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

Finding the Way – Got a Map?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted by Fr. Ron Shirley on Aug 31, 2025

God You Are the Source

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now, that’s where true humility starts!

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

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Aug 31, 2025

Conduct Your Affairs With Humility

“You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” This old saying is as true today as it has ever been. Yet again and again, we see powerful men and women behaving as if only their words or whims matter. All will/must obey quickly or lose position or favor. “I alone will decide …” “I alone can solve this problem.” “I alone, I alone, I alone…”

Is this really the way it works in life and in relationships of people or nations? History and experience say not really. Those who attempt to rule by force or intimidation eventually fail.

On the other hand, does simply saying “yes” to the demands of the powerful bring them to change their ways and seek the good of the community over their personal gain? No, not at all. In fact, they count on people quietly complying with their demands, whether out of fear of losing their own power or position or of having harm done to them and their families.

The powerful wield a wide array of resources and typically don’t hesitate to employ them against those who question their perspective or their actions. Don’t like the quiet opposition of a former government official? Just drop their access to security services funded by the government. Make them pay for their own security to protect from the risk of an unbalanced supporter of the one in power coming with weapons to kill them. We’ve seen this play out frequently in the past few weeks in our own country. It’s no longer the preferred response only of dictators in foreign countries.

How then are we to understand the admonition of Sirach, collector of bits of wisdom, in the book of Proverbs? “Conduct your affairs with humility.” What is humility? How does it show up in real life?

Humility is an attitude of recognition that one does not know everything, nor does one always see the best solution to a difficulty. It’s not a false declaration putting down or seeking to minimize one’s own gifts. We each have gifts we are to use for the benefit of others. But we also must admit that we need to work with and learn from others too.

So, Sirach continues, “… you will be loved more than the giver of gifts.” The greater the gifts received, the more important to be aware of the possibility of learning from others. One never knows when a gem of insight or wisdom will fall from the lips of a child, or a person with less education, or a person who has fulfilled a very humble role in life. “The mind of a sage appreciates proverbs, and an attentive ear is the joy of the wise.” Sir 3:17-18, 20, 28-29)

Honest people, people willing to listen to the experience of others and change their opinions and positions in disagreements will learn and grow. The experience of the lowly can be expressed in many ways and bring about changes in the way services are delivered and evaluated. Those willing to listen to the words of those with “boots on the ground” may find that academic theories or the ideas of those whose only experience is what they read in a book or heard on the radio or television have less to offer. Boots on the ground lead to eyes that can see more clearly the actual lay of the land – what will work, what will help, what is the best approach to resolve today’s issues.

Jesus too cautioned his followers about seeking the place of honor at all times. It’s far better to be in a position of being called to a place of higher honor than told to move down to a place of lesser honor.

But Jesus went a step farther. Typically, when we plan a gathering or a meeting, we make a list of guests based on priority of importance in our lives. We want to be sure the folks who can help our careers are invited, those whose respect we crave. We invite those whom we hope will return a favor sometime, or those we want to influence. However, Jesus says we are not to worry about inviting only those who might invite us in turn or bring some benefit to us. Instead, we are to “invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind…” When we invite God’s “Little ones,” we invite God himself to our table. When we stand up for those with little or no power, we are standing up for God himself. And Jesus promises, “blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (Lk 14:1, 7-14)

The resurrection of the righteous. Are we to expect blazing fire and gloom? How about trumpet blasts and storms? Voices so frightening we beg not to hear them ever again?

According to the author of Hebrews, this is not what we await or are to expect. Having approached the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, we may expect to see angels gathered in joy and those counted as firstborn of the Lord because of the way they live the law of love. God, the father and creator of all will be present, judging with love and understanding, as will Jesus who opened the new covenant to us all through the gift of his death and resurrection. (Heb 12:18-19, 22-24a)

The resurrection of the righteous will be seen in love and joy, as the family of God gathers from all lands – the everyday, ordinary people who live lives of humility and joyful service.

