The Three Advents

                                                     -Fr. James Conner, OCSO
​
 Bernard speaks of three Advents. “We know His threefold coming: to humankind, into humankind and against humankind. To all, He comes without distinction, but not so into all or against all.” The first is that in which God comes to seek and save that which was lost. The second is that Advent by which Christ is present in our souls now. This is taking place at every moment of our life. Christ is passing by and we are judged by our awareness of his passing. The third Advent is when he comes to take us to himself at the end of time. Meditation on the mystery of the first and third Advents will be made fruitful by works of charity and will lead to our complete transformation in Christ.
 
Meditation on the first Advent gives us hope of the promise offered. The remembrance of the third reminds us to fear lest by our fault we fail to receive the fulfillment of that promise. However, if we face this third mystery of Advent with humility and sincerity of heart, we have nothing to fear. Bernard, echoing the Apostle Paul’s promise in 1 Corinthians 11:31, writes: “If we judge ourselves, we shall not be judged.” The second Advent is set in between these two terms. It is necessarily a time of anguish, a time of conflict between fear and joy: fear lest we fail to recognize the coming of the Lord at every moment and joy at recognizing his presence and his call to us in love. But in this second Advent, God comes to us and works mysteriously within us in spirit and in truth in order that the fruit of his work may be made manifest in the third Advent when he comes in glory and majesty.  
To be continued…

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
 
                                                                   Where Christ Reigns
 
Last week we deliberated on the end of time. This week we celebrate the Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe, to mark the end of the current liturgical year. Next week is the first week of Advent, the beginning of a new Church liturgical year. The weeks seem to progress seamlessly. With Jesus standing astride both liturgical church periods, he knits into a continuous timeline the end and the beginning. When Jesus' influence is writ large upon our day-to-day living, our time and experiences on earth will have meaning and purpose. If and when we permit Jesus to have dominion over our world, he will tie up all the loose ends of our time and universe because he is "the Alpha and the Omega, the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty" (Rv 1:8).
 
In this Sunday mass Gospel reading from John 18, the Jewish nation and the chief priests and Pilate rejected the kingship of Jesus over their world and life just as our modern world has thrown away Jesus and is deaf to his voice of truth. Yet, the kinship of Jesus testifies to the truth. Jesus says, "Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice" (Jn 18:37). The kingdom of Jesus is not of this world, yet his kingdom is present wherever and whenever his children carry out his will. When we pray in the Lord's prayer for God's kingdom to come on earth, we do so with the proviso that we carry out his will on earth as all celestial messengers do in heaven. The dominion of Christ over the world depends on our acceptance of his divine will. In all spheres of our life, Christ must be at the wheel. To the extent we allow Jesus' will be done in our life, to that extent shall he reign.
 
As St. Clement wrote centuries ago, "where Jesus Christ is, there is His reign to be found."  The establishment of His reign or kingdom begins here on earth when we yield our heart, will, mind, soul, body, and actions to him. Christ reigns where there is a perfect submission of our wills to his. He reigns where there is a firm belief in revealed truth and teachings about him. Wherever people strive to keep his commandments, Christ reigns there. He reigns where we dedicate our bodies and members to his service alone. Finally, Jesus reigns wherever people of goodwill carry our his will. For our world to know true peace and perfect love, "all peoples, nations, and languages" must serve him (Dn 7:14).
 
In Christ our Lord,
Fr. Bernard Oniwe, OP
 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, 
                                                                   The End
 
When precisely is the world coming to an end? When it comes to an end, how will the world end? Our Christian faith teaches that the world in its present form will end, then a new world- a new earth and a new heaven (Rev. 21:1), will replace it. We profess this doctrine in the Creed we recite on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation: "I believe....in the life of the world to come." So what events will precede the end of the world? How will the world as we know it now come to an end? Jesus addresses those questions in this Sunday Mass Gospel reading, Mk 13: 24-32. 
 
Speaking in apocalyptic language, Jesus says when the time comes, "the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be coming from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken."  There will be great cosmic signs that will precede the coming of the Son of Man in glory. These signs will indicate that Jesus is "near, at the gates." Yet, he says in Mk 13:32: "but of that  day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
 
Since no one knows the exact time when all will end, it is a useless effort to speculate. So instead, let's learn a lesson of watchfulness and attentiveness from the fig tree. What we should be doing is staying firm in our faith, staying vigilant. We see enough from the time of Christ to this present time that the Son of man "is near, at the gates. "That is the message about the end-stay vigilant in living the faith. Be persistent in prayers, practicing virtues, and deep love of God and neighbors. Staying awake in these ways is all that matters in the end.
 
