Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

One of the classic movies from my youth was the Princess Bride (1987).  In this fairytale blockbuster, there is a scene in which the main character, Westley, is tortured and presumed dead.  His friends bring him to Miracle Max to see if he can bring Westley back to life to which Max replied, “Your friend is mostly dead, which is slightly alive. If all dead, there is only one thing to do… go through his clothes and look for loose change.” 

In the Gospel this weekend, the Author of Life meets death.  Jesus goes to see his friend Lazarus who had died two days prior.  So why does Jesus wait two days?  To make sure he is fully dead, as was the Jewish custom. 

Once Jesus arrived at the tomb, “he wept” (John 11:35), which is the shortest verse in the bible.  Jesus wept because death was not part of His plan.  Death is a consequence of sin (Rom. 6:23).  Today Jesus weeps for us too, for we are dead in our sins. 

Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, but He commands the Apostles to untie him.  This is a foreshadowing of the sacrament of confession.  Sin binds us but absolution loosens us.  Remember our Lord told St. Peter, “Whatever you loosen on earth, I will loosen in heaven” (Mt. 16:19).

I encourage each of us to go to the sacrament of confession sometime before Easter.  Like Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus, our hope lies in the fact that Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life.  If we believe in Him, even though we die, we will live!  It is our confidence that one day Jesus will open our graves and have us rise.  But today, we live out the Christian resurrection as we leave behind us the death of our sins, and by doing this, we allow Christ to raise us from our sins and His Church to unbind us so that we may have an abundant life. Do not be all dead or even mostly dead. Be fully alive in Christ Jesus!

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – March 31^st is the deadline for St. Peter Catholic School scholarships.  To register your child for our star school, please go to St. Peter Catholic School, Lincoln, NE (saintpeterlincoln.com).   

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

In his book, “How the Irish Saved Civilization,” Thomas Cahill makes a bold and true claim. The Irish Catholic monks “single-handedly re-founded European civilization throughout the continent.”  After the collapse of the Roman Empire due to the Barbarian invasions (6^th – 9^th centuries), the Irish monks brought stability, economics, order, culture, education, and religion throughout Europe. 

In the 18^th and 19^th centuries, Irish missionaries brought that same culture to Africa and the Americas.  However, today the faith in Ireland seems but dead.  The emptiness of churches brings many to lose hope in the reversion of one of the most devout and evangelical people the Church has ever known. 

Celtic legend tells of a dream St. Patrick had when he was an old man, after more than twenty years of working to convert the barbarian Irish. He was standing in a field and could see lights burning in the darkness. In front of him was Jesus, silently motioning him to follow him. 

The Lord led St. Patrick up a high mountain overlooking the valley, and there Christ pointed down into the darkness below. "Look," he said.

Patrick looked down and saw, amidst the shadow of the night, a great many flames burning, lighting up the countryside, warming Patrick's heart. He knew they symbolized the Christian faith he had planted, the faith that had grown and now spread across the island nation. He looked at Jesus and smiled. 

But Jesus wasn't smiling. He pointed back down the valley and said again, "Look."

Patrick looked, and to his horror, he watched as one by one, the flames died out.  Puff, puff, puff - and they were gone. In the darkness, the old and weary bishop looked back at Jesus with tears in his eyes. "Oh tell me," he said, "Lord, tell me, that Ireland will never lose the faith!" 

And as he broke down and cried, he felt a strong arm lifting him up and a gentle hand pointing his face down again to the valley below. There on the meadow in the darkness was a single lamp burning; a tiny flame that had been there all along, though Patrick had not noticed it before.

Suddenly, as before, another flame appeared that seemed to draw itself out of the other, and another from that one, and another and another, until the lights spread, once again, all across the countryside and more ablaze than ever.

Wherever there is a single Christian, there is undying hope because God himself, the unconquerable light, is present in every Christian heart. Every Christian needs to remember that hope needs to be unleashed in word and deed, unafraid of the darkness that surrounds it. To truly honor St. Patrick, go and make more disciples of Christ Jesus today.

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Catholics in the Diocese of Lincoln are not dispensed to eat meat Friday for St. Patrick’s day.  

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

I was a child of the missions.  No, not like the missions you think of in third world countries.  Rather the parish mission model.  St. Patrick Church in McCool Junction was a mission of St. Helena in Grafton for many years before it became a mission of St. Stephen in Exeter.  Today it is a mission of St. Joseph in York. 

