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As we journey together during the Lenten season, the First Reading for Mass today recalls the sacrifice of Abraham. Some ask how God could be so cruel as to demand the sacrifice of a person’s child. The real message for us is the depth of Abraham’s love. He is willing to give up that which he loves most in life his child, for God. As a result of his obedience, he is given the greatest of blessings—"descendants as countless as the stars.” The Second Reading from the eighth chapter of Romans reminds us that ours is a God of love who did not spare His own Son, in His great love for us.

Each year on the First Sunday of Lent, we hear the Gospel story of the Temptation of the Lord in the desert. The Gospel of Mark today consists of only four verses. After His baptism by John, the Spirit leads Jesus to the wilderness. Mark says that Jesus survived the temptations and is ready to begin His ministry. The significance of the reference to John the Baptist’s arrest is that as John’s ministry concludes, Jesus’ ministry begins. As we journey together during this season of Lent, we too, in many ways are being led by the Spirit to the desert to search our hearts, hoping to resist what is evil and to embrace all that is good. We remember that God is faithful to us as we make our Lenten journey and through prayer, we support each other to experience the healing, forgiveness, and love of our God.

THIS CLASS IS FULL ------------St. Peter’s will have a New Lenten Series: Spiritual Excellence: The Path to Happiness, Holiness and Heaven. Catch it!! Beginning on Monday evenings Feb. 22nd - March 29th. From 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm in the Church.

We gather as we do each Sunday as the body of Christ. Jesus calls us to love God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. On this Valentine’s Day, we commit ourselves to nurturing that love for God and love for our neighbor. The readings at Mass today deal with the illness of leprosy, which was a sign of sinfulness and separation from God. In the Gospel, Jesus reaches out and touches the leper. The leper is literally not separated from God. Not even leprosy is a barrier to Jesus’ healing touch. Do not be afraid to come to the Lord our God in your need. Trust that the Lord will comfort you in times of pain and illness. Jesus, the eternal Word of God, draws near to us to heal us of every wound.

Despair and grief are part of the human condition, and are often brought on because of loss or suffering. Many of us, if not all of us, can relate to Job. At one time or another, we have felt like Job. We wonder if we will ever see happiness again. Resist the temptation to gloss over whatever may trouble you. Like Job, have the courage to raise our voice to God in prayer, sharing your disappointments and sorrows. At the same time, pray for the kind of healing that comes only through the Lord. As followers of Jesus we are called to live in Hope.