Beloved brothers and sisters,
 
                                                            JTB and a Call from the Desert
 
"Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight" (Matt 3:3). John the Baptist preached and provided a cleansing bath of repentance. He is the Elijah Isaiah prophesied was going to come to prepare the way for the Messiah, the Messiah who will establish the kingdom of heaven. John the Baptist's baptism of repentance was to clear the path for the entrance of the Lord of Lords into the hearts of the people of Israel. Repentance is a significant factor in establishing God's reign in our lives. To prepare for the access of Jesus into our lives and to make his path straight and smooth, we need to repent and show signs of repentance. What does repentance consist of? What does it mean to repent?
 
When John the Baptist announced the coming of the Lord in the desert, the people of Israel had waited for generations; he offered an opening to a life of grace. By inviting them to receive the baptism of repentance, he quickly added that his baptism was different and lesser than the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire that Jesus was coming to grant the people. Yet, in the baptism of John the Baptist, we get a clear idea of the importance of changing our way of seeing the world. Anyone preparing as they await the coming of Jesus and his kingdom into their lives must first have a modified or altered perspective on life. Such change is what repentance entails and consists of. The Greek word used in the New Testament is metanoia. It means "beyond the perception of the mind. "In a fuller sense, metanoia (repentance) encompasses many things: a change of mind or heart or a new way of seeing, thinking or looking at life, an embrace of a different set of values and attitude, a transformation of consciousness. Advent is an ideal time to go to the desert and experience repentance.
 
The desert experience is necessary for preparation for repentance. We are waiting for God's kingdom's arrival in our lives and the world through it. According to spiritual writer Alan Jones, in his book, Soul Making, the desert is more than a place. The desert is an experience of solitude, conversion, and transformation. It demands a response that leads to revelation and revolution in the spiritual sense. In the silence and stillness of the desert, you will experience a total confrontation with yourself, a closer look at things and people, face situations one would rather avoid, and answer questions one would rather forget. John the Baptist invites us to the desert experience. Could you find the time and place to be still and wait in silence? I can guarantee you that by entering into the spiritual desert, you will find a need to confess your sins (Matt 3:6). "Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," (Rom 3:23) as St Paul reminds us, we all need to "repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near" (Matt 3:2).
 
If you have not gone to sacramental confession in a year, you should go as soon as possible. If you have not approached the Sacrament of reconciliation in months or weeks, you need to have the desert experience, receive sacramental absolution and emerge a "born-again" catholic. Please save the date for our parish penitential service-Friday, December 16, at 7 p.m.
 
In Hope and Love,
Fr. Bernard, OP
 

Beloved in Christ,
 
                                                                                Stay Awake!
 
The Advent season begins today with a firm instruction from the Gospel of Mathew 24:37-44 to stay awake and not be caught unprepared for the coming of Jesus Christ. This year's four-week season of Advent is a twenty-eight-day     period of preparation for the two-comings of Jesus into our life and world:
"Advent has a twofold character, for it is a time of preparation for the Solemnities of Christmas, in which the First   Coming of the Son of God to humanity is remembered, and likewise a time when, by remembrance of this, minds and hearts are led to look forward to Christ's Second Coming at the end of time. For these two reasons, Advent is a period of devout and expectant delight (Universal Norms, 39).
 
We must continually long for his coming by being always prepared, "Therefore, stay awake!" How do we prepare for the two arrivals of Jesus? We often think of his first coming, which we commemorate at Christmas, but we cannot   afford to ignore his yet-to-be second appearance in the future. Hence we have to be watchful. We have made some provisions to help us get into the mode and attitude of watchfulness in this busy and culturally commercialized time. Don't get caught up in the culture of "busyness." Stay awake and focused on the real purpose of the season.
 
 You received a "What Am I Doing for Advent This Year? " booklet and an "Advent with Hallow" prayer aid. These are my gifts to you to get you going. Other spiritual supports include the parish Advent penance service on December 16, Worship Night on December 17, and Advent Journey of Hope musical parish mission by Mark Forrest on December 18. These trio-spiritual events are part of the parish's efforts to keep us in watchful mode. We also need to take note of the Advent Wreath lighting. I intend that praying with the Advent Wreath extends to the domestic-home church. We hope each family makes the symbolic rite part of their family life to prepare them spiritually for the arrival of Christ.
 
