{"id":5712,"date":"2020-12-05T09:44:31","date_gmt":"2020-12-05T14:44:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/?p=5712"},"modified":"2020-12-03T21:09:07","modified_gmt":"2020-12-04T02:09:07","slug":"a-gospel-for-our-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/2020\/12\/05\/a-gospel-for-our-times\/","title":{"rendered":"A Gospel for Our Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/strong>As we celebrate the Second Sunday of Advent, we hear this Sunday the beginning of the Gospel of Mark. This is the Gospel that we will hear proclaimed throughout the coming liturgical year, which began last Sunday.<\/p>\n

The Gospel of Mark has a message that is particularly important in these difficult times.<\/p>\n

Many scholars believe that the Gospel of Mark was written around the year 70 A.D. Mark himself was believed to have been a disciple of St. Peter. When he writes his Gospel, many of the early followers of Jesus are struggling with the problem of suffering. They cannot understand how they have left everything to follow Christ and yet despite being followers of Christ, find themselves experiencing suffering and difficulties. The trials that these early disciples are facing are not agreed upon. Some speculate that Mark\u2019s Gospel may have been written in Rome during the persecutions that the Church experienced there during the time when the great Apostles Peter and Paul were put to death. Others have speculated that the Gospel may have been written in Jerusalem around the same time, when the Temple was destroyed and Christians were no longer granted the protection of worship in the Temple. Regardless of the exact origin of the Gospel, one of its great themes is that of persevering through suffering and hardship.  It is written to bring the Good News of Christ\u2019s resurrection to Christians who cannot understand how they can be experiencing suffering when they are disciples of a loving Saviour. They are struggling to see Christ\u2019s face in the midst of their trials.<\/p>\n

This is also a question that many Christians find themselves asking in the midst of today\u2019s pandemic, isolation, uncertainty and anxiety\u2014 Where is Jesus our Savior in the midst of all of this?<\/p>\n

The answer that the Gospel of Mark gives to the question \u201cwhere is Jesus in the midst of these hardships?\u201d, is that Jesus is with the disciple who perseveres to the end. Jesus, is with the faithful disciple, who perseveres through hardships, and Christ will raise that faithful disciple up on the last day. By sharing in the cross of Christ in this life, we shall also share in His resurrection.<\/p>\n

While we hear the beginning of Mark\u2019s Gospel this Sunday, it is interesting to note how Mark\u2019s Gospel ends. In some ways, the Gospel does not end. Unlike the other Gospels that have a more tidy ending, scholars believe that Mark\u2019s Gospel had actually concluded with the empty tomb\u2014others added a more complete conclusion. The implication of the conclusion at the empty tomb was that the story was not finished. From the empty tomb, the Resurrection was announced, but the story would continue through the discipleship of those who would also carry the cross and make Christ present through the ages. This brings us back to the beginning of the Gospel.<\/p>\n

In this Sunday\u2019s Gospel, as we hear the \u201cbeginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This \u201cGood News\u201d speaks to us of the baptism of Christ that will give His disciples the gift of the Holy Spirit. The child that we are preparing to welcome at Christmas, is the Son of God. After His death and resurrection, the Christ child will ascend into Heaven and send upon His disciples the Holy Spirit in order that He might continue to be with them throughout their trials and tribulations. A reality that the Gospel of Mark wishes to communicate is that discipleship cannot come without challenges and struggles. Maybe this is why Mark does not bother with a narrative about the birth of Christ. He simply begins with Jesus at work in the midst of His ministry and mission.<\/p>\n

Christ comes to bring us salvation, conquer death and overcome all of the evil forces that have bound humanity. Through His own death and resurrection, Jesus sends the Holy Spirit upon His disciples and invites them through perseverance to also share in His victory over death. In one of the early Christmas prayers of the Church\u2019s liturgy, the wood of the manger is spoken of as prefiguring the wood of the cross. The Gospel of Mark does not shy away from the fact that in order for the Christ child, who has come into the world to save us, to fulfill His mission, He must first die to destroy death and share His victory with us. This reality reminds us, that we too must die in order to rise; we must change and turn towards Christ in order to be His disciples.<\/p>\n

