Transformation Tuesdays

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…

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…

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…

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

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…

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 13th week 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 10:37-42 Deacon Jimmy: So, Matthew’s Gospel today tells us to take up our cross and follow the Lord Jesus. What can be taking up the cross mean other than the struggle to live completely with the Lord. This is a struggle not only against sin, but in a very positive way, to live in God’s love every moment of our lives. The Psalms tell us that we must turn away from evil and do good. It is not enough just to turn away from evil. We must also do good. Aaron Emig: The week’s Gospel talks about give up your life to serve God and others… We need to love God first rather than humans… I know that it is hard to grasp… We have so many loved ones that we care in our lives on earth… But Jesus tells that we need to love God first so that we can love others on earth. Do you truly love God before all humans and things? Deacon Jimmy: This Gospel also speaks of hospitality. The only way to truly do good is to receive the grace of the Lord and to share that grace with others, such as in a cup of cold water! There are so many little ways that we can share God’s blessings in our lives. They are just little ways, the way of being thoughtful and of service to others. We don’t need anything big. Love is most often a gift of the small awareness and service to others. Some would call these things Random Acts of Kindness…. I would call them “Random Acts of Loving Kindness”. God does not give to us out of what is left over. He gives to us out of his goodness. That’s called “Loving Kindness”. A little boy was asked, “What’s the definition of Loving Kindness?” He replied “Well if I was hungry and someone gave me a piece of bread to eat, that’s kindness. But if they went to the extra trouble of putting peanut butter and jelly on it, that’s loving kindness.” Aaron Emig: We truly just need to start loving first before everyone… Once you do that you can really start loving yourself first and others… We are called to serve God first so that we serve… God has asked to this so we can change ourselves, others and the world… Let’s all really try commit to God first and watch how your life will transform… Aaron Emig: Wisdom Words of the Week are… He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37 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 gives 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…

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. And this week are celebrating the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul… 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 16:13-19

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 Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig and we are celebrating the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ… The Question for this week is… Is what we receive at Communion really Jesus OR a symbol of Jesus? The Gospel comes from: John 6:51-58 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Today we celebrate the reality of Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist. The reality that Jesus is really, truly and completely present on the altar at Mass, in the tabernacle and for all of us who receive at communion. That this presence of Jesus is mystically, mysteriously and miraculously the same presence of Jesus that appeared to the apostles in the upper room. The same presence of Jesus that exists in heaven. Jesus, that is, WHO we receive at communion time. That is, WHO it is who is present in the tabernacle at this very moment. This belief and faith in the real presence is the most important aspect of our Catholic faith. Aaron Emig: The great sacrament of the Eucharist… Again, Jesus us another great promise… If we eat his flesh and drink his blood we will have eternal life… How great is that? When we receive his body and blood, Jesus remains in us and us in Him… How awesome is that Jesus can be with us at all times? Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Now if all of this teaching about the Eucharist is true, and it is, then how can it be that the results of all the most recent surveys show that a majority of American Catholics either do not know or do not believe in our Lord truly present in the Eucharist. How can it be that so many ignore or disrespect our loving Lord Jesus by refusing to see Sunday mass attendance not only as a moral obligation, but more importantly as an awesome privilege to receive Jesus in this most close and personal way. Friends it’s the closest we can ever be to Him this side of heaven. This is really, truly and substantially our Lord Jesus that we are receiving not some meaningless, ancient ritual. But the living presence of the living God. Our Lord Jesus in the Eucharist…. The Real Person……. Real Presence……. Real Power Aaron Emig: We need to really believe that Jesus’ body and blood will give us eternal life… Next time when you receive the Eucharist… Really pray and mediate that Jesus is again part of you… Just focus on Jesus and accept that He remains in you and you in Him… Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Wisdom Words for the Week Are… "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." John 6:51 Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool… The Joy of the Gospel book by Pope Francis Our Papa basically tells us why the Gospel is the foundation of Christianity and how it helps us build that personal relationship with Jesus… We are giving free copies of the book at Morris Hall on each Tuesday at 2:10 p.m.… Again, on while supplies last… Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer… “Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

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 Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig and we are celebrating the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity… The Question for this week is…Are we being disciples and making disciples? The Gospel comes from: John 3:16-18 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Today we celebrate the theological fact that there are three equal persons who are one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Trinity is what we as Catholics call a mystery of our Faith, which means that we may never fully understand, …… at least not in this life time. Some have tried to give human explanations of the Trinity, such as H2O being water, ice and steam (all different forms, but all are H2O). Tradition holds that St. Patrick used the shamrock or three leaf clover to explain the trinity. Three distinct petals or leaves but together they make the one shamrock. Or how about an equilateral tri-angle with three equal sides. All three lines are equal to one another but none of them form the tri-angle separately. Three district lines together forming one geometric shape. All of these are imperfect examples as they all fail in one way or another to capture the divine reality of the Trinity. Aaron Emig: The word belief is the first that struck me with this Gospel… Having that faith that Jesus is the Son of God… Having that faith that Jesus came to save the world from sin… Again, God gives us another promise… Everyone that believes in Him will have eternal life… So, doesn’t it make sense to keep building that personal relationship with Jesus? Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Again, the Trinity is a mystery of our faith and we may not fully understand. But one thing we do need to understand is that the Trinity is the perfect example of Christian love and Christian life. For Jesus Himself says, “Love one another as I have loved you.” Unconditional Love! And when we can do that, we, in a sense are sharing in the life and mission of the Most Holy Trinity. For when we love as God loves, then we are doing what the Trinity does. So, let us continue to make this offer to one another today and everyday as we pray; May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with each one of us today and every day. Aaron Emig: Like a broken record; we just need to keep building our friendship with Jesus… Again, it is the fundamentals of Christianity… Each day we need to read the Gospel and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us on what we should hear and do… Just start by reading the daily Gospel every day… It takes 5 minutes… Then sit back and ask the Holy Spirit on what you should hear and do… Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Wisdom Words for the Week Are… “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” John 3:16 Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool… The Joy of the Gospel book by Pope Francis Our Papa basically tells us why the Gospel is the foundation of Christianity and how it helps us build that personal relationship with Jesus… We are giving free copies of the book at Morris Hall on each Tuesday at 2:10 p.m.… Again, on while supplies last… Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer… “Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

