Easter Season | blog.theologika.net

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Apr 26, 2026

Shoe-d Away or Welcomed In?

We always had dogs when I was a girl and there were many individual quirks that distinguished each of them. One did not like my Grandmother. Another disliked my Aunt. We knew what had caused the issue with Grammy, but none of us was ever sure what my Aunt might have done to make the dog believe she was an enemy. Regardless of the reason, he was absolutely convinced.

She lived in another town several hours away, so he didn’t see her often, but he always barked ferociously when he saw her and moved to guard the door of the house to prevent her entry. As a result, she usually simply came in through the front door rather than the back. It was just easier on the dog and the rest of us that way.

One day, she was in town for a gathering at the home of another family member. She had traveled several hours that day to get there and was tired, so she left earlier than the rest of us did. When we stopped to think, we realized she didn’t have a key to the house, so how was she going to get in?

We hurried home and found the lights on inside the house and the dog loose in the backyard. He had been locked in the kennel when we left, so he wouldn’t go over the fence and take an unsanctioned walk for a bit before we returned. (He had no hesitation about going over the fence when it seemed urgent to him. He also knew how to open the latch on the gate, but that’s another story.)

We went into the house and asked my Aunt how she had gotten in past the dog. The key, after all, was kept inside the locked kennel. She laughed and said, “I shoed him out!”

We all heard shoo-d (past tense of shoo) and were confused. What would shooing a barking, angry dog do that would allow her to get past, retrieve the key, and get safely into the house? But that wasn’t the word she used. It was shoed, but not in the sense one would use to describe putting a shoe on a horse. She explained that she simply picked up the tennis shoe that he loved to chase and retrieve in a game of fetch and tossed it to the far corner of the yard. She stepped into the kennel, got the key, and went into the house before he returned and realized what had just happened. We all had a good laugh at that. She had shoe-d the dog.

I find myself remembering this story as I reflect on Jesus’ description of himself as both shepherd of a flock that is protected in a locked, gated sheepfold and as the gate himself. He reminded his listeners that the shepherd enters and leaves the enclosure through a gate, opened by a gatekeeper. The sheepfold has sheep from many flocks, but his sheep recognize his voice and, reassured by his presence, follow him out the gate and into the pasture for the day. Each sheep has a name and is known to the shepherd, who uses the name to call the sheep to come along. Anyone who doesn’t have the key or the gatekeeper’s permission to enter must find another way in. Thieves come in over the fence, not through the gate. The sheep do not voluntarily come to the thieves and follow them.

A bit later, Jesus adds another layer to the image. “Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep.” “Amen, amen…” We might phrase it as, “Listen up, guys, this is important!” Jesus is not only the shepherd. Jesus tells us he is the gate through which those who follow his call will enter and leave the sheepfold to go out to the pasture for the day, before returning to its safety for the night. (Jn 10:1-10)

As a good shepherd, he comes to bring abundant life to his sheep, unlike the thieves who steal them in order to kill and eat them.

Our challenge is to hear and recognize the call of this Good Shepherd in our lives. We hear so very many voices, many of which sound very rational and reasonable. Nations and peoples are described as enemies who can never be trusted. Former allies are criticized and insulted. Bombs are dropped and children are killed. It seems like the world has gone mad, made to dance like a puppet in the hands of a mad puppeteer.

Which voices are we to trust? Which people are the dangerous Aunt who must not get past us in our role as guard dogs? Are they really dangerous? Do they throw a shoe for us to chase, so we forget we don’t like or trust them? Or do others who want to fool us throw the shoe, so we won’t notice what they are doing? Are they trying to “shoe” us?

As we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday, let’s keep our eyes and ears open to hear the voice of the Lord, our Shepherd, calling us to be kind and gentle with those we meet, and to be careful not to judge or jump to conclusions about the intentions of other people, especially those whose ways are different than our own. Let’s be hopeful, knowing that we and the rest of our human brothers and sisters are also loved by God and called to relationship with each other and with our divine Father, our brother Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, the Holy Breath of God, our sister Wisdom. Let’s not get distracted by that “shoe,” whatever it is.

In the Kingdom of God today, here and now as well as in the future, will we be shoe-d away or welcomed in as we welcome others to come with us? Which will we choose?

Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Easter – Cycle A

Posted by Dcn. Randy Pozos on Apr 19, 2026

Breaking the Bread of Peace

The story of the disciples on the way to Emmaus is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. The disciples are shattered. Their messiah has been killed. A stranger accompanies them and opens the scriptures to them, showing them why the Master had to suffer and die. They feel better and are consoled but they are joyous when they recognize him in the breaking of the bread. (Lk 24:13-35)

This is how we as disciples encounter the Risen Christ. The disciples didn’t recognize who the stranger was. Many of Jesus’ other disciples did not recognize Him after his Resurrection. Mary of Magdala thought that he was the gardener and asked him where they had taken the body of Jesus. Later, Peter and the apostles saw a man on the beach when they were fishing. He had started a fire and was grilling some fish for them. Only then did Peter recognize him.

