From the desk of Fr. Peter

Peace and grace to you!

As we listen to Jeremiah’s lamentations and hard-earned wisdom about the frailty and fickleness of human beings, we are given a stern reminder that in the end, God is the only one where we can place our ultimate trust.  Luke’s Gospel is the sermon on the plain in which are included the blessed (happy) and the woes (sorrows).

Jesus gives a message of hope for those who are poor, hungry, grieving, or experiencing hate from others because of their faith in God.  Jesus shows how compassionate God is.  God cares about every person’s human experience, and he reminds us that our situation in life is always changing but faith hope and trust in God will help them transcend any situation and lead to a good outcome.

While expressing a message of hope to those without, Jesus seems to be warning those who have possessions, wealth, comfort and friendship that they are enjoying what will not last.  He cautions people against placing their trust and confidence in the present situation or things, rather than in God.  Change will come and their experience will be sadness.  This set of blessed and woes can also be understood as an encouragement to use what we have wisely: as good stewards we consider what we have and remember there are those who need.

Stewardship is an invitation to partner with God and make God the priority and director over all that one has.  The greatest gift that we have is divine love.  God gifts us with his own life and love in the Eucharist.  We are stewards of this!

“Woe to you” can be turned around and become “blessed are you” when we are good stewards!

Blessed, fortunate and happy are you who are rich in money, power, influence, time and talent because you can do much for the poor, the marginalized, the alien, mentally ill, the prisoner and the lonely!  You can lift another’s burden!  If we have the heart and mind of Christ to recognize the needy as God’s children and act to care for them, God increases our joy.  In the large vision, we recognize that we need them as much as they need us!  We can experience the blessedness of the kingdom when we place ourselves and our possessions in God’s service.  May God continue to enrich you in every way! +++ Fr. Peter

Peace to you!

We have been reflecting the last few weeks on a kind of process through which God calls people and the encounter changes their lives forever.  Soon afterward, they become disciples.  A few weeks ago we heard Samuel’s story and how he had to learn how to listen and discern that God sometimes calls in the night when we are not so occupied with daily activity or when there is darkness or emptiness in our lives.

Isaiah explains how terrified he is at his vision of the “Lord of Hosts.”  He acknowledges that he is unworthy to be in the presence of God and fears death but the angel calms his fears by cleansing him.  Isaiah experiences God’s mercy and it changes him forever!  Filled with holy joy and loving zeal, he responds to God’s call “here I am, send me!”

St. Paul expresses something similar to Isaiah’s sense of personal unworthiness and we remember the story of his encounter with the risen Lord.  St. Paul was changed by his encounter and responded to God’s call in the same way as Isaiah: filled with holy joy, he was sent to proclaim the Good News!

This weekend we hear the story of Jesus calling Peter and Andrew, James and John.  Jesus invites them to leave their boats and nets to follow him and become fishers of men.  Like Isaiah and Saul, Peter was immediately seized with fear and in response to that Jesus immediately calmed him with the words “Do not be afraid.”  Like Isaiah and the others, Peter’s life was forever changed.

The call stories are always interesting and powerful for us because they help us focus on listening and following God in new and deeper ways.  They also remind us that, like others in the past, God is calling us today!  He calls us to follow him closely and experience something new, of how wonderful he is and through that experience to be changed forever.  It is normal to feel a little uncertain or afraid at first but with each new experience, our faith that Lord is at our side grows.  God bless you in your journey and mission to join our ancestors in faith in the joy of proclaiming the Gospel! +++ Fr. Peter

Peace to you!

The most important daily activity Jesus engaged in during his life on earth was teaching.  True we love the stories about Jesus healing the lame and the sick, giving sight to the blind, cleansing the lepers and raising the dead but more important than all of those miracles is his teaching.

In the Gospel, we pick up from where we left off last weekend and all the people were amazed at the gracious words that Jesus spoke.  But suddenly, things changed—drastically!  By the end of the account, they wanted to kill him!  Why?  Because Jesus knew they didn’t believe what he taught them and that a miracle would only fascinate them.    Sincere faith however, doesn’t need a miracle.   The miraculous events for the widow of Sidon and Naaman the Syrian were given because sincere faith was already there.

