Lived Religion | blog.theologika.net

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

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

Diversity – Broader Than We Expect?

Each month, Pope Francis asks people around the world to join him in prayer for a particular intention. This month, January 2024, he is asking us to pray for the gift of diversity in the Church. Specifically, his prayer is,

“We pray that the Holy Spirit may help us to recognize the gift of different charisms within the Christian community and to discover the richness of different traditions and rituals in the Catholic Church.”

This prayer is focused on diversity within the Christian community, with its varied history, traditions, and rituals. As a worldwide community, people from multiple traditions, cultural understandings, and expectations all share in the same fundamental set of beliefs and practices. However, the ways those beliefs and practices are expressed can vary dramatically.

When my husband and I were first married, for example, we often found that we were divided by the bonds of a common religion. We were both Catholic from birth and grew up in actively Catholic families and communities. But the specifics of which customs, which saints, and which fundamental requirements and expectations of Catholic life were most important differed in many ways. Northern European Irish/German traditions were different from Mexican-American traditions. It took many years to recognize and anticipate the expected practices from our childhood experience and know which ones were going to be more important to each of us. With experience and many years of practice, we mostly have this worked out, but we still trip up from time to time.

As a Church, we have a long way to go, but the reforms of Vatican II have given a great foundation and permission for us to recognize and value the incarnation of our God within the many cultures of our world. We can now pray for diversity and acceptance of the many charisms, the gifts of the Spirit in our daily lives. We no longer need to demand that all peoples around the world understand or celebrate God’s presence in human history in exactly the same way, nor that they live their lives in the same way.

This struck me as an apt insight when I read the story of Jonah and his arrival in the ancient city of Nineveh with a message from God. (Jon 3:1-5, 10) Nineveh was the capital city of the Assyrian empire. It was very large – a three day walk to cross from one side of it to the other. The Assyrians were long-time enemies of the Israelites. They had battled more than once. Assyrians had actually destroyed the Northern Kingdom of Israel in battle. Many of the people of northern Israel had been killed, many driven into exile. Jonah and others in his community hated the Assyrians. No love was lost between the people of Assyria and the people of Israel.

Imagine Jonah’s surprise and horror when the Lord told him to go and warn the people of the enemy capital that their city was to be destroyed because of their evil behavior. That was exactly what he would have cheered! Destruction of an enemy’s capital, a warning not to mess with one’s own God – who could ask for more? And for this to happen without any loss of life among one’s own people? Fantabulous!

But no. God wanted the people of Nineveh to be warned, to have a chance to escape this horror. So, he called Jonah. Jonah tried to escape his task, boarding a ship to cross the Mediterranean, but that didn’t work out. He ended up in the belly of a whale for a bit, after having been tossed overboard by the crew and then being deposited back on the shore where he started. At that point, he gave up and headed to Nineveh. Entering the city, he began to proclaim its coming destruction. In only one day, the city and its leaders took heed. They proclaimed a fast, put on simple, uncomfortable, penitential clothing (sackcloth), and changed their behavior. With this quick response, there was no longer any reason to punish the city, so God relented and all was well.

Was Jonah happy? Not at all! He had hoped the city would be destroyed. He went away and pouted for a while. But again, how he got over it is another story for another day.

What strikes me about this story is that God did not pay attention only to the people of one culture, with one set of traditions. God cared about the people of Nineveh too, enough to send an unwilling prophet to call them to repentance. Though not members of the Chosen People, they were also a people about whom God cared enough to call them to reform and live.

The city of Nineveh still exists. It has a different name now. We call it Mosul. And God still cares for the people of Mosul and the rest of the Middle East, with all of their different traditions.

How about Jesus? Were his followers all from the same background or occupation? Not really. Some were fishermen. One was a tax collector. One was involved in politics – on the more revolutionary side. Saul/Paul was called after the resurrection. He was a Pharisee, an educated man, a student of the Law, who was active in persecution of the early followers of Jesus.

Mark tells us about the call of Peter, Andrew, James, and John. (Mk 1:14-20) They were fishermen from two different families who were working with their families along the shore of the Sea of Galilee when they met Jesus. Jesus himself was a carpenter, a tradesman. All were men who were accustomed to working and supporting themselves and their families. When Jesus walked by the boats as they were cleaning up after fishing – repairing nets, getting everything ready for the next day’s work – he called them to follow him. Amazingly, without hesitation, they left their nets and followed him. They didn’t reject their families or communities, but they left the nets and fishing to follow and learn from him. His other followers also left their jobs immediately when he called them. There was something compelling about the man and his invitation. He was open to them, just as they were and with their own particular backgrounds and family stories. Others who followed him but weren’t in the inner circle were also a diverse group. Women, men, well-to-do, middle-class, and poor. All were represented among Jesus’ followers. He was also recognized as a special person by non-Jews. Remember the Roman centurion whose son was healed by Jesus?

The followers of Jesus were a diverse lot. Jesus may initially have thought he was sent only for the Hebrew people, but his encounters with the Samaritan woman at the well and the Syrophoenician woman who begged for healing for her child opened his eyes to the fact that God cares for all people, not just those who worshiped at the temple in Jerusalem. God cares for humans in all our diversity.