As a mission parish, the only time we saw our pastor or gathered for prayer in our little wooden church on main street was at Sunday Mass at 9AM.  However, the season of Lent was an opportunity for us to gather one more time during the week for the devotion to the Stations of the Cross.  This devotion was my favorite as a child since it allowed us to enter into the greatest love story, our Lord’s passion and death. 

The Stations of the Cross began as a pilgrimage to Jerusalem as one followed the Via Dolorosa (The Way of the Sorrowful Mother).   It was expected, that at least once in a Christian’s life, one would make a pilgrimage to follow the footsteps of Christ to Calvary.  That was until the fall of Jerusalem to the Muslims in 1187AD.  During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Franciscans began to build a series of outdoor shrines in Europe to duplicate their counterparts in the Holy Land. And it was the duty of Franciscans to erect Stations of the Cross in parishes until 1862 when the Church allowed any priest to start the Stations of the Cross devotion in their parish. Will you make this devotion with me this Lent?

“Holy Mother! pierce me through,
in my heart each wound renew
of my Savior crucified:

Let me share with thee His pain,
who for all my sins was slain,
who for me in torments died.

Let me mingle tears with thee,
mourning Him who mourned for me,
all the days that I may live:

By the Cross with thee to stay,
there with thee to weep and pray,
is all I ask of thee to give.”

Stabat Mater; 13^th century hymn for Station of the Cross

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Please join us for Stations of the Cross tonight at 6pm and the remaining Fridays of Lent at 2:30pm and 6:00pm.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

Today is the feast of St. Katharine Drexel.  She was born in Philadelphia in 1858 to a wealthy family. Her mom died when she was a baby, and her father died when she was twenty-seven years old.  She inherited, in today’s value, over $14 million from her family’s estate. 

In the summer of 1884, she traveled to the wild west and visited the Dakotas and Nebraska.  She was so moved by the poverty of the Native American people that a few years later, she went to Rome to meet with Pope Leo XIII to ask him to send missionaries to help in the poverty-stricken land of the plains.  He told her to become a missionary herself. 

She followed his advice, gave up a marriage proposal, and used her family inheritance to establish 145 missions and 62 Catholic schools.  One of which is St. Augustine in Winnebago, NE. 

Her sanctity of life consisted of the love of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist and in His poor. To teach others the beauty of Jesus in these two things; she created a religious order, Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. This new order was often harassed by anti-Catholic groups like the Ku Klux Klan. 

In 1922 Beaumont, TX, the KKK threatened to burn down the church and school and kill the sisters. When one of the sisters came with concern to St. Katharine Drexel she said, “We should pray for them.”   

The next day an F4 tornado touched down and hit the KKK headquarters killing two of their leaders.  After the catastrophe, they never bothered the sisters again.  They figured out the hard way that you don’t mess with the brides of Christ!

St. Katharine Drexel was canonized because she demonstrated a love of the Eucharist and her belief in quality education for all and took great efforts to achieve it.  Following her example, we as patriotic citizens of Nebraska and faithful followers of Christ should support any legislation in the Nebraska unicameral that grants school choice to help low-income families have the same opportunity to attend our amazing Catholic schools. 

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – To enroll your child at St. Peter Catholic School, go to saintpeterlincoln.com/school.   

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

On a 30-day retreat in a Benedictine monastery in North Dakota, I greeted one of the monks, “How are you, Father?” He replied, “There is still a bit of the devil in me!” It sounds funny, but it expresses a truth about all of us. “There is still a bit of the devil in us” because we have not yet fully overcome sin.

Let's ask ourselves a tough question today. Am I a better Christian now than I was a year ago?  Am I becoming the saint that God created me to be? So often, the devil tricks us into not comparing ourselves to ourselves but to others. His deception often prevents us from addressing what we need to, which is the root of sin in our lives.

During Jesus' temptation in the desert, the devil makes the mistake of exposing the three roots of all our sins.  In each of us, one of these roots is bigger and stronger than the others (though we all have all three). If we can identify our main root sin, we can direct our spiritual work more intelligently and really start making progress as Christians.

The first tendency is pleasure and comfort, represented by turning stones into bread. This is the idol of sensuality. Life's pleasures and comforts are good things of God. As good as they are, they don’t satisfy our deepest needs. As Jesus said, we "do not live on bread alone."

Second, we can look for our fulfillment in power, in being able to do whatever we want without limitations.  This is the idol of arrogance and diabolical pride.  Thus, the devil's second temptation: "I shall give to you all this power and glory..."  When we buy into the lie that we are self-sufficient, we end up becoming slaves of selfishness, worshippers of the devil. Jesus answers, "You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve."

