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ASH WEDNESDAY “REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE DUST, AND TO DUST YOU SHALL RETURN”

GOD OF JUSTICE AND MERCY

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MOST HOLY TRINITY

FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT

INTRODUCTION

Many get stuck in their Bible reading because of the Old Testament. Some may find the God they read about in Old Testament is not the kind of God they are looking for.

Are there two Gods, one of the Old and one of the New Testament? No, there is one God, in three Divine Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. a God of Justice and Mercy

In the very beginning of Genesis when man disobeyed God by choosing his will over God’s will, man committed Original sin which we all inherit in our human nature.

GENESIS 3:8-16

“…Have you eaten from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat? The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, so I ate it. “The LORD God then asked the woman: What is this you have done? The woman answered, “The snake tricked me, so I ate it…. Then the LORD God said to the snake…I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; they will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel.^*

God of the Old Testament in His Justice separates man from His kingdom but in His Mercy, promises a Savior that will crush evil and reunite us into God’s Divine Life.

At our Baptism, Original Sin is removed and (if adult) any other personal sins. Infused with Divine life we become heirs of heaven, brothers and sisters of Christ.

COMMENTARY

The Old Testament is filled with blessings and curses. Man falls again and again, yet God in His Mercy remains faithful, calling man to repentance and reunion with Him.

THE GREAT FLOOD

When the LORD saw how great the wickedness of human beings was on earth, and how every desire that their heart conceived was always nothing but evil the LORD regretted making human beings on the earth, and his heart was grieved. So the LORD said: I will wipe out from the earth the human beings I have created, and not only the human beings, but also the animals and the crawling things and the birds of the air, for I regret that I made them. But Noah found favor with the LORD. Genesis 6:5-7

Even in the midst of such a terrifying judgment God’s rescue mission moves forward in the hands of his faithful shipmate, Noah. God demonstrates his justice toward humanity through punishment, and he demonstrates his saving love and mercy for humanity through Noah.

Death was a result of man separating himself from God (ORIGINAL SIN). We inherit death in our human nature from our first parents Adam and Eve. In the ancient world life expectancy was very low.

God, in his righteousness sometimes uses death as a punishment to restore the order of justice. When we reject the Author of Life, death results. “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.” Matthew 10:28

REFLECTION

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father…John 14:9

Jesus says to Phillip and to us Who sees me sees the Father!

We cry out for justice here and now on earth. But our expectations are seldom met in this life. Unlike earthly justice, God will bring all things together in his perfect justice in end times.

God provides time for the wicked to repent and obtain salvation. I give thanks every day for God’s unlimited patience and mercy. God is a Just God. The time God allows between now and the final judgment gives us an opportunity to become a recipient of his Mercy through rather than a target for his judgment

We can’t ignore the Old Testament for that is when the story of our salvation begins. It is where we first learn who God is and what man’s relationship to God should be. We see that God is not only transcendent, but a God who intervenes in our history.

We see Divine Providence, creating a nation, Israel, to be a call, a light to all nations to worship the one true God. How is Divine Providence working in my life?

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is Good,

His mercy endures forever.”

Psalm 107

THE BEATITUDES A LENTEN MEDITATION

LENTEN REFLECTIONS

RECEIVE THE MIGRANT: SHELTER THE HOMELESS

CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING, CATHOLIC COMMENTARY

JESUS MARY AND JOSEPH FLIGHT INTO EYGPT

JESUS WAS A MIGRANT

Immigration is a hot button issue in our country today. Today,there are some people who seem to be against all immigration. But the truth is almost all of us except Native Americans are the descendants of immigrants!

Our Savior, Jesus Christ, was born homeless. (Mt.8:20) He who created the world became a homeless person depending on the kindness of strangers. Jesus, Mary and Joseph were themselves refugees fleeing into Egypt to avoid Herod’s massacre of newly born children.

“The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Mt 8:20). Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, was born in a borrowed manger; had no fixed address once he began his public ministry; and was buried in another man’s tomb.

Where are we on welcoming the refugee? And how about our treatment of the homeless despite the reasons for their homelessness. God loves the homeless! .

The Catholic Church in the United States is an immigrant Church with a long history of embracing newcomers regardless of origin, race or religion. Our Church has responded to Christ’s call for us to “welcome the stranger among us,” for in this encounter with the immigrant and the refugee in our midst, we encounter Christ.

CORPORAL WORK OF MERCY

The Corporal Works of Mercy are found in the teachings of Jesus and give us a model for how we should treat all others, as if they were Christ in disguise.

CCC 2447 The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor…The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead.

