saint of the week

So, here we are with Lent rapidly approaching.  Maybe you are trying to decide what to give up or what to do for Lent.  Maybe you are like my husband, and planning to give up your New Year's Resolution for lent.  Maybe you haven't even given it a thought.

 

Whatever the case, consider this:  This week we also celebrate the Chair of St. Peter.

To be honest I had to look this one up.  Why celebrate um, a chair?  Well, because of what it means.

Christ put Peter in charge.  He gave him the keys to church (on holy cards, Peter is usually pictured as a bald guy holding keys).  The chair signifies the unity of church.  It signifies the one who Christ chose to keep things rolling. It's important. 

 

I think that we should look at the guy though, I think we need to take a look at Peter.

As we discuss in Intersection, everything that is in the Gospels is there for a reason.  Peter is often in the Gospels.  More often than not he is screwing up.  He tries to walk on water, but he sinks.  He sees Jesus transfigured and wants to build a tent.  He falls asleep in the garden.  He denies even knowing Christ.

Yet, when Jesus asks who do you say that I am, Peter nails it.  He says that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. 

Whoa.  Peter has passion.  Yes, he screws up.  Can you imagine the pain he must have been in, the torment that he endured between Good Friday and Easter for denying Christ?  Maybe that's why the first word that the Risen Christ says is "peace".  In a word, He tells Peter, that he understands, and that all is well.

God likes passion.  In the Book of Revelation, God says that he does not want us to be lukewarm about our faith.  He says that if we are, He will spit us out!  ew.

Maybe that's why Jesus likes Peter.  He is not luke warm.  He is zesty.  He is on fire.

He gives the keys of heaven to a guy who is totally human.  Who screws up, but loves God with all of His heart, and undoubtedly he would have followed Christ to the ends of the earth.

Word is that Peter died in 64 AD. He was a martyr. He was crucified upside down because he did not feel worthy to die the same way as Christ.  Zesty even in death.

So maybe this lent, if you are feeling kind of lukewarm about your faith, you should work to regain your passion.  If you can get that by just giving up chips, God bless you.  But if you are like the rest of us, it's going to take more than that.  If you need some ideas, just email me.  I have tons of them, just ask my kids.  Casey wants to give up lent for lent.

Well, all that being said, I am now going to retire to the Chair of Jamie.

It does not signify any thing other than the kids are asleep and it's time to watch Grey's Anatomy.

saint of the week

So today I was in Giant Eagle and stumbled into the "Valentine's Day" aisle.  It was quite "picked over".

I guess more people shop ahead for Valentine's day than they do for Christmas.  I decided that I would make my family brownies.  Surely homemade brownies with icing and sprinkles would show them how much I love them.

 

St. Valentine's Day was actually christianity's counter punch to the Roman feast of Lupercalia. Lupercalia was believed to be when the birds picked their mates.  So humans being so much more evolved, did the the same.  It became a Roman holiday in which the women would put their names into a "hat".  They guys picked a name and the woman was forced to be his "romantic" partner until next Lupercalia.

 

St. Valentine, was known to marry couples when such was forbidden by the Roman emperor Claudius.  Claudius thought that married men did not make good solidiers. Obviously Valentine thought that love was more important than war and continued to be a good priest and perform marriage ceremonies.  Claudius heard about it, had him arrested, beaten and when he would not renounce his faith, beheaded.

 

And so St. Valentine became the logical catholic choice for rivaling Lupercalia.  In the 1960's the church dropped St. Valentine's day from the church calendar and gave the day to St. Cyril.  The secular world continues to give hearts and candy.  It is a much better, I have to say, than picking names from a hat.

 

I think that we should use the day to remember people who love us as we are.  You know the ones, the ones who love us when we have bad hair days, have spinach in our teeth or spaghetti on our shirt.  The ones who we miss when we are away.  The ones who make us laugh, make us crazy, wake us cuz they are snoring (um, not to mention any names, scott), make us peanut butter crackers, run and get us diet pepsi's .  The ones that you say you're sorry to, and actually mean it.

 

So my friends, pass along a little love today.  Whether it is a hug, a smile, a paper heart or brownies with icing and sprinkles. The Lord knows, we all could use it.

 

 

 

Saint of the Week

Today is the feast day of Saint Agatha.  She was among the first Christian martyrs under the Roman Emperor Decius.  Knowing that Decius has it in for Christians and that Agatha, a wealthy young woman had consecrated herself to Christ,  the local magistrate tricked her into having sex for not turning her in.

When she would not do, what was expected, the magistrate, was furious.  He put her into prison and cut off her breasts,(really).  The word is that St. Peter healed her. (You can see that we are talking EARLY church here).  Eventually the Romans found her and when she refused to give up her faith, they rolled her over hot coals.

 

Have you ever watched young people at the mall?  Compared to the vast majority of the world, we as americans, are wealthy.  They talk on their phones, eat, shop and check out the opposite sex.

They are trying so hard to be "cool" and "popular" that they actually are missing out on what actually makes a person "cool".  Cool comes from knowing who you are and what you stand for.  Cool comes from not bowing down to the pressures of others.  Cool comes from not allowing other people to define you.

 

St. Agatha was cool.

I hope she is praying for us.