The call of the Gospel this Sunday is that of John the Baptist who proclaims a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. To really be a disciple of Christ\u2019s, we must turn away from sin and self and recognize who we are as God\u2019s children. So many of us think that we are our own makers and masters. In our individualistic society, we falsely believe that we alone are responsible for all that we are and have. We are under the illusion that we are in control of our lives. This illusion makes us even believe that we can determine when life will begin and end.<\/p>\n

COVID 19 has reminded all of us that none of us are in control.<\/p>\n

The call of the Gospel this weekend is an invitation to turn away from the illusion that we are in control and turn to\u2014convert to\u2014the God who is in control\u2014the God who made us and has given us all that we have and are. In turning to Christ, we are invited to find eternal life.<\/p>\n

As we turn away from sin and towards Christ, Jesus offers us the gift of the Holy Spirit by which He comes to dwell with us. The Holy Spirit gives us Christ\u2019s presence so that we might know that Jesus is with us through the present tribulations and that He might assist us to persevere through these trials to share in His resurrection.<\/p>\n

There are some people who believe that Christianity should be a life without problems or difficulties. This kind of Christianity sees the faith as a type of lucky charm that wards off problems and difficulties. Some evangelicals preach this kind of Christianity as they promise wealth and success to those who follow their version of the faith. This is certainly not the Christianity of the Gospel of Mark. It is clearly not what Jesus Christ came to preach.<\/p>\n

If we read the Bible from beginning to end, nowhere does it say that those who follow God will be without problems. The message of the Bible is that God will be with His people throughout their problems and will strengthen them to endure through these trials. This is clear through the tribulations of the people of Israel, whom although they struggle, God never abandons.<\/p>\n

More clearly, we see this presence of God most perfectly manifested by the coming of Christ, who is given the title \u201cEmanuel,\u201d which means \u201cGod is with us.\u201d Even though Mary and Joseph have nothing, Christ is born to them in the poverty of a barn. To the many whom Jesus is sent\u2014the sick, the poor, sinners and outcasts\u2014He makes God\u2019s love present. After His Resurrection, upon His disciples who have left everything to follow Him, Christ sends His Holy Spirit, so that He might always be with them. As He is with them, He promises them eternal life if they persevere in their discipleship and walk with Him through their trials and tribulations.<\/p>\n

Mark\u2019s Gospel makes it very clear that Christ is with us in our sufferings.<\/p>\n

This same Gospel calls us to turn away from sin and the illusions that we are in control and responsible for all that we have and are and let Christ rule over our hearts. By opening our hearts to Christ\u2019s presence, He comes to us and is with us.<\/p>\n

One way that we can turn to Christ is by celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation in this Advent season. Even though our churches in many parts of the diocese are limited to 10 people, many parishes will go ahead with the Days of Reconciliation. Our own parish will have two days of Reconciliation on December 12 from 1:00 to 4:30 pm and December 19 from 11:00 am to 4:30 pm. I will be in the church to celebrate the Sacrament of Confession at a safe distance during these times. You may check other parish websites to learn the times in other parishes. There will be someone at the doors of the church to ensure that we never exceed 10 persons in the church at a time.<\/p>\n

By celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we make the words of the Psalmist today our own, as it provides us a real way of saying: \u201cShow us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.\u201d Through this Sacrament, we call upon the Lord for the spiritual aide that we hear the Prophet Isaiah asking of God in the midst of his people\u2019s difficulty. The Sacrament fulfills for each of us the instruction that we here from St. Peter today as he states in his second letter: \u201cTherefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Gospel of Mark speaks to us of a God who is always with us in our trials and tribulations. Christ conquered all through His Cross and invites us through our perseverance through trials to share in His resurrection and victory over death. In order to know His presence in our trials today, we must turn away from sin and self and open our hearts to His presence in our lives.<\/p>\n

