Fr. James Peterson of the Immaculate Conception Church in Columbia Heights took on some old grammar lessons in his weekly homily to parishioners.

"You might recall from a grammar class from years ago or a recent Google search that homonyms are two or more words that are spelled the same but have a different meaning," Peterson said in the church's Aug. 23 bulletin. "For example, a breadbasket could literally be a basket used to carry bread or it could refer to a person’s stomach. A bat could be a winged mammal or it could be an object that baseball players use in a game. A key could literally be an object that unlocks a door or it could be a concept of great importance."

Fr. Peterson referred to two passages to illustrate his point.

"In the passage from the Old Testament (Isaiah 22:19-23) there is a person named Shebna who literally was in charge of the keys for the palace of the king," Peterson said. "However, he did something which displeased the LORD and so his responsibility was taken away from him. 

"In the Gospel (Matthew 16:13-20) Jesus told his friend Peter that he would give him 'the keys to the kingdom of Heaven.' I don’t imagine that Jesus handed Peter an actual key but artistically St. Peter is depicted most often with a key or several keys in hand to showcase the reality that he was tasked with an important responsibility."

The Church of the Immaculate Conception will participate in 40 Days for Life Twin Cities on Saturday, Oct. 10. Prayer hours will be 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.