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Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Sep 7, 2025

Finding the Way – Got a Map?

Spatial orientation and keeping track of landmarks, finding the way, while moving from one place to another do not always come naturally, especially when an individual has always been with someone else who has led the way for them. I discovered this to my surprise one day when I went with three guys from my high school class to take part in a program for students from all over town at one of the local colleges. None of us had ever visited that particular campus, so no one knew where we were going.

We managed to find our way to the classroom where the event was to occur and had a good time with the other students. Then it was time to go back to our own campus and return home from there. When we left the building, I assumed all of the others would know the way back to the car in which we had come, but as it turned out, none of the guys remembered which way to go! I was amazed. My father had made sure all of us learned at an early age to pay attention to landmarks and which way we had turned when hiking in the countryside or walking in town. But apparently, the guys had not been so lucky. I led the way back to the car and we made it home safely. (They were all taken aback that a girl could find the way home, by the way. It was a different time!)

The question of finding the way, however, is not always something as simple as finding one’s way across a small college campus in a city. It’s not even merely a physical feat of geolocation – where am I physically? Finding the way may be a factor in achieving a personal goal – I will learn how to knit this scarf! It might also be something life-changing – what am I called to do with my life? What is my vocation to be? How will I know what God is calling me to do? Got a map?

In each of the readings this Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, the question of searching for and finding the way or of reaching a goal is part of the story.

Jesus spoke to great crowds of people who followed him through the countryside from village to village and city to city. His words sound harsh to us today. “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” How can hating anyone be a goal for the follower of Jesus. Aren’t we supposed to love everyone?

This is a situation in which words in one language do not necessarily mean the same thing as in another. In some languages, there are no words to express concepts found and expressed in another. This is the case with the use of the word “hate” here. There was not a word in Jesus’ language to express preference corresponding to the word “like.” Our usage of “like” as in “prefer” was not a possibility in his language. To say that something is not to be preferred, the word translated as hate in English was used.

So, Jesus is telling his followers that if family traditions or claims on their allegiance from their family would stop them from following the way of living to which he calls his followers, their choice would need to be to prefer Jesus’ way and leave behind the claims of others – to “hate” those claims.

He gives examples of situations in which people make choices in their lives. Do I have the resources to build a tower (add on a room to my house)? Should I settle with an adversary or press my claim legally or on a battlefield? What am I willing to give up to follow this new way of love that Jesus teaches? (Lk 14:25-33)

Where is the map? How will I find the way?

Paul wrote to his friend Philemon from jail near the end of his life. One of Philemon’s slaves had come to stay with Paul and become a Christian. Paul was not required to return Onesimus to Philemon. In fact, Jewish law prohibited the return of a slave to a master. (Deut 23:16) Nevertheless, Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon with a letter and request – receive him back into your home as a beloved brother in Christ rather than as a slave. “If you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me.” (Phil 9-10, 12-17)

This is definitely not the normal map! There’s a new one coming into focus.

How do we find the new map? How will we know where to go, which way to turn as we journey through life?

The author of the book of Wisdom rightly asks, “Who can know God’s counsel, or who can conceive what the Lord intends?” Humans can’t really know. Our bodies are weak, our dreams are limited, our plans are uncertain. Knowledge of how things work and what is right or good in earthly terms is not easy to achieve. We try again and again to understand the physical world and still seem only to glimpse a small part of the bigger picture.

How can humans, with such limited ability to see and understand reality, ever hope to understand the ways of the Lord and the heavenly realm? The answer is clearly stated: “…who ever knew your counsel, except you had given wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high? And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.” (Wis 9:13-18b)

Here is the map. The Holy Spirit instructs those who seek wisdom and understanding of the Lord’s ways. The Spirit is our hope, our refuge, our guide.

We too must rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us through each day, keeping our eyes open to see the landmarks as we move along the twists and turns of daily life. Who will we meet on the way to work? What will a fellow student need to hear as reassurance or friendship from us? Is there someone at the grocery store who could use a smile or a bit of patience from the rest of the people in line? What child walking along the sidewalk with parents will be delighted to discover that you too have pockets in your coat?

Most of us don’t have the power to reach out and fix the injustices of national or international policy around us today. But we do have the power to work for justice in our own communities. We can make a difference for the people among whom we live and work. We can help protect our neighbors and co-workers who may be in danger from those who have been led to fear them. We can share our resources and knowledge of the ways our laws and traditions work with those who have relatively newly arrived. We can be kind to all we meet.

The law of the Lord is love. This week may we use Love as our primary map as we find our way through our daily activities on the way to the blossoming of the kingdom of Love, the kingdom of God.

Readings for the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C

Posted by Fr. Ron Shirley on Aug 31, 2025

God You Are the Source

I think Jesus was a first-class people watcher. One day he was invited to be a guest in the home of a Pharisee. When it came time for dinner, he began watching closely the other guests’ behavior. He watched all the jockeying for position to be number 1. When all were seated, Jesus gave them a piece of his mind. What he had to say was much more than a lesson about table manners. In essence Jesus said, “It’s a foolish thing to waste your time and energy trying to look important.”

In thinking about this statement, I believe there are a couple of important considerations to keep in mind:

Jesus never discouraged the desire for greatness . . . He encouraged it. It was never human littleness that Jesus stressed, but human grandeur. “You are the light of the world; you are the salt of the earth.”
His philosophy was: try hard to achieve. Do something significant with your gifts; be the best person that you can possibly become.

Where then do we get out of focus in this area? Let me suggest this:

Most of us don’t make a big fuss about the seating arrangements at banquets, but we are still masters in the gentle art of self promotion. We have these neat tricks that we use to elbow our way up to the head table of life.

One of them is criticism of others; fault finding in others is almost always an attempt to cover up some weaknesses in ourselves. If we can’t climb to the top, we can accomplish something of the same result by pulling others down. We need to remember that we can never promote ourselves by putting down other people. Invariably the opposite happens. Life just moves us down to a lower seat and we gain the reputation of a small minded, critical, jealous person.
Another common means of self-promotion is boastfulness. What a waste of time. No person is as boring and unconvincing as the one who continually talks about his or her achievements. There is something about arrogance that just doesn’t make sense, and we all know it. Whatever we are and whatever we’ve accomplished, it has required the love and help of God and a lot of people. Our best posture should be gratitude. (Sports personality, thank you God)

Let me close with this statement: If you really want to be important, stop worrying about where you are seated at the Banquet of Life and just get up and start waiting on tables. God, you are the source of all we have . . . thank you!

Now, that’s where true humility starts!

Readings for the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Jun 15, 2025

The Lord Possessed Me – Wisdom Speaks!

There is something uniquely satisfying about creating something new, something unique, something for which there may not be a pattern already handy. A vision pops into mind of what might be, generally not already fully formed, but an inkling that “Gee, this would be fun to try – let’s see where it goes!”

Sometimes the idea doesn’t work out – too complicated, too expensive, too… Other times, with a bit of time, the idea develops and something beautiful comes into being.

When I was teaching religious education many years ago, I always had the children work on a cross-stitch project before class started or when they finished drawing the picture and writing a short paragraph about the lesson into their books. At that time, I had a combined 3^rd and 4^th grade class. One project had a series of symbols of common prayers, but with children from two grades, and knowing half of them had already completed the symbols project, I decided to do something different the next year.

We were learning about sacraments that year, so I thought, “Why not make something for the parish that could be used at Mass?” Just a simple little thing, right? RIGHT!