And we today? What are we to do? How do we live lives of humility, justice and peace? How do we speak and act as witness to the presence of God in our lives? How will we speak to the powerful our words of witness to the requirement of love of neighbor as ourselves? How will our humble care for newcomers, asylum seekers, those who have lived among us for decades as immigrants help protect the human rights of all. How will we reach our representatives and convey our support for those who have no power? How do we share the experience of love and the insights of the powerless who speak to us through their pain and fear as their rights are denied and their very lives are endangered?

We are called to conduct our affairs with humility this week. The kingdom comes into the world one day at a time, one action at a time.

Together let us join as witnesses of the coming of the Lord into our world. Let us speak on behalf of those facing hatred or danger. Let us share what we have with those who have little. Let us contact our representatives with our concerns about the changes occurring nationally that endanger the health and safety of our neighbors, whether in the field of immigration, healthcare, communications, food security, access to education, or so many other topics.

Let us go out into our week filled with courage, strength, and the humility to know we can’t do everything alone, but together, we can help usher in the Kingdom of peace and justice, the Kingdom of God.

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

Posted by Fr. Ron Shirley on Aug 17, 2025

Division

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fr. Ron Shirley
August 17, 2025

Readings for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C

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

The Day the Lord Came to Dinner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Readings for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C

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

Fulfilled in Your Hearing

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

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

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

A People Reminded of their Calling

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Prophecy Recognized and Received

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Who is Called to Respond?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Readings for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C

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

Never Too Small to Matter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent – Cycle C

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

A Time for Hope and Preparation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Readings for the First Sunday of Advent – Cycle C

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

Wisdom’s Surprising Abundance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But there’s more to it than that.

Bad things do happen to good people. Why?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Oct 6, 2024

Bone of my Bones – Flesh of my Flesh

Foundational myths are those stories that help a people explain and understand how things came to be. All peoples have them. They provide the undercurrent of common knowledge that supports the ways of doing everyday things and out-of-the-ordinary things for both leaders and everyday ordinary folk.

In the first chapters of the Book of Genesis, we hear two foundational myths from Hebrew culture. The first tells of the creation of the universe and all it holds. The second tells more about human origins, including how humans came to be and how things got to be so challenging.

How we came to be

The world had been created, we are told, but it was barren. A stream bubbled forth from the land, wetting the clay as it flowed. From that clay, the Lord formed a human being, breathing life into his nostrils. With the breath from the Lord, the human, a man, came to life.

The place was totally barren. There was nothing there. So, the Lord planted a garden, the Garden of Eden. The stream became a river that flowed through the garden and became four great rivers, including the Tigris and Euphrates. These rivers were named in the story, so we know where all this is said to have happened.

The garden was lovely, filled with plants and food. But it was a bit lonesome. There was no one with whom to share the beauty or sit down and share a bite of fruit.

The Lord noticed that the man was lonesome, so he decided to give him a companion. He created many different kinds of animals and birds. The garden was filled with their calls. But none of them proved a fit companion for the man, the adam (man) who had been formed of the adama (ground). The man was still lonesome.

Finally, the Lord made the man sleep deeply. He took a rib from the side of the man and formed it into another being, one like the man. This being would be the equal of the man and his partner. She was not taken from his head, so not superior. She was not formed from his foot, so not inferior. She was formed from his side, to be his equal, his partner in life.

When the man awoke, he was delighted to receive the woman from the Lord. “This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.” He named her Ishsha (woman), noting that she had come from Ishah (her man, her husband). (Gn 2:18-24)

We know the names of these two first people as Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve were created to be partners in the journey of life. They were to share intimate love and cling to each other, leaving all others aside.

Our Story Continued

This foundational myth continued, explaining how Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden when they came to know the difference between good and bad. The adventures of this couple and their children have been told and retold through the centuries. The basic assumptions of the story have shaped the beliefs and interactions of millions of men and women. They continue to be foundational for more millions into our own times.

What does the story mean for us?

