Reflections and Special Features

Inside–Out

By: Deacon Pete

25 October 2026 Bulletin

Proverbs 4:23 "With all vigilance guard your heart, for in it are the sources of life." (NAB) "Keep your heart with all vigilance; for from it flow the springs of life." (RSV) And in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus said, "A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks."

It is within our hearts, the core of our lives, the source of who we are, that INSIDE part of us "complex creatures" that flow what is most important to us–good, or evil. If we consistently consume filth, sinful and worldly living, then that is what our hearts produce. On the other hand, if we consistently consume Goodness, Scripture, Prayer, the Holy Eucharist, right living, intently steering away from the "world" and its darkness, then out of our hearts will flow Holiness and peace. Jesus revealed the Pharisee's position that outwardly they "looked" holy and righteous, but inwardly they were "full of dead man's bones." Therefore, out of the "abundance of their internal wickedness" they were able to crucify the Son of God. We can do the same when there is a greater abundance of "the world" within us, rather than an abundance of "the Lord." Every moment of every day, we get to choose what we "feed" on, what will become "abundant" in our own hearts. As Christians, our lives do not belong to this world, but to eternity. We may "look" like we belong here, but if we are truly living as we should then anybody we have an encounter with should be able to clearly know within a brief exchange that the Lord is the source of our lives, and is our primary focus. This is basic evangelization: Not so much in the words we say, but the action we demonstrate–because it is from the fullness, the abundance of our hearts! (Think of the Good Samaritan story...) If we are always angry or hostile, self-seeking and self-righteous, rather than peaceful, joyful, a servant, caring more for the other than for ourselves, our hearts are being revealed for who we really are. What is "the most important" in our hearts is revealed in our lives: either darkness or light, wickedness or goodness, fear or trust, unforgiveness or forgiveness, judgement or mercy, etc. Only by our surrender to the Lord Who can save us and change our hearts can the Outward part of us reveal the Holiness we are each called to... If we allow Him, through Repentance and prayer, God will change our Inward heart so that the Outward part will be for Him and His service.

Have We 'Missed the Boat'?

By: Deacon Pete

18 October 2026 Bulletin

Our Lord told St. Faustina (Divine Mercy) "I want to give Myself to souls and to fill them with My love, but few there are who want to accept all the graces My love has intended for them. My Grace is not lost; if the soul for whom it was intended does not accept it, another soul takes it" (Diary, #1017). Think about that for a moment –How many graces have we completely missed because we were not open to God's perfect will for us at various moments in our lives? In this temporal earthly life we share in common, it is hard to always realize that there is a far-more significant spiritual part of us, an eternal component that is the source of who we truly are as human beings! This mortal body lives an intensely brief life, a life that seems often to drag on day by day. But, when we stop to ponder our past years, it has flown by so quickly that the coming natural "end" looms ever before us – a constant reminder that this Gift of life we have now with all of it joys and sorrows and struggles will, in a hundred or two years mean virtually nothing! "There is no remembrance of past generations; nor will future generations be remembered by those who come after them." (Ecclesiastes 1:11) Yet, despite the world forgetting all about us, the Lord will NEVER forget us (see Isaiah 49), because He created us to be with Him forever, and to be known by Him in a personal and profound way! He has given us this life – this Chance, or Opportunity – to come to know Him in this way. And as St. Faustina reveals, God is constantly offering us the many Graces we need to gain eternal life, but we often "miss the boat" – miss those graces because our hearts are focused elsewhere. The allure of power, the riches, the pleasures of life – all of these things are Gifts of God, but can easily be turned into vices (and even our own personal "gods") if we choose not to keep The Lord Our God front-and-center. Our life here is preparation for our future life with God in Heaven. The question is: are we intentionally using THIS life to learn about, focus on, and strive to know our Faith, ourselves, our sins, our vices, our "blemishes" that cannot enter Heaven? Brothers and sisters, we are naturally inclined toward sin, due to The Fall. But, our Lord offers us those Gifts of Faith, Mercy and many Graces, because He knows that apart from these, we cannot gain Heaven, the goal of our lives! Make a choice today to strive to know Him better, and ask Him for a heart more open to receive that many Gifts he offers us,

so that we will NOT "miss the boat!"

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Say Grace!

By: Deacon Pete

11 October 2026 Bulletin

"Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to His call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the Divine nature and of eternal life." (CCC #1996)  "Grace is a participation in the life of God." (CCC # 1997)

These Gifts of Grace are essentially supernatural; they surpass the being, powers, and claims of created nature; they are the indispensable means necessary to reach the Beatific vision. In simpler words, "since no creature has a right to the Beatific vision, the finality or purpose of Grace is to lead one to Eternal Life."

