The Christmas Season always seems so short.  Oh, I am not talking about the Christmas (or, to be politically correct, “holiday”) advertising blitz to get us to spend our money, an assault that begins during the Summer!  Mercifully that onslaught ends on December 25!  People who view Christmas only through that lens seem to take down their decorations on December 26.  And the “holiday” music stations return to their normal programming post haste.  In the Church, however, the Christmas Season only begins with the celebration of the Lord’s Birth at Christmas Eve.  In the current liturgical calendar for our Roman Rite – revised under the directives of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) and promulgated in 1969 by the authority of Blessed Paul VI – the Christmas Season extends for several weeks after the Solemnity of Christmas and includes the Feast of the Holy Family, the Solemnity of the Epiphany, and today’s Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.  In fact, there is an ancient custom to extend the Christmas cycle to the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, February 2!  Since much of that which surrounds us in the culture purges itself of everything having to do with Christmas so soon afterward, it is important for us Catholics to emphasize the Season throughout its brief duration.  In our parishes we do so by leaving all the beautiful decorations in church in place through the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.  Also, throughout the entire Christmas Season we sing the glorious hymns that celebrate the Incarnation of our God – hymns in the English language that have stood the test of time being liturgically appropriate because of the solid theology of their texts and their high musical quality. 

That which we celebrate today – the Baptism of the Lord in the River Jordan by John the Baptist – is recounted for us in the Gospels (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:31-34).  The Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes the import of the baptism of Jesus which “is on His part the acceptance and inauguration of His mission as God’s suffering Servant.  He allows Himself to be numbered among sinners; He is already ‘the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29; see Isaiah 53:12).  Already He is anticipating the ‘baptism’ of His bloody death (see Mark 10:38; Luke 12:50).  Already He is coming to ‘fulfill all righteousness,’ that is, He is submitting Himself entirely to His Father’s will: out of love He consents to this baptism of death for the remission of our sins (Matthew 3:15; see 26:39).  The Father’s voice responds to the Son’s acceptance, proclaiming His entire delight in His Son (see Luke 3:22; Isaiah 42:1).  The Spirit whom Jesus possessed in fullness from His conception comes to ‘rest on Him’ (John 1:32-33; see Isaiah 11:2).  Jesus will be the source of the Spirit for mankind.  At His baptism ‘the heavens were opened’ (Matthew 3:16) – the heavens that Adam’s sin had closed – and the waters were sanctified by the descent of Jesus and the Spirit, a prelude to the new creation” (536).  In his Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, Saint Hilary of Poitiers (300-368) notes the significance of the Baptism of the Lord for us as we are baptized: “Everything that happened to Christ Jesus lets us know that, after the bath of water, the Holy Spirit swoops down upon us, from high heaven and that, adopted by the Father’s voice, we become sons of God” (2:5).
 
Congratulations to our own Becky Schmitt who this week began her new job as Director of the Spring Valley Public Library!  The Village is fortunate to have such a talented and dedicated young woman to lead this important part of the life of our community.  Becky will continue to serve our parishes as Administrative Assistant.  During the time of transition her hours in our Central Office will be late afternoon into early evening.  A more permanent schedule of office hours will be announced in the coming weeks.

My duties as Director of Spiritual Formation in our diocesan Permanent Deacon Formation program take me to Marathon this weekend.  The Church in our State of Wisconsin is so blessed to have these faith-filled and talented men – from our own Diocese of La Crosse as well as the Dioceses of Superior and Madison – who are willing to serve us as Permanent Deacons.  Pray for them and their formators!

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!  Saint Luke, pray for us!
Father Kevin C. Louis, STL