Rev. Anthony Recker Pastor ext. 105 [email protected] Deacon Gerald Galernik [email protected] January 12, 2020 The Baptism of the Lord Sue Van Hersett Pastoral Associate for Faith Formation ext. 111 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: [email protected] Today marks the transition from the Christmas Season into Ordinary Teri Fischer Time with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The Christmas Principal season always seems to go by too quickly. We have two and a half ext. 135 weeks to ponder the mystery of the Incarnation. This pales in [email protected] comparison to the Easter Season which is 7 weeks long. Traditionally, Christmas was celebrated until the Feast of the Alex Bartos Presentation of the Lord (also called Candlemas, since candles are Bookkeeper traditionally blessed at the Mass for this day) on February 2nd. So…if ext. 104 you leave your Christmas tree up until February 2nd, God bless you! [email protected] You are celebrating Christmas to its fullest. Audrey Caligiuri The Baptism of the Lord is usually seen as the transition point in the Parish Secretary life of Christ into His public ministry. In other words, after His ext. 101 baptism Jesus is now a public figure, preaching the Good News of [email protected] salvation to the world. His ministry begins with a special Elizabeth Nonnenmacher manifestation of God, as God announces that this is His beloved Son, Liturgical Music Director and the Spirit of God descending upon Him like a dove. I imagine this had a great effect on the people witnessing it, leading them to ext. 117 witness to Christ even as His ministry was beginning. [email protected] The baptism of Jesus is an act of repentance. St. John the Baptist was baptizing people so that they would turn away from sin and turn toward God. It was a ritual washing, similar to the ritual washings the Israelite priests would do before performing their duties in the Temple. It was not a sacramental baptism as we understand it today. The baptism of Jesus is remarkable primarily because Jesus had no sins to repent from. He never sinned during His entire life. His baptism was a sign that He was taking on the sins of the world. He was repenting for humanity even though He had nothing personally to repent for. His ministry is thus necessarily priestly. Priests are mediators for their people, standing before God for the sake of their people. Jesus is the perfect mediator and priest. As a human being, He stands with us before the Father, repenting for the sins of humanity. He is the sacrifice Himself; thus in St. John’s Gospel, St John the Baptist proclaims “Behold the Lamb of God”, when he encounters Jesus. Jesus is the sacrificial lamb. He is offering His life for our salvation. His baptism shows that He is fully with us and dedicated to this ministry of standing with sinners to save us from our sins. (Fr’s letter is continued inside) Mass Schedule Saturday—4:30 p.m. Sunday—8:30 & 11:00 a.m. PARISH MISSION STATEMENT Monday through Friday—8:15 a.m. Confessions: Saturday: 3:30 p.m. Rooted in one baptism and many ethnic traditions, All Saints Parish celebrates, Parish Office: 419-666-1393 • Fax: 419-666-5734 cultivates, and grows knowledge and faith Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to love and serve both God and neighbor. 628 Lime City Road, Rossford, OH 43460 www.allsaintsrossford.org Pastoral Council 2013 School Office: 419-661-2070 • Fax: 419-661-2077 (Fr. Recker’s letter Continued) MASS INTENTIONS SAT. 1/11 4:30p.m. Norm Losonsky The Sacrament of Baptism is different. After the death and SUN. 1/12 8:30a.m. Robert Cordrey resurrection of Jesus, He commands His Apostles to go 11:00a.m. Lawrence Hoffmann and Arthur throughout the world baptizing in the name of the Father, Eisel (Anniv) and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The Sacrament of MON. 1/13 8:15a.m. Robert and Grace Peiffer, Colleen Baptism imparts to the individual the saving power of the Colvin, Robert and Mary Piddock cross; we are saved through water and the Holy Spirit. We TUE. 1/14 8:15a.m. Dolores Dominickowski thus exist in a new state, what we call “sanctifying grace”. WED. 1/15 8:15a.m. Helen Minarcin, Patricia, Carolyn and Sanctifying grace is the relationship we have with God, a Lynn Marie relationship of holiness. Baptism is when we accept Jesus as THU. 1/16 8:15a.m. Santiago Armstrong our Lord and Savior, and He sends down