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Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Jun 13, 2025

Celebrate Pope Leo XIV with Chicago

June 14, 2025 – Celebrate with the Archdiocese of Chicago

The Archdiocese of Chicago is celebrating the selection of one of their own as Pope Leo XIV with Mass at Rate Field in Chicago on June 14, 2025. Pope Leo will speak by video to all who are gathered there, with a special message to the young people of the world.

Tickets are sold out, but for those of us who can’t be there in person, we have another option. The celebration will be live-streamed from the website of the Archdiocese, as well as on You Tube.

The program begins at 2:30 pm CDT. Mass will be celebrated by Cardinal Blase Cupich at 4 pm CDT. Tune in from wherever you are, just be sure to calculate the time for your own time zone!

See you there!

Worship aids and programs are available in PDF on the website: https://www.archchicago.org/popeleoxiv

The YouTube link is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymA4qt-DOBs

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Jun 8, 2025

Lord Send Out Your Spirit

Living beside the ocean, one becomes intimately aware of seasonal changes in its mood and the shifting weather patterns that accompany those moods. In late spring and summertime, the ocean is mostly rather calm. Sometimes there’s better surf than others and people come from other areas to go surfing, happily riding the waves, but the ocean is quiet. We don’t hear the waves crashing on the shore or the winds raging across the water and over the land. As fall approaches, we hear the sea lions and birds returning from their summer journeys chatting away happily, but the ocean is still mostly quiet.

But in the winter, it’s a different story. The waves begin to crash on the shore with little warning. We hear them a block or more away. The crashing can continue for a day or two before the storm arrives at the shore, its raging far out in the ocean awakening the waves. When we hear the waves begin crashing onto the rocks and cliffs along the shore, we know it’s time to be sure things that can blow away in a storm are put away or safely secured outside. The strong winds will follow and rain will pelt down until the storm has raced on to the east, bringing water to the land once again.

The winter storms have passed now and spring has brought flowers and drying fields. (It’s coastal California here and grass is green in the winter and dry in summer.) Easter season has reached its end and Pentecost has arrived.

Pentecost is a festival with ancient roots. It was a day of celebration long before Jesus’ time. Fifty days after the Sabbath of Passover, the gift of the Law to Israel, handed to Moses by the Lord, is celebrated. The official name of the festival is Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks. It is traditionally the wheat harvest festival. The name Pentecost simply means fifty.

Like Easter, Pentecost has a Vigil celebration. In the vigil, the readings trace salvation history from very early times. Beginning when all people spoke the same language, the story of the Tower of Babel is told, explaining how it came to be that we no longer understand each other’s words. Then comes the story of the gift of the Law, given by God to Moses, accompanied by thunder, lightning, clouds, smoke, earthquakes and the sound of the trumpet. The readings that follow recount the promises and examples of results of the Lord’s sharing of the Spirit, bringing life to dry bones, promising that the people would see visions and prophesy when the Lord poured forth his Spirit on the world.

Wind, fire, clouds, smoke – the coming of the Lord is a big deal. Like the waves crashing on the shore before the winter storms arrive.

Fifty days after the sabbath following Passover, the disciples were still a group of very frightened people. They remained in hiding in the Upper Room, fearing for their lives if it were known they were followers of Jesus. They had seen the Risen Lord, but who would ever believe it! And the Roman authorities and the leaders of their own people would not be happy to hear that the problem of Jesus had not gone away with his execution…

But Jesus had promised more than once to send the Spirit, the Advocate, who would remind them of all he had taught them. This Spirit would take them even farther forward in their understanding of the Father and his love for all people and all of creation. It was too much for them to understand before the Resurrection.

On the morning of Pentecost, the promise was fulfilled. “Suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house… There appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.”

Wind, fire, power from on high. And the ancient division from Babel was overturned. Their words could be understood by all who heard them. “We hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.” (Acts 2:1-11)

We all share in this life, this anointing with the Spirit of God. Through our baptism, we enter into the community of the children of God. In Confirmation, we receive the grace to begin speaking more clearly the Lord’s presence and word through our lives and our words.

As a community, we share the Good News with our world. God loves each and every person, totally and without reservation. Creation is good and worthy of our loving care. Those with special needs are to be loved and receive the extra care they may need. Strangers must be welcomed, because they too are our sisters and brothers, children of God.

Through the Spirit, the Holy Breath of God, the barriers among peoples are broken down. Barriers of language are vanquished. Differences among our cultures or our physical appearance no longer matter. Our infinitely creative Father likes diversity! We are all equal in God’s sight and love. We are all included in the great big hug God offers to his children.

As Pentecost comes this year, may our ears be opened to hear the Lord’s voice calling us to welcome all we meet, all who come seeking opportunity, all who are ready to offer their own gifts from God. Those gifts take many shapes and forms. The child who will never mature to adulthood may offer a simple, beautiful appreciation of the present moment that the rest of us miss in our hurry to do the next thing on our list. The older person who depends on others for help has stories to tell that remind us of other times and places filled with love. The delight of the newcomer who finds safety and acceptance and opportunity in a new land is to be treasured and appreciated.

We never know where or when we will meet the Lord. So, this week, let’s be open to meeting him in each person we meet. Let’s reach out with a smile or a kind word. Let’s offer patience and humor when delays arise. Let’s live as if God really loves us and we know it. Because, tell you a secret, he does! Just as the waves on the shore carry news of what’s going on farther out to sea, the smiles and little kindnesses tell the story of the love of God.

Lord, send out your Spirit. Fill the hearts of your faithful and renew the face of the earth!

Readings for Pentecost – Cycle C

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Jun 1, 2025

Our Choices – Look Back or Look Ahead

In times of transition, we often feel we must choose between loyalty and nostalgia for “the old ways” and dreams and hopes of “better days ahead.” This is especially true when roles, expectations, and opportunities have changed from older ways to newer ones. Change is never easy and changes that involve our ability to live in society, in our families and with our customary ways of making a living, are particularly hard to manage. All too often it seems that whenever opportunities open for one person or group, they close for others.

