Pentecost 2007

Today is often called the birthday of the Church, because on this day we recognize the coming of the Advocate that Jesus promised us when he walked among us.  Today is the day that the Church celebrates the strengthening of the spirit of the Apostles, with the Life-giving Spirit. Today is also the day that we recalled our being Confirmed in the faith, and made a witness of the Gospel in a special and full way.  Today we are challenged to go out as Peter, our patron, and declare that the Jesus who was killed, was raised by the Father, and continues to live, and because of this we have hope of salvation. 

As Jesus told his Apostles, in a little while I will be going away, but I am sending an Advocate.  So also, I will soon be leaving for Berea .  As Jesus, there were many things that I wanted to share with you while I was among you, but because my time was short, I was unable.  I pray now that through my share of His ministry you have entered into a stronger relationship with Him.  Having shared an experience, as the Apostles, I pray that you are now open even more to the Spirit of truth and life—that through the encounter with this Spirit, you will move into service to the other.  You were the Father’s gift to me, and through you, I have been called to open up more to the Spirit.  One of the survey responses said “Father Nick is a work in progress.”  Thank you for your kindness and patience, and your training during this first year of priesthood.

There are many initiatives for which seeds were planted.  Some I know fell by the wayside, others among the rocks.  Hopefully some fell into good soil and you will want to tend these seeds and bring them to fruit.  For others you may determine the time has past.  You will weed these to make room for new initiatives. As always the church is ever the same and always renewing. 

The Spirit was given to teach us everything and remind us of all that He has told us.  Today as we celebrate the Pentecostal coming of the Spirit, may we now live out in our daily lives what we have been taught and recall by His life among us.

I thank the Father for you and I thank you for your graciousness to me while I was among you.

Peace and Prayers – Father Nick

Dear Friends,

Ash Wednesday begins the Lenten season in preparation for the passion and death of Jesus Christ, a prelude to the Easter morning.  Today we hear in the scriptures that we are “ambassadors of Christ”.  To be his ambassador, to be his disciple, .Jesus tells each of us that we must pray, fast, and give alms.

There are many interpretations of what prayer, fasting, and almsgiving means.  I would like to share my reflections about these Christian practices, as they tend to evolve in relationship to the culture of the day.

First, we must recall that on Ash Wednesday, we are called to “repent and return to the Gospel.”  Each Lent the church gives us an opportunity for reconversion, to recommit ourselves to living life as a Christian.  We live life as a Christian when we realize in our heads and hearts that all we have is gift from God, “that we are dust”.  We come into the world with nothing and we leave with nothing.  In between, all that we have is gift from God.  This places on us a duty, as Christians, to pray, fast and give alms.

Pray.  This is an activity of opening up our life to God.  To put ourselves in His presence and to give praise and worship to him for all that he has given us, and even for what we may not have.  How many times in your life have you thought that you needed or wanted something, and ended up receiving it, and being disappointed?  You know the old axiom, “Be careful what you wish for, you may get it.”  Praying is opening ourselves up to God being God in our lives, of listening to his voice within our hearts.  To pray is to recognize that all we have is gift from God, even the praying.

Fasting.  This counsel is the discipline to hone our bodies and our lives so that we can live as God wants us to live.  The greatness of Christianity is that God loves us, and because of his great love for us, He sent his only son to be our redeemer, and to be one of us, and to show us how to live.  Through fasting we reduce the clutter of our lives.  We are called to give up all the things that we do, all the activities we engage in that distract us from our call to holiness.  Fasting is an in-the-world way of demonstrating our conversion.

Almsgiving.  This activity is the reason for which we reduce the clutter in our lives, so that we can be more available to serve our neighbor.  The Father calls all of us to holiness, to follow in the way of the Son, which is the way of self-giving to our neighbor.  Jesus gave his life for his friends.  He is the model, and, through his death, He demonstrated the highest form of love.  Through almsgiving we are called to give of our time, talent and treasure to help those in greater need. 