This week we pay attention to Catholic schools—and Catholic education.  I was educated in a Catholic school by Dominican Sisters from first to twelfth grade.  Then later, my college undergraduate and graduate level studies were completed with the Benedictines at Mt. Angel Seminary.  Looking back, I believe that the greatest gift I have ever received in my life has been an education and more importantly, a Catholic one.  What makes it distinctive?  It’s not just learning to read, write, do math or play sports.  A Catholic education is first of all grounded in belief and practice.  The Catholic values that form the whole person travel into whatever activities we engage in and become part of our institutional structures including business corporations, city hall and national policies.  This ensures honesty; not corruption, justice; not inequality, compassion and care for others; not cruelty and cold indifference, love; not hate.

The value that the Catholic school environment brings to our places of activity is virtually inestimable!  It is beyond an earthly price and it leads to an eternal reward for the individual and society!

Not many of our families are able to attend a Catholic school these days.  We know that this increases the importance of our religious education programs in the parish setting.  I am very impressed and proud of our families that volunteer and make the effort to teach the faith to our children and adults.  Teaching and learning the faith is the top priority in the mission of the Church.

As the Annual Catholic Appeal draws near, keep in mind that the support we give is needed and a large percentage of the Appeal income supports Catholic education.  God bless you all! +++ Fr. Peter

May the Good News lift you in joy and peace!

The historical context of the first reading indicates that the people are just returning to Jerusalem where the Temple had been desecrated and is badly in need of repair while the people themselves suffer ignorance of God’s covenant and law because of their captivity in the Babylonian exile.  The focus of Ezra and Nehemiah is twofold: repair the Temple building and teach the people to live the law and covenant.   The people need to be restored physically and spiritually to reclaim their identity as God’s holy people.

In the Gospel, Jesus has just returned from the desert where he struggled against the temptations of the devil.  By overcoming all the temptations, Jesus does not succumb to the captivity of sin and maintains his identity as God’s Beloved Son.  Jesus comes in the power of the Spirit to announce the good news of salvation and a promise of favor from God.

The combination of both readings beckons us to evaluate ourselves before God and identify the things that hold us captive.  But we are not to punish ourselves with negative thoughts about ourselves, our failings, weaknesses or past sins.  Rather we are invited to trust Jesus’ promise of God’s favor ever more deeply and rejoice!  This is a time of liberation and deliverance!  God’s goodness and mercy are not just for a day or a year, but from the moment Jesus announced it until the end of time.  When Jesus said “Today, this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing” he meant that this fulfillment is in him from now on.

St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians reminds us that we have a special relationship with other people of the church—spiritually we’re members of Christ’s own body.  The gifts that all the members have received are for service and the good of others—just like the ones Jesus announced.  Giving of ourselves and receiving from others are the concrete forms of the communion we have as members of the one body and it is the concrete expression that strengthens us spiritually and brings joy.  As God’s beloved child, how do you experience this good news today?  How do you proclaim this good news to others each day?  God bless you always! +++ Fr. Peter

Peace be with you!

The readings this weekend draw us to contemplate the deep, passionate love that God has for the human race— especially for the people he calls his own, the Church.  These readings enhance the meaning of the covenant relationship of baptism that we enter with God through Jesus’ baptism.

In the first reading from Isaiah, the people are just returning from exile—a place of servitude and slavery.  It is a time of transition which includes the mix of feelings that always accompany change but the message is overall one of great hope and bright promise!  This first reading serves as a spring board for the Gospel.

The Gospel story of the wedding at Cana is the first of Jesus’ signs that announce God’s presence among us and that the fulfillment of all promises is taking place!