Lastly, we can look for our fulfillment in popularity or praise. This is the idol of vanity. People's opinions are fickle, and fashions change all the time, whereas God's friendship is firm and dependable. Risking that friendship for the sake of passing popularity is bad business. Thus, Jesus says to the devil’s third taunt, "You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test."

The words of the monk to me when I was on retreat are true of all of us. There is still a bit of the devil in us. Let us each promise, with the grace of God, we’ll fight sin in our lives.

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

Please join us for Stations of the Cross each Friday during Lent at 2:30PM and 6PM. 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Friends are like elevators; they take you up or they take you down. 

I was 24 years old when I met my best friend, Matthew.  He was from Chicago but was born in India.  On the surface, we had nothing in common.   We had very different upbringings.  We had different hobbies and interests. But he was a friend who showed me the beauty of Kingdom Living through his virtuous friendship and love of Jesus Christ.  He taught me how to live a Christ-centered life when we were FOCUS missionaries.  We were dubbed the cowboy & Indian duo at NDSU in Fargo. 

Today is the feast day of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order.  The founders, Bonfilius, Alexis, Manettus, Amideus, Hugh, Sostene, and Buonagiunta, were seven holy men of Florence who became bound to each other in a spiritual friendship. Together they recognized they were called by the Virgin Mother of God in a vision. Reportedly, they all shared the same vision (though at first, each was unaware that the other saw what he saw), the encouragement of Mary to “Leave the world, the better to serve Almighty God”.

Our modern notion of a friend is someone who I can get something from like amusement, advancement in a career, or other selfish utilitarian motives.  True friendship, however, is to will the good of the other.  The book of Sirach states, “A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure.  A faithful friend is beyond price, no sum can balance his worth. A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy, such as he who fears God finds; for he who fears God behaves accordingly, and his friend will be like himself” (Sirach 6:14-17). 

Brothers and sisters, bad friends take you DOWN to the pits of hell. Jesus ate and drank with sinners but did not sin with them. Today, I pray you find faithful friends who take you UP to eternal friendship with God in the Kingdom of Heaven. And that you are able to enter into friends, new and old, to share with them the transforming love of Christ Jesus.

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Mark your calendars and call the parish office to register for our annual retreat with Fr. Holdren next weekend.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,       

In the United States, there are about five thousand criminal laws.  Some of these are comical and nonsensical at best!  For instance, in Alabama one cannot wear a fake mustache in church.  A donkey cannot sleep in a bathtub in Arizona. It is illegal to get your fish drunk in Ohio.  On Sundays, in the state of Georgia, one can be fined for an ice cream cone in their back pocket.  If you are a one-armed pianist, you must play for free in our neighboring state of Iowa.  One thing you cannot show in the ‘Show-Me’ state is to drive with an uncaged bear in your car.  In our own state, it is illegal to go fishing for whales.  These laws may seem outlandish, but we can expect that they exist because they must have happened at one time or for a specific reason. Man, being a rational being, does not leave things to chance.

There are several types of law.  Natural law is the order in nature, like the law of gravity.  These laws cannot be changed, like the natural order of marriage of one man and one woman.  Based upon natural law, we have our own civil laws.  Divine law was given to us by God and is unalterable.  Finally, there are church laws, which are disciplines and traditions that are changeable, such as the Eucharist fast.  For our part, we must ensure civil laws do not contradict natural laws and, as best as possible, we create a society that prepares people to encounter and follow Divine Law.

In our Gospel this weekend, we hear about the Law.  Jesus gives six teachings, “you have heard it said to you…but I say to you…” (Mat. 5).  Jesus wanted to make it clear even before He raised certain Jewish understandings to a higher level that He was not abolishing the Law but fulfilling it.  The old Law was written on stone but the new Law is upon our hearts.  The new law shows the power of God’s love for us and in us and challenges us to go past trivial legalistic notions.

The Law in its fulfillment is a creative force that leads to the flourishing of all peoples. The Catechism states that the new law is a law of grace, freedom, and love (CCC 1972).  The law of grace is the gift of God’s life within us that allows us to act. St. John Paul II describes the law of freedom the best, “Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.”  Finally, the new law is a law of love infused by the power of the Holy Spirit which makes us act with love and not fear. Let us follow Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, (cf. Heb 12: 2) and receive the Holy Spirit living the new Law by His grace.

