Transformation Tuesdays

Transfiguration of the Lord: Matthew 17:1-9

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione and Aaron Emig recap the Gospel from the prior Sunday and give action steps and resources to transform our lives for that week every Tuesday at 2:10 p.m. at Morris Hall from Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Collinsville, IL…A Spiritual Home from Everyone where we strive to Be, Grow and Make Disciples. Music and vocals provided by our parish choir. Deacon Jimmy: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy… Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig… And this week are celebrating the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord… And our question for the week is: Are we open to being Transfigured in the image of Christ…And open to helping others to be transfigured? This week’s Gospel come from: Matthew 17:1-9 Deacon Jimmy: Peter, James and John felt a huge rush on the top of a mountain in today's Gospel. They saw Jesus there, transformed, or transfigured. The rush the disciples felt on the top of that mountain was better but similar to the feelings I have had and hopefully you have had when we sense the Presence of God in some way, the Presence of Jesus among us and within us. Sometimes we feel this Presence during a Parish Mission, or during a retreat or an opportunity like Cursillo. Sometimes we feel this Presence in Church during one of the peak celebrations of the year, Christmas, Holy week, Easter Sunday. But what happens between the rushes, between the experiences? We are missing the point if we are holy on the mountain and everything but holy when we leave the mountain. Aaron Emig: Wow…I don’t know what Peter, James and John where thinking at that moment… Jesus’ clothes turned bright white… A voice from a cloud said, “This is my Son and listen to him.” Lastly, Jesus told them not tell anyone until he has been raised from the dead… What pressure that they had to keep this from everyone… It’s just another great story that brings us faith that Jesus is truly the Son of Man… And with the grace of God when all can transfigure ourselves… Are you ready to let God transform you today? Deacon Jimmy: And we need to trust in Him. We need to have faith that if we are open to Him, He will draw us closer to Himself today more than ever before and use us as instruments to draw others to Himself. We need to let people know that just as His Love has overwhelmed us, He will overwhelm them. I challenge you and I challenge myself: Tell people about the mountain. Tell them about the experience of our Loving, Lord working in your life. Tell them about how you are striving each day to live as a disciple of Christ and how they can too. Speak to them in a language they can understand. If we have the courage to do this, we will truly be answering God’s call of Being, Growing and Making Disciples. Aaron Emig: I think we just need to increase our faith and belief that Jesus is the Son of Man… By increasing our faith, we will start talking and acting like Jesus… He gave us a roadmap to handle any situation in our lives… And that roadmap is the Bible… By reading the Bible every day, our belief level will increase because we know that God is always at our side… Deacon Jimmy: Wisdom Words of the Week are… “Listen to Jesus and follow him. That’s the message of the Transfiguration.” ~Pope Francis Aaron Emig: The Transformation Tool is… A Quick Introduction to Bible CD by Matthew Kelly… Matthew gives a simple guide to really get the most out of the Bible… We are giving out free copies at Morris Hall each Tuesday at 2:10 p.m. Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesday Prayer… “Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy: We would like to thank our parish choir for the music and vocals in our program. And God Bless you all from Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, a Spiritual Home for Everyone where we are striving to Be, Grow, and Make Disciples…