The Risen Christ is seen only through Faith in his death and Resurrection. We find him in the scriptures even when our lives have fallen apart. We know that Christ identifies with us in our suffering and the difficulties of everyday life. God was supposed to save us from this suffering, we thought, and we lose heart. However, in the scriptures we see how the Christ had to suffer and die and come into the glory of his resurrection. But we still don’t see Him.

The Emmaus story gives us the outline of our own journey to the Risen Christ. It is the Mass, the Eucharist. We hear God’s word and we respond by inviting him into our homes, into our hearts. As we enter the Mystery of the breaking of the bread we are overcome with peace. It is the Lord’s Easter greeting. “Peace be with you.” When we hear the word of God in our hearts, a peace overcomes us if this is what we want. We cannot recognize him in the Breaking of the Bread unless we have united with each other and say the prayer that He himself gave us. “Our Father who art in heaven.” We celebrate that oneness, that unity, by being in a state of peace and sharing that with each other.

“Lord Jesus Christ, who said to Your Apostles: Peace, I leave you, my peace I give you; look not on our sins, but on the faith of Your Church, and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with Your will. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.”

Let us now give each other the sign of peace. Now our hearts and souls are ready to recognize him. We cannot have peace without faith and without faith we cannot see the Risen Christ. We often think that peace is something that is personal. And so, it is. We often think that peace is for those of us gathered around the Lord’s table. And so, it is.

Yet, Christ did not just die for us or those at Mass, but for all of humanity. So, peace is just not an ideal or a feeling. We find peace when we embody it and when we base our social systems on it.

Pope Leo and other Popes and theologians throughout history have had the same teaching on peace as being something that is real and tangible. It is a holiness within us. Whether we are involved in family disputes such as divorce and child custody, backstabbing at work, or discrimination, we can embody a peaceful grace-filled presence in our thoughts, in our words, and in our deeds. In our community and nation, we stand in the peace-filled presence of the Risen Christ. Our goal is dialog and reconciliation. It is not more fighting, slogan throwing, or name calling.

Recently, Pope Leo XIV restated the message of Popes throughout the centuries, “Peace cannot be reduced to a slogan: it must be embodied in a way of life that renounces all forms of violence, both personally and institutionally.”

In our lives, peace is an action word, and we make it a daily practice to foster justice and dialog. Whether it is free or low-cost housing, health insurance for all, or programs that provide help for mothers and children and for those at risk, for those who live by the side of the road and at the margins of society. Justice is always the first step to peace in our hearts, in our streets, and in our world.

Currently, a few men have great power in the world and can wage war on a massive scale at the press of a button. On a more regional level there are war lords, drug lords, and those who traffic in drugs and human lives who bring about great harm and evil.

This week Pope Leo has been visiting four countries in Africa in which conflict is currently raging or has recently come to an end. During this tour, he declared: “The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters!”

Most of us are aware of negative comments President Trump and Vice President Vance have made about the Pope’s position on the Israel-Iranian war as an unjust preemptive strike against a country that posed no immediate threat. St. Pope John Paul II admonished President Bush not to pre-emptively attack Iraq. Similar papal statements about Afghanistan were ignored.

Pope Leo had previously called Mr. Trump’s threat to destroy Iranian civilization “truly unacceptable,” and encouraged people to “contact the authorities — political leaders, congressmen — to ask them, tell them to work for peace and to reject war, always.”

The challenge for those of us who are privileged to live in a democratic society is to use our votes and our voices to embody justice. Much has been said about our moral ability to wage a just war. In a few words, this teaching states that a defensive war is only a last resort when all other efforts have failed. Pre-emptive/preventive wars are never allowed under the Church’s just war teaching.

Vice President Vance admonished the Pope earlier this week that he should be careful about making theological pronouncements. The US Catholic Conference of Bishops, in response, admonished the Vice President, who has been a Catholic for six years:

“When Pope Leo XIV speaks as supreme pastor of the universal Church, he is not merely offering opinions on theology, he is preaching the Gospel and exercising his ministry as the Vicar of Christ.”

Moral teaching is not an issue of politics in the sense of advocating the right, left, or center. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is amazingly pacifist. His teachings and actions show the power of good over evil, of justice over oppression, and the power of life over death, even when life is crucified. Lest we think that working for peace is just wearing sandals and singing guitar songs, there was a moment when a peacemaker saved the world from nuclear annihilation.

In one of our most dangerous moments as a country and as a planet, St. Pope John XXIII played a key role in preventing nuclear war during the Cuban missile crisis. From October 16 to 28 in 1962, the United States and The Soviet Union threatened to use nuclear weapons over the placement of nuclear missiles in Cuba. The United States had escalated the threat to its highest-level, Def Con 3.

