Today, as we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we are invited to reflect on a profound moment in the life of Jesus and in our own lives as well. In the Gospel of Luke, we hear the voice of God the Father proclaiming over Jesus, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22).

 

What a powerful affirmation of love and identity! Jesus had not yet begun His public ministry—He hadn’t performed miracles or preached to the crowds. Yet, before any of that, the Father declares His love and delight in His Son. This truth is not only for Jesus but for each one of us. Through our baptism, we are claimed as God’s beloved sons and daughters. God looks at us with the same love and says, “You are my beloved child; with you I am well pleased.”

 

But how often do we allow ourselves to truly hear and receive those words? How often do we believe that God delights in us—not because of what we have done, but simply because of who we are in Him?

 

In our secular world, we minimize hearing the voice of God in our hearts and in our lives! Yet, it is the core of our faith that we believe that God speaks to us in definite and clear ways. He says to us regularly, “You are my beloved child, with whom I am well pleased.” We believe that is the ultimate message of Christ’s nativity—we are loved by God as father and he is pleased with us from the beginning of time, before we do or say anything, we are created in his own image. Wow! That is so very powerful, if only we can let that message into our hearts.

 

I remember a time in my own childhood when I felt deeply loved and accepted by my parents. It wasn’t because I had achieved anything remarkable, but simply because I was their child. It was New Year’s Eve night, and they had asked me to stay at home with them to ring in the new year. All my eleven siblings had gone out or no longer lived at home. I did not want to stay behind because I had plans with my own friends. I decided to go to the party with my friends but before 11pm, I felt the guilt of their request and came home before midnight. When I arrived home, they were standing there minutes before midnight with three glasses of champagne! I grabbed my glass and wished them “Happy New Year” and created a memory that has lasted a lifetime.

 

When we feel loved for who “we are” and not for what “we do” or “what we have,” it changes us from the inside out. That night changed the course of my life in ways I could not have imagined. Of course, like all parents, mine weren’t perfect. No human love is. Yet, these glimpses of unconditional love point us to the perfect love of our Heavenly Father.

 

Remember, we do not need to earn God’s love. It is freely given. And just as Jesus humbled Himself to be baptized in the waters of the Jordan, we too are called to enter into that same water—to let go of sin, to be washed clean, and to embrace our true identity as God’s beloved children.

 

From this identity flows our mission: to model our lives after Jesus. To live with the same humility, compassion, and love. To listen for the Father’s voice and trust that His delight in us does not waver. We are then called to pass on this love to our children, friends and return that love to our parents in our imperfect ways.

 

As we begin this new year, let us remember who we are and whose we are. Let us renew our baptismal promises in our hearts and live each day in the confidence that God loves us beyond measure. And may that love inspire us to reflect His goodness to the world.

 

Before I finish this bulletin article, I want to share with you a moment of gratitude and love. This past Monday, January 6th, St. Simon Parish hosted a retreat for over 400 teachers and administrators from all the Catholic Elementary Schools in the Diocese of San Jose. We gave them a shortened version of our Annual Parish Retreat from October on “Seeds of Contemplation.” It was an honor and pleasure for our staff to host them and give them a sample of what we share here at St. Simon. It was an awesome day in the Spirit for all and our parish and school staff worked hard to make them feel welcome.

 

While Meredith Augustin and I were the ones up front presenting, it truly took an entire army of support behind the scenes to make this a reality. I want to take a moment to thank each of them for everything they did to make it possible.

I am very grateful to:

  • Franlinda Khuon and Megan Wheeler who coordinated the hospitality in the gym providing a welcoming environment for all the school staff visiting our campus.
  • Ann Kozlovsky and Vani Aboud for their support and coordinating school logistics.
  • Teresa Giovanzana and Angela Schaufler for coordinating and facilitating the beautiful and reflective art activity allowing participants to meet God through creativity. Thank you to Bert Jochims, Joan Terry and Elaine Bakan for assisting them.
  • Marcela Breamauntz, Monica Hickam, Denise Lassauzet, Tina Lipscomb, and Jen Tibbils for facilitating the small group faith sharing discussions and creating a supportive and enriching environment for spiritual growth and reflection.
  • Meredith Augustin and Jed DeTorres for the inspiring music throughout the day’s retreat and at the Mass with the Bishop at the end of the day.
  • Clare D’Agostino and Erika Ibarra for setting up the beautiful prayer stations and small faith group discussion rooms and for greeting and welcoming all! You created such a sacred space for encounter and reflection. Special thanks to Erika for also taking care of the Mass preparations.
  • Kerby Gerughty and Kalena Moreira for setting up the labyrinth outside, it was a beautiful day, and many enjoyed this outdoor reflective activity. Thank you also for your work with tech and AV in the Church and gym, everything ran so smoothly.
  • Fr. Dat for taking care of the adoration space in the Chapel. Many enjoyed spending time in silence with Jesus.
  • Victor Ramirez and Baldemar Rosales for setting up, tearing down and directing traffic and parking and Donna Mohammadi for facility planning and help with retreat materials and supplies.
  • Madelyn Hanel, Erika Ibarra, Joan Mibach, Donna Mohammadi, Colleen Panec for preparing all the retreat materials, these small details behind the scenes make a huge difference.
  • Clare D’Agostino and Rachel Haydon for their coordination, organization and communication with the Diocesan staff, school staff, and parish and student volunteers.

To everyone who pitched in, from the little details to the big-picture vision—they made it something truly extraordinary and I am so very grateful. Monday was a testament to how God works through community, and I’m humbled to serve alongside such a talented and faithful team. The Holy Spirit was truly with us. I pray and hope the teachers and staff of the schools come to Jesus in prayer more in the year ahead. The Lord says to all of us, “You are my beloved child, in you I am well pleased.”

 

God Bless and Happy New Year!

Fr. Brendan