1171 NE Sand Hill Rd | Belfair, WA 98528

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Pastor's Page 2021-01-10

Dear Parishioners:

  • The Feast of Jesus’ Baptism is the theme for this weekend Masses. With this Feast, we are officially ended the Christmas Season and it will lead us to the beginning of the Ordinary Time in the Liturgical Year. Through Jesus’ Baptism by John in the muddy waters of the Jordan, he opens for us the possibility of accepting our human condition and of connecting with God.  Jesus accepts the human condition and this includes: suffering and death.  Jesus’ baptism by John in the Jordan identifies him deeply with the people he has come to redeem.

This is the first brief part of the Ordinary Time 2021 (January 10 – February 16); then it resumes again (June 24 – November 27) after the great seasons of Lent and Easter.  The Ordinary Time is the period of time that we live out the Mystery that we have celebrated (Emmanuel – God’s with us) and also anticipate the Mystery of the fullness of Christ’s action – The Life, Death and Resurrection.

  • The Feast of Jesus’ Baptism also reminds us of our own Baptism and how we share this gift with others through the Church. There are two main ways to receive the Sacrament of Baptism:
      1. The traditional Infant Baptism by the request of the Catholic parents.
      2. The C.I.A. (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adult) or R.C.I.C. (Rite of Christian Initiation of Children “of catechetical age”)

This Sunday evening and following, our Junior High and High School aged young men and women also begin a process of “completing” their own Christian Initiation that their parents have started for them since their birth with the Sacrament of Baptism and later on with the Sacrament of Eucharist in anticipating the Sacrament of Confirmation where they will speak of their total acceptance and commitments to live the Christian way of life. 

The process of application has begun a few months ago but it’s not too late to register now.  If you have a daughter/son in Junior or Senior High School who have not completed their Christian Initiation with the Sacrament of Confirmation, please encourage them to sign up with Maria Murphree (please see bulletin for further details).

  • This weekend January 9 & 10, at Masses, we will be mentioning about the joy and happiness that many people had and continue to experience through the help of C.S. (Catholic Community Services) through the local office with envelops provided (please see the Newsletter insert in the bulletin from last weekend). Please consider giving generously for this great cause as we continue to recognize the needs of many unfortunate people in our local area.
  • May the Joy of having celebrated “Christmasthe Mystery of the Incarnation” and empowerment of the Sacrament of Baptism, completed in the Initiation process, send all of us into the “living out” the gift of our Faith, in the Life and Teaching of Jesus Christ.

Christ’s Peace, 
Fr. Phuong Hoang

 

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