At the time, there was no red phone. There was no direct communication between Kennedy and Kruschev. Convoluted cables and diplomatic protocols meant that it could take 12 hours for both leaders to communicate. To improve communication, the United States made back-channel connections to the Soviet Union through St. Pope John XXIII. Using the phone, he became the intermediary and was able to convince both leaders to de-escalate the crisis and to come to an acceptable settlement.

Pope Paul VI also spoke of peace and the absolute imperative to end war as a solution to conflicting perspectives and goals on the international stage when he visited the United Nations and addressed the representatives of the nations assembled there. “No more war. Never again war!” He repeated this admonition frequently during his time as Pope.

St. Pope John Paul II, talking about the Iraq War, declared “No to War!” War is “never inevitable” and is “always a defeat for humanity.” That defeat is not inevitable and can be avoided by “international law, honest dialogue, solidarity between States, the noble exercise of diplomacy.”

At the same time, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict XVI, added his voice. He said that these circumstances (of a just war) were not met with Iraq, in part because preemptive war is not a justification for war. Cardinal Ratzinger explained that supporters of the war would find that “the concept of preventive war does not appear in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.” The Vatican’s response was clear. “No to War” included preventive war precisely because preventive war is not just. An example of a defensive just war would be World War II. Attacking another country because we think that they will do something is not justified.

In Pope Leo’s homily for the Mass for Peace in Bamenda, Cameroon, prepared two weeks before his trip began, he declared,

“Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.”

Let us, then, draw near to the table of the Lord in justice and peace. Through faith let us see Him in the breaking of the bread.

“Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of Your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Readings for the Third Sunday of Easter – Cycle A

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Apr 12, 2026

One Wave at a Time – Love Flows

I stood on a cliff beside Monterey Bay one afternoon and watched the waves coming ashore. It was a relatively calm day, the big storms were a day and a half away yet and the ocean was peaceful. Wave after wave came ashore, washing up over the rocks at the base of the cliff and the seawall built a few years earlier when waves from a very strong storm had washed away much of the cliff and threatened to take the road along its edge too. Now it was all peaceful.

The waves came in, broke gently on the rocks, and retreated back into the Bay. Another set came in gently, broke on the rocks, and retreated once again. The process continued long after I walked on along the path. The waves came in, broke on the rocks, and returned to the deeper water.

Was it the same drop or molecule of water each time? Not any easy way to know the answer to that one. Any particular molecule of water might come in and out innumerable times and I would never be able to see any difference in the picture of the waves coming and going. Yet there is no reason to assume that every drop of water might not eventually have a chance to come in and kiss the rocks at the shore. The ocean has been here for a very long time! And so has the shore, though it changes more frequently.

And there’s the lesson for us who have such short lifespans in comparison to the water and shore. Each time the water comes to the shore, its kiss softens the rock against which it meets with a bump. Some bumps are soft and gentle. Others are fierce and strong, tearing at the very foundation of the cliff. Either kind of wave contributes to the change in shape of the shoreline. Even the very gently touching waves change the shape of the shore by softening and washing away a tiny bit of the rock each time they touch. Just so, each time we act with kindness and gentleness, the rock of pain and suffering born by another person is touched and softened. It’s rarely a dramatic event, but over time, change happens.

On the Second Sunday of Easter, we celebrate Divine Mercy. The merciful love of God might be compared to the ocean. It is, of course, even bigger than the ocean or anything else we can imagine, but stick with me and the image anyway for a moment.

God chose to become one of us in Jesus of Nazareth, to share everything we humans experience, including betrayal at the hand of his friends and a painful death. The wave of divine love washed up on the shore with a kiss of gentle love and healing for those whom Jesus met in his life. Then it washed back out to the great sea, finding strength and perseverance through times spent in prayer. Even in the garden the night before he died, Jesus stepped back to find the strength to continue to move forward, sharing and witnessing to the love of the Father. He died trusting in the Father’s love as his mission was finished.

But God wasn’t finished yet. Just as the ocean keeps sending waves to wash up on the shore, God didn’t stop. Death could not destroy the one who is Love any more than the shore can stop or hold the waves. Jesus rose from death and returned to continue his mission through his friends.

On the evening of that first Easter, Jesus’ friends were locked away, hiding from the authorities, afraid they might be the next ones to face death for having been his friends. They were also embarrassed about having denied or deserted him when he was arrested.

Without warning, he was there among them. The first words he said were, “Peace be with you.” He didn’t scold them or make them feel bad about having failed. He spoke words of healing and love – “Peace be with you.” And then, St. John tells us, he passed his commission from the Father on to his friends. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And to give them the strength and ability to carry the mission forward, he breathed on them, sharing the Holy Spirit with them and giving them the authority to forgive sin. (Jn 20:19-31)

The unlimited ocean of Divine Love would now continue to touch the shores of human worries, fears, pain, and failure with the joy and peace of forgiveness and healing. More little waves would begin to wash up against the rocks of anger, fear, pain, and loss in their communities, softening the hardness to allow them to float in a love that wants to surround and carry them forward.