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Mark your calendars and call the parish to register for our annual retreat with Fr. Holdren.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

Salt is useful for so many purposes in human life!  Salt preserves, adds flavor, and is used for safety.  Before the days of refrigerators, salt was the only thing used to extend shelf life, preserving meats from decaying into stench and worms. They would not last through time and be found useful without salt. So also, Christ’s disciples, standing in the way of the stench that comes from the sins of idolatry and fornication, support and hold together this whole earthly realm. When Jesus tells us we are the salt of the earth he is asking us to preserve the world from becoming bad, to put it simply.  What would be irretrievably lost to the passage of time and decay can be preserved unto eternity in the Lord by the salt of grace.

Secondly, salt adds flavor. The Apostles have been compared with salt because of salt’s good taste and delightfulness. For without salt, neither bread nor fish is edible. So too without the apostles’ understanding and instruction, the world is dull and unwholesome.  Becoming active and alive in the faith makes us joy-filled people, which raises the level of the flavor of every human activity and thus transforms it.   Think about the many saints we have to look up to as models. Each has his or her own distinct flavor in which they show forth the glory of God. In contrast, the wicked of this world eventually degenerated to the same patterns leaving a dull and decaying way of life.

Finally, salt is used for safety.  Often, we find ourselves sliding down an icy hill toward a busy intersection.  What will save us from a certain tragedy? Salted roads.  The Gospel message is necessary and useful, so people do not slip and fall on the path of life.  We are heralds of truth, ‘salt of the earth’, so we should fraternally correct others who are slipping with the charity and joy of the Gospel. If salt is a true life-giver, let us not be deceived or afraid to employ it to help others from slipping.  

May the Gospel message today salt our souls so that we may preserve them until the end, add flavor to the world, and aid us to travel safely to our eternal home of heaven. 

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

One thing we may take for granted in our modern culture is education for all.  There was a time in society when only wealthy or smart boys could gain an education.  Our Faith recognizes the dignity and worth of every individual. As Dr. Jeremey Ekeler put it, “Catholic schools don’t have missions, our mission has schools.”  We have great saints like St. John Bosco, who educated the poor children of northern Italy. St. John Baptiste de La Salle inspired the youth of France to follow good Catholic teachers.  He said, “Young people need the light of watchful guides to lead them on the path of salvation.” Throughout the history of the Church, hearts have responded by making part of the mission to make disciples to show how God as the creator of all things can be known in all things. Thus, it is only natural we should educate in a space with the freedom to let God be overall and for all peoples.

Today is the feast day of St. Angela Merici. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, St. Angela became convinced there was a great need for a better way of teaching young girls. So, she opened her own home to them and began to teach them herself. She devotedly taught them the Catholic faith. By her example and instruction, she taught them to how to pray and participate in the sacramental life of the Church. She evangelized and catechized these young girls, opening them up to the life of grace.

St. Angela's goal was to elevate family life through Catholic education for women, the future wives and mothers. The community she founded (Ursuline Sisters) was different from many of the religious orders of women which existed in her day. One of her favorite sayings was, "Disorder in society is the result of disorder in the family."

This weekend we kick off Catholic Schools Week.  Here are just a few reasons to send your child or grandchild to St. Peter Catholic School. 

1. Authentically Catholic: Students are formed by the teacher, Jesus Christ. In their classrooms, activities, and experiences they come to know and love our Lord. Our Catholic school allows our students to ‘participate in the Divine Nature’ (2 Peter 1:4) by receiving the sacraments daily. We also have our three parish priests who visit classrooms, eat lunch with the students and attend school activities.  We are also blessed to have three religious Sisters of Christ the King teaching in our school. 
2. Affordable for all: Unlike many private, charter, or home school options, our Catholic school is available for any family. We offer local scholarships and the Good Shepherd Scholarship grants large families and families in financial need the ability to attend Catholic schools.
3. Academic Excellence: In an article published by the Wall Street Journal (Oct. 27, 2022), our Catholic schools have the nation’s highest scale scores on all four NAEP tests.  Nebraska public schools are 11^th in the nation.  Locally, the Lincoln Journal Star looked at Catholic schools in comparison to Nebraska public schools and found, “We’re above grade level in all subjects, sometimes by as many as two or three years…. Students in the diocese's six high schools also performed better on the ACT, the national college entrance exam, compared to the rest of Nebraska.”  Read the full report:  Catholic students in Lincoln fared well during pandemic, according to analysis of test scores.

There are many great options for the education of our youth but there is no substitute for Catholic education.  I am blessed to be a part of such a great Catholic parish and school.  If you are curious about St. Peter Catholic School, I echo the words of St. Philip to Nathaniel when he found Jesus, “Come and see” (John 1:46).