In point of fact, the notion that if you get something better, then I will, as a direct result, get less of the good thing or even something worse is not truly the way it works out in practice. In anthropology, we call this concept “Limited Good.” In reality, limited good doesn’t actually play out. When one group gets a better opportunity and options for a good life, others from other groups can also benefit. Their opportunities to move ahead are also enhanced. “A rising tide raises all boats” is an expression describing this phenomenon on a societal level. When workers from other nations, for example, come looking for work, those already here who need help caring for livestock, or picking crops, or building homes, or caring for children, find willing help. The newcomers fill a need not easily met by the existing resources of the communities into which they move.

We have two options in these situations. We can look back with nostalgia and seek to return to the good old days – to make something Great again. The other option is to look forward and work to make things better for everyone – to open new opportunities and help those less prepared to be able to move into them. This option lets the rising tide help everyone.

Those who have been left behind when economic opportunities collapse around them are much more likely to believe folks who promise to resolve the problem by tossing out newcomers or others who are different in appearance. It’s all too easy to point fingers and accuse. It’s much harder to offer new, attractive opportunities that are open to all.

In the world today and in the Church, we are in a time of transition once again. The gap between income/opportunities for the very wealthy and those open to the very poor and even those in the middle has been increasing dramatically. We see this around the world, both in terms of individuals and in terms of nations. It happens again and again. Sometimes very rapidly.

How do we move forward to bring opportunities for health, safety, education, housing, nutrition and hope to all? Do we look back and try to recreate some of those “good old days” that seem so attractive in the movies? Or do we recognize that those days may have been good for some of us, but were quite restrictive for others of us? Is it really the case, for example, that as women or members of minority groups have opportunities for education, men necessarily have fewer opportunities? Or is it possible, instead, that we can find ways for both men and women of many different backgrounds to bring valuable skills and insights to their jobs, communities, and families – loving, respecting, and supporting each other in the process? In the Church, how will being open to hear the voices of everyday people enhance the mission of sharing the message of the Kingdom of Love?

All of this comes to mind as I reflect on the experience of the disciples during the period after the Resurrection. For forty days, Jesus showed up among them and continued to teach them. He clearly was alive. What was not clear were the implications of his return from death. Also, at least at first, they didn’t always recognize him at first glance. He was different. He still spoke of the Kingdom, as he had before his passion, death, and resurrection, but what did that mean? He reminded them of “the promise of the Father” that they would be “baptized with the Holy Spirit.” But what did that mean? (Lk 24:46-53)

So they did what people so often do. They drew on their prior experience and expectations. “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” Can we go back to the good old days and Make Israel Great Again? After all, someone who can rise from the dead ought to be able to defeat the greatest power in the world – Rome! And then We could be the ones in charge – the rulers of the world…

But Jesus was not tempted by this thought. Again, he reminded the disciples that times and seasons of the Father’s plans for the world were not for humans to know in advance. What was important to know and remember was just one thing. They would receive power when the Holy Spirit came to them and they would become witnesses of what they had seen. This witness was not to be confined to their local families and communities in Galilee. They would speak in Jerusalem, and also in Judea, Samaria, and out into the rest of the world.

The first step was to stay in Jerusalem and wait for this gift. With that promise, he was taken from their sight – lifted away. Two men in white clothing suddenly were there with them and reminded them to return to Jerusalem, promising that Jesus would return one day. (Acts 1:1-11)

The disciples were not to try to recreate the good old days of traveling with Jesus from town to town and witnessing the miracles he worked. They were to go out, and through their witness, wonders would be worked. People would see new options for living with each other as a community. The poor would receive help. The oppressed would find freedom. And most wondrously, all would have the chance to know the love of the Father through the caring of the community of Followers of the Way of Jesus.

Nine days passed, then on the feast of Pentecost, the promise of the coming of the Spirit was fulfilled.

For now, as we celebrate the Ascension and in these coming days we remember the time of waiting between the Ascension and Pentecost, we pray. Jesus was taken into heaven, and as a result of the Father’s gift, humans would receive the Spirit of wisdom and revelation (Eph 1:17-23) – enlightenment to see the hope and riches of the glory of the Lord inherited by all through Jesus, our high priest. (Heb 9:24-28; 10:19-23)

We are called to be people of hope – people who look forward, building a world in which everyone has opportunities for lives of dignity and hope.

May we this week remember to trust the Spirit to work among us and come upon us once again, in all the power and joy and hope of the family of God. We can do great things, but only when we trust that doors will open, opportunities will arise, and the Lord will work through our simple actions of love and caring for those we meet.

Readings for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord – Cycle C

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on May 25, 2025

No Unnecessary Burdens

Those who have children may well have discovered that when a child wants to play on an organized sports team, there’s far more to the deal than simply showing up for games. Beyond the cost of the program itself, there’s the need for a uniform, special shoes, special equipment that’s the right size for the child, transportation, and regular required practice times (regardless of other previously scheduled aspects of family life). All that must be handled before a single game is played.

Yet despite the inconvenience of it all, parents continue to sign their children up to play sports, take dance classes, join Scouts, and be part of other activities that encourage the children to learn new skills, test their limits, and learn to work, play with, and lead others.

In the early years of the Christian community, as those who were part of the original group of disciples went out to share the good news with people outside Jerusalem, they also found some unexpected complications, especially as they moved out into non-Jewish lands.

Paul and Barnabas, as they began teaching in Asia Minor, found the message of the coming of the kingdom to be much more easily accepted by the Gentiles with whom they spoke than by the Jewish communities there. When others came out from Judea and met the Gentile Christians, some began to insist that Gentiles needed to become Jewish in order to be followers of Jesus. That would involve circumcision and obedience to Jewish Law and traditions. The idea caused a great deal of consternation among the Gentile converts, as well as Paul and Barnabas. “There arose no little dissension and debate…” about the issue, so Paul, Barnabas, and some others went to Jerusalem to consult with the apostles and other leaders there.

In what was the first council of the Church, the Council of Jerusalem, the apostles and elders met to discuss the question. Should new members of the community be required to live by Jewish law (the Torah) or not? The decision was made that obedience to traditional Jewish laws, including circumcision of males, was not necessary for new Christians. Only four conditions were set as requirements. Christians were not to eat the meat of animals sacrificed to idols. Christians were not to eat blood. They were not to eat the meat of animals that had been strangled. And they must not engage in “unlawful marriage” (a.k.a. intimate relations outside of marriage).

