To All Parishioners of St. Peter’s Parish:
As we reopen the church for
public celebration of Mass on 5/29/2020, the weekend mass times are scheduled
as follows:
St. Helena’s in Alpine:
Saturday 4:00 PM (English Language Service)
St Peter’s in Springerville:
Sunday 9:00 AM (English Language Service)
St. Peter’s in
Springerville: Sunday 11:00 AM (Bilingual Spanish /English Service)
Confessions: Sunday 8:00
AM-9:00 AM prior to Mass
All parishioners are encouraged to spread attendance over these mass
times and location:
This will avoid excess
numbers at any given mass. As we joyfully resume services, we continue to
strive to care for one another by observing recommendations that allow for the
safety of the vulnerable and observe proper social distancing.
Please remember if you are
ILL OR AT RISK PLEASE STAY AT HOME. As Bishop Wall reminds us in his letter of
5/23/2020, “In order to stay safe, it’s important to err on the side of
caution. This is an act of charity and will assist everyone in this time of pandemic.
Those who have access to social media should continue to stream the Mass for
those who choose to remain at home, especially those ill or in a high-risk
category.”
We shall mark the pews for
proper distancing in our sitting arrangement in the church.
Communion will be ONLY in
the hand only and Only the Sacred Body of the Lord. Please maintain 6 feet
between parishioners as you line up for communion.
To keep recommendations of
social distancing, altar servers will not serve at this time.
There will be no Procession
of gifts to the altar. One assigned usher will present the collection to the
altar.
The Sign of Peace should be
without human touch, such as a small bow or wave.
Please DO NOT CONGREGATE in
groups inside the building – move through the Narthex so as to avoid a bottle
neck. IF desiring to visit, please do so outside with recommended social
distancing.
Please respect and care for
one another by wearing a mask and maintaining 6 feet distance. This is strongly recommended as a sign of
our desire to do our part in helping prevent others from potential
contagion. (Masks are not recommended
for children less than 2 years of age).
Only the church will be
utilized for mass. Please be respectful of closed areas.
Restrooms in the narthex
will be available for use.
Frequently touched surfaces
and areas will be cleaned between all Masses.
Donations
Requested: As you may be aware hand
sanitizer and approved cleansing wipes remain in short supply. If you have
excess and are able to share, donations are gratefully accepted at the church
office on Monday and Wednesday between 8:00-12:00 Noon
God Bless,
Rev. Anselm Amadi
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PENTECOST SUNDAY: YEAR A
THEME: THE HOLY SPIRIT-THE POWER OF RENEWAL
The
power of the Holy Spirit right from the beginning has been the power of
creation, and recreation. Though the Jews did not know the person of the Holy
Spirit, yet he has been present from creation. God renews the face of the earth
through the same power of the Spirit: "send forth your Spirit and they
shall be created, and you will renew the face of the earth” (Psalm104:30). The
Holy Spirit transforms and renews the face of the church and restores believers
to the glory of new creation. All who are in Christ are new creation (2cor
5:17). By the power of the Holy Spirit, we cease to be animal man,
controlled by instincts, but spiritual man led by the spirit (Gal 5:25).
THE
HOLY SPIRIT AND THE POWER OF NEW CREATION: Already at the beginning of creation, the Holy Spirit hovered over the
waters of the deep, that formless void, bringing to birth an ordered structure
of reality which God saw and declared that it was very good. When the beautiful
face of creation was distorted by the fact of original sin and subsequent
wickedness of men that brought about the deluge, a creative action of the Holy
Spirit brought about a new life. To renew the face of the earth again, Noah,
the Father figure of the new world order, sent out a dove (symbol of the Holy
Spirit), over the waters of the deluge. This calls to mind the original
creation account and assures a renewed face of the earth.
Another
episode is the baptism of the Lord Jesus. The Holy Spirit appeared in form of a
dove still over the water of rebirth and the voice of the Father confirmed
Jesus, the new man, as pleasing to Him, just as He declared the first creation
as very good.
FROM
MACROCOSM TO MICROCOSM: The action
of the Holy Spirit in the creation history continues from the physical world
(macrocosm) to the small world, that is man. whom St. Gregory describes as a
microcosm. The old state of the world was described as "formless
void" (Tohuw waabohow). The above Hebrew words suggest, void and vacancy,
nothingness and confusion. That shows the condition, not only of the earth, but
of the human person, prior to the influence of the Spirit of God. When we apply
this logic to man as a microcosm (a small world), it means that, man suffers
the same primordial emptiness and confusion when the Holy Spirit is not in
him.
In
the Genesis account of creation, the Spirit of God hovered over the
formless void and there came order out of disorder, harmony out of disharmony.
In the life of men too, the Holy Spirit brings order to our disordered bodily
inclinations and desires. Hence, self control is one of the fruits of the Holy
Spirit (Gal 5:23). Given our disordered bodily inclination, we need the Holy
Spirit to bring this disorder under control.
IT
IS NOT BY POWER AND MIGHT... (ZEC. 4:6): The Word of God to Zerubabel, says, it is not by power not by might but
by my Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of power. Without the Holy
Spirit, we cannot live the Christian life. As the apostles were empowered to
preach without fear, so are believers empowered to do the will of God.
Without the Holy Spirit, it will be impossible to live the spiritual
life.
The
Spirit of God is designated in the Hebrew Bible as Ruach Elohim. The Word is
translated to English as wind, breath and spirit. When God created Adam, there
was no life in him until God breathed into him, and then Adam became a living
being (Gen. 2:7). It was that Ruach Elohim, the Spirit of God that gave life to
Adam. Again, in Ezekiel 37:10, when dry bones were enfleshed, there was no life
in them until wind came from the four corners of the earth, they became a
life. It was all about the Spirit of God. In John 20:22, Jesus
breathed on his apostles, (as it was with Adam), and said, receive
the Holy Spirit. It was the Spirit that empowered them in anticipation
of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit empowers us even to live. Without the
Holy Spirit, we are spiritually dead. As it was said to the church as Sardis
"you are reputed to be a life but you are dead" (Rev. 3:1).
The
Holy Spirit is the spirit of new life, the gift of God to those who
believe. The old life of sin belongs to the old man but the new life is
life in the spirit. We need to prepare ourselves to receive the Holy Spirit in
newness of life. The life of holiness is the new life, making us new creatures.
It is in this new wine skin that the new wine of the Spirit works effectively.