In His hope,
Fr. Bernard, OP
 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, 
 
                                                                      Lessons in Faith 
 
As the Scripture often tells, does the Lord always give food to the poor or justice to the oppressed? Is it not the case that we still see a lot of poverty, suffering, injustice around us? Where then is God's justice, mercy, compassion in action? From time to time, needy people come to our parish (through St. Vincent de Paul's ministry) seeking help with food, health, or housing? There are still homeless people who walk the streets of Elizabethtown. Is the Lord keeping faith forever, securing justice for the oppressed, and giving food to the poor, as the Psalmist says (Ps. 146:7)? 
 
Yes, God keeps faith; he keeps promises. We need faith to see how this is the case. From the story of the widow of Zarephath (1Kg. 17) and the Widow who gave her all (Mk 12), we are instructed in the faith and true piety. Jesus is not oblivious to the sufferings in the world because he, too, experienced sufferings like us. However, he took the experience of suffering to a different level; we see God's promise ultimately in heaven. He is not indifferent to the problems in the world; he is still at work through us to bring about justice in the world, feed the poor, and reduce human sufferings. But definitively, the fullness of justice and nourishment will be attained in heaven (and this is not a case of religion as an opium for the masses as espoused by Karl Marx). 
 
 What the Scriptures for this Sunday mass present to us are justifications for faith in God. The encounter of the widow of Zarephath with Elijah, the prophet, and the account of the poor widow who gave "her whole livelihood "are lessons in piety and faith. God calls us to embrace this attitude and deed of faith in the face of poverty and injustice we see in the world. God is especially present with the poor, the anawim. The Church, too, has taken an option for the poor. In this is an actual act of faith and piety, let us respond within our God-given human means to alleviate the sufferings of the poor and the establishment of justice for all.  
 
How is God asking you today, in the act of faith and piety, to bring about justice in our world and raise the human dignity of the poor? 
 
 
Fr. Bernard, OP 
 

​Dear brothers and sisters,

                                   Out of Love, Let's Honor All Saints, and Pray for All Souls
 
 All SAINTS falls on Monday this year, so it is not observed as a holy day of obligation. There is no obligation to attend All Saints mass this year but we nevertheless celebrate it by offering masses at 7 am (in the historic church) and 6 pm. As a church, we remember and honor all saints who intercede on our behalf before God, especially many saints and martyrs whose names are not inscribed in the canon of saints. Relic of St. Peter, our parish patron saint, will be carried in the opening procession of Masses this Monday and exposed in the sanctuary afterward for public veneration.
 
Tuesday, November 2, is the commemoration of All the Faithful departed, otherwise known as All Souls’ Day. The month of November is a traditional time in the church for visiting graves of loved ones and offering suffrages for the dead. Let our prayers for the dead, especially throughout November, echo the church’s prayer: “Remember also our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep in the hope of resurrection, and all who have died in your mercy; welcome them to the light of your face” (Eucharistic Prayer II).
 
We have a number of our parishioners who passed away this year that we shall pray for on All Souls' day and in a more elaborate way, at 4:00pm Mass on Saturday, November 6. As a parish, we will also have a solemn commemoration of our departed brothers and sisters whose bodies lie in our cemetery after the morning mass on All Souls Day. The morning mass on All Souls' day on Tuesday will be followed by a visit to the cemetery where we shall have a short service in their honor. All are encouraged to attend this brief ceremony.
 
Do you know you can gain a plenary indulgence under the usual condition when you visit the cemetery to pray for the dead during November? Jesus tells us in this Sunday’s Mass Gospel according to Mark, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mk. 12: 31). Praying for the dead, especially offering masses for the repose of their souls, is one way we can practically express our love for our brothers and sisters who have passed on.
 