The wedding is symbolic of the marriage of mankind with God.  This union of two natures is present in the water and the wine and the person of Jesus as Son of God and Son of Man.  Mary appears in the story as one who understands the needs of the people and as one who speaks or intercedes on their behalf before God.  Mary knows that Jesus is the Savior and the source of all grace for the human race.  When she tells Jesus “they have no wine,” she is asking Jesus to remember the love and compassion he has for humanity and to fulfill his promise to save them by letting his divine love and grace flow upon them to heal the division between men and women and restore harmony and peace to the human race by reconciling them with God: to free them from sin.  Jesus responds that his “hour has not yet come” because the consummation of the new covenant is not until he offers his body and blood on the cross for his bride the Church.  Jesus must accomplish the expiation of our sins at the appointed hour.  Mary understands what Jesus means but she also knows that she is the first among the redeemed.  Because she was given this favor from God at the beginning of her life, she also asks a share in this grace for the people that God was preparing to be his bride.  Mary’s words to the servants are also directed to us: “do whatever he tells you.”   At Mary’s request, Jesus generously shows his love by giving them a foretaste of the new covenant symbolized by the best wine.

When I think of Cana, I am awed by the interplay between Jesus and Mary and the attentive care they have for every person.  In my brief reflection, I have only hinted at some of the deep realities contained in this scripture passage.  I hope that you find yourself rejoicing as you savor the new wine of God’s gifts of love that are yours.  I hope that you can be awestruck when you look at your spouse and children and contemplate how great the gift of a human life is.  I also hope that you are even more awestruck at how the gift of divine life comes to us through the sacraments!  God bless you always! +++ Fr. Peter

Peace and grace to you!

This weekend we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord in which God reveals Jesus as The Beloved Son.  This event always calls us to reflect first upon John’s baptism of repentance (turning-to-God) and why Jesus was baptized by John.  Even John questioned it.  Jesus expressed his desire to fulfill righteousness, which means to fulfill God’s plan— to do God’s will and sanctify people of faith in Christ who are baptized.  Jesus entered creation and was born a man so that human beings could share divine life with God.

Today upon his baptism, we see something new: Jesus is anointed with the Holy Spirit!  In this event, Jesus makes the waters of baptism holy so that those who experience Christian baptism are reborn, cleansed from sin and re-created as children of God, united to God as members of Christ’s own body and sharing in the life of the Holy Spirit.  As Christians we are enabled to live and love as God’s beloved sons and daughters and we are empowered to carry on the saving mission of Jesus in the world.  We are called and sent to work for justice and peace and share the Gospel message so that other people may be free from error, darkness and sin.  For many of us who were baptized as infants, we have never fully understood or embraced the radical character of our baptism.  That is why Feasts like today’s and the renewal of our baptismal promises are so important.  They help us to understand more fully what baptism really means.  Such occasions also help us recommit ourselves to living more deeply the covenant of love as Jesus Christ taught us.  The baptism of Jesus was the starting point of his public ministry when he taught the people about God and the moral life.  He worked many miracles of healing to show that God’s power comes as love and mercy for the person who desires salvation.  This was Jesus’ mission and ours too.  Jesus still works miracles through those who do good works in his name.  I hope that many of us have a sense of renewal and a spring in our step knowing that we share in such a beautiful and important work.  May God bless all your efforts! +++ Fr. Peter

May the light of faith guide you to eternal life!

We celebrate the Epiphany this weekend, which means “manifestation.”  It refers to the events around Christ’s birth that show how God has revealed his plan of salvation for the whole human race; not just the Jewish people.  The first reading prophecies that a ruler shall arise from the assembly of faith who will truly be like a great light in the heavens!  This ruler will establish true justice, peace, and he will govern with heavenly wisdom and be recognized by all nations as a gift from God.  St. Paul speaks of a stewardship of divine grace that was given him by God in order that he may continue guiding all nations in the light of the Gospel: God’s love and mercy shown toward the human race in Jesus.