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 Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig and we are celebrating Pentecost Sunday… The Question for this week is…Are we being disciples and making disciples? The Gospel comes from: John 20:19-23 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Most Christians don’t think about the theological fact that we cannot love God without the Holy Spirit. We have a gift of free will and the Holy Spirit guides us to use that gift properly. We need the Holy Spirit. He gives us power, peace and pardon. St. Paul says, "No one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit." It might seem strange to say it this way, but when we pray, its God who has prompted us to do so. God the Holy Spirit inspires us, through the example of Jesus the Son, to pray to the Father. Yes, I know it sounds strange, but when you think about it, it makes sense. By the workings of the Holy Spirit, most especially through The Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, we become sons and daughters of God. The Holy Spirit enables us to walk with God, to love God, and even to believe in God. Our “Yes” to God, begins first with the guidance or inspiration of God --- in the person of the Holy Spirit. Aaron Emig: Jesus gives us the greatest gift of the Holy Spirit… He is the one that helps and guides us throughout our lives… He is the one that helps us become disciples and gives us the courage to spread the Gospel to all nations… He is to one that gives us to speak from our hearts… Again, by building our personal relationship with Jesus, He will send down the Spirit during any situation in our lives for guidance and strength… Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: As St. Augustine says that, the Holy Spirit not only makes us capable of loving God; he also enables us to love our neighbor. Love of God…. Love of neighbor. Last week’s Gospel spoke about discipleship. Remember, that’s what Jesus told us in last week’s Gospel, “Go and MAKE Disciples” …. The power of the Holy Spirit is an essential part of Being a disciple, being open to Growing as a disciple and going forth into the world and Making disciples. We all need the Holy Spirit to have a relationship with God, we all need the Holy Spirit when Being Disciples, Growing Disciples and Making Disciples. Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of us your faithful, and kindle in us the fire of you love, so that we may live each day as intentional disciples, and by the life we live, to inspire others to do the same. Aaron Emig: People ask how what do I say to proclaim the Good News? We just need the Holy Spirit to be our advocate which helps us speak from our hearts and that is what need to be said… We need to ask the Holy Spirit each day for guidance… We need to pray for the courage and wisdom to bring new disciples to Jesus… Instead of trying to figure it out ourselves we just need to rely on the Holy Spirit each and every day to lead us to the best choices for us in our lives…. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Wisdom Words for the Week Are… “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.” Unknown Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool… The Joy of the Gospel book by Pope Francis Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer… “Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Easter Blessing… May God continue to bless each and every one of you, may He fill your lives with Easter joy today and every day. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

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.

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 Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig We are celebrating the Sixth Sunday of Easter… The Question for this week is…Do we recognize the Lord in our life? The Gospel comes from: John 14:15-21 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Jesus says, if you love me you will keep my commandments. He doesn’t say you will keep some of my commandments. He says you will keep my commandments Period. That’s the way Jesus operates… You love me…. There’s no half way. I expect you to love me all the way. Even though its sometimes difficult, He gives us the strength. That’s what He’s talking about when he says He’ll send and Advocate…. The Holy Spirit. Aaron Emig: Another promise by Jesus… He says that if you love and my keep commandments, I will always be with you… How great of offer is that to us? We just need to do the right things and Jesus will always be with us… He will not leave us alone like orphans… How awesome of a promise is that to us? Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: We have a reason for hope. That reason is Jesus Christ. He loves us more than we can possibly imagine, each of us. He doesn’t necessarily call us to be successful, He calls us to be faithful. He is not concerned with whether we produce the perfect result. He is overjoyed that we are trying to produce the perfect result. And He is saddened when we don’t try our best. Maybe we feel like our best is not good enough. But He expects our very best and it’s up to Him to do the rest. Aaron Emig: Again, we just need to recognize that Jesus is always at our side… We need to love Him and love others…. That is all that he is asking us to do… If we do that, He will send down the Holy Spirit to be part of us to that we can share the mission of the Church… Which is proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ to all nations… Aaron Emig: Wisdom Words for the Week Are… “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7 Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool… The Joy of the Gospel book by Pope Francis Our Papa basically tells us why the Gospel is the foundation of Christianity and how it helps us build that personal relationship with Jesus… We are giving free copies of the book at Morris Hall on each Tuesday at 2:10 p.m.… Again, on while supplies last… Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer… “Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Easter Blessing… May God continue to bless each and every one of you, may He fill your lives with Easter joy today and every day. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

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 Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig We are celebrating the Fifth Sunday of Easter… The Question for this week is…Do we recognize the Lord in our life? The Gospel comes from: John 14:1-12 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: The disciples see the presence of God in Jesus. So, long as he is around, there is no fear. The disciples set Jesus apart. They put him on a different level from themselves, they realized that He is God. Jesus is trying to convince them that if God could work through him, then God could as well work through any person who would be His disciple. In fact, in order to drive home this point, Jesus even goes as far as placing the disciples on a higher level than himself as people through whom God can work: “Amen, Amen, I say to you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father”. Today, many of us are like Philip; our prayer is, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us”. Show us that God is with us in the church. Show us that God is alive and actively involved in events in our world, our life today. What does Jesus answer? “How can you say, 'Show us the Father?'” when God is so deeply involved in the events of the church and of the world, and of our lives. Aaron Emig: They asks the Master…How can we know the way? Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to Father except through me.” Again, the fundamental of Christianity is building that personal relationship with Jesus each and every moment in our lives… Jesus is always at our side… We just need to open our minds and hearts to Him during the good and the bad times in our lives… He told us that He the way and the truth and the life… So how is personal relationship with Jesus today? Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God took a risk when He decided to become human. Whether the divine risk will bring about success or failure is up to us. The success or failure of Christ’s mission here on earth, here in our own family, depends a great deal on each one of us. We should not let our hearts be troubled. We believe in God, let us also believe in each one of us made in the image and likeness of God. Aaron Emig: Again, we need to get know the shepherd who is Jesus Christ… We need to spend quiet time each and every day asking for His guidance through the Holy Spirit… Start with 5 minutes a day, then 10 minutes and you will keep building on the time you spend with Jesus… Trust me…it never happens overnight… We just need to keep on growing every day to build that friendship with Jesus… Deacon Jim Ghiglione: Wisdom Words for the Week Are… “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to Father except through me.” John 14:6 Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool… The Joy of the Gospel book by Pope Francis Our Papa basically tells us why the Gospel is the foundation of Christianity and how it helps us build that personal relationship with Jesus… We are giving free copies of the book at Morris Hall on each Tuesday at 2:10 p.m.… Again, on while supplies last… Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer… “Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Easter Blessing… May God continue to bless each and every one of you, may He fill your lives with Easter joy today and every day. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