COVID 19 is providing all of us with a reminder that God is God and we are not. May we all turn to Christ this Advent and welcome Him into our hearts that through our faithful discipleship we may also know His coming to us today and at the end of time.<\/p>\n

Blessings for Advent!<\/p>\n

Fr. Michael McGourty
\nPastor\u2014St. Peter\u2019s Parish\u2014Toronto.<\/p>\n

This reflection is based upon the readings for the Second Sunday of Advent\u2014Year B: Isaiah 40: 1-5, 9-11; Psalm 85; 2 Peter 3: 8-14; and Mark 1: 1-8.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As we celebrate the Second Sunday of Advent, we hear this Sunday the beginning of the Gospel of Mark. This is the Gospel that we will hear proclaimed throughout the coming liturgical year, which began last Sunday. The Gospel of … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sunday_homilies"],"yoast_head":"\nA Gospel for Our Times - St. Peter's Church<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/2020\/12\/05\/a-gospel-for-our-times\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Gospel for Our Times - St. Peter's Church\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As we celebrate the Second Sunday of Advent, we hear this Sunday the beginning of the Gospel of Mark. This is the Gospel that we will hear proclaimed throughout the coming liturgical year, which began last Sunday. The Gospel of … Continue reading →\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/2020\/12\/05\/a-gospel-for-our-times\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"St. Peter's Church\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/stpeterstoronto\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-12-05T14:44:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/where-is-god-300x169.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"stpeters\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@stpeterstoronto\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@stpeterstoronto\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"stpeters\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/05\\\/a-gospel-for-our-times\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/05\\\/a-gospel-for-our-times\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"stpeters\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1024660b2c7494adcb3632b62f3ec37a\"},\"headline\":\"A Gospel for Our Times\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-12-05T14:44:31+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/05\\\/a-gospel-for-our-times\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1733,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/05\\\/a-gospel-for-our-times\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/where-is-god-300x169.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"A Message from the Pastor\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/05\\\/a-gospel-for-our-times\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/05\\\/a-gospel-for-our-times\\\/\",\"name\":\"A Gospel for Our Times - St. Peter's Church\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/05\\\/a-gospel-for-our-times\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/05\\\/a-gospel-for-our-times\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/where-is-god-300x169.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-12-05T14:44:31+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/05\\\/a-gospel-for-our-times\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/05\\\/a-gospel-for-our-times\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/05\\\/a-gospel-for-our-times\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/where-is-god.jpg?fit=960%2C540&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/where-is-god.jpg?fit=960%2C540&ssl=1\",\"width\":960,\"height\":540,\"caption\":\"Decorative Image\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/2020\\\/12\\\/05\\\/a-gospel-for-our-times\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"A Gospel for Our Times\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/\",\"name\":\"St. Peter's Church\",\"description\":\"One Heart and One Mind\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"St. Peter's Church\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/StP-Logo-small.jpg?fit=150%2C135&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/StP-Logo-small.jpg?fit=150%2C135&ssl=1\",\"width\":150,\"height\":135,\"caption\":\"St. Peter's Church\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/stpeterstoronto\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/stpeterstoronto\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/stpeterstoronto\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1024660b2c7494adcb3632b62f3ec37a\",\"name\":\"stpeters\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f344f798b6070a68ae1c192658ac7580803e101183944697e72236d2e2df0d77?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f344f798b6070a68ae1c192658ac7580803e101183944697e72236d2e2df0d77?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f344f798b6070a68ae1c192658ac7580803e101183944697e72236d2e2df0d77?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"stpeters\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stpeterstoronto.ca\\\/main\\\/author\\\/stpeters\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A Gospel for Our Times - St. Peter's Church","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/2020\/12\/05\/a-gospel-for-our-times\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A Gospel for Our Times - St. Peter's Church","og_description":"As we celebrate the Second Sunday of Advent, we hear this Sunday the beginning of the Gospel of Mark. This is the Gospel that we will hear proclaimed throughout the coming liturgical year, which began last Sunday. The Gospel of … Continue reading →","og_url":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/2020\/12\/05\/a-gospel-for-our-times\/","og_site_name":"St. Peter's Church","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/stpeterstoronto\/","article_published_time":"2020-12-05T14:44:31+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/where-is-god-300x169.