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Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Feb 2, 2025

A Refiner’s Fire – Purify and Prepare

Aluminum foil is one of those products that has come to be so commonly used that no one thinks much about where it comes from and how it’s made. But that wasn’t always the way it was.

Here’s a bit of background. Aluminum is the twelfth most common element in the universe. It reacts well with oxygen, and when they combine on the surface, aluminum shines like polished silver. It is soft, easy to shape, and non-magnetic. Many cooking pots used today are made of aluminum, which heats easily. (This poses a challenge for those seeking to use induction stoves! They won’t heat, because induction is based on magnetic force.)

Aluminum is found in the crust of the earth, mixed into a kind of rock known as bauxite. This mineral is lighter than iron or steel, so has historically been extensively used in aviation – for building airplanes. It has to be separated from the rock in order to be used. It must be refined.

When I grew up, most of the men in my area of town worked either for the railroad or for Kaiser Aluminum, refining aluminum from bauxite. The pot lines were located just outside the town immediately to the north of our community. Once the ore was liquid, it was trucked to another plant east of town. There it was poured and shaped into huge rolls of solid aluminum. Those rolls were then shipped to plants elsewhere, rolled increasingly thinner, and formed into the metal we use today for airplanes, cars, cooking pots, and aluminum foil!

The pot lines were extraordinarily hot places. There were sixteen buildings with potlines. If a bit of metal fell on the ground, everyone knew not to touch it. It would be burning hot. When the lines were open so families and friends of the workers could visit and see, we were all told never to touch anything shiny or metal on the ground. The potlines were heated and the metal was liquid. It was stiflingly hot inside the buildings. Over 100 million pounds of aluminum were produced there in the first year alone.

The plant has since closed, as has the railroad yard. A lot of clean-up work has been required to rid the area of toxins produced by both. Some toxins are still in the soil and protective layers have been added to keep them where they are rather than letting them get out into the waterways again. And life has gone on …

Reading from the book of the Prophet Malachi today, I was reminded of these potlines and the refiners’ fires, the fuller’s lye. (Fuller’s lye is also known as potash – potassium hydroxide. It’s very caustic. Sodium hydroxide is another very common form of lye, known as soda lye. Don’t even think of drinking it! Both are used to make soaps.) Processing of the bauxite includes use of lye to break apart its components and separate out the aluminum ore.

Malachi speaks of the messenger of the Lord who will come ahead of the messenger of the covenant. The first messenger is to prepare the way of the Lord, so the messenger of the covenant can enter. This one will come with power – like the refiner’s fire – and will patiently refine and purify the Levites, the priestly class. Why purify them? So they can offer sacrifices on behalf of the people that will be pleasing to the Lord. (Mal 3:1-4)

The words of Malachi were recorded around 500 years before the birth of Jesus. Yet they are part of a transition in the long story of reconciliation between God and humanity. The purification of which the prophet speaks will result in a renewal of the Lord’s joy in the offerings and love of the community.

And then, the long wait continued.

Jesus’ birth marked another transition in this history, as he began his life as a child of the Covenant. The Feast of the Presentation celebrates an event required by the Covenant in the life of Jewish baby boys. When the first boy was born to a family, tradition said the child belonged to God. The parents of the family offered a sacrifice of thanksgiving for the birth of the child and in return, received the right from God to keep him as their own. They didn’t have to give him to the Temple to be raised there, apart from his family.

Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the temple to offer this sacrifice on his behalf. This was not the time of his circumcision. That was a different custom and timeframe. They expected to offer the sacrifice and leave, as any other couple would expect. Additionally, it was forty days after his birth, so a sacrifice was to be offered to allow Mary to re-enter the life of the community, to “purify” her after her pregnancy. Accordingly, this day we remember as the Feast of the Purification of Mary was a doubly important day in their lives.

Joseph and Mary got a surprise that day in the Temple. An old man, Simeon, met them at the Temple. He had been promised by the Lord that he would not die before seeing the Christ of the Lord – the anointed one who was to come. When he saw Joseph and Mary, he knew this child was the one he was sent to meet. He took Jesus in his arms and gave thanks. “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace … for my eyes have seen your salvation.” More than just the salvation of Israel, Simeon proclaimed that this child would be “a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory for your people, Israel.”

Wow. Not just Israel, but all the peoples of the world!

Simeon was not a fool, however. He spoke directly to Mary of the trials that would come to her personally because of the identity of her child. Her child’s life would be a source of contradiction and of conflict among peoples – those who believed in his origin and mission and those who did not. She would suffer personally as she watched this come to pass – as would any mother watching her own child go through all Jesus would.

Another woman was also in the Temple that day. Anna was a prophetess. She heard the Lord’s word and had spent most of her life serving and praying in the Temple after the death of her husband. She too recognized Jesus and gave thanks for his birth. She thanked God and told all those she met afterwards about the coming of this child at last.

Following that amazing day, St. Luke tells us that Jesus and his family returned to Nazareth. Jesus grew up there as an ordinary child in an ordinary family, becoming strong and wise. The Lord God was pleased with him and his growth. (Lk 2:22-40)

Now, you may ask, where does aluminum fit into all of this?

As an adult, Jesus’ life followed a pretty normal path until his cousin John began baptizing people in the Jordan River and speaking of the coming of the Messiah. Following Jesus’ own baptism, when the Holy Spirit came upon him and he began to understand his role in the coming of the Kingdom of God, he traveled a path that eventually led to his self-sacrifice at Calvary.

The author of the letter to the Hebrews explains that in order for God to reach out in reconciliation with all of humanity and take away the power of death, it was necessary to become one of us and experience and conquer death. Rather than sacrifice animals, as the traditional priests in the temple did, Jesus gave himself as an offering. In doing this, God himself came to experience human suffering in a very personal way. Jesus, as human and divine, is able to help those who are suffering too. He understands and is present with them. He can’t necessarily prevent them from suffering. But they will not be alone. He will be with them through the entire process of purification and refining of faith and faithfulness to the Kingdom’s call. (Heb 2:14-18)

This promise has sustained millions of people through the centuries as they have had to stand on their own two feet and say Yes or No to what is happening in their families and communities.

There continue to be times when people are called to pass through a time of refining, of becoming again faithful to their call, of speaking and acting on behalf of the Kingdom. It happens in families. It can happen in communities. It can happen in nations.

As we enter into this very difficult time in our nation’s history, with so many unknowns, so many precedents being discarded, so many vulnerable people being hurt, may we too remember and pray for the courage to speak and work for the Kingdom of love in practical ways. It’s not a theoretical, sometime-after-I-die kind of thing. It’s right here and now.

How do we support the migrants? How do we speak for children who will be left hungry without community support through the government? How do we protect travelers? How do we keep roads and bridges safe? How do we prevent wealthy thieves from stealing the funds we have all put together to support our institutions and families?

This is a time we have not seen before in our lifetimes. Pray with me that we will have the courage to speak up, to reach out, to help those who we may not even know are at risk, so that all may continue to live and work and thrive in this place that has been so rich in resources and community.