That being the case, when do we need to start welcoming and treasuring our diversity? Right now.

St. Paul reminded the folks in Corinth that time is passing quickly. (1 Cor 7:29-31) It is still passing quickly. We don’t know the day or the hour when our time will end. We don’t know when the Lord will come again. We must live the calling of our life now, welcoming the diverse members of the human community whom we meet along the way.

We don’t have time to hold on to old ways or restrictions. The freedom of the children of God allows us to step beyond our regular restrictions and expectations. We can be open to see God’s hand in the lives of others who are not part of our immediate family or community. We can see God’s face in the immigrant, the undocumented, the hungry, the little ones in our churches and schools who are still learning the social rules, the neighbor across the back fence, the person who cuts ahead of us in line at the grocery store, the addict begging on the street. God is present in each one. God loves the diversity of humanity and hopes we are free enough to enjoy it too.

It’s going to take time for all of us to feel comfortable with the myriad forms of diversity among our fellow human sisters and brothers. Our own cultural traditions and explanations of how-things-are will continue to jump to the forefront when we encounter other ways of being and of doing things. I pray that we can become open to listen deeply to those we meet and hear the goodness within each, which is reaching out to meet the goodness within us. When cultural practices diminish the freedom and well-being of others, it’s important to question them. The same is as true for practices in our culture as for those in other cultures. However, we must always remember that God is the creator of all and through all shines forth in marvelous beauty and colorful light.

May the Holy Spirit, still at work in the Church and in the larger Christian community, lead us to newly recognize, cherish, and support the many gifts, talents, and richness of our many world traditions and varied rituals. May we be unafraid to see our expectations of roles and expression of our deepest selves be broadened by exposure to other ways of life. The diversity is greater than we might imagine. The Holy Spirit will lead us as we explore the marvels of God’s human creation. We just need to be willing to open our hearts and see.

Readings for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle B

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Dec 17, 2023

Joy – Much more than simple happiness

I’ve been thinking a lot about joy these past few days. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, right up there with love and peace at the beginning of the list of them given to us by St. Paul in his letter to the Galatians. It’s not a passing phenomenon like happiness. It’s something much deeper that is rooted in the Spirit. Through good times and bad, joy is a response to the presence of God working in us and in the world.

Isaiah speaks of bringing glad tidings to the poor, healing to those whose hearts are broken, liberty to captives, a year of favor. The prophet rejoices in the Lord who brings salvation and makes justice and praise spring forth in the land. (Is 61:1-2a, 10-11) Isaiah spoke in and about the same land in which hearts on both sides of a war are being broken today. How will justice, peace, and joy blossom again? How does joy appear in the midst of sorrow and pain?

Yet in all things, we are called to rejoice. We are to pray unceasingly and give thanks for all that comes to us – we can and will learn and grow closer to God as we do. St. Paul promises that the God of peace will make us holy and ready for the coming of the Lord. (1 Thes 5:16-24)

John the Baptist came to testify to the light that was coming into the world. He was clear with all who came to him that he was not himself the light. His role was to be a voice in the wilderness calling all to prepare the way of the Lord. Another was coming. This other one would be much more important, but in the meanwhile, he himself would continue to call people to repentance and to prepare for the one already present among them, the one who was to come. (Jn 1:6-8, 19-28)

Joy is fundamental in each of these messages. Joy is a characteristic that is more stable than happiness. Even in hard times, one can be joyful, recognizing the sustaining presence of God in the midst of those hard times.

In Surprised by Joy, C.S. Lewis noted that like happiness and pleasure, anyone who has experienced joy will want to have it always. “I doubt whether anyone who has tasted it would ever, if both were in his power, exchange it for all the pleasures in the world. But then Joy is never in our power and Pleasure often is.” Joy is enduring and deep rooted.

Author Michela Summa notes in Joy and Happiness, “joy is not only a direct emotional response to an event that is embedded in our life-concerns but is also tightly bound to the present moment…” She contrasts this to happiness which is experienced at the culmination of a process. Joy is present through the entire process.

Dr. Pamela King, of Fuller Theological Seminary has been researching joy in her work in Applied Developmental Psychology. In an interview in 2020 in Psychology Today, she said:

“I have observed that many people have an enduring and underlying sense of something that is deeper than the emotion of happiness, and I have come to describe this as joy. In my study of joy, I have also noticed that joy is more complex than a feeling or an emotion. It is something one can practice, cultivate, or make a habit. Consequently, I suggest that joy is most fully understood as a virtue that involves our thoughts, feelings, and actions in response to what matters most in our lives. Thus, joy is an enduring, deep delight in what holds the most significance.”

“An enduring, deep delight.” This is something much more than happiness and contentment. This is a quality of openness and acceptance and delight in the presence of God in all things. When all is well and when all is perfectly awful, God is present with us, giving strength and courage. This, as a priest I knew years ago once said, “is pretty good news!” In this we rejoice. In this we trust. In this we move forward on our journey of life.