The Gospel story depicts Wise Men from the East.  They saw a light in the heavens that they had never seen before and they believed this star signaled that a very important and great king had been born.  The journey of the Magi speaks of the yearning for peace, justice, love and mercy in every human heart through history.  The Magi represent everyone who seeks the truth in hope of healing, peace and salvation.  Herod, on the other hand, represents those who feel threatened by an authority greater than their own, those opposed to accountability to truth and justice and those who are selfish to the point of evil.  This also pertains to the fallen part of human nature and selfish inclinations to seek only after our own desires with little or no regard for God or others.  We are given an example of the forces at work within ourselves through the characters in the story.  We seek the truth and are guided by God’s heavenly wisdom which leads us to peace through serving God first and others.  This is the path by which we discover the joy of knowing the truth, acting in justice, mercy and love.  We have a choice to follow the wisdom of God or we can turn away.  The conclusion of the story is that the Wise Men experienced Jesus in humble simplicity and were enriched by him in a profound, mystical way.  They went away in a new direction because they had been changed by the light of God’s love and goodness.  Herod remained hardened at heart and dark in selfishness.  Let us pray that we too will seek God’s wisdom so that we will shine more brightly with the joy and peace found only in Jesus and his cross.  Let us ask Jesus to touch others with his light through us.  God bless you always! +++ Fr. Peter

Merry Christmas everyone!

The Christmas season has officially begun!  For a lot of people, Christmas season seems to have begun much sooner.  I noticed this year that decorations, advertisements and Christmas theme items began to appear the day after Halloween instead of the day after Thanksgiving.  I guess there are a couple of different ways to view that but it seems to me that our world longs for the Christmas season because we long for more of Jesus in our lives.  Although we may complain about consumerism and a loss of the sense of the sacred in our society, there are still a great many believers and to them, it is truly Christmas that we celebrate!  I have a special attraction to Advent and to Christmas so I don’t mind the extra time of decorations that announce Christ’s coming.  To me, it all serves to extend the reminder of Christ’s special presence among us “Emmanuel” and God’s incomparable gift of forgiveness that brings peace, reconciliation, joy and salvation to the whole world!  This is truly worthy of an extended celebration!  In one of the traditional songs, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” it mentions that a special gift was received on each day of the Christmas season, which continues to the Epiphany of the Lord.  The song reminds me that one way of making Christmas Season special may be to space out our gift giving and gift opening so that it extends through the Christmas season.  As you know, the song mentions that the gifts received came from “my true love,” which is God.  The partridge in the pear tree is Christ. 2 turtle doves are the Old and New Testaments. 3 French hens are the theological virtues of Fath, Hope and Charity.  4 calling birds are the 4 Gospels.  5 gold rings are the first 5 books of the Old Testament.  6 geese  laying are the first 6 days of creation.  7 swans swimming are the seven seven sacraments.  8 maids milking are the beatitudes.  9 ladies dancing are the fruits of the Holy Spirit.  10 lords leaping are the Ten Commandments.  11 pipers piping are the 11 faithful disciples.  12 drummers drumming are the 12 points of doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed.

We offer tokens of love and esteem to each other in the form of presents and kindness.  This is important because love flows forth from God who is the source of love and God’s love within us then reaches out to others.  We also know that our most true and lasting gifts come to us from God’s love and mercy!  The Christmas season is interspersed with special feasts: Saint Steven, The Holy Innocents and The Holy Family and Epiphany.  Each of these feast days offers a particular window from which to view the mystery of Christ and his mission to save us.  Let us ponder with Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and kings the gift of Christ who is our true love and give thanks to God for our families: family of origin and our family of faith!  Blessings of peace and joy to you all! +++ Fr. Peter

Rejoice!  The Lord is near!

The readings this weekend are filled with hope and fulfillment.  Isaiah’s message fills us with hope because all people of the world will recognize God’s people as his “delight.”   They will receive abundant blessings from God, so much so that their land will seem to be “espoused.”

The Gospel traces out the genealogy of Jesus from Abraham to Jesus.  One important feature in this genealogy is that some of the characters in Jesus’ family line were not all Jewish and some were far less than perfect.  In the Gospel, we are given a sense of fulfillment.  Jesus entered human history.  He had a normal human family complete with flaws.  God is entering human history embracing humanity with love and acceptance, even with our personal imperfections!

As Christians, we recognize Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promise to David that one of his descendants would rule his kingdom.  When we ponder the way that God chose to fulfill his promise and plan of salvation, we should be struck with awe.

Mary and Joseph were descendants of David and God chose Mary who was a poor, lowly girl to be the Mother of the Savior of the whole world!  When Mary said “yes” she was lifted up and so are all women through her.  Because of this all generations now call her “Blessed.”  Mary was the last who became first among the Redeemed and reigns as Queen in heaven.  The mighty and powerful rulers of the world are reduced to silence before her and no accomplishments of theirs will compare to her part in salvation history.  God surpassed Mary’s hopes and dreams in a greater way than he did those of David.  Jesus told us that the poor in spirit will attain the kingdom of heaven, the meek will inherit the earth and the pure in heart will see God.  The kingdom that Jesus established is beyond the powers and limits of this world and we are invited to come and follow his plan.  We are invited to say “yes” to God with Mary every day of our lives and as we do, we experience a surpassing gift that only Christ Our Savior can give.

Our expectant hope for a special grace every Christmas in the present is based upon God’s action of grace in the past.  A Christmas hymn that underlines the fulfillment of God’s promise is O Little Town of Bethlehem.  The last line of the first verse says: “the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”  Our hopes are fulfilled by a loving, merciful Savior who dispels darkness, fear and doubt.  God bless you with light and peace! +++ Fr. Peter

May the approaching dawn lift you in hope!

The readings from the Third Sunday in Advent of Year C are considered some of the best because they really inspire us to rejoice in hope!

The prophet Zephaniah encourages the people to shout and sing joyfully, to be glad and exult with all their hearts because God is coming to favor them with love and mercy.  The people of Zephaniah’s day had turned away from God and fallen into idolatry—placing other things as more important than God.  The king introduced religious reform and encouraged the people to put God first in all things.  He then instructed them not to fear but look to God, ask for mercy and ask for help and blessings.

The Psalmist too invites us to join in a song of joy because God is already among us.

St. Paul further encourages us to rejoice in prayer and in good deeds because it is by the practice of our faith that we experience the peace and joy of God’s kingdom.  Paul’s experience as a builder of the early Church was filled with challenges and difficulty.  It seems that he was persecuted on every side.  He was stoned by Jewish people, beaten with rods by Gentiles then finally imprisoned and put to death by pagan authorities.  His successes were probably not huge numbers of people coming to faith in Christ but rather small numbers.  Our sense is that he took great joy in the fact that those who became believers were sincere and dedicated to the practice of the faith knowing that God would bring the increase over time.

In the Gospel, we encounter John the Baptist who is calling the people to turn away from sin and to seek God above all.  When asked what should we do?  The Baptist’s reply is consistent, turn away from sin: avoid corruption and selfishness, don’t lie, cheat or steal, don’t harbor grudges or hatred but have charity toward others and give of your wealth, your possessions and of yourself.

It seems like we have a connection with each of the characters in the readings today.  We all know people who have fallen away from the faith or have never had a faith at all.  Many of us are experiencing the challenges and difficulty of being Christians in a world that doesn’t want moral constraints.  There are also discord, tensions and dysfunction in our families.  So why the call to rejoice?  Because, against such a back drop of darkness we should rejoice as we put into practice the Good News that we have in Christ!  Jesus is truly present within us as we go about our day-to-day faith in plain fashion.  Jesus didn’t overthrow the Roman occupation, he transcended it.  This weekend we rejoice because we see ourselves lifted up by his love and mercy transcending the foreign occupations of our time–those in our world, our towns, our families and ourselves.  Our faith filled works make God’s love and mercy palpably felt by hearts and souls all around us and it is God working through us!

May the God of all joy bless you with peace! +++ Fr. Peter