Cycle C | blog.theologika.net

Posted by Fr. Ron Shirley on Aug 24, 2025

The Narrow Door

A young man wrote a letter to a priest. He told the priest he could use the letter any way he wished. Except for a few minor changes, here’s what the young man wrote:

“I was one of the top swimmers in my category in Canada. Then one day I let my friends talk me into experimenting with drugs. I got hooked, and soon my mental, physical, and spiritual health deteriorated badly… I knew I was all screwed up. I became lonely and terribly frightened. There was no one I could talk to. To make matters worse, I was in debt to drug dealers for over $3,000. I figured my only way out was suicide, so I went home and wrote this note:

Dear Mom and Dad, I am sorry to cause you this pain…please don’t grieve too much. If I had stayed alive, I would have caused you a lot more grief than by what I just did…I love you and the whole family. (signed) Christopher

“I began to drink to overcome fear as I prepared to take my life. Then at the last minute something made me stop; I grabbed the phone and called a crisis center. I didn’t know it then, but my mother was praying like mad for me. A few days later I entered a drug rehabilitation program. Soon I regained my physical and psychological health. It was then that I started reading the Bible. The more I read it, the more peace and joy I felt. This led me to put all my trust in God.

“Meanwhile, there developed in me this growing desire to learn more about Jesus and to get to know him better. It’s kind of funny. I must have prayed on my knees at least ten times – asking Jesus to come into my life – before I realized that he was already in my life…

“All this happened about five years ago. Since then, God has blessed me greatly. I teach in a Catholic high school and I’m active in my parish community…I’m also still trying to learn how to open myself more and more to the love and mercy of God.

Sincerely yours,
Chris”

That letter illustrates one of the points in today’s gospel: The door to God’s kingdom is, indeed, narrow. But that didn’t stop Chris from trying to enter. He struggled and struggled until he did. I wonder how many people (like you and me), would have had the courage to struggle as Christopher did.

Someone said there are three kinds of Christians: Tug-boat Christians, sail-boat Christians, and raft Christians. Tug-boat Christians are people who follow Jesus not only in sunny weather but also in stormy weather. They are people who follow Jesus not only when the wind and the tide serve them but also when the wind and the tide oppose them. They are people who go to Mass not because they have to but because Jesus said at the Last Supper, “Do this in memory of me.” (Luke 22:19) They are people who help other people not because they feel like it but because Jesus said, “Love one another as I love you.” (John 15:12)

Sail-boat Christians, on the other hand, are people who follow Jesus when the wind and the tide serve them. But when the wind and the tide oppose them, they tend to go in the direction they are blown. They are people who go to Mass when family and friends go. But left to themselves, they often miss. They are the people who ask, “How far can I go before I sin?” Rather than, “How much more can I do because I love?” They are people who tend to follow the crowd more then they follow the Gospel.

Finally, there are the raft Christians. They are Christians in name only. They don’t really follow Jesus, even when the wind and the tide serve them. If they do go in his direction, it’s only because someone pulls or pushes them. They are people who do Christian things not because they want to but because they have to. In short, they are Christians in name but not in deed.

The question set before us is this: Are we a tug-boat Christian, a sail-boat Christian, or a raft Christian? Are we tug-boat Christians? Do we follow Jesus in good times and in bad? Do we go with him not only through the wide door but also through the narrow door? Or are we sail-boat Christians? Do we follow Jesus only in good times? Or are we raft Christians? Are we Christians in name only?

These are some of the growth questions today’s readings set before us. No one can answer them for us. We must do that ourselves.

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle C)

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Aug 24, 2025

Coming From the Ends of the Earth

Again and again through the history of the world, groups of people have had to leave their homes and travel to other regions in search of a safe place, with resources available for them to use, so they can live and raise their families. We still see in our world today many of the different ways that people have found to gain the resources for their survival and even the thriving of their cultures.

Some peoples have been what anthropologists call hunter/gatherers. These folks may live in a specific region, but their livelihoods depend on having enough animals to hunt or fish and plants that can be harvested and preserved for use throughout most of the year.

Other folks follow their herds of animals from one grazing area to another. Many types of animals make up these herds – sheep, goats, cattle, llamas, alpacas, reindeer, etc. Horses, donkeys, dogs, and camels are among the other kinds of animals used to travel with and manage the herds or serve as pack animals. These animals also offer an advantage when times get hard and the community must move into the lands of other peoples, whether as traders or as invaders.

We’re more familiar with peoples who have both cities and rural lands, with a form of government that places some persons in charge or provides for the people to select representatives to manage the access to resources for living as communities.

The Hebrew people, originally herders but later a settled people with cities and rural areas, found themselves on more than one occasion either as the invaders conquering a new land for themselves or being conquered and displaced from the land. After the conquest by the armies of Babylon and its allies, they spent many years outside their former land. Eventually, however, the armies of Persia conquered Babylon and the people of Israel were allowed to return to Judea. Isaiah the prophet describes their return and the promises of the Lord as they rebuild the city of Jerusalem, the temple, and their way of life.

Near the end of the book of Isaiah, the Lord promises: “I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory. … They shall proclaim my glory among the nations. They shall bring all your brothers and sisters from all the nations as an offering to the Lord.” (Is 66:18-21)

The words originally were understood to refer to Jewish/Hebrew exiles who lived throughout the Middle East and North Africa and also to good people from the nations among whom they lived. They would return to offer sacrifice in Jerusalem. The Lord notes that although not all are of the tribe of Levi, some of these who come will also be chosen to serve as priests and teachers. It is not necessary to be of the correct ancestry to serve the Lord.

Jesus also stressed the importance of following the way of the Lord in his teaching. “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.”

Not strong enough? Yes – not living in the way shown by “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God.” Yet others, he tells us, “from the north and the south will recline at table in the kingdom of God.” Not the powerful or comfortable as would be expected in most societies. “Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

Jesus makes clear that our choices matter. The narrow gate does not necessarily refer only to a physical gate into the city of Jerusalem. It is also a way of living: choosing to live according to the Law of love, the Law given by the Lord to guide his people in his ways. Anyone who lives in this way, will be welcomed to the kingdom of God. (Lk 13:22-30)

As might be expected, this kind of life is not easy. There will be successes and failures. When we fail to live by the law of love, to enter through the narrow gate, consequences will not be pleasant. It might seem the easy way at first, but in the long run, things can turn out very differently than first expected. What seemed a great way to live may prove to be a great way to fail to love.

