A Catholic Deacon's Perspective

Friday, January 17, 2025

SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: JESUS REVEALED AS GOD’s SON BY THE MAGI, AT HIS BAPTISM AND MIRACLE AT CANA FORMS A SPIRITUAL CONNECTION IN GROWING OUR FAITH

Today marks the last of three Epiphanies in which Jesus was revealed as the Messiah, Son of God and Divine in 2025. The solemnity of the Epiphany on January 5th had the Magi from a foreign land confirm they had found the Shepherd of Israel, King of the Jews. On January 12^th, following Jesus’ Baptism by his cousin, St. John the Baptist, God the Father spoke from heaven telling all in earshot that He was His Son. And now, at the wedding celebration in Cana, Jesus turns water into wine as His first miracle which the first four Apostles witnessed and helped them to believe in His divinity.

Fourth Promise of the Sacred Heart of Jesus: “I will be their secure refuse during life, and above all, in death.”

The twelve promises of the Sacred Heart devotion are deeply moving, each offering a unique insight into God's love and care. The fourth promise rings out: “I will be their secure refuge during life and above all in death.” This promise is not just a general statement; it is a personal one, spoken directly by Jesus. He offers His protection, care, and refuge to us in our lives and in our final moments.

Third Promise of the Sacred Heart of Jesus: “I will comfort them in all their afflictions.”

GOD COMFORTS THE SUFFERING
WHEN THEY REACH OUT IN FAITH

To help us better understand this promise, let us use the following Bible verse from 2 Corinthians, Chapter 1, Verses 3 and 4 which reads:

“Praised be God, the Father of mercies, and the God of all consolation! He comforts us in all our afflictions and thus enables us to comfort those who are in trouble with the same consolation we have received from Him.”

JESUS’ BAPTISM IS A SIGN FOR US TO BE IN FAITHFUL SERVICE TO GOD AND HIS CREATION THROUGHOUT OUR LIFE

In my 19-1/2 years as a deacon at three Catholic churches in the Diocese of Orange, California, I have baptized nearly 1,000 children under the age of seven years old, including one granddaughter and one great granddaughter. For me, it is the most joyous, communal Sacrament for three reasons:

It marks the beginning of a person’s spiritual relationship with God;
It is the official beginning of one’s membership into the Catholic Church; and
Usually everyone in attendance has a smile on his or her face as I baptize a child with water from the River Jordan.

BLOG INTRODUCTION

Scripture is like the eyes into God’s soul. Whether from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) or the New Testament, we are able to garner, as best we can, who God is (what He feels and how He thinks in human terms). The original purpose of this blog, which began in 2019, was to take a three-year cycle of A, B and C Gospels and readings from each Sunday and provide a perspective as it pertains to our current lives as seen through the eyes of a Catholic deacon who for the last 19-1/2 years has served Catholics in words and deeds per his ordination. The intention was and still is to help all those who read the blog to find the purpose for which God created them and in turn to use the God-given gifts and talents they possess to fulfill that purpose. Since completing the three-year cycles of A, B and C, I have been expanding the blog to look into the areas of Commentaries, Scripture and Theology. I will continue to use the New American Bible to offer a perspective on what their messages might mean not only personally to you, but an additional aspect in which you as the reader can comment by offering your own take, if you choose to do so. In doing so, all of us will be able to see various insights based on where we are at in our life. My theme is the same as in the past in that I am looking at God’s purpose for creating us. We are tasked to discover what that reason is based on the gifts we are graced with by Him and then using that answer to serve all that God has created. Though many responses will be similar, each and every one of us has a story to tell that is unique unto ourselves. It is my hope that by sharing different perspectives, we will begin to understand our relationship with God and come to realize how oneness with our Lord is truly what makes life work no matter what the situation. In these new blog presentations, there will be general and specific questions that pertain to the subject matter at hand. Their purpose is to provide you with insights into yourself that may create additional ideas you would like to explore. Based upon your need to receive a response from the blog or others is when you are asked to offer comments at the end of each blog. You and responders can be completely anonymous with what you or they write. My answers will include my name. In all cases I ask that you remember this is a Christian blog and what you write needs to be approached in that manner as it regards verbiage used. It is my hope that you will see this as something of value to help you grow closer to the Lord. If not, I would appreciate your feedback to improve it or, if necessary, allow me to use a different format for furtherance of the relationship theme. Thank you for your openness to this. I look forward to your comments for all of us to grow into a deeper relationship with the Lord. Deacon Jim Merle