All are Welcome

From Father Greg

Dear Friends,

This past weekend’s gospel tells of Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 3:13-17). It is a good time to renew our baptismal promises.

Do you reject evil, selfishness, and sin and accept to be taught by God’s grace? Do you reject pride, arrogance and self-sufficiency and humbly accept to depend on God as the source of your life and strength? Do you reject materialism and a preoccupation with acquiring the goods of the earth and freely choose to make God the basis of your security and so share what you have with the needy? 

Do you reject indifferences to the poor and homeless and accept to be responsible for the well-being of the less fortunate? Do you reject injustice in all its forms, moral, social, economic and political, and pledge to become a part of the solution to this world’s iniquities within your own family, your own neighborhood, and your own community?

Do you reject discrimination on the basis of race, gender, age or class and promise to welcome those who would not otherwise find acceptance and to defend their rights against those who would deny them?

Do you reject apathy and indifference and accept to be your brother and sister’s keeper? Do you renounce self-importance, ambition for power over others so as to accept the Christian’s role of servant of all? 

Do you believe in God, who creates, parents, redeems, forgives, guides and provides? Do you believe in Jesus Christ, savior and brother in whose name you are being saved? Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, ever present to empower, sanctify and teach the church? Do you believe in the church, the sacrament of Christ among humankind? Do you freely and willingly renew your baptismal commitment, and do you promise to live each day in accord with the gift of God’s grace that teaches, renews and guides you?



Renewing with you,
Fr. Greg