(Modern Catholic Dictionary, p.236).

Our Creator gives us Grace because without it, we cannot reach salvation & Heaven. That being said, HOW do we gain Grace? First, we must understand that we cannot "earn" Grace, as it is a Free gratuitous Gift from God. Therefore, we, as His creatures, must make ourselves "available" to receive this Gift by making our selves "present" to Him.  Prayer, Mass, Retreats, Holy Hours, Silence for the purpose of praying – these are common ways where we essentially place ourselves in the presence of God, and where he ordinarily dispenses Grace. Clearly, the less we place ourselves in a "state of reception",

then it makes sense we will not receive as much Grace

as one who routinely makes him/herself available.

As we grow in the practice of God's minute-by-minute presence in our lives, Grace also imperceptibly grows within us; and after a period of consistent cooperation

with His Grace, we come to realize just how much of it was permeated our souls! 

To begin, ask the Lord in prayer to help you remember Him each morning, and offer your day to Him;

ask Him for the Grace and Blessing
that you need that day to do all that is on your plate.

And also ask for the Holy Spirit to prompt you throughout the day to simply remember that

God is present with you,

and offer a simple prayer of Thanksgiving.

Just these easy daily steps will, over time,

make a tremendous difference in your heart being

open to what God has for you each day,

as you make Him a greater part of your life! 

May the Lord Bless your efforts!

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Paradox!

By: Deacon Pete

4 October 2026 Bulletin

One of the most important insights we gain as we draw closer to God by closely following His commands and instruction is that living the Christian life is primarily a PARADOX! His Light vs. the Darkness of our world; Dying to ourselves for Him brings us Life; He who is First shall be Last; and, when we are weak, then (in Christ) we are Strong! And these are just a few examples. This partly explains why those folks "in the world" who are not actively pursuing the Christian faith view it as extremely limiting, burdensome, and antithetical to a "real and free life"! They say, "You want me to give up these things that bring me happiness and things I enjoy, to live a limited and joyless life?" What they have not yet understood is that the person who surrenders their life to Jesus, who tries to live daily according to the precepts of the Christian faith experiences a freedom in this life that the world cannot give – and "that Peace which surpasses all understanding." When we open our hearts to God, when we live with a desire to know God better, when we make Him a priority in our lives, little by little, He pours out into our lives that Godly wisdom, Insight, perspective, and truth that can only come from Him – and ALL of these attributes are paradoxical to the way the world sees life. As Christians who are striving to know the Lord, He almost imperceptibly converts our hearts to see life through His eyes, to understand Him better and to know beyond any shadow of doubt that He is alive within us and He is TRUTH! Our hearts begin to hunger for Him, for His Word, for His Presence – for PRAYER and communion with Him. We notice how Mass on Sundays (or even daily) leaves us with a Joy that is only found because we gave Him ourselves for that time of worship, and fellowship, and Adoration and surrender – and He gave us Himself in His Body & Blood! Again, PARADOX: we gave Him what little we have to offer, and He gave us HIMSELF, completely, totally, unselfishly!  Jesus promises us, "My yoke is easy..." but ask anybody who has tried their very best to live as Jesus calls us, and IT IS HARD! In fact, Impossible, apart from the Grace of the Holy Spirit! Yet, He offers us every possible help that we could need, if only we're open to it!  Never forget that God LOVES YOU and Made You for Heaven, and wants you to be there with Him forever. The obstacle we must overcome is ourselves: Pride, Arrogance, Self-centeredness, etc. To lay down our lives in order to 'Love One Another' may be the toughest calling we face. But, with the Call comes the Grace to fulfill it, if only we can get out of His way! So, ponder these Paradoxes, and ask for Wisdom to understand them, and live them. 

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Gotta Pray! 