The community of believers grew as the word was shared and their lives attracted others who would share in the work of caring for each other and those in need. (Acts 2:42-47) The example of their lives and service would speak louder than words through the centuries. Sometimes people forgot the importance of living in humble service and tried to impose their ways on others. In the long term, that never works well. The example of those who instead trusted the presence of that great ocean of Love as they washed up against the hardened rocks and hearts are long remembered as we see the fruits of their labor within our communities and world.

As we move through these weeks of Easter, may we remain open to being a small part of that ocean of love that fills and sustains our lives and our world. May we be willing to be gentle rather than violent, hopeful rather than despairing, sharing rather than scrabbling greedily for the riches of the world, healing rather than wounding.

Each of us has multiple opportunities to be the face, voice, and hands of the Lord each day. I pray that we hang onto this calling as it seems the world around us grows colder and crazier each day. The ocean sometimes rages, but the raging of the ocean of Divine Love, the Lord, is an even stronger experience of love and healing than what we know in ordinary life. It is not destructive. It builds up stores of hope and joy that are stronger than anger or fear. These moments of encounter with the power of Love, sharing in the experience of Jesus’ friends on the first Easter, give us the strength and courage to become part of the little waves that will change our lives and our world.

Let’s keep our eyes, ears, and heart open to become a part of this marvelous adventure.

Easter peace and joy be yours.

Readings for the Second Sunday of Easter – Divine Mercy Sunday – Cycle A

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

Our Choices – Look Back or Look Ahead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No Unnecessary Burdens

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Cycle C

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

Opening the Door of Faith

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All things new. What a wonderful promise.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The world awaits our witness and outreach in loving service.

Readings for the Fifth Sunday of Easter – Cycle C

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

My Sheep Hear My Voice

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Recognize the Lord and Tell Others

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So, what does all this imply for us today?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Readings for the Third Sunday of Easter – Cycle C

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

Powder, Powder, Pretty Baby

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Covenants Renewed and Transformed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alleluia.

Readings for the Feast of Pentecost – Cycle B

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on May 11, 2024

Transitions: Waiting, Praying, Growing

What can be done with a broken plate, or cup, or bowl? A beautiful keepsake crashes to the floor and is, as the saying goes, smashed to smithereens! An everyday cup slips out of a child’s hands and meets the same fate. Things break, both literally and figuratively. Sometimes they can be mended. Sometimes they can’t. And sometimes they can be reused rather than being sent to the trash heap.

In our own lives, we also experience times of transition. Something exciting and wonderful comes to an end and we mourn its passing. Something difficult begins to improve and we rejoice, hoping the improvement will continue. Sometimes it’s a bit of both and the something new is born slowly and quietly. Sometimes there’s a sudden change and that also requires time for adjustment.

In these times of transition, when broken pieces wait for realignment and transformation into something beautiful again, we don’t always know what to do. These are times for waiting, praying, and growing into newer, deeper, more human persons.

After the Resurrection, the disciples were visited many times by the Risen Lord. They came to believe that he had indeed risen from the dead. Many still thought he might now lead armies in battle to “restore the kingdom to Israel.”

The last time Jesus met with his friends, he instructed them to remain in Jerusalem and wait “for the promise of the Father” of which both he and his cousin John had spoken, the baptism with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:1-11)

Baptism is a word that means to plunge into something. Baptism with water involves having water poured over the person being baptized or their being submerged into water. Baptism with the Holy Spirit is not a physical thing. In the sacrament of Confirmation, the Bishop anoints the person with chrism and lays hands on the person’s head, while together we pray with him for the Holy Spirit to enter into their hearts in a new and deeper, transformative way. Not everyone experiences a sense of something being different in their lives after Confirmation, but there is a difference and some do notice it. Sometimes, the difference is dramatic. In the early Church and at various times in the following centuries, the coming of the Spirit has been seen in the community with signs and wonders – speaking in tongues, prophesy, healings, and other wonderful things.

At any rate, whether with dramatic signs or simply with a quiet sense of peace, Jesus promised the disciples would be baptized, plunged into, the life of the Holy Spirit. How that would happen or what it would mean was not explained before he was taken up and away from their sight. Two men, dressed in white, reminded them that they were to return to Jerusalem to wait and pray for the fulfillment of the promise. And so they did. The men also promised that Jesus would return one day. How or when this would happen was for the Father alone to know, he assured them.

