Liturgical year | blog.theologika.net

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

Hidden in your Hearts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Readings for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C

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

Two by Two and Away We Go

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Readings for the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C

Posted by Theologika on Jun 29, 2025

Peter and Paul – Unlikely Heroes

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

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

A simple fisherman

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Pharisee and Student of the Law

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Heroes who changed the world

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Readings for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles – Cycle C

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Jun 22, 2025

Bread and Wine – Sacrifice to the Lord

Bread. Wine. Two ancient foods that nourish and bring pleasure, even joy, to millions of people today and untold millions of millions of people through the ages. Before the days when humans first domesticated animals and raised them for a source of food, they dried and ground plants, mixed in some liquid, heated the mixture on stones by a fire, and ate their bread.

Bread is one of the most important foods ever developed by humans. It comes in many flavors, shapes, and colors. It is made of many different grains, though wheat is the most commonly used. Some breads are leavened, others are not. Methods used to make the bread rise (leavened bread) are varied. Some use naturally occurring yeast, others use manufactured yeast. Some use chemicals such as soda or baking powder. Others use steam or forcing bubbles into the dough.

All are recognized as critical elements in the of food, of nutrition for life and growth, for humanity.

It is striking as we celebrate the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, that bread and wine are the elements associated with this gift of himself given to us by Jesus at the Last Supper.

Often, we think of Jesus as the Lamb of God. And in terms of the tradition of sacrificing young animals to a deity, this makes sense. After all, in our foundational stories we hear of animals being sacrificed. Abel’s sacrifice of a lamb was accepted, while Cain’s sacrifice of first fruits was not. It wasn’t, of course, because the farmer’s gifts were less valued, just that he hadn’t given the best of the crop. But that’s another story for another time.

For a pastoral people, the sacrifice of animals was the most common way to honor and seek the favor of their God. It’s noteworthy, therefore, that even before the establishment of the Covenant between God and Abram, in which his name was changed to Abraham, we hear of the thanksgiving sacrifice of Melchizedek.

Melchizedek was a king at Salem (Peace), a place later known as Jerusalem. Abram and his men joined the forces of Melchizedek in defeating the invading armies of five other kings, and rescuing his brother Lot, whom they had captured. (Gen 14:1-17)

After this successful campaign, Melchizedek, who was also a priest, offered a sacrifice of bread and wine in thanksgiving and blessed Abram. (Gen 14:18-20)

Bread and lamb were part of the Passover meal, celebrated at the time of the Exodus and annually after that. Wine was used by all for drinking. Water alone was not safe – too much danger of bacterial contamination. So wine was mixed into water (or vice versa), making it safe to drink.

After the Resurrection, St. Paul enlarges our picture of the importance of bread and wine, with his first letter to the Corinthians. We often think of the Gospels as the first stories of Jesus’ life, but Paul’s letters came earlier. In this letter, he writes of what he has heard from the eyewitnesses present at Jesus’ last meal, his disciples.

I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus … took bread, and … broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me…This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Cor 11:23-26)

Whenever we come together in prayer, remembering as we break and share the bread, He is present and giving himself to us, to nourish our lives of faith and discipleship – the bread of life. We do the same with the wine we share – his life’s blood poured out for all, to share divine life with all.

From the very beginning, we as a community have shared the meal. When we do it, we enter a different dimension or realm of reality. We don’t always notice. We’re used to it. But visitors from other cultures or faith traditions notice something different, something special when we really enter into our liturgy of thanksgiving.

An early taste of the great generosity of God can be glimpsed in the experience of the very large crowd who went out into an arid countryside to hear Jesus’ words. John tells us the crowd numbered five thousand men – that didn’t include women and children! Even today, that would be an amazingly large crowd.

Evening was approaching. People were going to need to eat. Practical folks would send them home or to the nearest town to get food. That’s what the disciples recommended. But Jesus never claimed to be practical. He trusted the Father would provide.

“Have the people sit down in groups of about fifty.” This done, he took the food offered – five loaves and two fish, blessed them, and started breaking off pieces to share them with those gathered. Before long, everyone had eaten their fill. More surprising – there were 12 basketfuls left over! (Lk 9:11b-17)

How it all happened doesn’t really matter, though often that is the first thing we wonder. What really matters is to notice the overwhelming abundance and generosity poured out to and through all gathered in that arid place – enough for all to share and celebrate.

We celebrate the great gift of sharing in the life of God, eating the bread of life, drinking the lifeblood become wine for all to share.

Bread. Wine. Ancient gifts – still bring life today.

How do we respond? How do we take our experience of Eucharist into our daily lives? Do we welcome people from other lands, other communities, other beliefs and traditions? Do we share food, clothing, healthcare, education, opportunities for a better life?