By: Deacon Pete

27 September 2026 Bulletin

I cannot remember which saint said, "You can't have faith without Prayer, and Prayer only grows from Relationship" but it is true! Faith is a Gift; want more faith? Then ask our Father for it! (Well, OK, but, if I don't really have a relationship with God the Father, then I'm not comfortable asking for more Faith, because I may think "He doesn't love me", or "He ignores my prayer because I'm a sinner", or (insert your feeble argument here....)). Firstly, every human being is created by God because of Love — He Loves You! Secondly, there is NO PERSON ON EARTH who is Not a sinner!  If we are living and breathing, then we are a sinner! All the more reason to PRAY! Understand, our Heavenly Father wants to have a deep and personal relationship with each of us; He wants to know us intimately, thoroughly, tenderly, and to be familiar with us – think of a Best Friend! It is possible to know God this deeply, but the necessary foundation for this relationship is Prayer! Yes, we can pray the Rosary, and many Novenas, and all sorts of devotions, and these are wonderful things to do – and greatly encouraged. However, think about your best friend: you speak directly to that person, you discuss intimate things like dreams and struggles and joys, and hurts... You share your emotions, you laugh! Our Father wants to know us like this best friend does, partly because at the coming end our earthly lives, we are going to meet Him, and He wants us to be prepared, and to already know Him personally, and desiring to be with Him forever in Eternity – THIS is the whole reason we are alive on this earth — to get prepared for eternal life! So, PRAYER is the key to knowing God. And what works for me personally may not perfectly work for you, because we are not the same! But, we are more than happy to share what has worked for us – and what has Not worked!

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Thirsting for God

By: Deacon Pete

20 September 2026 Bulletin

We are meant to be “filled to overflowing” with God’s presence and Holy Spirit every day! This is one reason Jesus instructs us how to pray through the “Our Father” prayer, and also teaches us that "WHEN you pray, go into your room and close the door, and pray to your father in secret…” (Matt 6:6) The “eternal” part of us is always "hungry for God”, thirsting to be close to Him and filled with Him, satisfied spiritually the way a rich and tasty meal satisfies us physically. Both our bodies and our souls must be fed, yet far too often the “fast” we make is with our souls, while we satiate our stomachs in rich fare. The season of Lent teaches us to turn this practice “upside-down” and fast physically so as to enrich ourselves spiritually. But this Lenten practice should be the springboard for our daily lives, encouraging us to maintain this eternally-wealthy practice weekly, if not daily! Consider our THIRST for water… When we are thirsty, we consume a glass or water, or maybe two. But, can we totally quench this thirst, where we will never need to drink anything ever again? Of course not! The same with meals –we must consume enough food to live; we must drink enough water daily to survive. Ok, so if we take that same principle and apply it to our spiritual life, we see that our souls also need daily sustenance. And just how do we sustain our souls? Weekly (if not Daily) Mass, Daily prayer, Reading God’s Love Letter (the Holy Bible) to us, learning about the Saints and how they lived, and did I mention PRAYER? Five minutes of real, focused and humble prayer opens our hearts to satisfy the thirst we all experience, however briefly. Ten or fifteen minutes of deep and real prayer is even better – and even better than that is multiple “moments” of true prayer (one reason the Church has promoted the centuries-old Liturgy of the Hours – a requirement for all Clergy, but highly recommended for all the faithful – because it designates a continuous “schedule” of periods of prayer throughout every day, essentially fulfilling the command “to pray without ceasing”...)  So, going forward, when the Holy Spirit prompts us during our day with a “God thought,” consider taking a moment to ask Him for His blessing or help; don’t ignore it and carry-on – stop, even for a moment, and turn to Him and respond from your heart. Just as our bodies let us know when we are thirsty, the Lord prompts our spirits to let us know when we are in need of His indwelling. Satisfy that spiritual thirst by allowing the Lord to quench the dryness in our hearts.

He longs to fill you with Himself!

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Flesh or Faith?

By: Deacon Pete

13 September 2026 Bulletin

We human beings are composed of body & soul, flesh & inner self.  Physical and spiritual; Temporal and Eternal. These two essences comprise “who” we are,

yet in many ways “wage war” against each other, and the desires of the body often are opposed to the desires of the spirit. The “earthly” is hungry for sustenance, both physical and emotional, while our spiritual side is fed

by God and the Holy Spirit, by serving others,

by communal prayer with the Father, by thinking less about ourselves and more towards other’s needs. As our spiritual side is fed by the things of God, we find that true peace, joy and happiness in this life that the world cannot provide. In Corinthians, St. Paul reminds us that “we are stewards of God, placed here by Him in order to do His work.” (St. Joseph Weekday Missal) As I asked in my last homily, “Why are we here?” the Missal provides a unique perspective, which St. Paul backs up in his exhortation, “... you are fleshly people, infants in Christ. While there is jealousy and rivalry among you, are you not of the flesh?” (1 Cor. 3) Here we recognize the sin-nature common to all of us – our “infantile jealousy and rivalry”, basically our Pride that rears

its head as we make every attempt to give ourselves significance, worth, importance – to make

Our Way THE Way! Our eternal calling to purity and holiness waging-war against our nature; as creatures, we are geared to “survival of the fittest” but as living, spiritual beings created by our Heavenly Father, we are called to Humility and Sacrifice and Submission (called to follow the example set by our Savior Jesus Christ). It is the “Battle for our Soul" and offers us the choice to live in the Flesh, or to live by Faith. This choice is DAILY, often multiple times each day! But, if we recognize that EVERY challenge we face in this life is actually OPPORTUNITY to grow in our spiritual lives, and we offer the challenge, pain, struggle, or “cross” to

Our Lord in union with His suffering, then it becomes a beneficial means toward our salvation! God has placed us here for Himself, and if we will cooperate with

His plan, we will grow into the holy and saintly persons we are made to become!

