Pastor’s Letter: February 5, 2023

Pastor’s Letter: February 5, 2023

3 Feb 2023 | Posted by: chadmin

The February 5 bulletin is available online.

Dear friends,

Our celebration of our Catholic School last week was a great success. The kids had a few assemblies to both celebrate the faith with prayer and song as well as host the annual 8^th grade parent-student volleyball game. Several of our grades took field trips to local churches to experience the larger Church in Peoria. Our students visited St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Sharbel, St. Joseph, Sacred Heart, and the Community of St. John. The Catholic Schools Week Planning Committee worked hard to provide the kids with a variety of experiences that celebrate who we are as Catholics, and what we model in our Catholic school environment. Thanks to all involved, especially our parents who entrust their kids to our care.

This past week, we celebrated the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. This feast takes place forty days after the Birth of Jesus. In ancient Israel, ritual purity was an important factor for one to practice the faith publicly. One was believed to be ritually impure, thus unable to celebrate the faith in the Temple, after brushing against mystery. Life and blood were seen as mysterious. This ritual impurity would include child birth, touching a loved one who died, physical marital union, or any blood or bodily fluid released from the body. In essence, there was a belief that one wasn’t “whole” in these situations. The action of presenting a child to the Lord, as well as an individual man or woman presenting themselves before the priest, allowed for a statement of ritual purity and thus resume ritual prayer and public practice of the faith. In Catholic Christianity, the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple is similar to presenting our children for baptism, although the sacrament of baptism certainly carries more spiritual effects for us theologically. May our own presence in Church each week remind us of the beauty of our own baptism and weekly offering our lives in service to God.

On this 5^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, we hear one of those familiar Gospel messages from Jesus.  Jesus said to his disciples, “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world.”  These two sentences challenge the listener to contemplate one’s relationship to others. Much of Jesus’ commandments address how we live with one another. Put simply, our path to heaven is through our love of each other. As with today, that ancient world understood that salt is used to add flavor. Jesus encourages humanity to understand that we all add flavor to the world. Every conversation and personal encounter is an opportunity to have a positive effect on others. Jesus wants us to envision what flavor we are adding to others. With modern electricity, we are so accustomed to light being easily accessible. In the ancient world, the darkness of night time prohibited the ease of travel. However, cities elevated on a hillside could be seen from a great distance. The light of the Gospel encourages us to allow Jesus to show the way through life to heaven. Jesus challenges us to acknowledge that the light we receive from Him can be used as a light for us to guide others. May our knowledge of the truth of God serve as a light for others. Have a great week.

God bless,

Father David