His Spirit upon us to FRI. 1/17 8:15a.m. Jim Richards change us for a life of grace. SAT. 1/18 4:30p.m. All Saints Parishioners As such, Baptism is the beginning of the life of grace and is SUN. 1/19 8:30a.m. John and Katherine Szkutnik when we enter the Holy Church of God. We become 11:00a.m. Marilyn McAlear members of the Body of Christ. Before His death on the ACTIVITIES THIS WEEK cross, there obviously couldn’t be baptism as a sacrament. SUN: 1/12 9:30a.m. Large Confirmation Group-SCR The word “baptism” comes from the Greek word for dunking TUE: 1/14 6:00p.m. Pastoral Council-Conference Room or plunging into water. Thus a baptism in a generic sense 6:30p.m. Open Scripture Study–SCR would be immersing someone in water. This is what the WED: 1/15 7a-9p.m. Adoration baptism of John was, and also what it was for the first 6:00p.m. Mission Team Mtg-Conference Room Christians up until today. While the physical act was similar, THU: 1/16 5:00p.m. Bingo-PAC what was actually happening spiritually was very different. SAT: 1/18 3:30p.m. Confessions I cannot overemphasize the importance of the sacrament READINGS FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 12, 2020 baptism in today’s world. I often hear from faithful Catholics Sunday: Is 42:1-4, 6-7/Ps 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10 [11b]/ of their concern that a relative is not having their children Acts 10:34-38/Mt 3:13-17 baptized. They are right to be concerned. Baptism opens up Monday: 1 Sm 1:1-8/Ps 116:12-13, 14-17, 18-19 [17a]/ to us a whole new life of grace and spiritual protection that is Mk 1:14-20 vital to flourishing in this life. My biggest concern is why a Tuesday: 1 Sm 1:9-20/1 Sm 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd [cf. 1]/ parent wouldn’t want this infinite spiritual gift for their Mk 1:21-28 children. Do they not believe in the power of Jesus? Have Wednesday: 1 Sm 3:1-10, 19-20/Ps 40:2 and 5, 7-8a, 8b-9, we led them to believe that such grace isn’t necessary? Let 10 [8a and 9a]/Mk 1:29-39 us pray for a renewal in understanding and living our faith. Thursday: 1 Sm 4:1-11/Ps 44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25 [27b]/ Jesus is everything to us. Mk 1:40-45 God bless, Friday: 1 Sm 8:4-7, 10-22a/Ps 89:16-17, 18-19 [2]/Mk 2:1-12 Saturday: 1 Sm 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1a/Ps 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 Fr. Recker [2a]/Mk 2:13-17 After Jesus was baptized, he came up ATTENTION SENIOR from the water and behold, the heavens SINGLES AND COUPLES 50 AND OVER were opened for him, and he saw the If you are a couple or a single and over the Spirit of God descending like a dove and age of 50, we have a fellowship group that coming upon him. And a voice came from meets once a month for dinner. The next the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved dinner gathering will be at Smoky’s on Son, with whom I am well pleased.” - Mt Sunshine and Woodville Rd in Oregon, Ohio. 3:16-17 Wednesday, January 15, at 6 p.m. If you are Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass ©2001, 1998, 1970 CCD. interested in attending, please contact Dan Ello at 419-944- 9732 or Darlene Walkowiak at 419-376-3467 to make your reservation. To ensure enough seating a RSVP is required. PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR PARISH MISSION Featuring Nationally Renowned Catholic Lay TAKING DECORATIONS DOWN Evangelist and Protestant Clergy Convert Help is needed with taking down the trees, creche, and other Michael J. Cumbie decor inside the church. We will be doing this on Tuesday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday: January 14, at 9 a.m. Your help will be appreciated! February 10,11,12, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. Poinsettias are free for the taking after the 11 a.m. Mass From the heart of the Deep South, steeped in Evangelical Sunday, January 12. A huge thank you to all who helped fundamentalist traditions and very anti Catholic, Michael with the decorating over the holidays. Cumbie underwent a dramatic conversion to Catholicism. He now travels the nation teaching and preaching the very truths that he despised. Michael is dedicated to tearing FOOD PANTRY ITEMS OF THE MONTH down the walls that divide non-Catholic Christians from the Each month we feature items that are Holy Catholic Church. We invite you to come and needed for the food pantry.