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CAMPUS MINISTRY OFFICE: The Campus Ministry Office is located in Our Lady Chapel.

phone: [440] 473-3560 or 440-473-8000 x2600. e-mail: blazekj@gilmour.org

CLOSING PRAYER:

~ A Prayer of Baptismal Promise ~

Father, I believe that

I do not just happen to exist — I have been planned in your love,

And gifted with your spirit.

I come today to listen for the word you speak,

to commune in prayer, to offer myself

in Christ.

For the gift of life And faith

I thank you.

I ask your help to live my baptismal promise —

to be more like Jesus releasing people from evil

and doing good works. Let me glorify your name, O God,

In every face that I encounter, In every person that I am called to serve.

Lord,

grasp me by the hand, renew your Spirit within me. make me your good servant,

for I am baptized in your name.

Amen.

Vol. XXV, No. 6 January 11-12, 2020

Our Lady Chapel

Our Lady Chapel is a Roman Catholic community founded in the love of the Father, centered in Christ, and rooted in the Holy Cross tenets of building family and embracing diversity. We are united in our journey of faith through prayer and sacrament, and we seek growth through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit in liturgy and outreach, while responding to the needs of humanity.

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CHRISTMAS FLOWERS: As part of our Advent Season and the preparations for Christmas, we begin our Christmas Flower Fund to help defray the cost of our Christmas Flowers in Our Lady Chapel. During this Christmas season, we would like to thank all those who have helped us by making memorial offerings. May our floral decorations and this season remind all of us of those special relationships which we hold close to our heart. Please keep the following people in your prayers: In memory of Ray Zukowski, Brad Hollingsworth, Vera Armstrong, Annie Travassos, Joseph and Gerry Plavcan, Eileen and Rum Knopke, and the Rasoletti, Fisher, Zanella, Fedele, Batt, Wamelink, McGraw, Blazek and Rezabek Families. If you would like to make a memorial offering, please place it in an envelope marked “Memorial Offering, Christmas Decorations” and give to Father John or place it in the offering basket. God bless all of you.

LIFE TEEN AND CHAPEL FAMILY GAME NIGHT: This year, LifeTeen and EDGE will be hosting two game nights during the winter months. The first one will be on Saturday, January 11th when our LifeTeen/EDGE Youth are inviting our entire Chapel Community — including all LifeTeen and EDGE, as well as all adult members of our community — to attend our famous Game Night. Bring your family and your friends. Bring your favorite game. Bring your favorite snack or treat. Game night goes from 6:15 PM until 8:30 PM in the Lennon Board Room. Please call the Chapel office 440-473-3560 or sign up on the “sign-up sheet on the chapel easel to let us know that you will be joining us. On Saturday, February 8th our LifeTeen/EDGE Youth will be hosting their 2nd game night. Same “rules” apply. Please feel free to join us for one or both of these wonderfully fun times.

THE FEAST OF THE BAPTISM OF JESUS: This weekend, we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus. With it, we draw a close to the Christmas Season. Jesus’ baptism publicly inaugurates the reign of God. This is a kingdom to which all people are called. Thus, the intimacy of the Christmas story unfolds into the endless baptismal mission of all Christians. The story of Christmas is now the story of each person’s daily life. Think about this: on the last day of Christmas, my true Love — Jesus — gave to me a deeper life in the Spirit. On the last day of Christmas, my true Love — the Holy Spirit — cried out in my heart: “Abba” [“Father”]. On the last day of Christmas, my true Love — God the Father — revealed Jesus to me in a new way and gave me an even deeper life in the Spirit. On the last day of Christmas, I was caught in the crossfire of the Trinity’s love — the Father spoke; Jesus saved; the Spirit descended. Are you ready to “grasp fully, with all the holy ones, the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ’s love, and to experience this love which surpasses all knowledge, so that you may attain to the fullness of God Himself?” [Ephesians 3:18-19]. Are you ready to be loved as the Father loves Jesus? On this last day of Christmas, will you let the love of God be poured out in your heart through the Holy Spirit? “God is Love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” [1 John 4:16]. Christmas is all about God’s love. Make this the moment, the day, the year, and the life of love. Thank you, God, for the gift of the Christmas season. I will never be the same because of it. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I live in Your love [John 15:10]. Thank You for the Christmas. —edited from: One Bread, One Body

GET IT RIGHT: It’s not enough that you love them, they must know that you love them. —St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier

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PRAYER REQUESTS: Jesus calls us to pray for one another. Please keep all these people in your prayers.

PRAYERS FOR THE SICK: • For Therese Hummer, grandmother of Therese Hummer [‘04], who is undergoing treatment for a

respiratory infection.

• For Patti Michalko, wife of associate Athletic Director, Paul Michalko, who is recovering from surgery.

• For Chrissy Novinc, mother of James Novinc [’16], who is undergoing treatment for cancer.

• For Liz Negrelli, mother of Audrey [‘13] and Tom [‘15] Negrelli, who is undergoing treatment for Amyloidosis.

• For Thomas Marrie, life-long trustee, father of Kevin [‘81], Sean [‘85], and former LS admissions associate Megan [‘90] Marrie Schlickmann, grandfather of Caitlin [‘05], Kyle [‘07], Maggie [‘09], and Halle [‘11] Grant, who is seriously ill.

• For Richard DeWitt, who is undergoing treatment for cancer.

• For Linda Yeager, who is undergoing treatment for cancer.

• For Mike Simpson, who is critically ill in intensive care following an unknown medical condition.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE AN ALTAR SERVER or LECTOR? We continue to be in need of Servers and Lectors. Any student who is in the 3rd [and up] grade is invited to become an altar server; any student who is in the 5th [and up] grade is invited to become a lector. These are both wonderful ministries — a great way to serve God and the faith community. If you would like to take advantage of these opportunities, please give your name to Father John. You do

not have to attend Gilmour to be an altar server, lector, or to be involved in any other ministry at Our Lady Chapel. Please call the Chapel office [440-473-3560].

EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS: We are currently discerning a new group of Eucharistic Ministers who would undergo training in the spring months. If you feel that the Lord is calling you to this ministry, we would be delighted to include you in that ministry here at Our Lady Chapel. Both adults and teens [must be going into Senior year of High School] are welcome to participate in this very special ministry. We are in need of ministers for both our Saturday evening and Sunday morning Masses. Contact Father John or the chapel office [440-473-3560] if you feel called to this ministry. We are always in need of Eucharistic Ministers.

ENVELOPES: When you need a new supply of envelopes, please feel free to take a supply of them from the table in the vestibule, or call Father John at the Campus Ministry Office [473-3560].

WEEKLY OFFERING: Baskets will be passed during the “Preparation Rite” and will be brought to the altar as part of the Offerings to help offset chapel daily operating expenses. When you choose to use the envelopes, your donations to Our Lady Chapel will be acknowledged so that you have a record for the IRS. Total Offerings: Saturday [1/4/2020] ------------------------------------- $ 155.00 Total Offerings: Sunday [1\5/2020] ------------------------------------- $ 3,249.00

ATTENDANCE: If you attend Mass regularly here at Our Lady Chapel, it would be helpful if you filled out a Registration Form [name, address, phone number, children, etc.] indicating this fact, if you have not already done so. Such information not only helps us to know who is attending Our Lady Chapel; it also is of great assistance to us in record keeping [for our friend, the IRS] of any contributions which you may make.

