Father Tom Lam

            Have you ever noticed that when Hollywood makes a movie that is based on a book, they have to streamline the narrative into a two-hour running time?  And in the process, they have to cut out a lot of the rich details from the original text that gave the story so much meaning and depth.  Well, that’s how I feel about what the secular world has done to the whole practice of making sacrifices during Lent.  The world has somehow watered down the practice of Lenten sacrifices into giving up soft drinks, our favorite television show, or that iced venti green tea latte.

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            Have you ever wondered why the center of the Church is geographically located in Rome instead of maybe Jerusalem, which was the center of the events of Jesus’ life?  Well, it has to do with the Feast we celebrate today and the Gospel reading we heard just read.¹

            The Feast of the Chair of St. Peter commemorates Jesus choosing Peter (and his successors) as the pastor of the whole Church when Jesus says: “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church.”²  We associate Rome with St. Peter because Scripture tells us that after the angel helps Peter escape from prison in Jerusalem, Peter travels to the West where he eventually establishes the Church in Rome. 

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