Let's be joyful and hopeful as we await the coming of Jesus at Mass.
 
With joyful hope,
Fr. Bernard, OP
 

Beloved in Christ,
                                                                
                                                                         Let Jesus Reign
 
The feast of Christ, King of the Universe, brings the Church's liturgical year to a close. We emphasize the supremacy of Christ over all things. All things fall under his reign. The reign of Christ is an essential message for our time. We sometimes get carried away with our human achievements and forget our ultimate, supernatural end, the kingdom of God we pray for in the Lord's prayer. Jesus is the one who subjects all created things to his reign. As we see in the liturgical and biblical texts for this Sunday's mass, Jesus' kingdom is not of this world; it exceeds its parameters. As the preface shows, his kingdom is "an eternal and universal kingdom, a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace." Our ultimate goal is to be part of this kingdom, and we pray that Jesus accepts us into it: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" (Lk 23: 42). How did he bring his reign into effect?
 
He reigns from the throne of the cross. He achieved victory over his kingdom's enemies from the wood of the cross. He reigns from the cross. What a paradox! But it is true; Jesus' reign derives from his sacrifice on the cross. From the cross, Jesus delivers us from slavery to sin and the darkness of death. All that the devil has stolen from us, Jesus restores by his kingship, by his reign from the cross. Now that he has restored us to our true identity, we have become willing subjects of his spiritual kingdom. We will now humbly render his majesty service and "ceaselessly proclaim his praise" (Preface: Christ, King of the Universe). But, to offer our service to him and praise him properly, we must first, in humility, yield our minds, our wills, and our actions to him.
 
Pope Pius XI says this of Christ's reign in his December 11, 1925, Encyclical, Quas Primas:
 
"He must reign in our minds, which should assent with perfect submission and firm belief to revealed truths and doctrines of Christ. He must reign in our wills, which should obey the laws and precepts of God. He must reign in our hearts, which should spurn natural desires and love God above all things, and cleave to him alone. He must reign in our bodies and in our members, which should serve as instruments for the interior sanctification of our souls" (21).
 
It works in our favor that the national Thanksgiving holiday falls in the last days of the liturgical year. Maybe we should look back into the year and offer thanks to God for all the graces he has bestowed upon us, the Church, in all the mysteries of faith we have celebrated through the liturgical calendar. Let us thank God for all the Lord Jesus has done for us through his reign from the cross.
 
Happy Thanksgiving!
From a thankful heart,
Fr. Bernard, OP
 

 Beloved friends,
                                                                  World Day of the Poor
 
In his Apostolic Letter, Misericordia et Misera, released on November 20, 2016, Pope Francis designated the Thirty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time "World Day of the Poor." We join the universal church in becoming a witness to mercy by working toward mitigating poverty in our country and the world at large. It is evident in the gospels that Jesus identified with the poor. We, too, like our Lord and teacher, should be attentive to the cry of the poor and act to cut off the web of poverty in our  community. As we get closer to winter, we shall notice more vividly the plight of the homeless, the hungry, the sick, and the impoverished in our society. As people of the Kingdom of Christ, we cannot afford not to bear witness to mercy as we see people in misery. As Pope Francis wrote, "as long as Lazarus lies at the door of our homes (cf. Lk 16: 19-21), there can be no justice or social peace."
 
On this note, I want to emphasize the importance of the ministry of the St. Vincent de Paul society. As I have noted, SVDP society is the face of our parish in reaching out to the poor and finding ways to help them live with dignity. In supporting with housing, feeding, health, and other areas, we do what Jesus asked us to do for him in the poor. Please let us continue to be generous to the poor through SVDP society. They support, among other things, in the forthcoming Christmas season,     children without means of enjoying the cheers of Christmas through the Angel of Hope program and other events. Please support this program and ministry in cash and kind.
 