17th Week in Ordinary Time - Matthew 13:44-52

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione and Aaron Emig recap the Gospel from the prior Sunday and give action steps and resources to transform our lives for that week every Tuesday at 2:10 p.m. at Morris Hall from Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Collinsville, IL…A Spiritual Home from Everyone where we strive to Be, Grow and Make Disciples. Music and vocals provided by our parish choir. Deacon Jimmy: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy… Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig… And this week are celebrating the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time… And our question for the week is: What does the Kingdom of Heaven mean? This week’s Gospel come from: Matthew 13:44-52 Deacon Jimmy: I read once, The Kingdom of Heaven should be understood as the good life for all people and it begins in the present moment. In today's Gospel, the man who found treasure seized the moment for a new life when it came. He was willing to trade everything he had for this new-found treasure. So, must we. It doesn’t matter how old or how young you are, it’s never too late or too early in life. Please understand, God loves us just the way we are, but He loves us so much that He refuses to leave us just the way we are. Aaron Emig: Jesus again talks to us in parables… This time he explains what the kingdom of heaven is like… He compares it to the great riches of the world so people can understand… Like a buried treasure in a field… And pearls that are very valuable… The person that finds the treasure goes and gives up everything he owns to buy that field… The merchant also sells everything he owns just to have the pearls… For us to reach heaven we must give up our lives and possessions to do God’s will… Not our will but to serve God at every given moment… Are you willing to give up everything in your life to God’s will to reach heaven? Deacon Jimmy: If the Kingdom of Heaven starts right now, then it requires some action on our part. So, the Kingdom of Heaven on earth then, is more a verb than it is a noun. It is an action word. Jesus calls us to be an active part of this Kingdom of Heaven. Not just a by-stander but an active participant. God calls us all to be great Saints, don’t miss the opportunity. Start today, it’s just the right time. Aaron Emig: Not to be assumptive, but I’m assuming most people would like to go to heaven… Because we will be with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit… So, if that’s our ultimate goal in life then what do we need to do to get there? In Matthew 11:27 Jesus promises us this… “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” So, if Jesus will introduce us to Father… Then doesn’t it make common sense for all of us to build our personal relationship with Jesus? We need to become BFFs with Jesus through the daily gospel and prayer… So, he will he will send the Holy Spirit to guide us to do God the Father’s will here on earth… Deacon Jimmy: Wisdom Words of the Week are… "It doesn't matter if you're a late bloomer as long as you don't miss the flower show." Aaron Emig: The Transformation Tool is… A Quick Introduction to Bible CD by Matthew Kelly… I just listened to it again and picked up some more ideas… Just like we have heard stories from the Bible a few times… Each time they can have a different meaning to you based on where you are in your life… Again, Matthew gives a guide to really get the most out of the Bible… We are giving out free copies at Morris Hall each Tuesday at 2:10 p.m. Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesday Prayer… “Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy: We would like to thank our parish choir for the music and vocals in our program. And God Bless you all from Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, a Spiritual Home for Everyone where we are striving to Be, Grow, and Make Disciples…

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Matthew 13:24-43 with Vocals by Stephanie Tidball

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione and Aaron Emig recap the Gospel from the prior Sunday and give action steps and resources to transform our lives for that week every Tuesday at 2:10 p.m. at Morris Hall from Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Collinsville, IL…A Spiritual Home from Everyone where we strive to Be, Grow and Make Disciples. Deacon Jimmy: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy… Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig… We are so grateful to have Riley from the Totus Tuus team at SSPP Parish… Riley attends Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, IN and studies physics and math… And this week are celebrating the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time… And our question for the week is: Are you open to the “cultivation” necessary to be “good soil”? This week’s Gospel come from: Matthew 13:24-43 Deacon Jimmy: When reflecting on this Gospel, two thoughts came to me …. The first don’t be a weed. Last week we heard our Loving Lord telling us in the Gospel to be good soil. Today it seems as if He’s telling us, don’t be a weed. We are called to be a good seed not a bad one. Another thought…… Life is not fair. How many times we have heard people say that, “Life is not Fair.” Maybe we’ve even said it ourselves. Life is not Fair. In today’s Gospel, it seems that life is not fair for this farmer. He works hard to sow good seed, then along came someone to try to mess things up for him. They sowed weeds in his fields. That’s not fair. But the farmer was patient and faithful and in the end things got sorted out. Literally things got sorted out, the wheat from the weeds, the good from the bad. Riley: Aaron Emig: Jesus tells us 3 parables in this week’s gospel… The weeds in the first parable are people of the evil one… Once the harvest is ready which is the end of the age… Angels will come down and collect and burn those weeds… So that the Son of Man, the word and the children of God can spend time with our Father in paradise. What type of seeds are you sowing every day? Deacon Jimmy: Our loving Lord God has a way of making life fair. Sometimes it’s not always when or the way we want it to be. We must be patient and faithful. When it seems that life is not fair to us, how do we react? Do we get bitter, angry, discouraged, depressed or jealous? Or are we like the farmer in the Gospel, are we patient and faithful, accepting what life has to offer, good and bad, all the while trusting in our loving Lord? The master of the harvest. We need to know that if we remain faithful, that in God’s time, in God’s way, that God always has a way of making life fair. If not now... in eternity. Riley: Aaron Emig: To enter paradise with our Father… It all starts by building our personal relationship with Jesus… Yes, I do sound like a broken record… But this is the fundamentals, the foundation, the rich soil that produces fruit that lasts forever… We just need chat with JC every day to grow our personal relationship with Him… Unlike human relationships, you have that opportunity to talk with Jesus 24/7, 365 days a year… How awesome is that? But it’s your decision to make and only yours… Deacon Jimmy: Wisdom Words of the Week are… “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” ~Robert Lewis Stevenson Aaron Emig: The Transformation Tool is… A Quick Introduction to Bible CD by Matthew Kelly… Have you ever wondered how to read the Bible? It is quite overwhelming with all the books and chapter… Matthew Kelly give you game plan on how to read the Bible… We are giving out free copies at Morris Hall each Tuesday at 2:10 p.m. Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesday Prayer… “Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy: God Bless you all from Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, a Spiritual Home for Everyone where we are striving to Be, Grow, and Make Disciples…