In a letter sent to the Christian communities of Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia, the apostles and elders wrote, “It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities…” Keeping free of those four prohibited activities was all that was needed for “doing what is right.” The highly complex system of laws that governed every aspect of faithful Jewish life was not required anymore, based on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 15:1-2, 22-29)

Jesus himself told his disciples before he died that there was far more they would need to know as they moved forward as his followers. He promised that those who loved him and kept his word would be loved in return by the Father. “We will come to him and make our dwelling with him.” Then he gave them a word of encouragement, “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”

Jesus knew that most of what he was telling his friends was beyond their ability even to imagine. Who would ever have imagined that he would rise from the dead? Who could comprehend what he was saying about being one with the Father? But here he was, telling them not to worry. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.”

So much more than they expected or could understand until the whole thing played out was now suddenly upon them as he spoke that night before his passion began. “I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe.” (Jn 14:23-29)

At the Council of Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit did indeed teach the community something new. No unnecessary burdens need to be laid on those who come to follow the Lord.

In the Book of Revelation, we see something similar. The holy city of Jerusalem, coming down from heaven shone with God’s splendor, like a precious stone. It had high walls (for protection) and twelve gates. Twelve always stands for the tribes of Israel. The fact that Jesus had twelve apostles was related to this as well. They were seen as the stones on which the walls of the new city rested, “the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”

Jerusalem historically was the city in which God dwelt in the temple. Yet in Revelation, there is no temple in the city coming down from heaven. We are told, “its temple is the Lord God almighty and the Lamb.” The glory of God provided light “and its light was the Lamb.” (Rev 21:10-14, 22-23)

Again, no burdens of having to offer animal sacrifices in the temple in the new Jerusalem, the new community of the Lord.

As we live our lives in Christian communities today, we are also called not to put unnecessary burdens on others. People from many backgrounds, many traditions, many lands, many languages all come together as believers. We bring the riches of faith to share with each other. As we join together to serve the Lord in the community around us and throughout the world, we too need to remember that others don’t have to live exactly as we do in order to be loved by God. In those who can’t work or those who don’t have money for food for themselves and their children even though they are working, or those who arrive with nothing but hope as they flee for their lives from their native countries, in all of these, we meet the Lord. He is there, lifting the burdens of his sisters and brothers through our hands and willing hearts.

We don’t serve the Lord by imposing our religious beliefs or traditions on others. We serve by meeting others where they are and sharing the love of God by listening, sharing what we have, and enjoying the precious time we have to spend here and now.

We are a community that stretches around the world today. We are not first and foremost members of a powerful nation that imposes its will on others. We share something much deeper and more powerful – the love of the Lord, the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the fruits of their flowering in our lives of service, with our sisters and brothers in every land.

May we this week be aware of the burdens we might be imposing on others and try to lighten our expectations of them, so that the love of God will shine through us and out into our world.

Readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Cycle C

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on May 18, 2025

Opening the Door of Faith

One lovely summer day, a girl of about 9 or 10 years wanted to go out and skate. She already had her skates strapped to her shoes when her mother told her to pick up one of the family’s Melmac bowls that was sitting on the back step and bring it inside. The girl was furious. She had just put on her skates and now would have to take them off. Likely there would be other things she would have to do once she got inside with the bowl, and she might not get back outside to skate again!

She angrily stamped on the bowl and it broke in half – right down the middle. It was one of the family’s regular meal dishes and relatively recently purchased. She hadn’t intended to break it, but the deed was done.

This kind of offense, from a child with a temper, could not go unaddressed. Her mother had to do something to make it clear this kind of behavior was not acceptable. But spanking was not going to do any good. The girl would not change her behavior based on that threat – she was beyond that age.

The mother’s solution was to pick up the bowl, setting one side inside the other. Then she told the girl that the bowl would have to be replaced. The full set was needed each day for the family meals. So, the girl would have to do extra work to earn the money to buy the new bowl. Furthermore, the girl was not allowed to go back outside to skate that day!

That was the last time the girl ever stamped on a bowl. Not the last time she ever lost her temper, but that’s a different story for a different time…

The challenge of getting people to do what is best for a family or a community, a nation or a world, is multi-faceted. In general, through the centuries, we have begun to learn that violent treatment or responses don’t reliably lead to reform or better personal decision-making. On the contrary, they more often lead to more violence – a tit-for-tat kind of relationship. You hurt me, so I will respond by doing something to hurt you. The cycle goes on and on for generations and only becomes more costly as weaponry becomes more destructive or access to social media spreads outrage and anger more broadly.

In accounts of the first missionary journey of St. Paul and his companion, Barnabas, we see a different type of response to opposition and even to violent rejection. Paul and Barnabas traveled through Asia Minor on these journeys, entering city after city, going to the synagogue, and sharing the news of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. They always went first to the Jewish community, including Gentiles who had converted to Judaism. The message was received by some, but often the leaders of the community rejected it. When the message was rejected, Paul and Barnabas spoke to non-Jews, those known as Gentiles.

The message was received much more easily in the Gentile community because there were not so many years of expectation of the coming of one type of Messiah. The idea that the Messiah had come, not just for the Jews but for everyone, was welcomed by groups of people in each town they visited. They stayed for a while, teaching and encouraging the new followers of the way. Sometimes they had to leave quickly, chased out by angry townspeople or authorities. At least once they were stoned. They got up and left that town afterwards, having survived the experience. The rejection and physical abuse they suffered were accepted as part of the cost of their ministry. Following the example of Jesus, they did not return evil or curses for that which they received.

On their way back to Antioch, the town from which they had initially departed on their journey, they visited the communities of faith which had grown up as a result of their first visits. They encouraged the people and their leaders to “persevere in the faith” – as we would say: “hang in there!” The hardships they were enduring because of their faith were part of the cost of faithful discipleship, part of entering the kingdom of God.

They reported to the community in Antioch what “God had done with them,” opening the “door of faith to the Gentiles.” (Acts 14:21-27)

The night before he died, after Judas left the Upper Room, Jesus gave his friends “a new commandment.” What was it? “Love one another.” Not just a little bit. Not just when people are behaving well. Not just because they feel like it right now. “As I have loved you, so you should also love one another.”

Jesus was aware that he was going to be betrayed, yet he did not say that only those who were faithful were to be loved. Everyone was to be loved. Loved and forgiven because they are loved.

