Peter, Reproved
living allegiance to Jesus
Announcements for August 29, 2020:
The weather for our outside Mass looks perfect for this Sunday. Join us at 11:00am in front of the church - bring your own chair/blanket. I send text/email updates Sunday morning when there's a change in plan. If you haven't been receiving these texts/emails, let me know.
Our weekend Masses are: Saturday 5:15pm in the church; Sunday at 7:30am and 9:00am in the church; Sunday at 9:00am at Walmart; and Sunday at 11:00am (hopefully) outside.
Check out this week's Beacon E-Edition, which features an article on our very own Wade Trainor.
A new OLMC Financial Peace University class will begin soon: Check out the ad at the end of the email or visit fpu.com/1123600 to sign up and learn more. Class starts Sunday, September 13, 2020.
Please be in touch with me if you need anything at all, or if you'd like to share any questions or concerns.
Dear Saints,
If some of this week's email has last week's feel to it, that's by design. Somehow we have to hold together last Sunday's Gospel passage with the one we hear this Sunday. Peter, then called the Church's rock, now draws from Jesus the ultimate rebuke: "Get behind me, Satan!"
What's happened in between is that Jesus has predicted his own death, and Peter is having none of it.
In the text we hear this weekend, Saint Peter says to Jesus, God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you. A more dynamic rendering of the same quote has Peter say, That's the last thing God would want, Master! That's never, ever going to happen to you!
Peter thinks he's got the plan: God's kingdom will come when Jesus assembles an army, marches on Jerusalem, launches a surprise attack, takes the Temple, and is installed as king.
Not so, says Jesus. God's victory will not be won with a show of force, quite the contrary. Jesus won't fight fire with fire (except that in him we see the fire of Divine Love that cannot be conquered).
No, the victory of God will be won by self-giving love. The strength of love can be seen in what it is willing to suffer. What we see in Jesus' suffering and death is a love that knows no bounds.
Peter will witness the power of this love, and with his allegiance to Jesus as God's anointed king he will indeed be the rock on which the Church is built. In the meantime, Peter's failure is part of the process and is no cause for concern. Jesus' new community, after all, will consist simply of forgiven sinners.
I love you, my friends, and I look forward to seeing you very soon.
Christ's Peace,
Father Daniel
δοῦλος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ
PS How does no more money stress ever sound? It's possible when you know how to handle your finances. Join our virtual Financial Peace University class, and we’ll learn how to dump debt and build wealth. You won’t even have to leave home. And now, you can try Financial Peace free for 14 days!
Preparing for Mass?
Check out this weekend's readings:
Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Saint Peter
Peter Paul Rubens, ca. 1610