Together we explore a fruit of the Spirit, joy. Joy enables us to navigate life in peace. It is a state of mind and a matter of the heart. Without joy, we cannot fully love. Joy gives us the opportunity to move through life with hope.

During the first Sunday in Lent, we learn how Jesus was tested in the wilderness. At the beginning of Jesus’ teachings, Jesus answers the call and the question of who He is as the son of God.

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, a season of preparation for new life. We are invited into a period of self-examination and spiritual discipline. The ashes remind us of our mortality, and we are guided through fasting, prayer and alms giving.

The last Sunday after the Epiphany, we read the story of the Transfiguration...the story of Jesus glowing on the mountain coupled with what he did the next day, healing a child who was overcome by an unclean spirit.

This week Bishop Logue visited Saint Paul's and focused on the radical call of Jesus to love without expectation of return and to love our enemies. 

Isaiah was a prophet of the Lord whose call was to deliver messages to God's people preparing them for the unfolding of God's will. Sometimes those messages were not pleasant and disrupted the "norm". Likewise, Jesus' sermons, parables and presence were also disruptive to the daily flow of living. Might unsettling and disruptive times render to us good things like purpose and direction?

During the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus shares wisdom in the midst of the difficulties of the people. He comes down to them and heals them. He pronounces blessings on the poor, hungry, and persecuted, while warning the comfortable and complacent.

He is never separate from us. He is always present in the mess of human need and hope. 

When Jesus is 40 days old, Mary and Joseph take him to the temple. On the steps, He is recognized as the salvation of the world, representing light and hope in the darkest of times.

Renewing our baptismal vows reminds us God loves the person you really are and the person you are called to become. 

The Baptism of the Lord is a feast that commemorates the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan. The Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on the Sunday after the Feast of the Epiphany.