The most difficult times can produce the greatest spiritual blessings. God truly knows just what we need at every moment!

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

St. Peter’s Parish Mission

Humanity is lost without the Gospel

(inspired by the teaching of St. Paul and the life and work of Fr. F. Jordan)

St Paulman with the realistic vision

of the world living in misery

because of the lack of knowledge of God.

Fr. Francis Jordan – Founder of the Society of the Divine Saviour.

March 28 – April 1, 2009

1 day - Saturday – Sunday

The value of the Gospel

Where are we now?

How did we get there?

Diagnosis and expectations, the fundamental hostility between the World and Christ

2 day – Monday

Justification through Faith in Jesus Christ

Where are we going?

From darkness into Light

3 day – Tuesday

Justification and the Christian life

How do we get there?

Faith in Christ à Love of Christ à obedience to Christ

Salvation – man’s way and God’s way, wrong idea of self salvation

4 day – Wednesday

Duties of Christians

How do we win eternal life?

New life in Christ

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Friday, March 20, 2009


Lenten Mission

March 21 – 25, 2009


Theme: CONVERSION IS AN ONGOING LIFE PROCESS

The talks will be given by Jim Marland

 

Saturday, March 21st, and Sunday, March 22nd

during all Masses:

Who Said You Could Speak?

The Teaching Authority of the Catholic Church

 

Sunday, March 22nd 7:00 PM – in the parish hall

Our Greatest Need is to Say “I’m Sorry”.

 

Monday, March 23rd Mass at 6:30 PM

mission to follow – in the parish hall

Our Greatest Longing is to Hear “I Forgive You”.

 

Tuesday, March 24th Mass at 6:30PM

mission to follow – in the parish hall

A Discussion: What About Community?

 

Wednesday, March 25th

9:15 AM at St. Matthew School

12:45 PM at St. Dominic School

 

Wednesday, March 25th,

6:30 PM - Penitential Service for all parishioners at St. Matthew Church



Are you upset?

Is there something that bothers or preoccupies you?





Saturday, March 14, 2009

March 15, 2009 - III Sunday of Lent - B

 

Ex 20:1-17 or 20:1-3, 7-8, 12-17; 1 Cor 1:22-25; Jn 2:13-25

 

Few days ago I got a letter from one of these corporations sending different type of advertisements, bulletins and booklets. In the letter I read:

 

There is no doubt you feel the increasing encroachment of godlessness in every aspect of public life: godlessness in governments; godlessness in economics; godlessness in the universities; godlessness in the courts; godlessness in the sciences; godlessness in the news media; and even godlessness in once-Catholic families.

 

It is a godlessness that quickly turns into a tangible hostility to religion.

 

This godlessness has come about due to a loss of belief in the one true Catholic Faith. Central tenets of the faith have been undermined, ridiculed and denied, perhaps as never before in history.

 

The average Catholic, immersed in the worldwide media of television, radio and the internet, is constantly bombarded with direct or indirect assaults on his Faith.

 

And how can one live a good moral life if one’s Faith has been decimated? The collapse of the Faith is the cause of the unprecedented rise in immorality of our time.

 

At first I was rather astonished and ready to rebuke this kind of negativistic vision of the world. It cannot be so bad. We have still some good examples of faith and morality. We cannot see all in such a black and dark colours, such a negativistic way.

 

But a day or so later, I read today’s readings and I did a simple verification and comparison of the readings with the contemporary reality.

 

In the first reading we have the Ten Commandments, the law of God, about what one of the philosophers said, that there is no possibility of denying the ultimate value of this law.

 

1.  You shall not have other gods besides me.

2.  You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain.

3.  Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.

4.  Honour your father and your mother,

5.  You shall not kill.

6.  You shall not commit adultery.

7.  You shall not steal.

8.  You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.

9.  You shall not covet your neighbour’s house.

10.  You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or anything else that belongs to him.

 

And yet if I verify these instructions with our contemporary life...?

 

How many people live their lives worshipping money, comfort, extravagance, pleasure, success, satisfaction, wealth? Where in all this is God the Father?