The characteristic by which the world will know a person to be a disciple of Jesus is clear. “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

That love that is characteristic of the disciple opens the door of faith for others to enter. (Jn 13:31-33a, 34-35)

John’s Book of Revelation describes what happens when that door of faith is open. God dwells with the human race. He is with them, wiping tears from their eyes in the hard times, ending the power of death and pain. “The old order has passed away.” And “the One who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’” (Rev 21:1-5a)

The One who sat on the throne? Remember who that one was? The Lamb! It’s the Lord Jesus who makes all things new in love and forgiveness.

All things new. What a wonderful promise.

What does that mean for us today? Through the centuries, the community of faith has shared the news of Jesus. Sometimes we have done it in gentle ways, with loving service as the hallmark of our witness. Sometimes, we have totally missed the point of Jesus’ words about love. We have tried to force people to receive the Good News in a way that actually came across as Terrible News. Like the mother who had to decide how to deal with the daughter’s temper and the broken bowl, the response can be love-based or it can be a response that tears down the person who has not responded as we had hoped.

When we force people to behave in ways we believe are correct, as in just the way we personally behave, we don’t respect the reality of God’s presence within them and their experience of that presence.

When we share the news of God’s love through loving service, the welcoming of immigrants, the poor, asylum seekers, the old, those with learning differences, those who struggle with mental or physical illness, that news can take root and grow.

Our words and service must be offered to all, including those with whom we disagree. Patience, loving service, a willingness to seek common ground, and forgiveness when tempers flare or harsh words erupt are all part of the witness to which we are called.

How will we respond today? Will we slam shut the doors to close out others who come from different places and different histories? Will we refuse to help, to share from our abundance so that those whose lives have not been blessed with that same abundance can at least have the basics of food, clothing, shelter, schooling, and healthcare? Do we say that people should just work harder, when they are already working two or more jobs to keep a roof over the heads of themselves and their families? Or do we offer help with food and access to healthcare and housing?

If we are truly a community of followers of Jesus, we are called to open the door of faith to others whom we meet, whether those with whom we are familiar and share a common history and culture or those who come to us from other lands and cultures. That door of faith has a single key – the love that is to be characteristic of the followers of Jesus. “Love one another as I have loved you.” Totally, without restraint, and filled with respect and compassion.

The kingdom comes, all will be new, when the news we share is truly the Good News of the presence of God in the community of loving service. Let us encourage each other and work together to continue to share the promise of new life and the love of God in our day to day lives. May we together learn to offer and receive forgiveness for the times we fall short. Through the loving care and guidance of the One who loves us, we learn to serve all we meet. And then, the door to faith can open for all.

The world awaits our witness and outreach in loving service.

Readings for the Fifth Sunday of Easter – Cycle C

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on May 10, 2025

My Sheep Hear My Voice

My grandparents lived in Idaho, about three hours away from where I grew up. We often visited them. One of their neighbors had several daughters and the two families had become close friends over the years. One of those daughters was about my age, and we spent many happy hours playing together.

As it happened, her grandparents lived in Ketchum, a town near Sun Valley, Idaho. The family had homesteaded there years before the resort became a tourist destination. When they invited us all to come visit, we loaded up our tent trailer, piled into the car, and headed off on a new exploration and adventure! (My folks loved to travel.)

We camped beside a small river and explored the area, including visiting a mine the family owned that had never really produced valuable minerals but had to be “worked” every year to maintain title to it. Dad found a beautiful big chunk of agate that he carried back down the mountain on the saddle of the horse he was riding! It still sits proudly in the garden at home.

Never ones to go back home the same way we had ventured out, we continued south through the Sawtooth Mountains into the high open plains of central Idaho. As we passed through, we saw a shepherd with his flock, traveling on foot across the dry lands. He had a wagon and his dogs and a very large flock, who moved at a very leisurely pace as they grazed happily. It was a big, open land. I’m sure there were plenty of predators who would happily have munched on his lambs and sheep. But he and the dogs were there, guiding them, keeping them from straying into danger, and helping them grow and thrive.

This experience often comes back to me as I hear the words of Scripture about sheep and shepherds and the One who is our shepherd.

The ancient Israelites, like the man we watched on that trip, were shepherds. They traveled with their flocks from Ur of the Chaldees, northwest into areas now part of Turkey (known today as Türkiye), then south into the land of Caanan, and even into Egypt and lands east of the Jordan River. Their religion and experience of the divine were shaped by their experience as shepherds who traveled with their sheep. Even as they settled into the land of Israel, built villages and cities, and had a Temple and royalty, their faith was expressed in terms of what they had experienced as traveling shepherds.

It is not surprising, then, that Jesus and his early followers would use the image of sheep and shepherds to describe the relationship of the divine with humanity. Jesus described the qualities of a good shepherd in his teachings. He spoke of himself as a shepherd. “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me… No one can take them out of my hand.” (Jn 10:27-30)

The Psalmist sings, “Know that the Lord is God; he made us, his we are; his people, the flock he tends … his kindness endures forever, and his faithfulness, to all generations.” This hymn has passed down through the generations. Jesus would have sung it. We sing it today. (Ps 100:1-2, 3, 5)

After the Resurrection, when it had become evident that salvation was not only for the Jews, Paul and Barnabas traveled through ancient lands that are now part of western Türkiye. They always visited the local synagogue to worship with their fellow Jews. As visitors, they would have been welcomed and conversations would strike up about who they were, from where they had come, the purpose of their travels, etc. They didn’t have an Internet to use to find out what was going on the world, or to learn about other lands. They had travelers – visitors from other lands – who would tell them of the great world around them.

What a story Paul and Barnabas had to tell. The Messiah had come. He had been rejected by the authorities and even crucified by the Romans, but that was not the end of the story! He had risen from the dead and shared the Spirit of the Most High with all of his followers. We, Paul and Barnabas, are coming to visit you to share this amazing, good news.

It was an engaging story, told by men who were staking their lives on its truth, and sharing it with people who lived far from their homeland. Many people wanted to hear more. They visited with Paul and Barnabas during the week and came in large groups to the synagogue the next week to hear more.

Now, we look at the story and might be critical of the leaders of the community for their actions in arguing forcefully and passionately against Paul and Barnabas. But we must not judge them too harshly. This was not the kind of messiah anyone had expected. People can so easily be manipulated, especially in hard times or when living under foreign occupation.