In Christ, the Risen Lord,
 
Fr. Bernard Oniwe, OP

​Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, 
 
                                  Lord, That I May See (To see and follow Jesus on the way) 
 
My father lost his sight a couple of years before his death in 2006. The sight of him struggling to find his way around the house or being led by hand when he had to walk to the car still haunts my memory to this day. I dread the possibility of losing my own sight. I can imagine the dire situation the blind man in this Sunday’s Gospel according to Mark 10: 46-52 found himself, not able to see his way through life. But the lack of sight in today’s Gospel, like the blind man Jesus cured at Bethsaida in Mk 8:22-26, can also be read as spiritual blindness. Blindness in this case is an allegory for our journey of faith. On our journey of faith with Jesus, we are often in a state of spiritual blindness that calls for a cure by Christ. I dread spiritual blindness more than physical blindness. 
 
We don’t always see. Our perceptions of life are often occluded. Sin is often a cause of concealment of reality. Lack of faith is another cause of the poor spiritual perception of life. Bartimaeus approached his blindness with faith. He was courageous and persistent in prayer. He had absolute trust and confidence in the power and compassion of Jesus: “Son of David, have mercy on me” (Mk. 10: 48). He knew Jesus was his last resort to get his sight restored. His faith guided him to Jesus who rewards his faith by restoring his sight. Now cured, Bartimeus can see the face of Jesus and walk with him on the way. 
 
We too need our spiritual sight restored so we can see the face of Jesus, the source of clarity-”in your light we see the light” (Ps. 36:9).  With our sight restored we can see Jesus in all circumstances and events of our daily life. When we get our spiritual sight back, we will see that Jesus is never absent in our human life and experiences. When we see with our spiritual eyes, then we can follow Jesus along the way to life. So let us pray for faith and persistence in praying, like Bartimaeus, "Lord Jesus, let me receive my sight."
 
NB: On this World Mission Sunday, let us see the needs of the missions all over the world. Let us see the efforts and sacrifices of our brothers and sisters who leave comfort of home to serve the mission of spreading the Good News to others. Let us pray for the mission of Christ and support it materially. 
 
In Christ our Light,
 
Fr. Bernard Oniwe, OP

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, 
 
                                                Our Suffering as Christians is not Meaningless 
 
Jesus responds to the request of James and John, the sons of Zebedee: "The chalice  that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized” (Mk 10:39).  James and John request to sit one on the right and the other on the left of Christ in his glory. They still have not understood the implication of the call to discipleship. They are not getting the point Christ is making about his mission in Jerusalem. They misunderstand the glory of Christ for the glory of an earthly kingdom.  


Christ is indeed telling them that his glory is that of a suffering servant who Isaiah prophesied would be crushed, due to God’s permission and of his own volition (Is. 53: 10-11). By his drinking of the chalice of wrath and baptism of blood, he will pay the ransom for our sins. This suffering and trial of Jesus is the path his disciples should expect to follow. In the world, they shall know troubles (John 16:33) on account of following in the way of Jesus. As the letter to the Hebrew (4:14-16) reminds us, Jesus is the high priest who experienced our human condition, one filled with pains and suffering. He was tested and tried, he is aware of the temptations and suffering that we are going through right now. But he does not live us without help; and here is the good news.  


In our human suffering, we shall experience grace, mercy, and kindness as well from God. If we persevere in hope and prayers to God of mercy and kindness, He will answer us in our times of need as Psalm 33 assures us. We can rely on the covenantal love and faithfulness of God. We will drink the chalice, but it shall become a channel of grace. This is called redemptive suffering. Our suffering in Christ and with Christ is transformative, not a meaningless one. 


Next Sunday is World Mission Sunday. Part of the call to drink the chalice that Jesus drank is the response to the mission. Jesus calls us all to the mission. Some people respond to that call in a very radical way, making big sacrifices to spread the Good News of Christ's redemption beyond their home environment. Please let us support them spiritually and materially when called upon to do so. Thanks. 
 
