank you for your generosity to the parish and to us priests. Your practical faith and shearing your talents and resources makes our parish a community and family of faith.
God bless everyone always!!!
Fr. Stan
