FEAST OF THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD

The Baptism of the Lord—the last day of the Christmas Season. What’s the connection?

The Middlers went to the theater and got their playbills. Inside, there was the cast of characters and the acts of the play. And then, there was that funny word—“overture.” We realized that the Christmas Story is not just a cute little tale about the birth of a baby, but the overture to the whole Jesus Story. The Christmas characters give us hints to everything that is to come—angels (everything starts with God and returns to God, whose Word is the Son of God); Mary (her son is indeed her son—a man-child); shepherds (Jewish people to whom the Word first came); magi (gentiles to whom the Word would go out); Herod (the hand of death—there’s tragedy in this Jesus Story), and Joseph (the dreamer of Jesus’ birth, the dreamer of Jesus’ flight from Herod into Egypt, the dreamer of Jesus’ return from Egypt to Nazareth—the Jesus Story: Birth, Salvation from Death, Rebirth to New Life!)

And the Baptism of the Lord? The overture is over, and it’s curtain up! The main character is introduced center-stage: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”

The Elementaries were shown the big storage box where the Christmas Pageant is packed away each year. Candles, bells, halos, shepherd headgear, clothes for Mary and Joseph, the two little lambs, and even Baby Jesus—all packed away with a hint of sadness, but lots of hope. Because we don’t shut the lid to hide Christmas away, but only to keep it safe until we unpack it again in the new year.

And speaking of the new year, we continued our practice of saying “Grace Before Snacks” with a New Year’s Grace:

A Grace for the New Year

God, Our Father,

as we begin this new year,

we do not know what to expect,

but you always give us hope.

Fill us with your Spirit of hopefulness;

guide and protect us in all the days ahead.

We pray for good health in our families

and peace in our world.

We thank you for Mary, the Mother of your Son.

We are grateful that she taught him how to love children.

We thank you for all your blessings,

and especially for the food we are about to eat.

Amen.

ANNUAL CALENDAR

The Annual Calendar with all of the Session Days and regularly scheduled Closings is posted on the Religious Education Page of the Parish Website. Go to: Homepage of the Parish Website www.sjsmrcc.com ; click on Religious Education on the left, and on the Religious Education Page, click on Annual Calendar on the right.

First Communion

First Communion is Saturday, May 14, 2011. Two Masses: 9:30 and 11:30 AM. Check the Annual Calendar for the rehearsal days and times. Watch the KidsRelig column in the Weekly Bulletin, the Religious Education Page of the Parish Website and the KidsRelig Blog in the next two weeks for First Communion News.

SNOW!!!

KidsRelig follows the Chappaqua School District protocols for snow closings. If Chappaqua is closed or dismissed early for snow, or if Chaqppaqua cancels afternoon activities, there is no KidsRelig. We will do our best to blast an email as soon as we know what Chappaqua is doing.

Love,

Deacon Charlie