In the Suffering Christ, 
 
Fr. Bernard Oniwe, OP 
 

                                                       Most Reverend Joseph F. Naumann
           Chairman, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities

The month of October brings with it our annual observance of Respect Life Month. As part of the Year of St. Joseph declared by Pope Francis, this year’s celebration highlights the example of that great saint.
As the faithful protector of both Jesus and Mary, we find in St. Joseph a profound reminder of our own call to welcome, safeguard, and defend God’s precious gift of human life.
Despite the mysterious circumstances surrounding Mary’s pregnancy, St. Joseph took her into his home at the word of the angel. He guided their journey to Bethlehem, found shelter, and welcomed the infant Jesus as his son. When Herod threatened the life of the Christ Child, St. Joseph left his homeland behind and fled with Jesus and Mary to Egypt.
Like St. Joseph, we are also called to care for those God has entrusted to us–especially vulnerable mothers and children. We can follow in the footsteps of St. Joseph as protector by advocating against taxpayer-funded abortion, which targets the lives of millions of poor children and their mothers here in the United States. We can imitate his care and provision by helping to start Walking with Moms in Need at our parishes, "walking in the shoes" of mothers experiencing a difficult pregnancy, especially low-income mothers in our communities.
At times, we may feel uncertain of our ability to answer the Lord’s call. But He invites us to faithfully respond, despite our own fears or weaknesses: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9). 
May we imitate St. Joseph’s faithful trust and courage as we work to uphold the dignity of every human life. St. Joseph, defender of life, pray for us!
 

                                                 What’s God’s Original Plan for Marriage? 
 
“I am never going to marry. Marriage is difficult! It is marked by a lot of brokenness, unfaithfulness, misery, and unhappiness,” a young lady once said those words to me. She had witnessed several broken marriages in her family circle and those of her friends as well. In fact, her own parents are divorced. Indeed, marriage can be tough. I have known people who didn't take me seriously when I offered counsel on marriage. “Father, you are celibate, what do you know about conjugal love, about marriage,” a woman once said to me during an office visitation in 2001, barely a year after my ordination. What do I know about marriage? Nothing other than the marriage of my parents that I witnessed at the close view as their son. But still, I don't know the nitty-gritty of marriage. What I do see however in the public view are examples of broken marriages. Listening to Josh Groban’s song, Broken Vow, gave me some access to the emotional and mental agony involved in broken marriage vows: the sense of loss, the fear of loneliness, the notion of betraying and cheating spouse, etc. But nevertheless, the vows are meant to be fulfilled till death separates the spouse. 
 
Isn’t that what Jesus says to us in Mk 10:2-16? Conjugal love must be lived in fidelity to God’s original plan. The marriage vow is a lifetime covenant never to be broken. The Catholic church teaches from her understanding of the Bible and Sacred Tradition that marriage is indissoluble. Quoting from Genesis 2: 18-24, Jesus answers the question posed by the Pharisees, is it permissible “for a husband to divorce his wife?” by saying that "God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate” (Mk 10:6-9). In those words of Jesus lies the key to God’s purpose for marriage and how to sustain it. Once couples get the intention of God in their union-their eternal union and unity in God, they will get the clear message that God’s entrance into their union is the best way to sustain the union, hence, marriage's indissolubility. “Therefore what God has joined together, let no human being separate.” There is no room for divorce in a valid and licit reception of the sacrament of matrimony. As prophet Malachi said: “I hate divorce! Says the Lord God” (Mal 2:16).
 
There are of course valid cases for annulment if the marriage from the start never existed. Once that case can be established by the diocesan marriage tribunal, a marriage can be annulled. Nevertheless, in God’s original plan, a valid marriage commitment should be lifelong, no matter the difficulties that will be experienced. There are many ways to keep the marriage vow till death. There is counseling available but there is also the availability of God who binds a couple together. Go to God as a couple when things start going south. Don’t allow the wounds of distrusts and disappointments to fester before you fall on your knees together to seek the intercession of Mary, the Mother of God. At Cana, she interceded on behalf of the couple running out of wine, that is, joy. Praying the rosary together and with faith is a huge help in getting through the "difficulties” of marriage. 

Talking about praying the rosary, we are in the month of the holy rosary. Pray your rosary more intentionally for peace in our world and protection for the unborn who face the menace of abortion. In October, the Catholic Church in the U.S. celebrates Respect Life Month, and the first Sunday of October is designated as Respect Life Sunday. There are many resources on https://www.usccb.org/ to guide us through the observance of Respect Life Month. In our parish, we shall be praying the Rosary every Sunday in October after the 8:30 am mass at the Marian grotto. Please join us in praying for respect for all life from conception to natural death. 
 “St. Joseph, defender of life, pray for us!” 
 
-Fr. Bernard, OP
 

 
      
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
 
                                                                    All of us are Prophets!
 