Paul and Barnabas were not deterred by the angry response of the authorities. They answered boldly, sharing their experience and the truth they had come to believe and to share. Furthermore, they let all know that this good news was not just for the Jews, the historical inheritors of the promise. The Holy One welcomes all. “So the Lord has commanded us, ‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

The message was happily received by the non-Jewish residents of these cities. It was not well-received by the leaders of the community or the city. Paul and Barnabas were expelled from the territory and moved on, “filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 13:14, 43-52)

Later, as the community of believers were faced with the reality of persecution by major world powers, including Roman emperors, the image of the Lamb who had been sacrificed for all became a source of hope. The lambs sacrificed in the earliest days of Jewish history, the lambs whose blood marked the homes of the Israelites at the time of the Passover, the lamb eaten every year in remembrance of that gift of life and freedom, the lambs sacrificed at the temple through the time of Jesus, and the Lamb of God who gave his body and blood to his friends the night before he died – all of these examples of lambs giving their lives for the survival of others became a great source of hope for a community in peril because of their faithfulness to the Way of the Lamb.

In the vision of John in the Book of Revelation, the great multitude of people from all peoples and lands, faithful to the word they had received, stand before the throne of God. And “the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Rev 7:9, 14b-17)

The image of shepherd, from ancient times, portrays the role and calling of the one who is to lead the community. Not a king. Not a prince (or princess). Not a patriarch lording it over a family or community. A shepherd – one who cares for the sheep and the lambs, through thick and thin.

We are at a turning point in the history of our Roman Catholic Christian community again. Pope Francis has returned to the Lord. He spoke of the importance of shepherds who smell like their sheep. The importance of accompanying the poor and the marginalized. The rights of migrants and the imprisoned. And so many, many more examples.

We now have a new Pope, Leo XIV. This man too has a history of working with those who are powerless, opening doors to influence in the community for women and other lay people, reminding those in authority of their responsibility to work for the good of all people equally, and speaking of the importance of setting up structures to protect humanity from the potentially run-away power of new digital technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI).

It’s a new day, a new era for our community and our world. A new shepherd has been selected. The clothing he wears, the symbolic items he carries, the places he travels, even the foods he eats will be watched and discussed. Some will love what he says. Others will react angrily. Some will simply yawn and go about their lives.

Nevertheless, as the next days and years play out, we have a shepherd who will lead and care for the community. Some days will be hot and dusty, as were those we saw as children in that high desert land of Idaho. Others will be stormy and not always well sheltered from the elements.

This week, let’s pray for Pope Leo as he moves into this new leadership role. Let’s do our best to help by being kind and patient with each other. Let’s continue to reach out to help the poor, the immigrants, those being swept up unjustly in deportation raids, those who are in need of healthcare or specialized services, those whose lives are turned upside down by drought, floods, winds, or cold.

We are the sheep of the Lord. Do we hear his voice?

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on May 4, 2025

Recognize the Lord and Tell Others

Class reunions are interesting experiences. We come together after many years of living away from the close communities of our childhood school days and find that people have changed in some ways and are fundamentally the same in other ways. I find it’s easier to recognize the women than the men. Men change in appearance more after age 18 than women do, in my experience.

It happened again recently when I chanced to be in the town where I grew up on a night when a group of my high school classmates were gathering at a local “pub” owned by another classmate. I got there a touch late, so sat at a side table where a few others were already sitting. I didn’t recognize the men, but I always find people interesting, so that was fine. As it turned out, the two men were guys with whom I had attended eight years of grammar school! I had last seen one of them at eighth grade graduation. I may have seen the other in high school, but I didn’t recognize him when I saw him that night. We had a good visit and I look forward to getting to know them both now as adults.

The apostles had a somewhat similar experience after the Resurrection. It had been a much shorter time than the 50+ years since we had all graduated, but they also didn’t recognize Jesus when they saw him.

Peter and the other apostles had returned to Galilee after the Resurrection. They didn’t know what they were going to do next in their lives, so they went fishing!

Today we typically go fishing during the day, maybe early morning or evening. But in those days, and probably still in some places, fishing as a way of earning a living was done at night. The first time Peter met Jesus, they had spent the night and not caught anything. They were returning, getting ready to go mend and fold the nets, then return home to rest. Jesus told them to try again. Despite their misgivings, the apostles tried again and this time the nets were filled to overflowing. When Jesus invited them to leave it all behind and follow him that first time, they did.

Now all had ended in what seemed like a disaster, but the women had come with word that he was risen and would meet them in Galilee. So, here they were, fishing again and catching nothing…

A man was watching them from the shore. He called out in a friendly way, asking if they had caught anything. They called back that they hadn’t. He responded with the suggestion to throw the net over the right side of the boat and they would find something. They did and the net was filled to overflowing. John, identified as the disciple whom Jesus loved, immediately realized who the fellow on the shore had to be and told Peter, “It is the Lord.” At that, Peter jumped overboard and swam to shore. The others came in with the boat.

They didn’t recognize him when they saw him. He looked different. But he welcomed them, had bread to share with them and some fish. He cooked some of the fish they had caught as well. They shared the meal. And though he didn’t look like the man they had known, they knew who he was because he broke the bread and fish and shared the food with them. Also, he had given them that huge catch of fish once again. The reason they didn’t ask who he was? John tells us it was because he had broken the bread and given it to them to share, just has he had done the night before he died.

The time by the lake didn’t end with just the meal, the breaking of the bread. Jesus spoke directly to Peter. Remember, Peter had denied knowing Jesus three times during the night before Jesus died. Three times, then, Jesus asked him, “Do you love me?” Three times, Peter responded that he did love Jesus. Jesus instructed Peter in response, “Feed my lambs.” “Tend my sheep.” “Feed my sheep.” He told Peter that he, Peter, would indeed follow in his master’s footsteps, even to his death. And then he once again called Peter, “Follow me.” (Jn 21:1-19)

They all returned to Jerusalem and met Jesus in different locations over a period of forty days. Then he was taken from their sight and they were told to go to Jerusalem and pray. Pentecost came, the Holy Spirit filled them with courage, and they began to tell the world about what they had seen and heard. The community of believers began to grow.

The authorities at the temple were not amused. In fact, they were quite angry with the apostles. They ordered them to stop preaching and teaching, but Peter and the others refused, “We must obey God rather than men.” The authorities were very angry but were persuaded not to over-react. They ordered them to be flogged and sent them on their way, in hopes that would teach them a lesson and they would just go home again. (Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41)

Of course, it did not stop them from sharing the wondrous news of the Resurrection. The community continued to grow and the word spread into all of the world. We today are among those who believe based on the testimony of those first men and women who saw the Lord after he rose and who shared their witness down through the generations.