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Are You Dead Inside?

By: Deacon Pete

6 September 2026 Bulletin

Jesus scolds the Pharisees, saying, “You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones.” (Mt. 23) WOW! I would not want Him to say that about me! Yet at various times in each of our lives we have been “pharisaical” or had a “holier than thou” attitude toward our fellow man. Jesus was so excellent at saying the truth with a piercing and pointedly word (after all, He is the “WORD made flesh,” the Word of God in person). For those of us trying our best to live faithful Christian lives, we oftentimes rely upon our own efforts, thinking we can earn our salvation if only we work hard enough, or “say those eight prayers each day” or whatever our idea of “good works” may be. My brothers and sisters in Christ, we CANNOT earn the gift of salvation! It is the FREE GIFT of God, received by Faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ’s passion and death. And we do not have to be “all cleaned-up” or sinless to accept this Gift (we cannot become “worthy” – It Is a GIFT). We come as we are, “filthy and decrepit in heart, full of wickedness and evil intentions” because this is the common lot of mankind as a result of Original Sin's

influence upon us. Apart from God’s Grace, we are destined for Hell, but by accepting the Gift of salvation, the wickedness in our hearts will be cleansed from us, forgiven and reclaimed for His righteousness. God makes All Things New; we are “new creatures” in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). THIS is salvation – where submission of our lives to the Grace of God results in us becoming the person He created us to be; we become “righteous” (not self-righteous, but rather, full of the righteousness of God, because we’ve submitted our lives to Him, Who is Righteousness Himself! Whether or not we repent and surrender, we are God’s Beloved, because He made us in Love; BUT if we allow Him to take control of our lives, THEN we become Beloved, new people who spread His "belovedness" and love throughout the world. Allow Jesus to make you ALL Clean, from the Inside out!

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The Fountain of Youth

By: Deacon Pete

30 August 2026 Bulletin

At various times throughout history, different explorers have claimed to discover that mystical Fountain of Youth. Typically a water source like a fountain or spring that yielded "magical" properties, it was said whoever consumed this water would live forever. The earliest accounts date to the writings of Herodotus, five centuries before Christ. In the 16th century, Ponce de Leon came to Florida searching for it, and was told by the local natives it could be found on the island of Bimini.  The concept of "living forever," or doing everything possible to avoid death, is still rather prevalent today. In Western society, it seems many are preoccupied with remaining young-looking, or avoiding aging, through cosmetics, surgery, with some going to the extreme of being Cryogenically frozen upon death, so as to be preserved for some future time. Sadly, I have to believe that these folks have ignored the Gospel message of Eternal Life; they believe they have the better way.  Honestly, THAT is the difference between being a “disciple of Jesus”, or a disciple of the world; Are we seeking God's Will, or blindly following the world? As Christians, our earthly life has a clear and definite purpose: to submit our lives, our jobs, families, vocations – in fact, EVERYTHING – to the Will of God, and to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Consider how terribly brief our lives are compared to Eternity!  It is like one minuscule grain of sand compared to all of the sand upon the earth, or maybe that molecule of steam compared to all of the water on earth. In reality, we are nothing!  Insignificant!  And yet, we are so Beloved by God our Creator, that He became a Man just like us, yet without sin, so that we could have a way back to Eternal Life forever, with the Holy Trinity and ALL the Saints! THAT is the Good News, and an Incredible thing to ponder! In our Heavenly Fathers' eyes, we are Most Precious! We were created for Heaven, our TRUE home; not for this earthly world! After all, our Souls are eternal, unlike our bodies, which will cease to exist at some date.  Some of the Saints and Doctors of the Church say that in Heaven, we will be like we were back in our 20's or 30's! THAT is the true Fountain of Youth – Eternal Life forever with the Lord. The Bible is full of passages describing our future home in Heaven: Our citizenship is in Heaven (Philippians); an imperishable Heavenly inheritance (1 Peter); the New Jerusalem (Revelation), and so on. In fact, getting to know Scripture, especially the New Testament, reveals exactly WHY we need to focus on our eternal future, and How we can attain it – after all, getting to Heaven is Our Choice, and easily lost if not pursued with honest intention.  Jesus spoke of the "Narrow path" that leads to Heaven, yet few follow it. The Saints who’ve gone before will guide us home, if we ask and allow them, and cooperate with what Scripture teaches. Knowing Christ, and His teachings is the REAL Fountain of Youth, because when we truly know Him, we will be looking forward to "passing through the veil" and finally being at our real home = Heaven! We will no longer want to remain young forever, let alone live here forever! Know Jesus, Know Peace; no Jesus, no peace!

