A message from Father Pete

For Sunday, February 2, 2025 Malachi 3:1-4, Hebrews 2:14-18, Luke 2:22-40   Imagine the scene: An old man and an even older woman who have lived all their lives in the Temple. We’ve witnessed people who are always around Church: some very active in organizations; some at every celebration and liturgical mass; some who always seem to be present, usually on their knees, praying the Rosary or some liturgical novena or the like. It seems like they are deep in their devotions, almost oblivious to people around them, but on the occasions when we speak with them we are impressed with their goodness and kindness and are convinced of their holiness … a holiness that isn’t our type of holiness. They are beautiful in their dedication to God and our Lady. Seldom do we encounter them one-on-one, but when it happens, we are still convinced of their holiness. They are identical to Simeon and Anna; this is how I envision them. If I did have the chance to talk to “my couple,” I would be tongue-tied...

For Sunday, January 26, 2025 Nehemiah 8:2-6, 8-10; 1 Corinthians 12:12-30; Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21   Today we hear from the readings that God is our Father — that He loves us — that He sent the Holy Spirit to guide us — and He sent Jesus to explain what it all means. How grateful we are to know we are loved and that God has put each of us here for a purpose — to help others realize God’s love through our love and for all to be united with the Father, Son and Spirit in our forever home ... Heaven. Consider taking today’s readings to a quiet place with the Lord. Sit down and reflect on each of them, imagining that you are listening to Nehemiah, Paul and Luke explaining God’s message to you. Each encompasses God’s love and His eternal plan for all of creation. Ezra is the priest-scribe who acts as religious leader to the Jewish community that returned recently from the Babylonian captivity. Nehemiah led the people back and has supervised the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. Ezra and ...

For Sunday, January 19, 2025 Isaiah 62:1-5, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, John 2:1-11 Today we begin Ordinary Time, even though Last Sunday’s Baptism of the Lord is considered the First Sunday. The readings today carry over to ones we considered during Christmas season. Then we consider the “new era” God initiates during the birth of Jesus. Now the point comes directly to you and me: What should we have done with this? What are we going to do with this? What are we to do with us? God acts — are we obligated to follow His initiative? Why would God do anything that doesn’t have any relationship to us? How open are we to the new demands of the Messiah — God being born into our midst? Last week we looked at the Holy Spirit’s activity at the Birth of Jesus; today we reflect on how the Spirit has been active in our own lives. Are we responding? Why or why not? We reflect on what is found in the readings today. Scholars refer to chapter four in Isaiah 56-66 as the “Third Isaiah” because it comes fro...

For Sunday, January 12, 2025 Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11; Titus 2:11-14, 3:4-7; Luke 3:15-16, 21-22 Today we are given more insight into Jesus’ and God’s plan for the world that has been hidden of sorts since the beginning of creation. We begin with a question we might have wondered about: What is the Trinity all about? How come I haven’t heard much about it in Scripture I’ve read ... did Jesus explain it? Today’s readings set the stage, helping us in our Trinity search! The account of the Baptism of Jesus gives us a definitive glimpse into the Trinity: John the Baptist explains that he is not the Messiah … and he points to Jesus, the Word-made-flesh. God’s promised one — the Savior — the Messiah — come to save the world from Rome, the conquering country? No, but to save humanity from our sin and the temptations Satan sends our way. Jesus, God the Son: the second person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit descends on Jesus at the Jordan: The expectation that fills the people is eschatological, ...

For Sunday, January 5, 2025 Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6; Matthew 2:1-12   It's always nice to “belong.” We learn this from the very beginning. I remember my first day going to kindergarten: I was sitting on the porch waiting for my siblings to “escort” me to school, and I refused to go. I was wearing shorts and I said, “I’m a big boy now so I have to wear long pants.” (You can tell I was very shy and reserved.) The school years reinforced the theme of belonging — to a sports team, cheerleading, clubs, sororities. We all enjoyed the notoriety, the applause, the awards — the recognition that came with belonging . This progressed outward to our nationality and cultural ethnicity. What did this “belonging” mean to us? We were important and recognized and had a role to play in something bigger than ourselves. The bottom line: I wasn’t alone; I was accepted into a group — which helped immensely in forming my identity. This belonging is carried over in the readings today. God cre...