Today is the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. We celebrate that extraordinary moment at the river Jordan when Jesus went down into the water. Three years later he would send out his apostles – and the Church – to teach all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

The celebration of the Sacraments are central to our Catholic life – grace-filled moments that are truly gifts from God. To celebrate them as worthily as possible should be a joy for the community, but this is also a challenge to all of us.

A beautiful development in the period after Vatican II is the role of catechists in preparation for the Sacraments. They accompany those who are preparing, or their parents, for Baptism or Reception, for Holy Communion and Reconciliation or for Confirmation. They share the journey of faith from their own experience of it. We are extremely grateful to all those who are or have been catechists in our 3 Churches.

This Monday all catechists – including those interested in becoming one – are invited to spend a couple of hours together. We will reflect on our role, especially in the light of the Church’s teaching on evangelization, so important to Pope Francis, and then have the opportunity to review our individual programmes and methods. We will conclude with a time of prayer and blessing.

Some questions to ponder in preparation – How do I see my role? What part does my own faith play in that role? What is the purpose of our particular programme – one day’s celebration or for life? How can we develop our ministry and what help could we seek?

St Brigid’s centre this Monday 12 January 7-9pm

Fr Matthew