It’s not a time to give up. It’s not a time to panic. It is a time to speak and act concretely. Reach out. Offer your time and help to groups that are trying to protect the poor, the migrants, the visitors, the disabled, the minorities, the elderly, the children. Work together. We must not stop caring. We must not stop hoping. We must carry on in faith.

Aluminum gets very hot as it is separated from bauxite. But it shines when the process is over. May our lives, our traditions, our nation, our way of being be purified and sustained through this time of upheaval and danger.

Our traditions and beliefs do not point to the elevation of one race or one set of beliefs. Our outreach is to all peoples and we find God in all cultures. All are our sisters and brothers. All are to be protected and loved.

At this Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, may we remember our call to recognize and shine forth the Light for Revelation whom Simeon first recognized so long ago in the Temple: the Love and blessing of the Lord God for all, living now within each of us.

Readings for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord – Cycle C

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Jan 26, 2025

Fulfilled in Your Hearing

The gift of hearing is one most of us don’t truly appreciate. We are born able to hear and part of our growing and maturing is to begin to make sense of the sounds we hear. We copy the sounds of our world without really understanding their meaning. Often the tones and rhythms are repeated accurately long before the actual words are spoken and used in communication. Waiting in line in the grocery store, for example, one day a little child in a stroller looked up at me and in absolutely perfect rhythm and tones the asked, “ow ah oo.” I responded, “I’m fine, thank you. How are you?” The child beamed. His friendly question had been understood. His mother looked at me like I had two heads. She hadn’t realized he was speaking in tones. I recognized that he was asking a question only because my mother had once pointed out to me the way children first communicate with tones and sounds rather than words.

As we get older, hearing can begin to fail. We don’t hear what others say to us and wonder why their feelings get hurt when we continue to walk away rather than turn and respond to their words. We don’t notice the lack of sound and get used to the peace and quiet. When our families or friends point out that we are losing our hearing, it can be an upsetting thing to hear. “What do you mean, I can’t hear? I hear just fine!” But really, communication begins to fail. And eventually, if not treated, the nerve pathways for hearing get reprogrammed to do other things. There is convincing evidence that hearing loss can contribute to the development of dementia.

What does all of this have to do with the readings for the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time? Hearing, understanding and remembering are all activities that can be lost or forgotten. Sometimes, we need to be reminded to open our ears and minds and hear what is being communicated.

A People Reminded of their Calling

At the end of the exile of the Jewish people in Babylon, King Cyrus of Persia sent them back to Jerusalem, to the land from which they had been taken. He sent Nehemiah, one of his trusted officials, along to help them rebuild their city, the temple, and their community. Ezra was a priest who worked with Nehemiah in the enterprise.

During the time in exile, most of the people had lost their connection to the ancient covenant with God that was established at the time of the Exodus. The people at the time of the Exodus had traveled through the Sinai peninsula and surrounding lands for forty years before entering the land to the west of the Jordan River where they settled, the land that came to be known as Israel. As part of the renewal of their community, Ezra gathered together all those returning from Babylon to re-introduce the Law.

Standing on a platform higher than the gathered people, he opened the scroll of the Law and began to read at dawn to all the people, including the children old enough to understand. As he began, he offered a prayer of blessing, a kind of thanksgiving prayer, to the Lord. In response all the people raised their hands in a great acclamation – “Amen, Amen!” They bowed down, prostrate on the ground in honor of the scroll and the law they would hear.

Ezra read from the scroll, the book of the law of God, and explained what was meant by its words. Many no longer understood their own ancient language, the language in which the scroll was written. As he read, the people began to cry, but Ezra, Nehemiah, and the Levites who were teaching the people all explained that the words were ones of encouragement and hope. It was a time to celebrate. “Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks, and allot portions to those had nothing prepared; for today is holy to the Lord.” Furthermore, they proclaimed, “…rejoicing in the Lord must be your strength.” (Neh 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10)

Hearing for the first time the words of the covenant with the Lord was a time for rejoicing. A new beginning. A reminder of the ancient words calling them to a life of faith, of caring for each other, of welcoming strangers (foreigners) who would come to live among them, of justice and peace.

In addition to the Law, the people of Israel had the traditional teachings of the prophets who had guided the nation for centuries. Again and again, the prophets reminded the people and their leaders of the Lord’s demand that they care for widows and orphans, welcome peoples of other nations who came to live among them, not cheat others in business dealings, forgive debts, free captives who were being held unjustly, and share their belongings freely. The prophets also spoke of the One who would come and re-establish the relationship between God and the people, ruling the nation with justice.

Through the centuries, sometimes Israel was a free nation. Sometimes it was a conquered colony of another people. Their land was part of an extensive set of trade routes from China and India to Egypt and lands farther west. Whoever was the strongest warrior always felt a need to control their land. Through it all, the people held on to their faith in the Lord and trust that, one day, their God would send a person, a savior, to lead all to freedom.

A Prophecy Recognized and Received

St. Luke begins his narration of the life of Jesus with a formal note to a person named Theophilus – Lover of God. He assures Theophilus that the information he will be recording has been verified by many and he can be assured that what he will be reading is true. With this introduction, we skip over to the time after Jesus’ baptism when he has begun to preach and teach in Galilee.

One day, Jesus returned to his hometown, Nazareth. As was normal for him, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. There he was welcomed and invited to read from the Scriptures. This was not unusual, particularly since he was already developing a reputation for preaching and teaching. He opened the scroll to a passage from the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah was one of the major prophets and spoke in many different times of the one who was to come, the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Son of Man.

The passage Jesus selected was memorable, powerful, and not generally expected to refer to anyone who had grown up in their town. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor … liberty to captives … recovery of sight to the blind … to let the oppressed go free … to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”

It’s a marvelous passage, filled with hope and joy in the great promise of salvation. People would have heard it regularly. But not what followed. Jesus sat down after reading the passage and returning the scroll to the attendant. As all watched him, waiting to hear what he might say about the prophecy, he said quite simply and unexpectedly, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21)

Wait, what? What did he say? Is he saying he is the one who is to come? Who does he think he is?

We don’t actually hear these words in the section of the Gospel we read today, but that was the reaction of those who heard his words.

What do we hear today? Do we hear clearly what he is saying? Sight to the blind? Liberty to captives? Help for the poor? Freedom from oppression (whether from outside or inside the culture)? When does this happen? He said it is “fulfilled in your hearing.” That means it has already begun. It is a reality. It is for all of us, here and now too. We too have been anointed for this mission.

All of us? Those born here? Those who have come here from other places? Those who might not have legal documentation? Those who need special help? Those who are older or who have limited incomes? Those who have lost their jobs or can’t find work that pays enough for them to have a simple home? Help and healing and support for all people?

Who is Called to Respond?