The author of the letter to the Hebrews speaks of the consequences as “discipline” in the sense of the punishment a parent might impose on a wayward child to teach the child the proper way to act. The easy way, the way we are most likely to find attractive, is so often not the narrow way, the way of sacrifice that puts the well-being of others at the forefront of our considerations.

Our author reminds all that such training “brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.” He encourages all: “… strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees. Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be disjointed but healed.” In the long run, doing the right thing will bring its own rewards – the rewards of on-going life in the kingdom of the Lord. (Heb 12:5-7, 11-13)

Fine and good. But what does it mean for us today? Most of us live in settled communities. We have our national origin stories and mythic histories of how things came to be. We speak of rugged individuals who settled the lands known as the United States of America. We ignore the fact too often that these lands were settled long before Europeans, many of them refugees, came here seeking a new start, a way to build a community that is rather like those they left, but with the freedom to worship or govern themselves in a different way. We also ignore the contributions of people from all over the world who came to work and build the communities and institutions we take for granted now.

How do we ourselves fit into the kingdom of God? Would our communities be recognized as followers of the Way of Jesus by the early Church? What is it about us that sets us apart from the larger society? What does it mean today to go through the narrow gate? Who are those coming from the north and south, the east and west, to eat at the table of the Lord? Will we be invited to join them for dinner?

These are important questions to ask ourselves. In what ways do we help and support those with fewer resources who struggle to support themselves and their families? How do we welcome and help those who have had to flee their lands to save their lives and those of their families? How do we help children who struggle in school or who are hungry or un-housed? Do we quietly accept policies that take away help from those in need? Do we act as if all would be well if only everyone did X, Y,or Z?

When I was growing up, we lived in a working-class neighborhood. My parents grew up during the Depression and World War II. They had been to college and we had many skills that our neighbors didn’t have, including our practice of making soap and noodles – not on the same day or using the same equipment, of course! But we felt, or at least I felt, rather smug that we knew how to support ourselves better than some of our neighbors did, because our great-great-grandparents had been pioneers and passed on the skills they used in the late 1800s through the generations to us.

It was only later, as an adult, that I discovered to my shock that due to the cost of flour and eggs, it could be less expensive, more affordable, simply to buy a package of noodles to feed a family for a day than to buy the ingredients in packaging quantities that would be far more than needed for that day. If money is not an issue, it’s fine to buy enough to last for a month. But if money, or lack thereof, is an issue, then our middle-class solution would not work! Flour isn’t usually sold in one or two cup packages and it’s hard to buy just one or two eggs at the grocery store! It’s easier and more affordable simply to buy a bag of noodles.

What then do we do? How do we find the narrow gate?

Maybe we find the narrow gate by opening our eyes to those who have come and are coming from the ends of the earth. What can we learn from those who leave all behind and travel to a new land, with a new language, and new ways? How can we be a welcoming people rather than a people or even just a person who is afraid that sharing what we have will mean we don’t have enough for ourselves?

“Limited Good” or “Enough for All?”

We easily fall back on a notion common around the world that anthropologist George Foster called “limited good.” Limited good is the notion that there is only just so much of what is needed for a good life available in the world. To the extent that my family and I get a larger share of that good, you and your family will get less.

The challenge and limitation of this perspective is that it can be a source of conflict, unless a social method has been developed for sharing the wealth. In many societies, those who have much are expected to share what they have in ritual ways, including giving most of it away in specific ceremonial gatherings. Those who give away the most get the highest honor!

Suppose we could shift the idea a bit and instead of thinking about Good as a limited property or thing, we could conceive of it as being unlimited if we just work together to help each other along the way? In this scenario, I help you when I have something you need and you help me when the tables are turned.

Rather than cutting taxes for the wealthy and taking benefits away from the poor, all could benefit from providing the basic support to allow people to grow up and contribute to the good of all by using the talents they bring to the table. An approach such as this has proven to improve the well-being of most of the people of the country when actually put into practice in each community. To the extent it hasn’t worked, it’s often because the funds have not been redistributed effectively or justly to help those most in need of them.

The problem with this approach, of course, is that it’s hard to remember that having more is not necessarily the goal of life. Social respect and praise go to those who amass fortunes and live large. Having resources and sharing them freely is not valued and often not respected. It is the narrow way, the way of love, the way of the Kingdom of God.

As we go through this coming week, may we be aware of the times we have forgotten to seek and follow the narrow way. May we work to share what we have been given and work to help those with less opportunity to get the resources they need to thrive. May we help newcomers and the vulnerable among us. And most importantly, may we remember that the Lord is present in the young, the old, the poor, the un-housed, the sick, those in prison, and those who are refugees. If we want to meet him, look around. He’s right here among us.

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

Posted by Fr. Ron Shirley on Aug 17, 2025

Division

My initial response to today’s Gospel reading is to resist it. I find it very difficult to think of Jesus as a divisive person. It is much easier for me to regard him as a healer of human relationships. I have seen too many fragmented families and felt their pain. When fathers and sons cannot even be civil to one another, it is very sad. And when mothers and daughters stop speaking to each other, it is heartbreaking. How can we believe that Jesus is the source of such division?

In most cases, it is clear that he is not. Something else is ripping the family apart. My sense is that, if given the chance, Jesus would heal the alienation in such a home. And I am sure that he is not pleased with the division of the people involved. A little three-year-old girl, who could not yet pronounce her “r” sounds, said to a friend, “My mommy and daddy ah sepawated.” Do you think our Lord caused that? Do you think he is pleased with that? Not a chance in the world. I have no doubt that he weeps with that child.

Still the words of today’s Reading cannot be denied. Jesus clearly said: “Do you think I have come to establish peace on earth? I assure you the contrary is true. I have come for division.” (Lk 12:49-53)

What then, is the meaning of these strange words about division?