St. Mark also spoke of Jesus’ final words before being taken up into heaven. He told them to “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel, the good news, to every creature.” Signs and wonders would accompany their preaching. We can get very literal in understanding the words in the Gospel, but I suggest it’s important to seek understanding in terms of what we have learned in two thousand years about humans and our interactions with each other. People would be healed, new words and ways of speaking would be used, dangerous things would not hurt them. All would see the goodness of God in their lives and actions. (Mk 16:15-20)

St. Paul instructed the community at Ephesus regarding the gift of living their lives as Christians, followers of the Lord. The eyes of their hearts will be opened to see and understand the great hope and power of the inheritance they have received through the Holy Spirit’s anointing. They are to live with humility, gentleness, patience, preserving the unity of the community with peace. They are one body and share in the one Spirit, received through their baptism. Some are to go out publicly and teach and preach. Others will live more quietly in their communities, doing the regular things expected of those with their calling – parents, homemakers, tradesmen, teachers, healers, software engineers, doctors, lawyers, scientists, astronauts, poets, musicians, and so many, many more vocations that have opened through the centuries. (Two reading options – Eph 1:17-23 or Eph 4:1-13)

We are all called to be preachers of the Good News. We are not all called to do it on the street corners or pulpits of our communities. We do it in the everyday way we live our lives. Forgiving when we have been hurt. Helping those to heal who have been wounded, whether physically or emotionally. Finding ways to make living as Christians fun for our families, and preparing each member to be able to hold on to the hope and joy of the Good News while dealing with the opposition they will meet outside the community.

As a community, we are like a great big mosaic that is being created by our Father. He takes each of the broken pieces of our lives, places each in a very specific place in the design he envisions, and creates something beautiful and unexpected. Meanwhile, we wait, pray, and grow, becoming the pieces he needs for the mosaic.

As we wait and pray this week for the coming of the Holy Spirit into our lives once again at Pentecost, may we have the courage to request the grace of being open to the ways the Father will shape and mold us into the pieces he needs for his mosaic. It may take a bit of sanding, nipping off a corner here or there, or being turned around or upside down several times, but eventually, we will fit into the picture just the way we need to fit.

Readings for The Ascension of the Lord – Cycle B

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on May 5, 2024

Who Gets to Go First?

A group of children get together to play. After some discussion, they decide on a game. It may be a group game or it may be a one-on-one game. If a group game, captains of teams are selected and the group is divided into teams. With a one-on-one game, it’s somewhat easier, as long as the two players have already been selected. If not, then the group must decide which two will play.

Finally, the preliminaries are completed and then the most critical question is asked. Who gets to go first? Is it the player with the red markers or the black markers in checkers? Which team is “up” first in baseball? Who serves first in volleyball? What about chess? Or Chutes and Ladders? Or Candyland? Even games for very young children require addressing this question. Who gets to go first? How is the decision made in a fair way? Sometimes it seems like the team or player who goes first will have the advantage in the entire game. That’s not necessarily the case, but it can feel that way.

In God’s relations with humans, we often think that we are the ones who make the decision about whether God will be part of our lives or not. It’s my decision whether I will pray, or go to church, or have my child baptized, or, or, or. So many possible times that I must make a decision regarding my relationship with what one of my professors, Dr. David Mandelbaum, called “The Transnatural.”

The Transnatural refers to experiences, forces, unexplainable realities that are experienced by peoples around the world. They are often called gods or spirits or demons or other titles, depending on whether they are perceived as positive or negative in their relationship with human life and community. They are beyond our everyday, ordinary understanding of the natural world. Commonly, the term supernatural is assigned to them. However, Professor Mandelbaum suggested that transnatural as a descriptive term takes away the value-laden pre-conceptions with which we look at such experiences when we call them supernatural.

As groups, we also tend to think that our understandings and rules for membership in our community are exclusively ours to determine. But that is not necessarily the case.

Blessedly, whether we are loved and welcomed into God’s family is not determined by our worthiness, our ethnic or racial background, our wealth, our education, our family connections … God is the one who decides, who takes the initiative, who welcomes all.

St. John reports that Jesus told his disciples, “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.” How does one remain in his love? By keeping his commandments. He doesn’t say by keeping the Law dating from the time of Moses. He says, “my commandment.” And what is that commandment? “Love one another as I love you.” (Jn 15:9-17)

This love is not one of master and servants or slaves. This love includes self-sacrifice on the part of Jesus, the first lover. He calls his followers friends, – trusted friends, friends with whom he shares his deepest thoughts and even fears. He also shares all he brings from his Father.

Who chose whom in the relationship? “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you…” And because we have been chosen and sent to bear fruit, we may ask the Father for what is needed and we will receive it.

Will it always be what we expect? No, most certainly not. But not because Jesus lies or because the Father doesn’t keep promises. Not everything we think we need or want will be good for us or others in the long run. And God is in it for the long run with us.

