Beloved in Christ,
​
 "Ephphata," that is, 'Be opened'" (Mk 7: 34). In the Gospel of today's Mass, Jesus healed the deaf and hard of hearing by the power of his Divine Word but also through the instrumentality of his finger and spittle. The healing and restoration carried out by Jesus on this man and others in the Gospel confirm and fulfill Old Testament prophecies about the Messianic era when Jesus would establish the fullness of God's kingdom. The physical healing in this passage of the Gospel also points to the spiritual healing of the soul, mind, and spirit, building up Christians to listen clearly to God's voice in Sacred Scripture and proclaiming it loud and clear to the world.

A clear message that we can draw from this miraculous incident is the foundation it established for our Catholic sacraments and sacramental life. Jesus wants to heal and restore us holistically through words and material signs. This teaching is explained in more precise terms in the Didache biblical commentary on the verses of Mark's Gospel chosen for our liturgy this Sunday, 7: 31-37:

"Christ often used physical signs and gestures to accompany his healings: a touch, the laying on of hands, water, washing, mud, or his own spittle. These signs laid the foundation for the institution of the Seven Sacraments, the outward signs by which Christ, through his healing touch offered by his designated ministers, gives us his sanctifying and healing grace. In healing the deaf man with the speech impediment, Christ effectively opened his ears to hear God's Word and enabled his tongue to speak his praises. The Church retains this ephphatha, Aramaic for 'be opened,' in the Rite of Baptism, expressing that the newly baptized become open to the Word of God in his or her life."

God wants to heal us. Do we desire his healing and open to his divine healing touch? May God heal our entire being, that is, body and soul, of any impediment so that we may fully exercise our call to declare his praise and glory before others. Ephphata!

We celebrate a major feast in September: the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is on September 14. May you find strength in the healing Cross of Christ.
 In Christ our Healer,
 Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

​Beloved in Christ,

"This people honours me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me" (Mk 7:6). Jesus accuses the Pharisees of religious hypocrisy, which occurs when lips and hearts don't align. In this Sunday's Gospel, the pharisees' emphasis on the tradition of their ancestors opposes the heart of the religious rite of hand washing. What is at the heart of the rite of hand washing before a meal? It is more than a healthy hygiene practice; it points to cleansing the heart of the impurities of sin. It is hypocrisy to appear outwardly righteous when the heart is rotten.
 
The word hypocrite is borrowed from the Greek word "hupokrites." The Greek word does not directly mean hypocrite as we know it today. It is a word for an actor. The new meaning we draw from the Greek word came from how stage acting was carried out in ancient Greek drama. At this point in the development of thespian art, the "chorus" says the words while the actor demonstrates the meaning by wearing a mask representing the subject of the action. In other words, the actor puts on a mask and pretends to be someone he is not. Jesus condemns this disconnect between the outward religious piety and the interior.
 
Using the example of a religious dietary act from Leviticus chapters 11 to 15 about clean and unclean food, Jesus shows that it is more important to let the interior disposition, the heart of the person carrying out the religious act, be in tandem with the external manifestation. What is going on in the heart determines the reality or validity of the external religious righteousness on display. We may fool humans, but we cannot fool God, who can see the spirit behind our religious acts, the state of the heart behind the appearance of our religious practice. Jesus stresses the importance of the heart in the worship and deeds of a Christian. Highlighting the necessity of religious action marching with interior disposition is why Jesus found the words of Prophet Isaiah of practical and rhetorical importance: "This people honors me only with lip-service, while their hearts are far from me." He says their worship and teachings are worthless because they place their human tradition above the commandments of God. The point of Jesus' teaching today is: Don't be a hypocrite. Let us always remember, the heart is the true center of our worship.

Today is designated as a World Day of Prayer for the care of creation. God has entrusted creation in all its beauty to us. Let us take care of it and protect it, Pope Francis implored.
 
Labor Day brings the summer to a close. You are invited to Mass at 9 a.m. in the historic church to celebrate the dignity of human labor and pray for our students and teachers for a safe and successful school year.
 
Remember to attend our monthly Eucharistic Adoration this Monday at 6 p.m. We must follow up the Eucharistic Revival and a four-week catechesis on the Mass by coming together as a parish family to worship the Living Jesus in the Sacred Host.

In His Heart,
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

​Beloved in Christ,
 
"Does this shock you? (Jn 6:61). If I were present when Jesus asked that question of his disciples after his intense and profound teaching on the heavenly bread of life, to be candid, I would be shocked. He just told Jewish listeners that his own body is real flesh, his blood is real drink, and invited them to eat and drink so that they might have life. What he offers them, his body and blood, are not familiar or natural food and drink; he gives them heavenly food, the source of divine life. The shocking teaching of Jesus inviting his disciples to eat his body and drink his blood led to disbelief and betrayal. Many of his disciples parted ways with him after this hard teaching, and others will betray him. The shocking and brutal teaching about eating the real body and drinking the real blood of Jesus did not increase the crowd of his followers; rather, it diminished it. 
 
