Next Sunday:  Second Sunday in Ordinary Time        Celebrant :  Fr. Williams

DO NOT FALL FOR SCAMS!!!!

Remember I NEVER solicit funds, donations, favors, or any request of any kind over the telephone, text, email, carrier pigeon, drone, etc.   NEVER!  Do not allow yourself to be taken in by scammers.  Even if they have my recorded voice, it is computer generated!  It is not me!!!

Thanks to all who bought Split the Pot at St. Ann

Many thanks for Tim Vaughn and all who assisted him with the Fr. Tharp’s annual  St. Ann Split the Pot.  I drew the ticket at 7:00 p.m. in the office on New Year’s Eve. (Our business manager has the video)  The purchaser of the winning ticket (No. 04241) is located at a Cincinnati address, and purchased the ticket from their relatives who are St. Ann parishioners.  The winner (net of IRS withholdings) and St. Ann each got half of the total pot of $19,527. 

Anniversary of Roe vs Wade

In 1973 (January 22 to be precise) the U.S. Supreme Court decided Roe versus Wade and effectively legitimized the practice of aborting unborn children in the United States.  Forty nine years later, pro-life Christians gather to pray for a return to justice and the adherence to God’s law that all human life is sacred and should be respected.  The morning Mass on Saturday, January 22 will focus on prayer for the legal protection of unborn children. 

Synod 2021-2023

(The Archdiocesan coordinator for the Worldwide Synod on Synodality has asked that this be posted in all bulletins:

The Holy Father has called a synod inviting ALL the Baptized to come together to discuss and discern how we can walk together in accomplishing the Mission of the Church. He wants ALL those who make up the Church to participate: elderly, youth, religious orders, clergy, lay faithful, poor, disabled, divorced, migrants, those who no longer practice the faith, etc.   It is my understanding that the gathering for our deanery is scheduled for Saturday, January 22 at Queen of Peace Church in Millville.  Further details are available in this bulletin.

Reminder for volunteers who work with or around children

If you are a volunteer classroom parent in the school, a coach, drama club volunteer, scout volunteer, etc.  please note that you should have been moved to the Safe Parish program.  Fulfillment of this requirement is mandatory for anyone working with children.  Please contact your parish safe environment coordination if you are uncertain whether you are registered or approved. 

Please be aware that failure to register with and complete the requirements of Safe Parish will result in your inability to continue to work with or around children in any parish and/or school setting.  We have been informed by the Archdiocese that there can be NO EXCEPTIONS.

Live Streaming a precept Mass from St. Ann and Sacred Heart each week

Since I live stream both the 4:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart and the 5:15 p.m. at St. Ann; I usually manage to live stream both, but on rare occasions the internet is out at one or the other location.   If this happens, be assured that I will make every effort to correct the malfunction before the next weekend.

Please remember to access the Sacred Heart / St. Ann Pastoral Region You Tube site by clicking on the following link:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVLLqbEY5hKWinwz069MVcg

Reflection on Scripture:

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is actually the First Sunday in Ordinary Time.  The Advent purple and the Christmas white and red are replaced by the green of Ordinary Time.  This color persists until March 2, Ash Wednesday.   The liturgical term “ordinary time” does not mean bland or boring.  It comes from the Latin “Ordo” meaning “list” or “calendar (list of days – one following another).”  

But why did the Lord Jesus; the Son of God; the Second Person of the Holy Trinity; need to be baptized by John in the Jordan river?  The answer is that he did not need to be baptized.  In today’s gospel and at the end of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus establishes the Sacrament of Baptism as our rebirth into him!  Jesus does what he does not because he needs it; he does what he does because “we” need it.  Everything Jesus does, he does for the salvation of humanity.  If we share in his death through baptism, we share in his resurrection because of our baptism into him. 

NEXT WEEK

Is 62:1-5

1 Cor 12:4-11

Jn 2:1-11

Theme:   The wedding in Cana