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"stpeters","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@stpeterstoronto","twitter_site":"@stpeterstoronto","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"stpeters","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/2020\/12\/05\/a-gospel-for-our-times\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/2020\/12\/05\/a-gospel-for-our-times\/"},"author":{"name":"stpeters","@id":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/#\/schema\/person\/1024660b2c7494adcb3632b62f3ec37a"},"headline":"A Gospel for Our Times","datePublished":"2020-12-05T14:44:31+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/2020\/12\/05\/a-gospel-for-our-times\/"},"wordCount":1733,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/2020\/12\/05\/a-gospel-for-our-times\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/where-is-god-300x169.jpg","articleSection":["A Message from the Pastor"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/2020\/12\/05\/a-gospel-for-our-times\/","url":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/2020\/12\/05\/a-gospel-for-our-times\/","name":"A Gospel for Our Times - St. Peter's Church","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/2020\/12\/05\/a-gospel-for-our-times\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/2020\/12\/05\/a-gospel-for-our-times\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/where-is-god-300x169.jpg","datePublished":"2020-12-05T14:44:31+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/2020\/12\/05\/a-gospel-for-our-times\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/2020\/12\/05\/a-gospel-for-our-times\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/2020\/12\/05\/a-gospel-for-our-times\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/where-is-god.jpg?fit=960%2C540&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/where-is-god.jpg?fit=960%2C540&ssl=1","width":960,"height":540,"caption":"Decorative Image"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/2020\/12\/05\/a-gospel-for-our-times\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A Gospel for Our Times"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/#website","url":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/","name":"St. Peter's Church","description":"One Heart and One Mind","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/#organization","name":"St. Peter's Church","url":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/StP-Logo-small.jpg?fit=150%2C135&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/StP-Logo-small.jpg?fit=150%2C135&ssl=1","width":150,"height":135,"caption":"St. Peter's Church"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/stpeterstoronto\/","https:\/\/x.com\/stpeterstoronto","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/stpeterstoronto\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/#\/schema\/person\/1024660b2c7494adcb3632b62f3ec37a","name":"stpeters","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f344f798b6070a68ae1c192658ac7580803e101183944697e72236d2e2df0d77?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f344f798b6070a68ae1c192658ac7580803e101183944697e72236d2e2df0d77?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f344f798b6070a68ae1c192658ac7580803e101183944697e72236d2e2df0d77?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"stpeters"},"url":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/author\/stpeters\/"}]}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5762,"url":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/2021\/01\/23\/introduction-to-the-gospel-of-mark-the-kingdom-of-god-has-come-near-repent-and-believe-in-the-good-news-2021\/","url_meta":{"origin":5712,"position":0},"title":"Introduction\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0Gospel\u00a0of\u00a0Mark. \u201cThe Kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the Good News.\u201d","author":"stpeters","date":"January 23, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"We begin reading today at Sunday Mass the Gospel of Mark. The Sunday readings are divided into three different annual cycles of readings. These have the names: \u201cYear A\u201d, Year B\u201d, and \u201cYear C.\u201d In each of these years, the Church has us listen to one of the three Synoptic\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A Message from the Pastor"","block_context":{"text":"A Message from the Pastor","link":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/category\/sunday_homilies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/gospelofmark-300x124.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2865,"url":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/2018\/01\/20\/introduction-to-the-gospel-of-mark-the-kingdom-of-god-has-come-near-repent-and-believe-in-the-good-news\/","url_meta":{"origin":5712,"position":1},"title":"Introduction to the Gospel of Mark. \u201cThe Kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the Good News.\u201d","author":"stpeters","date":"January 20, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"We begin reading today at Sunday Mass the Gospel of Mark. The Sunday readings are divided into three different annual cycles of readings. These have the names: \u201cYear A\u201d, Year B\u201d, and \u201cYear C.