Who gets the first move? God does and did. That first move sets things in motion and God is still a player, a companion in the game, with arguably a better view of the final outcome.

St Peter discovered this reality relatively early after the Resurrection. He was traveling and stopped to rest and have lunch. While he waited, he had a vision and in this vision, a large cloth filled with animals was lowered from the sky. A voice ordered him to eat them. But they included ritually unclean animals. He couldn’t eat them. He would become unclean himself. The cloth with the animals went up and down from the heavens three times. Each time the voice from heaven told him, “What God has purified you are not to call unclean.”

As the visions ended, messengers arrived from Caesarea with a request from Cornelius, a centurion in the Roman cohort there. Cornelius had been told in a vision to send a messenger to Peter and ask him to come visit. Cornelius was known to be a good man, God-fearing and respected by the Jewish community. Peter agreed to visit him.

The next day, they went to the home of Cornelius, who welcomed them warmly. He explained that he too had received a vision, instructing him to invite Peter and listen to his words. At that Peter began to tell him about Jesus and all that had happened. While he was speaking, the Holy Spirit swept through the room, descending on Cornelius and his family, who began to speak in tongues and glorify God. Usually, the Holy Spirit’s presence was seen after new believers had been baptized and hands laid upon them invoking the Spirit. When this happened outside the usual order and without any human intervention, Peter realized that non-Jews could also become believers. God had called them too and loved them equally. Cornelius and his family were baptized then and there and entered the community of believers. (Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48)

Once again, God made the first move.

Many years later, reflecting on all he had seen and experienced, John wrote a letter to some of the communities who were struggling with disagreements about the teachings of the apostles and Christian beliefs. John, in this letter, stressed repeatedly that love originates in God. In fact, “God is love.” So we must love each other. Only in love can we know God and only through love does life come to each of us. We can love because we are loved. We have life because we are loved. God loved us first. God got the first turn in the game and dance we all share. The dance and game of life and love itself. (1Jn 4:7-10)

This week, let’s remember how much we are loved and how Love does not exclude anyone. Some folks may be harder to love than others, but love doesn’t mean ‘like’ or ‘do just as others do.’ Love means to care and wish the best for all. Love means to smile and be patient while waiting in line or for someone else to finish before we get our own turn. Love means opening to the beauty of the day, even as the rain pours down and winds blow. Beauty and love surround us and are the very air we breathe and the atmosphere through which we move. God has the first move. Now we get our turn. It’s a wonderful adventure.

Readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter – Cycle B

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Apr 28, 2024

Chop Wood, Carry Water

An ancient Zen koan came to mind as I read the story of St. Paul’s return to Jerusalem after his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. The koan is this:

Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.

People have been reflecting on this simple statement for centuries. It’s a statement of deep wisdom that we see play out in the lives of many within our own Christian tradition as well.

The man we know today as St. Paul began as a Pharisee named Saul. Saul was a highly educated man, born in the city of Tarsus in Asia Minor, trained as a tent-maker, and educated in Jewish Law in Jerusalem. He was a Roman citizen by birth.

Saul was deeply troubled by the teaching of Peter and the other followers of Jesus after the Resurrection. It was all blasphemy as far as he was concerned. He was the formal witness to the stoning of Stephen, the first of the Christian martyrs, and Saul absolutely approved of Stephen’s sentence. He was not converted by Stephen’s dying witness either. He set out to root out this heresy wherever it was found.

On his way to Damascus, he met Jesus on the road. He was blinded by the encounter and realized he had been totally wrong. Jesus sent him on to Damascus, where he was healed and taught by Ananias about Jesus and the new way of living in faith.

Not one to sit around twiddling his thumbs, Saul began to share what he had learned with the Jewish community in Damascus. His words were so effective that the leaders plotted to kill him. Eventually, he had to be lowered in a hamper from a window in the city wall that opened to the outside, to escape with his life. He returned then to Jerusalem.

In Jerusalem, the Christian community quite reasonably were afraid of him. This man had persecuted them relentlessly and now he wanted to join them? Not going to fall for that trap, no siree!

But Barnabas befriended him and introduced him to Peter and the other disciples. He explained what he had experienced and his faith in Jesus. He began speaking and teaching about his experience throughout Jerusalem, again arousing opposition.

Rather than let him get killed or spark renewed persecution, the Christian leaders decided to send him out of harm’s way. They took him down to the shore at the port of Caesarea and sent him back to his hometown, Tarsus. There he returned to his original trade, making tents. (Acts 9:26-31)

Before enlightenment, make tents. After enlightenment, make tents.

For the rest of his life, Saul, who came to be called by his Roman name, Paul, made tents. But the story didn’t end with making tents in Tarsus.

