January 19, 2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Following the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, we have reentered “ordinary” time: a season to nurture and grow the seeds of faith we received from the special feasts of the past couple months. This is a chance for us to figure out how to leave the graces of Advent and Christmas throughout the year to come. As a key for what this can look like, I would point us to the feast we celebrated last weekend: the Baptism of the Lord. Through water and the Holy Spirit, each of us was cleansed from sin, claimed by Christ for his kingdom, and given the power to do his will in the world. To help us embrace the power of our own baptism, I offer the following prayer to invite God into this commitment of faith: "Almighty Father, in this new year of grace, we reclaim the grace of our baptism. We commemorate the day we were washed clean and reborn in Your love, and with renewed commitment, we pledge to live as Your children. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit, that we may walk in the light of Your truth, serving You with love and joy in every aspect of our lives, through Christ our Lord. Amen." Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and our holy patron Saint Thomas, let’s live this entire year to come in union with Christ, through the power of baptism. God bless,

Father Jantz