I designed a pattern for the children – a grapevine, with clusters of grapes. Half would do the pattern one direction and the other half would do it the opposite direction.They set out to do it with a will. Some understood quickly how to do cross-stitch. Others needed more help. But all worked diligently on their panel. By the end of the year, only one had finished – he was already doing cross-stitch at school, so it was easier for him.

The next year I was expecting a baby in January, so I passed the class on to another teacher. I set to work finishing the panels. A couple of years later, after sewing a chasuble, combining the panels, and sewing it onto the garment, it was finished. Some of the children proudly presented it to the pastor at Sunday Mass.

It is such a delight to see it used. Doesn’t happen very often, but still, beautiful.

The many adventures in creating something from scratch came to mind as I read the passage from the book of Proverbs today. It speaks of the joy and delight of the creation of something new and beautiful.

Thus says the wisdom of God:
“The Lord possessed me, the beginning of his ways,
the forerunner of his prodigies of long ago;
from of old I was poured forth,
at the first, before the earth.

Wisdom was there before creation – part of the Creator’s very being, pouring forth into all that was created. Wisdom was the craftsman, in Spanish – the architect, the delight of the Creator working to bring all that had been envisioned into being.

“I was beside him as his craftsman,
and I was his delight day by day,
playing before him all the while,
playing on the surface of his earth;
and I found delight in the human race.”

Such a wonderful image – our Creator, possessor of Wisdom from before all time, delights in wisdom, playing through of creation and delighting in it, including in all human beings. (Prv 8:22-31)

The love of God is poured forth into the world through Jesus as we believe and accept it. God can give nothing but love, because God is Love. God’s Spirit, the Holy Breath of God, breathes out that love to all – into the very depths of our being. As we open our hearts to receive it, we share in the delight of wisdom dancing and playing through creation. As we care for the environment and our fellow people, the spirit of truth speaks to us, helping us understand the message of Jesus, sharing all that comes from the Father. As he reminds us, “Everything that the Father has is mine” and the Spirit “will take from what is mine and declare it to you.” (Jn 16:12-15)

We celebrate this wonder of one God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We don’t really understand it. We think in terms of our human experience of separate identities and characteristics. But whenever the Father is present, so are the Son and the Holy Spirit. Wisdom dances in delight, poured forth from God into all of creation and our very lives. We don’t always notice, but when we do, it’s like seeing a magnificent sunrise or sunset, or crafting something truly beautiful, or hearing a delightful birdsong, or watching the love and trust of a child with a loving parent.

This week, as we go through our days, may we be open to hear the whisper of wisdom still pouring through our world and our lives, creating something new and beautiful each day that we may not yet perceive. May we trust that we are loved even when things are hard. God is present there too, with us, sharing our experience, holding and carrying us through it all. (Rom 5:1-5)

Share a smile. Give a hand to someone who needs it. Encourage someone who is struggling. Welcome a stranger. Speak up for someone who is being silenced.

The Lord is present in our lives and days. Wisdom isn’t pushy or loud. May we watch for her in the quiet moments, opening our hearts to her working in our lives and in the world around us.

Readings for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (aka, Trinity Sunday) – Cycle C

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 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 Mar 12, 2025

Geological Time Includes the Present

Darkness had long since fallen as we made our way along a winding road beside a lake. We were on our way home from a wonderful wedding celebration and the driver was watching closely for animals, as well as for rocks that might have fallen onto the road from the steep hills along the road. He remarked as he drove that one of his children had told him of a geology professor who had advised his class always to remember that “Geological time includes the present.”

Reflecting on this insight, I realized that God’s time is like geological time in that respect – or maybe it’s vice versa? It includes the present.

As we begin these weeks of Lent, it’s good to remember that God is in this for the long-haul. We tend to think of times and seasons in our lives as having a beginning, a middle, and an end. But really, our lives are a long story, with parts and themes that weave in and out of the narration. The same is true for the history of God and humanity.

Moses and the Israelites traveled through the desert for forty years. Their release from captivity in Egypt had been totally unexpected. Granted, they had begged the Lord for relief from the forced labor and other conditions that had been imposed on them by the rulers of Egypt, but something as dramatic as the Passover and their release into the Sinai Peninsula was totally unexpected.

Who were they now? Where were they going? Who would be in charge? How did the Lord figure into it all? Moses had gone up to the mountain, into the cloud, and spoken with the Lord. His appearance was transformed by that experience. But what did that mean for everyday life?

Moses gathered the people as a group as their time in the desert together was drawing to an end and reminded them of the history of the Lord’s intervention that had led to their freedom. He again spoke to them of the Lord’s instructions for how they were to live. The ancient covenant with Abraham was still in effect. The narrative was ongoing. Their present time was part of God’s time and plan.

As they entered into their new land, planting crops, raising their flocks, they were not to forget the Lord’s care for them. They must remember to give thanks always for his care. So, as the first fruits of the land matured, they must be offered to the Lord as a thanksgiving gift at harvest time. They had received much from the Lord. The story of the Lord’s love and care for them was continuing, in a different setting and with different “props,” but the same Lord was providing for them still and yet.

Now, having set their gifts before the Lord, their God, they were to “bow down in his presence.” The story of their lives continued uninterrupted. (Deut 26:4-10)

Jesus too passed through many phases and seasons of life. His birth was unplanned by his parents. He had lived as a child, grown up revering the Lord, become a good Jewish man, learned a trade, become a regular fellow who was respectable and trusted as an adult. It was a relatively normal life, once he got past the first surprising beginning.

And then something unexpected happened, much like finding a big rock on the road by the lake or having an elk step out onto the road on a dark night. A prophet, who happened to be his cousin, began preaching along the Jordan River. This river stretches from the Sea of Galilee in the north to the Dead Sea in the south. The people had crossed the Jordan River when they first entered their land. It was the eastern border.

Jesus went down to the Jordan along with many other people. He listened to his cousin John speak of the coming of the Anointed One, the one long promised, who would restore the relationship with God and bring a new kingdom into being. Folks expected it to be a kingdom with rulers like those who would be replaced – the hated Roman conquerors.

Many prophets through the years had promised the coming of the Anointed One, the Messiah. Who would he be? When would he come? Would it still be many years in the future or would it be now?

Jesus entered into the water to be baptized and both he and John got a big surprise. The heavens opened, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him like a dove, and a voice said, “This is my beloved Son.”

What a dramatic turn in the life-story of a carpenter from a small town in Galilee! Wisely, Jesus didn’t just head home. Instead, he went out into desert lands to pray, to fast, and to begin to process what that all might have meant.

Forty days, he remained in the desert. He was thirsty and hungry. A voice, a tempter, whispered into his ear, “Command this stone to become bread.” Try it out, see what kind of powers you have now. You’re hungry, maybe you should do something about it…

But Jesus understood that was not the route he was to take. There’s more to life than bread.

Then the tempter offered him power – power over mighty kingdoms. Only one string attached, “I shall give to you all this power and glory … All this will be yours , if you worship me.” Again, Jesus didn’t take the bait, though many a person in history has, even in our days.

Finally, since Jesus kept responding that only God is in charge of such things, the tempter took him to a high point on the temple and suggested that God would protect him if he simply jumped off – angels would catch him. When Jesus again rejected the idea of putting God to the test, the tempter left him “for a time.” Not forever, just for the time-being. (Lk 4:1-13)

Jesus’ life-story took some very unexpected turns. He learned a lot in the process. Yet he remained faithful to the experience of discovering the Father’s love for him and the mission to share that wonderful news.