Yet, Jesus did not tweak or rephrase his words or his teaching. He meant exactly what he said: I will give you heavenly food, my body and blood, without which you will not have eternal life. What is our response to Jesus's teaching today? Are we shocked or unbelieving? Are we going to take Jesus at his word or refuse to believe? We need his grace to come to faith in Jesus' divine pronouncement on the Real Presence. Let's pray for the grace to believe as we continue, in the words of St. Anselm, "Fides quaerens intellectum"-to seek a deeper understanding of the mystery of faith that what we receive at Holy Communion is truly the body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
We come to the end of our four-week journey through the Mass. The concluding rites end with the priest and congregation dialogue: "Ite, missa est. Deo gracias" (Go, you are dismissed. Thanks be to God). Let's reflect further on this consequential end to mass. In this last section of the homily, we consider the implications of being sent into the world by Jesus, whom we just received in Holy Communion. Jesus, in the words of the priest, sends us to bring to the world the Jesus we just received at the Eucharistic sacred meal. How do we put this into practice? In many diverse ways.
 
One way of thinking about giving to the world the Jesus we receive at Mass is to consider the presence of St. Peter's Church at the Elizabethtown fair this past week. The Catholic Women's Council and the Men's Club represented us well by giving sacrificially of themselves at the Fair. We evangelized at the Fair spiritually by being present there as members of the Church that feeds her members on Christ's sacred body and blood. However, on a human level, the men and women who served and volunteered at our stands were outstanding witnesses to the love of Jesus. I learned more about those I met and discovered so much good in the sacrifices everyone made. We carried on joyful conversations, laughed, and strengthened our fellowship. I am grateful to everyone who made it possible for another great St. Peter Church showing at the Fair this year. May God bless you all and your family.
 
On a liturgical note, let's not miss the opportunity to celebrate the memorials of two notable saints of the Catholic Church this week. Saint Monica's memorial is on Tuesday, and St. Augustine's, her son's, is on Wednesday. They are saints of exceptional importance for our time. Let's learn from their example and seek their intercession for the good of our families. I hope to see you at the daily masses this week.
 
In His Eucharistic Love,
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

​Beloved in Christ,
 
"For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him" ( Jn 6: 55-56). Jesus makes a profound pronouncement in the scripture verses quoted above. The living bread, the sacred meal he feeds his disciples at the Last Supper, is no longer the common or ordinary bread and wine after he offered them in thanksgiving to his Father. What the disciples receive in reality is his real flesh and blood. His sacramental presence in the consecrated bread and wine establishes his presence in all who receive him in faith and state of grace. We must pray for the faith to accept and believe this mystery of the real presence. Several early Fathers of the Church testify to the doctrine of the Real presence; here are a couple:
 
"We call this food Eucharist....for not as common bread nor common drink do we receive this, but since Jesus Christ our Savior was made incarnate by the Word of God and had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so too...the food which has been made into the Eucharist...is both the flesh and the blood of that incarnated Jesus" - St. Justin Martyr (100-195).
 
"The bread again is at first common bread; but when the mystery sanctifies it, it is called and actually becomes the Body of Christ"- St. Gregory of Nyssa (335-394).
 
As we delve into the third week of our biblical journey through the Mystery of the Mass, we now embark on the transformative journey of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the second major part of Mass. This powerful celebration, with its preparation and presentation of the gifts, the Eucharistic prayer (1 to 4), the Lord's prayer, the sign of peace, and the Holy Communion, offers us the opportunity for profound spiritual renewal and transformation. It is a journey that inspires hope and renews our faith, enriching our spiritual connection with each other and with God. Let's explore this further in the rest of the homily.
 
Now, turning to some parish matters- we concluded the OCIA summer series last Monday, August 12, with a talk on prayer that I gave. It was my birthday, and the OCIA team decided to mark the occasion with food and drink. I am deeply touched and grateful for all the love, prayers, and presents I received from many of you last week. Your kindness and generosity have made me feel truly appreciated and valued. May God return the same kindness and generosity to you on my behalf.
 
Since we are talking about me, there are still upcoming events about me, from my feast day on Tuesday to the anniversaries of my profession of religious vows and priestly ordination. These future events will be significant milestones in my spiritual journey, and I only ask for your prayers. But of great importance is the parish pilgrimage planned for September 2025, the Jubilee Year; it coincides with the 25th anniversary of my ordination to Priesthood. Please consider joining me on a pilgrimage to Rome in 2025. It involves making sacrifices financially and physically. I hope many of you will do this for Christ and me, his servant. Please give it your attention. Thanks.
 
With thanks,
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

 Beloved in Christ,

"I am the living bread that came down from heaven" (John 6: 51). Living bread! Yes, Jesus likens himself to bread, a living one at that. Like manna of old, bread sustains the life of God's people as they become weak due to the wear and tear of existence. But the bread, in this case, has spiritual life in it because its origin is divine; it is a living bread that came from heaven, from God. It is the source of life since its origin is heaven. Jesus, the living bread, sustains our life on this earth. Spiritual nourishment is what the Lord's Prayer means when we ask God to give us this day. We pray daily to him to provide us with our sustaining bread. This daily need for spiritual nourishment reminds us of the importance of our spiritual practice. Jesus, the living bread is a beautiful truth! Jesus is the bread that nourishes and sustains our spiritual life. Life takes its toll on us; it drains and empties us. We do need the living bread to replenish and renew us.

The word of God, the living word of the Bible, also sustains us "for the life of the world" (Jn 6: 51).. This Sunday, in our walk through the mass series, we will focus on the liturgy of the word. We started with the introductory rites, which Gloria concluded. The word of God feeds and nourishes us. Like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, respectively, we, too, are called to eat the word of the Lord (Jer. 15: 16, Ez 3: 1). Like the food that Elijah was given to strengthen him through the journey (1 Kg 19: 7), the liturgy of the word also serves as food for our soul as it traverses through life in the world. The readings at mass are based on a three-year cycle, which echoes the three-year reading cycle in the Jewish religion. A three-year cycle reading consists of the Old Testament text, the Psalms, the New Testament epistles, and the Gospel. These readings span the length and breadth of the Bible, and if a Catholic were to attend mass for three consecutive years, they would have covered almost all of the Bible. Let's take a biblical walk through the liturgy of the word that includes the readings, homily, creed, and intercessory prayers.

Last week, we had an hour of Eucharistic Adoration as reparation for the secular world's blasphemy and indifference toward the Last Supper, the Sacred Mysteries. I am thankful for the attendance of many. For those unable to attend, I encourage you to make your eucharistic reparation at any of our parish's multiple and almost daily expositions of the Blessed Sacrament from Monday to Friday. Jesus awaits you in the Tabernacle as well. Step into church at random times to adore the Living Bread. You will get to know Jesus better by these pious acts.

The solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary highlights liturgical celebration this week. There will be a vigil mass on Wednesday and masses during the day on Thursday. Please see the bulletin for details.

Tomorrow, Monday, August 12, is my birthday. I will celebrate it with a presentation on Prayer in the Parish Hall at 7 p.m. I will share my personal experience of Prayer with you. You are invited! Bring a friend with you, especially someone interested in knowing more about the Catholic faith.
 
In Christ,
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

Beloved in Christ,

A lot of commotion was created last week over mocking the Last Supper, a pivotal Christian mystery, at the Olympics opening ceremony in Paris. The sad occurrence has strengthened my appreciation for the mystery of the Holy Eucharist. Whether the mockery was a subtle one, as some of us perceived, or, as the secular world and some Christians argued, a misunderstanding of the Greek Dionysius festival by Christians, the fact remains that it generated a lavish response from many Catholic bishops, condemning the despicable display and encouraging Catholics to speak up and offer reparations for the blasphemous act. On the heels of the National Eucharist Congress, a living testimony to a renaissance of our Catholic faith and devotion to the Real Presence, the bizarre Olympic opening ceremony spurred me to an added passion for the Sacred Liturgy. It gingered me to spend additional time this past week adoring the Blessed Sacrament as reparation for the abuses directed at Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.
 
I encourage you to do likewise. Let the dishonor displayed against the Sacred Mystery in the secular space and culture increase or inspire greater love and devotion to the Eucharist and an opportunity to pray for the conversion of the ignorant, secular world to Faith. Do attend mass more frequently, approach Jesus in His Sacred presence in the tabernacle in our church with more reverence, and give more time to Eucharistic adoration. We have more and more opportunities provided in our parish to offer frequent devotion to the Eucharistic Lord. I expose the Blessed Sacrament for adoration from 7:00 am to 7:55 am on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. There is another period of adoration on Thursday from 6:30-7:00 pm. Our monthly hour of Eucharistic adoration in songs and silence comes up tomorrow, Monday, at 7:00 pm. I am pleading again with families to attend this monthly parish adoration. If we want our children to grow up loving Jesus personally in the Eucharist, our monthly Eucharistic adoration provides an opportunity to fulfill that goal. I am impressed with the attendance at daily masses this past week and expect the attendance to keep getting better. Be generous with your time; Jesus awaits you at mass. You cannot outdo Jesus in generosity.