Also, do not forget to offer prayers for the dead this November. As we read in this Sunday's liturgy of the word and as we shall read for the next few weeks, the last things always matter: death, judgment, heaven and hell. It is an act of charity to offer prayers for your loved ones who have passed on. We have their names inscribed in our books, and I have their names laid on the altar to call my attention to pray especially for them at every mass I celebrate in our churches.
 
We will return to the historic church tomorrow to celebrate weekday masses. Then, we would have completed the repair of the broken slabs in front of the church and constructed a new walkway, and we could look forward to a more welcoming pathway to that beautiful church.
 
Next Sunday is the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, the last Sunday of the church's liturgical year. So let's come with a joyful spirit to celebrate Jesus' Lordship over our world before we begin the more somber Advent     season.
 
In His Joy,                                                                                                                                                                 Fr. Bernard, OP
 

Beloved in Christ,
            
                                                         We hope that the Dead will Rise
 
In November, the Mass readings point more toward reflections on the Last Four things: death, judgment, heaven, and hell. On November 1st and 2nd, we celebrated the masses of All Saints and All Souls (all the faithful departed) to reflect the Church's focus on the Last Things. In light of this, we focus on Christian hope in the resurrection of the dead in this Sunday's liturgy. The seven brothers in 2 Maccabees 7 bore witness to their belief in the resurrection of the dead. One of the brothers, as he was dying, did so "with the hope God gives of being raised up by him" (v. 13-14). We, Catholics, as we say in the Creed, hope that the dead will rise (et expecto, resurrectionem mortuorum) but also believe that many dead souls may need the help of our prayers to get an early release from purgatory into heaven before the second coming of Jesus.
 
The Church instructs us to remember in a particular way during November "our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep in the hope of resurrection" (Eucharistic Prayer II). Here in St. Peter, we have a tradition of making available a book in which we could inscribe names of our loved ones who have passed on to remember them in suffrages for the dead. I also encourage us to write the names of our beloved dead in the envelopes provided. These are placed on the altar to remember them more intentionally at mass and prayer of the rosary. There are other practices in November, like visits to the cemetery, gaining plenary indulgences, and praying the office of the dead, that I also encourage.
 
I published our budget summary for the last fiscal year (2021-2022) last Sunday. I believe you have perused it. You would have noticed that our financial state is not particularly in dire straits because of your generosity over the years. I am thankful for your stewardship. However, you would have seen a steady decrease in our Sunday and DAC collections. Please consider giving more so we can make our target for the current year. I plead with those individuals and families yet to contribute to doing so in the months ahead. Thanks for your anticipated positive response.
 
I also want to bring to your notice the cement repairs beginning at the Historic Church tomorrow, Monday, November 7th. The repair will make the front of the church more walk-friendly and beautiful. As a result of the repair work, all daily masses for this week (beginning Monday, November 7) will be at the church on the hill, as I prefer to call the main church. 
 
Finally, I am happy to announce an additional mass to our weekly schedule. We have started having the First Saturday masses! We had a "test run" on Saturday, November 5, at 8 a.m. in the historic church. The next one will be on Saturday, November 3, at 8 a.m. in the Historic Church.
 
In the Heart of Christ,
Fr. Bernard, OP
 

 
 
Beloved brother and sisters,
 
The parish finance council prepares the annual financial report with support from Stephen Desjardins, the parish business administrator. The fiscal year ended in June 2022, and in the spirit of transparency, I requested that the report be prepared and published for you to read. I am thankful for your generous giving and continue to count on you to give generously so the parish can maintain a buoyant financial standing. Please take a few minutes to read the bulletin insert and review the 2021-2022 financial numbers.
 
This year All Saints Day, Tuesday, November 1st is a Holy Day of Obligation. The day is dedicated to the saints of the Church, that is, all those who have attained heaven. I will be celebrating Mass at 7:00am in the Historic Church and 7:00pm in the Church.
 
All Souls’ Day, November 2nd, I will celebrate our annual Mass of Remembrance at 6:00pm in the Church. During this liturgy, all our faithful departed will be honored, especially those parishioners we have lost this year. Everyone is welcome to celebrate this special Mass for our loved one.
 
Yours always in prayer,
 
​Fr. Bernard, OP
 

                                                      WORLD MISSION SUNDAY
 
              On this World Mission Sunday, let us embrace the gift of sharing our faith with others
 
                                                                                                                                 
On this World Mission Sunday, we join as a Church to pray for missionaries and those they serve. We pray for their protection, guidance and inspiration. We pray that the gift of faith in Christ our Savior will enliven the souls of more and more people.
 
In the second reading, St. Paul says that he is likely reaching the end of his life, called to martyrdom for his faith in Jesus. “I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well, I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for His appearance” (2 Timothy 4:6-8). Paul, among the greatest of the Church’s early missionaries, wanted Timothy and all who spread the message of salvation to remain steadfast in their task.
 
While many would suffer for their Christian belief in the days and centuries to come, communicating the news of redemption through the Son of God is absolutely necessary. Mission activity is an elemental part of the Church since we are all called to share the love and forgiveness of Christ with every person possible. Saints Paul and Timothy and the other Apostles and disciples knew this, just as we do, two thousand years later. And each of us needs to be willing to do all we can to bring the word of Jesus Crucified and Risen to others. We do this not only through prayer, but also through our example, witness, and support for Missions.
 
For almost a century, the Catholic Church has taken up a collection on World Mission Sunday to assist the work of the missions and missionaries in countries around the globe. While the Church shares the joyful message of God’s mercy, it also assists our neighbors who struggle with material needs. Priests, religious Sisters and Brothers, and laypeople continue to reach out to men, women, and children who do not know Christ or do not yet entrust themselves to His mercy. We must live our faith by sharing our faith. Today – and every day – we need to commit ourselves to follow in the footsteps of our Lord by welcoming others to His gracious and glorious embrace.
 
On this World Mission Sunday, let us witness to our faith through our prayers and financial help to the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. Our generosity on this Sunday, combined with what is offered in churches and chapels around the globe, join us to the efforts of missionaries who proclaim the Gospel and serve the poor.
 

 Beloved brothers and sisters,
                                                            The Battle to Pray Always
 
We return to the subject of prayer once again this Sunday. Last week, we reflected on the prayer of thanksgiving as an act of faith. In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus instructs his disciple on "the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary" (Lk 18: 1). Persistence in prayer is the central message Jesus conveys in the parable of the dishonest judge and the persistent widow. The widow demands justice, but the judge is unwilling to act, but she would not cease demanding to be heard. Finally, her untiring insistence soon wears out the judge, and he yields to her request. In like manner, Jesus calls on us to pray to God day and night without ceasing. Consistency in prayer is a fruit of faith, a trust in a loving God who comes to our help when we call earnestly upon him.

Prayer is central to the Christian life, and the Scripture calls us to the practice of perpetual prayer. Prayer is a continuous conversation of heart and mind with God. But how can we possibly fulfill Jesus' demands to pray without weary? This teaching about praying always is an uphill task that seems impossible to do. Indeed, it is a battle. Prayer is a battle. We can quickly glean the prayer of Moses for Isreal against the incursion of the Amalek in Exodus 17. Here we see that prayer is inserted in a battle scene. Joshua and Isreal "had the better of the fight" against Amalek "as long as Moses kept his hands raised up." It is clear that, like Moses, our hands raised in prayers will get tired. Hence, we have to find a way to keep our hands, and at the same time, our minds and hearts lifted to God in prayer always if we want to win the battles of life.

Do not try to look away or avoid reality; prayer is a battle we must engage in to live a victorious Christian life. Consider Jacob's wrestling with God in Genesis 32 as illustrative of how we ought to attend to prayers; it is a wrestling battle against many obstacles to its effective practice. We will benefit from the following insights on prayer as a battle from the catechism of the catholic church:
" In the battle of prayer, we must face in ourselves and around us erroneous notions of prayer. Some people view prayer as a simple psychological activity, others as an effort of concentration to reach a mental void. Still others reduce prayer to ritual words and postures. Many Christians unconsciously regard prayer as an occupation that is incompatible with all the other things they have to do: they "don't have the time." Those who seek God by prayer are quickly discouraged because they do not know that prayer comes also from the Holy Spirit and not from themselves alone" (2726).

