St. Peter Attraction

Greetings faithful and patient readers.

The 18th St. News wants to hear from you! ! ! Our story last week about how Laura and I came to St. Peter Roman Catholic Church generated an idea. How did others find St. Pete? We really want to know.

Write us: tnl@peakpeak.com

Here are two examples already submitted to us:

Beer Garden Magnetism

A family of cradle Catholics, we moved to Greeley and stayed at the Country Inn and Suites for six weeks in 1998.

We went to Mass at St. Mary's. I was on crutches, having just had an Achilles' tendon surgery prior to our move.

I didn't feel one way or another about St. Mary's, although no one went out of the way to address my "handicap".

One Sunday we were driving around acclimating ourselves to Greeley and we saw a sign. It said, "Beer Garden."

We made a beeline to the Garden; lo and behold we were at St. Peter's Catholic Church, where the summer festival was in progress.

The first person we met was parishioner Carl Joerschke. The second man was Deacon Fredrick Torrez.

They said, "That's the pastor" and pointed to a guy in a cowboy hat. A thoroughly wet Fr. Greg Ames had just emerged from the dunk tank, and we were introduced to him. Hours later, Fr. Greg spoke to us again-- and he still remembered our names!

We stayed for the rest of the day and helped with the cleanup. We're still active at St. Peter's to this day.

I bet there's a story for every body who goes to St. Peter. I'm sorry I have to admit it was the beer garden that drew me to S.P. God bless the Knights. And thank God for beer! And thank God that he knows our hearts and how to reach us!

Unplanned U-turn

A young woman planning to come into the church this Easter tells us how she "found" St. Peter:

I was driving home and a feeling came to me. It was so strong. I was almost to my house, when the feeling caused me to change my mind. I did a U-turn and went back downtown. I never do U-turns.

I drove around until I saw St. Peter Church and I knew that was it. I went in. They were having Adoration -- at the time I didn't even know what Adoration was, but I've been coming to church here ever since."

Baptism

Word of the week: Baptism. The 18th St. News has had a special request to research "baptism" as word of the week. Gird your loins, here goes:

Peloubet’s Bible Dictionary, ©1925:

It is well known that ablution or bathing was common in most ancient nations as a preparation for prayers and sacrifice or as expiatory of sin.

In warm countries this connection is probably even closer than in colder climates; and hence the frequency of ablution in the religious rites throughout the East. Baptism in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost is the rite or ordinance by which persons are admitted into the Church of Christ.

It is the public profession of faith and discipleship. Baptism signifies:

A confession of faith in Christ
A cleansing or washing of the soul from sin
A death to sin and a new life in righteousness . . .

The command to baptize was co-extensive with the command to preach the gospel. All nations were to be evangelized; and they were to be made disciples, admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s religion by baptism (Matt. 28:19).

It appears to have been a kind of transition from the Jewish baptism to the Christian. The distinction between John’s baptism and Christian baptism appears in the case of Apollos, Acts 18:25-27, and of the disciples at Ephesus mentioned in Acts 19:1-6.

We cannot but draw from this history the inference that in Christian baptism there was a deeper spiritual significance.

And from the New American Standard, Master Study Bible, ©1981:

In the ceremonies of the Jewish religion, as of some other ancient religions, washing with water was used as a sign of purification from defilement.

The law of Moses required washing for the ceremonially unclean (Lev. 11:25) and the later Jews required non-Jews, in adopting the Jewish faith, to receive baptism.

John the Baptist baptized “for repentance,” and a sign and pledge of repentance (Matt. 3:11) and Jesus himself submitted to John’s baptism “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15).

The case of the disciples at Ephesus (Acts 19:1-7) clearly shows the difference between John’s baptism and Christian baptism.

All believers, who in simplicity of heart approach the reception of this rite, feel that it is majestically solemn and immeasurably significant.

Baptism symbolizes regeneration; it is a confession of Christ before men – a public confession of faith; it signifies a new state of sin forgiven; it heralds discipleship; its reception is an act of speaking louder than words in proclaiming the high resolve to lead, thenceforth, a righteous life; it typifies death to a past which is abandoned, and a new birth to a future life of Godliness.

It unites sanctifying solemnity, spiritual significance, and devotional beauty, in marking for all who receive it their admission into the kingdom of the Master.

The Interpreter’s Commentary on the Bible, ©1971 reports:

The dominance of the deliverance at the sea as the supreme divine act of might and mercy and the genesis of the religious community of Israel recurs through scripture, especially in Is. 40; 43, and is taken by Paul as the prototype of Christian baptism (1 Cor. 10:1-2). Ex. 13; 14 http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/#exodus

Abraham’s acceptance with God was not effected by the ritual of circumcision. That rite was not the cause of God’s approval but the sign or seal of it. Baptism, the Christian analogue of circumcision, was also called a “seal” from the second century onward. Romans 4:9-12. http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/#romans

Infant baptism

"Journey of faith," a publication for persons studying to enter the Church, says:

Saint Irenaeus, about the year 180, considered it a matter of course that infants and small children, as well as adults, should be baptized.

The Church considers Jesus' invitation to baptism (John 3:5) to be an invitation of universal and limitless love, an invitation that applies to children as well as to adults.

The Rite of Baptism for Children states: "To fulfill the true meaning of the sacrament, children must later be formed in the faith in which they have been baptized...so that they may ultimately accept for themselves the faith in which they have been baptized.

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Next week's word: purloin.

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