As we move through this Third Week of Advent and quickly approach the celebration of Christmas, may we pay attention to God’s presence in our daily lives and activities. May we rejoice in those with whom we interact. May we find time to rest in the love of our God who took time to enter into humanity as a real human child.

Our family Advent Calendar now includes three candles for the first three weeks of Advent. Today the pink candle joins the festivities, reminding us all to prepare in joy for the Lord’s coming.

Rejoice. The Lord is near!

Readings for the Third Sunday of Advent – Cycle B

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Nov 24, 2023

Sheep and Goats – Which?

Sheep and goats represent a frequently recurring image in both Hebrew and Christian scriptures. I don’t know about you, but I have not personally had a great deal of experience with either sheep or goats outside of petting zoos.

Given my great lack of knowledge of either sheep or goats, I asked my sister, who raises alpacas and has a sheep as well, to help me understand how sheep and goats are similar and how they are different. Her daughter-in-law, my niece, raises goats, so my sister also got feedback from her. It made for a very enjoyable afternoon’s texting.

Here’s what I learned.

Goats are smarter than sheep and can figure out puzzles, “like how to open a gate.”
“Goats are leaders, sheep are followers.”
“Goats are hardier and easier to take care of than sheep, in my experience…”
Both have similarities regarding food and other animal habits, but there are differences.
Sheep will knock over anything or anyone, including the shepherd, who is in the way of where they want to go, especially if they are frightened or in a hurry.
Sheep are very food and instinct oriented and will ask for food and water even when they already have them.
“Sheep are complete idiots and rude,” quoth the goat herder in a short text.
Endearing qualities of goats? “They love treats and are a lot hardier.” Again from the goat herder.
Goats will come up to a person and wait to be petted. If they think they are being ignored, “they will stick their heads over the fence so you can scratch their nose or between their horns.”
Both sheep and goats can be sources of milk and fiber/wool. Some types are more suited to one or another product.
Goats can be used to pull carts. Their horns make it easier to keep a halter on those with smaller ears.
Sheep can sleep outside in the snow – their wool keeps them warm under the snowy blanket. When they wake, they can eat snow rather than needing to drink water.
Sheep will ‘Pogo’ when they are happy or in a hurry to get somewhere – “hop, hop, hopping … their little feet hitting the ground.”

Many thanks to these two lovely ladies for their insights.

These exchanges left me wondering why it’s the sheep who get the good press in the Bible.

In the Book of Ezekiel, the king and religious leaders of Israel get the blame for having caused the great troubles of defeat and exile of the nation under their leadership. Ezekiel, in a passage before the one we see this day, decried the fact that they had taken advantage of the poor, the sick, the injured, and those who were lost souls among the people. The job of the King and religious leaders, in God’s view as expressed by Ezekiel, is to look out for those who can’t take care of themselves and need help.

Speaking through Ezekiel, God proclaims, “I myself will look after and tend my sheep.” (Ez 34:11-12, 15-17) God promised to rescue these sheep from everywhere they have been scattered and bring them to a safe pasture. This shepherd will go out and find those who are lost, tend the wounds of those who are injured, and heal the sick ones. But “the sleek and the strong” will be destroyed – those who did not use their strength to help and protect the others.

On a final note, the prophecy declares, “As for you, my sheep, … I will judge between one sheep and another, between rams and goats.” (Rams are unaltered male sheep.)

There we go again. Sheep versus goats? There must be something else beneath the surface that a non-shepherding culture doesn’t notice.

It is possible to have both sheep and goats in a herd. Goats can help protect the sheep from predators, because they tend to be more aggressive. They’re not going to turn and run away in panic when they perceive a threat. They eat different plants than the sheep, so the pasture can support more animals.

Ezekiel is not the only one to speak of sheep and goats. In Jesus’ description of the end of times when he will return in glory with the angels and sit in judgement over all the nations, he speaks of sheep and goats as well. Matthew’s narration of this event is the only version of this that we see in the Gospels. (Mt 25:31-46)

People will be divided into two groups, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. The sheep will be gathered at Jesus’ right hand and the goats at his left. Then he will tell those on the right, “Come … inherit the kingdom prepared for you… For I was hungry and you gave me food…” These were the ones who took care of the hungry, the thirsty, newcomers, those without adequate clothing, the ill, the imprisoned. They are surprised to be singled out for this, especially since they didn’t recall ever doing any of this to/for Jesus personally. He explains that doing it for “one of the least brothers of mine” was the same as doing it for him.

Those on the left-hand side are chided for not caring for the hungry, thirsty, naked, and so forth. Again, they don’t recall ever seeing Jesus needing these things. Yet Jesus applies the same logic to them. What was not done for the little ones, the least of God’s people, Jesus’ brothers and sisters, was not done for him.

Here we still are, with the sheep getting the good press and the goats getting the bad.