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

The human eye has an incredible ability to adapt to darkness or light. In the darkness, it is deficient without light. In a sense, the eye is straining for something it now lacks. The eye can adapt to see in darkness, but the vision is imperfect and can damage the eye. When the eye returns to full daylight, it takes only a short time to adapt again to the light. Being in a dark place and looking out into broad daylight can be painful to the eyes until you step out again into the sunlight.

In our Mass readings this weekend, we hear, “The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light” (Is. 9:1 & Mt. 4:16).  Who were these people sitting in darkness?  It was the people of the tribes of Zebulun & Naphtali, which is the region of Galilee.  They were the first tribes of Israel to suffer death at the hands of the Assyrians (733BC). 

As the first tribes of Israel to see death and darkness, they will be the first to see the light of life, Jesus Christ!

Today, we Americans are sitting in darkness in a land overshadowed by death.  The darkness of our day is the myth that some human lives don’t count.  Since the legalization of abortion in 1973, almost 80,000 million babies have suffered death.  This is eleven times as much as the Nazi Holocaust. 

Like the people of Zebulan & Nephtali, we too have been overtaken by a culture of death and now we sit in darkness.  But only in darkness can one’s light shine more brightly.  The light of Jesus Christ has broken through the darkness to illuminate the path of life toward eternal life.  Today, may our eyes be open to receive the light of Christ so that the defenseless baby in the dark womb, the condemned on death row in a dark cell, and the vulnerable ill in the dim room may see the light of Christ in us for “those who sit in darkness may see a great light!”   May the light of Christ, the light of life, shine through us.

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,       

In our Gospel this weekend, we hear St. John the Baptist say that he did not know Jesus.  Wait, didn’t he know him? He knew him personally. He was his cousin.  For John, after this experience of baptizing Jesus, he came to realize not who Jesus was, but what Jesus was.  Jesus was, is, and forever will be the Lamb of God.   

Why a lamb? Lambs were used as temple sacrifices.  The temple priest would offer up two sacrificial lambs each day for his sins and the sins of the people.  Jesus is both the high priest and the sacrificial lamb.  So, the lamb symbolized the price to be paid for sin.  Thus, the Passover lamb signified God's merciful and saving love.

Why does this matter?   Jesus is not the Lamb of God only for the Jewish Passover or 1^st century Christianity. Today, Jesus is the Lamb of God for you at every sacrifice of the Mass.  At each Mass, the priest echoes the words of John the Baptist, “Behold the Lamb of God.”  

If a Catholic receives Jesus in Holy Communion each week but does not realize they are consuming the Lord of the universe, who sets their lives in a wonderful new direction. Then sadly they have succumbed to nothing more than a ‘Parish Pavlov dog’ which are well trained but not authentic disciples. To be His disciple means being willing to change our schedules, our desires, and our lives to conform to His life. This is why I wanted the announcement read on Christmas regarding those planning to leave early from Mass to not receive Holy Communion. In this new year may we follow the Lamb of God to be His disciple and let our lives be changed.

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor 

PS – I will be gone this weekend giving a retreat on Divine Mercy at the retreat house. 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,        

We Americans love following stars.  Katy Perry has 71 million followers on Twitter and Justin Bieber has over 64 million.   Who are the stars that you follow?  Do they show you where to find Christ Jesus?

This weekend is Epiphany Sunday.  It is the day on which we celebrate when the star pointed the Wise Men where to find baby Jesus.

What was this star?  Scientists believe it was the planet Jupiter that intersected with the star Regulus in the Leo consolation and Virgo consolation.  The Magi determined by looking at the cosmos that the King of Judah was born from a virgin! Christ or Messiah translated in equivalent English today is King. The wise men’s journey of 1000 miles westwards from Persia, which could have taken three months, is a symbol of the inward journey they made in their hearts, a journey from paganism to belief in Jesus as the King of Kings, Savior of the world, and God of the universe.

Indeed, not just the wise men but all of us are on a journey to get closer to Jesus our King and Savior.

What are the ‘real’ stars in your life that lead you to Christ Jesus?  We frequently look for the things of this world and fail to recognize the greatness of the next. Too often we have our heads down.  If we have our heads down in our phones, tv, papers, etc. we may miss Christ Jesus who wants to come into our lives.  So maybe a good New Year’s resolution would be to spend time in adoration with Jesus in the Eucharist.  The pagan Magi were truly wise since they saw only a baby, but they acknowledged him as God.  This is why they prostrated before him in adoration. Are you ready to let Jesus be King of your life?