Through praying, we open ourselves up to God’s action in our lives.  Through fasting we hone our bodies and our time, so that we are ready for the challenge of holiness.  Through almsgiving, we live out our call to holiness that we have prepared for through pray and fasting.   Our participation in Lent is our best way to prepare ourselves for the celebration of Easter, in which God raises His Son from dead.  And like, Jesus, God will raise in us the joy of true life.

Peace and Prayers – Father Nick

Dear Friends,

With the close of 2006, I have completed six months as the parish priest of St. Peter Catholic Church.  I am very grateful, and humbled by God’s goodness to me, for the opportunity to serve such a dynamic church.  I want to acknowledge many of the things that you do as the Christian community in this part of God’s vineyard.  Since I have come in July, the parish has done some tried and true things, and some new things.  We have been very busy as a church.

·        In praise and worship:  We commissioned the Parish Council, held a special 9/11 memorial service, vespers for the repositioning of the crucifix, a special blessing for the enthronement of St. Peter into the sanctuary, a special blessing of the new bells for the campanile (thank you Father Dan), and held a special Bereavement Service and an Advent Penance Service.

·        In faith formation:  We have seen an almost 50% increase in our children’s Sunday program, held a weekly scripture program for adults, convened this year’s RCIA program, held two special Sunday evening Teen masses, have invited guest speakers for two special adult Sunday morning classes, have initiated a “question of the week” in the bulletin to assist families in faith-sharing at home, initiated a new lectionary based class program for adults.

·        In hospitality:  We have celebrated a parish picnic, held fund raisers by the Gold Scramble, and the Chili Cook-off, provided a thank you Thanksgiving Dinner, and held two special breakfasts, one for Father Keller’s 60^th anniversary and another in honor of the blessing of the bells, had pictures taken for our new parish directory, updated our website, hosted the Bishop’s Town Meeting, and held Advent ornaments sale for the youth program.

·        In outreach:  We have supported our local Habitat build, have supported the local BUILD effort, have sponsored the Christmas store in conjunction with the Catholic Action Center, have participated in the Downtown Lexington Fair, have collected items for the Hope Center, blankets and coats for the local poor, and have supported diocesan appeals for special needs.

I don’t know about you, but I am exhausted just listing all that we, as a church, have done during this six months.  There is, however, good news and bad news.  The good news is that we are such a dynamic church community.  The bad news is that much of this activity was accomplished by a small number of very active members of the community.  Although a good number of us support the activities of the parish, many of us still sit by uncertain about how we can fit in or help.  We either are unable to come forward, or noone has asked you to participate.  And in some cases, and I hope they are few in number, you may have ever been rebuffed in willingness to assist.  When I first came to the parish, Lisa asked me what my philosophy of ministry was, and I told her it was simple.  Be hospitable, when you can, and when you can’t, be hospitable anyway.  As Christians we are a welcoming people.  You are welcomed and invited to participate in anyway you can to express you own call to holiness and to support the work, the liturgia, of our parish community.

During the next six months, our parish council will be praying and planning how to involve more of us in our parish activities.  Their January retreat will focus on the mission of our parish, and how to develop coaching skills, so that they can be more inviting and helping to include those of us who want to participate in our ministries.  The parish leadership, Lisa, Deacon Bill and I, will be available to meet with each of you during the time between the two Sunday masses to update your census record, and to discuss with you the parish survey.  This will be an opportunity for you to meet directly with the pastoral staff to give us information on how our parish community can better help you in your call to holiness, to living your life as a Catholic Christian. 

We, as a parish community, will begin praying during our liturgies for a willingness to be good stewards of what God has given to us.  During our meetings, we will be using the “question of the week” as a basis for our faith sharing.  We hope that you will consider using this question of the week, around your dinner table, to assist your family, to become more faithful Christians.  As a parish community we will be examining all the activities in which we are involved to assure ourselves that what we are doing is supporting our individual response to God’s call.  We will be inviting you to come forward to assist our being the light of Christ in this part of Lexington .  We hope that you will spend some time discerning how God wants you involved in the life of this parish.  We will, during our worship services, be commissioning all the ministries of the parish. 

