Notre Dame Parish

Cresco, Iowa

St. Agnes Oratory, Plymouth Rock and

St. Bridget Oratory, Bluffton     

                                                                                                                   Rev. Dennis H. Cahill, Pastor

                          Notre Dame Church:  223 2nd Ave. E.                                

Parish Office:  116 East Third Street

Phone:  563 547-3565       

Fax:  563 547-3835 

Wendy Schatz, Principal 563 547-4513     

Pamela Daley, CRE, 563 547-3565

Parish Office Staff: 

Peg Seifried, Connie Frana

Parish Website: 

http://www.iowatelecom.net/~ndparish            

School Website: 

www.aea1.k12.ia.us/notredame

Celebration of Sacraments

Baptism 

Please contact the parish office to register for the required Baptism class, to schedule a Baptism or for more information. Next Baptism preparation class is scheduled for March 2, 2011, 7:00 p.m., Joseph Room. 

Reconciliation  Reconciliation is offered on Saturday from 3:10 - 3:40 p.m. or by appointment.  Contact the parish office for an appointment.

Marriage  

Contact the parish office at least six months before intended wedding date.

January 16, 2011

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Isaiah 49:3, 5-6; 1 Corinthians 1:1-3; John 1:29-34

              Any good drama gets us ready for the main plot and the main characters by first “setting the stage.”  In the theater this literally means getting the props and backdrop in place, and then a minor person or two in the play steps on stage and gives the audience an “introduction.”  In a TV drama or movie a very similar series of events occur.  We are led into the main plot gradually, step by step.

In the liturgical year, today marks a rather dramatic shift from the infancy narratives to the narrative about the adult Jesus.  But even so, we still have some preliminary scenes to deal with.  And those focus on the comparison and contrast between John the Baptist and Jesus.

Before Jesus comes into His own as God’s spokesman there needs to be dealt with a major issue:  who is this John the Baptizer, and what is his role vis-a-vis Jesus?  Each gospel story handles this a bit differently.  Today we get a glimpse at how John the Evangelist handles the matter.  And John makes it clear that the Baptizer is, to use the image used above, “moving off center stage.”  John the Baptist’s role is to get people ready to know and receive the one whom the Baptist names “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”  When the Baptist’s role is over Jesus comes on “center stage.”

From now on the Sunday of the year present us with the Lamb of God, and how by word and action He does, indeed, take away “the sins of the world.”

Next week’s Readings: 

Isaiah 8:23-9:3; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17; Matthew 4:12-23