A message from Father Pete

Isaiah 8: 23-9:3; 1 Corinthians 1: 10-13, 17; Matthew 4: 12-23 How is my relationship with God going? Am I on the right road or do I see myself settling into the same old pattern? Am I excited about the prospect of finding God in new ways in my life each day? Do I take time to examine what has happened each day and where did I see God’s love for me and for others? Do I find that each day is an opportunity to live a deeper life with God and for God? Franciscan Media’s Sunday Homily Helps adds these questions: “Are you looking for God in all the wrong places? When we need to talk with people, we use our phones. God doesn’t seem to have His cell phone turned on. Could it be that the reverse is true? Is God calling us on spiritual phones that we have turned off? God makes the first call, and we respond — after we have received a divinely constant outpouring of mercy, forgiveness compassion and love?” Today’s readings explore the words of Jesus to “Come after Me … Follow Me.” We do hear thi...

Isaiah 49: 3, 55-6; 1 Corinthians 1: 1-3; John 1: 29-34 Who is the last person I saw God in? How did I recognize this? What was special about this person that radiated God? Was it their goodness or their personality? Was it their kindness or compassion?   Was it their overall attitude toward others? Was I more talkative or attentive when I was with this person? Did this encounter change me in any way? Have I seen these God-like qualities in others? Do I talk about these experiences with others? Is it important that I do share these? I would say YES it is important that we share, but unfortunately we are hesitant because we do not feel confident in our evaluations of these people. A thought could be that we change the God-like word for the word holy.   If and when people tell me that I am holy, I want to deny it because I know that I am a sinner in so many ways. I feel very uncomfortable and want to get off this topic. The question now is WHY? If God has called u...

Isaiah 42: 1-4, 6-7; Acts 10: 34-38; Matthew 3: 13-17 Today we begin a basic course on our own call to be disciples of Jesus. What does this mean? In the back of the Catholic Study Bible, the Glossary states: “Disciple a follower — The disciples of Jesus were those who followed, or tried to follow His teachings.”   Am I taking my task of being a Christian for granted? Do I realize that to be a follower, I need to have been called to this role; I just don’t fall into it? Like Mary, who said YES to being the mother of Jesus, each of us have our own YES moments. Jesus showed us this today as He came to be baptized by John. After years of waiting, preparing, learning, watching, observing, listening, and studying, the time had come for Jesus to take up His mission: to tell all of God’s total, unconditional love and to redeem each and every one from our sins and confirm that our place is heaven if we respond Yes to His call. The Yes is a continual Yes reaffirmed by dedica...

Isaiah 60: 1-6; Ephesians 3: 2-3, 5-6; Matthew 2: 1-12 The Manger scene has a great deal of significance. Most of the world is familiar with Jesus’ birth to Mary and Joseph. It is a story of expectation and hope. It is story of intrigue and fear coupled with immense love for us. Even the ‘showing of the manger’ in our churches has significance. First the ‘shed’ or ‘cave’ appears … then come the figures of Mary and Joseph and the empty crib … then comes the baby Jesus on Christmas Eve and the shepherds and sheep … then this weekend come the magi and animals and gifts. This slowly developing scene helps us to prolong the beauty of Christmas adding more layers of love, devotion, faith building and God’s love for every individual every created. It makes this beautiful feast more than a one-day event and prolongs it for a season that lasts almost three weeks. The slowness of this enfolding involves whole families, including the children with their own excitement and dreams becomi...