The reading from the Book of Revelation that accompanies these accounts of the earliest days of the community of faith describes an important reality as well. What happens when believers are isolated from their community, not allowed to celebrate the breaking of the bread or prayer with their sisters and brothers in faith?

The author, John, tells of his mystical experience of witnessing countless numbers of other people and creatures who gathered together in praise of “the Lamb that was slain.” (Rev 5:11-14) John was in isolation on the island of Patmos, separated from his community. As he learned, it’s not necessary always to be physically with others in worship when in reality, our community extends beyond our day-to-day world. People from all ages and all parts of creation join us in our life of faith and praise of the Lord. We are not alone.

So, what does all this imply for us today?

We have lots of pictures and images of Jesus. None of them was drawn of him before his death and resurrection. We don’t know what he looked like, nor is it important that we do. As the early disciples discovered, he didn’t always look the same after he rose anyway.

Where will we find him today? What did he tell us? It wasn’t to look among powerful political leaders or wealthy people who had everything they could ever hope to need materially. It wasn’t to assume he would only be seen as a man. He spoke of those who are hungry, those who are thirsty, those who are un-housed, those who are in prison, those who are sick, the children, the helpless, the migrant, the refugee, the farmworkers, those who wait outside lumber yards and hardware stores, hoping for work and money to feed their families. These are where we find the Lord. “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers (and sisters) of mine, you did for me,” he tells us. (Mt 25:40)

As we go through our daily lives, as we hear the news and reflect on the things happening in our country and our world, we are called to pay attention and see where the Lord is present among the little ones. This is where we must be active too. How do we help? When disaster strikes in a life, who will share resources? Where will funds come to rebuild entire communities after a tornado or flood? How do we as members of a nation provide for the common good?

We each do our part in our corner of the world, but some needs are too great to be solved locally. How do we act as a larger community of believers to protect not just the unborn, but also those who have been born and are struggling to grow, to support their families, to age gracefully, and to pass into the next life in a dignified, well-supported community of loving caregivers? At all stages of our lives, we meet the Lord. In all those whom we meet along the way, we have the opportunity to meet and serve the Lord.

This week, may we keep our eyes open to see his presence in those around us. May we reach out in love and friendship to those in our communities who need a bit of extra help. May we encourage our leaders and representatives to provide for the common good, rather than to open more doors for only the well-to-do.

Working through the community of believers, the Lord reaches out. May we together be faithful sisters and brothers who recognize his presence, tell others about our experience of his love, and want to get to know him better through his brothers and sisters whom we meet each day.

Readings for the Third Sunday of Easter – Cycle C

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Apr 27, 2025

Powder, Powder, Pretty Baby

In the old black and white picture, a cute little baby girl is sitting on the floor in front of an open cabinet door. She is wearing only a diaper and is covered in white powder, as are the inside of the cupboard and the floor around her. Her face, hair, and entire body are covered with the powder as she innocently smiles and says, “Powder, powder, Pretty Baby.”

The image comes to mind this week as we reflect on the early experience of the apostles after the Resurrection. The apostles all ran away or denied Jesus during his arrest and trial. Only John stood by the cross with Jesus’ mother and the other women. Yet on the first night after he rose, he came to them, appearing inside a locked room. His first words to them were, “Peace be with you.” He didn’t scold them. He didn’t stand silently waiting for an apology. He didn’t even laugh at them. He simply offered them a greeting, “Peace.” All that had happened, all they had messed up, all the disgrace they felt, all was forgiven. “Powder” all over the floor, but no condemnation, no punishment.

To their amazement, Jesus didn’t stop with forgiving all of them. He breathed forth the Spirit on them, giving them the same power to forgive.

This ability to forgive after having been forgiven is worth thinking about in more detail.

When hard things have happened, when we have made mistakes in judgement, done things that are just plain wrong or hurtful, or been unwilling to do the right thing in difficult situations, we carry a burden within ourselves. Sometimes we describe it as a heavy heart. People of other cultures might describe it differently, but it’s there and it gets in the way of being open and joyfully allowing love and mercy to flow out into our relationships with other people and the world around us.

What Jesus did for the Apostles was to remove that burden of a guilty heart, replacing it with a heart that is gifted now to forgive others. Where there was a blocked channel, there is now an open stream or gully through which mercy and healing can flow.

Thomas wasn’t there the first night. When he heard what had happened, it just made no sense at all to him. They must all be delusional! Not going to believe that nonsense about Jesus having risen and appeared to the others unless he sees it himself. They’re just overwrought!

What a surprise for him the next Sunday evening, when Jesus again showed up in the locked room with them. Downright embarrassing! Jesus knew what Thomas had said, so he called him to touch his wounds – hands and side – then told him to believe what he had been told. Thomas responded with a fervent prayer of faith – “My Lord and my God.”

We are also included in this scene. As we remember the encounter with Thomas and the other disciples, we are brought into the room with them. Jesus declares that though we have not physically seen his wounded, risen body, we are blessed because we too believe. We too have been forgiven. (Jn 20:19-31)

After the Pentecost experience, the Apostles told everyone they met about what they had seen and experienced of God’s coming in Jesus and his resurrection. They went to the Temple and spoke of Jesus there. Wondrous healings and other signs accompanied their witness. They didn’t even have to touch people to heal them. Simply passing by them on the streets, their shadows falling on people waiting by the side of the road, brought healing. (Acts 5:12-16)

When we open our hearts to receive forgiveness and healing, the power of love and healing we receive can continue to flow out into our world too. Jesus has come for all peoples at all times. His love flows through us, as we allow it to do so. If we refuse, he doesn’t blast his way through. He waits until we are willing to be healed and open the channel again. But make no mistake, he is waiting right there beside us, hoping we’ll open to allow his love to flow forth.