Moses says to Joshua in the book of Numbers: "Would that all the people of the Lord were prophets! Would that the Lord might bestow his spirit on them all" (v. 29). The vocation and mission of the laity in the Church and the world is essentially a prophetic one. The apostolic exhortation of Pope St. Paul II, Christifideles Laici (Christ's Faithful Laity), is very instructive here. We read in the exhortation that it "intends to stir and promote a deeper awareness among all the faithful of the gift and responsibility they share, both as a group and as individuals, in the communion and mission of the Church" (2:30).  
 
In the New Evangelization dispensation of the Church, the apostolic mission is not a prerogative of the clergy and religious alone; it is the task of every Catholic. Exclusivity must yield to inclusivity in this regard and context. Joshua was fighting for the sustenance of the exclusivity club, but Moses and Jesus in the Gospel of Mark argue for extension and openness to others. On the one hand, John makes a case against a man doing deeds in the name of Christ but does not belong to the exclusive group of appointed followers of Jesus. The Lord, on the other hand, encourages a somewhat broader and enlarged vision of those who have the access and right to promote his mission: "Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me" (Mk. 9:39). 
 
Haven't we at some point been very closed-in? We have, at some point or another, directly or indirectly, encouraged and cultivated an opinion of exclusivity politically, socially, economically, racially, and spiritually? Haven't we toyed with the idea that the grace and spirit of Jesus are restricted to only us? But in a more subjective and limited way, have we not in some way limited the task of evangelization to only a select group in the Church-clergy and religious? That needs to change. All of us baptized Catholics are filled with the Holy Spirit and so summoned and sent to proclaim the Good News of Christ's redemption to all. The world and the Church need more prophets-witnesses in words and deeds to the Gospel. Just as Moses could not do it alone, so is it impossible for clergy and the religious to do it alone. All hands must be on deck to get Jesus into the mainstream of society and our parishes. In the spirit of Moses, how glorious would it be if all Catholics were prophets? And indeed, we are. 
 
One of the ways you can sharpen your prophetic tools and be a more efficient prophet is to have a good knowledge of the Bible. The parish Bible study just began on September 21. There are eight weeks of bible study as a parish. Have you considered joining your brothers and sisters in this worthy and noble task? Biblical proficiency is one of the ways we can fulfill the goals of Pope St. John Paul II's exhortation in Christifideles Laici; for the lay faithful to become prophets of the New Evangelization in the Church and the World at large. Please, Sign up! 
 
Let me seize this opportune moment to thank all of you who have supported me in various ways to remain a prophetic voice for the Gospel and the Church. It has been Twenty-One years of priesthood, and with you, I say, Thank You, God, for your faithfulness. 
 
In Christ, 
 
Fr. Bernard, OP 
 

 
                                                                        What’s In It for Us?   
 
What’s in it for us? Those words express the minds of the disciples of Jesus as he taught them again about his coming passion. They still did not get what discipleship entails. The preoccupation of their minds is how to attain power, privilege, and prestige rather than selfless service to the Kingdom. Who’s on first? Who is the greatest? Being successful and ahead in the secular sense is all they care about when Jesus was preparing them for his passion, a model for them as his followers. Jesus reminds them: “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all” (Mk 9:35). Are we willing to be servants of all? Are we willing to be last in order to be first? 
 
A child is presented to the disciples as a symbol of how to serve. The child in the Jewish society is a nobody, no social status or importance is accorded the child. Yet from the innocence and trust of the child, we learn lessons of how to be a selfless servant for the kingdom of God. Are we willing to be childlike? If we want to be leaders at service, it is clear that the making of a good servant is dependent on detachment from preoccupation with self so that we become available to God to use us in the service of others. 
 
This is my goal as a priest as I celebrate my twenty-first anniversary of ordination to the priesthood of Christ on Thursday, September 23rd, the feast of Padre Pio, my spiritual mentor. Listening to Jesus in this Sunday’s Gospel, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all,” got me re-thinking how I am called to be a priest at the selfless service of the people of God. I am thankful to God for all his kindness, mercy and love in the past twenty-one years. I am filled with gratitude and joy.  
 
I echo the words of the Psalmist, “Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord; cry out to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with a song of praise, joyfully sing our psalms (95:1-2). I invite you to join me in celebrating my priestly anniversary at 6 pm Mass on Thursday and after as I “lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord (Psalm 116:13). Please, come thank God with me and pray with and for me to be a selfless servant of all. 
 