Many times, people in communities begin to compare themselves to each other. Hierarchies of respect and privilege begin to appear. It was no different in the city of Corinth in the years after the resurrection. St. Paul took the news of Jesus’ coming and the coming of the kingdom to the people of Corinth. A community of people grew up, sharing in a life of faith together. But over time they began to argue about which of them had gifts that were more important to the community and therefore more worthy of respect and privilege. This development harmed the community and the witness of their lives to those who had not yet come to believe in Jesus and the Resurrection.

St. Paul famously explained the importance of each person in the community by comparing the gifts of the Holy Spirit and those who received each of them to the parts of the body. Some are more acceptable and presentable than others, but all are important. He reminds us all that we give greatest honor and protection to the parts of our bodies that we consider least presentable publicly. So therefore, we need to remember that all gifts are important and some that we think are among the least notable may actually be the most important. (1 Cor 12:12-30)

We all have important gifts from the Spirit to nurture and share. Some are called to speak. Some are called to help others heal. Some are good at administration. Others are great at coming up with bright ideas that need someone else to make them actually work. Each of us has gifts to share.

How do we hear these words? How do the words of Jesus continue to be fulfilled in our midst?

These questions are particularly important at this point in time in our land and our world. How do we love, respect, and support those with whom we live? How do we protect those who have come here from other lands in search of protection from gangs who have taken their land? How do we welcome those whose gender identity would lead to their murder in their own lands? How do we share the riches of our land with those around the world who don’t have the same resources or opportunities? How do we work for international peace? How do we help our own children to be able to learn by making sure they can have enough to eat each day and get healthcare when they need it?

We have come through many years of increasing anger and distrust that has damaged our ability to talk with each other and find solutions to the challenges we all face. How do we begin to break down those barriers when those in power prefer to keep us divided? If we don’t find a way, we will all pay a steep price.

How do we begin again to hear? What kind of hearing aids do we need? Can we begin to hear communication that is not in easily understood words? “Ow ah oo?”

“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

May we open our ears and hearts to hear and respond.

Readings for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Jan 19, 2025

Marriage Feasts – Celebrating Together

“We only seem to get together for marry’ns and bury’ns.” (Spelling?) This comment was often heard as I was growing up when a wedding or funeral drew our large, extended family together. It was generally spoken towards the end of a gathering, accompanied by the sentiment that we really ought to get together more frequently, when we might have a bit more time to visit.

While the weddings were typically happy occasions, we had a great time at funerals too. It was sad to have lost someone, but so good to see family, tell stories, share favorite foods, play games, and get caught up on all that had happened since our last gathering.

Many families in industrialized countries do not live in the same town as others of their relatives. As a result, the times they gather are different than gatherings among people who see each other often and frequently get together. They can feel very hurried and way too short.

The type of family structure also affects the nature of such gatherings. In patrilineal or matrilineal families, for example, the only ones who are seen as family are those related through the father’s line or the mother’s line. The bride or groom marries into the spouse’s family, but the spouse does not become part of their family of origin. In Western societies, we typically trace our lineage through both mother’s and father’s lines. When we marry, both bride and groom enter a second family – each other’s.

The wedding feast Jesus, his mother, and his followers attended at Cana in Galilee was a family affair that included many guests. The bride was joining her husband’s family. It was a new beginning and important to show abundant hospitality to the guests – a matter of honor for the groom’s family to offer joyful feasting with plenty of everything to eat and drink. To run out of anything was a serious source of shame for his family, particularly since the bride’s family would be witnesses of the shortfall.

Unfortunately, the wine was running out. Wine was added to water to make the water safe to drink. The amount the wine was watered down might vary, but it was essential to have the wine. It wouldn’t do to have nothing to offer guests to drink.

Jesus’ mother noticed the problem. She told him about it, then instructed the servants to do whatever her son told them to do. What a leap of faith! Jesus didn’t think it was time for him to do anything yet. It was not his time. But Mary set the stage and he acted.

Water jugs for washing the feet of guests were not what one would expect to find used for wine. But Jesus instructed the servants to fill the jugs with water – just regular water. Then, he told them to serve it to the headwaiter for approval. The servants must have been very nervous about those instructions. The headwaiter was not going to be happy about receiving water from the washing-water jugs to drink! But somehow they accepted Mary’s vouching for her son’s ability to help and they filled the jugs with water, gave them to the headwaiter, and I suspect they were more astounded than the headwaiter to learn that the plain, old, everyday water had become fine wine.

“You have kept the good wine until now,” he said to the bridegroom with amazement. This observation sets the stage for Jesus’ mission. In fact, St. John says this was the first of the signs Jesus gave that revealed his glory – who he truly was and is. His disciples began to believe in him when they saw this sign. (Jn 2:1-11)

Why would this sign at a wedding signal the glory of the Lord present in a city in Galilee?

There is a history of weddings and the relationship between men and women, husbands and wives, in Hebrew religious tradition that points to the relationship God wants to have with humans. The prophet Isaiah speaks of this to the people who have returned from captivity in Babylon. The people who have returned to Jerusalem will rebuild the city and the temple. Their trust in God through their long exile will be vindicated, as God’s protection shines forth over the city like dawn breaking after a long night. Jerusalem’s victory is compared to a burning torch, shining brightly.

The people themselves, loved and freed by their God, will no longer be seen as forsaken and their land desolate. God has rescued them and takes them as his bride, the one loved and protected as by a husband. It’s a new beginning. A time for great joy. An example and blessing of human love and marriage. (Is 62:1-5)

And so, when Jesus begins his ministry of teaching and healing at a wedding, we see a new beginning for humanity again. Just as the bride and groom begin their new lives together, so humans and the Lord begin a new relationship as children of God, heirs of the kingdom. The messenger has arrived. The best wine is ready to serve. The story begins.

We have many new beginnings in our lives as individuals and communities. Sometimes the new beginnings go smoothly. Other times they are more bumpy. Sometimes people are happy with the change. Other times they have their doubts about it. Sometimes people get along with each other. Other times they find all sorts of things about which to disagree and argue.

The people of Corinth got to arguing about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Which one was best? Who got the best gifts? Why did one person get a highly valued gift and another get one that was seen as humdrum and common? St. Paul reminded them that the gifts received from the Spirit were not a reward of any sort for good behavior. The gifts were from the Holy Spirit of God, given to each person in order to be used to help build up the community. One person might be called to offer wisdom. Another might be gifted with the ability to heal or to understand what the spirit is calling someone else to do. The gifts given to each person were only good insofar as they were used for the community as a whole. (1 Cor 12:4-11) Such controversies are not at all uncommon among people who live together and must find their way to agreement on what to do in any given situation. We look at a challenge and bring our own gifts to the effort to address it.

We are at a time in the world with many new challenges to address. Leadership of many countries is changing. The approach to solving common challenges facing communities and nations can vary widely. But it’s important to remember that we humans are loved like a bride by our God – all of us. As a result, we are called to love in return.