 

How often even among Catholics especially politicians the name of the Lord is taken only for the political and unfair ways and purposes?

 

How many people keep the day of rest holy?

 

Honour your father and your mother” and I thought about the persistent agenda on euthanasia?

 

You shall not kill” and I thought about the pro-choice lows and abortion ...

 

You shall not commit adultery” – and immediately click out the pornographic industry ...

 

And we can continue with this comparision  ... and it will be no end. All commandments are constantly neglected, denied, rejected and contradicted in the name of human rights, in the name of human dignity, human freedom, in the name of civil liberties ...

 

And then I read the Gospel, where I see Jesus Christ in rage and how the “zeal for the house of God is consuming Him” and I realised that most probably He will react in the same way seeing what is going on with His Church, the Temple of God today. How often this Temple of God became only the marketplace of the personal opinions, private convictions, individualistic statements, the place of business and commerce where no more God and His worship is present but ME and MY personality, the worship of myself?

 

godlessness in governments; godlessness in economics; godlessness in the universities; godlessness in the courts; godlessness in the sciences; godlessness in the news media; and even (I will dare to say) godlessness in once-Catholic Church. Central tenets of the faith have been undermined, ridiculed and denied, perhaps as never before in history.

 

Should we fell in desperation and anxiety, hopelessness and despair? Should we be depressive and sad?

Is it really so bad?

 

And then I read the short passage from the letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, our second reading today:

 

Brothers and sisters:


when Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom

we proclaim Christ crucified,"


Yes also in the contemporary world some a searching for miracles and signs, others for human wisdom, but we proclaim Jesus Christ crucified.


He is a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,

but to those who are called, the power of God and the wisdom of God.

 

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,

and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

 

“Jesus Christ crucified is the power of God and the wisdom of God” and He will certainly take care of His Temple, and will cleanse His Church.

 

As long as we believe Jesus Christ crucified we don’t need to be afraid, hopeless and depressive.

Sunday, March 08, 2009

March, 8 2009 - II Sunday in Lent

 Gn 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18; Rom 8:31b-34; Mk 9:2-10

 

In the Creed at the end of the Liturgy of the Word we firmly profess:


I believe in God the Father almighty ...

I believe in Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord ...

I believe in the Holy Spirit ...

I believe in the Holy Catholic Church ...”

 

But the question is:

 

“Believing in God, do I believe God, do I trust Him?”

“Believing in Jesus Christ, do I believe and trust Jesus Christ?”

“Believing in the Holy Spirit, do I believe and trust Holy Spirit?”

“Believing in the Catholic Church, do I believe and trust this Holy Church?”

Do I really believe that God will never defile or disappoint me? Do I believe that Jesus Christ is always present in His Church and that this Church is guiding me to the eternal life?

 

All three readings today are just about these questions.

 

Abraham asked by God to sacrifice to God his only son says readily and unhesitatingly “YES”. And because of his trust he is reworded:

since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son, I will bless you abundantly and make your descendants as countless as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore; your descendants shall take possession of the gates of their enemies, and in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing — all this because you obeyed my command.

 

St Paul in his letter to the Romans reminds us strongly:

 

If God is for us, who can be against us? Who will condemn us? Who will separate us from the love of God?” If only we believe Him and trust Him ....

I can be against myself, I can condemn myself, I can separate myself from the love of God if I don’t believe and if I don’t trust Him!

 

And finally in today’s Gospel the Father confirms and authorizes the messianic mission of Jesus Christ:

 

This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Do I really listen to Jesus Christ? He is the One who founded and create the Church. If Jesus Christ is really the Son of God, why do I not believe Him, why do I not trust Him?

 

He is the One who said:

 

On this rock of Peter I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” (Mt 16,18). Why do I not believe Church, why do I not trust Church?

 

God did all to authenticate and certify Himself. God did all by sending His only Son to save us and to show us His love. The only one thing I have to do is to believe Him, to trust Him like Abraham even against the common sense, against my human pride and very often against arrogance.

 

Fr. Kazimierz Kubat SDS