Dear Friends, today’s readings call us to consider our faith, what it means perhaps and how much it is a part of our days as followers of our brother Jesus. There is much more to be hopeful about it seems in 2021 than there was in 2020 and I think many of you would agree. There is a new tone in Washington–less negative with a willingness to work together “putting forth a bud”–hope springs eternal within me! I wish each of you peace and love–do stay safe and well as we move ever forward! As I said in the bulletin, if you need any help from me or just a listening heart, before I get to you, don’t ever hesitate to call, 507-429-3616 or email, aaorcc2008@gmail.com.–Pastor Kathy

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Entrance Antiphon

Come, let us praise our God.  Let us bow down in the presence of our maker, for God is above all.

Let Us Pray

Opening Prayer

In faith and love we ask you, loving God to watch over your family.  In your mercy and loving kindness no thought of ours is left unguarded, no tear unheeded, no joy unnoticed.  Through the prayer of Jesus may the blessings promised to the poor in spirit lead us to the treasures of your heavenly kindom.  We ask this in Jesus’ wonderful name and with the Spirit, one God, who lives and loves us forever and ever, Amen.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Readings:

• Job 7: 1-4, 6-7
• 1 Corinthians 9: 16-19, 22-23
• Mark 1: 29-39

Homily

My friends, as I was writing this on Thursday, here in Winona, Minnesota, it was snowing—just as predicted, and I always marvel that weather people are quite accurate in predicting weather patterns, even a couple of weeks out—but at the same time, it’s what they do—right? And they should be good at it!  We might say the same for ourselves as followers of our brother Jesus—as Christians.  Let me explain. 

   Most of us as adult Christians—our particular brand being, “Catholic” knows the tenets of our faith—those things that make us who we are:  one, holy, catholic and apostolic.  We all learned that these four define us as the one, true Church of Christ—that we are to be holy, that everyone is welcome and that all the teachings we believe in come from the apostles and to this day are reinforced by their successors, the bishops, with the Spirit’s help.  Now, that all sounds neat and clean, but whether it is true in practice is quite another thing. We will leave that for now.

   Today’s readings for this 5^th Sunday in [Extra] Ordinary Time suggest that faith is very important and that our faith should help us to stand firm in the face of all that comes our way in the course of our lives.  There are times when we don’t understand why life takes a certain turn—why suffering happens and as we look back on such times, realize that it is only our faith that got us through, believing that God does want good for us and not bad. 

   We see this in the 1^st reading today from Job.  He is basically a good man, actually, a very good man, yet we know, “the rest of the story,” that is not shared in this selection.  We know that Job loses his wife and children, all his animals—everything really of value to him.  And on top of all that, suffers a terrible skin affliction.  What are we to make of that?

   Job we know remains faithful to God, does not blame God for what has happened, even though his friends say that he should.  The reading today shows Job’s humanity—the discouragement that we humans feel at times for why unjust things happen.  Job, it seems, “discusses” all this with God trying to come to terms with what has happened—in fact, leaning on God, a source of strength he senses, beyond his own ability to cope. 

   We see Paul’s humanity coming through as well in today’s selection from 1^st Corinthians.  He seems somewhat down in this reading, saying that he basically can’t do anything but, “preach the Gospel”—and he wants to, even though it’s hard.  He tells us that he, “becomes” whatever is needed to share the Good News of Jesus—if that means—becoming poor, someone who is abused—so be it.  What is most important to Paul is that all and any people that he can get to, would know and understand and come to believe in Jesus, the Christ.

   We can hardly read this and not ask ourselves if we are anywhere close to this in our own personal faith.  I know from myself; I am not prone to “preaching” with words, but more so, with actions, or as St. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach at all times, if necessary, use words.”  I don’t of course do this perfectly, but believe actions, more than words, are most important.  I believe that Paul probably did both.  He was compelled by his faith to do so. 

   With Paul, as with Jesus in today’s gospel; we see an urgency—really, to touch as many people as possible.  After a time of prayer alone and his return to his apostles; Jesus is told that the people he cured the night before are asking for him; but Jesus feels the need to move on—to share with more people.  Again, is our faith—our constancy in “preaching” the word, however we may do that, as strong, moving us with such urgency? 

   We should not miss the genuine concern that our brother Jesus demonstrates in caring for Simon’s mother-in-law.  We read in Mark, “Jesus went over to her.”  This simple comment stood out for me in light of reading Mary Trump’s book this past week about her uncle, Donald.  She relates a time early in his presidency when the whole family was invited to the White House to celebrate his two sisters’ birthdays.  Rather than Donald meeting them all at the door with a hearty welcome, the family was led to the Oval Office where the president was sitting and remained so while they all stood. 