Part of that requirement of love is to listen to each other and honestly try to find ways to work together to solve common problems. How do we help those who have come to our homelands seeking protection? How do we help those who simply need work to support their families? How do we assure our fellow women and men that they and their children can get healthcare when they need it? How do we grow, harvest, and distribute food so that all can eat and grow to a healthy adulthood and old age? How do we find affordable housing for all? How do we educate and support our children, helping them grow to be loving, competent adults?

Just as at the wedding feast at Cana, Jesus is present when we invite him into these conversations. How will water be turned into wine in our lives? Will we trust him enough to put the water into the jars and take it out to those who will judge its quality and pass it on? Which gifts of the Spirit are we sent to bring to the conversation? Will we have the courage to speak based on insights we have received through the gifts we have received?

We are not just guests at a wedding this time. We are the Bride of our God, sisters and brothers of Jesus, children of the Father. May we always remember this and work to bring others into our family of love and support. The wedding feast has begun. It’s time to celebrate that love and take it into our world.

Readings for the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time – Cycle C

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Jan 12, 2025

You are my Beloved Child

“You are my beloved child, with you I am well pleased.” These are words I suspect every person wishes to hear from a parent. We especially hope to hear them when things are tough and we are afraid we will never be able to live up to expectations – of our parents, society, teachers, family, or more devastatingly, of ourselves! “You are my beloved child. I am well pleased with you. You are trying so hard to do what is right. I love you always.”

Christmas Season comes to a close with The Baptism of the Lord. We celebrate this event in the life of Jesus on the Sunday after the Epiphany. Between the time of the stories told about his birth and the first few months of his life – with the exception of the story of the family visit to Jerusalem when he was 12 – and the revelation he experienced at his baptism in the Jordan River at about age 30, we know very little about his life. We know that he was a carpenter from Nazareth, son of a carpenter and therefore experienced in the trade from a young age. There was not anything particularly noteworthy about his life. Those who knew him were astounded and many were dismayed at the change in him that followed that baptism. “Who is he to be passing himself off as a healer and teacher? We have known him from childhood. He’s not anybody special – just a carpenter and son of a carpenter!”

And yet, as he was praying after coming up out of the water, he experienced something very special. The heavens opened and the Holy Spirit of God came upon him “in bodily form like a dove.” He heard a voice from heaven that said, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Lk 3:15-16, 21-22)

When we experience the direct touch of the Lord God, it is life-changing. Hearing directly or sensing directly the great love that created and keeps all in existence speaking directly to us or embracing us is not quickly forgotten or written off. We know only one thing matters, to accept and return that love.

For Jesus, that happened at his baptism. His response was wise, he went off to the desert to ponder the experience and pray. When he returned, it was as a man with a mission. To share the good news of God’s love and desire to heal a wounded world – to announce the coming of God’s kingdom.

Folks around him didn’t know what to make of him. He kept on speaking anyway. Some folks came to hear what he had to say. They didn’t always understand what he meant when he spoke of God’s unrestricted love for those whose lives were difficult or didn’t meet acceptable standards – folks like tax collectors or prostitutes. Some folks came out of curiosity. What will he do this time? Others came seeking healing for themselves or friends. People blind from birth became able to see. Those paralyzed could pick up their beds and walk home. Lepers found their skin healed at a word or touch. A child who was on his way to burial was returned alive to his widowed mother. Thousands of people were able to eat one day when he gave thanks for a few fish and loaves of bread offered by a child, then began to share them out to the crowd.

We will spend the next weeks and months hearing the stories of what resulted from that day at the River Jordan and the revelation received by Jesus.

This carpenter from Nazareth turned out to be the one long anticipated by the prophets – the one about whom Isaiah spoke when he proclaimed that the glory of the Lord would be revealed. “Prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God! … The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together…” (Is 42:1-4, 6-7) The Lord’s servant will come, the one who has received the Lord’s spirit, and bring forth justice to the nations, not shouting or crying out, but tending to the bruised reed, the smoldering wick, and healing all with a forgiving justice. (Is 40:1-5, 9-11)

Those who came to know and follow Jesus closely through the next three years of his life found their expectations and their understandings of the relationship between the Lord God and people to be much too narrow. They had to figure out who he was, the source of the authority with which he spoke, how to understand the counter-cultural things he sometimes said or did, his insistence on going into danger despite knowing full-well it could end badly for him. When he was condemned and executed, most of them took off and hid. But he came back, first revealing his resurrection to women, then to the others!

As his friends received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, they continued to reflect on what they had experienced. They learned, when the Spirit came to the Roman authority Cornelius and his household before they were baptized, that God’s grace and salvation were not restricted to any one chosen people but were for all humans! (Acts 10:34-38) They learned the importance of living justly and devoutly in their everyday lives, trusting that God’s mercy, which had opened them to receive the outpouring of the spirit, would guide them through life and lead them to eternal life. (Ti 2:11-14; 3:4-7)

We are still learning these lessons today. Our world is experiencing raging wars, repression of peoples, threats of trade wars between countries, deportation of millions of people who have already fled for their lives from their own home nations, fires and other natural disasters, and divisions among the peoples of nations. It’s a crazy, scary, unnerving, and anxious time.

Yet we remember the words Jesus heard on that day so long ago. “You are my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.” It was not a time of peace and ease in which he was living. The world has never really gotten to a point at which all people are living in peace, with access to all the basics needed for living. We too often think that if we take from others, things will be better for us. But that has never worked. It only breeds more conflict.

As we move from Christmas to our time of reflection on the life of Jesus in Ordinary (Counted) Time, may we remember the coming of the Holy Spirit to Jesus at his baptism. May we know deeply that the same Holy Spirit came to us at our baptisms and in the sacrament of Confirmation. He comes to us in Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, the sacraments of vocation, and our everyday experiences of living together through the challenges of life.

“You are my beloved child” – God speaks these words to each of us. Believe them. Live them. God doesn’t joke or lie about such things. They’re for real.

“You are my beloved child.”

Readings for The Baptism of the Lord – Cycle C

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

The Glory of the Lord Shining Forth

A child is born and, in most cases, happy parents and grandparents joyfully share the news with family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Once in a while, the coming of a child is not an expected or desired event, but in general, that is rare. Family help and support of the parents and newborn child is more common and helps create a bond that will last a lifetime, a bond of trust and security, the certainty of being loved and lovable.

When the child is born to an influential family, the news spreads more quickly and farther. Think of the cases of the children of the heir to a throne for example. The world waits and watches for the birth and the first glimpse of the child, presented by proud royal parents. For better or for worse, such children grow up in a spotlight, even when their parents strive mightily to shield them from sight. Their presence and the promise they embody awaken interest and attention far and wide.

At the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, we celebrate the coming of a royal child whose coming was not widely recognized, though anticipated for centuries.

We hear from St. Matthew of the coming of Magi, wise ones from the east who studied the skies for messages about world affairs. They had observed signs in the stars that indicated a royal child had been born in Israel, so they had set out with gifts for him and his family.