We must identify obstacles to a life of persistent prayers and overcome them. We pray to the Holy Spirit to give us the faith we need to pray as Jesus instructed us, to pray always. We pray to overcome obstacles to this way of praying. "To overcome these obstacles, we must battle to gain humility, trust, and perseverance" (CCC 2728).

Now, let's get into the battle of praying always!

Yours always in prayer,
Fr. Bernard, OP

Beloved brothers and sisters,
                                                                 Stepping out in Faith
 
We continue our faith journey with Jesus from where we stopped last week. In the gospel for last week (Lk 7:5-10), Jesus challenges us to have faith as tiny as a grain of mustard seed to move mountains. We understood faith as a trust in God's love for us and our total surrender to his will. In the Gospel for today, we see such faith in action. In the story of the ten lepers, we see a display of trust in Jesus as a divine person able to heal as they, the ten lepers,  raise their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!" (Lk 17:13 ). They look up to Jesus as God and place their trust in him for healing.
 
The lepers stepped out in faith after Jesus told them to show themselves to the priest who occupied the office of official verification of cleansing. Without seeing an instant healing, they did as they were told, believing the words of Jesus. The lepers were healed on their way, but only one of the ten returned to Jesus to give thanks. The grateful leper is an inspiration in the spiritual life. The act of faith displayed by these lepers is worthy of note and emulation. They decided to show themselves to the priest even before seeing the healing and did not see the healing until they went away from Jesus' presence. They trusted in Jesus' words of authority so much, acting on his instruction and believing they would be healed even before it happened.
 
The lepers' act of faith and the thanksgiving offered by the one who returned to Jesus is worthy of our emulation. We, too, should step out in faith. We should be bold and confident that Jesus would do what we ask for in saving faith and even offer him thanks before we see the answer to our prayers. He alone knows what we need. Jesus alone knows how and when to grant our intentions. We can trust him to choose as he wills, and his will is our peace. We should always give him thanks and praise in all circumstances (see 1 Thess. 5: 18).
 
Thank you, Jesus!
 
Fr. Bernard, OP
 

Beloved brothers and sisters,  
                                                                        Lord, Increase our Faith  
 
The apostles ask Jesus:" Increase our faith" (Lk 17:5). In the first place, what does it mean to have faith? Asking this question is an excellent place to start our reflections on the request made by the apostles to the Lord in this Sunday's Gospel. To have faith is to have received the grace, the gift of trust in God, and all the truth he has revealed to us about himself. My answer may not be sufficient or fully satisfying, but it derives from the Act of Faith I had to memorize when preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation decades ago. Br. Emmanuel, my catechist, made us learn and understand acts of faith, hope, and love as part of the requirements for fulfilling coursework for confirmation class. So, for me, the act of faith is an answer to the question, what does it mean to have faith? 
 
In the act of faith, we affirm our belief that God is one made of three divine persons, and his Son, Jesus, became incarnate to save us from sin and grant us salvation. The prayerful proclamation also affirms our belief in all truths taught by the Holy Catholic Church because God revealed them, and God by his nature cannot deceive; hence, the truth he revealed is trustworthy. Faith is trust in God's love for us and our response to that love. Only by faith can we make meaning of whatever life throws at us. Faith is a supernatural gift that nevertheless demands the cooperation of our will. We must act on the gift of faith; it is a gift that bears fruit from our corresponding working with the grace it offers. Once we accept the gift of faith, we must nourish it because it can become weak and even die.  
 
How do we keep our faith alive and fruitful? We must confirm our faith daily by prayer and meditation. We must strengthen it through constant study of the word of God and persistent devout reception of the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation. Also, we must nurture our faith through a life of religious piety. Devotion to Mary, the saints, and our Guardian Angels is also very instrumental. We must not forget to confess at mass our belief in the real presence by using the words of Thomas in addressing the consecrated host: "My Lord and my God." We must always act on our faith. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, we must be bold to act in faith in the situation of danger and needs. We must pray to the Lord daily the Thomas' act of faith: Lord, please increase my faith. 
 