In the service of the body of Christ, 
 
Fr. Bernard, OP 
 

                                                                     Are You All In?

One of our own, David Abel, and his Stewardship team are organizing a spiritual and devotional conference at the Historic Star Barn Village on September 15 and 16 2021 and I am encouraging everyone to register to attend. Why? Not only because it is being organized by one of our parishioners and the venue is just across from our parish grounds, but also because it is going to be a period of grace. I have attended the past editions of the conference and I was enriched by all the presentations and prayers made available.
 
We need to continue to feed our souls spiritually and this is one great opportunity to do so. Attending retreats and conferences are ways of growing in the knowledge of Jesus who asked his disciples in the Gospel of this Sunday’s mass, “who do you say that I am?” (Mk 8: 29). When we continue our search, we come to a better knowledge of who Jesus is and are able to proclaim him more effectively to the world. Once we know who Jesus is, it becomes easy to yield All In, that is, to love him with our entire heart, soul, mind, and strength. That is what the conference promises. Please, avail yourselves of the opportunity of attending by going online to register. Our own Bishop Ronald Gainer will be celebrating the opening mass on Wednesday, September 15. It will be nice if we can turn out in large numbers to welcome him and let him know the great things we are doing here at St. Peter.
 
It is another anniversary of the tragic event that took place on September 11, 2001. Let us remember and pray for all who died in that ugly event. Let us honor the memory of all our heroic firefighters, policemen, and emergency medical officers who gave their lives. Let us pray for all who serve our local communities in this capacity.
 
In Christ,
Fr. Bernard Oniwe, OP
 

                                                               Ephphata-Be Opened! 

Included in the order of Baptism for children is a ritual called "Ephphata". It is usually at the discretion of the celebrant to perform or skip it. I usually include it in baptisms because of its special symbolic value. This ritual act, similar to what Jesus did to a deaf man with speech impediment brought to him while he was in the district of Decapolis as we read from Mark 7: 31-37 involves the celebrant touching the ears and mouth of the child with his thumb as he says, “May the Lord Jesus, who made the deaf to hear and the mute to speak, grant that you may soon receive his word with your ears and profess faith with your lips, to the glory and praise of God the Father.”It is important for our spiritual growth and life of faith to listen and speak. We need to be opened in this regard. Are our ears opened to the word of life who speaks to us in the Scriptures and prayers? Do we speak words of life to people we encounter daily? We should be opened to this act.
 
 There are a couple of ways we can make ourselves opened to God’s word. First, we have to admit that our ears are not always opened. Second, we have to be disposed to opening our ears to words of knowledge and light. We should pray daily to the Holy Spirit to open our ears to God who speaks to us every day in the Bible and in prayers. In addition, we should make efforts to listen frequently to others who have been gifted to speak words of encouragement and words that build to us. We should find time to go on retreats and attend conferences where words of inspiration can open our ears and loosen our tongues to speak of God’s love and mercy to others. This is contemplation and evangelization.
 
In this regard, I ask you to open up to the invitation to attend the Stewardship 21 conference at The Historic Star Barn Village from September 15-16. I attended previous conferences and was richly blessed. The theme this year is “All In: Love your Lord Heart, Soul, Mind, Strength.” I urge active participation of all of us at this conference that includes spiritual activities like Inspirational talks, Daily Mass, Adoration, and Stations of the Cross.
Let’s be opened to the voice of the Spirit that will be heard at this conference.
 
I want to say Thank You once again to the Council of Catholic Women and Men’s Club and all volunteers at the last Elizabethtown Fair. It was a successful witness to the joyful spirit of St. Peter Catholic Church to the larger E-Town community. I had a great time helping with selling funnel cakes and fries at the parish pavilions. Our parishioners are just lovely and joyful people, and I love them all. I encourage you to join these groups as they need new members to continue to do the great work they are doing for our church. Be open to the possibility.
 
In Him who Opens,
Fr. Bernard, OP
 

Dear brothers and sisters,                              
                                                                                    
                                                               Madonna of the Chair
 
"Whatever is true…whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about all these things" (Philippians 4:8).
 