This is our call. As disciples of the Lord, sharers in the life of the Lord, may we open our hearts this week and do our share of the work of bringing the kingdom to birth!

Bread and wine – life to share.

Readings for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

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

The Lord Possessed Me – Wisdom Speaks!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lord Send Out Your Spirit

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Readings for Pentecost – Cycle C

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

Our Choices – Look Back or Look Ahead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No Unnecessary Burdens

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Cycle C

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

Opening the Door of Faith

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All things new. What a wonderful promise.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The world awaits our witness and outreach in loving service.

Readings for the Fifth Sunday of Easter – Cycle C

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

My Sheep Hear My Voice

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Recognize the Lord and Tell Others

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So, what does all this imply for us today?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Readings for the Third Sunday of Easter – Cycle C

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

Powder, Powder, Pretty Baby

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My God, Why Have You Abandoned Me?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And what to do?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Holy Week blessings be with you.

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

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

“See, I Am Doing Something New”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Readings for the Fifth Sunday of Lent – Cycle C

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Mar 30, 2025

Reconciliation Takes Two

Conflict between people, communities, nations – we are familiar with all of these. We have seen them play out throughout our lives. Sometimes the conflicts are over minor things: who cleaned out the dishwasher last might be the focus of a battle in a family kitchen. Other times they are definitely major issues: who has the right to control access to the resources of an individual or nation, for example.

The way we handle these conflicts, great and small, will largely determine how likely we are to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution. When solutions are imposed top-down from a powerful authority or country, against the will and to the detriment of those on whom they have been imposed, the less powerful will not be happy with the outcome. They will not accept those solutions and they will find ways large and small to resist. On the other hand, when the solution is reached through communication, mutual respect, and a good faith desire to resolve a problem, both sides will be committed to making it work. Both sides will have to sacrifice something and both sides will get something that really works well to address the challenge they have together faced.

As we look at the relationship between God and humans, we might expect a dynamic similar to the first scenario to play out. God makes a demand. Humans try and fail to comply. God punishes. Humans repent. God relents and again blesses the humans. Humans try and fail again. “Lather, rinse, repeat!” Sometimes in reading Scripture and looking at the history of the relationship between God and humans, we get the impression that this is all there is to it. Some might even take that perception and decide they don’t need that kind of vengeful, unforgiving deity and turn away from faith at all.

The understanding of the picture changes dramatically when we realize that the relationship is not equal, but that reconciliation between God and humans is really God’s preferred option. In fact, God is always coming into the conversation with compassion and readiness to work together for the good of all. We may not realize this, however, because we are used to the human way of holding onto past disappointments and hurts and allowing them to color our futures.

Reconciliation does not require two equals in a relationship. It does require at least one who is compassionate and willing to go however far it takes in humility to reach the heart of the other.

When the Hebrew people left Egypt, they traveled around the Sinai Peninsula and the lands east of the Jordan River for forty years. An entire generation passed before they entered the Promised Land, the land west of the Jordan from which Jacob and his sons had traveled to Egypt so many, many years earlier. It’s an amazing story, well worth reading, about how the waters of the Jordan River parted and allowed the people to cross into the new land. The experience reminded the people of the crossing of the Red Sea as their parents and grandparents left Egypt and gained their freedom.

When they arrived in this new land, the people renewed their covenant with the Lord. One of the signs of the Covenant was that men (and boys) were circumcised. They were dedicated to the Lord through this action. It represented a cutting away of impurity and the intent to dedicate the life of this person to the Lord. This practice was set at the beginning of the Lord’s relationship with Abram (whose name came to be Abraham). In Egypt and in the desert, the practice had not been continued, but here as they entered their new land, it was re-established. All men and boys were circumcised as a sign of their acceptance of the covenant.

Once the Covenant had been renewed in this physical way, it was also renewed symbolically and spiritually with the celebration of the Passover. While they were traveling in the desert, celebration of this foundational event was impossible. Now that they were in their new land, it was the first order of business. The Lord had brought them out of Egypt and to a new land. A renewal of the Covenant included remembering the blessings they had received, the freedom they had gained, the new hopes and possibilities for the future. As men and women have remarked for centuries following that time, “Our ancestors crossed the Red Sea and our feet are wet!” This time of reconciliation and rebirth of a people in relationship with the Most High was brought about by the Lord, in response to the pleas of those who were in bondage. (Jos 5:9a, 10-12)

Two parties – one common goal – Reconciliation.

So, does this mean that all was well between God and humans from that day on? Of course not. But did God abandon the relationship? Of course not!

Jesus told a story to his followers about the love of a father. We generally call it the Parable of the Prodigal Son, but really, it’s a story of a father’s tender love.