What then do we draw from this story? How does a story so old, with so many untied ends, continue to shape our thinking and our ways of organizing our communal lives? Are we to take it literally, or are we free to look at the underlying lessons that it conveys? How might later interpretations of the story have shifted our perceptions, so that we now understand it differently?

All are important questions as we reflect on this story and what it means in our lives today.

Generally, we look to our own family and cultural community to tell us where we fit in the grand scheme of things.

If we are in a patriarchal, patrilineal, patrilocal culture, for example, we assume that our identity comes from the line of our fathers and grandfathers. We live in the communities in which our fathers grew up. Our mothers come into the family from another patrilineal family and leave behind their own family in the process. On the day a woman is married, in this example, she may not be allowed to return to her parents’ home at all, because now she belongs to her husband’s family. His family are now responsible for her support and the support of any children she may have. Men have the highest prestige and privilege. Women are expected to do what their husbands order and have no status outside the protection of the men. In some cultures, they may not leave the home without a male family member as their escort and chaperone. If they are divorced, they have no recourse. They may find themselves without financial support or protection and their children remain with their father’s family. Girls are not valued as much as boys because they will be given to other families in marriage. They will not continue the family line.

Things are different in a matriarchal or matrilineal culture. In these cultures, women are the leaders. The mother’s brother is the disciplinarian for the children, not their fathers. Their inheritance comes from their mother’s line. Their name will be from their mother’s line. Women are free to end a marriage and do not lose their social status in such cases. Women are free to come and go as they please. They make decisions for the community and must approve major changes. Daughters are valued because they continue the family line. Boys will be part of the lives of their sisters as well, helping to raise her children.

In our Western society, we trace our family lines from both sides of the family. It’s a bilateral cultural system. We have cousins from both sides. We can find help and support from relatives on both sides of the family. No one is automatically disgraced or socially abandoned by families in case of the legal dissolution of a marriage. In fact, spouses can be held responsible for continued support of the children and the spouse with fewer resources. However, in many ways, our culture continues to demonstrate its ancient patriarchal influences.

This is all important to keep in mind when we read that men and women were created to become one flesh, leaving behind their parents to form a new family. This is the original ideal for marriage, a foundational myth that has continued through Hebrew, Christian, and Muslim communities. And yet… It has been through multiple transformations along the way, but still remains there in the depths. Each cultural group that has received this teaching has heard it in the light of their own experience. Since the original three traditions have been fundamentally patriarchal, the interpretation of the story has favored the privileges of men.

In our world today, the questions of the rights of women, their place in the religious community, their freedom to make their own decisions and to pursue their own callings within the communities in which they live, and the extent to which their identity is to be subsumed into that of the men in their lives, are in transition and discussion.

With changing views on the place of women in family and society, it becomes necessary to evaluate the role of men as well. It’s not an easy time or an easy process. Yet it’s essential and we will get through it.

The bottom line

Humans are created to live with each other, to be companions to each other, to engender and raise children together. Yet humans are not all just the same. We are only beginning to understand the genetic basis of our gender identity – it’s not determined exclusively by which chromosomes we have. The genes on the chromosomes are far more important than we ever dreamed until recently. Our talents, interests, and gifts are not determined by our chromosomes. So much more is at stake. Finding the balance moving forward is not and will not be easy.

Our challenge today is to take the ancient foundational myths and see more deeply into their meaning. We are created to be together. We thrive on loving relationships. We need stability and love to grow. We learn through the tough times we experience and are helped by the love of a God who was willing to experience them himself, as one of us.

So, we rejoice with the author of the letter to the Hebrews who reminds us that the one “for whom and through whom all things exist…is not ashamed” to call us brothers and sisters. (Heb 2:9-11) We are children of God. We must accept the kingdom of God like a child, coming to the Lord and accepting his blessing. (Mk 10:2-16)

We were made wondrously and are oh so varied, each person. May we rejoice and celebrate love in its multi-colored and patterned forms.