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PRAYER REQUESTS: Jesus calls us to pray for one another. Please keep all these people in your prayers.

PRAYERS FOR THE SICK: • For Mary Sarver, mother of Janet [‘77] and David [‘79] Sarver, who is ill with cancer.

• For Pete Scully, son of coach Jim Scully, who is undergoing treatment for cancer.

• For Chris Nash, cousin of Basketball Coach and Counselor, Dan DeCrane, who is undergoing treatment for cancer.

• For Rita Gemma who is undergoing treatment for Alzheimer's Disease

• For Paul Primeau, long time Gilmour Teacher and Coach, who is ill.

• For Jennifer Kless, friend of Charlene Kavran, who is undergoing treatment for MS and cancer.

• For Chaney Hanafusa, sister-in-law of David and Naronn Siebert, who is undergoing treatment for bi-polar and cancer.

• For Teon Grove, son of Kitchen Associate, Vee, who is undergoing treatment for cancer

• For Findley Stay, husband of former Gilmour teacher, Emily Stay, father of Allen [‘87] Stay, who is preparing for gallbladder surgery

• For Roger Mallik, brother of Jan Leavett, who is undergoing medical treatment.

• For Rosalind Taylor, grandmother of Sean Hodges [‘22], who is undergoing treatment for cancer and a stroke.

• For Frank Zanella, who is recovering from shoulder surgery.

• For Jennifer Alemdar, mother of Upper School Spanish Teacher, Erica Alemdar, who is recovering from surgery.

• For Vivian Zaratsian, who is undergoing treatment for leukemia.

• For Toni Nestico, mother of Anthony [‘19], who is undergoing treatment for cancer.

• For Ann Bishop, sister-in-law of Athletic Director, Sean O’Toole, and aunt of Owen [‘18], Connor [‘20], and Erin [‘21] O’Toole, who is undergoing treatment for cancer.

• For Bernadette Coffey, mother of Head of School, Kathy Kenny, grandmother of Michaela [‘05], Mary [‘07], and Maureen [‘10] Kenny, who is undergoing medical treatment.

• For Bev Wamelink, mother of John, and mother-in-law of Debbie Moss Batt, who is undergoing treatment for cancer.

• For Kathleen Roddy, mother of Tim [‘87] Roddy, and Advancement associate, Mary Stretar, who is undergoing treatment for cancer.

• For Karuna Singla, Sister of Science teacher, Nina Goel, aunt of Nikhil [‘13] and Nupur [‘17] Goel, who is undergoing treatment for bone cancer.

• For James Wallenhorst, who is undergoing treatment for cancer

• For Melita Chiacchiari, mother of Mark [‘94], mother-in-law of Michelle DeBacco [‘96] who is undergoing further treatment for cancer.

• For August Speziale, son of Aquatics Director, Jackie Speziale who is undergoing treatment for leukemia.

• For Philip McNulty, nephew of Mike and Janet Heryak, Cousin of Lilian [‘09], Rosa [‘12], and Edwin [‘17] Heryak, who is undergoing medical treatment

• For Mike Heryak, husband of Janet, father of Lillian [‘09], Rosa [‘12] and Edwin [‘17] Heryak, who is undergoing treatment for MSA.

• For Tom Podnar, father of Lower School art teacher, Eileen Sheehan, who is awaiting a heart transplant.

• For Bill Mirando, husband of Denise, and father of David [‘12], Agnes [‘14] and Matthew [‘25] who is seriously ill

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SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK:

Sunday, January 12: Baptism of Jesus

10:00 AM

Monday, January 13: 5:30 PM [Eucharistic Chapel]

Tuesday, January 14: 5:30 PM [Eucharistic Chapel]

Wednesday, January 15: 5:30 PM [Eucharistic Chapel]

Thursday, January 16: 5:30 PM [Eucharistic Chapel]

Friday, January 17: St. Anthony

5:30 PM [Eucharistic Chapel]

Saturday, January 18: 2nd Week in Ordinary Time 5:00 PM

Sunday, January 19: 2nd Week in Ordinary Time

10:00 AM

UPCOMING CHAPEL ACTIVITIES:

January 13 ---------------- LS Mass Removal of Christmas Decorations Girl’s Basketball Prayer Service

9:15 AM 10:30 AM 3:30 PM

January 14 ---------------- Spiritual Wellness OLC Council Meeting

11:10 AM—11:40 AM 6:15 PM — 8:00 PM

January 15 ---------------- Memorial Service for Alga Schloss Catalyst Presentations Girl’s Basketball Prayer Service

11:30 AM 4:00 PM — 6:30 PM 4:45 PM

January 16 ---------------- Spiritual Wellness 8th Grade Class Mass

11:40 AM—12:10 PM 11:40 AM

January 19 ---------------- LifeTeen/EDGE Service Project 11:30 AM — 2:00 PM

January 21 ---------------- 1st Reconciliation — Group #1 6:00 PM

January 22 ---------------- Girl’s Basketball Prayer Service 1st Reconciliation — Group #2

4:45 PM 6:00 PM

FAITH EDUCATION: Faith Education Classes have begun. Our Faith Education classes meet on Sundays from 8:45—9:45 AM. Please join us as we come together to begin our faith journey for this year by entering into prayer and worship together. If you have any questions, please contact Patty in the Chapel Office [[440-473-3560]. Upcoming class dates: January 12-26; February 2-9-23. Thank you for taking care of this important responsibility.

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A REFLECITON ON THE THEME FOR THIS WEEK: Thirty or more years have passed since we saw Jesus in the Gospels last weekend. Jesus has grown and matured. While no one comes to maturity within one week in their lives, maturity is something that all of us need to seek. It begins with our realizing that we are “the beloved” of God and others [Matthew 3:13-17]. Who we listen to does determine what we hear. We pray to hear, to listen, and to believe the message and the Messenger. He walks us prayerfully through his very public life of love.

Our Scripture Readings for this Feast of the Baptism of Jesus begin with one of Isaiah’s famous “servant songs” [Isaiah 42:1-7]. Israel as a nation is often referred to as the Servant of the Lord. What we hear seems to be an exact prediction of a special person of history who will assist God in caring for the people and nation of Israel itself. This person will have God as his support; this person will have qualities of justice, calmness of spirit and action.

There is a strong sense of the messiah in this prophecy of Isaiah. Justice will be the theme of this messiah, and by his teaching those physically and spiritually blind will see, and those in various conditions of confinement will be liberated. This person has a specific mission which involves his going beyond the boundaries of Israel, bringing a “light”. This “light” will bring “justice” to the earth as well as recovery of sight and freedom for those in darkness and prison. The Spirit of God will be upon and within him and his identity will be known by the people of Israel through his actions. This “Servant” will be gentle — not like other prophets who work themselves up into a feverish frenzy resulting in shouting and convulsions. He will be upheld by the Lord and loved explicitly so as to bring “justice” between God and God’s creation.

