“You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.” Those words, which make up the last line of our gospel this weekend as we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord and enter into Ordinary Time, are words that are spoken, not just to Jesus, but to each and every one of us. Maybe there wasn’t a booming voice from the heavens on the day that we were baptized, but in that moment, God spoke those same words into our hearts, “You are my beloved son/daughter, with you I am well pleased.”

That is our most basic of identities and the identity that should be at the center of everything we are and everything we do. We are called to live that reality of our identity as God’s beloved son or daughter. Sometimes, though, things happen that cause us to lose sight of that identity. Maybe we know someone who is struggling right now, maybe we ourselves are struggling. Maybe we know someone who has walked away from the faith, maybe our own faith has grown dim.

This weekend, I invite each of us to pray, to pray in a special way for someone we might know who has wandered away from he faith, someone who seems to have lost their faith. You don’t have to announce it to them, you don’t have to let anyone else know who it is, but pray for them. Pray for them each day this week and maybe continue to pray for them throughout the year, that they might remember their true identity as God’s beloved.

Just a note as well about our use of the confessional. Some may be wondering when we are going to be using the confessionals again. With the small size of our confessionals and the continuing pandemic, we will continue to hear confessions in the sacristy for the time being. This gives us a little bit more space & distance, rather than being right on top of the other person. As the pandemic settles down, whenever that may be, we will look at moving back into the confessionals. Thank you for your flexibility and understanding. Have a blessed week!