As the story of God’s presence and care for humanity continued to unfold, many came to hear and believe the good news of that love. They shared the joy and the challenges of sharing the story. The story turned out to be bigger than initially thought. It wasn’t like one rock sliding down a hillside. It was more like a hillside sliding down into the sea, reshaping a coastline.

St. Paul wrote to the people of Rome, reminding them of God’s presence throughout history and the ever-widening ripples of that presence. Not only is the Lord come for the Jews, he has come for all peoples. He is not an earthly ruler. Much more deeply, the Lord, the Word, is very near – in the heart and in the mouth. Words of faith are spoken and works of love are shared. In this we find salvation. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Rom 10:8-13)

We receive this word today as a promise given, received, and on-going. God’s time and Geological time include the present.

How do we live this in our lives today? Where are we called to love? Whom are we to respect and care for? How do we welcome people from other nations, the poor, the sick, the homeless? How do we respect each other and value the talents of each? Where will our legacy be found?

May we remember the Lord’s loving presence, the faithfulness of the One who loves us, and reach out in love to all the peoples of the world as we enter into and move through this season of Lent. God doesn’t love us just because we are perfect or powerful. We are loved at all times. We simply need to remember to be the stones on the hillside which he needs as he shapes and reshapes the world into a Kingdom of Love.

Readings for the First Sunday of Lent – Cycle C

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Oct 13, 2024

Wisdom’s Surprising Abundance

I love reading the comics each morning with breakfast. Sometimes I laugh (there’s a reason they’re called “the funnies”) and sometimes I nod my head in agreement. I share them with family and friends and sometimes cut them out and put them on the refrigerator, so I don’t forget the wisdom or the chuckle they embody.

This morning, Pearls Before Swine, by Stephen Pastis, offered a beautiful perspective on wisdom.

There is a character, a donkey who has a grey beard, wears glasses, and stands upright on the top of a hill waiting for folks to come with questions about life. This character is known as the “Wise Ass on the Hill.”

In today’s strip, he comes down off the hill and walks along a sidewalk, entering a café where two of the other characters are having tea and coffee. They ask why he is not up on the hill and his response is prophetic. “There is no past. There is no future. There is only the present moment… Hug your loved ones… celebrate the moment that you’re in.” (To read the entire strip and the rest of its wisdom, visit the site.)

The message of this character today speaks deeply to me and is consistent with the messages in the readings for this Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The book of Wisdom was written about 100 years before the birth of Jesus. It was written in Greek by a member of the Jewish community in Alexandria, Egypt. The words are attributed to King Solomon, known as “The Wise.”

Solomon tells us, “I prayed, and prudence was given me; I pleaded, and the spirit of Wisdom came to me.” Wisdom was more important to Solomon than power or honors, better than gold or silver, health or beauty. Her splendor outshone everything. Yet, he assures us, “all good things together came to me in her company.” She is, in fact, the mother of all of them. (Wis 7:7-11)

The rest of chapters 7 through 10 speak of Wisdom, Solomon’s request for her guidance, and her role in protecting her followers. Wisdom is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, shared with all who seek her help and presence in life. “She is an aura of the might of God and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty… And she, who is one, can do all things, and renews everything while herself perduring…” (Wis 7:25-27)

To hear Solomon speak, as is believed in many traditions, the good things of life come as gifts from God for those who are faithful. Follow the rules and you will be blessed, you will be rewarded in a positive way. Break the rules, and you will suffer, either now or in the future.

But there’s more to it than that.

Bad things do happen to good people. Why?

Silver and gold, wealth and influence, somewhere safe to live, health, friends … all can be positive in their own way. Yet all can be barriers to wisdom as well. If I never have to worry about where the money will come from to pay a bill, I might think it was because I have been judged worthy to have no need for help. If I live in a safe community, with good housing, schools, public services, and access to health care, I might think it’s only because I have worked hard and now deserve these blessings, all on my own. I might even begin to worry that someone else will work harder than I do and take it all from me. Or someone might receive what I have as a gift, rather than working hard themselves.

When wealth, respect, following the laws, and doing all that has been required of us don’t protect us from bad things, we question the reason. When all is going well, we assume it’s because we are being rewarded for being good people.

The young man who approached Jesus, asking what he would need to do to inherit eternal life most likely shared this understanding. Jesus reminded him of the commandments of the Law. The man responded that he had followed them since childhood. Jesus loved him and his commitment in obedience to the Law. Then he added one more thing. ”Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

This was a bridge too far. To give up what he had, what he had worked for, what his family status gave him, that was too much. “His face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.”

There was a gate in the wall that surrounded the city of Jerusalem. It was very small, mainly for people and perhaps a donkey or horse. It was too small for a camel to pass through easily. People called it the eye of a needle.

Jesus turned to his friends and spoke words that ring true today, “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Startling words – “who can be saved?” blurted out the disciples. Jesus’ response? “For human beings it is impossible, but not for God.” Those who give up everything for Jesus and the gospel (the good news) will receive all they need in this life and eternal life in the next. (Mk 10:17-30)

Will it be easy? No. Will there be misunderstandings and opposition? Yes. Does wisdom preclude a comfortable life? Sometimes. Do riches take many forms, sometime in disguise? Yes. Does God keep promises? Yes, absolutely.

The word of God, living and effective, can discern all that people are thinking. Nothing is hidden from the word. This word brings the gift of wisdom to us and looks for its fruit in our lives. Whether faithful or not to that word, all will be known in the end. (Heb 4:12-23)

Wisdom is a gift that lives deep within a person. It serves as a guide in decision-making and a source of comfort when things move in unexpected directions.

This week, let’s resolve to live in wisdom, in the present moment, hugging those we love, celebrating the blessings we have received, and sharing them with those we meet. Wisdom is freely offered to each of us. May we have the grace to accept the gift and live in wisdom’s freedom.

Readings for the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle B

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Aug 18, 2024

The Living Bread from Heaven

One morning, a very hungry toddler sat down to eat her breakfast. One of her favorite foods was applesauce, home-made from wonderfully sweet apples. She was proud of her growing skill with a spoon and ate most of the applesauce using her spoon. But then the bottom of the bowl appeared. It became more and more difficult to scoop out the applesauce with her spoon, but there was more left to enjoy. Not one to waste a bite of something as wonderful as that applesauce, she held her spoon in one hand and lifted the bowl to her mouth with the other, happily slurping down the remainder of her applesauce.

We humans eat lots of different kinds of food. Some are special treats. Others are things we have been told are “good for us,” though we may not particularly like them. Most things we don’t really think much about at all. They are simply part of our everyday lives. We eat because we are hungry. We eat because we enjoy the food. We eat because those around us are eating and we enjoy the social nature of the experience. We eat because if we didn’t, we would not survive. For most of us, the latter is not our primary reason for eating.

The foods we eat are transformed by our bodies into the elements needed for us to grow and to live our lives. We must have the basic building blocks in order to continue. Energy needed for life comes from the food we eat. Without it, we would die. Even with food, the time comes in each person’s life in which we die. Food as we know it is not sufficient to maintain life forever. And after we die, our bodies return to the earth and recycle back to basic elements that can be reused by another organism.

Our toddler is part of a long-standing cycle of food and its uses.