Matthew’s Gospel is one more an “Annunciation” scene. As with Gabriel’s announcing to Mary that she would give birth to a son who will be born of the Holy Spirit [see Luke 1:26-38], Jesus is announced as the “beloved son” by the same Spirit [Matthew 3:13-17]. John has baptized the crowd and Jesus fulfills his ritual tradition. Then, while praying, there is a new form of baptism specifying him as the “beloved servant”. In a sense, it is more of a “confirmation” or even more, an “ordination”. This is not the moment when Jesus takes upon himself a “Divine Nature”, but an announcement of his coming of age in our salvation history. By the overshadowing by the Spirit he became incarnate; by the “over-hovering” of the same Spirit he becomes incorporated, that is embracing himself as “servant-Messiah” of God and for all God’s people. The same Spirit “incarnates” and “Incorporates” that family in Luke’s account of Pentecost in The Acts of the Apostles [see Acts 2].

With our being baptized, we enter this same coming of age — this same being part of Jesus’ salvific embrace of God’s mission of returning creation to its proper state of praise and order. The work of the Spirit is bringing about flesh and family. The Spirit overshadowed and conceived a fleshly presence and a family of faith. We are likewise inspirited to take flesh anew and our mission of extending God’s family in Christ.

We have been celebrating these past weeks, the Word becoming flesh. Mary’s flesh was more than it seemed; her body was more than others knew. In time her cousin, the shepherds, and the Magi came to reverence that which was different from what it had seemed to be. That Word Made Flesh was transformed too, from being what it seemed to be seen for what he was, the “Beloved Son”.

My flesh and your flesh have been immersed in the baptismal experience of Jesus. His body and person were united by God to unite us within ourselves and incorporate us with and for each other. Like Jesus, we are baptized, confirmed and all are ordained to go public. Jesus had to leave his praying alone, leave the riverbank, leave the association with John, and begin his walk towards Jerusalem. We in our turn must leave our privacy our pews, our comfort zone, our well-planned, surpriseless ways. Our flesh,

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PRAYER REQUESTS: Jesus calls us to pray for one another. Please keep all these people in your prayers

FOR THE DECEASED:

• For Marilyn Buckley

• For Ted Berr, brother-in-law of former Gilmour teacher, Emily Stay, uncle of Allen Stay [‘87]

• For Father James Beatty

• For Thomas Miller, nephew of Marie Forsythe.

• For Mike Medved

• For Chris Foster

• For Betty Anne Bauza.

• For Bernadette Kaniecki

• For Dave Fording, father of Tim Fording [‘84]

• For Arthur Neff.

• For Goldie Koesel, mother of Sister Rosemary Koseel, S.N.D.

• For Delia Hernandez, mother of Patsy Schauer, grandmother of Daniel, Theresa, Aaron, and Isabella Schauer.

CHILDREN’S BULLETINS: Each week, we are making available a Children’s Worship Bulletin. There are two editions: [3-6] and [7-12]. They are available on the table as you leave. The Bulletin focuses on the readings for the week. These are wonderful tools for your children to learn more about the scripture readings for the week. We hope you will take them for your families or your grandchildren. Thanks.

DRESSES FOR HONDURAS: One of the nurses in our Gilmour Clinic is involved in a dressmaking project for the children of Honduras. They have devised a method of making sundresses out of common pillowcases, and then adorning them with other items for decoration. And that is where you come in. If you have any old buttons, ribbon, ric-rac, lace or other sewing trim, please bring them in. The group would like to collect these items to help decorate the dresses they are working on. This is an on-going project; the dresses will be sent to Honduras every time there is a mission trip. The next trip is scheduled for this summer, in August of 2019. There is a basket in the narthex of the Chapel to collect any donations you may have. Thank you for your help!

PRAYERS FOR OTHERS:

• For the victims of the earthquakes in Puerto-Rico

• For an end to the racist violence against our Jewish brothers and sisters.

• For peace and justice in our land.

• For a special intention.

• For all those struggling with various addictions.

• For an end to sexual abuse and lack of respect for human persons.

• For an end to violence in our world.

• For a greater respect for human life, from the moment of conception until natural death.

• For all caregivers.

• For all service men and women serving our country, and for their families.

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COMING TO KNOW WHO WE ARE: Though it certainly created problems for the gospel churches, the first three evangelists still insisted on narrating an account of Jesus’ baptism. The reason for the problem revolved around the fact that many followers of John the Baptist never accepted Jesus as the Messiah. They insisted that John — not Jesus — had fulfilled the role of the long-anticipated savior of Judaism. This belief didn’t end during the period of the gospels. Historians remind us that some fourth century Jewish communities still had members who continued to believe in John as the Christ. Since a superior normally baptizes an inferior, these devotees of John insisted that Jesus’ baptism proved their point. Their mentor was superior to the Galilean carpenter who had once been one of John's disciples.

Yet in spite of the confusion, Jesus’ earliest followers couldn’t overlook his baptism. Because of what John’s baptism signified, they presumed it was a life-changing event for him. As a member of the Dead Sea scrolls community, John employed baptism as an outward sign of people’s determination to carry out God’s will in their lives. The Essenes and others, like Jesus, who submitted to this ritual washing were declaring their openness to whatever God was asking of them.

Looking at the unique aspects of Matthew’s gospel [3:13-17], Matthew seems to have created the “give and take” between Jesus and John over who should be baptizing whom simply as a way to get around the superior/inferior issue. But he also changes Mark’s original narrative in another significant way. Instead of the heavenly voice proclaiming: “You are my beloved son!” Matthew’s voice states: “This is my beloved son!” What formally was regarded as an annunciation to Jesus about his divinity is now looked upon as an annunciation to his followers — a small but very important change.

Many Christologists — those who study the person of Jesus — believe that the historical Jesus only became aware of who he actually was when he made the life-changing decision to give himself completely over to God’s will in his life. No wonder that event couldn’t be left out of most gospels.

Luke even refers to it in Peter’s well-known sermon that is called the “kerygma” of faith [Acts 10:34-38]. He reminds the Gentile Cornelius: “You know the word that God sent to the Israelites as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power.” Things always change when God’s the center of one’s life.

In the same way, everything also changed for Isaiah. Though he is convinced that he’s the prophet of God, he’s just as convinced that he’s a prophet unlike most of his predecessors. He’s not going to cry out or shout, not even going to make his voice heard in the street. He’ll deliver an extremely low key message, never resorting to anything which will squelch or break his people [Isaiah 42:1-7].

Our sacred authors are convinced that whenever one commits oneself completely to God, one always discovers unique dimensions of his or her personality. Though in the giving process we all become disciples of God or the risen Jesus, no two disciples are exactly alike. Each lives his or her commitment in ways completely different from all others. Each sees roads to travel down which others don’t notice.