Eventually, Saul was called back to Jerusalem by the community’s leaders and commissioned, along with Barnabas, to travel out into the Gentile world of Asia Minor and share the Good News with Jewish communities there and with any others who were open to hear it. Thus began the great work of evangelization of the Gentiles for which St. Paul is known. Much of the Acts of the Apostles tells of Paul’s journeys and the communities he founded. Wherever he went, he taught about Jesus and made tents to help support himself and those who traveled with him.

What about the rest of us?

St. John tells us that one day Jesus told his disciples, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.” Just as a vine grower prunes the vines regularly so they produce good fruit, so the Father works through the words of Jesus to prune his vines and prepare them to bear fruit. “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.” In our following of Jesus and living out his words of love and service to each other, we bear fruit for the vine grower. Our lives of loving service, joy, and peace with those we meet throughout our lives will draw others to belief and sharing in God’s life. (Jn 15:1-8)

Along the way, as we grow in faith and trust, we continue to do the everyday things of our vocations. We chop wood and carry water, as it were. When we start out, we may not really understand the importance of everyday activities to a life of faith and service. With God’s grace, we grow in understanding throughout our lives. Sometimes we are blessed with a deep awareness of God’s presence in our lives and activities. We are enlightened to God’s presence in the NOW of our lives. Then the awareness fades as we continue on our journey from one day to the next. We continue to chop wood and carry water.

As John reminded his community many years later, we are to “love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.” (1 Jn 3:18-24) Our daily activities, the chopping wood and carrying water of our daily responsibilities, are the place we find God. This is where we come to recognize the Spirit in our lives and trust that all will be well in the end. The wood will have been chopped and the water carried to where it needed to go.

Seasons are changing around the world. For some the warmer, sunnier days of spring and summer are coming. For others, it’s autumn and winter will be here all too soon. Wherever we are, we are called to do the everyday things of our vocations. But we are also called to remember the Lord, to speak to our Father, to seek the presence of the Spirit in those we meet. We cook, clean, bake, grow vegetables, preserve food, share it with others. We go to work or school and share love and friendship with those we meet there. We come together to celebrate Eucharist, to give thanks for all we have received and shared. We chop wood and carry water.

Readings for the Fifth Sunday of Easter – Cycle B

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Apr 21, 2024

Help in Time of Need – The Shepherd

The afternoon was bright and sunny. The ocean was quiet. The breeze was gentle. All was peaceful and calm.

Suddenly, the chickens next door began to squawk and race around their yard. The roosters began to crow at the top of their lungs. The dogs barked up a racket. Something drastic was happening and they were telling the world.

Neighbors wondered if someone had fallen or if there had been some sort of accident to provoke such an uproar. But when they checked, all seemed fine and the animals had quieted again.

Later, the owner of the chickens and dogs explained that he had seen what looked like a badger approaching the house. The animals had responded according to their nature. The chickens were panicked, not having a great number of self-defense options! The dogs had shouted a warning to their owner that a serious problem was needing attention. And with all the uproar, the threatening animal changed plans and went back to the field.

St. John tells us that Jesus spoke of himself as the Good Shepherd. In biblical times, prophets often spoke of the leaders of the people as being their shepherds. This made sense with an historically pastoralist people, who raised sheep and goats and traveled with their animals. Jesus took the idea of shepherd farther than the traditional one of God as the Shepherd of Israel and leaders who failed to obey the Law as bad shepherds. Jesus declared, “I am the Good Shepherd.” In saying this, he was using the same terminology and usage as God had used when he spoke from the burning bush to Moses, “I Am.” This was one of seven times in John’s Gospel that Jesus speaks of himself in divine terms.

Jesus speaks of the role of the Good Shepherd as watching over the sheep and protecting them. Remembering my niece’s comment about sheep being dumb as compared with goats, I find Jesus’ statement even more striking. The Good Shepherd cares about the sheep, even if, and maybe because, they are not the most intelligent animals. The Good Shepherd will protect the sheep even at risk of his own life. Jesus will give his own life for his sheep. Those who do not own the sheep will not do this. When the wolf (or badger or hawk in the case of the chickens) comes creeping up on the sheep, the hired shepherd might well run away. Wolves are not animals that are easily defeated. They work together in packs and don’t hesitate to go after humans too, if necessary to get the sheep.