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Matthew 13:1-23 with Special Guests Grant & Alex

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione and Aaron Emig recap the Gospel from the prior Sunday and give action steps and resources to transform our lives for that week every Tuesday at 2:10 p.m. at Morris Hall from Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Collinsville, IL. Deacon Jimmy: Therefore, the simple meaning of the parable is we need to “Be Good Soil.” Generally good soil does not become good soil all on its own. Good soil receives help. The farmer cultivates it, fertilizes it, makes sure it receives nutrients and water that will help the seed grow. The things that are good for it. Let’s think of God as the farmer. We are the soil. The seed is His word, His teachings, His commandments. But God doesn’t just sow the seed, and leave us (the soil) alone, expecting us to nurture the seed ourselves. He nurtures us. He waters us. He feeds us. He gives us all kinds of help to be the very best soil that we can be. Grant: In Jesus’ parable, a sower scatters seed all over the field. Birds eat some seed. Some seeds spring up then die under the sun. Some seeds are choked by thorns. And some seeds produce rich fruit. Last summer, I was visiting cousins who live in the Chicago suburbs and decided to check out a Sunday service at a nearby nondenominational church, Harvest Bible Chapel. I went inside a building that looked like an old warehouse and sat in an auditorium they called their “worship space.” For an entire hour, a live band blasted Contemporary Christian music. It was so loud that I couldn't talk to the person sitting next to me if I had wanted to. It was a great concert and really got my blood pumping, but it gave me no spiritual insights or growth. After an hour of the concert, I left and went to Mass at St. Theresa’s, the parish that we normally go to when we’re visiting. Everything about St. Theresa’s and the Mass was the complete opposite of Harvest Bible Chapel. Their sanctuary has stations of the cross on the walls, an area with candles and a statue of Mary, and a large crucifix at the front. I especially noticed that day how deliberately paced and how reverent the Mass was. The readings poured out the Scriptures to me, and the homily gave me new insights. And the Eucharist brought Christ to me in the deepest way possible. I was able to receive His body and blood. My experience at Harvest Bible Chapel made me feel like a seed that would spring up quickly then die under the sun. It was an emotional, exciting experience--but one that didn’t last long or mean much. My experience at Mass made me feel like a seed that could bear rich fruit, because I was being watered and cared for in the right way by the Scripture readings and the Eucharist. Aaron Emig: What type of sower are you? Trust me most of my life I have been 1, 2 or 3 but always striving for number 4… Deacon Jimmy: If God calls us to be good soil, and He does, then we have to accept his caring for the soil, in whatever form that may be. We have to accept His Justice and His Forgiveness. We have to accept His Correction and His Compassion. We have to accept God’s Laws and His Love. Our Loving Lord will cultivate us and enable us all to bring his loving presence into the world. We can be the good soil because God asks us to be, and enables us to be. Alex: It's easy to worship God and be thankful to him when things are going really well, and we should. However, we need to stay focused and have faith even when things aren't going well for us. Have to "pray when it rains as well as when it shines." Being a disciple of Jesus is not simply a matter of feeling joyful emotions. Emotions fade. Christ never does. And so, we must not either. It's important to ask God for the strength to persevere daily. Aaron Emig: Wisdom Words of the Week are…“The Law of Karma is also called the Law of Cause and Effect, Action and Reaction and: as you sow, so shall you reap.” ~Sham Hinduja

