The Gospel of Matthew…
The first gospel starts with “a genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham.” With this opening, the evangelist prepares us for this Jesus who will be the fulfillment of major figures of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Archeologists and textual experts usually date the writing of the Gospel of Matthew to around 80 AD. One piece of evidence for the dating of this gospel is that it contains nearly all of the Gospel of Mark. From this, we know that it was composed after 70 AD (near the time when Mark as a source, the Gospel of Matthew shares a large chunk of material with Luke, material that appears neither in Mark nor in John. From this, we assume that there was another source for Matthew, one that he and the writer of Luke used. Matthew also had his own information about Jesus that the other evangelists did not.
The Gospel of Matthew is unique in its five-part structure: after the introduction (which contains the stories of the annunciation to Joseph [not Mary, as in Luke] of Jesus’ birth, his birth and manifestation to the magi [not shepherds, as in Luke], each part contains a long speech by Jesus followed by actions that Jesus performs. Part one is the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5–7); part two prepares the disciples for their missionary journeys (10); part three is filled with parables (13); part four deals with church order (18); and the fifth part concerns the end of the world (24- 25). Scholars assume that the evangelist adopted this structure from the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. This is a big clue about the portrait of Jesus in this gospel.
Many of the people in the Church for which the Gospel of Matthew was written were Jews. One of the main purposes of this gospel was to provide consolation to those who wrestled with the compatibility of the Jewish heritage and their faith in Jesus. For this reason, we find references to patriarchs of ancient Israel from the very first verse. A genealogy filled with Jewish ancestors begin the text, and the evangelist fills the narrative with quotations from the Hebrew scriptures. All of this seeks to reassure the hearers that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the Messiah anticipated in the older faith.
The Gospel of Matthew is proclaimed throughout Cycle Year A and 2020 is a Year A year.
In art, the evangelist Matthew is portrayed with an angel by his side. The feast of Saint Matthew is September 21st.
Parish Feast Day…June 29th
the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles
One of the oldest saints’ days in Rome, June 29th was dedicated to the memory of the apostles, Peter and Paul, as early as the fourth century. This day the Church remembers two disciples who differed greatly in style and background, but who shared a tireless energy in spreading the gospel. Rough-hewn and impulsive Peter left his fishing nets immediately to answer Jesus’ call. Later, during the passion of Jesus, Peter made his denials just as impulsively, though he had pledged his loyalty to Jesus only that evening. Receiving Christ’s gracious forgiveness after the resurrection, Peter went on to become the rock-steady and faithful leader of the disciples. Imprisoned three or four times, he eventually was crucified during the reign of the Emperor Nero I 64 AD. Legend has it that he was hung on the cross head down because he told the soldiers that he was not worthy to die in the same manner as Christ.
Once Paul, who had been a rigid and violent persecutor of Christians, experienced the love of Christ, he grew meek – though never shy. He founded many churches and was able to affirm the fledgling communities of believers even while he was admonishing them. Paul’s writings are the first Christian scriptures; they are older than the gospels. After many imprisonments, Paul was executed during the reign of the Emperor Nero. Since he was a Roman citizen, he was beheaded instead of crucified.
Coastal countries like Chile and Paraguay remember Peter the fisherman with nautical parades. In Hungary and in rural England, people braid straw from the wheat harvest into crosses and crowns to honor the two Roman martyr saints.
Monday, June 29th, is our parish feast day. Why not attend Mass that day or be sure to watch livestream as we celebrate this feast of the Universal Church. And…did you know that our parish church is named for the saint himself and also the Basilica of Saint Peter in Rome? And…did you know that the official title of that Basilica and our parish church is, St. Peter, the Prince of the Apostles? Check out the cornerstone of our church on the west side entrance and you will see the inscription:
In honor of Saint Peter, Prince of Apostles – this church is erected to the glory of God. 1951
Most Reverend Joseph E. Ritter, Archbishop of Saint Louis, Missouri Joseph D. Murphy, Architect
Congratulations to all of our Eighth Graders from Saint Peter Grade School upon their graduation from our school! We finally held our Covid-19 delayed Commencement Exercises last Wednesday, June 24th, in church, to honor and recognize our 53 graduates as the Class of 2020.
May God bless you as you move on to your high schools in the Fall and may our patron, Saint Peter, challenge you to become future leaders in our Church, our parish, and our community.
Monsignor Jack
0822
This Week's Bulletin
This week's bulletin is attached below. Hard copies of this weekend’s bulletin are available on the shelf in the vestibule of the rectory office.