I think part of what we are seeing is that the ancient Hebrews started as shepherds, so there’s a long history with these animals and their care. Abraham was a shepherd. He probably had both sheep and goats in his herds. Both species have useful qualities and together they can provide a more complete set of products for supporting a household, especially a group of herders who travel from place to place with their animals. Goats, with their intelligence and tendency to be more aggressive, might be a bit more challenging at times. But these same qualities would make them a useful addition to the mix. The shepherds and their dogs could use the help of other animals in protecting the entire herd. Still, if there are too many goats, it could also be a problem, especially when it comes to growing the herd and mating time. Intermixing the species is not a successful strategy in such instances.

Another thought that comes to mind is that sometimes, it’s best just to follow the rules and do what is the right thing, even if it’s not the most clever or flashy. When we get too clever and try to outfox the rules to get a better deal for ourselves, it’s not going to lead to our serving the poor or those who can’t get a leg up in life on their own. We too easily get focused on our own needs and wants and find ways to justify meeting those first. God, the shepherd, wants us to look out for each other and will support us as we do. We don’t have to go running off slyly on our own like the goats, figuring out how to unlock the gate to have a good life.

One other thought, which comes from Catherine Cory in the Workbook for Lectors that we use in our parish, is that the words translated as sheep and goat do not necessarily refer only to the animals we categorize by that name. She suggests that the term translated as sheep refers to small grazing animals, not just sheep. The term translated as goats refers to small creatures that are “woolly.” She suggests that those Jesus called sheep are the mature ones who are ready to enter the kingdom of God. The others are unready to enter. They have not matured properly and become ready for the kingdom. The way to become ready, is to serve the hungry, the thirsty, the imprisoned, the sick, and so forth. We call these tasks the Corporal Acts of Mercy and we are all called to this service.

As we end our liturgical year with this Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, let’s pray that we have grown in maturity this past year and will continue to grow in the year to come. It’s not just the sheep in my sister’s yard who should go hop, hop, hopping quickly towards a special treat or person. We, the sheep of our Lord and God, need to hop, hop, hop along together in joyful service, meeting our Savior in all those we encounter.

Readings for the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe – Cycle A

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Nov 19, 2023

Worthy Wife, Worthy Husband & Talents

Literature written thousands of years ago sometimes presents us with images that seem unnecessarily limited in our times. This is particularly true when we look at gender roles and expectations.

The Book of Proverbs includes many sayings and images that can be taken individually and used to guide one’s actions. It also presents a picture of Lady Wisdom, an ever-present manifestation of God’s powerful presence in our world. One section is written as an acrostic poem. Each line begins with a word from the Hebrew alphabet. The lines begin with the first letter, alef, and the poem’s last line begins with the letter tav, the last letter of that alphabet. (As an aside, the alphabet can be known as the Alef-Bet – the A, B – and as we would add – Cs.)

This poem speaks of the qualities of the ideal wife in the world of that day. (Prv 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31) Women in those days were primarily responsible for management of the home, raising of the children, and support of their husbands in their activities. They did not have careers outside the home. It was a full-time job to handle the household.

Many years ago, the teacher of a class dedicated to study of Wisdom literature assigned his students the task of writing a “newly discovered” extra chapter for each book studied. It was a way of seeing what the student understood about the book being studied. One student decided to write a parallel chapter for the book of Proverbs, describing the husband, also in an acrostic poem.

The section about the wife begins, “When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls.” Her skills are praised, her outreach and compassion to the poor are noted, her dedication to the Lord is admired, and she is described as meriting praise for her labors at the city gates. It is truly a work of praise and love.

Here’s the missing chapter about the worthy husband, as imagined by a woman in the late 20^th century.

A Modern Parallel to Proverbs 31:10-31

A worthy husband, who might find him? He is more precious than gold.
Bountiful is the harvest of his labors.
Confidence in his abilities guides his actions.
Defending the poor, he dares oppose oppression.
Eager for life, he embraces it joyfully, yet
Fails not to recognize physical death as its goal.
Gentle concern endears him to his family and friends.
Humbly he acknowledges his strengths and weaknesses.
Innocently he walks in the midst of intrigues.
Joyfully he provides physical and spiritual support for his wife and children.
Kites he flies with his children and he kisses them freely each day,
Loving them and their mother as himself.
Manager of his earnings, he generously shares whatever he has.
Nature is his ally, she abundantly rewards his good deeds.
Optimistically he faces the future with assurance as he
Prayerfully begins, lives, and ends his day.
Queen of his heart, the wife he has chosen he makes his partner.
Respectfully dealing with all he meets, he is loved in return.
Smiles are his trademark, even during times of trouble.
Truthfully he expresses his thoughts.
Unusually curious, he is continuously questioning,
Vigorously seeking truth.
Wisely guarding his inner privacy, his
“X” or unknown qualities continually surprise his friends.
Youthfully he goes about his work,
Zestfully living each day, he wins praise from all.