August is a spectacular month, not just because it's the month of my birth but because each of its thirty-one days celebrates a special feast of our Lord, our Lady, or a saint. This month, in particular, is a traditional period to intensify our devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. I encourage you to attach additional importance to honoring our Lady by praying the rosary daily and imitating her life of obedience to God.

This weekend, our parish welcomes Fr. John Baptist Opargiw, MCCJ, a Ugandan, as he preaches a mission appeal on behalf of the Comboni Missionary. It's important to remember that all Catholics are called to support mission work worldwide. This is part of our sacred duty to the spreading of the Gospel. I urge you to be generous in supporting Fr. John Baptist's mission appeal. Thank you.

See you next week as we continue our catechesis on the Mystery of the Mass. I will explore the Liturgy of the Word biblically and historically. Ours must remain what St. Anselm of Canterbury describes as faith seeking understanding (Fides quaerens intellectum). The more we understand, the better our approach to Eucharistic worship.

In the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

Beloved in Christ,
 
"When the people saw the sign he had done, they said,  'This is truly the prophet, the one who is to come into the world.'" (Jn 6: 14). Jesus did many signs (miracles) revealing his identity as a divine person, the incarnate one, the God-man who came to save the world. The sign or miracle Jesus performed in the sixth chapter of St. John's Gospel points to the miracle of the Mass. Jesus' miraculous feeding of the crowd gathered around him across the sea of Galilee allows us to reflect at length in the next couple of weeks on the mystery of Mass, the theme of the recently concluded VBS. When we look back at events last week, in addition to the VBS, the National Eucharistic Congress also comes to mind. I have spent hours watching YouTube videos of the array of spiritual talks and liturgical celebrations offered at the Congress, and I am inspired to dwell more on the meaning and significance of the medley of mysteries that make up the celebration of the Eucharist. 
 
The significant spiritual bouquets presented at the National Eucharistic Congress demand our response. Our response will be a four-week liturgical and biblical walk through the mystery of Mass. We will look into the Introductory Rite this Sunday. We respond to the summon of the Lord by leaving our homes to come into his presence this Sunday. We begin with the Introductory Rites, which consist of an entrance chant, greetings, penitential act, Gloria, and the collect. What is the origin of these components of Mass? What is their significance in offering the right worship to God? How may we participate in them as the Church intends so that they impact our lives profitably? Let's dig into these sacred mysteries in the remainder of my homily. 
 
We shall resume our teachings on the mystery of the mass series two weeks from now because next week is mission Sunday. Fr. John Baptist Opargiw, MCCJ from Uganda, will preach a mission for the Comboni Missionaries. Hosting Fr. Opargiw is our parish participation in the Diocesan Missionary Cooperative Plan. I strongly encourage us to be welcoming and generous. I did something similar in the Archdiocese of Chicago two weeks ago, and the parishioners at St. Francis Xavier, La Grange, warmly welcomed me.
 
Looking further into this current week, we have attractive spiritual offerings. You will notice that each day of this week marks the celebration of a saint. In addition to celebrating the memory of a saint from Monday to Saturday, this Friday and Saturday are devotional days of First Fridays and First Saturdays, respectively.
 
I look forward to an increase in daily mass attendees this week. If God provides or frees up our time to attend mass daily, we should return God's favor by attending cheerfully.
 
Have a happy Word Day for Grandparents and the Elderly.
 
In the Heart of Christ,
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

 Beloved in Christ,

“The blood of Christ” (Eph 2:13). In the pious and liturgical tradition of the Church, July is the month devoted to honoring the Precious Blood of the unblemished Lamb of God-the price of our redemption. I want to highlight this fundamental Catholic devotion this Sunday in July to ignite or renew its broad practice in our time. Promoting this devotion is in sync with the distribution of the Precious Blood at mass this Sunday and the celebration of the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, which comes to a close this Sunday. The National Eucharistic Congress is designed to bring about revival and facilitate the life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ. Our emphasis on the Precious Blood this Sunday is also meant to bring to mind our recently concluded parish Vacation Bible School's theme, the Mystery of the Mass. 
In recognition of the most august sacrament highlighted by the conclusion of the National Eucharistic Congress, an occasion focused on Eucharistic revival, I want to invite and encourage you to commit to the devotion most intimately linked to the Holy Eucharist, the devotion to the Precious Blood of Christ. There are many things to be said about the precious blood of Christ, which is the source of our salvation and protection against evil. The only thing I will, however, do on this occasion is to direct you to a papal encyclical by Pope John XIII on the promotion of devotion to the Precious Blood ( I will share excerpts with you shortly) and encourage you to pray frequently the Litany of the Precious Blood approved by the Vatican for private and public recitation. Here’s an excerpt from the papal document on the promotion of devotion to the Mos Precious Blood of Jesus:
“As we now approach the feast and month devoted to honoring Christ’s Blood —- the price of our redemption, the pledge of salvation and life eternal — may Christians meditate on it more fervently, may they savor its fruits more frequently in sacramental communion. Let their meditations on the boundless power of the Blood be bathed in the light of sound biblical teaching and the doctrine of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. How truly precious is this Blood is voiced in the song which the Church sings with the Angelic Doctor (sentiments wisely seconded by our predecessor Clement VI [10] ) :