Given the centrality of food in human life, and its social nature as well, it’s not surprising that when folks think about an afterlife, or a supernatural (or transnatural) world, they often include imagery of eating. Banquets are part of the mythologies of peoples around the world. The ancient Hebrews and Christians were no exceptions.

Wisdom’s banquet

Wisdom, a highly valued quality and indicator of maturity, is personified in the Hebrew scriptures. Wisdom was with God from the beginning, present at the creation of the world. Wisdom continues to act in the world and in our lives to the present day. Wisdom is perceived as feminine. For Christians, the Holy Spirit is identified as the Spirit of Wisdom, an integral aspect of the ever-dancing, swirling Trinity of Love, our God.

In the book of Proverbs, we find Wisdom hosting a banquet at the home she has built. Proverbs presents many sayings and examples of what is required of those preparing for service in government – those who will serve in the King’s court. Manners, codes of behavior, rules of civility – all are spelled out in this book. By the ninth chapter, those ready to serve, those who have matured sufficiently, are invited to Wisdom’s banquet. However, not only those who have met the expectations of their society are invited. She invites those who lack understanding, those who might not be seen as clever: “Come, eat of my food, and drink of the wine I have mixed!” Those who accept the invitation, will live and grow in understanding. This food is not physical food. It has a different purpose and leads to a different conclusion. It leads to maturity in thought and action. (Prv 9:1-6)

Physical food for a Spiritual outcome

The crowds around Jesus after he had fed so many in the wilderness were totally uncomprehending when he explained that he had not come into the world to provide miraculous quantities of fish and bread for them. On the contrary, he himself was actually living bread from heaven. His own flesh would be the food that would bring life to the world.

The claim was not well-received. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

But Jesus didn’t back down. “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.”

Then Jesus shifted the conversation quite dramatically. He linked the eating of his body and blood to eternal life. “My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.”

How? Why? What?

“Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.”

We have moved into an entirely new realm. This is not normal food. The life about which he is speaking is not the normal human life here on Earth that we all experience. This is something totally different. Because the life of the Father flows through Jesus, a share in his body and blood is a sharing in the life of the Father. The body and blood of which he speaks are not the human, physical body we typically recognize as we interact with each other, rub the sleep out of our eyes in the morning, and enjoy our morning applesauce!

It was not until Jesus’ final supper with his friends before his death that it became clear what form that food and drink which are his body and blood actually would take. When he blessed and shared the final loaf of unleavened bread at his last Seder and the cup of wine after the meal has been eaten, the Cup of Thanksgiving, then gave them to his disciples, and explained that these were the food of the New Covenant, his body the bread broken and shared and the wine his blood, that of the sacrificial lamb, that his earlier words began to make sense. Until then, few who heard his words believed him anything more than a madman.

Because the life of the Father is shared with the Son, and we are invited to share in that life as we eat the bread and drink the wine that have been blessed and changed – his body and blood – we can share in their eternal life. This food leads and strengthens us for the journey of transformation and growth in maturity to the eternal table of the Lord. (Jn 6:51-58)

A New Way of Living

Living as children of God, sisters and brothers of Jesus and of each other, Followers of the Way, proved to be challenging, especially as the Good News broke down the barriers between the Jewish people and the Gentiles (all the rest of us). How does one live as a wise person rather than a foolish one? How does one know what the will of the Lord is? What traditions are to be followed? What new ways will enter our everyday activities?

St. Paul cautioned the people of Ephesus that there are many ways in which people can stray from the will of the Lord, many ways to act foolishly. The behavior which is not foolish is that which is filled with the Spirit. Lady Wisdom’s banquet hall, though not mentioned by St. Paul, welcomes those who seek her, with prayer, hymns, singing to the Lord, and giving thanks at all times.

The giving of thanks is not to be limited to times when things are going well. Paul says, “giving thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.” Things don’t always go well, in terms of our human evaluation of them, but God brings good out of all things. Our sharing in divine life did not and does not exclude all suffering. We share in the whole life of Jesus in our communities and our everyday activities.

As we go through our days this week, enjoying our applesauce eaten by spoon or slurped out of our bowls, spending time at work and school, finding companionship with our families and friends, and sharing in the Bread of Life, the Body and Blood of our Lord, may we give thanks for all we have received and for the Spirit of Wisdom who shares in and rejoices in our lives.

Readings for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle B

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Jun 30, 2024

Justice is Undying

We hear a lot about the notion of justice, especially when someone innocent is hurt or killed. Voices are rightly raised demanding that those who harmed the victim be punished for having done so. In this idea of justice, punishment for the wrong-doing balances out the injury to the victim and the scales are balanced once again. So, in this mode of reasoning, if a person is killed, then the killer should be killed or at the very least imprisoned for life. If other members of the community see the punishment, they will be less likely to commit the same offense.

Of course, it’s not quite as simple as all that. Identification of the guilty party is not always simple or accurate. An entire genre of literature, for example, is based on the idea that it’s not easy to identify the culprit when someone in a community turns up dead! If the penalty is death, then innocent people will die when they are falsely accused and convicted. Even life imprisonment for those who are actually innocent is a terrible injustice. And taking away a second life doesn’t bring back the original victim…

What then does it mean when we hear in the Book of Wisdom, “Justice is undying?” Does this mean that God is a judge who is always watching and ready to punish every mistake or smallest failing? That is certainly the image some folks have had of God. But is it really an accurate picture? Who would want a God like that?

When reading scripture, it’s important to remember that the writings were originally composed in a different language, in a far-past era, by members of a different culture than ours. Many of the same issues we face in terms of interpersonal relationships are similar, but many aspects of our lives and our understanding of reality, including cause and effect, are different. Even the meaning of a word as seemingly obvious as justice can be different.

The Book of Wisdom was written in Greek by an anonymous Jewish scholar in Alexandria, Egypt, sometime between 200 BCE and 100 CE. Its purpose was to encourage fellow Jews who were living outside Palestine to be faithful to the Covenant. It is written in verse, following the patterns of Hebrew poetry, and includes references to the Exodus, the wisdom of King Solomon, God’s mercy, and the foolishness of worshipping idols.

In the very first chapter, our narrator calls all to justice because justice is the key to life. Justice is the characteristic of living in right relationship with God. “God did not make death,” our narrator proclaims, “he fashioned all things that they might have being.” It is only through the envy of the deceiver, the devil, that death came into our world. (Wis 1:13-15, 2:23-24)

What does it mean to live in right relationship with God? Does it mean to walk around with our hands raised in prayer, looking down on those who don’t share our beliefs exactly? Does it mean hoping to be part of some small “faithful” remnant of God’s chosen ones when the last day of judgement comes? Does it mean hiding away in the mountains or in the desert, so we won’t be tempted by worldly pleasures?

For most of us, these are not ideal options, nor are they the way God wants us to live in justice. We are called to care for each other. To be kind to those who are treated as inferior. To reach out and share what we have with our neighbors. To speak a word of support for those whose rights are being trampled. To welcome those who flee violence in other areas and help them begin a new life in safety in our communities. To help the child who struggles with reading or arithmetic, reassuring them that they are not stupid, just that they learn in different ways. To forgive the person who has hurt us. To ask forgiveness from the person we have hurt. So many, many ways we are called to life in justice, in right relationship with the God who created all of us for imperishable life.

