Bulletin: The Baptism of the Lord
What you need to know from this weekend’s bulletin:
Baptized Into Ministry
January 11, 2026
In our church calendar, the Ordinary Time follows after today’s celebration of Christ’s Baptism which marks the formal beginning of His public ministry. His baptism by John the Baptist is both His first public appearance and the inauguration of His divine ministry.
Jesus’ baptism represents the fulfillment of what is prophesied in the Servant Song found in Isaiah 63. God sends His Servant-Son, filled with His spirit, sharing His divine life and power, to accomplish the redemption of the world and bring new life to all of humanity. He is designated as the presentation of God’s people according to the Spirit. He is declared formally as the only Son of God, the Servant of Yahweh, anointed with His prophetic spirit.
The celebration of the Lord’s baptism reminds us of our call as baptized Christians to ministry. It invites us to reflect how our lives interface with God’s plan for our world. It speaks of the need to ask God to consider or approve what we plan to do with our respective lives. It makes us reflect on the need to submit ourselves and our decisions to God’s scrutiny and clearance. It makes us consider seriously the need to get God’s stamp of approval of what we undertake on a daily basis.
The celebration of Ordinary Time is an invitation for us to reflect on the fullness of Christ’s Paschal Mystery. We are, indeed, baptized into Christ’s ministry, to proclaim and work for Christ’s kingdom in this world. This ministry of evangelization is at the essence of what we really mean when we pray so often, “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.
Healing Lines
Responding to Someone Who Shares a Story of Being Abused. They may identify themselves as being victimized, or they may simply say, “I got hurt when my partner was mad.” What you do know is that they have been injured in some way. Listen very carefully to what they have said, showing them by your body language that you are paying attention. Ask them whether they need help getting assistance. Ask them if they need a safe place to go, or need help getting there. Do not minimize the harm, even if they do. Tell them that they deserve to be safe. Help them look for community resources.
Announcements:
Please see this weekend’s bulletins for all announcements:
Parish Finance Update
Great appreciation is hereby expressed for the continuing support of our parishioners during the past year (2025). We have complied with all our financial requirements for 2025, including the Together in Action target goal of $121,000, the Christmas Hampers campaign and other obligations. As of this writing, the final report for the past year is still being finalized with the concurrence of the Diocese. Started last year, we are looking at reaching our target goal of $510,569 by the end of 2027 for Multiply the Hope, a Diocesan matching program to help us expedite our loan repayment. Please consider supporting this campaign, thus doubling your contribution for loan repayment. We look forward to this new year with renewed enthusiasm in our current and new ministries, in the light of our parish renewal efforts. Our Renewal Team, together with the Pastoral Council, is beefing up our campaign for more volunteers for our growing needs.
A Season of Hope and Renewal
In the spirit of the Jubilee Year proclaimed by Pope Francis last year and set to conclude December 2025, our Diocese is launching a matching financial campaign for parishes called, Multiply the Hope. Once our parish has fulfilled all of its financial obligations for the year, every dollar contributed to reduce our parish loan will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to our parish goal. Even after the Jubilee year concludes on December 28, 2025 the Diocese has extended this campaign to the end of 2027, giving us additional time to reach our parish goal. Our goal for this matching program is $510,569. This means that every contribution toward this goal has twice the impact, allowing our parish to move forward with greater freedom in strengthening the renewal priorities. You can visit our website at https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/33185 and make your contribution to the “Building Fund / Multiply the Hope Campaign”. As we enter this Advent season, we invite you to pray, to reflect, and to respond generously. Together, let us prepare a strong, welcoming parish home for all who seek Christ. May this season of expectation fill us with hope, and may God complete the good work He has begun in us. Find out more about this campaign at www.catholicyyc.ca/multiplythehope
2026 Donation Envelopes
Next year’s 2026 donation envelopes are ready for pick up. They are arranged alphabetically on the table by the Mezzanine stairs until the end of January. After that, they will have to be picked up from the office. Please note: you may use envelopes only for the current year, all previous year’s envelopes must be discarded.
Elevation Youth Group (Gr. 4-6)
Youths in Grade 4-6 are invited to join our youth group: ELEVATION youth! Join us on Fridays from 6:30-8:30pm in the St. Nicholas Room for devotions, snacks, games, faith, and fun! The next session is on January 23. Pre-registration is required and capacity is dependent on volunteer availability. Register by scanning the QR code or by emailing youth@saintmichael.ca. All are welcome! If you are able to volunteer, please contact Gladys Doh gdoh@saintmichael.ca or Abigail Lewis youth@saintmichael.ca.
Saturday Night Lights
Youths in grades 7-12 are invited to an evening of music, food, friendships, and talks hosted by Access 52. Dates for the evenings are January 10, February 14, and April 25. This is a free event. Click here to register.
Grief Share Program
Grief Share is a special weekly seminar and support group designed to help you rebuild your life after losing a loved one. Our group is led by caring people who have experienced grief and want to help you through the difficult times. This program consists of a video seminar (Christian based with personal stories from Christian experts who have experienced grief), group support discussions with facilitators, and a personal workbook. This is an 8-week program and will run from January 13 – March 3, 2026, on Tuesdays from 7:00-9:00pm. Free will giving / $20 charge for the workbook. For registration, contact the Parish Office at 403-249-0423 or email: peggy.tan@shaw.ca
Resumptions
Coffee Sundays:
Resumes Jan. 11, 2026.
Children’s Liturgy:
Resumes Jan. 11, 2026.
Moms & Tots:
Resumes Jan. 8, 2026.
Knights of Columbus Meeting:
Next one Jan. 15, 2026
Week-at-a-Glance: (Sat. Jan. 10 – Sun. Jan. 18, 2026):
Saturday, January 10:
Saturday Night Lights Gr. 7-12: Sanctuary, 7:00pm
Sunday, January 11:
Children’s Liturgy Resumes: 8:30am and 10:30am
Coffee Sunday Resumes: Narthex, after 9:00am & 11:00am Mass
Monday, January 12:
No event.
Tuesday, January 13:
Library Cataloging Resumes: Library Room, 9:00am – 11:30am
Rosary Group: Day Chapel, 5:20pm
CWL Meeting: St. Michael’s Room, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Grief Share: Room 143 & 144, 7:00pm – 9:00pm
RCIA: St. Nicholas & Theater, 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Wednesday, January 14:
Coffee Wednesday: Narthex, after the 9am Mass
Thursday, January 15:
Moms & Tots Resumes: St. Nicholas’ Room, 9:30am – 11:30am
Knitting Ministry: Library, 10:00am
Knight of Columbus Meeting: Theater, 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Friday, January 16:
No event.
Saturday, January 17:
CWL Membership Drive: after all Weekend Masses
Sunday, January 18:
CWL Membership Drive: after all Weekend Masses
Children’s Liturgy: 8:30am and 10:30am
Coffee Sunday: Narthex, after 9:00am & 11:00am Mass
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The Baptism of the Lord, 11/01/2026, 566.88 KB