It is obvious that Jesus did not get along with everybody. He did not walk around with a smile plastered on his face, spreading the good will everywhere. Otherwise, how did he manage to get himself crucified? Why did he tell his disciples that the world would hate them, just as it had hated him?

He was often in conflict. And almost always, the dividing line was the sacredness of human person. The people of his own home town wanted to kill him. What was the source of that conflict? It was his insistence that God cared for Gentiles just as he did for Jews. He often clashed with the Pharisees about healing on the Sabbath. The issue that drove them apart was his conviction that helping people was more important than keeping the law. He came to the rescue of a woman who had been caught in adultery. The guardians of public morality were ready to stone her to death. Again, the issue was keeping the law or helping people. And he always came down on the side of helping people.

Jesus resisted abuse of others with all the intensity of his soul. He even died for it. Robert Louis Stevenson put it like this: “It is our cheek that we are to turn. But when another’s face is struck, perhaps a bit of the lion would become us best.”

You and I have no right to stand by and watch the strong trample on the weak. We are to take a stand, even if the abuser is a member of our own family. People have done that. And it has driven a wedge between them and the ones they love. A young man was making a determined effort to live out his Christian faith. His father was a member of the Ku Klux Klan. The son confronted him and said: “What you are doing is wrong. And I must resist it.” His father ordered him out of the house and never spoke to him again.

Something like that is what Jesus had in mind, when he said, “I have come for division.” The sacredness of the human person is the only issue I can conceive of where it is wrong to compromise.

In closing, it is easy to talk of “Jesus meek and mild,” and to portray the infant in the crib as lovable, and the Crucified One as forgiving. It is easy to criticize and oppose evildoers on the other side of the world, people like Hitler and Saddam Hussein. It is by no means so easy to take a stand on moral issues right at home which divide our society. But we cannot avoid the cutting edge of the gospel or the commitment that goes along with our baptism. We cannot accept, nor should we live by, a cushioned Christianity, a velvet cross, a vertical expression of faith concerned only with “God and myself.” Nor can we exclude those neighbors we don’t like. Christian life and witness is difficult. In fact, it would be impossible without the example of Jesus, and the grace of God.

Lord, give us the courage to follow you – even though it causes us to struggle – even though it causes us to be persecuted – even though, sometimes, it sets us in opposition to our families and friends and society – let us never forget that there is actually one thing worse than evil itself, and that is indifference to evil. Amen.

Fr. Ron Shirley
August 17, 2025

Readings for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Aug 17, 2025

One More Time With Feeling

Activities that require a certain amount of skill to complete successfully typically also require much practice before they are successfully mastered. I’m thinking of things like learning to catch a baseball, or ride a bicycle or a horse, or skate across a frozen pond in the winter. Sometimes the attempt is successful and all are happy and excited. Sometimes the attempt is not. Then several outcomes are possible. One is that the person trying to learn a new skill simply gives up and doesn’t try again. There are times when that might be a good option, especially if the activity in question is very dangerous and could end with a serious injury or death. But most skills or activities don’t fall into that category.

Another possible outcome is for the individual to get back up right away and try again. One expression in such cases is to “get back on the horse.” We like to see this determination when the skill is one that will help the individual or community in the future. It’s how most of what we learn as we grow up happens.

But then there is the in-between situation. The skill is hard or is an activity that doesn’t come naturally to the individual. Others are watching and may laugh at one’s failure. The individual has seriously tried to master the skill (arithmetic anyone?), but it doesn’t come easily. It’s a skill one can go through life without ever mastering. So many reasons not to keep trying.

This is where “One more time with feeling” comes into the picture. If those around us, or those teaching us, or simply those who care about us can encourage another attempt, or as many as it takes, we are more likely to succeed eventually.

I suspect God looks at us often, and with a resigned shake of the head, thinks, “Well, one more time with feeling …” and sends someone once again to remind us all of what our calling is. How many times do we need to be reminded to care for the poor, the little ones, those who have to leave their homes to find safety or a way to support their children? How many times will a messenger need to be sent to remind the leaders of the community of the importance of working for the common good rather than personal power and wealth?

In the time of Jeremiah, before the conquest of Jerusalem and exile of the community in Babylon, the authorities were angry that he, Jeremiah, refused to remain silent as they looked to their own interests rather than those of the community and their common relationship with the Lord. They were so angry that they convinced the King to let them get rid of this troublemaker. He was thrown into a cistern, a place like a well where water was stored in time of rain and used in drier times. Fortunately, there was only mud in the bottom, but that was small consolation to Jeremiah as he prepared to spend the last days of his life being deprived of food and water, sitting or standing in the mud!

Fortunately for Jeremiah, a man who was not from Israel but was an official of the court interceded for him with the king. The man’s name was Ebed-melech and he was from Cush. We don’t know today where Cush was, whether in Africa or Mesopotamia. It doesn’t really matter. He had the courage to speak to the king and ask permission to rescue Jeremiah from the cistern. (Jer 38:4-6, 8-10)

Jeremiah didn’t stop speaking the Lord’s word after his rescue. He continued to warn all who would listen that the Lord was not happy with the way they were acting. Eventually the Babylonians did come. Jerusalem fell. The temple was destroyed. The leaders who survived and much of the population were taken to exile in Babylon.

“One more time with feeling … and they didn’t listen again! Drat! … Well, maybe next time,” says the Lord.

When Jesus first began teaching, not a lot of people knew about him and the amount of controversy surrounding his words and message was relatively limited. However, as he continued teaching during the three years between his baptism in the Jordan and his crucifixion, the controversy grew much louder and stronger. This was especially true as he began teaching that so many things considered to be wise or expected and acceptable in social interactions were actually foolish in God’s eyes. For example, he told of the farmer who had a hugely successful harvest, tore down his barns and built bigger ones so he would have food for years to come. Unfortunately, it was all a waste, because he died that night!

Another time he told of the servant whose master was away and had left him in charge of the household and business/farm. The servant who did what he was expected to do would be rewarded. The one who abused those below him in authority or disobeyed the master’s orders knowingly would be seriously punished. And then the surprise – the one who didn’t know what the master wanted and as a result did the wrong thing, would receive a lesser punishment.