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

Posted by Dcn. Randy Pozos on Sep 3, 2024

Jesus Expels Negative Message Demons

(Image from “Très Riches Heures,” 15th century book of hours,courtesy of Wikipedia)

This is Dr. Deborah Wilhelm’s latest homily, “Hear the Voice of Holiness.”

Dr. Wilhelm is the co-author of Preaching Matters with Bishop Sylvester Ryan. She was my Homiletics (preaching) teacher. In this podcast, she addresses the negative demonic voices within us and how we can be delivered from them.

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

No More and No Less – Just Right

Many years ago, when my children were in early elementary school, there was a program they enjoyed watching with their father. I think it was on NPR and I don’t remember its name. But one phrase repeated frequently during the program has remained with us to this day: “Measure carefully!”

The program featured a chef at a Western ranch. He used local ingredients and prepared what looked like delicious meals. It was not a competition like so many we see today, just the preparation of foods for guests at the ranch featuring ingredients more often seen as Western, including chilies.

The chef would get out a bowl as he explained what he was going to prepare. Then he would begin assembling the ingredients. One after another, he tossed them into the bowl and mixed them together. The amount of some things was clear – one egg, two carrots. But when it came to others, although he had a recipe, everything was approximate. As he put in a handful or two of flour, he would say, “Measure carefully.” As he shook the salt out of the shaker into the bowl, again, “Measure carefully.” The same went for spices such as red chili or coriander, and liquids. He might use a measuring cup, but it was far from an exact science in his kitchen. The amazing thing was that everything seemed to come out tasting good. At least the folks to whom the dishes were served always praised them!

Today as we cook, in our own homes or together, it’s not uncommon for someone to remark as they add a “glug of milk” or a “pinch of salt” or a “dash of chili” to the dish, “Measure carefully!”

Statutes and Decrees that are Just

As Moses neared the end of his life, he spoke to the people about their way of life and the commandments they had received from the Lord to govern their lives. The commandments dealt with many different facets of life, far more than the simple Ten Commandments which so many of us assume is the total sum of the Law. Ways of living, including what kinds of food could be eaten, how it was to be prepared, what rules of cleanliness applied in daily life, how to deal with illness and people who were ill, how strangers were to be treated, and much, much more were spelled out in the Law.

Moses told the people that they needed to observe the guidelines and rules of the Law if they were to enter into the Promised Land and take possession of it. The land was, in fact, already filled with other peoples who would not be happy to give it up. But the Lord would give it to them, provided they observed his commandments. They were to follow the commandments as received.

In following the commandments, the people would demonstrate to all the nations their wisdom and intelligence. Seeing this, the peoples of other nations would recognize the greatness of the Lord who had chosen them as his own. “You shall not add to what I command you nor subtract from it.” Seeing their life of obedience to the law, observers would know that no other nation “has statutes and decrees that are as just as this whole law…” or has a God so truly great and close to them in daily life. (Dt 4:1-2, 6-8)

The story of the Exodus and the Covenant, with the Law that laid out its terms, were written down long after the times in which they were reported to have happened. The book of Deuteronomy, for example, was composed many centuries after the Israelites had settled in the Promised Land. In those many years, the traditions and customs described in the book had developed and been influenced by those of surrounding peoples. The essentials of the relationship with God were unchanged. The Covenant that bound them together was still foundational. But many years of dealing with events that might not have been foreseen originally would have been included in the texts.

We see similar things in our lives today. A law is written and signed, but just what the day-to-day implications of that particular rule are sometimes takes a while to figure out. In some cases, entire governmental agencies are set up to administer the laws regarding a particular facet of our common life and to develop the specific details and rules for keeping everyone safe.

Both recipes and laws can have areas that are not always crystal clear in their implementation. Getting to a balance between too much and too little, meeting the intention of the original vision, can be a challenge.