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Wisdom

By: Deacon Pete

23 August 2026 Bulletin

Read the headlines of the newspapers (or news articles online). They speak of Division, War, Factions, Political camps, etc... This is the "Wisdom of the world" which is "foolishness" as St. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians (3:18-20). In its many forms, foundationally it is selfish ambition, arrogance and pride. It is much like the Tower of Babel, where the people built a monument to their own greatness. As a result of "The Fall" and Original Sin, we are naturally geared to build up ourselves as all-important, as "primary." We tend to think that the world needs to revolve around us, that "our say" has more weight than anyone else... To this, St. Paul says, Foolishness! "Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show his works by a good life in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. Wisdom of this kind does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:13-17) Is this "gentle, peaceable, reasonable and fruitful" approach what we commonly find in the world? Nope! But it is exactly what we, as disciples of Jesus, are called to be. It is borne in a life of Prayer! "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom!"(Prov. 1:7) This "fear" is not cowering to our God, but rather a simple understanding that He is God, and that we are not! It is Humility before Him and His creation. When we pray and approach our Creator in Humility, He begins to fill us with His Wisdom. (As a practical example, I was a Senior Computer Numerical Control Technician for a particular machine brand for nearly 30 years, yet many times I would be driving to a customer's machine that was "down" and I didn’t know why, but while on my way there I would pray and ask the Lord for His Wisdom to fix the machine so as to get my customer back up and running. After all, He knows what's broken or has failed (He knows Everything!), and that Wisdom was revealed as I worked on the machine, and by the Grace of God I was successful in fixing their issue!) Our Lord WANTS us to know Him intimately, and He wants us to live with His Wisdom, Understanding, Insight, and Peace so that we can live lives that bear fruit for the Kingdom for which we were created, and (hopefully) for which we are eternally destined! Prayerful Lives bear the fruit of God's graces, which includes this precious Wisdom!

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Jesus' Little Heaven 

By: Deacon Pete

16 August 2026 Bulletin

St. Therese of Lisieux wrote: “Our Lord does not come down from heaven every day to lie in a golden ciborium. He comes to find another heaven which is infinitely dearer to him–the heaven of our souls, created in his image, the living temples of the adorable Trinity."

Jesus wants your heart–ALL of it! He wants to place Heaven within you, to give you a firm glimpse, a taste, of what awaits those who choose Him! He so desires to dwell in your heart, to rest there and make His home there, that you become "His little heaven" in a personal yet profound way! He wants to reveal in your soul that future and eternal home that awaits you; to birth within you a hunger and purpose of holiness, of purity, of sanctity. THIS is the "Pearl of Great Price" that life-changing knowledge of Who God truly is, of how powerfully He loves you, and how much you matter to Him–that He longs for the day when you've completed your earthly race, when you've accomplished what you were created to do for the Kingdom; when you've come to know Him and His deep and abiding love centered upon YOU. Brothers and sisters, Jesus came to give us Life, not just eternal life, but ABUNDANT LIFE here in this brief, temporal moment of preparation for our eternal life in Heaven . . . It begins now! But it requires of us a Surrender of our hearts our will to the One Who knows what we were made for . . . A daily offering of ourselves to Him and His Will, an exercise of humility on our part, as we seek to enthrone Him upon our hearts, making His priorities for us all important. Once we've allowed Him to become the King and Lord of our lives, Heaven will gradually break upon us here and now, to prepare us. He will give us a taste even now of that everlasting Happiness, Peace and Joy that only He can give. Because we know that nothing impure, nothing blemished or in any way unholy can enter into Heaven, Jesus wishes to begin that process of personal purification here and now. But that only happens when we allow Him to do so. So offer your heart to Jesus as "His little heaven" within you, and give Him

permission to make His home there.