With all of these surprising, unexpected teachings, his followers could be excused for wondering how a person sent by God could cause such conflict among those who heard his words!

Jesus didn’t sidestep the question. “I have come to set the earth on fire… Do you think I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you but rather division.” (Lk 12:49-53)

Wait, what? Isn’t he supposed to be the Prince of Peace?

But Jesus wasn’t here to tell us all that the way things were being done as a general rule was the way God had intended them to be from all eternity. He came as the Father’s “One more time with feeling” outreach to all of us. Would we get the message this time? Would we have the courage and compassion to listen and act? Would we set the world on fire with love? Would we share the good news of love through our actions rather than just our words?

Jesus was no gullible fool. He knew he faced great opposition and would pay a high price for his integrity in proclaiming the will of the Father. He didn’t want to have to do it. But he was resolved to carry on with the mission. One more time with feeling – Who would respond and join him on the journey?

As it turned out, after the Resurrection, those who had been his friends continued to be his friends. When the Spirit came upon them, they moved forth bravely, carrying the message to those they met in their daily lives – God wants us to love and take care of each other. The poor must be helped. Those from other lands must be welcomed and helped to make a home among us. All people are loved by God, not just one nation or group. People need the basics of food, shelter, clothing, schooling, health care.

In the early years, it was not easy. Followers of Jesus and The Way were tossed out of their worship communities. They were arrested and punished. Some were killed. Many left their homes and traveled to other areas where they could be safer.

This history has continued through the ages, even to the present days. In our own lifetimes, men and women have paid the ultimate price for their lives of witness and service to the Gospel. Those who give their lives are known as martyrs – a word that means witnesses.

The author of the Letter to the Hebrews reminded his readers of this. He spoke of a great “cloud of witnesses” who surround us all. Those who have gone before us. Those who speak out today and encourage the rest of us to act with courage. Jesus is our leader and our model, giving his own life as witness. We have not yet been called to give everything including our lives in witness. Still, God is counting on us to be the ones today who speak out – One more time with feeling. (Heb 12:1-4)

Feed the poor, especially the children and their families. Teach the children. Make sure homes are available for everyone. Help people get healthcare. Welcome immigrants and those who seek asylum. Respect the legal rights and human dignity of all people.

These are the works of the Lord. These are the things he hopes we will eventually understand and put in place, so the kingdom of love and peace can come into being in our world.

May we listen with open hearts and ears to the Lord’s voice this week and keep trying.

“OK, you fell down this time, but get up and try again. One more time with feeling now!”

Readings for the Twentieth Sunday of Ordinary Time – Cycle C

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

Be Bold and Persistent

“Ama, you sit here and I’m going to sit in this chair. Now you can read to me.” Thus says the two-and-a-half-year-old grandchild as she brings a story to be read to her. She has no hesitation about telling an older person what to do and when or how to do it. She is still so very innocent that she boldly expresses what she would like to have happen and trusts the rest of the family will comply. Of course, it doesn’t always work out that things go her way, but she’s confident that most of the time it will, especially on visits with grandparents.

As we get older, we learn the world doesn’t revolve around us. We learn that people in power don’t always listen to those with lower status or power. We learn to be cautious in our expectations and not to aim too high.

Yet is this the way to approach our relationship with God? Maybe not.

Abraham’s visitors went on their way after having a fine meal at the camp of Abraham and Sarah at the terebinth of Mamre. But one stayed behind to speak further with Abraham. It seems he, the Lord, was going to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to see if the people there were indeed as wicked as he had heard they were. If that turned out to be the case, he planned to destroy the cities and all within them.

Now Abraham found this quite disturbing. He had family members living in Sodom and didn’t want to see any harm come to them. So, he began to appeal to the softer side of the Lord. What if there are fifty good people in the city. Would you kill the innocent with the guilty? Well, when put that way, the Lord agreed it would not be fair to the fifty, so he agreed to spare the city if fifty good people were found.

So far, so good. But Abraham didn’t stop there. He boldly asked, What about if there are only forty-five? The Lord agreed that forty-five would be enough to hold off destroying the city. The bargaining continued until they finally agreed that if there were as many (or as few) as ten good people, the Lord would not destroy the city.

Abraham was polite, respectful, and yet bold in his advocacy for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Lord responded with kind respect as well, willing to listen to a plea for mercy. A very different response than can be expected from most rulers. Abraham was bold and persistent. He started with a large number and continued bargaining, requesting mercy for a population with fewer and fewer examples of good behavior and good will. When he stopped, it was probably because he assumed at least his own extended family would make up enough good people to save the cities. (Gen 18:20-32)

The question of how to be an advocate with the Lord has continued through the centuries.

Jesus was asked one day by his disciples to teach them how to pray. He responded with what we often call “The Lord’s Prayer,” a.k.a. “The Our Father.” We begin, speaking to God as a loving father, with the hope that his power and authority will be recognized and respected by all. We hope for the coming of the Kingdom and that the Lord’s will should be done everywhere. Then come the practical things – daily bread, forgiveness for our offenses, protection from temptation, and deliverance from evil. One hitch is that forgiveness is requested to the degree that we ourselves forgive others. That’s not always easy. But all in all, it’s a strong prayer that rests on the loving, intimate family relationship of parent and child. “Daddy, you sit here while you read me a story.”

Jesus didn’t stop with just how to pray. He went on to encourage great confidence in prayer. “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened.” Keep knocking even if you get a negative result the first time. The neighbor who won’t get up and wake his whole family to get you an extra loaf of bread for a guest the first time you ask will do so if you keep asking again and again in the night. Be persistent. Be bold. (Lk 11:1-13)

Now, do we always get what we ask for in prayer? No. So what about that promise of ask and you shall receive? Maybe it’s a question of what is requested and for whom?

Abraham asked on behalf of the innocent people in Sodom and Gomorrah. For the innocent ones, the Lord was willing to change plans.