Ritual Cleanliness and Purity

By the time of Jesus, the Law was very complicated. Its requirements were complex. Ritual purity was fundamental in daily life. Washing of hands in a ritually determined way before eating or when returning from the marketplace, the ritual purification of equipment used for cooking and eating or beds for sleeping, the restrictions on foods that could be eaten and how they were to be prepared – all were defined as part of the Law. The purity laws were based on understandings of how things are supposed to be, based on observation of how most things of a certain type are. For example, pigs are unclean because they do not chew their cud as other animals with cloven hooves do. A characteristic of their nature makes them ritually unclean – not a member of the club.

Jesus’ disciples, we are told, did not always cleanse their hands ritually before eating. When a group of Pharisees came out from Jerusalem to meet Jesus, they noticed this behavior and confronted him. “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?”

Jesus didn’t try to explain why the ritual actions required by the purity code were not being followed. Instead, he quoted Isaiah’s condemnation of those whose outward behaviors are in conformity with what is legally required, but whose hearts are intent on something totally different. Human traditions and practices are not necessarily equivalent to God’s commandments. Unnecessary burdens have been added to the law of God.

Rather than require his disciples to change their approach and put ritual purity first, Jesus called the crowd and made his position clear. “Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” (Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23)

Human traditions can develop that add extra burdens which get in the way of living out the Covenant, living in close relationship with God.

Doers of the Word

St. James speaks of gifts, specifically those given by God. “Every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…” God’s first gift is to give us life through the word of truth, a sharing in the life of Christ, the Word.

We who have received the word are to be doers, not simply hearers. If we are to be pure before God, unstained by the world, our response to the gift must be to take practical steps to help the afflicted, to do the works of justice. James speaks specifically about widows and orphans, the two groups of people in his time who had no one that would step up and protect or support them. Without a husband or a father for protection and support, they were the poorest of the poor and the most likely to be abused. (Jas 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27)

This imperative, this requirement of the Law, and the results of being doers of justice and mercy is key to a life of faith. Psalm 15 asks, “O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy mountain?” The response is that those who walk blamelessly and do justice “will never be disturbed.” They are the ones who live in the covenant with the Lord.

We are called to be doers of the word, the word of justice and truth from the Father. We don’t have a recipe for every situation. We can’t fix the injustices that leave some folks needing to flee their homes and travel to a new place. We can’t personally feed every child or adult who has no income. We can’t declare peace on earth and have all wars and injustice stop.

But we can reach out in our own communities. We can smile at people we meet on the street as we wait for their dog to finish sniffing a fence so they can walk on their way. We can share the extra food from our gardens. We can help a child learn to read. We can help find work and food for refugees or low-income members of our communities. We can go the extra mile and accompany those who are ill or dying or mourning the loss of a loved one.

The limitations that our cultures and traditions put on reaching out in service are not always binding. Sometimes we need to remember that recipes don’t have to be followed as exactly as the mixing of a medication would require. Sometimes the social expectations with which we grew up need to be ignored or modified. Sometimes, we need to “Measure carefully” and toss in our hearts and our very being as we live the Covenant with our God. Then we will find that what results is just right. No more and no less.

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

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

Life-Giving and Life-Sustaining Blood

My father was a life-long blood donor. His dedication to this service began when he was a young man. His younger sister developed a condition in which the platelets no longer held the blood inside her veins and arteries properly. She began to bleed internally. The only treatment was to give her blood and hope her body would begin to produce the platelets she needed before she died. Unfortunately, it did not. She died at the age of 18, the year before I was born.

In memory of his sister, Dad gave blood regularly for the rest of his life. He lived to be 93 ½ years old.

For Aunt Dolores, the reality of life-sustaining and life-giving blood was very immediate and intimate. For most of us, it’s much more of a theoretical, abstract concept.

As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, we have the opportunity to reflect on the importance of blood to life and to our experience of the presence of Christ in our lives.

Our ancestors in faith, the descendants of Abraham and Sarah, were pastoralists. They raised sheep and goats and traveled with them from one pasture to another until a great famine led them to move to Egypt. There they grew in numbers, but always remembered that they were a separate people, with their own God. Eventually, after they had been enslaved, God sent Moses to lead them out of Egypt and back to the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was not an easy, peaceful transition.