We each have talents received from God, who hopes we will use them wisely to spread the kingdom of love and mercy, just as the master Jesus described did when he gave his servants huge sums of money to invest on his behalf. Two of the servants took the money and used it to earn an equal amount. One was afraid that he might lose it and the master would be angry, so that servant buried the money to protect it until the return of the master. Only those who took and used the money were pleasing to the master when he returned. (Mt 25:14-30)

The parable ends with the statement that those who use their gifts, who spend them freely, will be rewarded with more of the gifts they need. Those who hold on tightly to what they have will lose them instead.

The gifts we receive from our Father are to be put to work. Just as the worthy wife buys flax and wool to spin thread and weave fabric for making clothing for her family in the poem, we are to take the talents we have and share them freely. This may be something as simple as sharing a smile with a passing stranger, or patiently waiting in line while a checker helps the customer ahead of us sort out which card to use to pay for the groceries. Sometimes we are asked to share a bit more. A child needs a new coat for the winter. Will we help fund that for a low income family? A family doesn’t have extra money to buy a doll for a child for Christmas. Will we be the ones who help that child receive a precious gift? An older person waits hopefully for a visit from a neighbor. Will we be the ones who stop by to say hello and share a few minutes of friendship? Our church community needs helpers to share our faith with the children and youth. Will we take the time to be with them as they learn of God’s love? Will we share what we have seen?

We all have received many gifts and talents. Men and women, husbands and wives, adults and children – all have something received and something to give. As we approach the end of our Church year in another week, may we be open to hearing the voice of the Lord and growing into the role we are to play in the community of faith.

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

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Nov 5, 2023

Covenants and Family

The time spent nursing a child is some of the most precious time ever in the lives of mothers and children. Not all children nurse easily from the beginning of their lives, but once they and their mothers figure out how they can do it, the time together and the sharing become unforgettable – a deep, pre-verbal connection is formed that can last for decades. As a mother myself, who was nursed as a child and watched my siblings nursing as well, I was delighted to have the chance to do so too. Those years with my children were very special, filled with funny happenings, some frustrating times, and many simply peaceful, routine times.

St. Paul speaks of his time with the community in Thessalonika as one in which he and his companions were “gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children.” (1 Thes 2: 7b-9, 13) They shared the amazing, wonderfully good news of God’s coming among us and loving each of us as parents love their children. The response of the people among whom they toiled was a source of great joy to them. He speaks of his gratitude to God for their openness and acceptance of the teaching, which shows forth in their lives. Though Paul doesn’t say it in so many words, in their lives they are examples of the contentment of the weaned child on it’s mother’s lap, happily experiencing the presence of a parent’s love and protection in life of which the Psalmist speaks. (Ps 131: 1, 2, 3)

Both the prophet Malachi and Jesus speak of family ties too when addressing the challenges of their times.

Malachi speaks at a time after the Babylonian Exile. (Mal 1:14b-2:2b-8, 10) He proclaims that the Lord is a great King, with power feared among the nations. Yet the priests who are responsible to lead the people in worship have not lived up to their calling. They have turned away from the covenant, the agreement God made with Levi, their ancestor. Malachi cries out, “Have we not all the one father? Has not the one God created us?” The covenant of the ancient fathers of the community with their God has been broken. This is a great tragedy. Israel is a family, the children of God, yet the priests have not lived up to their part in the relationship. As a result, their family connection as a community with God has been broken and so has their relationship as sisters and brothers in one family. When this happens, community strength is lost and mutual respect is gone.

How and when will the covenant be renewed? Only when the people turn again to God, their father, the one father of all.

Jesus spoke of the Pharisees, who were students and teachers of the Law, and the Scribes, who were advisors, leaders, and teachers entrusted with reading and writing the traditions and teachings that guided the community. He criticized them because they did not live what they taught. To follow all the details of the Law as they taught it was very difficult. They themselves did not follow the rules they made for ordinary people to follow. Yet Jesus did not tell people to ignore the teachings. Instead, he told people to follow the Law, but not to follow the examples of these teachers who were more interested in being seen and honored for their pretended observance of the Law than in actually living according to the Law. The fundamentals of living humbly, serving others, and recognizing all others as brothers and sisters of the one Father in heaven are the critical, essential actions. (Mt 23:1-12)

In a community and culture in which corporate families were the norm, one statement in particular is striking: “Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven.” In corporate families, the leadership of the family is vested in one parent. In Israel of that time, the parent was the father of the extended family. Children and grandchildren and their families were all under the leadership and authority of that one parent. Individual families did not really exist in the sense we experience them. Family identity passes through the male or female line in corporate families. In patriarchal Israel, the line went through the males – from father to son. Women married into the family, leaving their own family behind. The “Father” in this large extended family made the decisions about who would do what and who would marry whom. Jesus says, only God is the Father. The earthly parents of each person are not the ultimate authority.

The bottom line for Jesus was the importance of humble service. “The greatest among you must be your servant.” Only those who serve humbly will ultimately be recognized for their greatness.

The nursing mother, the humble servant, the God who is Father. The ones who make life easier and better for others, especially the others who are poor, or of lower social status, or strangers/newcomers in the land, or who suffer illness or injury are the ones who will be exalted. These are the ones pleasing to the Father. It was thus in the time of Malachi. It was thus in the time of Jesus. It was thus in the time of St. Paul. Nothing has changed. It is still thus in our days.