When Jesus spoke about being the Good Shepherd, it was expected that only the Hebrew people were of interest to God. God was still a deity of only one relatively small group of people. Outsiders had no place among those to be protected by the shepherd. Jesus, however, did not consider only the Jews to be the sheep loved and protected. “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.” His mission is big enough to include all peoples. All are to be members of one flock. And all will be included in the salvation gained for them by the good shepherd who dies rather than allowing them to be lost. (Jn 10:11-18)

This was a huge expansion of understanding of the relationship between God and humanity. Through Jesus, God’s love and call extended formally to all. Those who believe and follow him become children of God. (1 Jn 3:1-2)

Because of the close relationship between the shepherd and the sheep, miraculous healings continued after the Resurrection through the actions of the apostles, as signs of Jesus’ power and relationship with the Father in the Trinity. Humans don’t typically have the power to heal with a word or a touch. But Jesus does. (Acts 4:8-12)

Like the owner of the chickens and dogs who faced the badger this past week, Jesus and his followers step up to help those who need extra help. This includes those with little money, those who have health issues, those whose physical safety is threatened, those who must leave their homes to protect themselves and their children, those who learn new skills or do jobs that don’t take advantage of their existing education but allow them to send funds to help their families far away. Thus, many, many people follow the Good Shepherd and do what they can to help and protect the sheep. And the Good Shepherd is there among all of us, his sheep, with all the messiness of our lives, walking with us and helping us along the way.

In this next week, let’s reflect on the ways we experience the protection and love of our Shepherd. Let’s also reflect on how we can share in his mission and help protect others whom we meet in our daily lives.

Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Easter – Cycle B

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

Perfected in Love – Part of a circle

It was an afternoon class, after a long day at school for all of the children. They had come together from several schools for religious education class that afternoon. They were members of the same parish, so they knew each other, had been in classes together since kindergarten. They were friends. They happily visited with each other until their teacher called them together to begin the day’s lesson.

One girl was having a happy conversation with one of her friends and didn’t really want to stop and begin class. As the other children formed a circle with their teacher for their beginning song and prayer, she turned her back on the circle. She was in the circle, but her back was turned.

Her teacher was shameless about taking advantage of whatever happened in class to teach the children, so rather than get upset or angry, she directed the attention of the other children to what was happening. The circle was still there, even though the child was not participating. All she needed to do was to turn around and she would also be included in the conversations and lessons that would follow. But it was entirely up to her whether she would remain excluded or whether she would join. The situation was a perfect example of what happens when we turn away from God’s love and decide to go it alone. The choice to return is always our own.

This incident came to mind as I read St. Luke’s account of what happened on Easter Sunday evening when the Lord appeared to the apostles in the Upper Room. (Lk 24:35-48) Luke tells us that those who had met him on the road to Emmaus had returned and just told their companions that they had met the Lord and recognized him “in the breaking of the bread.” And then he was there in their midst. The doors were locked. There was no way for anyone to get in. Yet there he was. Quite a startling thing to experience, and not just a little frightening. It must be a ghost!

Jesus’ first words were ones of reassurance. “Peace be with you.” He began to reassure them by having them touch him, including his wounds. He asked for food and ate it. Then he began again to teach them. This time it was about the history of prophecies regarding what would happen when the Christ came. They were more ready to hear what he wanted them to know and their minds were opened to understand. Jesus told them that repentance for the forgiveness of sin would be the message shared with all the world, beginning in Jerusalem. They themselves would now be the ones to witness to what they had seen and heard.

And so they were.

After Pentecost, the apostles preached fearlessly in Jerusalem, healing the sick and leading the community in worship and in communal living and service. Many thought the miracles of healing were the results of the actions and power of the disciples, but Peter and the others were quick to point out that they were not the source of the healing. (Acts 3:13-15, 17-19) It was the power of Jesus acting through them. Peter spoke one day, explaining in an ancient formula the divine origin of Jesus’ power and life. “The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant, Jesus…”

It was a frightening thought to the people that they might have been complicit in acting against the prophet, the servant of God. But Peter was reassuring. Although they had acted against the anointed one, God would forgive them, because they didn’t know what they were doing. Repenting and not repeating their sin would lead to its forgiveness. In other words, they could turn back to the circle and again be part of the community of God. Being converted means to turn back to the circle of love.

St. John tells the community of the Beloved and all of us that when and if we sin, “we have an Advocate with the Father,” namely Jesus the righteous one. (1 Jn 2:1-5a) As we keep his word, keep his commandments, God’s love is perfected in us. Love is perfected as we love our God above all things and love our neighbors as ourselves. Turned into the circle and drawing strength from the Lord and our community, we can begin to live the law of love. We can be perfected in love, bit by bit, each time we turn back to the circle of those with whom we live in this great community of love.

May we be aware of the love we share and receive with others in this coming week and of the readiness of the Lord always to welcome us back into the community when we for any reason turn our backs on the circle.

Readings for the Third Sunday of Easter – Cycle B

Shoe-d Away or Welcomed In?

Breaking the Bread of Peace

One Wave at a Time – Love Flows

Our Choices – Look Back or Look Ahead

No Unnecessary Burdens

Opening the Door of Faith

My Sheep Hear My Voice

Recognize the Lord and Tell Others

Powder, Powder, Pretty Baby

Covenants Renewed and Transformed

Transitions: Waiting, Praying, Growing

Who Gets to Go First?

Chop Wood, Carry Water

Help in Time of Need – The Shepherd

Perfected in Love – Part of a circle

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