The sacramental way to show our adult commitment to God and Jesus is by receiving from the Eucharistic cup. As we hear in Paul’s first letter to the Church at Corinth, it’s the outward sign Jesus instituted for us to show that we are to carry on his ministry — one of the ways we discover who we really are and what God uniquely expects of us.

—taken from the writings of Father Roger Karban, which appear on the internet

COMING TO KNOW ONESELF: Do not wish to be anything but who you are, and try to be that perfectly. —St. Francis De Sales

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our persons, our presences are much more than they seem. We are so close to ourselves though, that what “seems” is deceptive. As Jesus heard his new name, he moved from “seems” to “is” — as did Mary of Nazareth. We have to move against the same spirits of this world which confronted Jesus from shortly after his “baptism” to shortly before he baptized the earth with his blood.

Our being Baptized and Confirmed dedicates us into the “Listeningness” of Jesus. As he listened to the mysterious God and to the bewildering voices of humanity within and around Him, by these same sacraments we plunge into the waters of “Discernment”. To be guided by the spirit does not mean our being subtracted from the attractive voices which sure can sound “divine”. Our ears were blest at our baptisms to begin this process of learning what God sounds like and what our egos, our flesh, and our worldliness too, sound like. Jesus learned to listen to it all with receptivity and discretion. We will spend these next weeks of the Liturgical Year listening so that we might hear, and hearing, we might live what we come to believe. —edited from the writings of Father Larry Gillick, S.J., which appear on the internet

EAST VS. WEST: Last weekend, we remembered the Feast of the Epiphany — the visit of the Magi to the child Jesus. This story, found only in Matthew [2:1-12], highlights the Christian conviction that Jesus, the long-awaited Jewish Messiah, came to bring salvation to all people — including foreign Gentiles. It seems that Matthew — writing in the mid-80’s to a mixed community of Jewish and Gentile converts — wanted to make clear that the Gentiles shared equally in the blessings and mission of Christ. In other words, the liturgical celebration of Epiphany in the West reminds us of the universal thrust of the Christian gospel.

Following the advice of Pope John Paul II, we western Christians can energize our spiritual life by breathing out of both lungs, which involves learning more about the teachings and practices of our eastern Orthodox brothers and sisters. From the early centuries of the Jesus movement, eastern and western Christians developed distinctive theological perspectives and liturgical practices, which, in some cases, caused friction and eventually led to a mutual excommunication in 1054 AD that remained in effect until 1965 when lifted by Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras.

In the East, the feast of the Epiphany originally celebrated both the birth of Jesus and his baptism by John. By the end of the fourth century, however, eastern Christians separated the two — celebrating Christmas on December 25th, as in the western Church, and the baptism of the Lord on January 6th — possibly in order to Christianize either the winter solstice or a pagan feast. On Epiphany, the Orthodox recall the familiar story of how Jesus came from Galilee to be baptized by John in the Jordan river. Initially John was reluctant, suggesting their roles should be reversed but relented when Jesus indicated that they must fulfill all of God’s demands. After Jesus was baptized, he saw the Spirit descend like a dove and hover over him and heard a voice from the heavens — “This is my beloved Son. My favor rests on him” [Matthew 3:13-17].

The Orthodox see this event not only as the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus, but also as a “theophany” — the manifestation of the triune God: the Father testifying from on high to the divine Sonship of Jesus; the Son receiving His Father's testimony; and the Spirit descending from the Father upon the Son.

The Orthodox emphasis on the Baptism of Jesus as a theophany influenced the post Vatican II revision of our western liturgical calendar so that our Christmas season now extends past the Epiphany and concludes with the Baptism of the Lord on the following Sunday — an extension that puzzles many Catholics, but makes sense as a celebration of the gradual manifestation of God through the birth and life of Christ.

How can reflecting on the baptism of Jesus enrich your spiritual life? — taken from the writings of Father Jim Bacik which appear on the internet

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GIVE WITHOUT COUNTING THE COST: In graduate school, I had the opportunity to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The thought of walking in the footsteps of Jesus excited me. Along with walking the Stations of the Cross and standing on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, I looked forward to renewing my baptismal vows at the Jordan River. I imagined myself wading into the water as Jesus had, professing my faith, and recommitting myself to following him.

However, when we arrived at Qasr al-Yahud — the place where tradition tells us John baptized Jesus — I was surprised by what I saw. It was not at all the beautiful place I had imagined. The water was brown and mucky. Where I expected to see white sand, there were rocks and reeds. There was no way I was getting in that water. So, as other pilgrims waded in, I stood on dry land renewing my baptismal vows from a safe, comfortable distance.

Later that night, while riding back to the hotel, a thought struck me. When Jesus came to earth, there was nothing glamorous about it. Our sinful humanity was no more appealing to the Son of God than the brown water of the Jordan River was to me. Yet, out of love for us, Jesus took on our human nature with all its weakness and suffering. He was willing to touch lepers, be seen with sinners, and suffer an agonizing death. If my baptismal vows were to mean anything, then I would have to be willing to move from the safe, comfortable dry land into the muddy waters.

In the many years that have followed, I’ve thought about my experience at the Jordan River. I think about it when I’m tempted not to make eye contact with a homeless person. I think about it when I want to drive past a beggar at an intersection. I think about it when my parish asks for volunteers, and I tell myself I don’t have time to spare. Often, I still prefer to stay at a safe distance on dry land than to get wet and dirty.

As we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus this weekend, let us take time to truly reflect on what all this means. As Jesus submitted himself to the baptism of John the Baptist, we need to realize that he entered the waters of the Jordan River so that we could be baptized not just with water, but with the Holy Spirit. Jesus humbled himself throughout his life on earth to bring us all the gifts of God’s love. The first gift is baptism, which opens us up to faith, to the Holy Spirit, and to all the other sacraments that follow.

Our baptism is a commitment we make to share Jesus’ concern for the lost and the broken. As Isaiah tells us [Isaiah 42:1-7], Jesus came “to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.” If Jesus is willing to stoop down and live a life of service for the poor, we must be willing to do the same or we cannot call ourselves his followers.

We are all searching for God. If he has seemed distant and hard to find, it could be that we are looking in the wrong places. Perhaps we are looking on the mountaintops when we should be looking in the ghettos. Perhaps we are reading books when we should be feeding bellies. Until we are ready to get ourselves dirty, to risk our safety, and to give without counting the cost, God will remain elusive to us. However, if we can follow Jesus into the wet and murky places of our world, it could just be that we will be surprised by his marvelous light shining out from where we least expect it.