When we ask for things that only benefit ourselves, there’s no guarantee the request will be granted. But if we ask on behalf of another person, and what we ask is genuinely what will be best for that person, our request is more likely to be granted. Sometimes, when we ask, it begins the process of consideration of what would be a good thing to see happen. Might we do something ourselves that would help? We are the Body of Christ now in our time. How can we do the Lord’s work and bring about needed change or help for those in need?

Sometimes it takes a long time for change to happen. Sometimes suffering continues far too long, because the forces causing the pain are strong and don’t easily surrender. It’s then that persistence is essential. It may take many years, but with enough people working for reform or change, the new way comes into being. Doors open. Opportunities appear. And lives are changed.

As we move through the days and weeks to come, may we remember to pray constantly, seeking ways to bring the Kingdom and the freedom of loving response to the challenges of our time into our everyday lives. How do we help the poor? How do we support immigrants? How do we keep healthcare accessible for those whose employers don’t offer it? How do we provide books and opportunities for children in school to learn? How do we feed children so they can learn when they get to school?

So many, many challenges face us all at this time. Yet the Lord assures us, “Ask and you will receive.”

So, let us ask boldly and act with courage to open the doors of our hearts, minds, and homes to live in the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Love for all, regardless of social or legal status. All are God’s children. All are our sisters and brothers. All…

Be bold and be persistent.

Readings for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C

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

The Day the Lord Came to Dinner

Imagine for a moment that you got a letter, special delivery, saying the King of England was coming to dine at your home tomorrow evening. Once you got over the shock, how would you prepare? You’re an ordinary person, with no servants or staff to make things happen. Your home is well lived-in, not always perfectly tidy, but comfortable.

What are the most important things or rooms to have clean? What will you serve for dinner? Which dishes should you use? Why would the King ever think to come to your house? So very, very much to do in such a short time… How can it be possible to get everything ready on time?

In a great whirl of activity, the house is cleaned, the meal prepared, best clothes are worn, and at the appointed time, the King arrives. It proves to be a memorable dinner, because, surprise, he can be just a regular guy when he’s not acting as King!

Now most of us will never have this challenge land on our doorstep. Kings don’t often drop in for dinner and I would guess most of us have never received a letter from the King of any country. Still … there are times when hospitality is the most important thing we can offer.

One very ordinary day, Abraham and his wife Sarah were camping by the terebinth of Mamre. A terebinth is a shrub from the cashew family that grows to be the size of a tree and also produces turpentine. They traveled with their sheep from one part of the land to another. But this particular day was noteworthy.

It was around the middle of the day and getting hot. Abraham came out of the tent, perhaps to cool off in the shade of the tree. He noticed three men approaching as he left the entrance of the tent. Visitors were not common in those days and places, so he ran out to greet them and invite them to stop for a meal and a rest in their journey. He was delighted when they agreed to do so. It would be a chance to catch up on the news from far away.

He quickly went into the tent and asked Sarah to make rolls for the meal, using plenty of fine flour. He chose a choice steer and ordered a servant to prepare it to be eaten. Then he took curds and milk, along with the meat of the steer and the rolls and served the three visitors a fine meal. He stood beside them as they ate, ready to provide for anything more they might request.

After they finished eating, they asked Abraham where his wife might be. He responded that she was in the tent. A modest woman would not go out to meet strangers in those days. One of the visitors told Abraham that in a year when he, the visitor, returned, Sarah would have a son.

Now Abraham and Sarah were both old and they had never had children, so this sounded pretty far-fetched. In fact, Sarah laughed out loud at the preposterous thought! But as it turned out, she did have a son the next year and his name meant, “I laughed.” (Gen 18:1-10a)

It wasn’t the King of England who visited Abraham and Sarah. It was the Lord who came without warning and happily accepted the hospitality of a man and his wife. The blessing of their gift of hospitality by the Lord opened the door for all the blessings that would follow through the centuries, from the time of Abraham to the present.

Jesus too stopped in for dinner unannounced on occasion. One day he visited the home of his friends Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. His visit was unexpected and there was much hustle and bustle in the house and kitchen to get dinner ready. The men were not expected to help fix dinner. Their role was to visit with and entertain the guests. The women were to get the food ready and serve it.

But this day, Mary couldn’t resist the urge to sit with those around Jesus and listen to him talk. He was always such an interesting person. Martha, on the other hand, was very aware that an important part of the team was missing from the kitchen. What was Mary thinking! She needed to be in the kitchen helping. No excuses.

When Martha went to Jesus to demand that he send Mary to help in the kitchen where she belonged, she got a surprise. Jesus responded, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” (Lk 10:38-42)

Wow. That would be hard to hear, I imagine. How can it be that not doing what is needed to provide for a guest is better? Yet there’s an important lesson for all of us here. Sometimes we can’t and don’t need to make sure everything is organized and ready on time or in the usual way. Sometimes we simply need to stop and listen and learn what is really important for that moment. The gift of the present moment can’t be replaced. Somehow, folks will find food to eat. They may need to work together in unfamiliar ways, but generally no one starves for want of getting into the kitchen and preparing the food that’s there! In the meanwhile, there are treasures of wisdom that will be missed if the focus is too strictly on what is expected of each person at any given time.

The Lord came to dinner that day. They didn’t know he was the Lord. He was their friend, Jesus of Nazareth, who happened to be a traveling preacher and healer. Maybe even a prophet. His words to Martha that day were really a reminder that there’s a time to take off the apron of management of the kitchen and hosting the meal and instead sit to be present with the guests, honoring the gift of their presence.

Years later, in his teaching, St. Paul explained to the Colossians that all the hardships and suffering he had experienced through his many years of travel and teaching were worthwhile. They made it possible for him to share the great wonder of the incarnation. Christ is present now in each person in the community, following the death and resurrection of Jesus. Each person may bring the presence of the Lord into every encounter with another. As we live as a community, or as a family, or as individuals with friends, we bring the presence of the Lord to our encounters. When we gather at the table at home, the Lord is present with us. When we gather at the table of Eucharist, the Lord is present with us. (Col 1:24-28)

We don’t need to receive a letter announcing the coming of a special guest. Each person we encounter, each person with whom we share our lives, brings the possibility of meeting the Lord in a new way. The big challenge we face is to remember to stop and listen, to hear the deeper message of love. Not always easy. Often we miss the boat. But always an important goal.

