St. Joseph the Worker

Dear Parishioners of St. Joseph the Worker:

This is the last weekend of our Christmas season.  We end this joyous time by celebrating the Baptism of the Lord.  We remember that event in the life of Jesus when John the Baptist baptized Our Lord in the waters of the Jordan River.  And God told the world that Jesus was His Beloved Son.

Let’s see how the Baptism of Jesus can be related to our time.

What if someone asked you when you were born and you told them you didn’t know?  Wouldn’t that be strange?  A person could reply: “You don’t know when you were born?  How do you celebrate a birthday?”  OR, what if your husband was asked the date of your anniversary, and he hesitated for minutes trying to remember?  Wouldn’t you, the wife, be furious?

SO – what is the date of your baptism?  Shouldn’t that roll off your tongue as easily as your birthdate?  The day of your baptism is when you became a special child of God.  That day you had the promise of eternal life given to you and original sin taken away.  That day you became a member of the Roman Catholic Church and a certain parish faith community.  Isn’t that date important enough to remember and celebrate?

In case you are wondering – Nov. 4, 1956.  That is the day of my baptism.  All of us should know the date of that very special day when we were baptized.  The Lord’s Baptism should call us to reconnect ourselves to that extraordinary ritual when the living waters of our faith were poured over us.

May the Lord’s Baptism immerse us deeper and deeper into the wonders of our Catholic Faith.

Your baptized pastor,

Fr. Joe