A message from Father Pete

For Sunday, February 25, 2024 Genesis 22:1-2, 9, 10-13, 15-18; Romans 8:31-34; Mark 9:2-10 Sometimes we come across an article, hear a story, or encounter information that has elements of a “eureka” moment: that is, finding or discovering something that brings to light an important truth of life — an aspect of life that “puts it all together.” Here is one I encountered in Teach, Delight, Persuade , a scriptural homily book: Delores was a young girl who was blind. Her father was a kind and tender man who took great care of her. After several years, she was able to have an operation on her eyes that permitted her to see for the first time. One of the greatest delights of her new sight was just to look at her father whom she could see as a man of noble appearance. She watched his every look and action. When he smiled at her or put his arms around her, she felt utterly happy. One day, as she was holding her father’s hand, she told a friend, “Just think, I have had this father for several

For Sunday, February 18, 2024 Genesis 9:8-15, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1:12-15 We know that the season of Lent lasts 40 days. So when does it begin? When we start counting back from Easter, we have all sorts of difficulties. In Seminary days, as I remember, we were told that the Lenten season begins with the first Sunday of Lent. Today the “experts” respond this way: “Depending on when you observe the first day of Lent, the Lenten season will either last through Holy Thursday if you begin on Ash Wednesday, or will end on March 30, Holy Saturday, if you begin counting on the first Sunday of Lent today, February 18, according to Christianity.”    More importantly, the Lenten cycle of weekday readings falls into two parts: Part one is from Ash Wednesday until the Saturday of the third week. The readings are taken from the Synoptics (Matthew, Mark and Luke), and the ones from the Old Testament are chosen accordingly. The message is a call to a life of Gospel conversion. How does one do this

For Sunday, February 11, 2024 Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46; 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1; Mark 1:40-45 The ancient world, through trial and error, discovered and fine-tuned its medical knowledge and treatments. For example, the ancient Hebrews did not know about  bacteria. They observed people getting sick from eating pigs, so they came up with  kosher laws forbidding the eating of pork. They had other diseases they used as subjects for such laws: tuberculosis and smallpox, to name two. Today the readings talk about leprosy, which they used as a label for all sorts of skin diseases like acne, ringworm, scabies and psoriasis. Leprosy — today called Hansen’s disease — was not as contagious as some of the others. Actual leprosy was a horrible disease with running sores; decaying, disfiguring flesh; and a stinking odor that drove people away. Leprosy was despised because of its ugliness, and lepers were driven from towns. Lepers had to ring bells and hold up signs identifying themselves as such, an

For Sunday, February 4, 2024  Job 7:1-4, 6-7; 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23; Mark 1:29-39 I like to offer people a snapshot on how to focus one’s prayer life when not feeling very holy … and/or feeling very “dumped upon” … and/or feeling alone, not listened to, even not respected … and/or acting grudgingly with resentment. I make this suggestion: to be still and ask three important questions: How do I feel right now? What do I need from God for me right now? What do I need from me for myself right now? I’m not suggesting that we leave it all to God or let go and let life continue, or to suggest that I have all the answers within me. NO … but all of the above are a good start in realizing God’s closeness and willingness to help me ... because He loves me right now in what’s troubling me. He strengthens, guides and loves me, and needs me to love me and Him NOW. Today’s readings present us with a snapshot computer storage of life — showing us three interconnected dimensions of human e