A father had two sons. One of them, the younger one, wanted to live life to the full, to enjoy a busy social life, travel, see the world, and never have to worry about how to pay for these adventures. So, he asked his father to give him the share of the family wealth that would typically not be his until after his father’s death. This was an extraordinarily bold and genuinely foolish thing to do. Children have been disinherited for less. However, his father loved him and agreed to the splitting of the property. The younger son took off happily to enjoy his life.

The older son stayed on the family farm. He helped with the work of caring for animals and raising the crops to feed them and support the household. He was a model son and his father loved him too.

The younger son, as might be expected, blew through the money quickly. He had to find work. He expected that would be easy, but it wasn’t. Times were hard. Jobs were scarce. Eventually, he ended up taking care of pigs in a foreign country and wishing someone would offer him some of the food that was going to feed the pigs. (Pigs were considered to be “unclean,” ritually impure, and to be avoided in his culture. A huge “Ick!”)

Jesus told his listeners that the young man realized he would be better off as a servant on his father’s farm than where he had ended up on his own and decided to return home. The young man was prepared to beg his father’s forgiveness and ask for a job doing whatever was needed. He had no expectation of ever being welcomed back into the life of the family as more than a servant.

But the father was prodigal in his love. He gave freely of the abundance of that love, watching all the time for the possibility of his son returning. When he saw the boy coming down the road from far away, this father ran down the road to meet his son. He didn’t let the boy get his words of apology and submission out before he embraced him and started pulling him along the road, back to their home.

A great celebration occurred that night, with feasting and sharing joy with family and friends. A new beginning for the lost son, welcomed by his father.

The other son was not so happy. He was angry and resentful. After all, he had worked for years and it seemed no one appreciated his loyal service. He was not able to see any reason for his father to welcome this ungrateful, selfish brother of his.

Jesus tells us the father was saddened by the older son’s reaction. “My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again, he was lost and has been found.” (Lk 15:1-3, 11-32)

The reconciliation between father and son required two people, but one held all the power to welcome and forgive the other in the encounter. The love and forgiveness had to be given freely to repair the relationship, and so they were.

The early followers of Jesus recognized his passion, death, and resurrection as the way God reconciled all of humanity with himself and welcomed us all back into the family home. God became one of us, in Jesus, and lived a fully human life. This wasn’t a case of a charade in which someone pretends to be someone they aren’t. Jesus was as truly human as any other human being. He remains human, even after his resurrection. He is a brother to all of us. And yet, the community came to understand that his coming as the Christ opened the door to reconciliation with our common Father.

St. Paul spoke often of this mystery of reconciliation with the Father through the life and death of Jesus. “Whoever is in Christ is a new creation… All of this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation…” The Father is counting on us to pass on this message, the good news of reconciliation. (2 Cor 5:17-21)

We are not the ones who have to take the first step. The first step, the second step, the ultimate step, all have been taken by our loving Father. He became one of us so that he could totally understand what it is to be human and transform us, breaking down the barriers that divide human from divine, offering himself totally so we can share in His life, the life of Love.

In our very divided world and lives today, how do we respond to such an outreach? How do we respond to unconditional love? How do we reach out to share that news of reconciliation through our own lives?

Are we willing and ready to listen to the hopes, the dreams, the fears, the concerns, the pain and the joy of others? How do we deal with divisions in our own families? How do we protect those who will be hurt unjustly by policy changes that overturn the rules by which they have lived? Will we offer a gentle response to those whose words are insulting or hurtful? If someone makes an honest mistake, will we be willing to give them a second chance to correct it? Will we continue to serve the vulnerable and those who seek protection and safety among us? Will we be true to our calling to welcome all and share with those needing help? Will we be willing and ready to continue doing this at the same time that we work towards reconciliation with those who do not support our actions?

Today let us pray that just as the Father has run out to meet us on the road as we return from our forays into the world of self-serving activities and neglect of others, we may accept and forgive and welcome back those who ask us for forgiveness. May we use this season of Lent mindfully, to look at our own lives and see what areas might need forgiveness or more time to grow and heal. And then reach out in loving service to those in our communities, family, and world who need to know they are loved unconditionally.

Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Lent – Cycle C

Hidden in your Hearts

Peter and Paul – Unlikely Heroes

A simple fisherman

A Pharisee and Student of the Law

Heroes who changed the world

Bread and Wine – Sacrifice to the Lord

The Lord Possessed Me – Wisdom Speaks!

Lord Send Out Your Spirit

Our Choices – Look Back or Look Ahead

No Unnecessary Burdens

Opening the Door of Faith

My Sheep Hear My Voice

Recognize the Lord and Tell Others

Powder, Powder, Pretty Baby

“See, I Am Doing Something New”

Reconciliation Takes Two

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