A message from Father Pete

For Sunday, May 17, 2026 Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:17-23, Matthew 28:16-20 As we journey through the seasons of the Church, we marvel at how they duplicate our faith journey: Advent brings us to a culmination of how much God loves each of us — God the Father sent Jesus to show us God’s total love for all and how everyone is important to God. Then we arrive at the Season of Lent and we spend time listening to reflections on the Messianic prophecies of how God proves His love by dying in a horrible crucifixion and rejection by His Jewish nation and religion. As we progress into the Easter season, Jesus puts into all of our minds the purpose of God’s plan. It isn’t a once-and-done occurrence — the Apostles, the early Christian believers, and we today, are called upon to be witnesses to this love. This is the focal point of today’s Ascension feast. God is telling us how Jesus is present in our world and our individual lives. Today’s feast is the day when Christ is publicly established as L...

For Sunday, May 10, 2026 Acts 8:5-8, 14-17; 1 Peter 3:15-18; John 14:15-21 During the past few Sundays we have heard and witnessed descriptions of the early Christian community from the Acts of the Apostles, explaining how the Christian faith was spread. We have to keep in mind that Jesus was Jewish until the day He was crucified. His apostles were Jewish too. They realized that following the Jewish faith was incomplete — Jesus told us the complete description about God and the meaning of living a life of God. During those early years, followers would go to the temple/synagogue on the Sabbath and then, on Sundays, assemble for the Breaking of the Bread . Eventually — because of persecutions and rejection by Jewish followers — they stopped the Sabbath component and assembled just for the Breaking of the Bread — the Eucharist — which later became the Mass . Today’s readings recount the spread of the Gospel with Philip, one of the seven “workers” discussed last week who tended to the ne...

For Sunday, May 3, 2026 Acts 6:1-7, 1 Peter 2:4-9, John 14:1-12 We begin with some basics today. Abraham is the Father of our Faith. God picked him and started the Jewish community through him. Abraham was a wanderer because he owned a flock and went where his sheep and goats could graze well. His clans increased tremendously and they, too, wandered. Isaac was one of the sons of Abraham and Sarah — who represents the fulfillment of God’s covenant (promise) — confirming the promise of land, blessings and seed through Isaac rather than his older brother, Ishmael. The wanderings of Abraham’s community took many twists and turns, ending eventually in Egypt — basically for survival and protection for their crops and flocks. In time they were enslaved; who wanted foreigners in their land? Jealousy and persecution followed. The people complained to God, who chose Moses to lead them out of captivity with the promise of a “land of milk and honey.” Note: This phrase, symbolizing abundance and f...