Like the Magi, we too must always follow our star with faith, promptness, and self-generosity.      

O Come let us adore Him! 

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

This Christmas, my family took a family photo.  It was difficult to coordinate colors since all I own is black.  I guess that makes me the black sheep of the family.  

Today is the Feast Day of the Holy Family.  Did you ever wonder why God bothered to invent family life?  He could have just made us like ferns - self-sufficient and self-propagating.  But he didn't. He created human persons, not machines, which share in His image and likeness.  Just as God is a Trinity, a communion of three Persons sharing the divine nature. He made each of us dependent on others and others dependent on us.  To be created in the image of God is to be created for family life.

But since we are human beings, our family life isn’t ready-made. The perfect family is not prefabricated somewhere and available for purchase on a wedding register.  Family life is a task, a calling we have received from God.  By creating us in his image, God has made us like a coloring book - the outline of what we are meant to be is provided, and the crayons, but it's up to us to color it in.

And how do we do that? How do we fulfill this central mission of our lives, sharing God’s life through living a truly Christian family life?  Three crayons are all we need to color in that portrait.

The first we can do to live a healthy Christian family life is to respect family roles. Children shouldn't act like parents, and parents shouldn't act like children.  It's like a triangle. Mom is one side, dad is one side, and the kids are one side.  If selfishness breaks one of those sides, the whole triangle falls.

The second crayon can be summed up in two simple words: I'm sorry.  If we know how to say, "I'm sorry," our family relationships can endure and grow even through very, very difficult times. The best gift we can give our families is to commit to being the first to say "I'm sorry" whenever there is the slightest need.

Finally, the third crayon is we have to expect trouble and rely on God’s help to remedy it.

The Holy Family was a family on the run, suffering, and struggling to survive.  If that's what happened to the holiest family in history, surely, we should expect some of the same for our families.  God permits hardships because he knows that hardships can bring us closer to him.

Family life truly is the school where we learn to color in the outline of the image of God in which we were created.

Our families are called to make a beautiful portrait of the love of God.  In summary, we can do that by; 1^st – respecting the natural order and roles in the family. 2^nd – forgiving and asking for forgiveness from our family members. 3^rd- enduring the hardships together.  If we do these three things, the portrait of our family will look more like the Holy Family.   

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

Yesterday I reflected on the day’s readings for Mass, and anticipating Christmas, a new word came to me. As I compared Hannah and Mary to examples of parenting I see today, I put a name to the latter, paidiism.  The word for child in Greek is paidi. The word paidiism is the worship of a child.  The word does not exist since this is a new sense of false worship in our modern culture. 

A few years ago, I read a story about a mother who created an Instagram post for her cute toddler.  The infant has over a thousand ‘followers’ and the mother tries to capture every moment of the child’s life.  This child is the center of the universe for the parents, capturing the best moments but not the real moments of human life. We can see other examples of a disordered parent-child relationship when the parents try to be friends more than mom and dad.  When parents spend time, money, and resources to live out their dreams vicariously through their children, and when parents fail to nurture their own spousal and social relationships at the expense of their child’s relationship.

It is easy to love children since they are innocent and the hope of our future. As beautiful as God’s creation of little children is, they are not God.  They are gifts from our loving Father. We live in a culture that rejects the gift of children through contraception, abortion, or sterilization.  The other extreme is to love the gift of children more than the Giver.   This is evident when families prioritize a child’s activities over the Sunday Mass obligation.  Failing to place God first in the family, followed by the spousal love of the parents that integrates children into family life, is the exact role reversal the devil intended for Adam and Eve.

I believe a great model for the proper love of children is Hannah in the Old Testament.  She was advanced in age and barren but desired to have a child.  She eventually gave birth to Samuel.  Once she weaned him, she brought the future prophet to the temple to leave him there and said, “I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted my request.  Now I, in turn, give him to the Lord…” (1 Sam. 1:27ff).  We encounter the ultimate example of giving back to God in Jesus, who says to the Father, “Behold I come to do your will.”

This Christmas weekend, we have the opportunity to have true worship of a baby, namely God, who became an infant in the person of Jesus.  Let this child be the center of our universe.  O come, let us worship Him! 

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

Please join us for Christmas Masses: Christmas Eve Saturday 4pm, 6pm, 10pm; Christmas Day Sunday 8am, 9:30am, & 11am.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

Human parents are careful about naming their children. They want the name to mean something, to signify how important this new life is to them.  God the Father was also careful about naming his Son.  He didn't leave it up to chance or to Mary and Joseph's creativity.  He chose it himself and sent an angel to announce the choice to Mary and Joseph. “She (Mary) will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Mt. 1:21).