May our Lord Jesus Christ increase our faith.  
 
In Christ, 
Fr. Bernard, OP 
 

Beloved brothers and sisters,
 
                                                                       I Want you Back!
 
Our Parish Picnic this past Sunday was a huge success! We planned this, and we made it happen! We looked forward to having fantastic weather, and God granted us a day of sunshine. I looked forward to a large gathering. A good number of parishioners and non-parishioners alike graced the occasion. God answered our prayers. We had a lot to eat and drink. Guests formed a long line, and devoted servers ensured everyone had something to eat and drink. We had our young adults provide live music; they were fantastic! Steve, Emily, Elizabeth, Emma, and Shawn, in yellow sunglasses, were phenomenal!! What shall we name this new parish band?
 
The children had time together. They played different sorts of interesting games and got a lot of exciting time jumping up and down on the bouncer. Of course, the youth group also did their thing, playing some entertaining ball games. Also in attendance was a group of students from Elizabethtown College and members of the African Catholic community from Harrisburg and its environs.
 
In addition, we presented the plaques for donors toward the building of the parish hall. Stephen Desjardins did a great job. So did all the picnic planning committee members, Evelyn Weston, Rachel Clark and others; they ensured we had enough desserts in the parish hall; thanks to you all. I am also thankful to the Men's Club, CCW, Knights of Columbus, members of the Parish Council, parish office staff, and many others.
 
The first song played by our young adult band was Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5’s “I want you back.” This is symbolic. While it refers to a guy wanting his estranged lover back, in our case, it indicates that I wish all my beloved parishioners who have been away since the beginning of the pandemic (that is now over) back in church and at Mass. We have seen an increase in attendance in the last couple of weeks. I like that to continue to be the case. I want all of you, my beloved parishioners, back to the pew to continue our faith journey together as one family.
 
Love you all,
 
Fr. Bernard, OP
 

 Beloved brothers and sisters,
 
                                                      Act Prudently with an Eye to the Future
 
In the Gospel reading of this Sunday’s Mass, Luke 17: 1-13, Jesus teaches his disciples to be prudent and to act shrewdly in striving for eternal reward. Jesus tells a parable of the unfaithful steward whose master asks him to give an account of his stewardship. Finding himself wanting and wary of what will become of his status in the future, he offers a favorable settlement with his master’s debtors. The steward goes about his business in a dishonest but intelligent way. Jesus calls his disciple’s attention to what extent the steward went in the present to win favors of people in the future when he eventually loses his job. Jesus is not condoning his cunning way but showing the “children of light” the necessity to act smart with things of this world to gain eternal reward.
 
The example of the deceitful steward may not appeal to the moral sensitivity of Christians. Still, Jesus used it nevertheless to highlight the importance of wise and prudent behavior or attitude in the race to make heaven. St. Augustine, in his Sermon 359 on this parable, made the following helpful commentary that helps us make sense of it:
 
“Why did the Lord propose this parable? Not because that servant was a model for us to imitate. Nonetheless, the worldly-wise steward had an eye to the future. So too should the Christian have this determination to secure his eternal reward. If not, the steward puts him to shame.”
 
How carefully and zealously do we plan for our spiritual future? How devoted are we to finding intelligent and practical ways to obtain graces to validate us for heavenly citizenship? The Master in the parable praised the steward for his street smartness, decisiveness, shrewdness, and prudence in navigating his way out of a messy and challenging situation. Like the steward, like “the children of this world,” we should turn difficult and discouraging situations into positive ones. We should use the things of this world, including money, in the service of the poor to gain access to heaven. We are not encouraged to be dishonest like the steward, but we can imitate his undaunted attitude and tactfulness in overcoming obstacles in the path to eternal reward. We must put in the effort and never flag the zeal to work out our salvation. If we don’t act astutely in the face of dangers to our faith, then, as St. Augustine says in his sermon, the steward would have put us to shame. Are we using all our natural and supernatural resources to gain eternal rewards in heaven? Think about this.
 