This week, may we remember to take time to welcome each person who joins us at table. Even the family with whom we eat every day! There’s always something that can be learned or shared if we take time to listen and ask questions. And when we meet others outside the family, may we be open to hear the Lord’s voice from them as well.

Peace and joy be yours as the Lord joins you for dinner.

Readings for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C

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

Hidden in your Hearts

Children’s songs are passed down from generation to generation, sometimes with slightly different words, but with essentially the same tune and ideas. One such song is “Goin’ on a Lion Hunt.” I learned it as a Brownie Scout and we sang it through the years around campfires or in troop gatherings. It was always fun to act out the words as in the song we came up to a tree and had to “go around it” or a creek or a field and had to “go through it.” Of course, when we finally found the lion, we were far from prepared for the sight and had to repeat all of the motions in reverse as fast as we could until we arrived safely at home!

Quest stories are a feature of most cultures. A person is presented with a challenge and must go forth, away from all that is familiar, in search of the answer to the question, or a treatment for an illness or enchantment, or their true calling in life. Sometimes the quest includes other persons of about the same age. Sometimes, the hero must go alone, seeking advice from those met along the way, including spirits and animal friends. Trials abound, traps for the unwary, surprise sources of inspiration, and eventually, the goal of attaining the wisdom or prize of the quest.

Many of my favorite stories have been those of quests, especially those that include young people and some historical or mythological characters as well. It’s fun to learn about other cultures or historical events through the eyes of observers who are witnesses or participants in them.

Sometimes we think a quest must also be necessary to figure out God’s will for us. What are we to do? What does God want of us? Where will we find the answers? Surely something important enough to please a divine being must be big and elusive!

Yet shortly before his death, Moses spoke to the Israelites, descendants of those who had been enslaved in Egypt and freed through Passover. “If only you would heed the voice of the Lord, your God, and keep his commandments and statutes that are written in this book of the law…” It sounds like these commandments must be something difficult to find. But no, the command “is not too mysterious and remote for you.” It’s not up in the sky or across the river. It’s not like going Lion hunting – through many dangers and challenges.

“It is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out.” (Deut 30:10-14)

Already in our hearts? How can that be? What are the commands that can be in our hearts?

The Law states very clearly what is expected. “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

OK, but what does that mean in terms of actions? A scholar of the law asked Jesus that exact question one day. “Who is my neighbor?”

Jesus didn’t send him on a quest to find the answer to the question, though in a novel he might have done so. Instead, he told the man a story.

“A man fell victim to robbers…” The poor man was stripped of his clothing, beaten, and left half dead by the side of the road. We’ve heard the story many times. A priest saw him and moved to walk on the other side of the road. A Levite, a person who could assist with sacrifices in the Temple, also crossed the road to avoid contact with the injured man. Only a man from a stigmatized group, a Samaritan, stopped to help the injured man.

The Samaritan was “moved by compassion” and stopped to offer first aid and care. He took the man to an inn, carrying him on his own animal. He had to continue on his journey the next day, but he paid the innkeeper to continue to care for the wounded man, promising to pay any additional cost of the care when he returned.

Jesus asked the scholar, “Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” When the scholar answered, “The one who treated him with mercy,” Jesus confirmed his observation. “Go and do likewise,” he said. (Lk 10:25-37)

Compassion, mercy, kindness, forgiveness, gentleness. All are signs of obedience to the commands of the Law. They are shared among all people.

Jesus, “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” through whom all was created, who holds all things together, tells the young man, “Go and do likewise.”

Each of us is included in that command. “Go and do likewise.”

We are born into a family, a culture, a nation, and we learn the ways of those who raise us. Some of those ways may not exactly be loving or welcoming of differences among peoples. Some may be hostile to ways of being that are not acceptable to “our people.” Some are fearful of outside influences and seek to remain “pure” in beliefs and actions. Some are afraid of change.

In a way, we each have a quest on which we embark as we grow up. We learn the ways and expectations of our families and peers with our mothers’ milk, and we take them as absolute truth when we are very small. As we grow, we learn of other peoples and other ways. We seek to find the right way to live as human beings.

In our quest, Moses told the people, we are not to think it necessary to go up to the sky to find the Lord’s command, nor are we to think we must cross the sea to find it. It is already near to us, “already in your mouths and in your hearts.”

Jesus too tells us that the place to look is within our hearts – to look for mercy and kindness and compassion that reaches out to those in need, those who are not from our own group, those who may be from other countries or ways of living. We each have gifts from the Father that are to be used for others. Part of our quest is to identify those gifts. One way to do it is by serving others. Opportunities open up, walls fall down as we approach, a smile opens the door to a heart.

Jesus is “the head of the body, the church … in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things…” (Col 1:15-20)

Following his instructions, may we too go out this week and serve our fellow travelers on the way with gentle, compassionate, acceptance and understanding. We’ll meet some amazing people and have some wonderful adventures along the way.

Readings for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C

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

Two by Two and Away We Go

There’s an old song that includes a phrase I couldn’t find on the internet, but which I remember clearly. The phrase is from a little ditty and it goes, “Hey Dearie Dee and away we go, heigh ho, heigh ho, heigh ho.” It’s similar to songs from “Pinocchio” and “Snow White,” but the song I learned as a child had a different tune to go with these words.

This little song came to mind as I was thinking about the Gospel reading. Jesus sent seventy-two of his disciples out, two by two, to tell of the coming of the Kingdom, as well as to heal the sick. The disciples went out without any provisions, trusting in the goodwill of the people of the communities they would visit for meals and places to sleep. They came back amazed at the fact that they were able to heal the sick and even to “cast out demons.” Jesus was not surprised at this, encouraging them to continue to trust they would be protected from dangerous creatures such as scorpions and snakes.

