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Fr. Peter bulletin article – January 10th, 2021
“An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered.” (G. K. Chesterton)
The above sentence was included in a Christmas letter I received in which the family was trying to describe their experience of the past year. They said it “has been an oxymoron of sorts…bringing many blessings despite setbacks and struggles.” (Oxymoron – something that is made up of contradictory or incongruous elements.) Their way of naming the incongruous feel of being surprised by blessings within and because of the unique trials of the way in which life has been altered by the pandemic caught my attention as it is what I have been given to see in faith in so many surprisingly beautiful ways. While the past year has certainly been exasperating, it is astounding to hear of the many ways in which the good people of our parish have grown in dependence on God, coming alive to His Presence, and wanting to be led in all of life even more by His inspirations.
This Sunday we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. Jesus has descended into the messiness of our lives, uniting Himself to us in our weakness and in our every trial, so that we might live His love in every circumstance. I am struck and consoled by the words of the Second Reading today from the first letter of Saint John: “Whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith. Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” True victory is living from God in every circumstance, being regenerated by His unconditional love, and learning the true way of seeing and understanding everything. All other victories in the realm of how the world reckons things, whether in work, in sports, or in politics, are provisional and ultimately unsatisfying. The victory of faith truly conquers, making us agile, resilient, and creative in navigating life as an adventure.
May you continue to embrace life as it is, with all of its uncertainties and inconveniences, exercising the gift of faith, tasting the victory of Jesus’s incarnation.
Peace in Christ,
Fr. Peter Joseph Williams
Act of Spiritual Communion
My Jesus,
I believe that You
are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment
receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
Here are some other resources to keep your faith strong during these times:
Visit Formed.org for Catholic media – from video to books to audio – for all ages. A link for this is on our site.
Find online resources to help you and your family grow in faith:
www.archspm.org/online-formation
Join each day in praying – with Archbishop Hebda and faithful Catholics throughout the Archdiocese – the daily Litany in Time of Need, 11:05 am on Relevant Radio 1330am, or on the Relevant Radio App, or on their website: https://relevantradio.com/