Feast of Saints Peter & Paul

Today we celebrate the Feast of Saints Peter & Paul. St. Peter, the chosen head of the Apostles and St. Paul, the great preacher of Christianity. In today’s Gospel, the Apostles were asked who do you say that I am? Peter responds: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” How would you answer that question. How would your children? I think back to Columbine High School attacked by a deranged shooter. He asked the one girl, as he pointed a gun at her, if she believed in Jesus. Her immediate answer was yes. When asked why, she said my parents taught me and now I believe in Jesus. She was shot a number of times but lived trough this ordeal. When asked later about her answers, she said that was all she could think of – my parents taught me and now I believe. We need to teach our children about Jesus, faith and Church. Vacation Bible School is one way to teach the younger kids. Youth Group helps the teenagers to learn about faith. A visit to Church to say a prayer is a teachable moment. And attending Mass every Sunday emphasizes the importance of exercising our faith regularly. Each time we don’t go, it says that Mass isn’t that important. Other things, like, sleep overs, movies, sports and just getting a little extra sleep, are seen to be more important. Sts. Peter & Paul both faced martyrdom and would not back down to proclaiming the faith. The young girl at Columbine in a dire situation spoke of Jesus. So now, how would you and your children answer ‘Who Is Jesus?’ Do we know him well enough and visit with him often enough to answer the question? See you in Church!