—taken from the writings of Douglas Sousa, which appear on the internet

FINDING GOD: If you cannot find God’s will in this moment you will never be able to find God’s will, because God’s will is only in this moment. —Father Mike Schmitz

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READINGS FOR THE WEEK:

Monday: 1 Samuel 1:1-8, Mark 1:14-20

Tuesday: 1 Samuel 1:9-20, Mark 1:21-28

Wednesday: 1 Samuel 3:1-20, Mark 1:29-39

Thursday: 1 Samuel 4:1-11, Mark 1:40-45

Friday: 1 Samuel 8:4-22, Mark 2:1-12

Saturday: 1 Samuel 9:1-10:1, Mark 2:13-17

Isaiah 49:3-6, 1 Corinthians 1:1-3, John 1:29-34

about their mutual friendship. Rather they talk about everything — local gossip, the weather, their work, their children, their headaches, their heartaches, their tiredness, what they saw on television the night before, their favorite sports teams, what’s happening in politics, and the jokes they’ve heard recently — though they occasionally lament that they should ideally be talking more about deeper things. Should they?

John of the Cross teaches that, in any longer-term friendship, eventually the important things begin to happen under the surface, and therefore surface conversation becomes secondary. Togetherness, ease with each other, comfort, and the sense of being at home, is what we give each other then.

That’s also true for our relationship with God. God made us to be human and God wants us, with all of our wandering weaknesses, to be in his presence, with ease, with comfort, and with the feeling that we are at home. Our fear of God can be reverence or timidity. The former is healthy; the latter is neurotic. —taken from the writings of Father Ronald Rolheiser, O.M.I., which appear on the internet

2nd Week in Ordinary Time:

CLEAN OUT THOSE CLOSETS AND SERVE OTHERS: Winter is upon us. Once again it is time to clean out those closets! Clothing that no longer fits, or has been replaced by new items, can become great items for others. Always remember the words of Jesus: “The poor you shall always have with you” [Matthew 26:11]. Please continue to bring your gently used men’s, women’s and children’s clothing to the Lennon Board Room, or place it in the cedar chest which is located in the Chapel narthex [just press the key button to open the chest]. We partner with Fatima Center to help provide clothing for general use. Also, business work clothing for this season is especially needed. The Fatima Center helps men and women prepare for job interviews. If you have some of these items, this would be a good time to send them along. Clothing for all seasons is accepted, but please try to keep in mind that storage facilities are limited at Fatima — so it would help if you could focus on winter items at this time. You may pick up a tax form when you drop off the clothing here at Our Lady Chapel — there are forms in the cedar chest. Clothing may be brought on the weekend, or during the week. Thank you. If you have any questions, please contact Patty in the chapel office [440-473-3560].

2020 CALENDARS: Calendars for the year 2020 are available for your taking. Besides having space for you to write your family appointments, the calendar also contains information about Mass and Reconciliation times here at Our Lady Chapel. We wish to thank the Schulte-Mahon-Murphy Funeral Homes for their generous donation of these 2019 Calendars to us. Please feel free to take as many calendars as you would like. Thank you.

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FEAR: Unless you are already a full saint or a mystic, you will always live in some fear of death and the afterlife. That’s simply part of being human. But we can, and must, move beyond our fear of God.

As a child, I lived with a lot of fear. I had a very active imagination, and too-frequently imagined murderers under my bed, poisonous snakes slithering up my leg, deadly germs in my food, playground bullies looking for a victim, a hundred ways in which I could meet an accidental death, and threats of every kind lurking in the dark. As a child, I was often afraid — afraid of the dark, afraid of death, afraid of the afterlife, and afraid of God.

As I matured, so too did my imagination — it no longer pictured snakes hiding everywhere, or murderers under my bed. I began to feel strong, in control, imagining the unknown, with its dark corners, more as opportunity for growth than as threat to life. But it was one thing to block out fear of snakes, murderers, and the dark. Not so easily did I overcome my fear of death, fear of the afterlife, and fear of God.

These fears are the last demons to be exorcised — and that exorcism is never final, never completely done with. Jesus, himself, trembled in fear before death, before the unknown that faces us in death [see Matthew 26]. But he didn’t tremble in fear before God; in fact the opposite is true. As he faced death and the unknown, he was able give himself over to God, in childlike trust, like a child clinging to a loving parent, and that gave him the strength and courage to undergo an anonymous, lonely, and misunderstood death with dignity, grace, and forgiveness.

We need never be afraid of God. God can be trusted. But trust in God does include a healthy fear of God because one particular fear is part of the anatomy of love itself. Scripture says: “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” [Psalm 111:10]. But that fear, healthy fear, must be understood as a reverence, a loving awe, a love that fears disappointing.

Healthy fear is love’s fear — a fear of betraying, of not being faithful to what love asks of us in return for its gratuity. We aren’t afraid of someone we trust, fearing that he or she will suddenly turn arbitrary, unfair, cruel, incomprehensible, vicious, unloving. Rather we are afraid about our own being worthy of the trust that’s given us, not least from God.

But we must trust that God understands our humanity. God doesn’t demand that we give him our conscious attention all of the time. God accepts the natural wanderings of our hearts. God accepts our tiredness and fatigue. God accepts our need for distraction and escape. God accepts that we usually find it easier to immerse ourselves in entertainment than to pray. And God even accepts our resistances to him and our need to assert, with pride, our own independence. Like a loving mother embracing a child that’s kicking and screaming but needs to be picked up and held, God can handle our anger, self-pity, and resistance. God understands our humanity, but we struggle to understand what it means to be human before God.

For many years, I feared that I was too immersed in the things of this world to consider myself a spiritual person — always fearing that God wanted more from me. I felt that I should be spending more time in prayer, but, too often, I’d end up too tired to pray, more interested in watching a sports event on television or more interested in sitting around with family, colleagues, or friends, talking about everything except spiritual things. For years, I feared that God wanted me to be more explicitly spiritual. He probably did!

But, as I’ve aged, I’ve come to realize that being with God in prayer and being with God in the heart is like being with a trusted friend. In an easeful friendship, friends don’t spend most of their time talking

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CARRYING THE TORCH: Last week I watched a woman in the public library teaching a 20-year-old man how to fill out a job application. In the US, twenty per cent of adults cannot read or count. They cannot read a newspaper nor do the simplest math.

All four Gospels tell us about the Baptism by John at Waddi Kharrar in the muddy Jordan River. Their eagerness to tell us indicates the importance attached to it by the early Church. Until the Baptism, Jesus had lived a laid back life in Nazareth for thirty years. His was a humdrum existence as a craftsman. There was no hassling of His person. His biggest problem was to encourage clients to pay their bills. Life with His mother in their sleepy village was blissful. There were three good meals daily, red wine, and early to bed. There was time to study the books in the village library. Who could ask for more?

All that was about to change with the appearance of John the Baptist making his wet and noisy entrance into history in the Jordan River. Jesus' situation would change utterly. The good life was put in limbo. Though He looked back on the good old days wistfully, He would not enjoy them again. The work for which He was sent by His Father was beginning. It would consume all His energies — it would cost Him His life.

Jesus was running — not walking — into the tsunami of world history. He would hold nothing back. It would be all systems go. His life would make a difference. Billions of people would be richer for it. He would fulfill the job definition given to Him by His Father. It is laid out in detail by the prophet, Isaiah [42:1-7] — He was “to open the eyes of the blind, free prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon those who live in darkness.”