To this day, we remember the events of the Exodus from Egypt. Plagues, storms, disasters, and the death of firstborn children of Egypt – all were part of the signs that led Pharaoh to allow them to leave. The Angel of Death swept through Egypt one night, but skipped the homes that had the blood of a lamb smeared around the door frame. This first Passover has been celebrated annually since that time. Jesus and his followers celebrated the Passover in Jerusalem at the end of his life. Three of the evangelists place the Last Supper and the institution of the Eucharist at the end of a Passover Seder.

St. Mark tells us about the preparations for that evening’s celebration and also about Jesus’ actions in taking the bread and giving it to all, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” He passed the last cup of wine around as well, saying, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.” (Mk 14:12-16. 22-26)

Since that time, we have shared this bread and wine in our celebrations of thanksgiving, our Eucharist. His words are repeated each time, including the instructions to “Do this in remembrance of me” which are found in another Gospel account. (Lk 22:19)

Thousands of words have been written, hours of thought, conversation, discussion, arguments, and energy have gone into the endeavor of reaching understanding of how this can be and exactly what is it that is happening/has happened through these words and actions. I do not pretend to have better answers than those who have come before me.

Nevertheless, I do want to reflect a bit on the idea of blood as life-giving and life-sustaining. Moses carried God’s words and instructions/ordinances to the people after his encounter with God on the mountain top. He told the people what God was asking of them and they agreed to do as they were instructed. So Moses wrote it all down for them and began this new formal relationship with a ritual, a ceremony, to make it all official.

Pillars were erected to represent all twelve tribes of Israel, young bulls were sacrificed. Some were burned completely as a sacrifice and others were only partly burned and eaten by the people as peace offerings. It was a sacred, sacrificial meal. Then half the blood of the sacrificed animals, which had been collected in bowls was poured out on the altar in sacrifice as well. The rest of it was sprinkled over the people. Our contemporary minds say, “Ewww.” But they believed that in blood, God’s life force was present. The Hebrew people did not and do not consume blood. When the blood was sprinkled over the people, it was a sign of the covenant relationship between the people and God. Life-giving and life-sustaining. (Ex 24:3-8)

For Jesus and those around him, the sacrifice of animals at the temple remained a reality. Part of his anger with those who administered the markets supplying animals for sacrifice was due to the fact that all too often the ordinary people were being charged too much to purchase the animals for sacrifice. It caused greater hardship than necessary.

So when Jesus spoke of his body and blood as signs of a new covenant, his friends immediately wondered what he meant by that. They didn’t suspect that he would rise from the dead. They didn’t even know that he would die the next day! There was a lot to sort out in the days, weeks, and years after these events. But the community continued to gather, pray together, and read the Hebrew scriptures that spoke of God’s love and the promise of a redeemer. And they broke the bread and shared the cup, as we continue to do today.

The author of the Letter to the Hebrews also reflected on this great mystery of the new covenant and the new high priest in the heavenly sanctuary. This new high priest does not need the sacrifice of animals and their blood. The blood of life, the life of God, has been shed to bring life to all, a share in divine life. The everyday ordinary blood of human and animal life no longer needs to be shed for this covenant. Another has shared the blood of life. (Heb 9:11-15)

Most likely we will never know how many people lived because my father shared his blood with them. I’m sure he has been thanked many times in his new life with the Lord by those who received his gift. I too thank him tonight as I write. I was wondering how to address these readings and this feast all day. And then this evening, after the dishes were washed and it was nearly time for bed, the memory of Dad and Aunt Dolores came to me. Life-giving, life-sustaining. Blood of life. Body to nourish us on our journey to everlasting life.

May we remember this week that we are sharers in the life of God. The Body and Blood of Christ we share are those of our God, become one of us and raising us to new life. Not a riddle to solve. Not a logical puzzle. A mystery to enter into. A cause for rejoicing.

Readings for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ – Cycle B

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