May we this week be aware of the needs of others and quietly offer a hand where needed. Maybe we pick up a bit of litter in a parking lot. Maybe we smile at a neighbor. Maybe we are patient in line at the grocery store. Maybe we read a story for the umpteenth time to a small child. Maybe we sit down with a nursing child and simply allow the child to eat and rest, basking in our love. Whatever we do, when we do it in love, we do it for and with our Father in Heaven. And the Father is pleased…

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

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Sep 10, 2023

Love is the Fulfillment of the Law

Imagine with me a world in which there are no mutually agreed-upon rules for behavior between individuals. Each day, the members of such a society would awaken without any pre-set guidelines or pathways for how they will treat others they meet or how they will themselves be treated. Will I get a chance to eat a good meal today, without having to prove I am stronger or more deserving of food than someone else is? Will my parents protect me and help me to learn what I need to know to support myself and a family when I am grown? Will my children help care for me when I am old and need help getting out of bed in the morning? If my friends and I want to play a game, will there be rules for all to follow as part of the game?

Life in this type of world would be very stressful. As social beings, we humans depend on each other for lots of things. We begin as infants, totally unable to care for ourselves, totally dependent on others. We learn what to expect by watching others and by the way we ourselves are treated. Yet a child as young as six months recognizes its own mother and may object strenuously to seeing mother hold another child, even if the “child” is a nearly life-size doll. “Mama should be holding me, not that other child!”

In order to live together in harmony, humans set up social agreements. In larger societies, some of those agreements become laws, rules that everyone agrees are for the best. We may have laws that are decreed from on high (as in the Hebrew Law given to Moses on Mt. Sinai). We may have laws laid down by a king or queen. We may have laws passed by our representatives in a body established to govern and protect our mutual interests.

Laws don’t always resolve all possible issues between and among people(s). Some laws are unfair to those who have less power than others. Some laws are disliked because they protect the rights of those who have less power! Regardless of how much we like or dislike a law, we need to have them in order for life to move along smoothly each day.

During the years of the Babylonian exile, Ezekiel heard the Lord’s order to speak out when he witnessed wrongdoing, the breaking of the rules for life set down centuries earlier. (Ez 33:7-9) Those who heard the warning and continued to break the law, would be punished by death. But those who stopped their evil ways would live. The twist on this whole prophecy was that if Ezekiel did not speak out and warn those doing evil, then he would also be punished for the evil they did because he would be partially responsible for it. It’s not a question of everyone being responsible only for their own actions. Those who hear the Lord’s voice and know what is right, must also look out for those who are not living justly. We have a responsibility to each other.

Jesus told his followers something similar. (Mt 18:15-20) If someone harms an individual, the injured one is to take it up with the one who has caused the harm. They are to come to terms and become reconciled with each other. If they can’t find a way to do that, then the injured party is to call others of the community as witnesses to the attempt to become reconciled. Eventually, if the entire community can’t find a way to lead the offender back into compliance with the rules of the community, that person can be excluded from the life of the community.

This reading has been interpreted very harshly historically and even sometimes today. People have been tossed out of their homes or communities or shunned because they are unable or unwilling to conform exactly to the teaching of the tradition. And yet, we know that rules and traditions change with time. What was seen as worthy of death in the past may now be seen as part of the normal range of human behavior. We have learned much about human development and psychology. We understand the role of trauma and neglect in the lives of people. We know that illness is not caused by evil spirits or winds but rather by bacteria, viruses, or imbalances in chemical systems in the body. Responsibility for physical conditions cannot always be laid at the foot of the person who experiences them.

And yet, Jesus tells the disciples, “If two or more of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted by my heavenly Father.” Does this mean that everything a couple of us decide should be done will be done by the Father? That could be a problem, right? It’s far too easy to mess things up when we are angry or upset. Better to leave some things for God to decide.

The other very important lesson here is that Jesus is present in the community. We need to talk with each other and pray together. That’s part of the reason we are having the Synodal process right now in the Church. Pope Francis has asked all of us to share our insights into the challenges facing our community and what we need to do to address them. It has been fascinating to see that many of the same issues are being raised by people around the world. Soon the results of the listening will be presented to a group of leaders of the Church for their consideration and reflection. “Where two or more are gathered together in my name….”

The bottom line in all of this is summed up by St. Paul in his letter to the Romans. (Rm 13:8-10) So many laws, both human and religious, are based on rules about what must not be done by one person to another. Don’t do this. Don’t do that. But deep below the requirement not to injure others is a positive command, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Those who truly love do not do evil to another person or community. Because love is the underlying foundation, it also becomes the fulfillment of The Law, the way our Father hopes and wishes all to live.

As we move through this coming week, may we listen deeply for the voice of the Lord, particularly as related to a loving response to the challenges we face in dealing with each other and the problems we share as members of the human community in this world. May we keep our eyes and ears open to the many ways the Lord speaks to us, especially the most subtle ones. “Love does no evil to the neighbor … love is the fulfillment of the law.”