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The Old and The New

By: Deacon Pete

9 August 2026 Bulletin

Many of us believers look at the Old Testament (OT) and think that our God is an "angry, vengeful, demanding" Master, with little love or concern for His creatures. Yet, upon reading the New Testament and the many stories about Jesus, His miracles, His mercy, His compassion, it seems as if there are two different personalities of God. But, they are most definitely "one and the same" and the overall story is centered upon LOVE! Throughout the OT, God slowly reveals Himself to His chosen ones, and begins to demonstrate His love for them. He provides instructive "guardrails" (think "10 Commandments") which provide parameters to govern our interaction with Him and His community; these Laws define boundaries that will result in good and abundant living, if followed. Sadly, in our society at-large today, we have generally ignored His commands, and essentially "spit in His face," angry at Him that He would dare to impose His will upon us. Not much has changed, unfortunately, in that regard. However, when Jesus became Incarnate upon the earth, and the many OT prophecies began to be fulfilled though Him, those who truly worshiped the One True God recognized Who Jesus was, and adored Him (think the Shepherds, the Magi, Zechariah...) As Jesus became known to the people He ministered to, He radically changed the OT perspective from a "vengeful God" to one Who showed mercy and truth in His interactions with the people. He also demonstrated great power over demons, and over earthly elements, and even over death, proving that He truly was the Son of God. Surprisingly, Jesus was also fully present throughout the OT, and fully present at the Creation of the World ("in Him ALL things were created...") Jesus is Logos, or Word ("In the beginning was the WORD, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,... all things were made through Him...") So, Jesus fulfills the Old Testament; He became Man, sacrificed His life FOR US; shows us in an even simpler way how to live for God ("Love One Another") and gave us His Holy Spirit (the Power we need to overcome our sinful ways and become holy). If we choose not to we will meet that God of the Old Testament when we die, and follow Him, but instead to ignore Him and follow the world, experience His wrath. This is because He loves us more deeply that we can possibly know; but because we have chosen not to give our lives to Him and follow Him, the only option is eternal separation from Him. This is NOT God's intended plan for us – His plan is to love us into Eternal Life with Him and all the Saints. But, we have that free choice to know the God of Love in Jesus revealed in the New Testament, or that God of Justice mostly revealed in the OT. Choose Love!

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Talking to God

By: Deacon Pete

2 August 2026 Bulletin

Prayer is the single most important aspect of our faith-life. Simply put, Prayer is merely a conversation with God – Two-Way communication! Yet, I so often hear people who say they have a very hard time praying... That they just don't know HOW! And, of course, there are hundreds of books out there trying to help us learn to pray, and some seem to "speak" to our situation, and many do not. The key, in my humble opinion, is PERSEVERANCE! 

God made each one us different; we are not the same, and we are not supposed to be the same! This is why we are Individuals! So what works for me may not work for you, but because the Lord WANTS us to Pray, and Expects us to Pray, He is always there to assist us, teach us and guide us along this path of communication. I suggest beginning by speaking to God as a friend, not as a Master or Boss. Never forget He Loves You, and He made you specifically because He wants to be with you forever! I believe that distraction and learning to be Quiet, are two of the biggest obstacles. Understand, that all of the Saints and spiritual masters also dealt with mental distractions.  But again, Perseverance will yield the best results. Also understand, that we speak to God what is on our hearts – Thanksgiving and Praise, Concerns and fears, Struggles and Questions -- our Loving Father wants us to pour out our hearts to Him! (Just another reason I love Eucharistic Adoration because the silence and setting allow prayer to flow naturally!) And God typically speaks to us through His Word, the Bible, or through the writings of the Saints. Study the text of The Lord's Prayer:  it begins with Praise and Worship, asks for God's will in our lives, asks for sustenance (and "bread" can be not only food, but everything we need to do His will), Repentance and the Grace to Forgive (critically important), protection from evil, and then back to praising God for His Omnipotence. That's the perfect model for prayer!

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Growing Like a Weed

By: Deacon Pete

26 July 2026 Bulletin

Jesus taught us about the Weeds and the Wheat. One is good, the other is not. Yet He tells His servants to allow the weeds to mature along with the Wheat, up until the harvest, when they will be separated. Clearly, His parable calls us to become the Wheat, the righteous, the holy ones, Saints – those who have decided wholeheartedly for God! They are the good fruit at the final harvest. Yet, we ALL started out as weeds... Some of us are very likely still a weed, meaning we're allowing the whims of society and the world to dictate how we live, rather than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What is our primary influence? What is the source of our nourishment? How important is Jesus Christ in our life? These questions can be easily answered by looking at the "fruit" in our lives... Do we attend Mass consistently (maybe even during the week)?  Has it been more than three months since our last Confession? How is our daily prayer life?  When is the last time we opened up the Word of God? How much time beyond that One Hour at the weekend Mass do we spend actively pursuing our Faith? The honest answers to these questions reveal whether we're the Weed or the Wheat. If the former one is the answer, the Good News is that we can still choose to change, and repent and begin again! Our loving Father is just waiting for us to decide to make Him our priority, and He'll give us exactly the Grace, the nourishment we need to turn away from the world and pursue Heaven. Be The Wheat!