Jesus was aware of the consequences to Himself. He knew that good people do not always win. Life, said President John F Kennedy, is not fair. But Christ dismissed His forebodings with a shrug — “We must do this if we would fulfill all of God's demands” [Matthew 3:13-17].

His Father was delighted with His decision. He drew Himself up, thrust forth His chest, and bellowed for all to hear down through the centuries — “This is my Son, with whom I am pleased” [Matthew 3:13-17]. What other father in history has spoken so glowingly of his son? What a shot in the arm those words were for Jesus! Incidentally, would that more parents would say something similar of the accomplishments of their adult children — and often. How much more emotionally healthy these adults would be. Love must be visible if it is to be genuine.

Peter summarizes well what the baptized Jesus did in six famous words — “He went about doing good works” [Acts 10:34-38]. The baton has been passed to us. We, like Christ, must excel. Now is the acceptable moment for each of us to become a difference in someone else’s life. Human problems and hurts surround us everywhere. We, too, like Jesus, must go about doing good.

When, because of human horrors, we run on empty, reflect on the following lines. I found them on a poster designed to motivate salespeople working for money. But they could have been written for those of us working for Christ — “A winner is always part of the answer. A loser always part of the problem. A winner always has a program. A loser always an excuse. A winner says: ‘Let me do it for you.’ A loser shouts: ‘That’s not my job.’ A winner sees an answer for every problem. A loser a problem for every answer. A winner says: ‘It may be difficult, but it’s possible.’ A loser says: ‘It may be possible, but it’s too difficult.’ ”

Why not teach the illiterate to read and write? Become a literacy volunteer. Or if that is not what you are good at, let your life make a difference in some other area. Follow labor agitator Mother Jones’ advice: “Pray for the dead, but fight for the living.” When the job is done, you shall have the pleasure of hearing the Father shout with joy as He did at His Son’s Baptism — “This is my child, with whom I am pleased.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: “Immortality will come to such as are fit for it; and they who would be great souls in the future must be great souls now.”

—taken from the writings of Father James Gilhooley, which appear on the internet.

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BAPTISM MEANS DYING TO SELF: John the Baptist was a very fierce man. This might be what you would expect of someone who lived most of his life in the desert. He knew all about hardship, and he had the marks of penance on his body. Much of his message was taken up in condemnation — condemnation of those living a life of luxury and giving no thought to the life of the Spirit [see Luke 3]. But if John was so fierce, why did so many people come to him, people from all over Palestine? If I preached fierce condemnatory sermons each week you would soon get fed up — so why did the people flock to hear John.

They came because he had a message of hope. Yes, he was fierce, but he was also gentle. He tapped into something deep inside each person. He knew that each one of us is profoundly aware of their own guilt and wants to repent, and he drew this out. But besides all this, John was also able to tell the people that one of their deepest yearnings was also about to be filled — a Savior was about to come. This Savior would reach out to them with the hand of healing and salvation. They came to John because he had a message of hope, and the hope he pointed to was Jesus.

You can see the beautiful humility and gentleness in John when Jesus asks him for Baptism, and he says: “But it is I who need Baptism from you” [Matthew 3:13-17]. Jesus, just as gently, tells him to go ahead. Jesus was commencing his public ministry, and Jesus came to John to make that “formal beginning” of his ministry.

Jesus, of course, had no need of Baptism. It has often been speculated over the centuries as to why Jesus would want to be baptized. The Church places this feast close to the Feast of the Incarnation — Christmas — and that gives us a clue. There was no strict necessity for the incarnation — God could have brought about our salvation in an instant if he wanted to. Jesus, through the incarnation, chose to take on human form and by becoming like us brought about our salvation. Jesus undergoes Baptism in order to be like us and show us the way to salvation. In the same way he will undergo death in order to make salvation possible for us.

Jesus chooses this propitious moment to be baptized by John, and it became a moment of wonderful revelation. The Holy Spirit descends like a dove and the voice of God blesses and approves Jesus action. He begins his ministry in this wonderful way. It is a ministry we are going to hear about through the words of St Matthew over the next year, as Jesus heals and teaches, making God present to the people in a truly wonderful way.

Matthew’s Gospel gives us the first reference in the Bible to the Holy Spirit coming in the form of a dove. A dove was not an image that was generally used by the Hebrews. In fact, about the only reference to a dove is Noah sending out the dove over the waters to find land, the dove returned bearing an olive branch [see Genesis 8].

What a wonderful coincidence of images. Here Christ descends into the waters of Baptism; and the flood in Noah’s time is generally seen as a prefigurement of this Baptismal water. The Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove on Jesus as a sign of the Father’s favor and the assurance of salvation. The dove returns to Noah with the sign that salvation — dry land — is at hand. Scripture is full of such lovely parallels; that is why it is so fruitful for meditation. We would hardly think that there could be a direct connection with Noah’s flood — and yet there it is. And what better image of salvation could there be than dry land?

Most of us were baptized as infants; thus, we have no recollection of our Baptism. Yet, the day of our Baptism is one of the most significant days of our life. It was the day when we were specially singled out by God for ministry in the world. It is the sign of God’s special favor resting upon us. We have through that closely linked sacrament — Confirmation — had the power of the Holy Spirit poured out on us. We, like Christ, have begun a ministry for we are the instruments he has chosen to communicate his salvation to the world.

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are other times that might not seem so obvious — ordinary times when we are called to make the ordinary extraordinary by seizing the day, respond to God’s call and plunge into the river. We are called to seize the day and be One with all who are seeking the Kingdom of God.

May Jesus, baptized by John, give us the courage to join Him in the Jordan River. —taken from the writings for Monsignor Joseph Pellegrino, which appear on the internet.

NOVENA TO BLESSED BASILE MOREAU: We have placed on our table in the Narthex of the Chapel, two booklets with the Novena to Blessed Basile Moreau. The blue booklet is used when one is praying for a personal intention or healing; the gold booklet is used when you are praying for the intention or healing of someone other than yourself. The Novena was composed by Father Thomas Looney, C.S.C. Many have received blessings and healings through the intercession of Blessed Basile Moreau, and now we want to extend this invitation to you and your family to join in prayer through the intercession of Blessed Basile Moreau. If you receive a healing or favor through the intercession of Blessed Basile Moreau, please inform us and we will forward that information to the Holy Cross Offices in Rome. Please feel free to take booklets for you and your family.

SERVING THE LORD IN THE POOR — JANUARY 18th: For the past several months, our community has been volunteering at Our Savior Lutheran Church Food Pantry [located right across the street from the Chapel]. The Pantry is open on the third Saturday of every month from 9:00 AM – 1:30 or 2:00 PM. Our Savior Lutheran’s Food Pantry was formed to serve those in emergency situations and/or with on-going need in the cities of Mayfield Heights, Mayfield Village, Highland Heights and Gates Mills. The Food Pantry respects social and cultural diversity and upholds the worth and dignity of those it serves. All those in the area with need will be served equally, as supplies allow. The food pantry is a member of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. During the course of the past year, the food pantry at Our Savior Lutheran Church served an average of 141 households each time. This is a wonderful experience. If you would like to help on any given third Saturday, please call Patty at the chapel office [440-473-3560] or sign up on the easel in the narthex, or email Elina Gurney at gurney.oh@gmail.com. Come as a family or by yourself .