   My friends, we might put all the readings for this 5^th Sunday in [Extra] Ordinary Time together under the title of, “Faith and What it Calls Us to Do.” We could look at the issue of suffering displayed in the readings from Job and Paul and blame God, asking why, if you say you love us, do you let such things happen, especially to those who are doing a good job, “preaching” the word? 

   As many theologians have instructed over the years, a god who would cause people to suffer, is not a god that one should believe in.  Anyone who has ever been serious about having a meaningful relationship with God has come to believe at least two things: 

1. God doesn’t cause bad things to happen to us, but God is most assuredly there with us to work through whatever life brings. 
2. Suffering, as well as joy-filled happiness is part of each person’s life and each is an opportunity to grow, to become more of who we are meant to be.  This is precisely where faith comes in .

   And granted, in happy times; we are much more able to stand in faith, believing that ultimately there is a God who wants good for us and not bad, but suffering seems a part of each person’s life–what we do with it is something we get to choose and our faith tells us that whatever we choose, our brother Jesus will be with us. Therefore my friends, it would seem that our lives as Jesus’ followers call us to be more than we would be if left to our own defenses—I think we call that grace. 

   I would like to now return to a thought I left hanging earlier.  We as Catholics live by four tenets—mainly that we are people in community who claim to be one, holy, catholic and apostolic.  Simply put, we are a people united—striving to be holy, simply put, good, caring and just people, true to the teachings of Jesus and following the ways of the apostles guided in our day and through time by our bishops and other leaders. 

   From time to time, it is good to look at all the above to see how we are doing.  I think the tendency in our leaders as well as within ourselves is always to be less, rather than more of whom we can be and perhaps that is part of the suffering we experience in our human lives.

   The first tenet of our faith is, “oneness”—we are for each other or should be—not just “preach” with words, but with actions. Our country is finally beginning to look at the systemic racism that has plagued us for longer than we have been a country. If in fact we could deal with this issue truthfully and with a will to change, would we not then, be truly, holy?

  The next tenet, “apostolic,” meaning, coming from the apostles and reinforced through time, by bishops—primarily, but others too, guided by the Spirit is one, in my mind that is often missing the guidance of the Spirit. A Church guided by the Spirit would instinctively know that proclaiming to care for life in the womb, but deny that same life throughout its human existence is wrong.  A Church guided by Jesus’ Spirit would instinctively know that all must be welcomed to our communion tables and that all calls to priesthood must be considered, be they female or male.  A Church that claims to be “one” would recognize all as equal, be they black or white, red or yellow, whether gay or straight or both. A Church that is “apostolic” living Jesus” message as articulated  by his first apostles, women and men of faith, led by the Spirit would speak vehemently against the selfish notion of  “America First.”

   My friends, our lives as Jesus’ followers will always, always call us to be more, to be bigger, grander, and more noble than our smallest, “good-enough” images of ourselves.  We see this in Pope Francis, in Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and we must strive for this goodness in ourselves.  We must be good listeners of each other’s stories and take them to our times of prayer as did Jesus, so that through our collective sufferings and joys, we can be that more which our world so desperately needs and then our “preaching” will be about action, not just words! Amen? Amen!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Prayers of the Faithful

Response: “Jesus our Brother, hear our prayer.”

1. O God, as we see Jesus reaching out to all, making everyone welcome, help us to see opportunities in our everyday lives to do the same, we pray—Response: “Jesus our brother, hear our prayer.”

• Loving God, surround your people throughout our world who most need you, helping them to find their way toward whatever is most needed in their lives, aided by a concerned world—help each of us to do what we can to support the poor and suffering wherever they might be, we pray—Response: “Jesus our Brother, hear our prayer.”

3.  Loving God, give each of us health of body, mind and spirit–especially those struggling with life—threatening illnesses—COVID and all others—give each one your strength and wonderful gift of peace, we pray—Response: “Jesus our Brother, hear our prayer.”

• O God, help us to be true followers of Jesus, willing to speak truth to power to help alleviate the struggles of those abused in this world and in our Church, we pray—Response: “Jesus our Brother, hear our prayer.”

• O God, help us to strive to be people of peace, not war—help us to remember that Jesus has glorified our humanity by his presence in it and help us to treat people and our world accordingly,  we pray—     Response: “Jesus our Brother, hear our prayer.”

• For our community, All Are One, give us welcoming hearts to be open to all who come to us, and inspire us in new ways to reach out this year to those most in need of our ministry, we pray—Response: “Jesus our Brother, hear our prayer.”

 7.  Loving Jesus, be with all families who have lost loved ones this week, from COVID and all other causes—give them your peace, be with those our friends and relatives who are newly bereaved to find their way through their grief, we pray—Response:  “Jesus our Brother, hear our prayer.”