I asked my oldest daughter who has some experience of working with the homeless hwhat supplies shelters needed, she replied, “new socks, gently used blankets, comforters, coats, hats, gloves will always be in high repeat demand— once these items become wet and soiled— our homeless have no way to dry them.. clean, dry supplies always needed.”

REFLECTION

For many of us, the line between our homes and being homeless is a thin one that can disappear with the death of a spouse, the loss of a job or an illness. This corporal work of mercy forces us to open our eyes to the misery of those who, for a variety of reasons, have no place they can call home.

Welcome the immigrant in your neighborhood; speak kindly to that homeless man or woman who you pass and offering a sandwich or buying them a meal. “Whatever you do to the least of these brethren , you do to me!”

Homelessness is invasive and may be found at our doorstep. Let us not ignore it and walk over like the rich man, Dives, in the parable who ignored Lazarus the begger. We often show more empathy for stray dogs or cats than human beings. Pro-Life is more than anti-abortion! Let’s give the same fervor to those already born!

LUKE 16

Jesus comes to us in disguises. Remember his last judgment discourse in Matthew 23, “Whatever you do to one of these least of my brethren, you do to me.”

POSTSCRIPT

MOTHER TERESA

DO IT ANYWAY!

People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.

If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

At the hour of death when we come face-to-face with God, we are going to be judged on love; not how much we have done, but how much love we put into the doing.

CARE FOR THE DYING PALLATIVE CARE VS EUTHANASIA

CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHING, CATHOLIC COMMENTARY

“God’s love requires that we give our best

to each and every one of our brothers and sisters,

even those who are in the final stage of their life. “

Pope Francis REGINA CAELI address May 6, 2018 Vatican City

EUTHANASIA

Euthanasia, called by the secular state euphemistically “Death with Dignity” is always immoral.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church 2277 states it this way, Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable.

HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVES

DEATH WITH DIGNITY (STATE OF OREGON)

I, __________ am an adult of sound mind. I am suffering from_________________ which my attending/prescribing physician has determined is a terminal disease and which has been medically confirmed by a consulting physician. I have been fully informed of: my diagnosis; prognosis…. I request that my attending/prescribing physician prescribe medication that will end my life in a humane and dignified manner

EXAMPLE OF CATHOLIC DIRECTIVE REGARDING MY HEALTH CARE

My Catholic faith teaches that all human life is a precious gift from God from the first moment of conception to the moment of natural death, therefore, I oppose any action or inaction that is intended to cause my death.

I always wish to receive basic care, which will allow me to be most comfortable including food, water, and pain control. I wish to receive medical care and treatment appropriate to my condition as long as it is useful and offers a reasonable hope of benefit and is not excessively burdensome to me,

If my death from a terminal illness is imminent, I wish to refuse treatment that would only secure a precarious and burdensome prolongation of my life. I wish to be attended by a Catholic priest, receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick and Viaticum.

PALLIATIVE CARE

Effective palliative care allows patients to devote their attention to the unfinished business of their lives, to arrive at a sense of peace with God, with loved ones, and with themselves.

“Suffering is part of human existence from birth until death, and every human person suffers in a variety of ways: physically, psychologically, socially, and spiritually. Suffering in one form or another accompanies each of us every day. It is an inescapable feature of human existence”…The suffering of Christ leads to his glory; so, too, does the suffering of Christians”. SAINT JOHN PAUL

Physical pain can cause depression, anxiety, and may negatively affect relationships. Catholic moral teaching accepts that although pain management can relieve physical suffering, it can also result in the patient’s loss of consciousness. If unconsciousness or a shortened life is not the intention of the pain medication, administering high doses is morally permissible.

When death is imminent, food and water are unnecessary and may even add to the person’s suffering. “nutrition and hydration should be considered, in principle, ordinary and proportionate, and as such morally obligatory, insofar as and until it is seen to have attained its proper finality, providing nutrition and hydration is not always prudent.” SAINT JOHN PAUL

If a medical treatment is physically painful, unlikely to be successful, is experimental, has severe side effects, causes a financial burden, or is psychologically difficult, it is deemed extraordinary and there is no moral obligation to accept it. Patients and their families are not obligated to undergo extraordinary means… treatments where the burden outweighs the benefit.

Our hope and prayer is that when we grow old or sick that we be surrounded by people who care and respect each and every human life.

JESUS, MARY, AND JOSEPH

PRAY FOR ME AT THE HOUR OF MY DEATH!

CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE FEAST DAY JANUARY 25

CATHOLIC FEAST DAYS

SAUL, SAUL, WHY DO YOU PERSECUTE ME

SAUL’S CONVERSION

Now Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that, if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains.

On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him.He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Paul said, “Who are you, sir?”