Israel had been conquered by Rome, but there was still a king ruling in the land. Accordingly, the Magi went to the palace in the capital city first, thinking that would be the place to find a royal infant. However, no child had been born there, nor was one expected. Their visit raised quite a stir. Messages written in the stars and read by sages from other nations were not to be ignored. There must be a child somewhere near who would be a threat to the royal family’s succession!

The coming of a king to restore the kingdom of Israel had long been foretold by prophets. Isaiah wrote of the triumph of Jerusalem as “the glory of the Lord” shone upon the city. Exiles who had returned from Babylon were rebuilding the city and the Temple following their time in captivity. Isaiah proclaimed that despite darkness covering the earth and its peoples, the Lord’s glory shining on the people of Israel would lead the other nations out of darkness. Their peoples would stream to Jerusalem, bearing riches of the sea and the wealth of nations, including gifts of gold and frankincense, and praising the Lord. (Is 60:1-6)

Now here were Magi bearing gifts and coming to the city of Jerusalem in search of a newborn king. Where would such a king be born? The prophecies all pointed to the city of David, the shepherd who had been anointed second king of Israel. The Lord had promised David that the Messiah would come from among his descendants. David’s hometown was Bethlehem, in the Kingdom of Judea. The Messiah was expected to be a person who would restore the nation and physically rule the country in all its glory as a power in the world, a ruler “who is to shepherd my people Israel.”

Herod relayed this information to the Magi, asking carefully about the timing of the appearance of the star and instructing them to find the child and report back to him, so he might “go and do him homage.” Then he sent them on their way to Bethlehem.

Arriving in Bethlehem, the star stopped moving and the Magi found Jesus and his parents. They bowed down in his honor and then presented the gifts they had brought – gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Wisely distrusting the word of Herod, the Magi returned home by another route, skipping the stop in Jerusalem. They took with them the news of the coming of this child, bearing witness to the larger world of this gift from the Lord. (Mt 2:1-12)

Epiphany is a word meaning manifestation. A breaking forth of something newly understood. We speak of unexpected insights as epiphanies, for example.

Historically, royal families were not particularly worried about the well-being of their subjects who were poor or suffering from disabilities or illness. Those who worked at low status occupations were not high on their list for attention or honor.

Yet this new king, the one foretold by the prophets, would be different. In Psalm 72, expectations of the king to come are laid out for us. “He shall govern your people with justice… Justice shall flower in his days… He will rule from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth… All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him…”

What makes this king so great? What is so different about him? The Lord has endowed him with the Lord’s own judgement. As a result, “He shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save.” (Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13).

This is the one who is to come. Not a mighty conqueror of the sort Herod feared. This is one who is even more powerful. He does not need to step on the poor or the afflicted to maintain power. His power includes care for those in need, for all those in need. No distinction between citizens and non-citizens for this king!

At Epiphany, we celebrate the coming and the shining forth of the one long foretold. This one, revealed by the Spirit to the apostles, to Paul, and to the prophets, has broken down the barriers that divided humanity into those who had been chosen for salvation and those who were excluded (the Gentiles). All are welcomed as coheirs of Christ’s promises, part of the same body, children of the same Father. (Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6)

A child was born. His family rejoiced. Not all welcomed him, but with God’s help (and the wisdom of the Magi to protect the secret of his whereabouts) he grew up and became the one who reconciled humanity with the Father and brought all of us into one family, his family.

In the days and weeks to come, may we remember that strength is not just a question of who is in political or economic power. Strength comes from how we treat each other. How we help and support those who are struggling to have enough to survive. How we welcome those who have been forced to flee their countries to protect their children – remember that Jesus’ parents had to do the same for him when Herod would have killed him!

We have great responsibilities in this world today. May we use our gifts wisely and share them generously. May the Glory of the Lord shine forth through our love of those we meet each day.

Happy Feast of the Epiphany, the shining forth and manifestation of the Lord!

Readings for The Epiphany of the Lord – Cycle C

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Dec 29, 2024

Growing in Wisdom, Age, and Grace

When I was a girl, I loved going to visit my maternal grandparents. They lived in a big home, with a wonderful yard and friendly neighbors, one of whom was a girl about my age. It was approximately three hours from our home to theirs, so we always stayed for at least one day, usually over a weekend, from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. My mother was the oldest child, so when I was born, there were still children at home when we went there to visit. It was always fun to be with them. I clearly remember the meals in which after everyone had had their fill, my teenage uncle would finish the rest of the potatoes and gravy – “to fill up his hollow leg,” we were told.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot over the past few weeks as I have spent time with one very young grandchild and a couple who are older. I am now a grandmother (and have been for quite some time now). But this time, when a creeping baby and a toddler grace my days again, I am remembering how my own Grammy and Grandad welcomed us, helped us feel at home, and always had a place and time for us. I’m sure we were no more aware of all they did for us than our grandchildren are of what we do today. Somehow, food was ready, clothes were there to keep us warm or cool, and a lap full of books, stories, and love was always ready to receive us or comfort us when we fell or were afraid. I suspect they smiled and laughed as they observed our innocence and eager readiness to try new things or explore whatever we could get our hands on.

This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus were ordinary folks from a small, conquered country in the Roman Empire, not far from the Sea of Galilee. Joseph was a carpenter and passed the trade on to his son. Mary became a mother at a young age, as was customary, and spent her days caring for her family and their home. They were part of an extended family; everyone was in those days. All knew their place and what was expected of them. Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Grandparents shared the love of the family.

We don’t know much about the lives of the Holy Family. They weren’t famous or powerful, after all. We have a few stories about Jesus’ birth and the sojourn of the family in Egypt, a land visited to protect the newborn Jesus from the jealously of the local king, Herod. We also have St. Luke’s story of the time the family visited Jerusalem when Jesus was 12 years old. It was an annual pilgrimage and lots of people went there together, traveling in caravans. Jesus was not yet old enough to be considered a man. He was only 12 and should have remained with his family and the other boys. But he didn’t. He stayed in Jerusalem, visiting the temple on his own and speaking with the teachers there.

Mary and Joseph were terribly frightened when they realized at the end of a day’s journey that their son had not actually been with the other parent all day. They returned immediately to Jerusalem, but it still took three days for them to find Jesus. They were quite upset with him. “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” Jesus, with the innocence and confidence of a child who is approaching adulthood responded, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

Jesus’ response made no sense to his parents. His father’s house was in Nazareth, after all, not the Temple in Jerusalem. Obediently, he returned to Nazareth with them and continued to learn and grow with them there. It wasn’t until he was much older that his life became dramatically different and he truly began to understand his calling. St. Luke tells us that as he grew up, “Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man.” Lk 2:41-52

We too are called to grow in wisdom, age, and favor (or grace) before God and the other humans with whom we share this world. We are not alone. We are part of our personal families and part of the great family of humanity. We learn as we go along how to treat each other, what our roles will be in the world, how others will expect us to behave. Each culture has its own expectations for how men and women will behave and what their interpersonal interactions will be like. As followers of Jesus, we have the great gift of knowing that we are loved by our God who is the Father who loves us dearly, allows us to learn much on our own, and is always ready to have us run back to him for a hug and a new start when we realize we didn’t make the right choices.

