A message from Father Pete

For Sunday, April 28, 2024 Acts 9:26-31, 1 John 3:18-24, John 15:1-8 What does it mean for me to be a Christian? What does it mean for me to go to Church — to receive the Sacraments? Is this all that's required to be a Christian … a Catholic … a believer? As I look out the window and look at nature blossoming and blooming all around me, I know I have to do my part to make it flourish in beauty. Right? I was curious and looked it up on the web: Soil management requires knowledge about different soils whose impact on plant health is crucial for gardeners. Celebrate gardening is expressing your own personality, your growing conditions and your interests. Let your creativity run wild and you will be successful. Patience gardening is a slow and thoughtful process — more than a sprint. Having the patience to nurture a plant from a tiny seed to full bloom fills one with pride and accomplishment. Plants grow in four stages — seed, sprout, seedling and adult plant — and they need help a...

For Sunday, April 21, 2024 Acts 4:8-12, 1 John 3:1-2, John 10:11-18 Today we hear the beautiful image Jesus uses in the Gospel to identify Himself: “I am the good shepherd.” [John 10:11] This is an image the people can identify with since King David had come from the fields tending a huge flock for his well-to-do father. Also, flocks of sheep are all over Israel and lamb is “The Meal” for the Passover feast. In the early Church the picture of Jesus as the Good Shepherd adorned the catacombs in Rome and the early church in general. A model shepherd is concerned with his sheep — finding them safe pasture, protecting them from predators, even suffering for them. In our culture we are not so familiar with this image except in sermons and throughout scripture study. Today’s readings also suggest another image of a shepherd as a savior or leader. Do I look at Jesus as my savior and leader? Why or why not? This is exactly what He came to do and did: He saved us from our sins of pride — feeli...

For Sunday, April 14, 2024 Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; 1 John 2:1-5; Luke 24:35-48 Jesus, Mary, the apostles and the early followers of Jesus were all Jewish. They went to the Temple in Jerusalem to celebrate special historic occasions and feasts at the heart of Israel’s most cherished traditions. Following Jesus’ Resurrection they went to the Synagogue and afterward gathered for the “Breaking of the Bread.” We read this in Peter’s introduction address to his fellow Jewish believers. Peter is telling them who Jesus really is: the servant of the God of their ancestors … the long-awaited Messiah … the innocent, suffering servant described in Isaiah and the prophets. Jesus is also a real person rooted in the religious history of a real people . They have hoped and prayed for this Messiah for centuries, but the centuries have conjured up and produced all sorts of dreams … hopes … desires … descriptions of what this Messiah will be like. It's obvious that many will fail to see — understa...

For Sunday, April 7, 2024 Acts 4:32-35, 1 John 5:1-6, John 20:19-31 There are so many interesting questions in today’s reading: How did the early Church strengthen and energize their faith? The early Christian community around Jerusalem, no doubt, “had everything in common … didn’t claim their own possessions just for themselves … took care of all the needy … even selling their homes, and the proceeds were given to the needy.” This is quite admirable, and St. Luke, the author of the Acts, adds: “There was no needy person among them.” [Acts 4:34] I’m sure this was an accurate snapshot but it wasn’t the case for the overall period. This was how the Resurrection experience challenged them to see how important it was to witness to Jesus ... to transform their lives by prioritizing those in need. This is a good time for our own spiritual self-analysis: Am I living the “Jesus way?” Certainly my faith doesn’t call on me to do the same ... or does it? Question/reflection: Do I realize that I...