June 29 - Sts. Peter and Paul

On June 29 the Church celebrates the feast day of Sts. Peter & Paul. As early as the year 258, there is evidence of an already lengthy tradition of celebrating the solemnities of both Saint Peter and Saint Paul on the same day. Together, the two saints are the founders of the See of Rome, through their preaching, ministry and martyrdom there.

Peter, who was named Simon, was a fisherman of Galilee and was introduced to the Lord Jesus by his brother Andrew, also a fisherman. Jesus gave him the name Cephas (Petrus in Latin), which means ‘Rock,’ because he was to become the rock upon which Christ would build His Church.

Peter was a bold follower of the Lord. He was the first to recognize that Jesus was “the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” and eagerly pledged his fidelity until death. In his boldness, he also made many mistakes, however, such as losing faith when walking on water with Christ and betraying the Lord on the night of His passion.

Yet despite his human weaknesses, Peter was chosen to shepherd God's flock. The Acts of the Apostles illustrates his role as head of the Church after the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. Peter led the Apostles as the first Pope and ensured that the disciples kept the true faith.

St. Peter spent his last years in Rome, leading the Church through persecution and eventually being martyred in the year 64. He was crucified upside-down at his own request, because he claimed he was not worthy to die as his Lord.

He was buried on Vatican hill, and St. Peter's Basilica is built over his tomb.

St. Paul was the Apostle of the Gentiles. His letters are included in the writings of the New Testament, and through them we learn much about his life and the faith of the early Church.

Before receiving the name Paul, he was Saul, a Jewish Pharisee who zealously persecuted Christians in Jerusalem. Scripture records that Saul was present at the martyrdom of St. Stephen.

Saul's conversion took place as he was on his way to Damascus to persecute the Christian community there. As he was traveling along the road, he was suddenly surrounded by a great light from heaven. He was blinded and fell off his horse. He then heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He answered: “Who are you, Lord?” Christ said: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”

Saul continued to Damascus, where he was baptized and his sight was restored. He took the name Paul and spent the remainder of his life preaching the Gospel tirelessly to the Gentiles of the Mediterranean world.

Paul was imprisoned and taken to Rome, where he was beheaded in the year 67.

He is buried in Rome in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.

In a sermon in the year 395, St. Augustine of Hippo said of Sts. Peter and Paul: “Both apostles share the same feast day, for these two were one; and even though they suffered on different days, they were as one. Peter went first, and Paul followed. And so we celebrate this day made holy for us by the apostles' blood. Let us embrace what they believed, their life, their labors, their sufferings, their preaching, and their confession of faith.”

Humphry Davy

Life is made up, not of great sacrifices or duties, but of little things, in which smiles and kindnesses and small obligations, given habitually, are what win and preserve the heart, and secure comfort.

~ Humphry Davy

Holding

People who live in the forests and mountains of India have an age-old method of catching monkeys. They do not run after the monkeys, and they do not use ropes. Rather they rely on their understanding of a monkey's behavior. They carve pots with necks as long as a monkey's arm and a base large enough for a banana. The monkeys, eager to collect their food, put their arms down the neck of the jar until they have the banana in their tight grasp. Unable to pull it through the narrow neck, they sit holding their treasure, unwilling to release their grip for fear of losing it. Because they cannot give up the banana in their grasp, they remain immobilized, and the villagers simply pick them up.

We are all afraid of letting go of what is in our grasp, that is why we become prey to the domination of others, whether that be advertising, other people's will pressed upon us, or mindlessly following the crowd. We take a leap of faith when we "let go," but in that leap of faith we might find our freedom in a variety of small or big ways. I will release what my mind is clinging to and refusing to let go of.

What I hold onto, holds onto me.

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Independence Day

Sometime between 1411 and 1427, a Russian monk, Andrei Rublev, painted an icon that he named The Trinity. What is interesting about The Trinity, is that it does not depict the Trinity as we usually envision it. Neither God the Father, God the Son nor God the Holy Spirit are there. What is there are three angels, a table, a bowl, three chairs, a house and a tree. Like most icons it is flat and some might consider it plain. Yet in 1551 a Council of the Russian Orthodox Church declared it “to be the ideal medieval painting of its type, and the model for all Orthodox Russian artists”(Encyclopedia Of Art Education). Ultimately Andrei Rublev was canonized by the Orthodox Church.