This Easter week we have experienced the loss of our dear Pope Francis. He has returned to the Father, a faithful servant who made mistakes in his life, learned from them, and received forgiveness. He lived and learned, coming to see the Lord’s presence among the poorest of the poor. He spoke and acted on behalf of children, immigrants, the elderly, prisoners, the frightened, and the sick. He challenged us to care for the Earth in ever more concrete ways, protecting this common home of ours as we grow in numbers and use of resources. He opened doors to leadership to those denied such opportunities for centuries. Women and lay people from around the world were given the opportunity to serve in ministry and offer their reflections on how the Spirit is calling all of us to move forward into this third millennium of Christianity. His influence will long remain in our Church and world community.

In the days and weeks to come, we will discover who will be the next Bishop of Rome and heir to the Chair of Peter, leader of the Roman Catholic community. We pray for the Lord’s guidance as our cardinals meet and make the choice, remembering that ultimately, it is Jesus who is in our midst, calling us to remember that he is the firstborn of the dead, alive now forever in triumph over death and all barriers to love. (Rev 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19)

That little girl, covered in powder, was picked up and loved by her mother. Her mother, grandmother and school-aged aunts and uncles laughed as they helped clean things up. The powder was washed off her. The floor was swept. The cupboard was cleaned out. And the powder found a safer place, higher up in the cabinet!

In the family picture album, the picture is proudly, fondly displayed, with the inscription in Mom’s handwriting: “Powder, Powder, Pretty Baby.” I don’t consciously remember the event, but as I grew up, I was always reassured when I saw that picture that no matter what I did, that Pretty Baby was loved and forgiven. Mercy and love were free to flow out into the world.

As we move through this next week, may we remember to be open channels for Divine mercy and love to flow into our world. There is so much anger, fear, and distrust flowing just now. The Lord needs each of us to open our hearts and let His love flow into the world too. It’s more powerful than anger or hatred. But it doesn’t force its way. It flows only when we are willing to be open and let it through.

Readings for the Second Sunday of Easter, Sunday of Divine Mercy – Cycle C

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Apr 13, 2025

My God, Why Have You Abandoned Me?

A haunting Psalm from thousands of years ago is running through my head as we enter into Holy Week, 2025.

Psalm 22 begins with a cry of anguish: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me, far from my prayer, from the words of my cry?” Jesus prayed this psalm as he was dying on the cross. It sounds like a cry of despair, a hopeless acknowledgement of a dream demolished and a promise betrayed by an impotent or uncaring divinity. But was it really so?

The one who first sang this prayer spoke of being mocked and abused. “All who see me scoff at me.. He relied on the Lord; let him deliver him… They have pierced my hands and my feet … they divide my garments among them…”

Yet the prayer continues: “O Lord, be not far from me; O my help, hasten to aid me.” The one who is suffering does not lose hope. “I will proclaim your name to my brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise you: ‘You who fear the Lord, praise him; all you descendants of Jocob, give glory…’” (Ps 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24).

Jesus prayed this psalm as he was dying on the cross – abandoned by many of his friends, mocked, stripped of his clothing, tortured, humiliated. We remember and mourn. Yet, knowing the “end of the story,” the Resurrection, we sometimes forget that as a human being, a carpenter from Nazareth, he didn’t know it would all end in triumph for him. He was dying. It was the end for him. His life as a regular guy, even as a teacher and prophet and miracle-worker, was ending. Still, he prayed a psalm of hope.

The other readings for Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion tell of his triumphal entry into Jerusalem a few days earlier, hailed as a prophet, the king coming in the name of the Lord, bringing peace in heaven and glory on high. In just a few short days, it all ended in pain and death – his friends and followers scattered and mourning. (Lk 19:28-40)

We hear St. Luke tell of the Last Supper and institution of the Eucharist. We hear of the time of prayer in the garden on the Mount of Olives, the arrest of Jesus, his trial, and his crucifixion and death. We even hear of the gift of a tomb from Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the council that had condemned him. (Lk 22:14—23:56)

We are reminded of the prophecy of Isaiah about the one who would come in the Lord’s name and endure opposition, beatings, the mocking words and actions of opponents, but who would continue in faithful proclamation of the Lord’s words to rouse the weary and give hope to the oppressed. (Is 50:4-7)

We hear the ancient hymn quoted by St. Paul in his letter to the Philippians, reminding all that Christ Jesus emptied himself to become totally one of us, following the will of the Father. Through this obedience, God exalted him and gave him “the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend … and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord…” (Phil 2:6-11)

Still, I continue to hear the haunting refrain. “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

I see the images in my mind of the men who were swept up recently by the immigration service and shipped, against the orders of the court, to a prison in El Salvador. There they are being treated as less than human, worse than we allow animals to be treated here. If they are crying, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” it is with reason. Why have they been abandoned. Why are they being treated this way? Why have they not been returned to this country – to be allowed their right to legal counsel and judgement? Why are those with permission to be in the United States not returned already? They are all human beings, regardless of their legal status. Made in the image and likeness of God. Jesus is there with them in their suffering, because that’s where he goes, whenever people are suffering. He is suffering with them.

I hear the cries of those losing visas and being deported because they spoke out about wars being waged in other countries; wars that are disproportionate to the initial actions that triggered them.

I know the fears of people whose access to basic human services, including health care, food, shelter, and education are being threatened or denied because of indiscriminate cuts in funding.

“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

And what to do?

Writing letters, calling representatives, speaking among ourselves and sharing information are all important responses. Remember, we are the People of God, the ones called to reach out and help those who are in need or being harmed by the unjust actions of others.

It can seem overwhelming. What can one person do? How can I change national policy?

But there are things one person can do, and many of them involve finding and working with others who are trying to help.

Check your local faith community. What is being done to help migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers? What are organizations such as Catholic Charities doing? How can you help/join these groups in their mission? Do they have the “red cards” that contain information about the rights of everyone present in this country – in both English and Spanish? If so, get some and share them where you go. Are there non-institutional groups of folks who are helping “new neighbors?” Find or start one, then offer concrete help.

Remember, always keep the identities of those with whom you are working protected. Many who have followed all the rules for seeking asylum are finding that’s not enough. You don’t want to be the one whose actions call attention to them and cause them to be harmed.

Raise money to pay lawyers. Getting asylum and work permits involves filling out legal documents and getting favorable judgements in immigration court. Those who come fleeing persecution, wars, or gangs that are threatening their lives don’t always have a lot of education or money with which to hire lawyers. Many don’t speak English.

Share food. If you have garden space, grow vegetables and share them with those who don’t know where their next meal will come from. If there are local groups who collect and share food, get involved and help out. Most of them will even help you harvest fruit from trees in your yard that otherwise would go to waste.

