Where can I make an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine and access the most up to date information? You can visit the City’s website for the latest information on the COVID-19 vaccine. Once eligible, you will be able to make a vaccine appointment at many locations throughout the city using the NYC Vaccine Finder or by calling 1-877-VAX-4NYC.
Tuesdays–Sundays through February 28, 2021 11 a.m.–4 p.m. We are excited to welcome you back to the Garden with complimentary tickets for Bronx Residents. The distribution of tickets is on a first-requested, first-served basis. Enjoy the perfect escape to our 250 acres. Explore the winding trails of our old-growth forest, and relax near a sparkling natural waterfall in the Bronx River. Experience the tapestry of flowers and foliage in the Perennial Garden, and tour the Native Plant Garden’s scenic promenade and meadow. Explore what’s beautiful now, dig deeper into our collections with mobile guides and audio tours, and embark on an adventure with our family activity guide. All of this is here and waiting for you. Plan your visit today. Advance Tickets Are Required for Admission Online: nybg.org/bronxneighbors2020 Mail: Send a self-addresed (must be a Bronx address), stamped envelope with the number of tickets requested (4 maximum) by February 12 to: The New York Botanical Garden Attn: Community Relations 2900 Southern Boulevard Bronx, NY 10458-5126 Ticket requests will be fulfilled in the order they are received; please indicate the date you would like to visit. Voucher valid for Garden Pass admission only, which includes access to the outdoor gardens and collections; does not include access to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, exhibitions, or special events. Proof of Bronx residency is required. The parking fee is not included. For more information, call 718.817.8117 or e-mail [email protected]
St. Helena's from 1pm-6:30pm in the church then St. Patrick’s Cathedral from 6:30pm-8:30pm Join us for the Prayer Vigil for Life at St. Helena's Catholic Church and St. Patrick’s Cathedral on the 48th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. The day will begin at 1pm at St. Helena's with a Holy Hour at 1pm which includes the Rosary and prayers for life followed by Adoration until 6:30pm. The event continues at St. Patrick's Cathedral with a 6:30pm Holy Hour with music by the Sisters of Life. At 7:30pm, His Eminence, Cardinal Dolan will celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as we pray that all life may be protected, especially the vulnerable unborn. Please reserve your spot at the Cathedral: adnyrespectlife.eventbrite.com
The Baptism of the Christ is the feast day commemorating the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by his cousin John the Baptist. Originally the baptism of Christ was celebrated on Epiphany, which commemorates the coming of the Magi, the baptism of Christ, and the wedding at Cana. In 1955, Pope Pius XII instituted a separate liturgical commemoration, and it became a distinct feast from Epiphany. However, the initial question that arises when pondering the Baptism of the Lord is “Why?” Why was Jesus even baptized in the first place? Baptism is for the washing away of sins, and Jesus of course never had any sins on His soul. So why did Jesus receive John’s baptism? One significant reason is to mark a beginning. In fact, the new beginning marked by Jesus’ Baptism is so significant that the Catechism of the Catholic Church makes a link between Jesus’ baptism and the beginning of Creation as described in the Book of Genesis. The Catechism states that “[t]he Spirit who had hovered over the waters of the first creation descended then on [Jesus at the River Jordan] as a prelude of the new creation, and the Father revealed Jesus as His ‘beloved Son’” [CCC 1224, citing Mt 3:16-17]. In other words, the work that Jesus began on the day of His Baptism was the work of a “new creation”, also called the work of redemption and sanctification. Likewise, when each of us was baptized, there was also a new beginning in our life. What the day of our own baptism marks is the day when God adopted us and gifted us in many ways. He did this to set us on that path of an ever-increasing share in God’s life, leading ultimately into His very Presence in Heaven. The Baptism of the Lord didn’t make a lot of sense to the early followers of Jesus who worried about the fact that it seemed to suggest that Jesus was somehow subordinate to John the Baptist. Two thousand years later, the Church has developed a very substantial theology of the sacrament of baptism. Catholics believe that baptism imparts the grace of forgiveness of sins and marks our initiation into the Church. But Jesus didn’t need to be forgiven nor can we really say that by his baptism Jesus became part of the church. The gospel itself doesn’t give us very much to go on. The only explanation offered by Jesus regarding why he should be baptized by John is: “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” But that explanation doesn’t get us very far. The final line of this Sunday’s reading from Mark’s gospel offers perhaps a better clue about the meaning of Jesus’s baptism. That line reads: “You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.” There we hear an unmistakable echo from the first reading: “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased” (Isaiah 42:1). By making this connection, Mark is testifying to the fact that Christians had come to believe that the “Suffering Servant” in Isaiah ultimately refers to Jesus Christ. It is Jesus who will be the definitive “covenant of the people” and “light for all nations.” What can these readings tell us about the meaning of our own baptism? The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that “Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons [and daughters] of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission” (CCC #1213). The stain of Original Sin is washed away, and we receive Sanctifying Grace for the first time, and just as Mark’s gospel makes a connection between the Baptism of the Lord and the mission of the suffering servant, we too should make a connection between our own baptism and that same mission. Having been baptized into the Body of Christ, we too are called to his ministry of mercy. Finally, these readings also point to the importance of humility. Indeed, it seems that humility plays a part in the “righteousness” that Jesus refers to when he asks John to baptize him. We might conclude that we should not dwell on the fact that baptism makes us part of a holy people. Instead, our baptism might be understood primarily as a calling to embrace the mission of Christ and the suffering servant to go out into the world and “heal all those oppressed by the devil.” Baptism is an important sacrament. If you or your child is not yet baptized, come to the rectory and talk to a priest or schedule a time to come and take the Baptism Preparation Class that we offer every Thursday at 7PM.