With St. Paul's recommendation in mind, I now officially introduce to you a lovely, gracious, and excellent painting that adorns the walls of our beautiful church, a replica of Raphael's Madonna of the Chair. This work is a replica of The Madonna de/la Sedia.(or Seggiola). The original is an oil on panel Madonna painting by the High Italian Renaissance artist Raphael, executed c. 1513-1514, and housed at the Palazzo Pitti collection in Florence, Italy. Although there is documentation on its arrival to its current location, Palazzo Pitti, it is still unknown who commissioned the original painting; however, it has been in the Medici family since the 16th century.
This replica was most likely created near the tum of the century. It is in a frame that is a facsimile of the original. The unknown artist's red wax seal is still intact and affixed to the back of the painting. The painting depicts Mary embracing the Christ child while sitting in a chair as young John the Baptist devoutly watches. The Madonna de/la Sedia is one of the most important of Raphael's Madonnas.
 
The Madonna de/la Sedia is Raphael's most humanistic form of the Madonna.12I Throughout Raphael's life, this humanistic representation of the Madonna occupied his mind. The Madonna de/la Sedia is the incarnation of a realistic mother and child, representing human motherhood.
The Madonna de/la Sedia balanced simplification and detail with the treatment of her embroidered shawl, the directness of the figures and the touching of the two heads (Madonna and Christ child).I4I Raphael dressed the Madonna in the Italian clothing of the time.15I Mary is depicted wearing a striped headdress, which falls behind her back and compliments her richly colored ornamental dress with fringe.
The colors play an essential role in this painting, from the green embroidered garment to the cerulean blue or the juxtaposition of the Madonna's red sleeve with the Christ child's orange drapery, which adds an extra element of enrichment and a vibrancy to the color palette.14 1 The warmer colors seem to suggest the influence of Titian and Raphael's rival Sebastiano def Piombo.
The Madonna de/la Sedia has been admired by many artists, poets, and engravers. It has been copied many times over and, historically, was considered one of the most revered of Raphael's Madonnas.18I There are a few enchanting legends connected to the Madonna de/la Sedia painting. One such legend is about a beautiful Urbino peasant girl, who was as good as she was beautiful, charitable, and pious, who gave her assistance to an ill hermit she had stumbled upon. The hermit rewarded the girl by blessing her and stating that she would be painted as the mother of God. Many years later, on a sunny day, holding her infant in the garden and with her toddler son playing at her knees, she was spotted by a handsome young man at her garden gate. That young man was Raphael Sanzio, who immediately said he would like to paint her as she sat there with her two sons, later represented as the original Virgin, Christ child, and St. John (Source: Wikipedia)
A book writer purchased this replica in Italy who then presented it as a gift to her publisher, Dan Raffensperger, of Continental Press. It was in Dan's office from approximately 1998 until he very generously donated it to Saint Peter in Elizabethtown in November 2019. Thanks to Bob Dolan for introducing me to Dan Raffensperger and providing the article on the Madonna of the Chair.
 
All things beautiful are a reflection of God.
 
Fr. Bernard, OP

Dear brothers and sisters,

                                              The Concluding Rites: “This Saying is Hard”

We conclude our biblical walk through the mass this week by taking a quick walk back through all the major components of the Sacred Mysteries. The central piece of the structure of Mass is the Eucharistic prayers. In the words of consecration said in the power of the Holy Spirit, the priest standing in the person of Christ, makes truly present the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Just like that! The faith of believers, the tradition of the Church, the authority and command of Jesus, all these come into play. If we lack faith, we would walk away like disciples of Jesus in John 6. Take and eat. Take and drink. This is my body. This is my blood. The words of Jesus are difficult to believe except we have faith. “This saying is hard’ who can accept it?”
 
Catholics have accepted it. We have lived and died for it for over two thousand years. For those with flagging faith, we pray their faith grows. We need that faith as we leave mass to bear witness to Jesus Christ we received sacramentally at Mass. The mass concludes with the words of the priest: Ite missa est- translated “Go forth, the Mass is ended.” Now we have been sent on a mission by Jesus, represented by the priest. He says literally, “go, you are dismissed, ” just as Jesus told his apostles somewhere else: “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you” (Jn 20:21). We wait for the concluding rites of Mass to hear those words of empowerment, of sending forth to bring the mysteries of Christ’s redemption into the world.
 
Let’s be people of thanksgiving, Eucharistic people. Believe the words of Jesus.
Fr. Bernard Oniwe, OP