***Let us pray for the silent petitions on our hearts—pause, then response

Let Us Pray

Gentle God, you who loves us beyond all imagining—be close to us each and every day, shadow us under your wings and be the strength that we need to live as you did, conscious of being inclusive of all, loving others when it is easy and when it is not so easy. Give us the strength and courage to live out our mission, given by you for the people of God. Give us your deep and abiding peace that we would not worry, but trust and believe that you will always be with us. All of this we ask of you who are God, in the Creator, Savior and Spirit, living and loving us forever and ever—Amen!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Let Us Pray—Again, we can’t be together physically, nor receive the Bread of the Table—but let us always remember that Jesus is with us!  Always!

Prayer of Communion

Loving God, we ask that you would help us to bring your salvation and joy to all people in our world.  We ask that we might do this well through Jesus, our Brother and Friend, who lives and loves us forever and ever, Amen.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Friends,

We continue on this week in the Ordinary Time of our Church Year that I have called [Extra] due to the on-going challenge that this time of year always calls forth from those who consider themselves serious Christians–that is, following in Jesus’ footsteps–not always the most “chosen” path to follow, even among those who call themselves, “Christian.” This week we are blessed with a homily from Pastor Dick Dahl–thanks Dick! We are encouraged to think about “who” are “prophets” in our midst, even among those who we might not consider…

Please stay well friends and be in touch if I can help you in any way, by email, aaorcc2008@gmail.com or by phone, 507-429-3616.

Peace and love,

Pastor Kathy

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Entrance Antiphon

Be with us O God—keep us safe and gather us together from among the nations, that together, we may proclaim your holy name and always give you praise.

Let Us Pray

Opening Prayer

Loving God, help us to love you with all our hearts and to love all people as you love them.  Bless all of us with the gift of your kin-dom. May we serve you with our every desire.  We ask this of you, in Jesus’ name and with the Spirit, One God, living and loving us, forever and ever, Amen.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Readings:

• Deuteronomy 18: 15-20
• 1 Corinthians 7: 32-34, 35
• Mark 1: 21-28

Homily from Pastor Dick Dahl

Friends, I will begin today by sharing the thoughts of various biblical commentators on today’s readings after which I will pose some questions for us to think about and answer for ourselves under the guidance of the Holy Spirit poured in our hearts, by our Mother/Father God through Jesus.

First Reading
Deuteronomy 18:15-20

One theme in today’s readings is authority. In this first reading Moses tells the Israelites that the Lord will raise up a prophet, and the Lord says, “I will put my words in his mouth.” 

The challenge is how to recognize one who speaks with such authority? Tracing the line of authority was very important in Jewish biblical culture–for example, who did this rabbi study under and by whom was he trained? In our culture we have often connected authority with the source of one’s education (Harvard, Winona State) or their title or role in life–professor, priest, doctor, teacher, policeman, or parent.

Pope Francis said the following about prophets: Being prophets may sometimes imply making waves. I do not know how to put it. … Prophecy makes noise, uproar, some say “a mess.” But in reality…prophecy announces the spirit of the Gospel.  “A Big Heart Open to God” America Magazine, Sept. 30, 2013)    John Lewis called it “making good trouble.” 

Second Reading
1 Corinthians 7:32-35

A Thimbleful of Love

The reading from Corinthians will probably infuriate its share of people. To top it off, Paul says it’s for our own good. (However) there is ample evidence that celibacy and virginity guarantee neither single-minded service nor whole-hearted devotion to the Lord. Also who can doubt that among married people are numbered some of the holiest people we know? And, among priests and religious, who has not found people capable of prodigious mediocrity? Or worse.

Certainly an unmarried person devoted to God will have more time for service of others, especially on an emergency basis, and also have more time for quiet and isolated prayer. All mothers and fathers I have ever known, immersed in the demands of labor and family, have in some way sighed for the time to do such things.

But the crucially operative word is “devoted to God.” If that is not there, all the “worry-less” free time in the world will not yield a thimbleful of love. And as Paul has written elsewhere, with “devotedness to God” even the most ordinary experiences of parenting, family, and spousal love can be astounding revelations of God’s grace and intimacy in our lives. John Kavanaugh, SJ

Gospel
Mark 1:21-28

Teaching With Authority

Mark viewed the fact that Jesus acted with authority so important that the dramatic healing of the demoniac in the Caperrnaum synagogue is the first action that he narrates after the calling of the first disciples. Each evangelist chooses a different deed of Jesus with which to begin the story of his public life—Matthew begins with the Sermon on the Mount, Luke with the reading of Isaiah in Nazareth, but Mark chose this scene at Capernaum in which the people are struck by the way Jesus taught as one having authority followed by his deliverance of a man possessed by an unclean spirit. 

