Celebrating Baptism
This weekend we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, the recognition of the day upon which John baptized Jesus Christ. It is also the end of the Christmas season. By now most of us have taken down the Christmas tree, packed away the decorations and unfortunately it is likely a [...]
Faithfulness In Our Relationship With God
Honestly, when I think about the concept of “faithfulness” in the relationship I have with God, I generally focus on how I am being faithful (or not) to God. I do not often reflect on God’s faithfulness to me and to all His people. And yet, today’s first reading and [...]
A Sunday For Rejoicing
The third Sunday of Advent is traditionally known as “Gaudete Sunday”, or, phrasing it another way, “a Sunday for Rejoicing”. It is so called because it marks the approaching end of our Advent task of preparing for the celebration of Christmas. Incidentally, I’ve been finding Fr. Steven’s homilies particularly helpful [...]
Love Your Neighbor As Yourself
This weekend we hear from Matthew one of the most well known passages from his Gospel. This is understandable; the simplicity of its message is appealing, the seeming lightheartedness of its message compelling. Love God. Love others. Easy, right? Why, then, is it paired this weekend with the passages from [...]
Change
Watching the leaves turn such beautiful colors and seeing them eventually fall from their branches, causes me to acknowledge that we are in the midst of a season of change. Some people look forward to this change and others wish it really didn’t need to happen. There are many who [...]
Commitment to Prayer
A year and a half ago I made a commitment to prayer. I set a specific goal during that Lent to pray for ten minutes each day—not fifteen, and not five, but exactly ten minutes—just me and God. I knew that a specific commitment like that was what I needed. [...]
We Are St. Peter’s
What, exactly, is a parish in our Catholic church? The Catechism (2179) defines it in a few ways: It is “a stable community of the faithful within a particular church or diocese”. It is “the place where all the faithful can be gathered together for the Sunday celebration of the [...]
Our Annual Stewardship Renewal
Fall has always been my favorite time of year. I love that the air is cooler and less humid, the trees are at their most glorious colors and apples are ready to be picked. I also love that everything seems to get back into a routine. The daily activities have [...]
Getting In Touch With God
Let me be honest; I love the scriptures we hear this week. I have no trouble admitting that my own interest in the spiritual walk is centered on the interior life, and on the living, vibrant interface with God through prayer and worship. For others, the experience of faith is more [...]
St. Paul Exhorts Us to Find Joy in Our Suffering
This weekend, we hear part of a letter Paul has written from a prison cell. Paul’s message to the Philippians has a very specific message of unity, the emergence of joy from suffering, and the defining characteristics of leadership modeled on that of Christ. Paul emphasizes the significance of suffering [...]
Click here to read more about our parish school, Faithful Shepherd Catholic School.