\u201d In each of these years, the Church has us listen to one of the three Synoptic\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A Message from the Pastor"","block_context":{"text":"A Message from the Pastor","link":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/category\/sunday_homilies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Decorative Image","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/gospelofmark.jpg?fit=940%2C390&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/gospelofmark.jpg?fit=940%2C390&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/gospelofmark.jpg?fit=940%2C390&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/gospelofmark.jpg?fit=940%2C390&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6214,"url":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/2021\/09\/11\/who-do-you-say-that-i-am-a-question-to-be-answered-by-discipleship\/","url_meta":{"origin":5712,"position":2},"title":"\u201cWho do you say that I am?\u201d A Question to be Answered by Discipleship!","author":"stpeters","date":"September 11, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cWho do you say that I am?\u201d As Jesus puts this question to Peter in this Sunday\u2019s Gospel, there is a possibility that we might hear it as a question that He is putting only to Peter as a way of inviting Peter alone to make a profession of faith\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A Message from the Pastor"","block_context":{"text":"A Message from the Pastor","link":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/category\/sunday_homilies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Decorative Image","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Stewardship.jpeg?fit=586%2C333&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Stewardship.jpeg?fit=586%2C333&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Stewardship.jpeg?fit=586%2C333&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5788,"url":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/2021\/01\/30\/o-that-today-you-would-listen-to-the-voice-of-the-lord-do-not-harden-your-hearts\/","url_meta":{"origin":5712,"position":3},"title":"\u201cO that today you would listen to the voice of the Lord. Do not harden your hearts.\u201d","author":"stpeters","date":"January 30, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"In this Sunday\u2019s Gospel, as we begin to journey with Jesus in Mark\u2019s Gospel, we hear how Jesus went to the synagogue in Capernaum with His disciples as He began His public ministry. In the synagogue, Jesus astounds those who have gathered with His teaching. However, what is perhaps the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A Message from the Pastor"","block_context":{"text":"A Message from the Pastor","link":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/category\/sunday_homilies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/1102014626_univ_lsr_xl-300x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2159,"url":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/2017\/04\/29\/the-very-first-holy-communion\/","url_meta":{"origin":5712,"position":4},"title":"The Very First Holy Communion","author":"stpeters","date":"April 29, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"As many of the young boys and girls in our parish make their First Communion today, the Gospel reading for this Sunday tells us the powerful story of the very first Holy Communion to take place after Jesus rose from the dead. The story of the two disciples on the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A Message from the Pastor"","block_context":{"text":"A Message from the Pastor","link":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/category\/sunday_homilies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"communion","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/communion-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":20166,"url":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/2025\/01\/24\/your-words-lord-are-spirit-and-life\/","url_meta":{"origin":5712,"position":5},"title":"\u201cYour words, Lord, are spirit and life\u201d (Psalm 19)","author":"stpeters","date":"January 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The church building that our community presently worships in is the third building that our parish community has occupied. Its construction was begun in 1925 and completed in December of 1926, when our church was dedicated on December 12, 1926. That means that we are beginning the 100th anniversary of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A Message from the Pastor"","block_context":{"text":"A Message from the Pastor","link":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/category\/sunday_homilies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The exterior of St. Peter's Church.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/St_Peters_Catholic_Toronto.jpg?fit=720%2C930&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/St_Peters_Catholic_Toronto.jpg?fit=720%2C930&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/St_Peters_Catholic_Toronto.jpg?fit=720%2C930&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/St_Peters_Catholic_Toronto.jpg?fit=720%2C930&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5712","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5712"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5712\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5714,"href":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5712\/revisions\/5714"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stpeterstoronto.ca\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}