So why am I telling you about this icon. I’m telling you about it because it is better known by its other name, The Hospitality of Abraham. And you probably have seen it at some time or another. It tells the story about when God visited Abraham in Genesis 18:1-10. Abraham didn’t know it was God, he only saw three men. Even though he didn’t know who they were, he welcomed them, washed their feet and provided a feast. Before they left, “One of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and Sarah will then have a son.” This is one of the greatest hospitality stories in scripture and today’s first reading and Gospel are also about hospitality.

In today’s first reading from 2 Kings 4:8-11,14-16a, we hear about a woman from Shunem who offered Elisha hospitality multiple times. She built him a room and furnished it so that whenever he was in Shunem he had a place to stay. In return for her graciousness Elisha promised her a son. Hospitality is one of the greatest virtues of the Bible. The scripture scholar William Barclay observed that: “If a man is a true man of God, to receive him is to receive the God who sent him.” Jesus carries this virtue into New Testament duty in today’s Gospel from Matthew 10:40-42, “whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me…. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because the little one is a disciple--amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."

The virtue of hospitality is recognizing the presence of God in other people and honoring and nourishing that presence. We cannot all be prophets, or preach and proclaim the word of God, but we can all practice the simple virtue of hospitality. By practicing hospitality each of us can bring the Kingdom of God into our hearts, homes, communities and the world.

On Saturday, we celebrate Independence Day. We are celebrating the 250th birthday of the United States of America and the principles of democracy and freedom. And so, we pray:

God of justice, 

Father of truth, 

who guide creation in wisdom and goodness 

to fulfillment in Christ your Son, 

open our hearts to the truth of his Gospel, 

that your peace may rule in our hearts 

and your justice guide our lives.

Make our vision clear and our will strong:

that only in human solidarity will we ­ find liberty,

and justice only in the honor that belongs

to every life on earth.

Turn our hearts toward the family of nations:

to understand the ways of others,

to offer friendship,

and to ­find safety

only in the common good of all.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. 

Amen

Four Wives

Once upon a time there was a rich King who had four wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing but the best.

He also loved the 3rd wife very much and was always showing her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would leave him for another.

He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his confidant and was always kind, considerate, and patient with him. Whenever the King faced a problem, he could confide in her, and she would help him get through the difficult times.

The King's 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not love the first wife. Although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her!

One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was short. He thought of his luxurious life and wondered, "I now have four wives with me, but when I die, I'll be all alone."

Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I have loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?"

"No way!", replied the wife, and she walked away without another word. Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart.

The sad King then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?"

"No!", replied the 3rd wife. "Life is too good! When you die, I'm going to remarry!" His heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, "I have always turned to you for help and you've always been there for me. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?"

"I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!", replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave." Her answer came like a bolt of lightning, and the King was devastated.

Then a voice called out: "I'll leave with you and follow you no matter where you go."

The King looked up, and there was his first wife. She was so skinny as she suffered from malnutrition and neglect.

Greatly grieved, the King said, "I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!"

In truth, we all have 4 wives in our lives:

Our 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it will leave us when we die.

Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, it will all go to others.

Our 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for us, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.

And our 1st wife is our Soul, often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power, and pleasures of the world. However, our Soul is the only thing that will follow us wherever we go. So cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of us who will follow us to the throne of God and continue with us throughout Eternity.

When the world pushes you to your knees...

You're in the perfect position to pray.

The Road

Sometimes when life seems so unfair,

I feel I don't belong...
I even doubt few strengths I have,
And wonder what is wrong.

I must accept there is no way,
For me to change all things...
So I seek the quiet of a special place
The peace it always brings.

Just a country road that serves me well,
Where I leave my hurt and pain…
Replace it with the strength I need,
A faith to help sustain.

There's a gentle breeze that reaches out,
Dries tears upon my face…
I thin that God walks here himself,
To share his love and grace.

Time and trials go hand in hand/
No use to run away …
Each sunset is a chapter closed,
Each dawn, a brand new day.

~Loree (Mason) O'Neil

Trust Him