St. Paul reminded the Colossians to put on “heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” and to love and forgive others freely. Love and the peace of Christ are to control our behavior and expectations. Col 3:12-27 St. John reminds us that as we love each other, as God commanded we do, we remain in God and God in us, because he gave us his Spirit. 1 Jn 3:1-2, 21-24 Sirach, speaking from an ancient wisdom tradition, reminds us to care for each other, honor those who are older than we, share with those who have fewer riches, and be kind to those whose abilities to care for themselves are failing with the years. Sir 3:2-6, 12-14

Most of us do not share the experience of Hannah and her husband, who were unable to have children for most of their lives together. Hannah begged the Lord for a child and was given a son in her older years. She dedicated this son, Samuel, to the Lord when he was three and he grew up to be one of the last prophet/judges who led Israel before the anointing of Saul as first king of Israel. 1 Sm 1:20-22, 24-28

Those of us who have been blessed with children ordinarily watch them grow in wisdom, age, and favor with the Lord and with other people. We marvel at the adults they become and smile as we watch them teaching their little ones the same things we taught them. As their children, our grandchildren, play with some of the same toys, we smile, knowing the gifts we received from our parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents (I knew mine), are tumbling along like a mountain creek, bringing new life and possibilities to those they will meet as they travel through life.

May we all grow in wisdom, age, and favor with the Lord today, as we close out this tumultuous calendar year and enter a new one. May we have courage to love and to speak out for those in need or for those with less influence or power. May we ponder the tidbits of wisdom that spring from the mouths of the children and young people in our lives. May we humbly share what we have learned and the hope that through all things, God is with us. Emanuel has come. Peace and joy and hope will mark our passage through life as we patiently accept each day and pour love into it.

Peace be with you.

Readings for the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph – Cycle C

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Dec 22, 2024

Never Too Small to Matter

There is a phenomenon known as the Butterfly Effect which shows that tiny changes in air patterns can produce unexpected results far away. The example given was of the motion of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil that could lead to a tornado in Texas. While that example is most likely not something that has actually happened, the image is based on computer simulations of weather patterns beginning over 60 years ago. Tiny changes in the numbers being used caused major shifts in the predicted outcomes of the simulations.

Sometimes when our lives take different paths than expected, or changes happen that could never have been anticipated, we are tempted to think, “What could I ever do to make a difference?” When we are not in positions of power or influence, we wonder whether anyone in power cares about what we think. We question the value of a letter to the editor or our elected officials. Yet those in such leadership positions will tell you that these letters and phone calls are very important to them. One member of a city plan commission and city councilman I knew well, my father, read every personal letter he received. He threw away the petitions with loads of signatures because he knew how easy it is to sign a petition just to get past the person outside the door of the grocery store!

Love is one of those things that doesn’t have to be great or dramatic in the beginning to have outsized results over time. It doesn’t have to start in a palace or a government building. It doesn’t need money or fame to appear. It can be shared by small children and old ones who are nearing the end of their sojourn on earth. It can be as simple as a personal letter.

The prophet Micah spoke of Bethlehem as small and seemingly insignificant. “You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth one who is to be ruler in Israel …” From a small village, the one will come who will stand firm and shepherd the flock “by the strength of the Lord, in the majestic name of the Lord, his God.” The greatness of this one would be peace, reaching to the ends of the earth. Not going to be a warrior or one who conquers many peoples, rather, this one will personify peace and welcome all. Mi 5:1-4a

Over seven hundred years later, two women conceived sons. The women were cousins. One was older and married to one of the priests who served at the temple in Jerusalem. She had never previously been able to have a child. The younger, from Nazareth in Galilee, was engaged, but not yet married. Both pregnancies were unexpected and announced by the angel Gabriel, God’s messenger. Though neither of the women lived in Bethlehem, both were descendants of the great King David who was originally from Bethlehem. Bethlehem, located not too far from Jerusalem, had been a small town when David grew up there and was still a small town.

When Gabriel told Mary that her older cousin was six months pregnant, it was a surprise to Mary. She immediately left Nazareth to go up to her cousin’s home and help. It was not an easy or particularly safe journey for a young woman traveling on her own, but she got there. As she approached, Elizabeth saw her coming and went out to meet her. St. Luke tells us that the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaped in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and welcomed Mary, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” We still offer these words of greeting and praise to Mary, over two thousand years later. Elizabeth summed it all up with a simple statement. “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” Lk 1:39-45

One person who said “Yes” to the Lord was the key that made possible the coming of the one who would be peace. As it turned out, a simple young woman’s consent was not too small to matter.

Her son also seemed like one who would be too insignificant to make much of a difference in the world. A carpenter from a small town in Galilee, who heard the Lord’s voice when he was baptized in the Jordan River by his cousin John, discovered his call to announce the coming of the Kingdom of God. He began preaching and teaching, healing the sick, and making clear that offerings of animals in sacrifice were not the key to salvation. The coming of the kingdom of God required a new kind of obedience, one that put love of neighbor on a par with love of oneself. It was not a question of worldly power. It was a question of the power of love to transform people and societies. He was executed for his faithful witness to this truth he came to proclaim. With his resurrection, his teaching was vindicated and one man, son of the living God, brought reconciliation to all. Heb 10:5-10

As we move through life, we too are called to be the ones whose loving words and actions, small and seemingly unimportant as they are, open doors, heal hearts, and share the good news of God’s loving presence in our world and our lives with all we meet.

Just a few more days to the birthday celebration for that second little boy, the one who was born in Bethlehem after all. May peace be with you, with all of us, as we stop and remember that nothing and no one is too small or unimportant to matter. Let the Jubilee begin!

Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent – Cycle C

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Dec 15, 2024

Rejoicing – Not Just for Easy Times

My father used to say, when one of us fell down or bumped into something as we learned to walk or ride a bike or roller skate, “Into each life some rain must fall.” He meant it in a supportive, loving way. We would fall, but we would also get up. We would try again and again, until we reached our goal. Sometimes the goal was as seemingly simple as walking across the room alone. Sometimes it was something an older person’s perspective would perceive as more difficult, such as finishing a school assignment, or learning to clean up after ourselves, or dealing with a difficult teacher or classmate. In each case, the challenge was not something trivial to the one who was struggling to learn, but it was encouraging to know we were not alone in the struggle. “Into each life…” Not just mine or yours.

As we approach the Jubilee year focused on living as Pilgrims of Hope, we find ourselves living in a world filled with conflicts, fear, and uncertainty. Bombs are falling and bullets are flying in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Nations struggle over territory, gangs fight for control of the manufacture and distribution of dangerous drugs, strongmen govern nations, and religious groups seek to impose their beliefs on neighboring peoples. Our own nation is not immune to these conflicts.

