Sunday, January 19, 2014

The Right Direction!!!!

The prophets foretold the coming of the Messiah.  John the Baptist was the herald, the forerunner of the Messiah.  When Jesus appeared, John the Baptist proclaimed, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."  What the prophets and John the Baptist did is what we are called to do in our lives, point people in the right direction, and the right direction is JESUS Christ.  Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."  Even St. Peter said, "You have the words of everlasting life!"  I can write about it or talk about it, but what gets people's attention is when I live.  We need to practice what we preach.  Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, is a tremendous example for us.  He not only has the words for us, but he has the actions to back it up.  In thought, word, and deed, we need to focus on the right direction and that is life in Jesus Christ!!!!!!!  God Bless our journey!!!!

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Living our Baptism Everyday

As we celebrate the Baptism of The Lord and bring our CHRISTMAS Time to a close, it is a good reminder to live our baptismal call every day of our lives!  There is great responsibility when it comes to baptism for parents, godparents, and the body of Christ.  Those who are baptized in our respective parishes will look to us as an example of how we live our lives and our faith.  The words used in the Rite of Baptism are more than words, they are a way of life.  Parents  and godparents need to take this responsibility to heart.  When the priest or Deacon asks the parents "If they clearly understand what they are undertaking," they need to take that to heart.  You need to get your child to church, pray with them everyday, teach them about the faith.  Parents are the primary educators of their children.  The church, schools, religious education programs are there to help, but they should not be the sole provider.  The parents need to live their own baptismal call and guide their child in the ways of faith.  Pope Francis recently encouraged the faithful to find out their baptismal date and celebrate it because that began our journey in the faith and it never ends.  We keep living our faith to the fullest and God will know when that journey ends.  May this renew us to live our baptismal call to the fullest and be an example to one another!!!!