The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, for they heard the voice but could see no one. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing;^* so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus. ACTS 9:1-8

COMMENTARY

Paul had acquired a zealot’s hatred of all Jesus stood for, as he began to harass the Church: “…entering house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over for imprisonment” Acts 8:3.

When Jesus said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” Acts 9:5 A great light illumined Paul. Jesus was mysteriously identifying Himself with the people that Saul was persecuting.

At that moment Paul experienced a mysterious transcendent relationship between the eternal and living Christ and His followers. Jesus lives and is present in them and they live in him.

Conversion by faith in Christ is a turning away from sin and turning to the obedience of Christ. St. Paul has captured the eternal struggle that we all go through. Paul laments in Romans 7:15 – “For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing that I hate.” Paul then cries out, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Like St. Paul we know the answer to that question.

CONCLUSION

Conversion is a life-long operation, turning from sin back to Jesus Christ. St. Paul continually reminds us of the moral imperative – Stop sinning! I Corinthians 15:34. Remember the day will come, at the hour of our death, when we will face judgment. Romans 2:5

Paul says, “I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain” 1 Cor. 15:9-10

Paul acknowledges that he saved by the grace of God. God alone can save us! Good works are necessary but those are the result of saying yes to God’s grace. Life-long conversion requires repentance. Repentance conveys a sense of regret, sorrow, grief, or remorse for one’s sins, that leads someone to conversion.

St Paul responds“A great light from the sky suddenly shone around me.” Acts 22:6. This light of the risen Christ transformed Paul and impelled him to illumine the world by the light of the Gospel.

This Scripture quote reminds me of a trip my wife and I took to Rome in the Jubilee Year 2000. I was looking to avail myself of the Sacrament of Reconciliation at Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls

On leaving the confessional, I heard the most beautiful singing and organ playing but sight showed me no one was singing or playing any music. I smiled to myself, gave thanks, and prayed my penance. I will remember that “illumination” at the Basilica of St. Paul forever. “Only by the Grace of God,” 1 Corinthians 15:10

BASILICA OF ST. PAUL OUTSIDE THE WALLS ROME, ITALY

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God and my Savior. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of eternal life. I ask you to come into my life and heart. I want to serve you always with my whole mind, my whole heart, and my whole strength.

REPENT AND BELIEVE IN THE GOSPEL

MARK 1:15

MARRIAGE FEAST AT CANA JESUS’ FIRST MIRACLE

MIRACLES OF JESUS, MIRACLES OF JESUS, SCRIPTURE

JOHN 2:1-11 THE WEDDING AT CANA

There was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons.

Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it. And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew).

The headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.

COMMENTARY

at Cana, at some period of the entertainment the wine suddenly ran out. This was very embarrassing because of the passionate devotion of the Eastern people to hospitality.

It is very likely that the host laid in an abundant supply. The explanation for the deficiency is probably the fact that Our Blessed Lord did not come alone. He brought with Him His disciples, and this apparently threw a heavy burden upon the store of wine. Wine was a symbol of mirth and health to the people, it was important that their need be filled in the spirit of hospitality and charity.

REFLECTION:

When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.”

Jesus told his Mother “His hour was not yet come…. If Jesus revealed His Divinity now, He would begin the royal road to the cross. Mary may not have understood the full extant of what she was asking but she did know enough to tell the servants, Do whatever He tells you.

Mary knows Jesus will attend to our needs when the time is right…Mary’s faith is remarkable as it was from her first fiat at the Annunciation, “Be it done to me according to your word!”…

Mary is the model of faith…pray to Mary to keep our Faith strong..…As Our Lord mediates between us and the Heavenly Father, so the Blessed Mother mediates between us and Our Divine Lord

Jesus performed this first of His signs… and the disciples began to believe in Him…what are the signs of Jesus’ intervention in my life…look closely…

What was my life like while drinking the “inferior wine” of this world before Jesus served up the “superior wine,” …. How has the “superior wine changed my life?

.POSTSCRIPT

THE GOODS OF MARRIAGE

“Have you not read that in the beginning God ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Matthew 19:3-12

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1643), there are three goods of marriage. They are: unity, fidelity, and openness to children

This unity is beyond mere unity of the flesh; it demands permanence (indissolubility) for the entire life of the married couple. The union is so profound and total that only death can dissolve it.

The very nature of conjugal love, total union for life of a married couple, demands fidelity and prohibits any disorder such as adultery.

The good of “openness to children” is the fruit of total self-giving love. Accepting children and nurturing them leads the married couple to a deeper union and exclusive commitment to one another.

The Church does not demand married couples have enough children to field a baseball team. The Church simply says that parents should exhibit generosity appropriate to responsible parenthood and not use any immoral means such as contraception or abortion as a means to demean their intimacy and frustrate God’s plan.