NOVENAS: I received an email from someone who has been attending Our Lady Chapel for a very long time. I thought her idea and suggestion were lovely. Read on. “I've been receiving novenas from this website for a few years. They come to my email daily for nine days. It’s not continuously, but they start sporadi-cally — depending on feast days. There was a Christmas novena that prayed for an end to abortion. Another one is starting Jan. 12th to St. Peregrine for all those with cancer. Considering how many people are on our Prayer Requests who have cancer, I felt I had to ask you if you’d consider putting a small para-graph in the bulletin about this website.” Pray More Novenas was created to help you pray by sending you each novena prayer for 9 days. It has transformed the prayer life of thousands of people by bringing them closer to God in a consistent way. This service is intended to bless you in the same way! Click PrayMoreNovenas.com to get started. If you join you will get the novena prayers sent to your email inbox each day of the novena so that you can stay on track with your prayers. You’ll be praying together with thousands of faithful people all doing the same novena together. Each month they pick a popular and powerful novena to pray together as a community. Starting January 12th they will pray the Novena to St. Peregrine — the patron saint of cancer patients. This invitation fits in well with our invitation to join in on a Novena to Basile Moreau [see below].

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TAKE THE PLUNGE! Jesus saw John baptizing. He saw people there with John, sincere people, responding to John’s call and committing themselves to the New Kingdom of God that John said was at hand. Jesus saw people seeking to change the world by changing themselves, by repenting their sins and reforming their lives.

Jesus saw John — the last of the prophets of the Old Order, and the first of the prophets of the New Order. John proclaimed that God will triumph. He said that the” One who is to come” would be here soon.

Jesus saw the sincere people, the impassioned John, the determination for God to reign, and Jesus wanted to be baptized. He would proclaim to the world that He was one with these people. John immediately recognized that Jesus was the Messiah — the Christ — infinitely superior to John, but Jesus told him to baptize him [Matthew 3:13-17]. The people washed by John’s baptism and consecrated to prepare for God must know that the Christ was united to them.

Jesus seized the moment that John was offering. He took the plunge — He went down into the water and was baptized. And the voice from heaven rang out: “This is my Beloved Son with Whom I am well pleased.”

Take the plunge. Seize the moment. Seize the day, Carpe Diem in the Latin poem by Horace. The pagan poet was not talking about tomorrow, though — he was only talking about making the best use of the day. The Christian, though, seizes the day to take advantage of the moment that God gives us to allow him to change our lives and His world. The Christian seizes the day to prepare for tomorrow.

A senior couple moves in down the block. They seem to be nice people, but they mostly keep to themselves. You welcome them, but then you let them be — a few waves here and there, but no real contact. Every Sunday you drive by their house on the way to Church, and you notice their car in the driveway. “Perhaps they are not Christian,” you think. Then you notice that they put up a few Christmas decorations. “Maybe they just don’t go to Church,” you wonder. But you let it be. You’d like to invite them to Church, but you feel a bit awkward. After all, you rarely speak with them. A few months later you learn that the husband has had a stroke, and is in the hospital. Should you visit? You barely know them. But you take the plunge and go to the hospital. They really appreciate your concern. A friendship develops. The man is able to go home, but he is limited in what he can do. So you stop by frequently, chew the rag, and help with some of their chores. As your leaving one Saturday, you say that you’ll stop by on Sunday after Mass. They ask: “Would you mind if we come with you?” God’s grace entered their lives because you seized the day — you went down into the river, you made that visit to the hospital.

Then there’s that kid in school who is basically obnoxious. His language is bad. His attitude is worse. Everything in his world is as black as the clothes he wears. You figure that there is no reason to try to be friends with him. There is no reason — except that God wants the kid to know that God loves him. You see him alone one day, and you decide that you need to take the plunge into the river — “We’re having an ice cream social after the Life Teen Mass this weekend. Do you want to come? It’s cool, and there will be at least 50 kids there.” You figure that you will be shot down, but to your surprise he says: “OK.” He meets you at the Church, and he likes it. It’s not just the ice cream social he likes. He likes being with kids who are positive about life. His life gradually changes because you seized the day. You went into the river and declared yourself one with someone who was searching for God.

There are many graced moments in our lives. There are many times that we can allow God to draw us closer to Him. Some of these times are obvious — like confirmation, marriage, conventions and retreats, the celebration of the critical moments in the faith life of our children and grandchildren. There

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A NEW YEAR’S GIFT: My gift to you at the start of 2020 is a story — something to think about more than once; something to keep your mind alive and touch your soul so that you can see life fresh and leaping once again.

There is a story from the Desert Monastics about a young monk who asked one of the holy monks of the desert why it was that so many people came out to the desert to seek God, and yet most of them gave up after a short time and returned to their lives in the city.

The old monk responded: “Last evening my dog saw a rabbit running for cover among the bushes of the desert and he began to chase the rabbit, barking loudly. Soon other dogs joined the chase, barking and running. They ran a great distance and alerted many other dogs. Soon the wilderness was echoing the sounds of their pursuit, but the chase went on into the night.

After a little while, many of the dogs grew tired and dropped out. A few chased the rabbit until the night was nearly spent. By morning, only my dog continued the hunt.”

“Do you understand,” the old monk said, “what I have told you?” “No,” replied the young monk, “I don’t. Please help me with it.” “It is simple,” said the old monk. “My dog saw the rabbit!” The gift? A reminder to keep our souls focused on the important dimensions of life, on the purpose

for which we have been born, on the gifts we are meant to give to others as life goes by. Otherwise we simply drift through life — one minute attracted by this; at another moment confused about what we’re doing. Over the long haul, then, we become pilgrims without purpose, looking for what can’t be found.

—taken from the writings of Sister Joan Chittister, O.S.B., which appear on the internet

If we undertake it with due seriousness, it is a ministry which will be marked by miracles, healings, powerful signs from heaven, temptations, and moments of deep communion with God. It will transfigure our lives and we will become God’s windows on the world, conduits of his love to all we meet.

But what we all need to realize is that Baptism means death — it means going down into the water and literally drowning. It is a death to self. If we are to be true followers of Christ this is what it will mean. It won’t be at all easy, but in order to achieve greatness real sacrifice is necessary. Then when we break through that ultimate barrier our own bodily death, the church will gather and pray over us that wonderful and powerful prayer: “You have been baptized with Christ may you now rise with him in glory.” —taken from the writings of Father Alex McAllister, S.D.S., which appear on the internet

WINTER WONDER DAY: On Sunday, January 26th from 12 noon until 2 PM, enjoy a fun-filled afternoon of activities for the whole family — including a variety of hands-on experiences with our music, art, and robotics programs, as well as our new Nature-Based Learning initiative. You’ll have the opportunity to meet with teachers and current Gilmour families and explore our classrooms. This program is intended for Montessori [18 months, Kindergarten, and Grade 1-6 Students, and their families.

