Our Lady of Peace Roman Catholic Church

The first reading for mass today is Acts 5:34-42. Today, a member of the Sanhedrin, Gamaliel, persuaded the Sanhedrin to not stone the Apostles, reminding them of others who had arisen in the past but whose movements died after the leader died. He told them that, is this movement is of human origin, it, too, will die out, but if it is from God, they may find themselves fighting God (a little prophetic there). The Apostles were flogged and then released with the warning to ...never speak of Jesus again (yeah, that didn't happen). On their part, the Apostles rejoiced that they were found worthy of dishonor in the name of Jesus. Sometimes, it may feel as if Christianity is under attack by some of the media and by some of those in power. Let that not deter us in our faith or in living and expressing our faith. As Paul once wrote, our faith is more precious than fire-tried gold. We may have to face some adversity but our reward will be eternal life if we stay true to our faith. The gospel is John 6:1-15 and tells us John's version of the feeding of the 5000, which matches what is in the other gospels. Again he feeds them with 5 barley loaves and a few fish and, after everyone had eaten their fill, the Apostles gathered up 12 wicker baskets full of fragments. Because Jesus knew the people wanted to take him and make him king, he withdrew to the mountain by himself. This whole chapter of John's gospel is about Jesus feeding us - first the 5000, and then later is his "Bread of Life" discourse in which he promises to feed us with his body and blood. Jesus feeds us in word and sacrament. He feeds us with his presence in our life. He feeds us with his body and blood. Later in this chapter, when some of the disciples leave because of his teaching, he turns to the Apostles and asks if they, too, want to leave. Simon Peter responds, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You alone have the words of eternal life." As I said, he feeds us with word and sacrament. May we always be nourished by his Body and Blood in the eucharist and be strengthened and nourished in spirit by his word. God bless and stay safe and stay healthy. Pray for peace and for an end to the pandemic. See more

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The first reading today is Jonah 3:1-10. Jonah finally goes on his "reluctant" mission to the city of Nineveh to warn them of God's impending wrath. Jonah told the people "Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed." (There's one of those magical numbers, again - 40) There must have been something in what he said or how he said it, or perhaps people had seen Jonah as a person of God. Whatever it was, unlike Sodom and Gomorrah, the king and the people listened and wore... sackcloth and ashes as a form of repentance and God relented. We are also on a 40-day journey of repentance and change in our life, journeying toward Easter and the great holy days of the Paschal Triduum, our holiest days of the year. May we use this time like the people of Nineveh and repent of our sins. The gospel is Luke 11:29-32. Jesus condemned the people of that generation who kept asking for a sign. He told them that they would only be given the sign of Jonah (three days in the belly of the whale/the earth), and comparing them to the people of Nineveh who listened to Jonah and repented. He also told them the queen of the south (Sheba) would condemn them because they did not listen to the wisdom of Jesus, and the Ninevites would condemn them because they would not repent. It is our turn to listen to the wisdom of Jesus. Now is the time of repentance. Now is the time to change our life and prepare for Easter. God bless and stay safe and stay healthy. Pray for peace and an end to the pandemic. See more

I apologize that there wasn't a post yesterday. I had almost completed one and I must have hit the wrong button and it disappeared. Didn't have the energy to rewrite my thoughts. The first reading today is Isaiah 55:10-11. Isaiah indicates the Lord compares his words to the rain which comes to earth to water the plants that produce the grain which feeds the person who eats the bread or the produce. God's word comes to us as a gentle rain to feed us and nourish us and, hope...fully, returns to God fruitful and not void. Let us use the word of God to our benefit and to the benefit of others. May we return God's word to him bearing fruit. The gospel is Matthew 6:7-15. This is part of his Sermon on the Mount which actually encompasses three chapters of Matthew's gospel and includes the Beatitudes. He is warning us to not pray like the pagans, who use many words to pray, believing that many words will make them heard better. He then gives us the version of the Lord's Prayer that most of learned as children (Luke's version is different). Jesus also tells us that God knows what we want before we even ask for it. He also knows what is in our heart so he knows if our prayer is sincere or just words. It is good to say the Our Father everyday, at least once, if not more. it is also okay to offer our own prayer. What is important is that our prayer is from the heart and is sincere. God bless and stay safe and stay healthy. pray for peace and an end to the pandemic. See more

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Our Lady of Peace weekly bulletin for December 13, 2020.