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 Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig We are celebrating the Fourth Sunday of Easter… The Question for this week is…Do we recognize the Lord in our life? The Gospel comes from: John 10:1-10 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: During Jesus' time, shepherds protected their flocks with their own bodies. A sheep pen was merely a wall of loosely connected rocks with a single entrance. At night, the shepherd often slept across the entrance so that his body became a protection for the sheep from their own straying or from thieves or predators. we are called to rely on the Lord Jesus to protect us and to direct us. And we must trust that like a good shepherd, Jesus will be there even during those difficult times, to lead us to safety. Aaron Emig: In this week’s Gospel… Jesus says that He is the gate to eternal life… He is our shepherd and he want us to know His and He wants to know our voices... Jesus is telling us that we have that personal relationship we will be saved… It’s His promise to all of us… How is your personal relationship with Jesus right now? Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: We need direction. We need protection. We need Jesus Christ. We call ourselves Christians because we are followers of Christ, but also Jesus follows after us, helping us to get into line, protecting us from the things in life that could be harmful or even destroy us. We may think sometimes that we are invincible or that we can do it on our own. We think that we don’t need God. We can do it our way. But that’s not true. We are supposed to be dependent upon the Lord. That's why we pray every day. That's why we come to Church every week. That's why we receive the Eucharist. His is the strength that gives meaning, purpose and direction to our lives. So, let’s not confuse the roles here, we are the sheep dependent upon Jesus, the Good Shepherd to protect us and lead us. The one who protects us and leads us along His way. Aaron Emig: Like my Mathew Kelly says… If you don’t do anything in your life, the only thing that you should do is to get to know the shepherd… We need to have regular daily prayer time with Jesus… We just to discuss with Him what is in your mind and within your heart… Jesus will respond but it’s normally not our timeframe… We need to grow each and every day with Jesus beside us… Deacon Jim Ghiglione: Wisdom Words for the Week Are… “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly." John 10:10 Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool… The Joy of the Gospel book by Pope Francis Our Papa basically tells us why the Gospel is the foundation of Christianity and how it helps us build that personal relationship with Jesus… We are giving free copies of the book at Morris Hall on each Tuesday at 2:10 p.m.… Again, on while supplies last… Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer… “Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Easter Blessing… May God continue to bless each and every one of you, may He fill your lives with Easter joy today and every day. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. We 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 Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig We are celebrating the Third Sunday of Easter… The Question for this week is…Do we recognize the Lord in our life? The Gospel comes from: Luke 24:13-35 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Why was it difficult for the disciples to recognize the risen Lord? They had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. They saw the cross as defeat and could not understand the empty tomb until the Lord appeared to them and gave them understanding. Jesus lays it on the line to the disciples on the road to Emmaus for their slowness of heart to believe what the scriptures had said concerning the Messiah. They did not recognize the risen Jesus until he had broken bread with them. Do we recognize the Lord Jesus in his word and in the breaking of the bread? Do we recognize Him in our life? Aaron Emig: Two disciples were on a walk conversing what had happened… Then Jesus joined in and they thought He was a visitor… I love Jesus was messing with them by acting like He didn’t know what occurred… They gave story and Jesus preached them from Scripture… Then finally realize the He was Jesus after the breaking of bread… Do you realize that Jesus is always at our side conversing with us just like those two disciples? Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: The Harmony of the Gospels says, "Their eyes were obstructed, that they should not recognize him until the breaking of the bread. And thus, in accordance with the state of their minds, which was still ignorant of the truth (that the Christ would die and rise again") “It was not that the truth himself was misleading them, but rather that they were themselves unable to perceive (or accept) the truth." Does that happen to us when we experience some tragedy or failure, some sorrow or sin in our life? How often do we fail to recognize the Lord? The Risen Lord is always ready to brighten, to change and transform our lives. Do we allow Him to come into our lives? Aaron Emig: We need to believe that Jesus is always at our side… No matter if it’s good times or bad times… We need to a friendly conversation with Jesus during our daily prayer… We need ask Jesus for guidance on life decisions and then we need to listen at what He says to us and then immediately take massive action… Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Wisdom Words for the Week Are… St. Augustine of Hippo (5th century) reflects on these two disciples’ lack of perception and understanding: "They were so disturbed when they saw him hanging on the cross that they forgot his teaching, they did not look for his resurrection, and failed to keep his promises in mind." (Sermon 235.1) Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool… The Joy of the Gospel book by Pope Francis Our Papa basically tells us why the Gospel is the foundation of Christianity and how it helps us build that personal relationship with Jesus… We are giving free copies of the book at Morris Hall on each Tuesday at 2:10 p.m.… Again, on while supplies last… Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer… “Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Easter Blessing… May God continue to bless each and every one of you, may He fill your lives with Easter joy today and every day. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. We 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…

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. We 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 Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig We are celebrating the Resurrection of the Lord on Easter Day The Question for this week is… Do we live everyday of our lives as “Easter People?” The Gospel comes from: John 20:1-9 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: There is a story about Saint Francis of Assisi once had been asked for a coin by a beggar? Francis was coming from Easter services. He embraced the beggar warmly, called him "my brother," and gave him several coins. As Francis left the poor man, he turned back to wave. He saw Jesus Himself standing where the beggar had stood. He waved at Francis with a smile. Our belief is that Jesus did rise from the dead and that he appeared to the Apostles. And that by rising from the dead he broke through the barrier of death and opened up for us the way to eternal life with God in heaven. The resurrection is the sign that our sins can be forgiven and that God loves us and wants us to be with him in heaven forever. Aaron Emig: The great Resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday Jesus sacrificed His life so that we can all live eternal life in Heaven… He conquered death so that we can be forgiven our sins… His death brings us to eternal life with Him and the Father… His death also opened the Gates of Salvation for all that believe in Him… Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Today we experience the joy of the resurrection, the birth of new hope for the world. We experience the certainty that death has been destroyed once and for all and that for us death is not a tragedy but the gateway to everlasting life. Because we have been led by faith to this discovery we are called to live our lives differently than those who have no belief. Do we? Do we? Do we live everyday of our lives as “Easter People?” Proclaiming the good news by what we say and do. Do we thank the Lord for all the many blessings by a regular prayer life and attending Mass regularly? OR JUST ON EASTER. Do we put God first in our lives always? Watch for those opportunities to encounter the Love and mercy of God. Don’t forget about our loving Lord Jesus, He doesn’t forget about us. Aaron Emig: Again, we just need to have that belief and faith in Jesus that He is our Savior… God’s promise to us is…that if we believe in Jesus will have eternal life in Heaven… Once you totally sell out and have faith in Jesus… Then you can evangelize God’s mercy and promise to all…that you if you have faith in Jesus you will also receive eternal life… Aaron Emig: Wisdom Words for the Week Are… “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad.” Psalm 118:24 Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool… The Joy of the Gospel book by Pope Francis Our Papa basically tells us why the Gospel is the foundation of Christianity and how it helps us build that personal relationship with Jesus… We are giving free copies of the book at Morris Hall on each Tuesday at 2:10 p.m.… Again, on while supplies last… Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer… “Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Easter Blessing… May God continue to bless each and every one of you, may He fill your lives with Easter joy today and every day. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. We 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 Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig We are celebrating Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion… The Question for this week is…Do you truly have the belief that Jesus is the Son of God and He can only make you happy? The Gospel comes from: Matthew 26:14–27:66 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Early on in this account of the Lords Passion we hear of the Agony in the Garden, that horrible evening when Jesus was attacked by the reality of what he was facing. He would be tortured to death as a sacrificial offering to the Father for the sins of the world, everyone’s sins, your sins and my sins. What was going through Jesus’ mind? Jesus is God but He’s also human, and in His humanity, there was great fear and anxiety and maybe even doubt. But He was not about to give in to the temptation to make everything go away. He would suffer whatever it would take to renew the world. And He would suffer whatever it would take if He were to save only one of us. Christ died for you, and me. "See, I make all things new," we read in the Book of Revelation. He makes all things new. He gives our lives new meaning and purpose and eternity. Aaron Emig: Palm Sunday Gospel has some many lessons that we can learn… The Last Supper…the Agony in the Garden…Sentenced to death by being Crucified…the Denial of Jesus three time by Peter, etc., etc.… Here’s just one thought about Judas’ betrayal of Jesus… He was a believer but the devil got him by believing pieces of silver would satisfy him more than believing that Jesus was the Son of Man… Judas became and was focused on short term gratification…money He should have been thinking about long term gratification which is eternal life… Do you think in your life…short term or long term for your gratifications? Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: He suffered for us. And what does he ask in return? He asks that we love his Father. He asks that we believe in Him. He asks that we love each other. He asks that we fight for his Kingdom. He asks that we live as moral, decent people. He asks really very little. How can we say No to Jesus? Aaron Emig: We need to start thinking and acting on our long-term goal of eternal life… Matthew Kelly describes in his book Rediscovering Catholicism about how the world is characterized by Individualism, Hedonism, and Minimalism… These are all instant gratifications that produce no long-term fruit… Trust me…I have mastered short term gratification…yes it does feel great…but that feeling only lasts a day, a week or month…I have not had any of these instant gratifications experiences longer than a month… We need focus all of thoughts on our common eternal goal: The Kingdom of God in Heaven… And it all starts by building that relationship with Jesus… This is why we created Transformation Tuesdays…to help us and others build that personal friendship with our Savior… Aaron Emig: Wisdom Words for the Week “Palm Sunday is like a glimpse of Easter. It's a little bit joyful after being somber during Lent.” Laura Gale Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool Resisting Happiness book by Matthew Kelly During Lent, you can receive daily emails from The Dynamic Catholic Institute that will have a reflection from different chapters of the book… Just go to BestLentEver.com to sign up… We are giving out the Resisting Happiness at Morris Hall each Tuesday of Lent at 2:10 p.m.… Again, on while supplies last… Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer… “Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. We 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 Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig We are now in the Fifth Sunday of Lent The Question for this week is… What kind of insurance do you have? The Gospel comes from: John 11:1-45 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: In a way, today’s Gospel is about life insurance. We all know what life insurance is. We make the payments (the premium) we name someone to be the beneficiary (the one to get the money when we die). Well today, Jesus offers us another kind of life insurance policy. He says, “I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live. And everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” What Jesus is talking about is even if we suffer physical death, if we believe in Him we will have eternal life. (in Heaven) The benefit is still paid at our death but not in cash, but the is in life --- eternal life. Aaron Emig: The great story of Lazarus… Again, this week has the same theme of the previous weeks’ Gospels… Belief… Jesus first praised and thanked God during his prayer at the tomb… The He commanded Lazarus to come out and he did… Then some of the Jews started to believe because of another miracle that God can only perform… Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Think of Jesus as the eternal life insurance agent. He’s offering us a policy today. Maybe instead of life insurance, we should call it eternal life Assurance. Listen to the terms of the policy again, “I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live. And everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” The premium, all that’s asked of us is faith, trust and love for God. The benefits are paid directly to you and me. And that benefit is eternal life. There’s no other offer like this available. Do you want to be a part of this life Assurance offer, or will you let the deal of an eternal lifetime pass you by? Aaron Emig: We need to start believing more… There’s that old saying…I will believe it when I see it. But is actually a total misconception and how we were created… In reality, humans function per God in this manner… We must believe it first then we will see it… We need to prayer to God like Jesus on something belief or vision that we have because God always answers our prayer if it’s according to His plan and timeframe… Aaron Emig: Wisdom Words for the Week “If God can work through me, he can work through anyone.” Saint Francis of Assisi Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool Resisting Happiness book by Matthew Kelly During Lent, you can receive daily emails from The Dynamic Catholic Institute that will have a reflection from different chapters of the book… Just go to BestLentEver.com to sign up… We are giving out the Resisting Happiness at Morris Hall each Tuesday of Lent at 2:10 p.m.… Again, on while supplies last… Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer… “Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig We are now in the Fourth Sunday of Lent The Question and Thought for Lent is…Instead of giving something up for God… How about giving something back to God. This Lent, how will you grow closer to Him? The Gospel comes from: John 9:1-41 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: The Gospel story today is that of the man born blind. And the lesson we are being taught is that besides our ordinary sight there is another kind of sight, kind of an insight, that of seeing the truth. And the truth that is in Jesus, the truth that is Jesus. It is about light and darkness. The man had lived in darkness all his life but through healing he comes into the light in two ways: literally, since his sight was restored; and spiritually, since he was given the gift of faith. And it is this gift of faith which concerns us most of all. Three times he confesses his ignorance: He doesn’t know how it is that he can now see…. But with each of these confessions of ignorance is followed by a profession of faith. So, he doesn’t understand it all but he believes it all. Aaron Emig: This week’s Gospel is like last week because Jesus preached to a quote “sinners” but got them to become believers… Yes, Jesus served the blind man on the Sabbath… But the Pharisees were so blind because they still followed the old-school laws of Moses… Don’t get me wrong those are great laws… But isn’t more important to serve someone in need no matter what day of the week it is? The Jews didn’t believe until they talked the parents and then confronted the blind man again… And he said, I told you once and you did listen… Then he questioned them…Yes you don’t know where he’s from but he made a blind man see… Who has ever done that before? Only a man of God could do that… The Pharisees got upset and threw him because he spoke the truth to them which upset these so called “wise” people… The Pharisees are straight up Meatheads and stubborn… Then Jesus and the blind man had a conversation and Jesus made this “quote” sinner a believer like the Samaritan woman last week… Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Most of us might readily identify with the man, blind from birth. Living in darkness but looking for the light. But Jesus also warns us that those who say "We see" may really be the ones who are blind to the presence of God in their midst. A good prayer with this Gospel in mind might be: "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief" It is only through our genuine belief that our eyes are truly open to God. Aaron Emig: We need to have that blind faith… Many times, when someone talks about something new that is better than what they are currently doing… We tend to get draw back and feel uncomfortable because many are threatened and scared of change... We need to stop acting like the Pharisees and become blind so that we can see… We need open our hearts to change along with our minds… We need to get comfortable by always being uncomfortable… My dad taught me to always try new things and meet new people because it makes life more interesting… So, I’d suggest we try to learn something new or meet a stranger this week… If we do that…that means, we are growing and becoming closer to God…. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Wisdom Words for the Week “Seeing isn’t believing…. Believing is seeing.” From the first two of the Santa Clause movies with Tim Allen. Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool Resisting Happiness book by Matthew Kelly During Lent, you can receive daily emails from The Dynamic Catholic Institute that will have a reflection from different chapters of the book… Just go to BestLentEver.com to sign up… We are giving out the Resisting Happiness at Morris Hall each Tuesday of Lent at 2:10 p.m… Again, on while supplies last… Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer… “Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. We 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 Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig We are now in the Third Sunday of Lent The Question for Lent is…Instead of giving something up for God… How about giving something back to God. This Lent, how will you grow closer to Him? The Gospel comes from: John 4:5-42 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Sometimes we don’t see or realize all that we have in our lives. The great gifts and opportunities that God gives us. Do we take the time to notice Jesus in our lives? Do we recognize his presence or his calling to us? Like the woman at the well, she felt a little uncomfortable at first, but then she began to see with Jesus’ help that maybe her past and current way of life was in need of some change. Aaron Emig: The story of the Samaritan woman that Jesus preaches to… Jesus basically tells her that I am the Christ…Savior of the World…the Messiah… Just the one conversation with Jesus made the Samaritan woman a believer… She accepted who Jesus is and spread the word around the town… Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: She came to believe and then became an instrument of Christ by going to the town and evangelizing the other people. “Come and see for yourself. Could he be the Messiah?” It says many of the people came because of her experience and then came to believe because of their own experience. The woman at the well had to feel a little uncomfortable and out of place in order to see Jesus working in her life and have that conversion experience. She had to step out of her comfort zone. And so, it is with us. We have to sometimes reach out, in order to be raised up. Aaron Emig: Again, we truly need to believe that Jesus is the Messiah… If we truly to believe Jesus is the Savior of the World…then why are not constantly telling others in our community about Him? We need to praise and proclaim Jesus to everyone that we encounter throughout each and every day… Aaron Emig: Wisdom Words for the Week The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Anointed; when he comes, he will tell us everything.” Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking with you.” John 4:25-26 Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool Resisting Happiness book by Matthew Kelly During Lent, you can receive daily emails from The Dynamic Catholic Institute that will have a reflection from different chapters of the book… Just go to BestLentEver.com to sign up… Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer… “Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. We 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 Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig We are now in the Second Sunday of Lent The Question for Lent is…Instead of giving something up for God…How about giving something back to God? This Lent, how will you grow closer to Him? The Gospel comes from: Matthew 17:1-9 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: In today’s Gospel, we hear the account of the Transfiguration of Jesus. And at the end of this scene, the Gospel says, “from a cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well please; listen to Him.’ “ So, when the Father says this is my beloved Son, listen to Him. He’s saying to each of us follow Jesus’ example. Have you done that lately? I mean really…. sometimes we just say we are Christians, Catholic Christians, but nothing really happens. That’s what this time of Lent is for. To reflect on our life, our life through, with and in Christ. Aaron Emig: The Transfiguration…what a scene that had to be for Peter, James and John Jesus is chatting away with Moses and Elijah… Think about what was going on in their heads of those Apostles? Then Jesus tells not to talk about the vision until the Son of Man is raised from the dead… Talk about some pressure to keep that a secret when all they probably wanted to do is tell everyone what they saw… What disciple and amount of responsibility that those three Apostles had to carry with them… Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Jesus is telling us today in this Gospel, to let God into your life. And you have to go out of your way to let that happen. Out of your way, and into God’s way. This is my beloved son listen to Him……. Are we listening? What voices do we listen to? The noises of our busy world or the gentle voice of Jesus? Aaron Emig: We just need to put our total faith with Jesus… This is another story that Jesus is truly the Son of God… So, we need to believe even more and even harder that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life… Aaron Emig: Wisdom Words for the Week Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool Resisting Happiness book by Matthew Kelly During Lent, you can receive daily emails from The Dynamic Catholic Institute that will have a reflection from different chapters of the book… Just go to BestLentEver.com to sign up… Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer… “Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. We 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 Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig We are now in the First Sunday of Lent The Question for Lent is…Instead of giving something up for God… How about giving something back to God? This Lent, how will you grow closer to Him? The Gospel comes from: Matthew 4:1-11 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: In today’s Gospel, Jesus fights off the temptations of the devil. Remember that He is both God and man. Scripture says, He became, “a man like us in all things but sin.” The temptation was still there. All temptations are challenges to our faith and our ability to trust in God’s loving plan. At the heart of sin is the refusal to trust in God. Something is sinful or not, right or wrong according to whether the action leads us closer to God or further away. Aaron Emig: Wow…this week’s Gospel is a great one… The devil tries to put Jesus through some tests… But Jesus has a response for every temptation from the devil… And when the devil left angels came and ministered to him… Do you realize we have authority over angels? All we need to do is to declare it Jesus’ name and angels will go to work for us… Just like they went to work for Jesus… Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: If we cannot picture God blessing an action, agreeing with what we are doing in our life, whatever it is, whenever it is…. Well, then we very well may have to make some changes. The word Lent comes from the old English word for Spring. A new beginning. It is time for us all to do some spring cleaning. At the beginning of Lent, we ask God to strengthen our faith. To help us recognize sin in our life and to only embrace those actions that will lead us closer to God. We ask God to help us to repent and believe in the Gospel. Aaron Emig: Let’s start to put angels to work for us… Again, we just need to declare it Jesus’ name and watch what happens… There are so many angels that want to serve us and all we need to do is ask… Aaron Emig: Wisdom Words for the Week For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ and: ‘With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ Luke 4:10-11 Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool Resisting Happiness book by Matthew Kelly During Lent, you can receive daily emails from The Dynamic Catholic Institute that will have a reflection from different chapters of the book… Just go to BestLentEver.com to sign up… Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer… “Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. We 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 Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig We are so grateful this week to learn from a student from Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic School as our special guest… This week’s guest is Mia Wylie… We are now in the 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time… This week’s Question is… Where do you place your trust…? In You or God? The Gospel comes from: Matthew 6:24-34 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Jesus tells us that we ought not to place our FAITH in our own resources or even those of the world. Jesus is inviting us to place our trust totally in the Father who created all things. He assures us that He will provide for us even in the most extreme circumstances. I am not suggesting and neither is Jesus suggesting to be irresponsible, and just throw up your hands and expect God to come to your rescue. But He does not want us to become consumed with material desires and accumulating all kinds of things. And He invites us to place our trust in God. Mia Wylie: I believe that what Jesus is trying to tell us is that what we wear and what we eat isn't quite so important. What is important is living your life as holy as you can. Aaron Emig: Again, Jesus talks about our choices… You either serve God or you don’t… It’s either black or white… There’s no grey matter… Again, pretty simple, right? Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: The Christian is a person who understands this closeness of God to us. One who is looking for those GOD Moments in their life. God is with us, God is always close to us; he is always leading us, guiding us, protecting us. Mia Wylie: Jesus calls each one of us to live our life as holy people, trusting and putting God first… so that we can get to Heaven and help others to get there as well. Aaron Emig: Again, we just need to be aware of every action that we take each day… We either serve Satan or serve God? It’s only up to you and no one else… Aaron Emig: Wisdom Words for the Week “If it’s up to be, it’s up to me.” Unknown Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool “The Jesus Question” CD from Matthew Kelly And yes, we are broken record… We just need to follow the Shepherd… That’s it… Free copies at Morris Hall on Tuesdays at 2:10 p.m. Only while supplies last Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer…“Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. We 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. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig We are so exciting to learn from a student from Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic School as our special guest… This week’s guest is Elizabeth Rauk… We are now in the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time… This week’s Question is… Do you love your enemy or do you seek revenge? The Gospel comes from: Matthew 5:38-48 Elizabeth Rauk: Some of the most difficult of all of Jesus’ commands are those which we hear in today's gospel. “I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.” and "enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Aaron Emig: Jesus says that what you have learned is wrong… When someone harms do not seek revenge… Take the high road and love them and pray for them… Pretty radical teaching back then and very radical teaching in today’s world… Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: We mistakenly believe that real justice is in the law of vengeance: an eye for an eye. The reality of that way of thinking says that we would rather live our life opposite of how Jesus commanded us to love our enemies. Real Justice cannot be achieved through vengeance. Elizabeth Rauk: When we love our enemies, it may influence other people to do the same. If you turn the other cheek and take the pain, you are setting a good example. Aaron Emig: We need to love more even when someone does something wrong to you… I know it’s hard but that’s what Jesus wants us to do… Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Wisdom Words for the Week “If we refuse to forgive, if we demand the law of vengeance, if we desire vengeance more than Christ's presence, then we are refusing to accept Jesus Christ himself.” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool “The Jesus Question” CD from Matthew Kelly Free copies at Morris Hall on Tuesdays at 2:10 p.m. Only while supplies last Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer…“Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. We 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. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig Again, we are taking it up a notch by learning from a student from Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic School as our special guest… This is Joey Crowder… We are now in the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time… This week’s Question is… Do you do good or do bad in your daily lives? The Gospel comes from: Matthew 5:17-37 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Living a Christian life is not about following a lot of rules --- commandments. It’s about putting God first in your life and making him the most important thing in our life. Joey Crowder: Jesus is trying to help us understand that following the 10 commandments is not the real goal in life. The real goal is getting to Heaven and the commandments are the guidelines that we use to get there. Aaron Emig: Jesus basically tells it like it is… You either do good or do bad… That’s it…there’s nothing in between… Do bad and you will go to Hell… Do good and you will to Heaven… Pretty simple, right? Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Today’s Gospel says, “If you bring your gift to the altar” … to the church, you should first go to reconcile with your brother or sister and then bring your gift. Between now and next Sunday, … is there someone with whom you need to reconcile before you bring our gifts to the altar? Joey Crowder: Living our life by following the 10 commandments brings us closer to God and in turn we can then bring others closer to God. Aaron Emig: We need to be aware of our daily actions… You do bad which is a decision that Satan likes… Or do good which is a decision that Jesus loves… Again, it’s only up to you and no one else… Aaron Emig: Wisdom Words for the Week “Do bad deeds you go to hell. Do good deeds you go to Heaven. That’s it.” Aaron Emig Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool “The Jesus Question” CD from Matthew Kelly Free copies at Morris Hall on Tuesdays at 2:10 p.m. Only while supplies last Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer…“Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. We 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. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig And we are spicing it up a little bit with having a student from Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic School as our special guest… This is Christopher Ven de Reit… We are now in the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time… This week’s Question is… Are you the salt of the earth and the light of the world? The Gospel comes from: Matthew 5:13-16 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: I think the role of the Christian in the world is defined by two words in today’s gospel: salt and light. Salt adds to the taste of food. Jesus is saying that as salt is to food, so are Christians to the world. As salt, we are called to bring “the flavor of Christ” to the world by what we say and do. Light brightens the darkness and makes it easier for us and others to find our way. As light, we are called to show the way to Christ. Christopher Ven de Reit: If you believe in God, but do not pray or spread his word, your relationship with Him is not strong. We must first strengthen our relationship with Him so that we can help others to do the same. Aaron Emig: Great analogies that Jesus gave us… Salt of the earth… Like a lampstand… If salt loses taste, then what? Do you hide you lamp under the bed? God wants us to shine onto everyone… And we do that with our actions and good deeds… Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Today’s gospel is challenging. It says, in effect, that if there is so much darkness and bitterness in the world today it is because we as Christians have failed in our Christian duty to be salt and light in the world. But we can decide to make a difference starting today. Christopher Ven de Reit: To strengthen your relationship with him, pray on a regular basis. We can also help other people build their relationships with God by giving them a ride to church, or praying with them. Aaron Emig: We need to be more “Christ like” every day in our actions… People do what people see… So, if you are Christian and people see you doing bad deeds, then why should they follow Christians and believe in Christ? Aaron Emig: Wisdom Words for the Week “Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.” Saint Teresa of Calcutta Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool “The Jesus Question” CD from Matthew Kelly Matthew talks about how in the beginning of the Catechism that God created man for happiness… Then he says, “how’s that working out for you?” Again, it’s up to you and no one else…. Free copies at Morris Hall on Tuesdays at 2:10 p.m. Only while supplies last Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer…“Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. We 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. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig We are now in the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time… This week’s Question is… Do you truly want happiness in your life? The Gospel comes from: Matthew 5:1-12 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Today we hear the beginning of the sermon on the mount, the beatitudes. The word beatitude means blessedness or happiness. At first glance when we see some of these beatitudes they seem a little strange. Blessed are the poor. Blessed are those who mourn. Blessed are you when your persecuted. You may think well what does that mean, how can it be blessed to be poor or mourn or to be persecuted. Some scholars might say that the best understanding of this word would be not blessed but Lucky. So, think of it this way: Aaron Emig: The great sermon on Mount that Jesus gave… The wonderful Beatitudes… Jesus gave us 8 ways to get blessed… And these are not just statements that could happen… These are promises from Jesus…that if we follow…we will be blessed on earth and in the Kingdom of Heaven… Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Poor in spirit …Whether you have a lot or you don’t have a lot of material things. How lucky you are that those material things are not the center of your life. They who mourn … How lucky you are if you are not addicted to good feelings. How lucky you are to realize that life is not all about just how I feel and good feelings are not the center of your life. When they insult you, and persecute you falsely because of me … How lucky you are if your life does not revolve around the approval of others. How lucky you are if you are more concerned with the approval of God and doing His will. Aaron Emig: I know what I’m doing this week… I’m going to read the Beatitudes every day and put them into action… I know that I need to work on each of these promises that Jesus gave us… He promises us that we will be blessed if we follow his sermon… Like Deacon Jimmy said earlier…Did you know that blessed means happy? … Who doesn’t want happiness in their earthly and heavenly lives? Aaron Emig: Wisdom Words for the Week “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” Matthew 5:11-12 Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool “The Jesus Question” CD from Matthew Kelly Matthew talks about how in the beginning of the Catechism that God created man for happiness… Then he says, “how’s that working out for you?” I think you can see a theme here about the Beatitudes and humans’ search for happiness… But it’s up to you and no one else…. Free copies at Morris Hall on Tuesdays at 2:10 p.m. Only while supplies last Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer…“Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. We recap the Gospel from the prior Sunday and give action steps and resources to transform our lives for that week every Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Morris Hall. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig We are now in the third Sunday of ordinary time… The Question for this week is… How is Jesus calling you to serve? This week’s Gospel comes from: Matthew 4:12-23 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Today we hear about Jesus calling His first 4 apostles, Simon (Peter), Andrew, James and John. He wasn’t just calling people to serve Him 2000 years ago, Jesus is still calling today. He’s calling men and women, young and old, rich and poor. He is calling us all to use our God given gifts for His purposes, for His plan in His way. He is calling us all to do His will today and to be good and holy people. Aaron Emig: Blind faith is the first thing that popped into my head about this Gospel… Think about this…if a stranger can up to today and said follow me and I can make you rich? What would most people do? The first Apostles were everyday people just working hard to earn an honest living… And a stranger came up to them and said, “leave what you doing and follow Me because I will make you rich?” Not material rich in today’s…but rich as leading others to God and the Kingdom of Heaven… Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God is calling you, through your baptism, to serve Him in some way. Are you ready to answer the call? Are you willing to make the sacrifices necessary to do what He’s asking of you? It may not always be huge sacrifices, it may be something small. But if we want to truly be disciples of Jesus, whether they be large or small, we must be open and willing. I encourage you to step out in faith and make yourself available to let the Holy Spirit work in your life. Aaron Emig: Peter, Andrew, James and John immediately followed Jesus… They gave up their whole lives to learn from Jesus and work for Jesus… Let’s be like those first Apostles who gave their whole lives for Jesus… Let’s try to substitute just one thing our busy daily lives to learn from and work for Jesus… Trust me…I’m sure whatever you substitute will make you rich in the Kingdom of God… Aaron Emig: Wisdom Words for the Week “The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason.” …Benjamin Franklin These 4 apostles really just jumped in with their eyes closed to give up their whole live to follow Jesus with no questions asked… And most people thought they were probably crazy… Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool “The Jesus Question” CD from Matthew Kelly Matthew mentions if we don’t do anything else in our lives…the one thing is to get to know the Shepherd Free copies at Morris Hall on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. Only while supplies last Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer…“Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. We recap the Gospel from the prior Sunday and give action steps and resources to transform our lives for that week every Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Morris Hall. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig We are now in the second Sunday of ordinary time… The Question for this week is… How do you proclaim the presence of Jesus with your life? This week’s Gospel comes from: John 1:29-34 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: In today’s gospel, we come upon John the Baptist seeing Jesus and pointing to him. “Behold, the Lamb of God”. John the Baptist’s mission was to prepare the way and to point out the Lamb of God to the world. That is the mission of every baptized Christian. We are to point out the Lamb of God to the world… to bring others to Him by all that we say and do. Aaron Emig: How excited do you think John was when he saw Jesus? He’s been preaching and baptizing people in Jesus’ name… And now he gets to meet Him… How excited do we get when we see a celebrity or a professional athlete around town? Some people are so enthusiastic that they freeze up and can’t talk… John the Baptist was working so hard to lay the path for Jesus… And when they finally met, John had proclaimed that the Son of God has arrived… I know I would have frozen up if Jesus was physically in front of me… But John did not because he was preparing his whole life for this exact moment… Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: There is nothing greater that any of us can do in our lives than point Christ out to others. To lead them to Him. Make a friend, be a friend and bring a friend to Jesus. John the Baptist looked to Jesus and said, “There He is …let me show you the Lamb of God.” We have been called to do the same. Aaron Emig: Like last week…the Holy Spirit played a major role in this week’s Gospel… When need to start asking the Holy Spirit for guidance in the good and the bad times… He is truly the Living God in our world today… And we need to start using His Spirit to lead us to Jesus… Again…that comes from the daily Gospels and daily prayer… Aaron Emig: Wisdom Words for the Week Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world…John 1:29 Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool “The Jesus Question” CD from Matthew Kelly Matthew talk about transformation… And how hard of a prayer that is… Because let’s be honest with ourselves… We really don’t want to change because it’s uncomfortable and out of our comfortable zone… Free copies at Morris Hall on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. Only while supplies last Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer…“Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. We recap the Gospel from the prior Sunday and give action steps and resources to transform our lives for that week every Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Morris Hall. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig We are celebrating the Epiphany of the Lord… The Question for the week is… What……Who are you seeking in life? This week’s Gospel comes from: Matthew 2:1-12 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: We hear this gospel about these 3 seekers. Wise men, 3 Kings whatever you may call them. They were seeking the Lord. Maybe they didn’t even know what or who they were looking for at the time. Sometimes we’re seeking happiness or fulfillment, and sometimes we’re looking in all kinds of places. When in reality it is only in Jesus, our Lord and New Born King, that we find true and lasting Happiness. The Real Wise men and women are those who still seek him. Aaron Emig: The magi followed the star to find Jesus with his mother Mary and father Joseph… Just like the magi was guided by the star…we too can be guided every day to Jesus… And we can do that through the Holy Spirit… The Holy Spirit is the One that puts that burning desire in your heart to accomplish great things in your lives… We just need to open our hearts to Him every day so He would lead us to Jesus… Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Many people are seeking to improve their life in some way by making new year’s resolutions. Lose Weight Pay Off Debt Get more exercise Those are all good things but are they gonna get you to heaven? Here’s a resolution that is worth making and sticking with. To make God a more important part of our life this year than He was last year. Aaron Emig: Again…it might sound like a broken record…but we need to get back to the basics… And that is the daily scripture…every day the Holy Spirit can lead us to Jesus… We need just to ask and open our hearts and our minds to the Word of God… Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Wisdom Words for the Week You know if you make a resolution to lose weight, pay off debt or get more exercise… those may be good things but either you do or you don’t. And it is certainly a good thing if you make a resolution to make God the #1 priority in your life …. either you do or you don’t. What……Who are you seeking in life? Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool “The Jesus Question” CD from Matthew Kelly He talks about how God created us for happiness…how’s that working out for you? Matthew mentions if we don’t do anything else in our lives…the one thing is to get to know the Shepherd Free copies at Morris Hall on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. Only while supplies last Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer…“Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. We recap the Gospel from the prior Sunday and give action steps and resources to transform our lives for that week every Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Morris Hall. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig Season of Christmas The Question for the season…What is the greatest Christmas gift ever? This week’s Gospel comes from: Luke 2:16-21 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: When reflecting on Mary the Mother of God we are reminded that Mary’s life was filled with many blessings but also many difficulties. Crisis after crisis hit her. But by the grace of God, she refused to be a victim… she was victorious. Scripture is quite clear that Mary took control of her life. And she said yes to God in so many ways, even when it was unpopular or she didn’t understand it all. Mary’s life is an example to us to take control of our lives. Many people want give up on themselves. “This is too hard. I just can’t do it. I’m not smart enough. I’m not strong enough.” Whatever it is. But there are others who take a more positive approach … a more Godly approach. “I will do this. I will get smarter. I will use my talents I’ll develop new ones. I will take control of my life.” Aaron Emig: The shepherds made know the message that was told to them about Jesus… They all were amazed by what the shepherds’ story… Mary then reflected on what they said in her heart… Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Mary took control of her life because she was called to bring the presence of Jesus into the world. And that is why you and I have to take control of our lives. ….. to bring and to be the presence of Christ to the world. Just like Mary the Mother of God, we have to say Lord, I take control of my life and my circumstances and I hand it all over to you. Aaron Emig: We ask Mary in prayer to intercede for us which is good… Not only is she the Mother of God but she is our mother as well… We need to use Mary as a prayer partner along with Her intercession… Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Wisdom Words for the Week So, let us all see Mary the Mother of God as our model of Faith, not becoming victims of our circumstances but being victorious in, with and through Christ Jesus the New Born King. Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool “The Jesus Question” CD from Matthew Kelly Matthew mentions if we don’t do anything else in our lives…the one thing is to get to know the Shepard Free copies at Morris Hall on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. Only while supplies last Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer…“Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. We recap the Gospel from the prior Sunday and give action steps and resources to transform our lives for that week every Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Morris Hall. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig Season of Christmas The Question for the season…What is the greatest Christmas gift ever? This week’s Gospel comes from: Luke 2:1-20 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: We hear the saying, “Jesus is the reason for the season” and it reminds us of who Christmas is all about. But I would like to propose that we are also the reason for the season. We are the reason why Jesus was sent by the Father to take on human flesh. God saw how mankind stumbling in the darkness of a materialistic world. We are sometimes still stumbling in the darkness. Jesus came and continues to come in each of our lives to be that light that shines in the darkness. The baby that was born that blessed night was and still is the greatest of all gifts. Aaron Emig: The Nativity Scene…what a scene! Jesus was born to humans and into poverty…Mary and Joseph were basically homeless… The shepherds were so excited to see the nativity scene…that they went and praised God and told people what they saw and heard. In life, we are so excited when a baby is born…you anticipate the coming of the baby into the world… After the child is born…everyone comes to visit, many pictures are shared and everyone is telling everyone that the baby is now born… We get excited about a new child and we should… But how excited are we every Christmas when we celebrate the birth of Jesus? Are we telling everyone that He has arrived? Are we praising God for giving His Son as gift to all humanity? Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Jesus is the reason for the season, true. But we are also the reason for the season. He comes to each of us Christmas day and every day of our lives to unite us in and to His Life. We are united to the One who was born on Christmas Day so that we may be reborn on Easter Sunday. Aaron Emig: We focus on the birth of Jesus every Christmas… He’s the center of this holiday… Why not make Jesus the center focus every day in our lives? Let’s build that relationship with Jesus through daily prayer and the daily Gospel. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Wisdom Words for the Week Jesus is the Gift of the Father to us. We are the gift of Jesus Christ to His Father. Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool “The Jesus Question” CD from Matthew Kelly Matthew talks about how God created us for happiness He also mentions if we don’t do anything else in our lives…the one thing is to get to know the Shepard Free copies at Morris Hall on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. Only while supplies last Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer…“Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Merry Christmas and God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. We recap the Gospel from the prior Sunday and give action steps and resources to transform our lives for that week every Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Morris Hall. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig Season: Advent Question: How will you spend your Advent Season? Gospel: Matthew 1:18-24 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Because of his strong faith and his relationship with God, Joseph can in a sense say, OK. If this is what you’re asking me to do God, I’ll do it. I don’t really understand all of this, but I’ll do it. Is our faith strong enough to trust in God, even if what He’s asking of us may not make a lot of sense (to us)? Or may not be the most popular. People might criticize us or make fun of us. Living a Godly life is not about being popular or doing what we want - but it’s more about doing what God wants. How will you spend your Advent Season? Aaron Emig: Joseph…think about it… He sorta got a raw deal… Barely spoke about in the gospels Think of the pressure… Father of Jesus who is the son of God What would happen today if a husband found his wife was pregnant and they never had relations? Joseph had blind faith in God His belief in God kept him strong to raise Jesus WOW…think about that responsibility?!?! Raising the Son of God… Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: So, let us pray that we may have that closeness with God and faith in His ever-present love and guidance. Seeing Mary and Joseph as true examples of that un-failing faith and lively hope in the power of God. Aaron Emig: Let's be like Joseph Let’s have that blind faith of achieving a goal or dream. Get uncomfortable Let’s get out of our comfort zone I once heard that if you want be successful in anything you need to be comfortable by being uncomfortable Think about that… Try something new and yes you will be bad at first but keep having that blind faith like Joseph and keep doing it and you will become a master Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Wisdom Words for the Week Living a Godly life is not about being popular or doing what we want - but it’s more about doing what God wants. Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool for the Season “The Jesus Question” CD from Matthew Kelly Transformation How God created us for happiness Getting to know the Shepard through the Gospels Free copies at Morris Hall on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. Only while supplies last Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer: “Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

Transformation Tuesdays was inspired by the CD "The Jesus Question" by Matthew Kelly. We recap the Gospel from the prior Sunday and give action steps and resources to transform our lives for that week every Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Morris Hall. Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig Season: Advent Question: How will you spend your Advent Season? Gospel: Matthew 11:2-11 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: People were drawn to John the Baptist but not because he always told them what they wanted to hear, but because he told them what they needed to hear. John was not afraid to speak the truth. Whom do we go out in the desert to see? Someone who is going to tell us the truth of Jesus Christ…someone who is going to tell us what we want to hear or what we need to hear. Do we come to Mass on Sundays expecting someone to give us wonderful, warm and fuzzy emotional experience without too much substance or commitment expected? No. We should come to Mass, not to be entertained, but to be inspired. Not to do our own will, but to know and do God’s will. How will you spend your Advent Season? Aaron Emig: John the Baptist asks his disciples to ask Jesus, “are the one who is to come?” Jesus says basically look at all healing of the sick and proclaiming to the poor that you have seen Look at His actions, and yes, he teaches with words, but Jesus backs it with consistent actions Do we sometime say something but do another? Trust me, I have so many times We need to start doing what we know and say is good… Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Let us all continue to rejoice in God’s presence in our lives, and open ourselves up to receive Him in an even greater way. Life is too short to wait. So, start now. Renew your faith. Open your heart now in an even greater way to let Jesus in. Aaron Emig: Fundamentals: read the daily Gospel for 5 minutes a day Do it for 2 days, then 2 weeks and then 2 months and it will become a habit Then go to 10 minutes… Put it in your calendar…we plan everything else we do in our lives…Why not 10 minutes a day with the Gospels? After you create that habit, you will start acting like Jesus did…and because He is the greatest human ever to ever walk and live on earth… Why not learn from the Master and do what the Master did? Aaron Emig: Wisdom Words for the Week “I derived my strength from daily mass and communion.” Vince Lombardi Greatest coach ever in NFL history Super Bowl Champions receive the Vince Lombardi Trophy Priorities in order: God, Family and the Green Bay Packers Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool for the Season “The Jesus Question” CD from Matthew Kelly Transformation Happiness Get to know the Shepard through the Gospels Free copies at Morris Hall on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. (only while supplies last) Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer: “Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone

Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Hello, I’m Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione Aaron Emig: And I’m Aaron Emig • Season: Advent • Question: How will you spend your Advent Season? • Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12 Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: John the Baptist makes clear that He is not the Messiah, he is not the main person of importance. Perhaps this is helpful in clarifying our own Christian identities. And understanding that we are not the main person of importance either. We need to decrease in importance, so that the proper place of Jesus in our lives may increase. John the Baptist realized that the purpose of his life was not about him at all, it was about Jesus. And there’s that same message for all of us. Our life is not about us. It’s all about knowing, loving and serving God in this world, so that we can be happy with Him forever in Heaven. It’s about making Him the center of our life. How will you spend your Advent Season? Aaron Emig: • John the Baptist • Lays it on the line with the Pharisees and Sadducees • Someone after me will baptize you with the Holy Spirit • Not worthy to carry his sandals • The Holy Spirit can work wanders through us Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Jesus wants us to prepare for His coming into our lives. He’s knocking at the door. It’s up to us to get up and let Him in. Aaron Emig: • Pray to the Holy Spirit • Always pray to God and Jesus • Ask the Holy Spirit to fill your heart with a burning fire Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: Wisdom Words of the week…Celebrating this holy season is about preparing for His presence in our lives. Don’t miss the opportunities. Aaron Emig: Transformation Tool for the Season • “The Jesus Question” CD from Matthew Kelly • Transformation • Happiness • Get to know the Shepard through the Gospels • Free copies at Morris Hall on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. (only while supplies last) Aaron Emig: Transformation Tuesdays Prayer: “Jesus, how do You want me to transform my life today?” Deacon Jimmy Ghiglione: God Bless from Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church…A Spiritual Home for Everyone