Interestingly, the phrase regarding snakes in the Gospel is in quotation marks – the power to “tread upon serpents.” In the Book of Genesis, it’s the serpent in the Garden who tricks Eve into disobeying God by eating the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. In this, Jesus is saying that spirits which oppose the Kingdom can be defeated as well. However, and more importantly, he reminds them and us, “do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” (Lk 10:1-12, 17-20)

In some ways, the buddy system we see in youth organizations such as Scouting is similar – designed to protect participants, aid in learning new skills, and offer built-in companionship for activities. When things are going well, a buddy shares the joy. When things are hard, a buddy is there to share the difficulties and offer encouragement to keep going. Buddies also help each other figure out why things aren’t going as expected and what alternatives might work better.

Jesus and the early Christians used the buddy system too. Jesus traveled with a group of disciples. Paul and the other apostles traveled with companions on their journeys. The people they met formed communities, sharing what they had and working out differences of opinion. Early Christians tussled over the importance or need for circumcision. They tried to understand the meaning of the crucifixion. They suffered violent opposition from the authorities or influential people in the cities and towns they visited.

Yet through it all, they worked together to understand and share a completely new insight. Through the cross of Jesus and through baptism into this mystery, something new emerges. People become more than they were before the experience. They are a new creation, a new people, not divided by historical family ties into Jews and Gentiles, but one that is the new people of God.

Paul speaks of bearing the marks of Jesus on his body. Many times he suffered physically for his testimony to unwilling audiences, including at least one occasion when he was stoned and left for dead. Yet each time he continued forward, shaking the dust of the unwelcoming community from his feet and traveling on to the next town. (Gal 6:14-18)

Through the witness of the first Christians, a new community was born. This new community was a direct descendant of those who returned from exile in Babylon and rebuilt the city of Jerusalem and the temple of God on the holy mountain where it had been historically. The city is still in the same place today and the holy mountain continues to be a holy place for Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

Isaiah presents the Lord speaking of Jerusalem as a mother who nurses her child, calling on all to rejoice at her restoration. “Be glad because of her, all you who love her; exult, exult with her, all you who were mourning over her! … As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms, and fondled in her lap … in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort.” Jerusalem will prosper again, says the Lord, and the people will rejoice and flourish as the power of the LORD becomes clear to those who serve him. (Is 66:10-14c)

Once again, we are not hearing about a solitary person. An entire people are included in this call to rejoice. The city was rebuilt and, like many cities through the course of history, it was conquered multiple times afterwards. Foreign rulers came and went. The city was destroyed more than once. But it’s always been rebuilt. And those who rebuild it rejoice in its rebirth.

Through the life and ministry of Jesus and the apostles, as well as all their successors through the ages, we too rejoice in the Lord’s presence and working in the world.

We too are called to go out into our own worlds of home, families, friends, work, community, and the wider world to share the Good News of God’s love and the coming of the Kingdom of God. Two by two symbolically, we encourage each other. Sometimes the interaction will be more solitary, but always we know we are part of a larger community and we share our experiences with each other. The message is not always welcome. It can be difficult to explain why we behave as we do, why we refrain from certain activities because they would harm or demean others, why we share what we have even if we don’t have as much as others might have. But with the support of our families and communities, we move forward in faith.

As we move through this next week, with all the potential changes and uncertainty it will bring, may we remember that we are not alone. We are a community, a group of people who have met the Lord as we reach out in service to those most vulnerable among us. We have met the Lord in our worship, in our sacraments, in our own quiet prayer times. We have met the Lord in the beauty of creation, the wonder of a sunrise or sunset, the roar of the sea, the power of a wind or thunderstorm. We have met the Lord in the help we ourselves have received in the hard times – brought for us by our buddies in the journey.

May our eyes and ears be open to see and hear – “Two by two and away we go, heigh ho, heigh ho, heigh ho!”

Readings for the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C

Posted by Theologika on Jun 29, 2025

Peter and Paul – Unlikely Heroes

Peter and Paul – One a Galilean fisherman, the other a Pharisee, scholar of the Law, immigrant from the city of Tarsus in the province of Cilicia in Asia Minor, and Roman citizen. The first’s original name was Simon and the other’s was Saul.

The chances they would ever meet, let alone become co-workers, sharing the news of the coming of the Christ to all they met and serving as leaders in the community of disciples of Jesus were miniscule. Both would eventually meet their death in Rome in 64 CE – capital city of the Empire. According to tradition, Peter was crucified, upside down per his request. Paul, as a Roman citizen, was beheaded – crucifixion was reserved for non-citizens!

A simple fisherman

Simon/Peter first met Jesus in the fishing town of Capernaum. Jesus saw him, mending and drying nets with his brothers after a long fruitless night of fishing. They had not caught anything. St Luke tells us that Jesus got into the boat to teach the people gathered on the shore. After a while he told Simon and the others to take the boat out again and toss out their nets for a catch. What nonsense! Fish didn’t bite or get caught during the day.

But something about Jesus was different, compelling even, and so they set out again. Imagine their amazement when the nets filled to overflowing with fish! They had to call the other boat with whom they usually worked to come help. Both boats were filled to the brim and more. Simon dropped to his knees and begged Jesus to leave him, a sinner not worthy of such a miracle. Jesus’ response was totally unexpected. “Do not be afraid, from now on you will be catching men.” They took their boat to the shore, left everything – boat, nets, fish, even families – to follow this man. And, oh, the wonders they would see.

Through the next three years they witnessed healings of all kinds, children and adults raised to life again, storms on the Sea of Galilee calmed at a word, thousands of people fed with just a few fish and loaves of bread, a triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and so much more. All the while, Jesus was teaching them about the Father and the Kingdom of God.

So many people came to hear Jesus and follow, but Simon held a special place among the twelve who were his closest friends. More than just followers, disciples, they were his friends. Clueless friends sometimes, but Jesus was patient with them and kept teaching about the Kingdom.