Be a friend to those you meet. Offer a smile, a friendly face, a hand when needed. Help them find places to live, school for their children, clothing, and healthcare.

Voices of the suffering are still calling to us this Holy Week. The Lord is calling us to respond to their cries, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” The Lord responds, “I haven’t abandoned you. I am reaching out to you through my sister (insert your name here) and my brother (your turn here, Guys!)”

May we be faithful friends of Jesus this week and through the weeks to come. Walking with our sisters and brothers, through these difficult days. Helping in the way best suited to the gifts we have.

Let us pray for those in need, those in danger, and those who feel content and secure in their opinions of the righteousness of the detentions. May we come to see, respect, and share in the Lord’s work of serving and comforting all in need.

Holy Week blessings be with you.

Readings for Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion – Cycle C

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Apr 6, 2025

“See, I Am Doing Something New”

“Unprecedented!” “New and improved!” “Today and today only!” “Once in a lifetime chance…”

We hear these kinds of exclamations and invitations routinely in our lives. Print, digital, audio, even word-of-mouth sources invite us, even seduce us, to look at products and ideas whose promoters typically hope to profit in some way by coaxing us to endorse or purchase them. Part of becoming an adult is to learn that these invitations are generally not all they claim to be. Very few things are totally new or available only once in a lifetime.

Still, when we hear the Lord say, “See, I am doing something new!” we should probably pay attention!

Isaiah, speaking in the Lord’s name, begins his instruction with a reminder of the defeat of the Egyptian army at the crossing of the Red Sea. Then comes the surprising statement, “Remember not the events of the past…” Why not? Because, “I am doing something new!”

What is this new action? New paths are opening in the desert, rivers are flowing in the desert wastelands for the people and animals who live in or pass through them. This is happening now, pay attention. I am doing it for you, a people I have chosen to be my own.

Rivers in the desert? Pathways opening? A way is being prepared for the people to return home to their ancestral lands. As this happens, new ways of living and being open up. Transformations occur. Those who hear the Lord’s words here are not the same as those who found themselves taken into exile in another land. Something new is happening. It’s time for praise of the One who has cared for them while in exile and now opens new possibilities for them. (Is 43:16-21)

Jesus too brought a new approach in his interactions with those who came to him. St. John tells us about the time some of the religious authorities tried to trap him with an “either or” type of situation. They brought a woman before him, probably quite disheveled and frightened. She and a man had been caught in the act of adultery. Only the woman had been brought to Jesus, though both had broken the Law. Those who dragged her before Jesus for judgement asked him what they should do, since the Law called for her to be stoned to death.

If he said to follow the Law’s instructions, he would be judging her and condemning her for her actions. If he said she should be forgiven, he could be accused of disregarding the Law and thereby breaking it himself. It was a no-win situation.

Jesus responded by doing “something new.” He didn’t respond. He simply bent down and began writing something on the ground. The accusers persisted. Finally, he gave them his response. “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Wow! That put everybody on the spot. Who would or could claim to be without any history of breaking the Law, of not always choosing the right way, of sinning?

One by one the accusers walked away. Finally, only Jesus and the woman remained. He asked, “Has no one condemned you?” She responded, “No one, sir.” Jesus didn’t condemn her either, but he instructed her to begin anew and leave behind the life that led her to sin.

“See, I am doing something new…” Not condemnation but instead, second chances. (Jn 8:1-11)

Many years later, St. Paul, writing to the Philippians, reflected on his spiritual journey, “I consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” Paul left behind a life of security and honor. He was respected by his peers and entrusted with responsibility to arrest and punish those who were followers of the way of Jesus. And then he met the risen Lord and all changed. Power, prestige, security – all were gone. But in their place, he received the gift of faith in Christ and a righteousness that comes only from God. He lived a life that included a lot of physical pain, rejection, and suffering. But he received them as a way of sharing in the life of Jesus and the hope of resurrection from the dead. All that he had known and lived before was gone, like trash. Now his life was directed to something new – the new way of life and hope opened by Jesus, calling him forward toward God’s calling. (Phil 3:8-14)

Two thousand years later, we too are invited to notice the Lord’s statement. “See, I am doing something new.” This statement applies to each of us in our lives today as well, because it is timeless. Remember, there’s no time in eternity. God’s present has no beginning and no end. Only the Now.

What is it that we are to see now? What is this new thing the Lord is doing? How are paths being opened in the wilderness? Where are new rivers flowing in the desert? Which of us is hearing the Lord’s voice refusing to condemn us? What have we left behind to follow our Lord and share in the promise of the resurrection?

Look around. What do we see? Uncertainty, fear, worry, hopelessness, distrust of strangers? Do we also see people offering support and a helping hand for low income people, the sick, the very young or the old, those with mental or physical illness that makes earning a living impossible, those who come seeking refuge? Are they, are we, setting up programs to provide options and opportunity – working for the common good?

When institutions begin to break down or when they are dismantled before our very eyes, how do we reach out and help those in need? How do we live with hope that leads us ever onward?

One step at a time. One person at a time. The drop of water falling into a pond sends out rings of energy that continue through the entire body of water. Each time one of us refuses to condemn another, offers a smile, a word of encouragement, a helping hand, a listening heart, the energy of love will radiate outward like that drop in the puddle.

These days are not unprecedented, but they are certainly a new experience in the lifetimes of most of us. How we respond in community and outreach in support of those we meet will matter. The Lord is continuing to do “something new.” That Something New is not a return to judgementalism, condemnation of those whose lives are different or frightening, or exclusion of newcomers. The Something New is to continue being welcoming and supportive of others as the Lord is welcoming. It will require us to listen to each other with open hearts and ears, hearing the hopes and fears that so often keep us separated from those whom we don’t know or haven’t yet met. It is making paths through the wilderness of fear and exclusion so that people can travel forward together, returning to a land of shared humanity. It is making rivers of the waters of love and acceptance flow in our communities.

As we enter into these last two weeks of Lent, may our ears be open to hear the Lord’s invitation to enter into this new way he is opening. May we hold on to love and to hope. May we reach out in love and service to those who are hurting or frightened. May we continue to trust in the Lord’s love for each of us. May we know hope and peace and share them in joyful service with all we meet.

Readings for the Fifth Sunday of Lent – Cycle C