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

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Jul 16, 2023

Rain, Seed, Harvest – the Word of God

“My word shall not return to me void.”

One of the great mysteries of life is the way everything grows from a tiny beginning. Even single cell creatures must start somehow. Division of a single cell into two is a common mode of birth for such beings. But they are not fully grown at the time they pop into being. Both the old and new cells are smaller than the original one had become at the time of the division.

For larger creatures, dividing and forming an exact copy of an older one is not an option. The pattern we see is of a very small cell with genetic material that somehow guides it as it grows and changes into increasingly more complex states. Eventually, the organism gets large enough and developed enough to survive on its own and even reproduce.

The prophet Isaiah reminds the people of his time (and all of us) that the rain and snow which fall on the earth are essential for the growth of the plants on which we all depend. They come from the heavens and return only after fulfilling their role on earth. The Lord, through his prophet, says that his word is the same in this regard. The Lord’s word goes forth from heaven and does not return until its purpose has been attained.

Jesus speaks of this same reality and the conditions that affect the way the process unfolds. “A sower went out to sow.” Those who are not close to the land may never have experienced the scenario Jesus presents. Seeds are very small. Traditionally, they were scattered by hand out onto the fields. Later, machines were invented to throw the seeds out in a pattern onto the fields. Today, there are even more precise machines that poke the seeds into the soil one-by-one and add a bit of fertilizer to help the seed grow. There is much more accuracy to today’s planting methods, and presumably, better yields at harvest time. The newer method also allows farmers to care for the soil more effectively, not having to plow under the remaining short stalks and roots of the prior year’s crop and risk having the soil blown away in a windstorm or washed away in the rain.

But when Jesus was speaking, and even today for farmers around the world, seeds were tossed out across the land by the farmers. Fields are not typically surrounded by solid walls. They are bordered by roads or paths. The soil on the path or road is hard. Seeds may sprout, but only with difficulty. Lots of them become food for the birds or other small animals. Then there are the areas where there are lots of rocks. Not a lot of soil to cuddle around the roots of the plants there either. Again, they don’t survive in large numbers. They are easy to pull and dry out quickly. And then the thorns. Have you ever tried to grow a lawn or garden beside a berry patch? The berry plants send out roots far into the area around them. Anything growing inside the berry patch is not going to produce well. The berries pull the nutrients for their own fruit. It’s a continual battle to beat back the berries and let the grass grow. The same goes for wheat and other grain crops growing beside thorny plants.

Fortunately, there are large expanses of land which are not filled with rocks or thorns onto which the seeds also can fall. In a good year, with adequate rain and dry weather as the grain matures and harvest time nears, a good crop will be harvested.

I grew up in a family in which some members were and still are farmers. In Eastern Washington, farmers often grow winter wheat. It is planted in the fall and sprouts before everything gets too cold. Then the snow comes and covers the land. Growth stops, but the plants are protected from the extreme cold that would kill them if they weren’t small and insulated. As the snow melts, the ground is watered and growth resumes. By June, the crop is growing beautifully, forming heads of seeds for the next season. The plants don’t know it, but they are also growing to be food for humans and animals. As the season moves on to August, we all hold our breath. Will the weather hold until the grain can be harvested? Will the storms that inevitably come through go around the family farms?

Lives can be and have been changed dramatically by the luck of the weather. Two harvests-hailed-out in a row sent my grandparents from Montana to Spokane, Washington, where Grandpa worked as a brake mechanic for the city bus lines for the rest of his career. Other relatives had better luck. The harvests were good enough to keep going another year. It’s not surprising that farmers take pictures of their fields as the grain is growing. It’s so beautiful. And then they take pictures of the harvest too!

For Jesus, there was a lesson to be learned from the sowing and harvesting. The word comes forth from the Father. It lands in different ways among the people who hear it. Some simply don’t understand what they are hearing and are easily convinced that it means nothing for them. Some receive it happily, but when opposition arises, they don’t hold on to it. Some hear it and want to grow, but they get worried about the future and how they’ll get along, and they can’t keep going. But there are some who hear the word and it takes deep root within them. These are the ones whose faith sustains them, allows them to share with others, and carries the Father’s word forward in the world. The community grows as the word is shared and lived.

Sometimes we can get to thinking in very abstract ways about questions of faith. How does God do this or that? Who or what is God? Why does God let bad things happen? Why can’t God do bad things? Or can he? Many, many questions and concerns. But the very basic reality is that God is both practical and optimistic. God sends out a word to bring forth all of creation. God’s word is like a tiny seed, that grows and bears fruit, including seeds to continue the cycle. Each time, more are created.

St. Paul tells us that creation itself is waiting, groaning in labor pains, for the triumph of the harvest of the freedom of the children of God. The word of the sower grows in all of creation and in human society, as we learn to care for each other and this home we have in common, our Earth. When we accept the love and forgiveness of God, and become God’s children, the word is fulfilled and returns to the Father.