They traveled through the Galilee, Samaria, and Judea. Many times Jesus had to correct their expectations of who the Messiah would be and what their role would be. After the times he had fed thousands of people who had come to listen to him with just a few fish and loaves of bread, he asked his disciples one day, “Who do people say that I am?” They replied that folks thought he might be Elijah the prophet returned to earth, or John the Baptist raised from the dead, or Jeremiah or some other prophet. Then Jesus asked a more personal question. “Who do you say that I am.” Simon replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Pretty daring words, but Jesus didn’t deny it. He acknowledged what Simon had said, adding, “… You are Peter (Rock) and on this rock I will build my church.” (Mt 16:13-19)

No one understood what Jesus meant at the time. Peter continued to learn without clearly seeing what was coming, even denying he knew Jesus in the garden of the high priest during the trial. He didn’t believe when Mary of Magdala brought word of the resurrection and he and the others hid in fear of the authorities before the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Yet Peter became and remained the leader of the community. He and the other apostles, none of them trained in theology or leadership, learned how to lead a community and proclaim boldly what they had seen and heard. They preached, they healed the sick and lame, they witnessed to the religious leaders about what they had seen and come to believe, and rejoiced when as a result they were publicly whipped and otherwise shamed.

When Herod was persecuting the community, Peter was arrested. Herod planned to have a trial and execute him after the festival of Unleavened Bread. Sixteen soldiers were set to guard him, lest he escape. The community prayed fervently for his release, and God answered. The night before his trial, while sleeping chained to two soldiers – one on each side of him – an angel came and woke Peter. The chains that held him bound to the guards dropped away. The angel was quite practical, telling him to get his belt and pouch and to put on his cloak, then follow. He was led out of the prison, past the other guards and out the door and the iron gate, which rose silently and automatically as they approached. He found himself free on the streets of Jerusalem. He went to the house of John Mark, where all were amazed to see him, assumed he must be a ghost, and then gave thanks for his release. Afterwards, he wisely left the area to work in another community. (Acts 12:1-11)

A Pharisee and Student of the Law

Paul/Saul, on the other hand, was a tent-maker by trade. He never met Jesus before Jesus’ arrest, condemnation, death, and resurrection. In fact, he was so absolutely positive these people were liars and heretics – probably low-life scum out to take advantage of others and lead them astray – that he actively set about to arrest and convict them of crimes punishable by death.

When Stephen was arrested and charged with heresy, Saul was among those outraged by his words testifying to his faith. He watched over with approval the robes of those who stoned Stephen to death – the first to die as a martyr, a witness to the coming of the Kingdom.

Following Stephen’s death, Saul led a group from Jerusalem to Damascus to arrest the Christians there. On the road, he met Jesus and his life was turned upside down! Left blind by the vision of Jesus with whom he spoke, he went on to Damascus and there was visited by Ananias, who taught him of Jesus’ life and teaching. Saul, now known as Paul, became such a persuasive preacher that the community had to lower him in a basket outside the city walls in order for him to avoid death at the hands of Jewish authorities there!

Folks in Jerusalem were not ready to trust or welcome him. The leaders eventually accepted him, but his preaching was so compelling it attracted too much attention from the authorities. It was decided that it would be better for all if he just went home to Tarsus and went back to making tents.

Several years later, he was called back to Antioch and sent on the first of his missionary journeys to another part of western Asia Minor to preach the Gospel. He found a more willing audience among non-Jews, though he always began with the Jewish communities in his preaching.

His ministry to the Gentiles, combined with Peter’s experience in the house of Cornelius when the Spirit came upon the Romans there before they were baptized, led to the decision at the Council of Jerusalem, called to determine whether folks had to become Jews in order to be Christians. The decision, based on the experiences of Peter and Paul, was that it was not necessary and the Church set out on a new and broader path.

Eventually, both Peter and Paul ended up in Rome. Peter went there freely to work with new Christians in the city. Paul appealed to Rome for trial after having been arrested in Jerusalem. It was his right as a Roman citizen to be tried in Rome. Both died there.

Paul wrote of his life and hope for the future to his close friend and disciple, Timothy, as his death approached. His words have been an inspiration for centuries. (2 Tim 4:6-8, 17-18)

A new leader was chosen for the people of Rome after Peter’s death. To this day, the Bishop of Rome, as successor to Peter, is the leader of the Roman branch of the Catholic church community.

Heroes who changed the world

Two very unlikely heroes. One with little formal education. One with quite a lot of it. One from a conquered country. One a citizen of the conquering nation because he was born in a city of the empire. In art, one is portrayed carrying a set of keys and the other with a book and a sword. Peter and Paul.

Together, they became essential leaders of a community whose beliefs transformed the world in which they lived. Western civilization developed in a different way than it would have before they accepted the call they received to go out to the ends of the earth and teach everyone about the man they had met who turned out to be the Son of God, the Chosen One come to show humans how to live as children of God, heirs to a greater Kingdom.

None of us is likely to become as famous as they became. But each of us is also called to be part of that Kingdom they brought from a seemingly insignificant land out into the broader world. Each of us will influence others as well, for better or worse, in hearing about and choosing to become part of the Kingdom or not.

In that Kingdom they helped introduce to the rest of the world, the poor are helped to find food and shelter, welcome from the community and a chance to build a new life. Those who are sick receive care. Those who are from less honored communities are respected. Those whose lives are threatened by the strong are given refuge.

We are the ones called today. We follow Peter and Paul, and so many, many others after them as we live our lives in service to the Lord through our own families and communities, and even to the ends of the earth.

As the psalmist proclaims in song, “Taste and see how good the Lord is: blessed the one who takes refuge in him.” (Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9)

Peter and Paul – unlikely heroes, who model a life of faith and witness for us all.

Readings for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles – 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 Jun 1, 2025

Our Choices – Look Back or Look Ahead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No Unnecessary Burdens

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Cycle C

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

Opening the Door of Faith

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All things new. What a wonderful promise.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The world awaits our witness and outreach in loving service.

Readings for the Fifth Sunday of Easter – Cycle C

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

My Sheep Hear My Voice

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Narrow Door

Be Bold and Persistent

The Day the Lord Came to Dinner

Hidden in your Hearts

Peter and Paul – Unlikely Heroes

A simple fisherman

A Pharisee and Student of the Law

Heroes who changed the world

The Lord Possessed Me – Wisdom Speaks!

Lord Send Out Your Spirit

Our Choices – Look Back or Look Ahead

No Unnecessary Burdens

Opening the Door of Faith

My Sheep Hear My Voice

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