Jesus healed the sick, including when he wasn’t aware that healing was needed. When a woman in a crowd recognized him and touched his cloak as he passed by, she was healed of a condition that had made her an outcast for twelve years. Jesus did not consciously heal her. He noticed her touch in the crowd because he felt the healing power go through himself to her. But he did not react with anger at being touched by a woman, by someone who was ritually impure, whose very touch defiled him as well. He spoke kindly and reassured her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”

At the home of Jairus, he prayed over a twelve-year-old girl who had been ill and just died. Her father had come to Jesus to ask him to visit their home and heal his daughter. Jairus was an official of the local synagogue. Yet he reached out to this traveling preacher and asked for help. Jesus sent all out of the room except for the child’s parents and family. He took her hand and called her back, “Little girl, I say to you arise!” And she got up and walked around. (Mk 5:21-43)

Did Jesus do these kinds of things so people would say good things about him or follow him around praising him? No. He typically told the people he healed not to tell others about it. Did they keep quiet? Some might have, but I think mostly they didn’t. Can you imagine having a great source of suffering healed and it not be noticed by family and friends? Then how could one not tell of the wonder and the healer who had given that great gift?

The Christian community in Jerusalem had many hard years of struggle. They were outcasts in their own city and country because they followed The Way of Jesus. Often members of Christian communities outside of Israel sent gifts of money and supplies to Jerusalem to help the members of that first community. St. Paul urges the community in Corinth to send gifts from their abundance to help supply the needs of those in Jerusalem. He cites the example of Jesus, who became a human in order to share our lives and bring us to the richness of divine life in the Kingdom. He reminds them that God provides for all, as long as we share, just as during the Exodus, manna fell in the wilderness and was enough for all to share. We too share as we walk in justice with our God. (2 Cor 8:7, 9, 13-15)

As we move through this week, may we be alert to the needs of others and offer a smile, a hand, a word of encouragement, forgiveness, and even a share in the riches we have, however great or small. Together we are on a journey with the Lord, whose justice is undying, a journey of solidarity and right-relationship with each other and our God.

Readings for the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle B

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on May 19, 2024

Covenants Renewed and Transformed

The feast of Pentecost began as a harvest festival in Israel. By the time of Jesus’ life, it had become a festival celebrating the gift of the Torah at Mt. Sinai, when Moses went up the mountain to meet the Lord and returned with the tablets of the Law. It was a festival celebrating and renewing the covenant between the Lord and the Jewish people.

Fifty days after the Resurrection, and after Jesus had been taken from their sight at the Ascension, the apostles and close followers of Jesus were gathered in a room in Jerusalem to pray, as Jesus had instructed them to do. This day was the feast of Pentecost. A loud noise began in the room, like a mighty wind on a mountain top, and flames that looked like tongues of fire appeared over the heads of those gathered there. On Mt. Sinai, there had been a loud wind, flames, and a loud voice signaling the presence of the Lord. Now these were being experienced in a room in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit swept into each person in that room and they were transformed. No longer frightened and hiding in fear for their lives, they began to praise the Lord boldly and speak of what they had seen and heard, using languages they had never before spoken.

Folks outside noticed the uproar and wondered what was happening. Jews from all over the world were there for the feast and noticed that what they were hearing was in the languages of all the surrounding countries, including Rome. More surprising, what they heard was the disciples telling of “the mighty acts of God.”

The reading from Acts of the Apostles for this feast of Pentecost stops at this point, but the actual story goes on. Peter went out and spoke to the crowd, telling them about the Resurrection and the new covenant that God was establishing with all who would believe and follow the Lord Jesus. Large numbers of people believed and the growth of the community began in earnest on that day.

This day of Pentecost was the fulfillment of a promise Jesus made before his death. St. John speaks of the promised Advocate who would come and testify to the disciples of the truth that Jesus had taught them. They in turn were to go out to the world and testify to what they had heard. Since so much of what Jesus had taught them was still hard to comprehend, the Advocate, the Spirit of truth, would come and guide them to understand it. In this, the Advocate would make clear the meaning of what Jesus had received from the Father and shared with them.

This process of understanding all they had heard was only beginning at the first Pentecost. Many controversies, many changes, many years of discussing and coming to new understandings awaited the community. When folks with one set of ideas came to town and began to teach ideas different than those initially presented by Paul or the other apostles, it became necessary for these leaders to remind members of the communities that were in turmoil what the fundamental teaching was. One major conflict revolved around how much of the ancient Jewish Law was to be required of new members of the community, particularly those who were Gentiles. Did they need to become Jews? What did it mean to live by the Spirit? Did that mean by the ancient Law or something else?

St. Paul devoted many of his letters to dealing with these questions. How do we recognize life in the Spirit? Paul explained that living by the spirit meant denying many kinds of actions we commonly see among humans – actions that have negative effects on life in community or family. Instead, living in the Spirit would result in what he called “the fruit of the Spirit … love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” These things are all signs of the presence of the Spirit in our lives. We receive the gifts we need to serve the Lord in the ways He calls us to serve the community. And together we become one body of Christ.

All of this brings us to some important questions. What does it mean to live in the Spirit today? Has that changed from what it was in the past? Was it all set in stone nearly two thousand years ago? Or are there new understandings that can come to us today?

How does our covenant with God become renewed and transformed through the centuries. At the time of the Apostles and early Christians, there was an expectation that Jesus would return in glory within at most a hundred years or so, maybe even sooner. But that didn’t happen.

As our community of faith has continued and grown through the centuries, many men and women have pondered these questions. Many wise ones have written their thoughts, observations, insights into living in the Spirit. The teachings have been organized, categorized, shaped into traditions and ways of doing things (laws). They have grown and developed along with the growth of knowledge in science, philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, literature, and all the many areas of human inquiry.

As we today deal with new questions that arise from the realities of our lives, as well as some very old challenges dating from the dawn of human history, how do we know what the Spirit is guiding us to do? What do we bless? What do we reject? What do we seek to transform? How do we determine which is the option to which the Spirit is calling us?

We can go back to a fundamental insight from Paul – when we are under the Spirit, we are not bound by old laws that do not lead to the blossoming and development of the fruit of the Spirit. If it’s not loving, joyful, peaceful, and so forth, then it may not be of the Spirit. But if it is, and if it includes more people and opens the gates to loving patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, kindness, and self-control, then we know the Spirit is present.

God’s time is not our own. The gifts of the Spirit and their fruits are ever new in our lives. The covenant is continually being renewed and transformed. We open our eyes to the insights of our contemporary world. We recognize that many things we humans believed in the past might not have been totally accurate. We admit that we don’t yet know everything. And we keep our ears and eyes open to see where the Spirit will lead us now.

It’s Pentecost. We rejoice this week that the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, is here among us – teaching, guiding, laughing, playing, and bringing joy and peace to our hearts.

Alleluia.

Readings for the Feast of Pentecost – Cycle B

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Feb 25, 2024

Put to the Test by God

The twelve-year-old boy rushed breathlessly into my classroom and came straight up to me with a question that had been on his mind for days. “He didn’t kill him, did he?” he demanded to know. He was the older son in a troubled family and had only consciously heard the first part of the story of God’s test of Abraham’s faith during Mass on the Sunday before our class. I’m sure the entire reading had been proclaimed, but he had not heard it. He had waited until we met on Thursday afternoon, worrying about this terrible command God had given to Abraham – to sacrifice his only son. How could this be? What kind of God would do such a thing? How could a good God require the killing of a child? He had been so shocked by the mere thought of God asking a man to kill his only son that he stopped hearing anything more right at that point. He had not heard the rest of the story at all and was deeply relieved when I assured him that in fact, God had not allowed any harm to come to Abraham’s child.

This story of the testing of Abraham (Gn 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13,15-18) and many others like it are deeply troubling to us. Why would anyone ever think that our God could or would demand the blood sacrifice of children? Why would Abraham have believed that about God?

One of the great challenges we humans face is to be able to conceive of a reality dramatically different from the one in which we live. How can we imagine a person who never loses his or her temper? How can it be possible always to be forgiven? Wouldn’t the fear of punishment be needed to force people to follow the rules? And how can anyone establish that fear without actually punishing someone severely and publicly for misbehavior?

When we listen to the readings from both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, it’s important that we realize we are looking back in time to a very different day and age. Additionally, we are looking from the perspective of a different culture, with different understandings of human behavior and the nature of God.

Abraham lived in a time in which all the people among whom he lived had their own local god or gods whom they believed guided and protected them. These gods were very much like the people who worshiped them: territorial, jealous, protective of those they considered to be their own, impatient, always demanding proof of the good will of others.

The gods of the peoples among whom Abraham and his family lived sometimes required the sacrifice of firstborn sons as proof of loyalty and obedience. They required families to prove their faith by sacrificing a child, typically a son because sons were seen as more valuable. It was rare for families not to have children, so this rule was not hard to enforce.

Abraham would have seen this practice and assumed that the God he first met back home in Mesopotamia would want the same kind of sacrifice from him. Blessedly for Abraham and all of us who follow in worshiping his God, this is not what God requires. Sometimes, we are asked to make tremendous sacrifices. Other times, what we are asked to sacrifice is not life-shaking or life-changing. Nevertheless, when we are asked to make a sacrifice, it is not something easy for us to do. If it were, it wouldn’t really be a sacrifice now, would it?

When Jesus was born, he was truly human and truly God. One hundred percent on both fronts! Not a demi-god – half human and half divine. Fully human. Fully divine. As a human, Jesus did not know everything. He learned like any child what was expected of him as a man. He lived like everyone else, not at all remarkable. Yet when he heard God’s voice at his baptism in the Jordan River, he knew all had changed in that moment. He began to understand how dramatically things had changed. The kingdom had come. His mission was to proclaim it to all who would listen.

Some people welcomed the news. Some were frightened by it. Some thought it too good to be true. Some worried that they would lose their positions of influence. Some probably worried that the Romans who ruled their country would again kill thousands of people for rebelling against the Empire. The notion that a prophet, anointed by God to preach the coming of God’s kingdom, would not be a threat to Roman power was unheard of. Of course they would see it as a threat! How could the threat be minimized?

Jesus needed to testify in Jerusalem to what had happened to him, to the leaders of his community, the priests and teachers at the temple. The kingdom of God was here now. It was essential for them to hear this good news. So he began his journey, teaching and healing as he went along. A group of people accompanied him. Some were with him for a long while and became close companions. Others came for a while and left when his words became frightening or impossible for them to believe.

One day, when he had become very aware of the danger of execution he would be facing in Jerusalem, he went up to a mountain top with three of his closest friends to pray. Mountain tops have often been places where God and humans have met. This day was the same. Jesus and his friends were visited by two historical figures: Moses who received the Law from God and Elijah the prophet who was carried away by a heavenly chariot at the end of his life. Jesus himself began to shine with an unearthly light, his clothes whiter than any bleach could make them. The disciples saw Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah. Then they saw a cloud that came and cast a shadow over the mountain. God often appeared in a cloud and this was no exception. The voice that came from the cloud told them Jesus was his beloved son. They were to listen to him. (Mk 9:2-10)

Interestingly, God spoke similar words to Abraham about his son Isaac, referring to him as “your beloved son.” Abraham’s willingness to give all to God was rewarded with God’s returning of the son to him. An animal was offered in sacrifice instead of the child. (My young student was much relieved to hear that good news!)

When Jesus himself faced the decision whether to complete his mission and bring the good news to the authorities, risking his own death in the process, or to drop the whole thing and go back to being a village carpenter in Galilee, he chose to move forward and take the chance. It was not an easy choice and it cost him his life. But God his Father did not allow it all to end with that suffering and death. God brought Jesus through death to a return to life – a life that will never end, the life of the Trinity.

St. Paul and other early Christians explained that with the resurrection, God forgave all of us for the times we do not obey the divine will. Christ intercedes for us, because he is one of us and has lived a fully human life. He knows what it is to be human. (Rom 8:31b-34)

In a very real way, our God who created humans, was now not so totally envisioned in the human terms that cast him as if he were a jealous, controlling, person. Instead, he came to be known as one who understood and forgave all, because he had come to be one of us through the life of his son the Word of God, Jesus. God knows what it is to be human, so God can and will forgive all who ask for forgiveness. We are put to the test, but so is God. God never fails the test of love. God was even willing to go through with the sacrifice of his Son Jesus, so that all of us would know how much we are loved and could trust deeply in that love.

As we continue our journey through Lent this year, may we remember that God is truly with us on the journey. We are not alone. Our sacrifices, big and small, are noted. Our reaching out in love to those we meet along the way is an essential part of God’s plan for all of us. And God sees each of us as a beloved child.

Readings for the Second Sunday of Lent – Cycle B

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Jan 14, 2024

Called by God to be …

Members of Christ, Temples of the Holy Spirit, Called by God.

Each of us is especially treasured by God, created to be unique, and given gifts to share freely. Yet, since we are born into families and cultures with characteristics and expectations that are shared by many others, we don’t always recognize our uniqueness or our inherent value. We hear and observe that we are like our parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins in many ways. We join together with others of our general age and interests, finding comfort and encouragement from our peers, as well as challenges that make us examine our own values and require us to make choices that are not always easy.

When and how do we hear the Lord’s voice calling us to the unique service only we can give? Sometimes the call is obvious. Often it is a subtle urging and growing sense that a certain path is to be followed or that a particular dream is ours to bring to our world.

Samuel, for example, was still very young when he was called. His mother was already old and barren when during a visit to the temple she asked the Lord for a child. The next year when her son was born, she recognized the great gift she had received. She and her husband consecrated their son to serve the Lord at the temple when he was old enough to leave them. He worked with Eli, a priest who served at the temple, learning how to serve in that role and care for the Ark of the Covenant which was there. God was present among his people where the Ark was present.

One night, Samuel was awakened by a voice calling his name. (1 Sam 3:3b-10, 19) Naturally, he assumed Eli needed something and hurried to him. Eli woke up when Samuel came asking what was needed and sent him back to bed. The same thing happened three times. By the third time, Eli figured out what was going on. He told Samuel that if he heard the voice again, he was to respond, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” When the voice awakened him a fourth time, Samuel did as he had been instructed. The Lord spoke to him directly and called him to service as a prophet, one who would speak the Lord’s words to the people and lead them in the Lord’s service. This was before there were kings in Israel. The prophet’s words were intended to be taken as the Lord’s guidance for what to do as a people, in good times and in bad.

No one expected Samuel to become a prophet. He was not in any sort of training program for this role. He was still very young. No one would have thought to listen to his words as those of the Lord. Yet that is what happened when the Lord chose him for the role. He served for many years as the Lord’s prophet. Eventually, when the people were determined to have a king like the neighboring peoples did, he voiced the Lord’s warning that kings were over-rated and would not be a great idea for them. True as this turned out to be, the people were determined, so with the Lord’s help, Samuel selected and anointed Israel’s first king. When that one didn’t work out well, the Lord sent Samuel to anoint David as successor to Saul. But that’s another story.