Blood that but one drop of has the world to win
All the world forgiveness of its world of sin…

The Blood of the new and eternal covenant especially deserves this worship of latria when it is elevated during the sacrifice of the Mass. But such worship achieves its normal fulfilment in sacramental communion with the same Blood, indissolubly united with Christ’s eucharistic Body. In intimate association with the celebrant the faithful can then truly make his sentiments at communion their own: “I will take the chalice of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. . . The Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve my soul for everlasting life. Amen.” Thus as often as they come worthily to this holy table they will receive more abundant fruits of the redemption and resurrection and eternal life won for all men by the Blood Christ shed “through the Holy Spirit.”[13] Nourished by his Body and Blood, sharing the divine strength that has sustained count less martyrs, they will stand up to the slings and arrows of each day’s fortunes — even if need be to martyrdom itself ffor the sake of Christian virtue and the kingdom of God. Theirs will be the experience of that burning love which made St. John Chrysostom cry out:
Let us, then, come back from that table like lions breathing out fire, thus becoming terrifying to the Devil, and remaining mindful of our Head and of the love he has shown for us. . . This Blood, when worthily received, drives away demons and puts them at a distance from us, and even summons to us angels and the Lord of angels. . . This Blood, poured out in abundance, has washed the whole world clean. . . This is the price of the world; by it Christ purchased the Church… This thought will check in us unruly passions. How long, in truth, shall we be attached to present things? How long shall we remain asleep? How long shall we not take thought for our own salvation? Let us remember what privileges God has bestowed on us, let us give thanks, let us glorify him, not only by faith, but also by our very works.”
Thank you for your devotion and participation. Have a blessed week.

 In the Most Precious Blood,        

​ Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

Beloved in Christ,

"Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two" (Mk 6: 7). With the calling and sending of the Twelve by Jesus, he established the pattern of evangelization: the calling and sending of Christians to proclaim the Good News to the world. The Second Vatican Council says that Christ established the Church to evangelize, and evangelization is not restricted to priests and religious but to all the baptized. In the first reading for this Sunday's mass, Amos, a Judean from Tekoa, is rejected because he is not from a prophetic family. Still, he insisted that he was compelled to preach conversion to northern Israel by a commission from God (Amos 7:12-15). All baptized Christians are likewise sent on missions to the world. According to our state of life, we are all missionary disciples called to share in the call to engage and evangelize our culture.

A couple of Sundays ago, we had a missionary group here at St. Peter to share their missionary efforts and seek our support. Thanks for your generous contributions. In two weeks, we shall host another missionary group, the Comboni Missionaries. Thanks for your anticipated generous donations in support of this mission of evangelization. Our generous contributions will go a long way in supporting the proclamation of the Gospel to places and people who need to be evangelized. You are participants in the mission of evangelization through your prayers and monetary contributions. Participation in the mission appeal is a response to Jesus' call to spread the Gospel of salvation to all parts of the world. As a Dominican and a preacher of grace, I share the obligation to promote the Gospel by preaching mission appeals wherever I am invited or sent. This weekend, I am at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, La Grange, Illinois, to preach on a mission for the Dominican Province of Nigeria and Ghana.

As a priest of the Order of Preachers, I am fulfilling the mission of evangelization established by Jesus by preaching a mission appeal in the Chicago Archdiocese this weekend. But remember, you don't have to be a priest to participate in this crucial ecclesial task. You can evangelize with all the gifts you have received from God wherever you find yourself. All Christians are called and sent by Christ to evangelize. The world urgently needs a church that bears witness to the Gospel. Our world is spiritually and morally broken in many regards; only the light of the Gospel can bring it to order. You and I, irrespective of our state in life, are called and sent to shine the light of the Gospel on our world, which desperately needs it.

Vacation Bible Study kicks off this Sunday. I see this church program as an evangelization tool to inspire the Eucharistic faith of your children and their parents. I praise the efforts of our CRE, Georgann Azzalina, and her team in bringing this evangelization task to birth. I encourage parents to be actively involved where necessary. I especially ask that parents participate with their children in a teaching-based Eucharistic Adoration on Thursday at 6 p.m. and the mass, which follows at 7 p.m.

Continue to have a beautiful summer of sunshine.

In Christ,

Fr. Alayode Bernard, OP
 

Beloved in Christ,

Please, Lord, grant me a living faith. My supplication comes from a deep place of discovery after a sincere introspection and interrogation of my practical faith in Jesus and his promises. A scripture verse from this Sunday's Gospel reading accounts for my honest search for where I stand in the personal exercise of faith. In Mark 6:6, Jesus laments the "lack of faith" in him by his people. Among his kin and in his native place, there is a lack of response to Jesus' message because they could only see in him the son of the carpenter and Mary, a common and familiar person with no distinguishing pedigree or status. Their lack of faith and rejection of Jesus and his message echo the stubbornness and rebelliousness of the Jewish people to the divine message brought to them by Ezekiel (Ez 2: 2-5). In the last two Sunday mass gospel readings, we saw contrasting responses to faith in Jesus. Two Sundays ago, we heard of the disciples' insufficiency of faith in Jesus while in a boat assailed by storms, and last Sunday, we heard of the living faith displayed by the woman with an issue of blood and Jairus' father. Jesus expects and demands deep faith from us whenever we approach him in prayers and worship. Do we always approach Jesus with the expected faith, or do we lack adequate faith in Him? What do we need to have the required faith that summons mighty deeds from God? What do we need to grow and exercise a living faith when we pray? I liken efforts at growing faith or healing a lack of trust in Divine Promise to the taking of supplements daily to increase my low potassium level. I religiously take some prescribed medications and eat specific fruits to increase my potassium level, and I have seen an improvement. In like manner, we can go on a spiritual diet to nourish our faith. What are the essential nourishments needed to increase and deepen our faith? I want to prescribe spiritual food to strengthen or increase our faith. A constant intellectual (mind) and spiritual (heart) reading of the Sacred Scripture is mandatory to see our faith mature to the level needed to live an abundant spiritual life. The Holy Spirit inspired the Bible and will encourage us to live in faith when we study it daily. The second element in our spiritual diet that brings about the kind of faith Jesus demands of us is a devout prayer life. Prayers are the oxygen of life of faith. We must invest in intense conversation in the Spirit to increase our faith. When I refer to daily prayer, it includes daily mass attendance and a deliberate invocation of the Holy Spirit to spur us into spontaneous prayer. Our prayer regime, of course, must consist of a structured daily prayer that includes meditation on the Holy Rosary and Divine Office- the official prayer of the Church. I recommend additional spiritual diets for a stronger faith. Still, the two suggested in this message suffice for now to avoid slipping into a lack of faith in our relationship with Jesus. In conclusion, I invite you to join me in raising hands in supplication to God; Lord, please grant me a living faith.

​With Living Faith, Fr. Alayode Bernard, OP

​Beloved in Christ,
 
"Give thanks to the Lord, his love is everlasting "(Ps 107:1). Like last week, my reflection is inspired by the responsorial psalm for this Sunday's mass and it makes a lot of sense why it is so. I centered my message last Sunday on the importance of giving thanks to God for all his goodness to us- it is what we are created for, I emphasized. As I write these words this morning from my aunt's place in Akure, Western Nigeria, with her Alsatian dog (German Shepherd) circling around me with excitement and joy, the prominent subject on my mind is the fifth anniversary of my appointment as pastor of our lovely family of St. Peter. It was on June 17th, the same day my NBA team, Boston Celtics won the 18th championship of the franchise. Hurray! 
 
I'm thrilled and filled with thanks to God for my five and a half (my first six months here before my appointment as pastor was as a parish administrator) journey of faith with you all, my beloved family. It has been a journey similar to that of God's chosen people that Ps. 107, a hymn of praise to God for his love and mercy, chronicled and celebrated for God's amazing intervention. We see Jesus doing same incredible deeds of intervention in the life of the apostles in the gospel that made them wonder "who then is this" (Mk 4:41). It is the Lord of everlasting love and mercy. I have experienced his continuous love and mercy through you all in all my years here so far. All I can do, and will continue to do, is "give thanks to the Lord for his mercy, " for wondrous deeds he has done for the children of Adam (see Ps. 107:22).
 
As I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving to God, I also extend thanks to you for your mercy and love. I'm still on this journey with you. From my flaws, I'm learning to be a better pastor at your service. Keep praying for me. We have unfinished business and I plan to stay the course until I accomplish that which the Lord has sent me to do here in St. Peter's, Elizabethtown. I'm thankful, and I love you.  That dog won't stop barking for my attention, so I guess I need to stop here. I'm writing this on Juneteenth holiday, I hope you had a great celebration. 
 
See you for July 4th celebration. 
 
With thanks,
 
Fr. Alayode Bernard, OP
 

​Beloved in Christ,
 
"Lord, it is good to give thanks to God " ( Ps 92:2). This Sunday's mass responsorial psalm aptly captures my feelings as I write this message from Lagos, Nigeria. I had a smooth journey from Baltimore to Lagos, I got to see my sisters again in two years, I met my cute and adorable grand-niece for the first time, and I had an opportunity to celebrate my mom's birthday with her. Without any hesitation, I agree that it is good to give thanks to God without whom any good and joyful things come about. 
 
It is good to give thanks to God because by doing so we recognize that there's nothing good we have out of our own doing but the product of our generous God. Our rendering of thanks to God is an act of faith and worship. Isn't that what we are made for- to love and worship God as a people of faith? In giving thanks to God we grow in virtue of humility and become more Christlike. 
 
Do you consider thanksgiving to God for all blessings received a good thing? Then you have to show it by giving thanks to him the moment you wake up in the morning and for every breath you have throughout the course of the day. A Christian who give constant thanks to God is a devout Christian hastening the growth of the Kingdom of God. As a Eucharistic rooted family, let us do the good act of thanksgiving to God by attending mass with devotion at least once a week, on Sunday at the least. Let's fill every day of this week, and of our entire life, with thanks- it's an act pleasing to God. 
 
One more good thing to do. Let us give thanks to God for providing Frs. Dominic Okoye, OP and Charles Ukwe, OP to offer the Holy Eucharist for our community this week and beyond. Thank you, God!
 
In thanksgiving, 
 
Fr. Alayode Bernard, OP
 

Dearly Beloved,

"Here are my mother and my brothers" (Mk 3: 35). Jesus revises the concept of the family for us in this verse of the Sacred Scriptures. The crowd around Jesus tells him that his mother, brothers and sisters are outside asking for him. Jesus did not disregard or ignore his blood family in this seemingly rude and dismissive response that everyone around him who does the will of God is his mother and brothers; instead, he teaches us that the family of Jesus is broader than the limited sense of blood ties. What ties us to Jesus and makes us part of his family is a life devoted to doing the will of God. Anyone reading or hearing this homily is a brother and sister of Jesus if they do the will of God.

We here at St. Peter are part of the family of Jesus because we strive to do the will of God. This past Sunday, our obedience to God's will by our public witness to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Sacred Host on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ testified to our belongingness to Jesus'  expanded sense of family. In following the will of God to bear testimony to our faith in the real presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, we made a Corpus Christi procession from our Church on the hill through downtown Elizabethtown. We ended with benediction at the Historic Church. We had a reception on the lawn behind the rectory, where many of us were satisfied with the food and drink provided by our ever-present and providing Council of Catholic Women. I am thankful to all who made it a victorious Corpus Christi procession: the Guards of St. Michael, Knights of Columbus, altar servers, and many others who worked behind the scenes. Thanks for making this family, our parish family, a reality. May Jesus grant peace, joy, faith and growth to our parish family, a family built on doing the will of God.

Since we are talking about God's family, I will not fail to mention that I do not reduce the importance of blood family. I love my family and friends and can't wait to see them again tomorrow when I arrive in Lagos, Nigeria. I haven't seen my mother, sisters, nephews, and nieces (and grand-niece) in two years, and I can't wait to spend quality time with them again. Please pray for my flights and vacation at home. I will miss you, but I will keep in touch.

Meanwhile, you will need the sacraments celebrated while I am away.  Some priests have been contacted and will be available to offer the Sacraments for the parish for the three weeks I'll be gone.

In Christ,

Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

​Beloved in Christ,
 
How do we promote devotion to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist? Belief and devotion to the Real Presence of Christ were significant reasons for establishing the solemnity in the thirteenth century. As the church did in the thirteenth century, we must do today: we must ponder the meaning and importance of the sacrifice of Mass in restoring life to humanity doomed for destruction due to our futile conduct inherited from our human ancestors (see 1 Pt. 1:18-25)  ). In my homily on Wednesday morning mass, I asked: "What is the cost of our redemption from condemnation?" Presenting St. Peter's answer, I said our redemption came at the expense of the "precious Blood of Christ." 
 
The blood of Christ, the "blood of the Covenant" (Mk 14:24), is the source of our redemption. The blood of the new covenant is of more excellent value than the blood of young bulls offered as holocausts by Moses to obtain reconciliation of his Jewish people with God ( Ex. 24:5). It is not "the blood of goats and bulls " offered for our "eternal redemption" (Heb 9:12); instead, it is the Blood of Christ, the blood of the New Covenant. There is healing and liberating power in the Precious Blood of the Lamb of God. I encourage devotion to the Precious Blood of Christ. When invoked in faith, it offers protection against the wiles and tricks of the devil.  It contains the fullness of the Eucharistic sacrament, the soul, and the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. The fullness of Christ is contained in either the blood or the flesh. We hear this truth proclaimed in the Sequence: "Blood is poured and flesh is broken, yet in either wondrous token Christ entire we know to be" (Corpus Christi Sequence).
 
Now that we are reminded again of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blood and Flesh we receive each time we go to communion, how should we respond? Again, I return to the Sequence for the answer: "From your heart let praises burst" (Sequence). We must respond in praise and thanksgiving as a testimony to our faith. Let your heart and your entire life be loud and public praise of Jesus's actual presence in the sacrament of his Blood and Body.
 
 The doctrine of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is part of why we have the Corpus Christi procession. Our public procession through the neighborhood of Elizabethtown from the church on the top of the hill to the Historic Church is part of showing our belief in Real Presence and our love and adoration for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament displayed in the monstrance. In our public testimony of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, we must show that our hearts are filled with joy and thanksgiving by singing hymns and songs of devotion, love, and deep joy. Do not hold back your joy; praise Jesus with all you have. Let us bring Jesus into our community with a joyful heart and profound faith. May Jesus bless Elizabethtown and all its inhabitants with his grace as we bore him high and joyfully in our Corpus Christi procession.
 
With praise and thanksgiving to God, we celebrate our parishioner, Rev. Craig Alexander, ordained this past Saturday morning, June 1; please do not forget to attend his Mass of thanksgiving and reception next Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Mass.
 
I will also be on a three-week vacation to Nigeria starting June 10th. I look forward to seeing my mom, sisters, nieces, nephews, and my new grand niece! Keep me in your prayers. Thanks.
 
In His Praise,
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

 Beloved in Christ,

"Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth" (Ps. 104: 30). Today, the Mother Church celebrates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and Mary, Mother of Jesus. The feast of Pentecost is also considered the birthday of the Church. It signifies a new beginning, a breath of new life for the church. What happened in the Upper Room on this day fulfills the psalmist's prayers for God to send his spirit upon the earth to renew it. The Church is constituted and renewed by the Holy Spirit to testify to the truth about the Lordship and Gospel of Jesus. St. Paul recognizes the necessity of the sending and empowerment by the Holy Spirit to confess Jesus as Lord and Savior to the world: "No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor. 12: 3). This is true. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to testify to Jesus and His Gospel in the world effectively. We must carry out the demands of Jesus in the world, but only with the help and power of the Holy Spirit. 

Renewal in the Spirit is what this feast reminds us about. What we need to do, and what we already started doing by our novena to the Holy Spirit, is invite anew the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon us to revive and renew His gifts and fruits in us. With this purpose in mind, that is, the renewal of the Church, I invite you to return to church at 6 pm for our parish extended celebration of Pentecost. We will hear the Word of truth, pray for a new outpouring of the spirit and healing, and, like the apostles on Pentecost, speak of "the mighty acts of God" (Acts 2:11) in praise and worship led by our parish-based band, Forgven. It will also allow us to fellowship and share in light refreshments as we celebrate the birthday of the Catholic Church and the two hundred and twenty-fifth anniversary of our historic St. Peter Catholic Church! Yes, we are that old!!

This past week, we celebrated our parish's annual forty-hour—the Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Harrisburg, Most. Reverend Ronald W. Gainer gave us excellent sermons on the Holy Eucharist as a mystery to believe, adore, and live. His deeply theological and pastoral reflections richly blessed us. Let's use all we learned from his teachings in our individual and parish lives. I must once again offer words of appreciation to all those who participated actively in our forty hours, especially those who committed to a period of Adoration late into the night, Michael Checco and the choir, St. Michael's Guard, altar servers, Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, CCW, Men's Club, the parish office staff and others. I am proud of you all. We pray that our parish may experience revival in Eucharistic Worship. In my understanding, without the Eucharist, there is no Catholic Church. Period! We need Eucharistic revival.

As Eastertide draws to a close today with the celebration of Pentecost Revival at 6 p.m., let us prepare for two significant feasts coming in succession: the Holy Trinity and Corpus Christi. These fabulous feasts are going to keep us spiritually on our toes! 

Come, Holy Spirit, Come!
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP