Daily Retreat 02/27/06

2006 Feb 27 Mon: Ordinary Weekday

1 Pt 1: 3-9/ Ps 110(111): 1-2. 5-6. 9 and 10c/ Mk 10: 17-27

From today’s readings: "Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet you believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain the goal of faith, the salvation of your souls... Great are the works of the LORD, exquisite in all their delights.... It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God."

Peter’s Pages

Last Wednesday, February 22^nd, was the feast of the Chair of St. Peter, the Church’s commemoration of the Lord’s choice of Peter as the first Pope, the earthly vicar of Christ. Today and tomorrow, the first reading will be from the First Letter of Peter, a relatively short book of the Bible (only five chapters). The Second Letter of Peter is even shorter (only three chapters).

Since, beginning Wednesday, the season of Lent creates a major shift in the lectionary choice of readings, most of those two epistles of Peter will not be read in Church this year, so right now would be an ideal time to read them on your own - this will only take about ten minutes!

As is evident from today’s first reading, the First Letter of Peter gets right down to business with one of the most profound summaries of the essence of Christian faith (1Peter 1:3-5). Such full faith is the greatest cause for rejoicing, even when tested by severe trials, for perseverance through such tribulations convincingly proves the strength and solid foundation of the faith, whose goal is nothing less than the eternal salvation of the soul!