This is not anything new. It’s been going on for thousands of years. As humans we haven’t yet figured out how to respect and care for each other and the lands on which we live. We all too easily believe that our ways are the only correct ways and our explanatory systems are the only correct ones. So, thinking we are acting in the best interest of others, we seek to make others “see the light” and do it our way. Needless to say, this is not always welcomed.

Yet we are called to hope, to peace, to joy, and to love as we go about our lives.

The prophet Zephaniah wrote of the coming destruction of Jerusalem and surrounding lands about 50 years before the land of Judah was conquered by Babylon. He spoke of moral decline and warned of punishment, for his nation and the world. However, he also proclaimed a day of joyful triumph to come after the great time of trials. The rain might come, but the sun would shine again, as my father reminded us when he picked up and comforted a child.

In the ode to joy near the end of the book, Zephaniah cries out, “Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! … Be glad and exult with all your heart … The Lord your God is in your midst … he will rejoice over you … renew you in his love, he will sing joyfully because of you…” Zep 3:14-18a

God is present in all things and at all times, the source of strength, courage, and salvation. So, there is reason for us to be joyful. “Shout with exultation, O city of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel,” cries Isaiah. (Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6 )

John the Baptist was questioned by those who came out to receive baptism from him at the Jordan River. “What should we do?” Speaking in the same terms we hear from prophets throughout the Hebrew scriptures, John was very specific. Share what you have with those who don’t have the basics. Don’t cheat or steal from other people or falsely accuse anyone. Be content with what you have.

Such words led the people to question whether this might be the Christ, the anointed one who was to come, but John was not tempted to claim that role. He pointed to the “one mightier than I” who was coming. This one, whose identity he did not yet know, would “baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Good news for all who would hear it. Lk 3:10-18

In the letter to the Philippians, St. Paul instructed us all, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!”

Life as a follower of Jesus was not easy in those days. It was not the faith of large numbers of people or of nations. There was a lot of opposition. It’s still not easy to follow faithfully, though it’s somewhat more acceptable and generally not illegal. Yet Jesus’ followers are to rejoice and be kind to all, because “the Lord is near.” We can ask God for what is needed, giving thanks as we do, because God’s peace surrounds and guards our minds and hearts. Our Father is there to pick us up, dust us off, and send us forward to try again, with the assurance of his presence. Phil 4:4-7

“Into each life some rain must fall,” but also, into each life much joy can and will be present, because we are loved and supported – cherished by the One who made us and who entered into our human lives to learn and grow as we each must. The Holy One of Israel is in our midst even today.

As we move through this third week of Advent, may we be joyful and hopeful in our activities and interactions with others, even when ordinary happiness might seem elusive. Storms come. Winds blow. Nations rise and fall. Yet the Lord is present among us, loving us, encouraging us, giving us strength to keep getting up when we fall and move forward on the journey of love. There is still much to be done as the Kingdom grows and spreads joy through our world, using our smiles and open, welcoming hearts along the way.

Readings for the Third Sunday of Advent – Cycle C

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Dec 1, 2024

A Time for Hope and Preparation

A new year begins again. This one doesn’t follow our typical calendar of 356 days. This one is set to begin on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. The season celebrated during this brief time is known as Advent – a word meaning “arrival.”

The First Sunday of Advent looks forward with hope to the coming of Christ. This year, we also enter into the final weeks of preparation for the Jubilee year which will begin with the opening of a special door of St. Peter’s Basilica, the Holy Door, in Rome on December 24. This door is sealed at all times outside of Jubilees.

The them of this Jubilee is “Pilgrims of Hope.” The readings for this day support the theme of hope on the way.

The Prophet Jeremiah lived in the times just before and during the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple. He attributed the military defeat by the armies of Babylon to unfaithfulness to the Covenant, particularly on the part of the ruling royal family. He predicted the conquest and lived to see it happen. Yet he never stopped sharing the messages of hope he received from the Lord. He spoke the warnings and the frightening messages, but he also spoke the hopeful ones.

“The days are coming…” “I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah…” “I will raise up for David a just shoot…” “Judah shall be safe…” Jerusalem will be called “The Lord our justice.”

Terrible things may happen. Nations will be conquered. Peoples will be displaced. But the Lord is still present. The Lord will take care of the people of the Covenant. A new leader will come, raised up by the Lord and doing “what is right and just in the land.” It is a time for hope in the Lord’s word. (Jer 33:14-16)

As a child and man of the Covenant, Jesus was immersed in these traditions of national independence and prosperity, transitions in which the nation moved away from the Covenant’s guidance, and resulting ultimate conquest by another nation. Each time the cycle played out, eventually the Lord was seen to intervene and bring the nation back to prosperity and safety.

As his life neared its end, Jesus spoke of what would happen at some time after his death. He was not naïve about the risks he was taking by being in Jerusalem and preaching the message he had come to deliver. He knew it would not likely end well for him. He spoke prophetically about what would happen at the end of time, when the Son of Man returned to Earth in triumph. The description of the “signs in the sun, the moon, and stars, and on earth” sound like things many of us have seen in our lifetimes, but the sense of the words is that they will happen on a much larger scale. “People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world…”

Yet Jesus does not tell his followers to be afraid when fearsome things begin to happen. They/We must not allow ourselves to be pulled into fear or anxiety or indifference to what is happening in the world around us. Jesus says, “Stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” The changes coming will be challenging. There will be hard things that must be faced and addressed. But “Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations… and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Lk 3:12-42)

As the followers of Jesus went out into the world to share the word of what they had seen and experienced, communities grew in many cities. St. Paul and others wrote to the people in these cities, encouraging them in their faith, continuing to teach them and deal with the problems that arise in human communities. He wrote to the Thessalonians to encourage them to strengthen their hearts in preparation for meeting God. He and other early Christians expected Jesus’ return to be very soon after the Resurrection. That proved not to be the case, but the advice remains firm for us today as well. We are all to behave in ways pleasing to God and follow the instructions we have received, with the help of the Lord Jesus. (1 Thes 3:12-4:2)

As we move through these next few weeks toward Christmas and toward the official beginning of the Jubilee Year, we are called to continue our faithful following of the Lord’s teaching on justice and loving service.

This is a time of transition in the United States. Transitions are happening in other nations as well. The requirement to live in love, service, and justice for all does not end. It is not based on who wins elections. It is not negotiable.

We must continue to help those in need. We must continue to support those who come to our nation from afar, seeking opportunities and safety from violence and persecution. We must offer a smile and friendship to those among us whose bodies don’t necessarily outwardly meet our expectations of who they are. We must protect children and families, giving help and support so they can have the chance to get through hard times and back on their feet. We must care for the sick and those who are unable to care for themselves any longer. We must reach out to support others around the world who are living in difficult conditions and need a helping hand. We are called to live the Beatitudes and be Pilgrims of Hope on the journey through life.