Bottom line, the Lord called Samuel. Samuel didn’t go looking for the job!

Two of John the Baptist’s disciples were standing with him one day when Jesus walked by them. (Jn 1:35-42) John commented, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” What a strange thing to say about a person, but John had never pretended that his role was to do anything other than to call people to repentance and to prepare the community for the coming of the Anointed One, the one sent by God to restore the ancient relationship between God and humans. By John’s time, most expected someone who would lead the country to freedom from domination by foreign powers, but still, he recognized Jesus and pointed him out to his own followers.

Andrew and the other disciple followed Jesus. He noticed them and asked them, “What are you looking for?” Notice that he spoke first. When they asked where he was staying, he invited them to come and see. After a few hours of conversation, Andrew left and got his brother Simon. He told Simon they had found the Messiah and brought him to Jesus. Again, Jesus took the initiative. He greeted Simon by giving him a new name, Peter, the rock.

These three men heard the call of the Lord when they met Jesus. At least two of them had been looking for the Messiah whom John had foretold, but they had no idea he would show up the way he did in their lives, inviting them to come and have a chat. Simon had no idea his future would be completely changed when his brother urged him to come and visit with Jesus.

Many, many other people have heard the Lord’s call through the centuries. The traditions and expectations of their cultures have shaped their understanding and practices when interacting with the Lord. Sometimes the cultural patterns and behaviors have not been compatible with their new life as sisters and brothers of the Lord, children of God. This was the case in Corinth, where St. Paul admonished the new Christians to recognize and remember that their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20) They are not to behave as if there were nothing special or sacred about them. God has loved them and claimed them at a high price, the sacrifice of his Son.

God calls each of us too. Some have said that God doesn’t call people directly anymore, but in my experience, that is incorrect. God does call people. Sometimes the call is subtle. Sometimes it’s more direct. Sometimes we say no. We’re always free to do that. When we do, God has been known to chuckle and say, “OK, do it your way!” If you ever hear God say this, do yourself a favor, try it his way! It’s sure to work out better in the long run.

We are called – to be members of Christ’s body, temples of the Holy Spirit, and bearers of the love of God into our world here and now. It can be a daunting challenge. But when the chips are down, none of us is alone. The Lord is always with us, inviting us to stop by and have a chat or to join him on the road for a chat. On we go… together!

Readings for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle B

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Nov 12, 2023

The Lady Wisdom at the Gate

Come with me for a little walk today. It’s a walk through our daily life. We’re going to visit some old friends and some new ones too. Along the way, we’ll see some people we don’t know. One person in particular whom we hope to see will be a model and guide for our journey, the Lady Wisdom.

This Lady whom we hope to see is described in the Book of Wisdom. She is “resplendent and unfading … readily perceived by those who seek her.” This gives us hope for our journey. If we are seeking her, we will see her.

So where do we look for her? And when are we likely to see her? Will she be found in gatherings of teachers and students who are seeking the mysteries of the universe? Will she be present at fine restaurants and banquets where leaders of industry and government meet and share a meal? Will she be at department stores, among the fine clothing and perfumes? How about in the kitchen as we sit and visit after dinner and then clean up the dishes?

Wisdom herself tells us that she will help us find her. (Wis 6:12-16) She will sit outside our door in the early morning, waiting for us to get up and venture out into the world. We might not see her though. We must be looking for her if we hope to see her, keeping our eyes open. What will we see as we go on our way? The homes of our neighbors. The trees and flowers in the gardens. The people getting ready to go to work and school. Those coming home after working through the night. Will we see their joys and sorrows too? Will we notice their hopes and the places they are in need of encouragement and healing?

This Lady Wisdom meets all who seek her as they travel through the day. She makes her rounds and visits all, bringing love and hope and joy with her as her gift. In the process, she opens our eyes to see the needs of others and their joy and gifts as well.

We don’t generally think of wisdom as being masculine or feminine in our daily lives. We think of wise people as those who know many things and make good choices that lead to happy, successful lives. But in scripture, particularly in the Books of Wisdom and Proverbs, Wisdom is more than that. Wisdom is feminine and intimate. There are at least three words that are translated as Wisdom in the Scriptures, but the one in question here is characterized by a sense of intimacy with God. Wisdom is connected with the divine. She is radiant, reflecting the Lord’s light. Wisdom leads us to union with God through our connection with all of creation and all of God’s people.

Wisdom helps us see hope in difficult times. When people we love become ill or die, Wisdom helps us trust that they will rise through the gift of the Lord. (1 Thes 4:13-18) When we meet others who are having hard times financially or personally, Wisdom helps us walk with them, sharing their burden and helping to make it easier. We won’t always be able to resolve the problem or make it go away, but being present can be the most important gift we can give. Moral support in hard times cannot be purchased.

Wisdom also helps keep us on our toes, ready to meet the Lord when he comes. When we have met him in our daily lives, in our contacts with folks who may need a help to support their families, with those who are seeking a safe place to live and raise their children, with those who hope to go to school and enter a career, with those who are sick or dying, and so many, many more, we will be more like the wise virgins of Jesus’ story, who had the oil they needed to keep their lamps burning late into the night. (Mt 25:1-13)

Many years ago, a group called the Medical Missionary Sisters produced an album called “Joy is Like the Rain.” One of the songs was titled, “It’s a Long Road to Freedom.” It is ringing in my head this day. “It’s a long road to freedom, a winding steep and high, but when you walk in love with the wind on your wings, and cover the earth with the songs you sing, the miles fly by.”

When we walk with Wisdom on our journey, we walk in love and the miles do fly by. The Lady Wisdom sits at the gate waiting for each of us to notice her and journey with her through our days. May we be blessed with open eyes to recognize her.

Readings for the Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Oct 8, 2023

Not All Grapes are Grapes

In one corner of our back yard when I was growing up there was a plant whose leaves were sharp like those of holly. The bush had small flowers in the spring and blue berries in summer and fall. We were used to picking and eating huckleberries in the fall. They looked a lot like the fruit on this plant, though the leaves were different. But this plant was called Oregon Grape, and we never ate the “grapes” that grew on it. We might have tried the berries, but my mother cautioned us that they really didn’t taste good, despite being called grapes and looking like grapes. The bushes just grew in the corner of the garden as a part of the unchanging shrubbery. Not grapes at all, it seems.

The grapes we hear Isaiah describe in his story of the vineyard remind me of the Oregon Grapes in our back yard. However, in Isaiah’s story, the owner of the vineyard was expecting real grapes, ones that could be eaten or made into wine. (Is 5:-7) He cleared the land, planted high quality vines, took good care of the plants. He even prepared a wine press – all with the expectation that a good harvest would follow in the fall.

Imagine the disappointment of the owner of the vineyard when the fruit appeared on the vines. Instead of plump, sweet grapes, he found small wild grapes that could never be made into wine or other good foods for the family or community. It was like finding Oregon Grapes growing on his vines. This fruit was unusable. The vineyard was a total failure. A waste of time and money. What a terrible disappointment.

The owner of the vineyard responded by breaking down the protective walls of the vineyard and letting it be returned to an untended state. The vines were useless, except as food for wild animals.

Isaiah here reminds the people of his time that the Lord’s vineyard is the people of Judah, the house of Israel. If this vineyard of the Lord is not producing good fruit, it will suffer the same fate as the vineyard which produced wild grapes rather than the rich, plump, domestic grapes that the owner had expected. The Lord will stop protecting the nation from their foes. Their land will be destroyed and they will be scattered.

The image of the Lord’s people as a vineyard is ancient. We see it in the psalms, including Psalm 80. “A vine from Egypt you transplanted; you drove away the nations and planted it. It put forth its foliage to the Sea, its shoots as far as the River.” In other words, the people have increased in numbers and filled the new land into which they moved after their time in Egypt and wandering in the desert. Yet they have not always remained faithful and at times it’s as if the walls of the vineyard have been broken down and passersby have taken its fruits. Wild animals have eaten the plants. Nevertheless, the psalmist calls on the Lord to rescue and protect the vineyard and the vines planted there once again. When the vineyard has been restored, the people will remain faithful, the Lord’s face will shine on them, and all will be saved.

Jesus also described a vineyard. (Mt 21:33-43) In this case, the landowner leased out the vineyard he had planted to tenants. The tenants would receive a part of the harvest as payment for their labor. The rest would go to the landowner, as a return on the investment in the land and the vineyard.

When the time came for the harvest, the landowner was away. He sent his servants to collect his share of the harvest. The tenants beat and killed the servants rather than give them the grapes for which they had come. The landowner sent more servants, but the tenants killed them too. Finally, the landowner’s own son was sent to collect the harvest from the tenants. The greedy tenants killed the landlord’s son rather than send the harvest to him.

Jesus asked those with whom he was speaking what the landlord would do in such a situation. (Always good to include your listeners in figuring out what comes next in a story or lesson.) They answered quickly that the tenants would be killed and new ones entrusted with the vineyard.

Then Jesus reminded them that just as the stone the builders had rejected became the cornerstone of the Lord’s building, the kingdom of God would be passed to other people if the people to whom it had originally been entrusted did not care for it and produce good fruit.

So what kind of grapes (or behavior) is the Lord hoping will be harvested? What are the good grapes?

St. Paul tells us that whatever we need, we can ask of God. (Phil 4:6-9) The peace of God will fill our hearts and minds, guarding and guiding them. The grapes we will see in such situations are truth, honorable behavior, justice, purity, beauty, graciousness, excellence, and actions worthy of praise. These are the kinds of grapes our landlord, the owner of the vineyard of the Lord, is hoping to receive. As long as our lives are producing these good fruits, these true “grapes,” the God of peace will be with us.

It’s still harvest time in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern, spring is bringing the hope and promise of a rich harvest. But for us, the harvest is on. The race to finish all that needs to be done before winter storms begin is in full swing. Grapes are being harvested. Will we and our lives be seen as sweet, rich grapes, filled with love and kindness? The Oregon Grapes are ripe too, but once again this year, they will remain on the shrub in the back yard for the birds and other animals to eat. Not all grapes are grapes!

May we bear rich fruit this week, reflecting the loving work of our Father, the vineyard owner.

Readings for the Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Aug 20, 2023

Mercy that Excludes No One

Did you ever think about whether Jesus knew that his mission was not limited to the Jewish people? I had not really thought much about it, having grown up as a member of the Church. Then one day, I read the story of what happened when Jesus went across the border into an area which was not historically nor actually at that time a part of the kingdom of Israel. The area in question was around the cities of Tyre and Sidon, on the Mediterranean Sea north of Israel.

Jesus’ reputation as a healer preceded him. A woman from that area came to where he was. She was a Canaanite, one of the traditional enemies of the Israelites. She came to ask him to heal her daughter, who was being tormented by a demon. Today we would say she had a mental illness.

Jesus simply ignored her. He did not even respond negatively. Just silence. As if she didn’t even exist. She was a woman and a foreigner. No concern of his.

His disciples were irritated with her. She kept calling after them, requesting healing for her child. They asked him to send her away. “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” was his response.

But she was persistent. She bowed before him and begged, “Lord, help me.”

We often think of Jesus as a kind, patient, polite man, but this time he was just plain rude. “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs!” Pretty clear who was being compared to a dog.

This mother did not let that insult stop her. She was desperate for healing for her child. “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”

This brought an insight to Jesus. Healing could be for those who had faith. It is not limited to any religious or ethnic group. “O, woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” The child was healed and Jesus learned an important lesson about God’s mercy and his mission. No one is to be excluded who comes in faith. (Mt 15:21-28)

This was not actually a new idea in Judaism. Isaiah spoke of a similar idea to the folks who had returned from exile in Babylon. Their temple had been rebuilt and now it was possible to offer sacrifice there again. But what about all the time away and the time before the temple was rebuilt? How had it been possible to keep the sabbath holy and to maintain the covenant with the Lord if temple sacrifice could not be offered?

The Lord, through his prophet, told them to take notice of what is right and just. Watch and see how the Lord’s justice is revealed. It is revealed as foreigners join themselves to the Lord and become his servants. All who keep the sabbath and hold on to the covenant will be welcomed to the holy mountain of the Lord. Their sacrifices offered on the altar will be as valid as those of the original community. The Lord’s house is “a house of prayer for all peoples.” No one will be excluded from his mercy. (Is 56:1, 6-7)

St. Paul expresses the community’s understanding of the Lord’s call in his letter to the Romans. He speaks of himself as “the apostle to the Gentiles.” He has been sent to spread the message of God’s love and mercy beyond the Jewish community into the entire world. If the people of Israel had welcomed Jesus with open arms and become his followers, it’s quite possible that the faith would not have expanded out to include everyone. Paul says that in their refusal to believe, their disobedience, his own people had made it possible for Gentiles, all the other peoples of the world, to receive the Lord’s mercy and love. No one is to be excluded. (Rom 11:13-15, 29-32)

As our communities divide into camps with opposing ideas these days, I believe we are again called to ask ourselves if we are truly willing to accept each other and wish each other well. Are we sisters and brothers in the Lord? Are we sisters and brothers, children of one creator. Are we equally loved and forgiven for our small mindedness and smug self-confidence. Too often we say, “I know what is right and you are totally wrong!”

In religious circles, it is especially important to be patient and loving with each other. We may not agree on all topics. Some will be more open to changes in social standards and structures than others. Some may interpret Scripture more literally than others. Some will distrust the findings of social or physical sciences. However, all are children of the same Father, who calls all to mercy and mutual forgiveness.

How do we keep from being a community that turns in on itself when confronted with others who have different experiences of God’s presence and love? How do we remain open and welcoming? Is it by condemning those whose ways are different from ours? Or by setting up rules and regulations to restrict access to the Eucharist and sacraments? Or do we recognize that God is bigger than all of our rules and categories. God loves all of creation and especially all people. He did, after all, according to our very ancient tradition, create us in his own image and likeness,. If that is truly the case, then we are called, like Jesus himself, to be open to those whose ways are different from our own. We are called to offer healing and reconciliation in and between communities. We are called to let the power and unrestricted love of our Father flow out through us to heal those who are suffering, physically, socially, mentally, spiritually.

God’s mercy excludes no one. So we must not exclude others either. Instead, we come together in prayer and Eucharistic thanksgiving to remember and be nourished. Then we go forth into our world and share the graces and blessings received as we allow the love of God to flow out in healing mercy through us.

This week, let’s focus on seeing the goodness and mercy of God in our families, our neighbors, our communities, and our world. All are welcomed in the Kingdom of God and all receive the merciful love of our Father.

Readings for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A