About Asher Kosack, Seminarian, Archdiocese of Baltimore

I was born Orthodox Jewish in Baltimore City. Eventually, my family moved from Baltimore to Cumberland. After several years, we moved back to Baltimore, where my dad had a vision of the cross. The next day, after my dad asked us if we would want to be Christian, we said ‘yes’. After a year and a half of being first Evangelical and then Baptist, we found our way into a Catholic Church in Baltimore City, where, after a period of catechesis, I received baptism, confirmation, and first communion in eighth grade alongside my family. Shortly after, I felt the call to the priesthood. The year after I graduated high school, I got accepted into the Seminary! I am now the oldest of eight, and my family lives in Cumberland again! I love baking, magic tricks, and languages. 

Asher was assigned to our parish in the summer of 2026. He contributed the following reflections during his internship. The series was named "Kosack Korner" and appeared in our bulletins, June-July, 2026. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us, Asher! May God abundantly bless you in your continued discernment and preparation for the priesthood.

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Ministry of Presence

By: Asher Kosack, Seminarian, Archdiocese of Baltimore

26 July 2026, Bulletin

 “Be still and know that I am God! (Psalm 46:11)

My time at St. Peter the Apostle in Garrett County has been great! It is always an exciting time to get assigned to a parish, it is also exciting to intern and live in a parish environment and exercise pastoral skills that will one day be of great service to me and my community. One thing that has stuck with me in my past parish assignments, each pastor to some extent taught me something called the ministry of presence. One does a lot as a seminarian and as a priest, or in any walk of life. But, throughout it all, it can sometimes be more beneficial to just be there for someone. You do not have to say or do anything, listening is essential in any relationship. Jesus knows this, as well, in giving us the practice of Eucharistic Adoration, simply being with Jesus for an hour. Just being present is essential, and letting the Lord take you where you need to go, is a big part not only of my formation, but of our faith itself. I have learned a lot this summer, and I enjoyed being with all of you. Thank you for your hospitality.

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God as Father 

By: Asher Kosack, Seminarian, Archdiocese of Baltimore

19 July 2026, Bulletin

“You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You”

(St. Augustine, Confessions, Book 1)

God wants us to develop a strong relationship with Him, and through that relationship, with everyone else in Christ. This is a foretaste of heaven. To get into Heaven is to “be with Christ” (CCC 1025). I was reflecting on something I heard a parishioner in Baltimore say: “all you need to do to get into Heaven, is to follow the 10 Commandments”. That is not necessarily wrong, but these commandments are not ends in themselves. So, why do we have so many rules and “thou shalt” statements? God gives us rules the same way parents give us rules, not for the sake of limiting our freedom, but, interestingly enough, to expand our freedom. Like in any relationship, certain boundaries can lead to a stronger and more fruitful communion. God is our Father, and He is perfect, He knows what we need before we ask (Mt 6:8).

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Servants of God

By Asher Kosack, Seminarian, Archdiocese of Baltimore 

5 July 2026, Bulletin

The Archdiocese of Baltimore was recently blessed with five new priests. There was a grand ordination Mass at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore on Saturday on June 20, attended by many family, friends, priests and seminarians. It is always a surreal experience, especially as a seminarian, to see one’s friends become priests. It can be easy for many to forget his or her general call by God in the midst of day-to-day tasks, like exams or papers. The Ordination Mass for me and for many other seminarians is a reminder of the ministry we are called to do. These new priests are now assigned to parishes to preach the word of God and to celebrate the Holy Mass. No matter our vocation, we will face difficulties, but nonetheless, we can and ought to remain close to God in prayer, through the resources He has given us. “With men this is impossible: but with God all things are possible.” (Mt 19:26).

