'Striving to be 'CHRIST in the World'

My dear friends,
This weekend we keep the feast of The Baptism of the Lord. Up until this moment there was little known of Jesus. For the years that followed his experience of being lost in the Temple when he was twelve years old, we hear nothing more of Him except that ‘he increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and people’. It is thought that Jesus had started his public ministry around the age of 30; I wonder what had been going on for those 18 years? It is assumed he worked in his father’s business as a carpenter, but being a human being is more than doing a job. He must have had hopes, dreams, and aspirations. I wonder if he fell in love…I wonder what he struggled with…there is so much that we do not know about these years and yet, from my experience, they are very formative years.
I am sure there was one thing that would have been going on dur-ing this time, which is connected with a statement he made as a twelve-year-old child – “I must be busy with my Father’s affairs”. I would imagine that this must have preoccupied his thoughts over the 18 years before he started his public ministry. Jesus’ baptism at the river Jordan was the major turning point for him; his discernment, prayer, thoughts, and reflections consolidated into action, and he knew what he had to do. It is no coincidence that the Holy Spirit is on the scene, as this is God’s motivator for action! It is God’s spirit that pushes, inspires, and drives us in the direction of divine will.
Jesus’ baptism provides a template for all Christians in that each of us has a divine undertaking to put into action. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will empower, guide and sustain us for this sacred duty and mission.
As you know, around this time I take a break to get some R & R in before the next liturgical challenge which will be Lent and Easter. Sharon has lined up Fr Gerald to supply in my absence and there will be Eucharistic Services during the week, with Exposition on Fridays. Although Eucharistic Services are not Mass, I would encourage you to attend, as it is an opportunity for prayer and communion with God and one another.
And, of course, the lovely Sharon will be here to help if needed.
God bless,
Fr Brett

Fr Brett

'We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted,
knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything,
and there is a sense of liberation in realising that.
This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results,
but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders;
ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.'

Oscar Romero