Pastor's Message

April 25, 1999

GROWING IN FAITH

Someone recently complained that everything he heard in church was a repetition of what he had heard since first grade. The response was that the good news, in fact, is not new. What has changed is the person who is hearing it. That is, because we all change, what we hear always has new impact on our lives.

Christian Formation — another phrase for religious education — takes place throughout our lives. We have to take it seriously and we have to make it a high priority. Without on-going learning, our faith gets weak or becomes caught in a rut.

Although adult education is extremely important, I want to call attention to what is the primary and BEST form of sharing our faith with our children, namely Catholic schools. Study after study has concluded that no program or institution has been as successful in teaching faith as the Catholic school system. This is especially true when it is coupled with faith practiced in the home.

For that reason, I invite parents once again to think about our wonderful school system here at St. Peter’s. We have the finest academics (shown by all standardized tests) and the best system for helping students learn values. On top of that, we are carrying out the mission of the parish to help young men and women learn to live their faith.

If you have children in our school, please help support what they are learning by putting your faith into practice at home. If your children are not at St. Peter’s, perhaps you can use this as a time to review your decision and rethink your reasons. I fervently hope you look into St. Peter’s for your family.

Thanks for reading this.
Fr. Herb

Pastor's Message April 25, 1999 GROWING IN FAITH Someone recently complained that everything he heard in church was a repetition of what he had heard since first grade. The response was that the good news, in fact, is not new. What has changed is the person who is hearing it. That is, because we all change, what we hear always has new impact on our lives. Christian Formation — another phrase for religious education — takes place throughout our lives. We have to take it seriously and we have to make it a high priority. Without on-going learning, our faith gets weak or becomes caught in a rut. Although adult education is extremely important, I want to call attention to what is the primary and BEST form of sharing our faith with our children, namely Catholic schools. Study after study has concluded that no program or institution has been as successful in teaching faith as the Catholic school system. This is especially true when it is coupled with faith practiced in the home. For that reason, I invite parents once again to think about our wonderful school system here at St. Peter’s. We have the finest academics (shown by all standardized tests) and the best system for helping students learn values. On top of that, we are carrying out the mission of the parish to help young men and women learn to live their faith. If you have children in our school, please help support what they are learning by putting your faith into practice at home. If your children are not at St. Peter’s, perhaps you can use this as a time to review your decision and rethink your reasons. I fervently hope you look into St. Peter’s for your family. Thanks for reading this. Fr. Herb
April 18, 1999 PLANTING SEEDS I was driving on Highway 603, near Charles Mill Dam, when I passed the site of the upcoming outdoor drama on the life of Johnny Appleseed. According to the signboard, the new amphitheater and show will open in the summer of 2001. Personally, I am excited that this show will be opening so close to us. I like this type of entertainment and have already invited friends to come and enjoy the show when it opens. Frankly, I don’t know that much about the life of John Chapman, who received the title of Appleseed, except that he is credited with having planted apple trees from here to Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Perhaps that is not a bad thing to be remembered for. Planting trees is often a sign of belief in the future. In the days of Chapman, who died in 1845, trees took a long time before they bore fruit. To plant a fruit tree meant that you were invested in what would follow. The trees that we plant and the seeds that we sow -- often our words and actions, the way we treat others -- will also bear fruit. Sometimes we don’t see the results, but if we sow good seeds they will surely make the world a better place. - Fr. Herb
April 11, 1999 KITE FLYING A woman noticed her grandson trying to fly a kite. He would run into the wind and at the right moment let go of the kite, holding the string with his other hand. The kite would bounce into the breeze, twist and turn, and then falter and fall. After a while the child approached the grandmother and told her his problem. He couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Maybe the wind wasn’t strong enough, he told grandma. She looked at the kite and suggested that it needed a tail. This made no sense to the boy who was convinced that the kite was already too heavy. Nonetheless, because of deep faith in his grandmother’s wisdom, he allowed her to put a tail of string and rags on the tip of the kite. Going back outside, the boy once again ran into the wind. This time the wind picked up the kite. Instead of bouncing from side to side, it remained balanced and flew with the wind. These was enough wind after all. It is not just with kites that we need to have something to balance us. Sometimes what seems to hold us back and prevent us from being truly free is precisely what we need to stabilize ourselves. The responsibilities that we hold in life are good for us in our efforts to truly fly. - Fr. Herb
April 4, 1999 ROADS LESS TRAVELED Recently I have started taking new and different routes when heading for some destination. Instead of following the usual highways that I am accustomed to, I have begun to follow lesser roadways, even country roads. My trips take more time, but I often see more along the way. The other day I followed a small state highway when going to visit someone. Most of the time I just get on the Interstate and set the cruise control. The smaller road took me through some towns that I had never heard of. Along the way, I had a chance to see beautiful woods, people’s homes with kids playing the yards, old bridges, and various buildings of interest. What’s more, I felt closer to the land and the people who lived in the area. No doubt many times we simply don’t have time to take side roads. That is, unless we make the time to do it. Perhaps rushing through life is not the only way to go. In our relationship with God, we have to take time and really explore God’s plan. Rushing around and expecting instant unity with God simply doesn’t make it. It is an art to see God’s hand at work in our lives. For that, we have to be willing to venture onto roads less traveled. - Fr. Herb