Dear Friends in Christ,
 
Forty days after the birth of Jesus, in fulfillment of the law of Moses, "Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord" ( LK 2:22). Simon took Jesus in his arms, dedicated him to God, and identified Him as "a light of revelation to the gentiles, and glory for your people Israel" (LK 2:23). Jesus is the light that conquers the darkness of sin and death. We recall and celebrate that day on this Sunday, the feast of the presentation of the Lord or Candlemas day. From the seventh century or thereabout, the church established a tradition of blessing candles at the feast of the Presentation mass; we may use these candles for religious devotions throughout the year. 
 
At baptism, we were presented in the church as infants by our parents and dedicated to God as children of light. The priest gave candles lit from the paschal candle to us and said, "You have been enlightened by Christ. Walk always as a child of the light and keep the flame of faith alive in your heart" ( Rite of Baptism for Children, 44). Consequently, we must be bearers of the light of faith to the world, a bold witness that would sometimes make of us a "sign that will be opposed," for instance, on issues like the sanctity of all human life from the moment of conception until the moment of natural death. But we must not shy away from being a light to the world. We must boldly display the light of faith for all to see and be enlightened.
 
We had moments of witness-bearing in our parish this past week that are worth celebrating:
 
1. Pat Minnick, Andy Gladfelter, Gary Barb, Patti Becker, Kathy Bevel, Jason Stoltzfus, and his daughter Anna represented the parish at the March for Life in Washington DC! And they return with amazing reports of young people witnessing to the sanctity of life.
2. The church also had coffee and donut fellowship time after 8:30 and 10:30 Masses. They were successful. Please consider spending some time after these designated masses to meet and chat with other members of our parish family.
3. At the last Sunday of the Word of God masses, our devout teens, Travis Cleveland, Mary Bolesky, and Marcus Mancini, served as thurifer. It is on record that Mary Bolesky is the first female thurifer of the parish! Congratulations Mary!
 
In Christ,
 
Fr. Bernard Oniwe, OP
 

Dear Friends in Christ,
                                                          The Bible as a Light for our Path

On September 30, 2019, feast of St. Jerome, Pope Francis released an Apostolic Letter, Motu proprio Aperuit Illis instituting the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time as Sunday of the Word of God. We celebrate the Word of God as our Light and salvation. Christ is the Light that shines through darkness. A knowledge of Christ is a light for our path through this land of exile. A consistent study of the Scriptures helps us to know and encounter Christ, our “great light” (Is.9:1; Mt. 4:16), As St. Jerome says, “Ignorance of the Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” Let us embrace a devotional study and prayerful reading of the bible, lectio divina (AI 3). It will throw a Light on our path so we can see clearly God’s plan for us. We are blessed in St. Peter to have in place opportunities to heed Pope Francis’ call to open and study the Word of God.

Blessed Is She women’s bible study was recently inaugurated in our parish. Thanks to Beth Rosborough, Rachel Clark, Jess Capelli, and Michelle Schmitt for organizing this bible based women fellowship in our parish.

Thanks to Mike and Bernie Rydock for leading our parish bible study of First Corinthians in the Fall of 2019. During Lent 2020, they will generously guide through Edward Sri’s No Greater Love, a biblical walk with Jesus from the Garden of Gethsemani to the Mount of Calvary. I encourage you all to register for this bible study program, it will enlighten your journey through the season of lent.
What’s your plan for “learning how to read, appreciate and pray daily with Sacred Scripture”? (AI 3).
 Pope Francis’ Aperuit Illis: Vatican.va/content/Francesco/en/motu_proprio/
 
Yours in Christ our Light,
 
Fr. Bernard Oniwe, OP
 

Dear Friends in Christ,

Called To Bear Witness

Witness is a word gone viral in our current social imagination-a cursory view of social media will confirm this claim. The New Testament in its original Greek text refers to maturia-witness, and all its various iteration, about 200 times. It is a word that describes personal response to God's revelation of Himself to us. In this Sunday's liturgy of the word, Isaiah's second servant song bears witness to God's universal call, "I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth" (Is.49:6). Paul is called to bear witness to Christ Jesus among the gentiles so that everywhere people may "call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours" (1 Cor. 1: 3). John testifies to the presence of "the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world...the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit,...the son of God" (John 1: 29, 34). These witnesses testify to the person of Jesus Christ as the savior of all people.
Christian witness testifies to the person of Jesus Christ and his Gospel as the definitive truth. A witness in the court of law testifies to a claim in support or condemnation of a person on trial but a Christian witness, by words and deeds and in the power of the Holy Spirit and God's grace, reveals the person of Jesus to the world as a divine person who came to save it from slavery to sin and Satan. Jesus is the sacrificial lamb of God, the son of God sent to bring us everlasting peace and joy. Christians are called to follow Jesus Christ by the virtue of their baptism, and to share their encounter with this mystery of faith with others.
As the Psalmist declares, "Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will" (Ps. 72), we too are called to declare to the world that Jesus is the Son of God, the lamb of God who by his sacrifice saved all people, including those who deny or ignore him. That is the will of God for all Christians. As Christians sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy, our personal testimony to transformation through our encounter with Jesus is vital to the work of evangelization- the reason for which the church exist. As the church teaches us, "The duty of Christians to take part in the life of the Church impels them to act as witnesses of the Gospel and of the obligations that flow from it" (CCC 2472). A Christian witnesses to Jesus in words and deeds. In what practical ways do you witness to the Lordship of Jesus Christ you encounter often in the Eucharist and the Divine Word?

In Christ, the Lamb of God,

Fr. Bernard Oniwe, OP

                                          The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

When Jesus, was baptized by John in the River Jordan the heavens opened up, the Spirit of  God came down upon him and the voice of the Father declared, “This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased” (Mt 3:17). At his Baptism the Trinity is fully present and Jesus is manifested as a divine person, the son of God .  Such is the mystery of Jesus’ Baptism - “a regeneration through water and in the word” which he offers us. He underwent this rebirth for ‘the sake of righteousness” for the purpose of creating a path for his followers to regain their lost identity as God’s children and servants.
 
On a day like this we recall our own Baptism, the door to Christian life, ‘the door which gives access to the other sacraments” (CCC  1213). After being plunged into the water of Baptism, we emerge as a new creature and our identity is changed. We, like Jesus are declared by the father as his sons and daughters. We are new creatures and our identities are changed forever! Not only are we redeemed from the crushing weight of sin, we are liberated for mission, as “a light for the nations” (is 42:6) and sent to go “about doing good” (Acts 10:38). Such is the power of Baptism.
 
As we conclude the season of Christmas and begin the
ordinary time of the liturgical year, let us do so with this awareness of our regeneration and renewal, of our identity as God’s children through anointing with the Holy Spirit. We have been empowered spiritually by our Baptism, let’s use the grace of our Baptism to accomplish good works for our parish and the world. As you renew your baptismal vows today, as you renounce Satan and accept the Lordship of Christ, remember you are automatically called to mission, to bring the light of Christ to the world. How do you plan to live out your baptismal mission to and for our parish this year? You have the power, will you use it in the service of your brothers and sisters? 
 
In Christ our Hope,
 
Fr. Bernard Oniwe, O.P.