This is an aggressive agenda for is as a worshipping community, as a community of Catholic Christians, but it is who we are called to be, Christ-among-us, the message of salvation, the message of the Christmas season.  As a pastoral staff it is our privilege and honor to support you in this call to holiness which comes from our God.  Please tell us how we can better serve you.

Peace and Prayers  -- Father Nick

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Christmas, it is said, is for children. Yet the Child Jesus was born for the child in all of us, young and old. In the spirit of that gift, we who serve you at St. Peter’s would like to give you our Christmas wishes and thoughts:  

The child in us remembers the inpatient wait for Christmas, dressing in angel wings, and surprise snow. May the Child of Love surprise your waiting heart this season with all His love and joy.

~Beverly

Christmas has always meant to me gathering with family, increasing opportunities to serve those in need, and celebrating the incarnation of God dwelling among us. May we, Saint Peter's family of faith, gather our energies and resources to make known by our witness of service to those in need that God is incarnate among us.

~Bill

A Child is born to us — a Child, full of potential and endless possibilities! A Child causing grace, freedom, and blessings. Endless miracles are yours! Thanks for generously sharing them with St. Peter Parish. 

~Jerry Ann

Advent is a time of waiting and preparation for experiencing God among us. Being newly married, I have a whole new way to recognize Christ this Christmas; and as I praise God for his presence in my husband, Matt, and in each of you, I beg to better reflect Christ as well. This Christmas, may you be graced with deepening awareness of the many ways God is present in your lives and how you bring Christ to others.   Have a holy Christmas!

~Lisa

It has been my joy to get to know you and to serve you. Everyday I meet and greet someone new who demonstrates to me Christ is active is our world. As we commemorate and celebrate his coming among us, I know that he continues to be here. My prayers and best wishes for a blessed Christmas 

~Nick

Advent is a very special time for me and my family. We very deliberately take the time to refresh our awareness that Christ comes to us as divine Light. May you, too, find time in Advent to enrich your sense of that Light so that together we might shine forth with the glad Christmas tidings of peace and goodwill for all! Many blessings to you all!

~Pam

Christmas, more than any other day, is music, ever since that first Christmas with the Heavenly Hosts praising God! Sing it, enjoy it, be it, and let your joyful voice be heard! My warmest wishes to all!

~Rob 

  Baby Jesus reaches out to us at Christmas. Like Him, hold close those who are dear to you and reach out to help others this season. May your Christmas find you in touch with the Baby who loves us all.

~Robert

Dear Friends,

This Sunday, October 22, 2006 , at the 8:30 am Mass, Father Ted Keller celebrated in St. Peter Church, the sixtieth anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.  He was ordained on October 20, 1946 , right here in St. Peter Church by Bishop Molloy for the diocese of Covington . 

We congratulate and thank Father Keller for his example of priesthood and service to both the diocese of Covington and the diocese of Lexington .  After his many assignments, which actually were four, each for twelve years, Father Keller chose to retire to St. Peter Church, where he has also been for twelve years.  We are very fortunate to have him continue his ministry among us in the very place from which he started out.

During the Mass, Father prayed that the Lord should “make him a gentle and ardent follower of the gospel”.  I could think of no better words to describe Father Keller and his ministry among us.  He truly has become what he prays.  He stands as an example of God loves for us and a wonderful model for me as I begin my life as a priest.

Father Keller, on behalf of the parishioners of St. Peter and your friends, we wish you many more years of ministry and happiness among us—Ad  multos annos.

Father Keller offered us a 78 speed recording of his first mass on October 27, 1947 .  This recording was transferred to a CD and is available for your listening.  It can be checked out of the library rank in the campanile.  The mass is celebrated according to the rite of Pius V and in Latin, the rite that was in use at that time.

Peace and Prayers,

Father Nick