From the desk of 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

May the coming light of Christ dawn in your hearts!

Many people are living lives that are full but not fulfilling.  Some may be overwhelmed with obligations and responsibilities that bring tension and worries, others may be consumed by busyness, clutter and the complexity of demands that they’ve taken upon themselves.  It’s easy to get trapped in an endless cycle of hyperactivity and consumerism.  But what everyone really wants, what we all really yearn for is peace, wholeness, and feeling loved.

What is it that can lead us to a new level of freedom?  Spirituality.

Many are seeking an inner balance, peace and happiness through consumerist channels.  But there is a better way to spend time!  Spirituality requires and returns the gift of time.  Spending time in prayer with the Lord restores our sense of freedom and well-being.  Prayer brings us to inner peace and helps us discover the best way to use our time of life.  We understand that life doesn’t have to be frenetic with activity and we don’t have to be stressed because God will take care of the things we can’t.

John the Baptist calls us to prepare the way of the Lord by making a straight path for God to enter our hearts and minds so that we can experience his saving love at every moment of our lives!  That’s what spirituality is all about.  It’s about lifting our hearts and minds to God who is coming to fill us with his love, presence and blessings!

On the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception we will make an act of faith in which we spiritually entrust/dedicate/consecrate ourselves, our families, our homes, our possessions, our towns, our state and our nation to the care of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  As we do so, we are embraced by Mary in a special way.  She will intercede for each of us in the same way as she did for the people at Cana asking God to fill us with his blessings.  She also asks us to embrace her and trust her as a special mother, a teacher and a guide in discipleship.  She instructs us just as she did the servants ant Cana: “do as my Son tells you.”  For our part, we will pray the Rosary and meditate on her life with Jesus and the disciples.  Following the inspirations and inner light we receive in Mass, confession and prayer, we will strive to live holier lives through daily conversion.  We will place our prayers and sacrifices in her hands for sinners and the world so that she receives from us the honor and dignity that God wishes her to have: a Mother, Intercessor for the human race.  The Five First Saturday Devotion to the Immaculate Hearts of Mary and Jesus will begin at St. Edward on the first Saturday in January: 8:30 Rosary, Mass at 9:00.  I am looking forward to this devotion that promises so much grace and heavenly aid to our families and our world.  I hope that you are too!  God bless you always! +++ Fr. Peter

Peace and grace to you!

In the first reading we are given an encouragement to be watchful or vigilant because God is soon going to fulfill a promise.  In the Gospel, Jesus says that there will be changes in weather and signs in the heavens and events that seem like the end of the world which include the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  To many, these events will be terrifying and overwhelming.  But to those who are disciples, Jesus says stand erect and raise your heads!  Then he warns us to beware not to become drowsy in our faith or grow slack in discipline or let things overwhelm us to the point that we forget or miss what is truly important.

As you know, Advent is a special time of waiting and expectation for the coming of Christ into the world and into our lives in a new personal way.  We know that God always comes through when he makes promises but we are not always sure how they will be fulfilled!  That’s why we’re not supposed to get drowsy or distracted, we are supposed to watch with eyes of faith!

Consider what you find encouraging and exciting in these three weeks before Christmas.  Is it bringing out the old, beautiful Christmas decorations for your house?  Is it the memories that they bring with them as you set them up and place them in just the right spot?  Is it the fresh scent of the Christmas tree?  It could be children or grand children thinking about Santa or re-telling stories of Christmas in the past.  Getting together with friends and family always brings a certain excitement and energy with it.  There are also the cards and letters that bring us close to those who are far away reminding us that the love of the Heart of Jesus encompasses all people everywhere.  There are movies, music and special dishes that are part of the season that coincide with expectation, anticipation and surprise.

We know instinctively that this is indeed a very special time of year and it comes with a sense of hope in God’s goodness and we know that he is a promise keeper.  We also know that we can get lost and distracted with busyness and pressures.  The light of generosity and goodness can momentarily be extinguished by the impatience we feel with crowds and pushy people we encounter while we are negotiating parking lots or waiting in line at stores.  There are also the relationships that can feel draining or acute sadness from separation or loss of loved ones.  Sometimes we have to struggle for equilibrium and inner peace so that we can encounter goodness and peace in the people around us.

It would be good to make the effort to pray more and try to focus on watching for God’s presence.  God loves and cares for each and every one of us, personally.  Lift up the eye of your mind and open the arms of your heart to embrace God!  Receive the promised gift and surprise that he has for you in Jesus!  Advent Blessings to you! +++ Fr. Peter

Peace and Grace to all!

This Sunday the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Christ the King.  It is an appropriate finale to the end of the liturgical year and it reminds us of the principality of Christ and his universal power and authority over all that is: both visible and invisible.  This celebration should have some personal significance for each of us in our relationship with Jesus, who is King of Mercy.

As we celebrate this feast, I recall my visit to the monument known as “Cristo Rey” in Guanajuato, Mexico.  I travelled with some companions to the shrine to pray for special needs and to offer praise and thanks for the many blessings that I had received from God.  I wasn’t expecting anything but the chance to see the 70 foot statue of Jesus, which resembles that of the famous statue overlooking Rio de Janiero, Brazil.  The statue in Guanajuato was erected as part of the reconstruction of this site following the communist persecution and destruction in the 1930’s.  Many Christians were martyred defending the faith as well as this shrine during this period in Mexico.  The movie For Greater Glory presents many of the atrocities committed against the Church’s priests, religious and faithful while focusing on a few key historical figures.

The confrontation between Jesus and Pilate in the Gospel depicts worldly power and how it is usually corrupted by selfish interests is paralleled by the characters in the movie.  The heavenly kingdom reaches far beyond the here and now of the worldly view.  It is stronger and more beautiful for it values mercy, truth, justice and peace more than temporal wealth and power.  Like the characters in the Gospel and the movie, we must contend with the same forces in our own lives.  We can sink into selfishness, greed, lust, envy, or any other worldly allurement.  Many try to compromise only to find themselves succumbing to corruption—like Pilate.  For Jesus and the faithful in the movie, there was no compromising.  Like them, we are called to rise above worldly forces and stand for something far greater and far more glorious.  We are called to take a stand for the heavenly kingdom with its eternal values and rewards with what we say, think and do which is still heroic.  What a great choice to make!

When my companions and I rounded a bend and stood before the statue at the summit of the hill, I was compelled within to kneel, while my eyes began to swell with tears—I can’t explain why.  Before my companions and I stood the large figure of Jesus standing upon the globe with his arms outstretched as if he were calming the sea.  I had the sensation that Jesus wanted me to feel his power and peace calming my soul.  As I glanced at my companions, I realized from the tears in their eyes that Jesus was giving them the same gift of this experience.  After some moments passed, we smiled at each other through tears in acknowledgement of the experience we each had.  At such times, there are no words so we remained silent, kneeling in awe and gratitude before Jesus, our true King!  As Christians, we can be so glad and proud that we know God as a loving, merciful and tender ruler!  Although we journey in a world torn with sin and chaos, Jesus preserves our hearts in peace.  May God bless you all! +++ Fr Peter

Peace and Grace to you!

As we near the end of the Liturgical year, the Scripture readings always reflect a cosmic chaos.  As we listen to them and think about the imagery, we can feel powerless and helpless as the world seems to be spinning out of control.  Watching headlines in the news and world events can bring a similar experience because it seems like everything Jesus is referring to is happening!  Think of it: there have been record numbers of shootings in the US this year, every 24 hrs one military veteran takes their own life.

The US/Mexico border is a disaster zone with hundreds of bodies along the trails used by traffickers and coyotes.  The Darien Gap estimates a 15% mortality rate and if you’re a woman, no matter what age, you’re guaranteed to be raped.  The refugee camps and war-torn areas and places of natural disaster where struggles for clean water, food, medical supplies abound.  Earthquakes and storms result in need of rebuilding sewer, water, gas and electric supply lines and restoring stable communications.  There are more refugees in the world today than ever before and many countries in Europe are struggling with floods of people fleeing from the ravages of industrialized hatred and extremism. None of us have ever seen anything like this before and it’s at a higher level almost daily.  To us who live in the Western World, it doesn’t seem that there will ever be a just and stable government established in the Middle East and the chaos is spilling over into relatively peaceful countries. Even the US political sphere is filled with agenda laden bickering and lies while just accountability doesn’t seem to exist and issues go on unresolved.  The whole world seems out of control and is careening toward unprecedented destruction.

There are those who would like to have us all believe that these are definite signs that Jesus is about to return but no one knows the day or the hour.  It would be easy to get caught up in that kind of fear if you didn’t have faith and a prayer life.  Fear can distort our outlook on the world, it can become like a prison that disables us from freedom to act with love.  Fear can prevent us from focusing on what’s really important: a daily life filled with light, love and meaning.  As Christian believers, our focus and efforts are always the same: God is actively protecting us from destruction!  For our part, we strive to bring the Good News into the world.  We remember the words from Psalm 23: “even though I walk through the dark valley, I fear no evil, for you are at my side.”  When we lead lives steeped in the Gospel, we are reminded of the original chaos and how God’s Word always brings things to order and harmony.  As we embrace it and put it into practice, we experience God’s presence and protection and we look forward to his second coming with hope and peace.  One helpful reminder of God’s presence and action in the world is to Google “Medical Miracles” and be amazed at all the miracles going on around us!  The blind see, the deaf hear, the dead rise to new life, the lame walk.  God is always present and working in our midst!  We just have to look!    If we focus on Jesus and trust him, we can avoid sinking into fear filled living.  In living each day in faith, we can be confident that we will be ready whenever he comes, because he is already here!

May God bless you with peace and good health! +++ Fr Peter

Peace and grace to you all!+++

This weekend we are reminded that all that we have comes from God and when we are asked to give for God’s sake, God will see to it that our faith offering is blessed!

The first reading and Gospel’s main characters are widows—that is significant.  Typically, women in the ancient near east were among the most vulnerable in society who depended greatly upon the men for protection, sustenance and wealth.  If a woman was a widow, then she had to go it alone and be the home maker and the bread winner for the household—even build the dwelling.  Life was a challenge indeed and having extremely limited resources didn’t help.  One gets a sense of the level of poverty that they had in the first reading when the widow tells Elijah how little they have and after it is consumed, they will die; presumably of hunger.  Again the level of poverty appears in the Gospel when we hear that the few cents given by the widow was a greater sacrificial gift than all the others.

On the one hand, we are reminded of social justice issues and the fact that 26% of American households have a single parent.  Of those, 23% are single moms. We need to be aware of how difficult it is for a single parent to raise their children and watch for ways to support them.  I remember how hard it was for my mother to raise 7 children after my parent’s divorce.  I was keenly aware and appreciative of those who helped my mom in special ways.  One thoughtful gentleman owned a car dealership and gave her a station wagon car.  When the car needed repairs, there was a service station where the owner gave mom a break on the price of repairs because he knew she had lots of kids and limited resources.  Other anonymous helpers contributed toward our tuition to remain in a Catholic school.  Periodically, friends of the family would stop by with a surprise gift of food or clothes or something useful.  It was humbling to have little and at times to need but it also opened our eyes to see people’s goodness and generosity.  It also helped us realize how important it is to give. My mother gave too when it was her turn and when she knew someone could use it.  She gave in a quiet respectful way because she knew what it was like to need.

Real poverty is when people who are able to give don’t or they give very little.  Real wealth is when people who have little, are rich enough in faith and generosity of heart to give something of what they have.  May God bless you and help you prosper in every way but most of all in love and grace! +++ Fr. Peter