Please note- I will preach a mission appeal for my religious order, the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), Province of Nigeria and Ghana, at Our Lady of Grace Parish, Greensboro, NC, next weekend. Please keep me in your prayers for a successful mission.
 
Also, please say a prayer for me as I celebrate the 22nd anniversary of my priestly ordination on September 23, the feast of St. Pio of Pietrelcina.

In Christ,
Fr. Bernard, OP
 

​ 
Beloved brothers and sisters,
 
                                                    Repentance, Return, and Restoration
 
On this 9/11 anniversary, Jesus speaks to us in parables in Luke 15: 1-32 about the Father of mercy who searches for the lost. One theme that runs across the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son is the display of reckless love of God for sinners. I am wary of the use of the adjective reckless to describe God’s act of love and mercy, but it is an apt description of the mercy of God which he shows by throwing caution to the wind in going out to retrieve the lost and restoring their dignity. In a song by Cory Asbury that was played by our Young Adult music group during our monthly Eucharistic Adoration this past Monday, two lines from the lyrics stood out for me: ”Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. Oh, it chases me down, fights ‘til I’m found leaves the ninety-nine.”
 
This Sunday’s readings highlight and celebrate the limitless mercy of God. It is clear from the Sacred Scripture that God does not want the spiritual death of any of his sons and daughters. Sin is a stiffness of the neck that insists on substituting the love for God with love for idols, that is, things that appear to the senses as good and pleasurable when, in fact, they are not. It breaks our friendship with God and His Kingdom. While we were yet in sin, cut off from God, He goes out of his way to retrieve us from the mires of sin. Before we begin our journey back to grace, before we return to our senses and return to the embrace of the Father who is always on the lookout for us, He has already set the grace of repentance into motion. It is left to us to detest sin, repent, and return home to the love and joy of the Father.
 
It is our choice to return to the Father, who always wills to restore us to our dignity. God is after our restoration. He wants our salvation, not our condemnation. St. Paul reminds us, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinner” (1 Tim. 1: 15) . Yes, we have all sinned.  At different times, we have left the sight of God and found ourselves lost in sin. Whether we have “acted out of ignorance” or knowingly turned to sin because of the false and temporary pleasure it gives us, we fall into sin. God is not only merciful and loving, but he is patient with us. It is now on us to make the movement back home, to respond to the grace that restores us to holiness. If you identify yourself as a sinner- Paul describes himself as the foremost sinner, now is the time to rise and return to the Father of mercy. Like the prodigal son, it is time to examine our conscience, come to our senses, repent and return to the father whose reckless love is constantly displayed in the sacraments.
 
Our reflection on God’s unrelenting search for us and his generous and unending mercy has resulted in my decision to add to confession time here at St. Peter. I will start hearing confession on Thursday from 5 pm to 5:45 pm. Mass on Thursday begins at 6 pm flowing seamlessly into Eucharistic Adoration which wraps up at 7 pm. Examine your conscience frequently, and you probably would find a need to go to confession more often. The reckless love of the Father of mercy awaits you in the confessional.
 
If you check your calendar for the week, you will notice that we have exciting memorials and feasts scheduled for Monday through Saturday. Avail yourselves of these means of graces.
 
-Fr. Bernard, OP,  a beneficiary of the Father’s mercy.

Beloved brothers and sisters,
 
                                                                Qualities of Jesus’ Disciple
 
Discipleship comes at a high cost—us following Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and Life demands of us deep-rooted love for Him. Jesus expresses in a seemingly harsh language the burden of discipleship when he turned to the multitudes following him and said to them:” If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Lk 14:26). What appears to be an inappropriate language for describing the condition for following Jesus is a Semitic idiomatic expression which means that the option for Jesus and his Gospel must always take priority over our love for ourselves and those close to us, including members of our immediate family. An essential quality for anyone who wants to be a disciple of Jesus is their readiness always to prioritize loyalty to Jesus over others. Discipleship costs much.
 
