We've just celebrated the Incarnation of the Prince of Peace. To help keep that in mind during Ordinary Time, it is helpful to learn the prayer for peace and joy. Just say this prayer each morning and renew the joy of the Christmas season! (Click here to learn peace prayer)

We'd planned to continue our consideration of "Getting Happy the Catholic Way", but decided, instead, to comment on a recent experience which reminded us how important it is to live our Catholic faith. We'll continue with happiness next week!

An important part of living our faith is having quiet time for prayer and reflection. Our liturgical year is designed just for that. We had the anticipation of Advent and the exhilaration of Christmas. Now it is time to quiet down, relax, and reflect on our spiritual journeys. We are called to do the following:

• Believe our faith
• Profess our faith
• Celebrate our faith
• Conform our lives to Christ in the Holy Spirit in glory to God
• Live our faith in a personal relationship with the living and true God

How are you doing?
 

• Use your green candle Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday to celebrate  Ordinary Time.
   

• Sunday, January 13 use a white candle for the feast of the Baptism of the Lord by St. John the Baptist. We celebrate this as the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus.
   
• Thursday, January 17 use a white candle to commemorate the memorial of St. Anthony,  patron saint of gravediggers. St. Anthony, a 3rd century Egyptian, is known for his devout prayer life, sanctity, and performing of miracles. He started a monastic community and lived to the age of 105 years.

A solemnity is a day of greatest importance. The celebration starts the evening before the actual solemnity. Easter is our most important solemnity. A feast is the next most important day. It commemorates Mary, the apostles, martyrs and other saints, and the events associated with them. Mass readings often reflect the special feast day. A memorial is a special day, but often an optional celebration. The scripture readings for Mass may or may not be specially selected for the memorial.
 

Get Ready to Pray Constantly!
Learn the Liturgy of the Hours with us!

Our family has never prayed the Liturgy of the Hours together, but we hope to start during Lent. First we have to learn how to do it, though! We already have the text and the 2008 guide, so this week we will just figure out how to use them. We'll also review the prayer that is used every evening, the Canticle of Mary. Next week we'll let you know what we've figured out about how it all works. Feel free to provide advice!

Daily prayers for the Liturgy of the Hours are found in these sources:
 Christian Prayer: The Liturgy of the Hours
 Saint Joseph Guide for the Liturgy of the Hours (St. Joseph Liturgy Guides)

Mission Possible!

We are so lucky to be celebrating the Baptism of Our Lord on a Sunday this year. It brings the Christmas season to a spectacular close with a message we often miss when this feast is celebrated on a weekday. The Baptism of the Lord shows us that God's plan is being fulfilled and His promises are being kept. We also hear scriptural reference to the Trinity - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

The first reading is from second Isaiah, who prophesied at the end of the Babylonian exile. (approximately 540 B.C.) We hear the first of the Suffering Servant poems, the writings that show an expectation of a Messiah called by the Spirit with a mission to bring peace and justice to earth. As Christians we see Jesus as the complete fulfillment of these Old Testament prophesies.

The second reading is from the Acts of the Apostles, the second volume of Luke's writings of Jesus and salvation. Peter was visiting Cornelius, a Roman centurion. Visiting Gentiles was something a devout Jew would never do, but Peter had realized that salvation was for all people, not just the Jews. During the visit Peter had a singularly important message: through His Baptism Jesus was anointed by, and given the power of, the Spirit.

Matthew shows the Baptism as the instant in history when Jesus' mission began. John recognized the absurdity of his baptizing Jesus, but Jesus commanded him to do it anyway. God was present as the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. The mission of Jesus had begun. The mission of John was complete.
 

Lectionary readings for the 1st Week of Ordinary Time: