Welcome to St. John the Baptist Church

From the Pastor’s Desk  

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Please see the bulletin for the annual Statement of Revenue and Expenses.

The Passover bread that the Israelites made when leaving Egypt had no leaven in it so that it would not spoil and could continue to provide nourishment to them on the road. Thus it is sometimes called bread for the journey. Of course manna also sustained them on their journey through the desert. And so did the Torah. So deliciously nourishing is the Word of God that some young Jewish children begin learning the Hebrew alphabet by licking honey placed on each letter so that the Torah should always be “sweet on the tongue.”
 
The story of Elijah being nourished in the desert beautifully epitomizes the many ways in which God provides bread for the journey. For Christians, Jesus’ words, works, and life given for us are the bread we crave. He alone gives us the strength and courage to “be kind . . . [forgive] one another . . . and live in love” (Ephesians 4:32, 5:2). And, oddly enough, we can find this ample nourishment from the Eucharist when all we taste is a sip and a crumb. —Virginia Stillwell
 

God Bless You, Fr. Sergio López  

Living God’s Word 

The nourishment Jesus gives is meant not to put us to sleep but to fuel us for action. The selection from Ephesians seems to refer to the perfumed chrism with which the baptized “were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30). Will others smell the heavenly aroma of Christ’s love on us and be drawn to him?