Pope Saint Damasus I is today's Saint of the Day. He was born of a pious family in Rome, Italy in 306. His family was of Spanish descent. He served for a while as a deacon at St. Laurence Church, which was his father's church. An assistant to Pope Liberius, Damasus was chosen the 37th pope in a disputed election in which a minority chose the anti-pope, Ursinus. The two popes reigned simultaneously in Rome, which led to violence between their supporters and false accusations... of Damasus having committed a crime. Damasus' pontificate suffered from the rise of Arianism as well as several schisms which included the break-away groups in Antioch, Constantinople, Sardinia and Rome. It was during his pontificate that Christianity was declared the religion of the Roman state. He enforced the edict of Emperor Valantinian, which stated that there must be controls on gifts to prelates. He opposed Arianism and Apollinarianism and supported the 374 Council of Rome which decreed that the valid books of the Bible and the Grand Council of Constantinople which condemned Arianism. He commissioned St. Jerome to make the translation of Scripture known as the Vulgate. Damasus restored catacombs, shrines and the tombs of martyrs. He wrote poetry and metrical inscriptions dedicated to those martyrs which stated that he wanted to be buried in the catacombs with the early martyrs, but that the presence of his lowly status would profane such a place. Ten of his letters, both personal and those written as a pope still survive. He died in 384 of natural causes. His patronage includes: Archeologists For more information, go to: http://catholicsaints.mobi/calendar/11-december.htm See more

December Parish Council minutes.

Saint John Roberts is today's Saint of the Day who was arrested and martyred for the fact he was a priest. He was born in 1577 at Trawsfynydd, Merionethshire, Gwynedd, northern Wales. He was the son of John and Anna Roberts and his ancestors were princes in the country. He was raised a Protestant, but always had an affinity for Catholicism. He was a law student at St. John's College in Oxford but left the school without having finished a degree. He went on to study law at the... Inns of Court and in 1598, while traveling in France, joined the Church of Rome at Notre Dame in Paris. He entered the English College in Spain, but left a year later to join the Abbey of St. Benedict and a novice at the Abbey of St. Martin in 1600 where he was ordained. He returned to England as a missioner. Over the next several years, he was arrested, banished, exiled and during a search for suspects involved in the Gunpowder Plot, he was found in the home of Mrs. Thomas Percy and was arrested again. He had no connection to the plot, but spent seven months in prison. He was exiled again in 1606. While in exile, he founded a house in Douai for exiled English Benedictines, which eventually became the monastery of St. Gregory. Fr. John was responsible for the conversion of Blessed Maurus Scott. He was arrested again, sent to prison and escaped, but re arrested. His execution was scheduled for May of 1609, but through the intercession of the French ambassador, his sentence was reduced, but he was exiled yet again. He returned to England a few months later, and arrested whilst celebrating Mass on December 2, 1610. Three days later, he was convicted of the crime of priesthood! He was martyred with Blessed Thomas Somers on December 10, 1610 in London, England. He was hanged, drawn and quartered, his body taken to St. Gregory's in France but disappeared during the French Revolution. He was canonized on October 25, 1970 by Pope Paul VI. For more information on this martyr, go to: https://catholicsaints.info/saint-john-roberts/ See more

Saint Juan Diegowas born in 1474 about 15 miles north of what is now modern day Mexico City. He was a poor mat maker, farm and field worker who was an poor free man in a society that was extremely class conscious. Juan Diego was a married man, but had no children. He was also a mystical and religious person, even when he was a pagan. He became an adult convert to the faith, along with his wife, when he was about 50 years of age, taking the name we know him as, Juan Diego. I...n 1529, his wife passed away. On December 9, 1531, he received a vision of the Virgin Mary who left him an image of herself on his tilma. (cloak) Cloaks, made from local yucca plants wear out relatively fast, however, the one in the basilica remains until today. He died May 30, 1548 of natural causes, was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 9, 1990 and canonized July 31, 2002 by Pope John Paul II at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. This basilica houses the cloak on which the image is impressed. For more information on this fascinating saint's journey to Christianity, type in St. Juan Diego in your search engine at https://www.catholic.org and http://catholicsaints.mobi/calendar/9-december.htm See more