As we move through this coming week, may we be alert to the ways in which the word has been sown in our lives. Are we open to growing in love? Are we sharing a smile? Are we patiently helping a family member or friend who simply needs a hand now and again? Where are the seeds sown in our lives taking us? Are we ready and willing to go?

Readings for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A

Many thanks for this photo to my “cousin” Scott whose uncle and my aunt were married. Scott took this photo of one of his fields a few years ago.

Posted by Kathleen Brewer de Pozos, PhD on Jun 25, 2023

We are Never Forgotten

Isolation is one of the most damaging factors that impacts our mental and physical health and well-being. It doesn’t need to be as extreme as solitary confinement in a prison or torture center. Isolation socially creates lasting scars. A child who is rejected and teased by peers grows up feeling unworthy of love and respect. An adult whose ideas are regularly mocked begins to think they are just foolish whims, not accurate perceptions of reality. An older person with no family or friends is more likely to die early than one surrounded by both. A people whose customs are different from those of the other people among whom they live can easily become hesitant to continue those customary activities. This is especially true for younger members of the community. Isolation sets in and fears of being forgotten.

As humans, we are social beings. We share this quality with other primates and many, many other types of creatures. We need each other for support, for development of necessary skills, for the basics of survival, and for physical and mental health. Those who are isolated do not survive as long.

In the recent past, we have all had a taste of isolation from family and friends when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down our freedom to venture out without worry into the world outside our homes. The difficulties of being with the same people all the time or of being alone all the time was somewhat mitigated by our access to social media and the internet. Zoom parties, meetings, school classes, and even wedding receptions filled some of the holes in our social lives. Our parish stepped up with Zoom gatherings in which we played actively as household teams in trivia contests and scavenger hunts. We’re still laughing here about the time my daughter-in-law grabbed me and put me in front of the camera as “something in the house older than you are!” We won that point!

Prophets often find themselves in situations of isolation. Speaking truth to power does not typically go over well. Jeremiah, for example, didn’t want to be a prophet. He often complained to God about what a raw deal he had gotten in being called to prophesy. He tried hard not to speak, but the words burned within him until he simply had no choice but to let them out. And then, “I hear whisperings of many … all those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine.” (Jer 20:10-13) He was nearly killed for his telling of the truth he heard from the Lord about the coming conquest of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Yet he remained faithful. “The Lord is with me, like a mighty champion.” He trusted that he was not forgotten and that he would experience vindication. The Lord “has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!” The Lord is to be praised for supporting those who depend only on him. They will not be on their own to get by. They are not forgotten.

St. Paul reminded the people of Rome that human imperfection (aka sin) has been part of our experience from the very beginning. The story of the sin of Adam is a way of explaining both this imperfection and the death in all its forms that accompanies imperfection. Paul spoke as a teacher of the Law, from within the Jewish tradition, as he proclaimed the wonder of “the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ” whose willingness to die rather than deny the truth overcame death for all. When one human being chose not to obey God’s command, all who followed were also separated from God. But when one human being chose to obey and give himself for the truth, all who followed were freed of that separation from God, that death. It was the grace of God, given as a gift from Jesus, that overflows to all. (Rom 5:12-15) No one is forgotten or excluded. No isolation anymore!

Does this mean no one will be in danger anymore? Or that no one will feel alone? Or that everyone will welcome the prophet who comes speaking truth to power? Unfortunately, the answer must be “No.” However, when Jesus was sending out his disciples to witness to what they had seen in their time with him, he reassured them. “Fear no one.” Speak boldly of what you have heard whispered or in the dark. All is to be proclaimed to the world now. It may not be well-received, but don’t worry. Those who can kill the body can’t kill the soul. (Mt 10:26-33)

Jesus used a beautiful image to express the loving care of the Father. “Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin! Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.” For the poor, a sacrifice of small birds rather than of a larger animal allowed for compliance with the requirement to offer sacrifice at such times as the birth of a first son. The sparrows are of little monetary value, but even they are treasured by the Father.

In another homely image, Jesus reminded his hearers that the Father even knows how many hairs are on each person’s head. I’ll guess that most of us have no idea how many that might be, even as our hair gets sparser with age.

“So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows,” he says. Speak the truth you hear from me. Admit that you are my friend and follower of my teachings. I will support you and acknowledge you when you meet my Father.

Jesus ends these instructions with a rather disturbing image. “Whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.” That would be pretty awful. However, it might be seen as a reminder that we all have a choice to be in union with God and others or to turn away. The Father never forces anyone to come for a hug of divine love. Neither does Jesus. It is always our choice to join with him or remain in isolation. When and if we turn back and acknowledge the Lord’s love, we will be welcomed. We won’t have been forgotten!

Today and this week, let’s pray that we will be open to see the Lord’s presence in our daily lives – through those we meet and the activities in which we are engaged. We are not alone. Even when we are by ourselves, the Lord is with us. May we always know the love of our family and friends. And may those who have been hurt or abused or otherwise traumatized and those who are suffering isolation and abuse right now, find a bit of healing and relief each day through the love and care of their friends.

Peace be with you. You are never alone or forgotten.

Readings for the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A