The St. Peter Respect Life Committee is hosting a Zoom Webinar on Tuesday, June 30th at 7:00 pm on generational racism. Our two guests will be Billy Shell (current parishioner) and his son, Kendal Shell, former St. Peter PSR student and currently lives one block from where George Floyd was killed. It will be a powerful program.
Join the webinar with this link...
Beyond the Building Technology Fund:
St. Peter is committed to continue to Livestream Masses in the future as well as explore even more ways to connect and engage with our parish family online. To do this...we need your help! We will need to invest in additional equipment, software, and support to sustain an ongoing Livestream ministry. The estimated cost for this project is $30,000 which includes Livestream equipment, installation, and software. The Beyond the Building Technology Fund has been set up to support this Livestream initiative to provide continued Livestream Mass regularly as well as live stream special events including 1st Communion, Confirmation, weddings, funerals, special Masses, etc. If you are able, we hope that you will consider giving to this initiative. Donations can be made through the link below or checks can be mailed to the rectory at 243 W. Argonne Drive, Kirkwood, MO 63122. Any amount is greatly appreciated!
Sunday Mass
Sign Up for Sunday Mass
Our capacity for Sunday Mass has increased to 200 people.
Sunday Mass is at 10:00 am.
Weekday Mass is at 8:15 am.
- Please sign up on the Sign Up Genius below. Masks are required and social distancing will still need to be practiced at all times.
- Visit https://stpeterlive.com/reopening-news for Mass guidelines.
- Please remember that all Catholics are dispensed of their Sunday Mass obligation which means that not attending Mass is NOT A SIN.
Distribution of Communion after Mass
Communion will be offered to those who are unable to attend Mass in person between 11:10am-11:30am. (This will allow time for the those attending Mass to exit and the church cleaners to get started after Mass).
Please sign up on the Sign Up Genius below.
RCIA
Are you interested in learning more about the Catholic Church?
Then you might be interested in joining the RCIA process.
Who is RCIA for?
1. Persons in need of Baptism.
2. Persons baptized in another Christian tradition who desire to become Catholic.
3. Persons baptized Catholic in need of First Communion and/or Confirmation.
What is RCIA?
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the process established for the universal Church for individuals to become Catholic and receive the sacraments of initiation — Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist. The Rite speaks of conversion as a “spiritual journey.” Centered on fostering a deep relationship with Jesus and the Church he founded, this journey takes place through distinct stages over a period of time suitable to bring about a thorough catechesis, significant experience of the parish community, and commitment to the liturgical and moral life of the Catholic faithful.
R.C.I.A. Sessions will begin on Sunday, September 13th !
If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about the Catholic faith or you would like more information about the RCIA process, please call
Linda Doyle at 314-966-8600, EXT. 1011 or e-mail ldoyle@stpeterkirkwood.org
Prevent and Protect STL
The Archdiocese of St. Louis has developed a new system for safe environment compliance called Prevent and Protect STL. Everyone (clergy, employees and volunteers) ministering to minors and vulnerable adults in the Archdiocese are required to register in the new system before December 31, 2020. This includes those new to service as well as those who are currently compliant and in service. For those who have already attended a Protecting God's Children workshop, your previous training date will transfer to this new system. In addition to attending a live Protecting God's Children workshop, all clergy, volunteers and employees will register for an updated background screening, view two new on-line training modules on abuse reporting and the Code of Ethical Conduct, and agree to the updated Code of Ethical Conduct.
Please go to www.preventandprotectstl.org: select the ‘register’ link and enter ‘stlprotect’ for the passcode. Then create your username and password for this new system. Contact Mary Doyle, the parish Child Safety Coordinator, at (314)966-8600 or mdoyle@stpeterkirkwood.org with any questions or for assistance.
Thank you for your continued support.
How can I help those in need?
June 29, Feast of Saints Peter and Paul
O holy Apostles, Peter and Paul, I choose you this day and forever to be my special patrons and advocates; thee, Saint Peter, Prince of the Apostles, because thou art the Rock, upon which Almighty God hath built His Church; thee, Saint Paul, because thou wast fore-chosen by God as the Vessel of election and the Preacher of truth in the whole world. Obtain for me, I pray you, lively faith, firm hope, and burning love; complete detachment from myself, contempt of the world, patience in adversity, humility in prosperity, attention in prayer, purity of heart, a right intention in all my works, diligence in fulfilling the duties of my state of life, constancy in my resolutions, resignation to the will of God and perseverance in the grace of God even unto death; that so, by means of your intercession and your glorious merits, I may be able to overcome the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil, and may be made worthy to appear before the chief and eternal Shepherd of souls, Jesus Christ, Who with the Father and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth for endless ages, to enjoy His presence and love Him forever.
Amen.