To follow Jesus and proclaim His kingdom entails calculating the cost. Becoming Jesus' disciple demands everything we are, especially our trust and faith in God's will for us.  And always, God’s plan for us is to carry our cross and come after Jesus willingly. Therefore, we must continually discern our ability and will to offer sufficient sacrifices as the Lord demands. He requires us to practice detachment from material comfort and trust in his love and providence. The conditions for following Jesus are challenging. Yet, we must admit that God’s wisdom is more significant than our wisdom and worth our trust (Wisdom 9: 17-18). Like St. Paul, we must love God above all other things to become prisoners for Christ and his Gospel (Philemon 9: 10, 12).
 
Carrying our cross and following in the path of Jesus is a burdensome task. Yet, it is the only way to fulfill the demands of discipleship. We are often at moral crossroads on where to go or what choice to make in our day-to-day living. We live in circumstances where we must choose Jesus and His Gospel over other competing interests. Our option may cost us the love and friendship of people dear to our hearts. The suffering that we go through in the process of loving Jesus above self and loved ones is not tragic or useless suffering. Jesus has transformed the agony of bearing crosses into channels of grace. Jesus has sanctified our sorrows in His name. We need the grace of God and our own will to carry our cross as faithful disciples of Jesus. God’s grace is sufficient for us. Let’s pray daily for His grace.
 
Happy Labor Day! As we celebrate Labor Day this week, let us thank God for the gift of labor-the ability and opportunity to work. Work often calls for sacrifice, but it also points to the dignity of the human person. We pray for all who work hard to be rewarded and those without a job to get one soon.
 
I invite you all to our monthly Eucharistic Adoration on Monday. Come with your family to pray for the grace of discipleship. Also, do not forget to attend our Thursday evening mass as we celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Our parish offers many means of graces we need to strengthen our capacity to bear the cost of discipleship generously and joyfully. I invite you to the banquet of love; please come.
 
In the Cross of Christ,
 

Beloved brothers and sisters,
 
                                                          Who Do You Invite to the Banquet?
 
A leading Pharisee invited Jesus to dine at his home, and he told his host and other guests a parable about an invitation to a wedding banquet. Jesus took a moment to throw light on the virtue of humility and charity as essential to Christian living and contrary to the egoism on display by other invitees to the dinner seeking to occupy places of honor at the table. At the same time, Jesus told his host to "invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind" to his banquet (Lk 14:13). The "unworthy" ones should receive more attention than family and friends who are in a position to repay the host quickly. Inviting the "unworthy" to the banquet will invite divine reward (Lk 14:14).
 
One way of understanding the wedding banquet is to see it as symbolic of the church gathered around the Eucharistic table of the Lord. Who do we invite to the Eucharistic banquet? Who do we invite to church? Who do we ask to "approach Mount Zion and the city of the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countess angels in festal gathering, and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven" (Heb 12: 22-23)? We should invite all and any "unworthy" to the community gathered for the sacred banquet. Asking others to come to mass and church is evangelization's work. Jesus wants us to step out of our familiar comfort zone to extend an invitation to those we may consider "unclean" or "unworthy." For example, according to the old covenant law, the disabled, the lame, and the blind are considered ritually impure and unfit to fellowship at the table (Lev 21:18). However, Jesus is changing this demand of the Old Law. In the new covenant, Jesus establishes the priority of love and grace. He wants us to reach out to those outside the body, inviting them to receive nourishment and grace from the sacred table.
 
Jesus invites the spiritually lame or blind to come to join the banquet. We have to see this in light of evangelization. Have we asked someone not considered liturgically "worthy" to go with us to mass? Even if they are not yet in the proper state to share the sacred meal with us, they can sit around the table with us and still experience divine nourishment from the table of the Word.
 
I want to say a big thank you to all members of our parish who put in a significant shift at the CCW and Men's Club pavilions at the Elizabethtown Fair this past week. In some regard, you were doing the work of evangelization on behalf of our parish, and only God can reward you adequately. Let's continue to display the attitude of sacrifice and giving as we prepare for our parish picnic in September. We should invite someone, especially parish members, to attend this massive banquet of love and unity.
 
In Christ,
 
Fr. Bernard, OP