We are all in this life together. We have different gifts, different opportunities, different wounds and challenges, but we are all in this together. We must help each other, not get in the way of and push aside those who are different than we are.

Pilgrims of Hope. Are we ready for Christmas? Probably not yet. Are we ready for the Jubilee? Maybe not yet. Are we excitedly preparing? I sure hope so. It’s a special blessing to live in this time. Jubilees don’t happen often. Let’s take advantage of this one to live and work in hope.

Readings for the First Sunday of Advent – Cycle C

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Nov 24, 2024

¿Qué esperamos de un rey?

Desde mucho antes del nacimiento de Jesús y el comienzo de lo que ahora se llama Anno Domini (A.D.) o E.C. (la Era Común), hombres fuertes y a veces mujeres poderosas han gobernado sobre pueblos y tierras. Por lo general, estas personas obtuvieron poder a través de la violencia y luego se enriquecieron con el comercio, los bienes y los impuestos que fluían a través de sus tierras y hacia sus tesoros.

Recientemente, he estado leyendo The Silk Roads: A New History of the World (Las Rutas de la Seda: Una Nueva Historia del Mundo), por Peter Frankopan. Publicado hace casi una década, el autor se remonta a más de 4.000 años, a los reinos del Creciente Fértil y al Código de Hammurabi, rey de Babilonia. Lejos de ser Europa el centro de poder e influencia en el mundo, las tierras desde Mesopotamia hasta China y Mongolia eran ricas y poderosas. El comercio, el aprendizaje, la tecnología, la ciencia, todo prosperaba a lo largo de las Rutas de la Seda entre Asia y Europa. Los hombres fuertes lideraron a los guerreros en la conquista de las tierras vecinas una y otra vez, hasta bien entrado el presente, ya que las nuevas tierras se han convertido en las grandes potencias. Todavía no he terminado de leerlo, pero espero seguir disfrutándolo.

Todo esto nos viene a la mente al llegar al último domingo del año cristiano, la celebración de Cristo Rey del Universo.

¿Qué esperamos de un rey? Históricamente, los reyes eran los suficientemente fuertes como para conquistar y mantener tierras. Cuando sus hijos heredaron el trono, se esperaba que ellos también fueran guerreros, que defendieran sus tierras y tomaran tierras de otros siempre que fuera posible. Eran hombres a los que había que temer. Sus caprichos eran ley y su cólera mortal. Los matrimonios de los gobernantes se concertaban para crear alianzas entre los reinos. Cuando por alguna razón el matrimonio no funcionaba, o ningún heredero varón sobrevivía para hacerse cargo del reinado, el reino se tambaleaba y muchas vidas se perdían.

Hoy esperamos a alguien que lidere y gobierne con justicia. Muchas monarquías comparten el poder de gobierno con representantes elegidos por el pueblo al que gobiernan. La monarquía británica es un ejemplo de ello. El rey ya no tiene un poder ilimitado sobre la vida y la muerte de sus súbditos, pero siguen siendo llamados súbditos.

Los líderes autocráticos, a menudo elegidos por los ciudadanos de su nación, se parecen más a los reyes de la antigüedad. Su favor trae poder y riquezas a aquellos que les sirven y obedecen sus deseos. Quienes se oponen a ellos se encuentran en el exilio o en prisión, a menudo de por vida.

Entonces, si esto es lo que es un rey, ¿por qué celebraríamos a Cristo como Rey?

Cuando Jesús fue arrestado y llevado a juicio en el Sanedrín, se le preguntó si afirmaba ser el Hijo de Dios y el Mesías. Cuando se le preguntó directamente: “¿Eres tú el Mesías, el Hijo del Bienaventurado?” Jesús respondió: “Yo soy; y veréis al Hijo del Hombre sentado a la diestra del Poder y viniendo con las nubes del cielo”. (Mc 15, 61-62). Por esta declaración, fue condenado por blasfemia.

Las palabras de Jesús se hicieron eco del relato del profeta Daniel al describir las visiones que había visto durante la noche. “Vi venir a uno semejante a un Hijo del Hombre, sobre las nubes del cielo…” Este Hijo del Hombre fue presentado al Anciano y se le dio “dominio, gloria y realeza” sobre todos los pueblos del mundo, una realeza interminable e ilimitada. (Dn 7:13-14)

A pesar de haber sido condenado por blasfemia, Jesús no debía ser ejecutado por su propio pueblo. Las autoridades romanas tenían que autorizar cualquier ejecución. Sin embargo, la blasfemia no era un delito que acarreara la pena de muerte, y mucho menos la crucifixión.

Cuando las autoridades llevaron a Jesús ante el procurador, Poncio Pilato, el delito del que se le acusaba era traición, es decir, la pretensión de ser rey. Pilato interrogó a Jesús antes de emitir un juicio. —¿Eres tú el rey de los judíos? Jesús respondió preguntando si Pilato quería saberlo por sí mismo o solo establecer un punto legal. La respuesta bastante exasperada de Pilato fue que eran los sumos sacerdotes quienes lo habían entregado. —¿Qué has hecho?

Jesús no negó ser un rey, pero señaló que el reino en cuestión no era terrenal. Ninguno de sus seguidores luchaba para protegerlo o rescatarlo. —¿Entonces eres rey? —dijo Pilato—. “Tú dices que soy un rey”, respondió Jesús, una forma formal de decir “Sí”. Luego explicó que vino al mundo “para dar testimonio de la verdad”. (Juan 18:33b-37)

Jesús fue condenado. El letrero sobre su cabeza decía: “Jesús el Nazareno, el Rey de los judíos”.

Un rey cuyo reino no son las tierras y el poder, sino la verdad y la justicia. No es la justicia que castiga a los que intentan arrebatarle tierras o poder. Justicia que asegura a los pobres comida y refugio y la oportunidad de vivir su dignidad humana. Justicia que protege a los niños y a los refugiados. Justicia que abre los corazones para amar y aceptar a los que son diferentes a ellos. Justicia que acoge a todos y cuida de la tierra y de toda la creación. Justicia que dice la verdad al poder, como Jesús lo hizo a Pilato. Justicia que es un testimonio de la verdad del amor de Dios por todos.

Este es el Rey del Universo a quien celebramos. Aquel a quien las visiones del Apocalipsis aclaman. “Jesucristo es el testigo fiel, el primogénito de los muertos y el gobernante de los reyes de la tierra”. Él es el que “nos ama y nos ha liberado de nuestros pecados… nos convirtió en un reino, sacerdotes para su Dios y Padre”. (Ap 1:5-8) Él es quien nos llama a vivir las Bienaventuranzas. Aquel que sanó a los enfermos, alimentó a los hambrientos, consoló a los afligidos y se dio a sí mismo en testimonio de la verdad.

Muy lejos de lo que solemos esperar de un rey. Sin embargo, él es el Rey que nos eligió y cuyo ejemplo estamos llamados a seguir. Gracias a Dios.

Lecturas para la Solemnidad de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo, Rey del Universo – Ciclo B

En Inglés