In the Old Testament, God often changed people's names, mostly when someone was given a special mission in salvation history - like Abram and Jacob.  When God changed their names to Abraham and Israel, the meaning of the name signified their role in God's plan.  But when the Father instructs Joseph to call Mary's son "Jesus" even before he has been born, he shows that Jesus is not just another prophet. He shows that Jesus is his Son in an entirely unique way - so much so that God the Father has the right to choose his name from the very beginning of his human existence.

And what does that name mean? In Hebrew, Jesus means "God saves."  This name reveals Christ's mission. Unlike the Old Testament prophets, Jesus didn't come to earth only to announce God's plan of saving mankind from sin and evil; he came in order to enact that plan, to win that salvation.

The early Church writer, Origin (+253AD) once wrote, “Christians are seen to draw their courage not from incantations but from the name of Jesus…. The name of Jesus heals the afflicted in mind, puts to flight the spirits of darkness, and to the sick is an ever present remedy.” I encourage you to invoke the name of Jesus often. 

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Please take time to make a good confession before Christmas. Confession times this week are:

Saturday 3-4PM
Monday 7-8AM
Tuesday 6PM – 7PM
Wednesday 7-8AM, 4:30-5:30PM & 6PM -7PM
Thursday 6-7PM
Friday 7-8AM
No confessions on Christmas Day

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,         

A poor little girl took sick on a street in London one Christmas Eve. Some good people found her shivering on the sidewalk and took her to a hospital.  There she heard, for the very first time, the story of Jesus.  The Lord and Savior of history, coming into the world as a little baby.

One morning, Little Broomstick, because she was so thin, whispered to her nurse.  She asked her nurse if she had heard the story of Jesus being born. “I have,” the nurse stated.

The little girl looked up at the nurse with surprise and said, “You do know about Jesus? You look as if you never heard about him before, and I was going to tell you.”

The nurse’s curiosity was piqued. She said, “Why? How did I look?”

“Oh,” answered Little Broomstick, “Just like most people, sort of sad. And I thought you would never look sad if you knew about Jesus being born.” 

Our theme for Mass this weekend is joy and the color is pink (actually, the term is liturgical rose).  The 3^rd Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete Sunday.  Gaudete is taken from the Entrance Antiphon: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near” (paraphrase, Phil 4:4-5). Advent is a time of joyful expectation and eager preparation for the Solemnity of Christmas.

Pope Francis said, “A Christian is a man, or a woman, of joy: a man and a woman with joy in their heart. There is no Christian without joy!”  You may be told that there are many such Christians, the Pope warned, but “they are not Christians! They say they are, but they are not! They are missing something…The Christian identity card is joy, the Gospel’s joy, the joy of having been chosen by Jesus, saved by Jesus, regenerated by Jesus; the joy of that hope that Jesus is waiting for us…”

Brothers and sisters, to rejoice is to rediscover joy. A joy that can be rediscovered even in the midst of suffering and chaos, a joy this world cannot give nor contain.  This joy can only be found in giving your heart to Jesus Christ.

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – I look forward to seeing your Christian joy in your Sunday best ‘pink’ this weekend! 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

One of my favorite movies of all time is Elf.  I love Buddy the Elf’s childlike joy and excitement.  There is a scene in which he gets animated when he learns Santa is coming to the store.  He exclaims, “Saaaaaaanta!! I know him! I know him!”

This weekend ol’ Saint Nicholas is coming to visit after each Mass in anticipation of his feast day, December 6^th.  While I am excited as a kid on Christmas day to have a visit from our friend up north, I hope we all know that Jesus is better than Santa.  Here are the reasons why:

• Santa lives at the North Pole… Jesus is everywhere.
• Santa rides in a sleigh… Jesus rides on the wind and walks on water.
• Santa comes only once a year… Jesus is an ever-present help.
• Santa fills your stockings with goodies… Jesus supplies all your needs.
• Santa comes down your chimney… Jesus stands at your door and knocks.
• You have to wait in line to see Santa… Jesus is as close as the mention of His name.
• Santa lets you sit on his lap… Jesus lets you rest on His heart.
• Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly… Jesus has a heart full of love.
• Santa says, “You’d better not cry” … Jesus says, “Cast all your cares on me.”
• Santa’s little helpers make toys… Jesus makes new life; mends wounded hearts and builds mansions.
• Santa may make you chuckle but… Jesus gives you joy that is your strength.
• Santa puts gifts under your tree… Jesus became our gift and died on a tree.

It’s obvious there is really no comparison. We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about. We need to put Christ back in CHRISTmas, Jesus is still the reason for the season. Yes, JESUS is better, He is even better than Santa Claus.

So when Jesus comes again to us this weekend during communion at Mass, I hope you are excited like Buddy the Elf and proclaim, “I know Him! I know Him!” 

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Please join us for a St. Nicholas celebration and open house in our school after each weekend Mass. 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,       

Yesterday we celebrated Thanksgiving. Many gather in their homes, have a big turkey dinner, and share what they’re thankful for. But here’s how a certain television character described Thanksgiving. “To commemorate a past event you eat and kill an animal. It’s a ritual sacrifice… With pie.” Thanksgiving, in North America, is associated with the Mayflower pilgrims and their attempt to have a positive connection with the native people of the land, through the sharing of a meal. This commemorative meal usually includes a roasted animal and, yes, pie.

Biblically the concept of thanksgiving has nothing to do with pilgrims but is associated with sacrifice. The Hebrew word todah is the thanksgiving sacrifice done to show how thankful you are. For example, in one of David’s Psalms, he writes, “I wash my hands in innocence that I may come near Your altar, O YHWH, to raise my voice in thanksgiving [todah] and declare all Your wonderful works.” David offers his voice in thanksgiving. It’s what he has to give to show his thankfulness.

I offer my thankfulness to God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us at St. Peter Church.  How shall I return thanks for all the good the Lord has done for me?  “I will lift up the chalice of salvation and call upon the Lord” (Psalm 116:13).  

Please join us this weekend to give thanks to God for all the good He has done for us. 

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,       

In 1908, the famous English historian and writer, Hilaire Belloc ran for the British Parliament. His opponents tried to scare off his supporters by claiming that Belloc's faithfulness to the Catholic Church would inhibit him from being objective and a good leader.

"Gentlemen, I am a Catholic. As far as possible, I go to Mass every day. This [taking his beads out of his pocket] is a rosary. As far as possible, I kneel down and tell these beads every day. If you reject me on account of my religion, I shall thank God for having spared me the indignity of being your representative."

The crowd was shocked for a minute and then burst out in applause.  Belloc went on to win that election and many more.  He continued to write many excellent Church history books, which I encourage you to read. 

If Catholics cannot bring Christ's wisdom, goodness, and grace into our society, what do we have to offer?  If Christ truly is King, which He is, we should not be afraid to spread his Kingdom. 

This weekend is the final Sunday of the liturgical year.  It is known as Christ the King Sunday.  As Christ comes once again at Mass to encourage, enlighten, and strengthen us in the Holy Eucharist, let's renew our faith in this great and eternal King and let's renew our commitment to spread His Kingdom.

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor

PS – Thanksgiving Mass is at 8:15AM

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

As the liturgical year draws to an end, our weekend readings highlight our call to true excellence, to be holy. The first reading reminds us our lives don’t last forever; this world doesn’t last forever.  It should cause us to reflect on Jesus in prayer, “My king, Jesus, is what I’m pursuing worthy in your eyes?”

The psalm continues this theme: The Lord is coming, get ready to meet Him! When we live in friendship with Him, this announcement is joyful. It’s a call to shake off any drowsiness that might have invaded our hearts and to think about the greatness to which we’re called. 

Then in the Gospel, Jesus warns us this pursuit won’t be easy. We’ll hear Jesus encourage us to persevere in our journey with Him. He says: “By your perseverance, you will secure your lives.” It calls to mind Pope Benedict XVI’s famous exhortation, “We are not created for comfort.  We are created for greatness.” 

There can be no greatness, no holiness, and no sainthood without perseverance.  We all have storms to face. Sometimes they can be external. We could lose our jobs, we could fail epically in a relationship, or someone we love could get cancer. Sometimes these storms will be internal. We could be tormented by anxiety or self-doubt. Maybe we experience intense loneliness or feel nothing ever works out. Jesus Christ wants us to recognize these weaknesses aren’t an obstacle to our holiness but opportunities to be instruments for our holiness. God is walking with us, and He asks us not to run from Him. As St. Paul says, “when I am weak, I am made strong in Him (cf 2 Cor 12;10).”

We’re all called to holiness. And God, through our readings this weekend, reminds us that our part is to keep trying to love. A saint, after all, is simply a sinner who keeps on trying. 

In His Mercy,
Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor