Altar Attendants:                                    B. Nutley, T. Pulskamp

Lectors                                              C. Blom, M. Bailey

Host:                                                J. Rust

Cup:                                                  C. Corbin, M. Martineck,

                                                      N. Nutley, J. Moenster  

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.  The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.  But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.  And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand.  The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.  And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

Here we are in ordinary time once again.  In the gospel today the question is not just about listening to the words of Jesus but whether or not we put them into action.  What kind of foundation do you have?  Is your foundation built on rock or sand?  It is easy to “know” which foundation we should strive for but it is quite another thing to put into action the building of that foundation. 

A foundation, for the most part, is not something that is seen.  When all the construction is complete the foundation isn’t what is shown off, it is the rest of the building that gets all the glory.  But without a solid foundation a building could not remain strong.  When bad weather attacks the building it will not withstand the pressure if the building is not on a solid foundation.  Jesus tells us that it is not enough to cry out; “Lord, Lord” will we enter the kingdom of heaven?  Mere lip service is not enough to get the job done.  We aren’t measured by what we say so much as by what we do.  When our words are matched with proper action, then we have something solid to stand on.  It is easy to talk a good game; it is a lot harder to live out the gospel life.  Jesus is trying to teach the disciples what is necessary for them to be good and faithful servants.  Are we listening to what he has to say?

If we are good listeners we will learn that it is important to be other-centered and not self-centered.  We cannot be people who only look out for ourselves while ignoring our neighbors.  Jesus was the true example of how to live a life that was rich in compassion and love.  We only have to listen to what Jesus did and what he taught his disciples to learn what we too must do in our life.  When we have Jesus as the foundation of our life it allows us to be able to stand strong when temptation tries to lead us back to our selfish ways.  When we put into action the gospel message of loving God with our whole being and our neighbor as our self, then we are truly grounded in a faith that will weather any storm.

It is very easy to allow the world and its temptations to erode our foundation and steal our faith from us.  We must always work to make Jesus the center of our life.  We may slip but that doesn’t mean that we have to give in or give up on our life.  Jesus will never leave us alone nor will we ever lose the support of the Father.  Our foundation can always be shored up and made stronger if we continue to turn to Jesus for help.  God’s love is all around us if we would open our hearts to his message of healing.  While it may seem an uphill battle it is well worth the extra effort to make sure our foundation is set in the gospel message.

We are indeed in the ordinary time of the church year but it is in the ordinary part of our life that we are called to put into action our faith.  We have to do more than lip service.  It is not enough to call out to our Lord and claim him as our Lord and Savior.  We have to live like people who are saved.  We have to live as part of the Body of Christ by our loving action in the world.  It can begin at home between our family members.  It can continue in our work place or our classrooms. It can take place in our community.  When we stand strong in our faith and show it with conviction, then we have “listened” to what Jesus has commanded us.  The summer season is coming quickly upon us.  It is a time when we tend to slack off our “church time.”  All the more reason to make sure our foundation is solid so we are not tempted to take time off from God.  Let us work to make sure God is always number 1 in our lives.  He is the reason why we have what we have in our lives.  Let us share the blessings that God has bestowed on us and be solid believers sharing the Body of Christ with all we meet.  What a gift Jesus is in our life.  His love is the guiding force in our life; let us not hide it from others.

The Parish Office is closed on Monday and Tuesday. Debbie is in the office: Morning Only on Wednesday; All day on Thursday; and Morning Only on Friday.

ATTENTION COLLEGE BOUND, RETURNING COLLEGE STUDENTS and HOMEBOUND PARISH MEMBERS: If you would be interested in receiving our parish bulletin via email, please send your email address to Debbie at the parish office to jddepuccio@fuse.net.  This will save the parish a considerable amount on postage each year and still keep you informed as to what is happening in your parish.  Remember you can also find the weekly bulletin posted on our web-site too.  Our web address is: www.stpeter-newrichmond.org.

WE ONLY HAVE 30 MORE DAYS TO REACH OUR GOAL! PLEASE CONSIDER GIVING TO THE CMA (Catholic Ministries Appeal); it’s not too late to give. You can give your gift any time, but if we meet our goal by June 30^th, our parish will receive a gift of 10%.  Our Parish goal is $8,600. With returns and the amount we have received, we are over half way there with $6,605. Please be sure to give. We invite you to share your gifts of time, talent and treasure to participate in the life of our local churches. Remember, No Gift is Too Small or Too Big!  We can do it!  Letters and envelopes are on the table in the back of church, please take one.

THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO REMEMBER THE FOOD PANTRY!  Especially the 1^st weekend of the month.  We all see the rising prices at the pumps and at the stores.  It is hard to keep the Pantry Shelves with food enough to supply our client’s needs.  It is only through your generosity that we can continue to “feed His sheep”.   Thank you and May God bless you with abundance.  Boxes for your donations are at the doors of church.

YOU ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BIGGEST BABY SHOWER EVER!!! For the most part, we affiliate the month of May with Mothers.  We honor and crown the Blessed Mother Mary at our May Crowning and we take special care to honor our own mother’s during Mother’s Day.  Now you can help those in our area who are new, unwed or soon-to-be mommy’s themselves, by donating new or gently used baby clothing (size newborn to 18mos), diapers, formula, food and other baby stuff.  Bassinets will remain at the doors of church through the month of May to collect your generous donations. Thank you in advance for your generosity and care for these young moms.

PREP NEWS CORNER

VBS: June 23-27.  We need volunteers!  We are joining together with four other area congregations as last year.  Your talents to help set-up, register, teach, feed, chaperone, etc would be welcomed.  Call Deacon Ron at 553-4765 romaka@aol.com or Debbie at the Parish Office 553-3267. 

ANOTHER CELEBRATION OF WHO WE ARE AT ST. PETER’S:  Join us at MOYER’S WINERY, June 14^th 3pm-?? (Dinner will be served around 5pm).  The Pavilion at Moyer’s has been reserved by the Men’s Club, so YOU can meet and socialize with other members of our Parish Family.  Meet and car-pool from St. Peter’s at 2pm.  Your cost is Dinner and whatever you order from the Menu.  A deposit of $10 per person is due by June 1^st (for a count of how many to expect) and the deposit will be returned to you once you arrive at Moyer’s. Please make your check payable to St. Peter’s Men’s Club, mail it or drop it in the collection basket. (Even if for some unfortunate reason you are unable to join us, we will STILL refund your deposit money.)  Adults please note: Children are welcome, but there is no play area or running room at the Winery.

SAVE THIS DATE…JUNE 29^TH: It is the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul! What better way to celebrate the feast of our Parish Patron Saint than with a Feast of our own???? Our Parish Family Picnic!!! The Parish will provide meat/beverage/tableware and each family is asked to bring a side dish or dessert. Games and other activities for all ages are being planned. Watch the bulletin for details and plan to join us for this special event.  We need volunteers to coordinate the Children’s games, if you are interested in helping please contact Angie Husted @ 553-0728 or LeeAnn Hermann @ 553-3091.

Coffee-Talks  Return!  June 29^th is the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. To help celebrate the feast of our Parish Patron Saint we are bringing back Coffee Talks for the month of June. Each Sunday after Mass we will be offering “a retreat with Peter: Growing from Sinner to Saint” by Rev. Jim Willig (D) and Tammy Bundy. If there is enough interest, we will offer this program after Thursday evening Mass throughout June as well. To aid us in ordering sufficient material, please register now. Sign-up sheets are on the tables in the back of church and in the undercroft.

Alumni reunion of Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary: Friday, August 8^th!  Beginning with a concelebrated Mass at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral at 5:15pm and followed by a Riverboat Cruise, departing from Newport, KY at 7pm.  Please come to the Annual Reunion.  Should you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call Michael Dempsey 513-870-2111 or my cell # 513-256-2296.

How firm is your foundation of faith?  Listen to Jesus’ words and use them as the solid rock on which to build your life.  Consider ministry in the Church.  (Matthew 7:21-27)