Dear Friends,

Today we celebrate our fifth anniversary as a community—can you believe it? After Jean's Mass of Thanksgiving on Nov. 19, 2006 when people asked "what next?" we sent out a message far and wide inviting all who were so moved to co-create a community with us and The Spirit of Life: A Catholic Community of Justice and Joy was born.

Today we still accompany one another on our spiritual journeys, fortifying and supporting each other on "The Way" (what the early Christians called their community.) Many were able to join us today for a piece of anniversary cake and a conversation on the topic "Why Catholic" this evening at the conclusion of our liturgy. If you weren't able to come this week, we will serve the rest of the cake next week—we hope you can join us then. And our spiritual discussion group helped us hear each other's stories. This will continue in March's spiritual discussion group on how each of images God on Sunday, March 18.)

Today's Gospel moves from Jesus' Baptism to his being driven into the desert by the Spirit to pray. We often picture Jesus standing in the waters of the River Jordan alone with John the Baptist for the pouring of the water. However, Mark's Gospel says that the whole countryside and the peoples of Jerusalem, too, were flocking to John to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. It is striking to imagine that there were hundreds of others in the waters approaching John to confess their luke-warmness, their lack of commitment to God, their lack of concern for their fellow human beings. The faithful Jesus did not hesitate to join this motley crew and approach for baptism. Jesus did not arrogantly or disdainfully stand on the banks and say, "I'm not like the rest." Rather Jesus joined in solidarity with the human crowd, so much did he want to be one of us, one with us. John recognized Jesus' faithfulness and said, " it would be more fitting for me to be baptized by you." Jesus persuaded John to follow the pattern and baptize him. As John baptized Jesus, a voice is reported to say from the heavens: "This is my Beloved, in whom I am well pleased." God says those same words to you and to me: "You are my Beloved, in whom I am well pleased." This Spirit-filled Jesus is then driven into the desert where demons harass him and angels minister to him.

We are called to follow Jesus in both the solidarity and the solitude. How do we align ourselves with human beings around the world who are both different and the same as us? What price are we willing to pay to stand with them, to reach out to them. It may be standing up for/with someone being bullied/oppressed, in Syria or in our town or reaching out to someone in need whether poor or lonely. Where do we find our deserts and how do we use our solitudes to meet our God and nourish our spirits to fuel our sharing that energy with those we meet?

We invite you to continue with us the co-creation of The Spirit of Life Community—so that we can be "ministering angels" to each other on the Way.

Loving blessings,
Ron & Jean