St. Peter Catholic Church

Baptism of the Lord January 13, 2012
From Bethlehem to Jordan…
The feast of the baptism of the Lord is the last day of the
Christmas Season. At daily prayer this day, the Orthodox
churches pray:
Let us assemble in spirit, O faithful, at the streams of the Jordan
that we might behold a great and mighty wonder.
We shall see the Creator of all made manifest as he comes to be
baptized.
Let us pass, O Faithful, from Bethlehem to Jordan.
For behold, the light which came into the darkness there begins
to overcome the night.
Find out the date of your baptism TODAY. It is as important as
or even more important than your birthday into life. Ask a
relative, or write to the parish where you were baptized. Write
the date on a new calendar. Celebrate the anniversary this year
by participating in the Eucharist. Spend some time reflecting on
your Christian mission - your part in spreading God’s love.
When Jesus was baptized, he came out of the water and heard a
heavenly voice say, “You are my beloved; with you I am well
pleased.” Listen for this voice today whenever you “come out
of the water” - the shower, the snow or rain, the swimming pool,
the sudsy kitchen sink, or washing your hands. Glory in heaven
and peace on earth, now and forever! Alleluia! Amen!
Baptismal Reflections…
Take a good look at our baptismal font. It dates back to the
beginning of this church building in 1953. In 2003 it was
moved from its original location in the front of church, where
the chapel of the Archdiocesan patrons now is located, to a very
prominent place at the entrance of the church. It is now
equipped to be the place of baptism for both infants and adults at
Easter time and the great Easter Vigil. Look at the symbols:
the flowing or living water meaning life, energy, something
living; the round colorful symbol at the bottom of the baptismal
pool, the Celtic symbol of eternal life; the three small bronze
Jerusalem Crosses at the top of the baptismal font symbolizing
the birthplace of Christianity, Jerusalem, and the four small subcrosses
symbolizing the four gospels and four corners of the
world where the gospel needs to be preached. And finally, the
saying of King St. Louis IX, the King of France, and the patron
of the City and the County and the Archdiocese of St. Louis: “I
think more of the place where I was baptized than the Cathedral
of Rheims where I was crowned the king (of France). For the
dignity of a child of God which was bestowed upon me at
baptism is greater than the ruler of the kingdom. The latter I
shall lose at death and the former will be my passport to
everlasting glory.”
If you were lucky enough to have been baptized here go and
pray at the font today. If not, go to the place of your own
baptism if you can. If you cannot do that then spend some time
in prayer at our font here at St. Peter. Say a prayer for your
parents and Godparents and thank them for giving you the
greatest gift in the world, the gift of faith in the Roman Catholic
Church. And then pray in humility that you can live up to the
promises made for you and renewed by you to live the life of
Christ for others.
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And finally, research your name and find out why you were given
that particular name. For whom were you named? What does
your name mean? Your name is one of your most important
possessions so carry it with dignity. The worst thing we can do is
ruin someone’s good name. People just love it when we can call
them by name. In the Jewish tradition upon which our faith is
built, if you called someone by their first name it meant that they
allowed you into their mind and heart. Possession of one’s name
meant you could possess their heart…it is so holy to call one by
name. That’s why when you were young you could never call an
adult by their first name. You were not old enough to get into
their mind and heart. In the Jewish tradition a good Jew can
never call God by God’s proper name, which is Yahweh, for who
can ever get into the mind and heart of God. So the Orthodox
Jew calls God by another name, Adonai. In the scriptures it is
stated that God calls each of us by name. I find that very
reassuring.
And what a Christmas it was!
We are now completing the liturgical Christmas Season with
today’s feast. It is a perfect time to thank a whole lot of folks
who made our Christmas Celebration such a memorable moment
for us at St. Peter.
First of all much gratitude to Carol Bauer, Mike Bauer, Kathleen
Pottinger, the choir, cantors and musicians for such dedication
and care in leading us in song and praise throughout the Advent
and Christmas seasons. Our music is second to none. We have
all the above to thank for it. Week in and week out our music
ministry folks rehearse, lead us in prayer and in the process create
a beautiful liturgical experience for us to find the presence of
God. I know of people who come to our church just because our
music is so well done and with such care for detail.
Secondly, thank you to Francie Gosser, the entire Hesse Clan,
Rose Ross, and many others who turned our church into a
fantastic worship space for Christmas. I have been around St.
Peter for a whole lot of years and never have I seen the church
look more beautiful for Christmas. During the Christmas Season
I would often come over to church especially at night, turn on the
Christmas lights and just enjoy the moment in prayer. It was so
wonderful. For all who in any way helped put that all together
thanks!
Thirdly, all of our liturgical ministers especially our Deacons,
John Komotos and Dick Renard, for their untiring service to the
parish during Christmas. In addition all the lectors, Eucharistic
Ministers, and servers who made Father Mike, Msgr. Greg and I
look good.
And, of course, our maintenance staff, especially, Jim Wherry and
Debbie Smith who worked very diligently to clean, buff, dust,
change light bulbs, put up and take down chairs to prepare the
church for Christmas and the crowds.
And finally, to all of you who came to Mass throughout, offered
your praise, participation and made such generous donations to
the parish. When you fill up our church it is then the most
beautiful.
May this new year of 2013 be for all of us a time filled with the
presence of God!
Monsignor Jack
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