Using Natural Family Planning a couple can use fertility tracking technology so if a couple wants another baby, they can choose to be intimate on a woman’s identifiable fertile days. On the other hand, if they don’t feel ready for another baby, they would simply choose to be intimate on an infertile day instead.

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her^t

Ephesians 5:25

Marriage is not merely a legal contract. A Catholic marriage is a covenant, or a sacred pledge of loyalty with God as our witness between persons, a man and woman. This covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

SCRIPTURE

What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it?

And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’

I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.

REJOICE WITH ME

FOR I HAVE FOUND MY LOST SHEEP

LUKE 15:4-10

REFLECTION

Jesus is a master story teller. In this parable Jesus tells the unbelievable story of a shepherd leaving most of his flock to the wolves to search for one missing sheep. That shepherd would soon be fired.

But the point of God’s love for each and every one of us is unmistakable…. there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance. Praise God!

God knocks until we open the door…no matter how far away or how long…God never stops calling us home…Hear Him…Listen to Him…

Repent and be saved…the kingdom of heaven is at hand…Come home…

PARABLE OF THE TALENTS

MATTHEW 25:14-30

“a man who was going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability. Then he went away.

Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two.

But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money.

After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five.^*

He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’

His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’

Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.’

His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’

Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’

His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant!^* So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?

Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

REFLECTION

God gives each one of us special gifts ready made to fit us. We must pray to discover them, cherish them, and use them as God intended.

God gives gifts to us according to our ability/personality…

What are my gifts…how am I sharing them…do I bury some….do I reject some…

Do I gift others…This little light will shine, Let it shine, Let it shine

Will we hear one day, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Enter my kingdom

THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD

SCRIPTURE

INTRODUCTION

The baptism of Jesus is not just another story of Jesus told in all four gospels but the story that says all we need to know about who Jesus is and our relationship to him. Jesus is our savior and we are the ones he came to save. Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21, and John 1:29-34

JOHN THE BAPTIST’S TESTIMONY TO HIMSELF.

SCRIPTURE

And this is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites [to him] to ask him, “Who are you?” he admitted “I am not the Messiah.” So they asked him, “What are you then? Are you Elijah?”^* And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”

So they said to him, “Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?” He said: “I am ‘the voice of one crying out in the desert, “Make straight the way of the Lord, as Isaiah the prophet said.”

….^*“I baptize with water;^* but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” ^*JOHN 1:19-28

VOICE CRYING OUT IN DESERT

REFLECTION

John the Baptist asserts he is not the Messiah, the expected one. John could have out of pride taken their adulation and sycophancy, but no, he told the truth. There was no deceit in John the Baptist. John was all about truth.

Repent, the kingdom is coming, be ready, prepare yourselves, your salvation is at hand. John knew his place in the Divine Plan. Do we know ours?

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD

JOHN THE BAPTIST’S TESTIMONY TO JESUS.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God,^* who takes away the sin of the world He is the one of whom I said, A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ I did not know him,^* but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” John 1:29-34

Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?” Jesus said to him in reply, “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. Matthew 3:13-15

REFLECTION

John protests that he should be the one baptized by Jesus but Jesus says let it be done for now for sake of righteousness. What is righteousness?

“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. Jeremiah 23:5

In the New Testament Joseph foster father of Jesus is described as righteous. Joseph, since he was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. Matthew 1:19

Righteousness may be described as oneness with God….Jesus is telling John the Baptist it is the Father’s will, Let it be for now!

When Jesus was immersed in the waters of John’s baptism He took on all the sins of the world, and carried them to redemption on the cross. After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened…the Spirit of God descended like a dove… And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” JOHN 1:26-32

THIS IS MY BELOVED SON

WITH WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED

REFLECTION

John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove^* from the sky and remain upon him…. Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.” John 1:32-34

John the Baptist witnessed the Holy Spirit affirming Jesus as the one sent by God. John testified to the others gathered, this man is the Son of God. How are we in testifying to others that Jesus is the Son of God…there is no other to follow. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Jesus is that sacrificial lamb who sacrifices himself for us that our sins may be forgiven… sin has no more dominion over mankind…Blessed be God!

The Father affirms the Son’s mission…”This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased…Here is your Savior!

CLOSING

At our Baptisms we become adopted sons and daughters and heirs to heaven. At our Baptisms we reject Satan and all his works and empty promises. At our Baptisms we are made righteous, cleansed of our sins, infused with sanctifying grace, and configured to Christ…an initiation that sets us on our journey back home to the Father.

THINGS TO PONDER

HE MUST INCREASE, I MUST DECREASE! JOHN 3:30