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The Image of God

By: Asher Kosack, Seminarian, Archdiocese of Baltimore

12 July 2026, Bulletin

“Then [God] said: ‘Let us make man to our image and likeness’” (Genesis 1:26). I have been reflecting on this aspect of our faith for a while on and off. Every year, a seminarian receives an apostolate, or acts of service outside of classes, and second year seminarians are typically assigned to serve at the Missionaries of Charity house in Washington DC. It is a home run by the religious sisters founded by Mother Theresa, serving the homeless and low income individuals suffering from mental illnesses. Although I served there two years ago, I am still struck by the joy of these sisters. They truly saw Christ in the other person, praying the Anima Christi at each bed they made for the residents. It was honestly a difficult ministry, but it helped me realize more concretely that Christ is present in everyone, even if they themselves do not know it. This is important because this fact goes beyond simply being nice to another person. When we accept this reality, it can profoundly affect our own relationship with Jesus and the people we meet, regardless of their socioeconomic status. Likewise, we also become that example and image of Christ for others. 

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Going up to The Sacrifice

By Asher Kosack, Seminarian, Archdiocese of Baltimore 

28 June 2026, Bulletin

What is the Mass? The Mass is “the same sacrifice as the Cross, but offered in a different manner—sacramentally under the appearances of bread and wine, rather than in a bloody, physical way” (CCC, 1367). The Mass is thus the most important prayer in the Catholic Church. The priest must also prepare, because he celebrates the Mass in the person of Christ, as His direct mediator (CCC. 1548-1551). Canon Law 909 also points out the importance of the priest making a prayerful preparation for the Mass. In fact, there is a specific prayer to be said as the priest puts on each vestment. The sacristy, where the priest vests, means “little holy place” or “holy room”, and traditionally, priests were expected to prayerfully prepare there to offer the most holy sacrifice of the Mass. We as the faithful ought to prepare for the Mass as well, to receive Jesus Himself as well as to thank Him afterward. In communion with the saints, let us never forget the gift God gave us in Himself!

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Why The Mass?

By Asher Kosack, Seminarian, Archdiocese of Baltimore 

21 June 2026, Bulletin

Some of you are probably wondering, or have wondered, why we call our celebration of the Eucharist “The Mass”. It occurred to me after visiting our Ukrainian and Maronite Catholic brothers and sisters, I learned that the Eastern Churches call their Eucharistic celebration the Divine Liturgy. Our word for “Mass” comes from the Latin verb “mittere”, meaning “to send”. The end of the Mass where we say “go, the Mass is ended” is not as exact to the Latin, which is “ite, missa est”. This means more exactly “go, it is the dismissal”. This word is used in particular, because we as Catholics are called to bring the word of Christ with us to the world. Our faith does not end after Sundays. We are sent on a “mission” (from the same Latin root as “Mass”) to go into the whole world and “preach the gospel to every creature”.    (Mark 16:15) 

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Our Stories

By: Asher Kosack, Seminarian, Archdiocese of Baltimore

14 June 2026, Bulletin

Jesus came to ask a Samaritan woman for water from her well, she was surprised. Jesus was Jewish, and she was a Samaritan. They typically did not get along due to historical differences and disputes about traditions. Jesus, however, saw past that. He unveiled her past with her husbands. When the conversation got serious, she tried to change the subject to less personal matters, “sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet” (John 4:19). Eventually, Jesus allowed her to see Him for who He is, and her life changed forever, when she could come out of her past to see God. Everyone has their own story. Last year, I had the privilege of participating in homeless ministry, where I heard stories and testimonies every other week. No matter our story, we can all learn to see Jesus in others, as well as ourselves.

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What is Intinction?

By Asher Kosack, Seminarian, Archdiocese of Baltimore 

7 June 2026, Bulletin

Recently, a few people have attempted to intinct the Body of Christ into the Precious Blood during Holy Communion. Here is an explanation of why intinction by anyone other than a priest is not permissible. This is also a reminder that intinction is not practiced at St. Peter’s.

Intinction, or the “dipping” of the Body of Christ into the Precious Blood is a valid and ancient method of receiving Communion, and is still the predominant method in many Eastern Churches. But the Church still holds strictly the laws which pertain to the body and blood of Christ in order to prevent misuse of the Eucharist or any accidents which might happen (spilling the Blood of the Christ onto the floor, which could be stepped on). While the communicants can validly receive via intinction, Communion in this way must be given only by the priest on the tongue (Redemptionis Sacramentum, 103).

In the Catholic Church, there is the doctrine of Concomitance, stating that Jesus’ full body, blood, soul, and divinity are present in both species (CCC, 1390). Two forms of the body and blood are used in Mass in order to make present the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, as His true Body and Blood were separated in the Crucifixion. We do not receive “more” Jesus if we receive communion under both forms. It does not take away from the action of receiving under both species, which is nevertheless an allowed and beautiful way to receive, and relates to the reality of the Mass as a supper (CCC, 1390). We can, however, still safely receive under one of the species, if we feel uncomfortable or sick.