Learn more about:

• our performing arts programming and brand new Center for Performing Arts

• our wellness initiatives

• how to make a Gilmour education affordable for your family Join us at Gilmour’s Lower School, and discover the advantages of an independent Catholic school and warm your hearts on a winter’s day at Gilmour! RSVP TODAY at gilmour.org/visit

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YOUR OWN WORST ENEMY — LEAVNING TO FORGIVE YOURSELF: I was around seven years old at my grandparents’ house when I started to recount a mistake that I had made “in my early fives.” I don’t even know if I made it past that statement, because all the grownups at the table found it hilarious that I should classify such a short time difference so significantly and emphatically. In my mind, I had believed my older self shouldn’t be thought of as the exact same as younger me; it was an important detail to me that I wasn’t the same age anymore, so when I shared my mistake people shouldn’t treat me as if I were.

That moment itself has now become the tale we laugh about, but I wonder if seven-year-old me was onto something. Fast forward to the past few years, and now I usually feel that I always make the same mistakes. You’re not likely to catch me telling you about something I messed up “in my early sixteens” because I probably feel like I haven’t learned enough in the years since then to speak about it. And for the things I do know I learned from, my usual response would be far closer to beating myself up over it than taking it as it comes. The more people I meet, the more I realize I’m not even alone in doing this. Why do we spend so much time holding onto the past instead of moving forward?

For all the times in my life that I’ve forgiven anybody, I realize there’s one person I’ve never actually said those words to, or about — and that would be me. No one is harsher on me than I am on myself — for every mistake, wrong decision, and embarrassing moment. Somewhere, I lost the perspective that I had at seven — enough confidence in the fact that I had grown to recount a mistake from not long ago, trusting that people would understand I had learned better and not hold me to my past. But today, I’m the one who holds myself to my past more than anyone else.

Stop for a moment and ask yourself: If you had a friend who spoke to you the way you speak to yourself on the inside, would you stay friends with them? Or if someone criticized you the way you do your own self, would it be blatantly obvious to everyone that putting time into that friendship was bad for you? More often than not, we let ourselves get away with this behavior as if it’s no big deal, but would instantly know it was wrong if we were to say those things aloud to someone else or hear someone say it to us.

The words we speak and the thoughts we think have more impact on us than we might think; the voices we choose to listen to can affect how we see ourselves, and then in time even the rest of the world. God knows this; but for being the One who knows each of our sins, He still calls us by name, while Satan knows our names but calls us by our sins. God calls us up higher through everything we might have done; but Satan wants us to stay right where we are, with no hope. So, if one voice is God’s and the other is from the devil, and all I repeat to myself is judgment grounded on what I have done wrong, I have to ask myself whose voice it is that I’m listening to And I’ll give you a hint — it doesn’t belong to God.

I like to have control over situations in my life, but the thing about forgiveness is that it takes that away. It’s not a feeling, but a decision; even when you have a right to be hurt or upset, forgiveness turns that over to God and ultimately heals you — even from yourself — in time. Despite the fact that this choice is very much the better one when things get crazy, I at least like to believe I have control over my own self. It’s not easy, but it’s predictable; it’s not easy, but it feels more secure to me. And it’s a voice that whispers I’ll forgive myself only once I’ve fixed what went wrong because that’s how to be in control of my life and its impact on others.

God’s mercy, however, takes everything beyond the realm of my control. The thing about mercy is that we don’t deserve it — that would be justice. The thing about mercy is that we can’t earn it. The thing about mercy is that it’s a gift from God to receive with open hands; but how can we do that it if we have our hands wrapped so tightly around control?

We can’t, we have to let go. When God forgives us, He wants to give us the grace to forgive

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LIFE TEEN AND EDGE: If you missed our game night on January 11th, you missed a great time. Our next gathering of LifeTeen and EDGE will be on Sunday, January 19th, when we will be going on a service

trip, visiting The Weils Nursing Home. Everyone is invited. We normally will meet after Mass on Sunday from 11:30 AM until 1:00 PM, but our service trips will end at 3 PM. Please join us. Please call the Chapel office 440-473-3560 to let us know that you will be joining us and to sign up to receive our texts and/or email reminders….or just drop by. We ask you to do this because food is provided. If you cannot join us for our service trip, our next gathering will be on

Sunday, January 26th, when we will discussing the March for Life. Everyone is invited. If you wish to join us on any of our service trips or other outings, you will need to have a permission form on file with us. We will have that form available at our meetings. Please continue to remember all our teens and young people in your prayers.

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: Father John will be available to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation with you on every Saturday between 3:30 – 4:00 PM. Confessions are also available “by appointment.” The Reconciliation Room is located in the small chapel directly across from Father John’s Office

ourselves, too, and let go of all our control so He can take over! We can’t go back and change the past, but He can use it for good. We can’t predetermine our future, but He can give us the strength to face it. And when we can’t even forgive ourselves in the present, He’ll offer enough mercy so we can lean on him for the grace to do so, if we’re willing to accept it.

God doesn’t want to condemn us because of our sins — He wants to forgive and absolve us of them. He offers us that opportunity with limitless mercy in the Sacrament of Confession, yet never forces it on us. Literally no sin is beyond forgiveness, so the only ones left unforgiven are those for which we won’t ask forgiveness. God is more eager than any of us to welcome each of His children back as many times as they’ll turn to Him. And God’s forgiveness is complete and entire, too; He doesn’t hold us to our past, but, “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” [Psalm 103:12].

When we go to Confession, God has boundless mercy to offer us. When we step into the confessional, we’re not going to simply tell our sins to a priest, but to Christ Himself. We complete our penance, and resolve to “sin no more.” When we walk out of that door after receiving absolution, that’s no doubt a huge weight removed. Through the words of the priest, Jesus speaks “pardon and peace” into our lives; with pardon, our sins are removed, and with peace we have the grace to go forward and keep running the race. But do we remember to actually take that peace with us, or do we quickly leave it behind?

When we withhold forgiveness from ourselves, we block out that peace no less than when we withhold it from others. Christ doesn’t want that for us — Christ, who healed the sick and forgave their sins with the same words, wants to heal us, too, so we might grow closer and closer to Him. Accepting His forgiveness but holding back our own only does damage to ourselves, as we will never see how truly set free we are if we hold ourselves back down. It’s not easy, and I’m not sure it ever will be. It’s something we have to keep choosing to do, over and over; but it’s also something God will give us grace to do each and every day.

Time won’t go back to all the wrong choices we’ve made and give us a chance to fix them, but nor do we have to try to control every aspect of life, because we know how the story ends. We know that God returns, we know He wins, we know that death, sin, and pain will be defeated. We don’t live on that new Earth yet, but we can have confidence in the grace of God that will get us there every time we seek His pardon and allow His peace into our lives. So the next time Satan reminds you of your past — remind him of his future. —taken from the writings of Niki Mallinak, a College Student.