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Matthew 11:25-30 & Music by our Parish Choir

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione and Aaron Emig recap the Gospel from the prior Sunday and give action steps and resources to transform our lives for that week every Tuesday at 2:10 p.m. at Morris Hall from Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Collinsville, IL…A Spiritual Home from Everyone. Deacon Jimmy: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy… Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig… And this week are celebrating the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time… And our question for the week is: Is what we receive at Communion really Jesus OR a symbol of Jesus? This week’s Gospel come from: Matthew 11:25-30 Deacon Jimmy: Then Jesus makes the most extraordinary appeal, one so heart-felt that it echoes down the centuries and stirs up our hearts even today, come to me all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest! Jesus opens wide his arms to the poor, the meek and the lowly, for all generations and draws them to himself. He has come with open arms not for the privileged and the learned or well educated. No, he has come for the overburdened, the broken-hearted, the deprived and all those who suffer. Now sometimes we get the idea that unless you are poor or suffering you are excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven and that’s not the case either. Aaron Emig: Wow…another great promise that Jesus gives to us… He says that if we know Him…He will reveal us to the Father… How awesome is that? He also says that if you are struggling or burdened with situations in life… He will comfort you… He will give you rest and peace… So how much does Jesus know about you? Deacon Jimmy: Jesus helps to clarify this when he says, “for I am meek and humble of heart.” This is his true nature and it is precisely these qualities he is looking for in others. So, it is not a question of how much money we have in the bank or how much education we have or how much we don’t have. It is a question of attitude. Gentleness and humility are the qualities that Jesus is encouraging us to develop. These are the attitudes Jesus looks for in each of us. Jesus said of Himself, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” He is the way of gentleness (meekness), the way of humility, the way of service, the way of sacrifice, the way of love. It is the way of Christ-centeredness and not self-centeredness. Jesus has gone that way before us and all we need is the desire and the willingness, the openness to follow Him. Aaron Emig: Again, it all starts with our personal relationship with Jesus Christ… Just like any other relationship in our lives, the more time spent together and talking with each other…the greater that relationship grows and grows… We need to read the daily Gospel to learn more about Jesus… We need spend more time in prayer and in the classroom of silence so our relationship with Jesus grows every day… I would suggest reading the daily Gospel and talk with Jesus in prayer to your personal friendship with Jesus… And it really only takes 5-10 minutes a day… What is one that you remove from your life to spend that time with Jesus? Deacon Jimmy: Wisdom Words of the Week are… “All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” Matthew 11:27 Aaron Emig: The Transformation Tool is… A Quick Introduction to Bible CD by Matthew Kelly… Have you ever wondered how to read the Bible? It is quite overwhelming with all the books and chapter… Matthew Kelly give you game plan on how to read the Bible… We are giving out free copies at Morris Hall each Tuesday at 2:10 p.m. Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesday Prayer… “Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy: God Bless you all from Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, a Spiritual Home for Everyone where we Be, Grow, and Make Disciples…