And his presentation of the event is nearly as startling and puzzling as the original experience must have been for those present that evening in the synagogue. A word of command is followed by convulsion and a scream, resulting in complete liberation.  

Curiously, the crowd murmurs, “What is this? A new teaching with authority!” They have just witnessed a powerful example of therapy, and they call it pedagogy. What’s more, though they refer to teaching, the account has mentioned not a word of Jesus’ teaching.

This powerful episode puts in bold relief the truth that the gospel we respond to in faith is not simply a new set of ideas but a truth that is meant to transform our lives. And it is that transformation which mediates God’s power to deal with the evil in the world. The power of the kingdom of God over the kingdom of Satan is achieved by the creation of a new human family made up of everyone who does the will of God. A community of converted people is God’s secret weapon against the power of evil in the world.

Let us be encouraged that weakness is an opening for God’s healing and liberating power. When we find ourselves depressed and oppressed by the evil we detect in society (and even in ourselves), perhaps we best hear the authoritative teaching of Jesus when we hear it as a call to our own further conversion. If that seems to touch us where we are weakest, let us be encouraged that such weakness is an opening for God’s healing and liberating power. As Paul said, “I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me” (2 Cor 12:9) Dennis Hamm, SJ

It is not the unclean spirit and the possessed man that trouble Jesus’ audience. They are disturbed because Jesus is acting totally out of line with his inherited status. This artisan from Nazareth dares to teach “as one having authority” in the Capernaum synagogue. Who gave him authority to teach? As the listeners puzzle over Jesus’ behavior, his teaching, and his manner of teaching, a man possessed by an unclean spirit interrupts the setting by shrieking.

The spirit who possessed the man in the synagogue is central in this story because he knows Jesus’ identity far better than Jesus’ compatriots do. He knows Jesus is “the Holy One of God.” Much to the amazement of the people, Jesus is not controlled or cowed by this unclean spirit. Instead, Jesus shows that his power is stronger than that of the unclean spirit. Jesus commands it to come out of the man, and it does!

The people now have an answer to why Jesus teaches “with authority, and not as the scribes.” Clearly, Jesus possesses powers stronger than those of ordinary human beings. Mark concludes by noting: “At once his reputation began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.”

The Western tendency to rationalize the ancient understanding of spirits is rooted in the fact that Westerners have much more power over their lives and circumstances than the ancients believed that they had. Today’s reflection invites Westerners to consider how wisely or imprudently they use their power. John J. Pilch

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After considering the above reflections (in which I inserted a few words in parentheses), I suggest we think about who we recognize as speaking and acting with authority. We live in a time saturated with misinformation and outrageous conspiracy theories that shockingly otherwise intelligent people believe and base their lives on. The very existence of objective truth has been questioned and often derided as “fake news.” It reminds me of the words attributed to Pilate, “What is truth?” before he buckled to the pressure of the crowd and condemned Jesus to death.  In brief, who is authentic? Who expresses God’s words and love to us?

Many today, after the fact, point to Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Theresa, John Lewis, and Archbishop Oscar Romero, among others. There are also likely people in your lives who act with such authenticity, whose words and lives exude authority without the unnecessary accutrements of titles or degrees.

I think of Pope Francis—not because of his title but in view of the authenticity of his words and actions. In his recent encyclical letter (Fratelli Tutti), addressed to all his brothers and sisters, he begins by describing how Francis of Assisi, even during the time of the Crusades, made an arduous journey to Sultan Malik-el-Kamil in Egypt. The Pope writes, “Francis went to meet the Sultan with the same attitude that he instilled in his disciples: if they found themselves “among the Saracens…”, without renouncing their own identity they were not to ‘engage in arguments or disputes, but be subject to every human creature for God’s sake.’  In the context of the times, this was an extraordinary recommendation. ….Francis urged that all forms of hostility or conflict be avoided and that a humble ‘subjection’ be shown to those who did not share his faith.”

What a message to us now, at this time! Pope Francis offers St. Francis as a model to free ourselves “of the desire to wield power over others” and to seek “to live in harmony with all.” Pope Francis felt encouraged by the Grand Iman Ahmad Al-Tayyeb whom he met in Abu Dhabi. Together they declared, “God has created all human beings equal in rights, duties and dignity, and has called them to live together as brothers and sisters.”

Pope Francis is seeking to guide us as St. Paul sought to do with the Christians at Corinth, namely to help us “devote ourselves entirely to God.”

In today’s Gospel reading, in place of writing any words of Jesus’ new teaching, Mark demonstrated it–by describing Jesus calling out the unclean spirit from the man convulsed by it. We are challenged to be mediators of Jesus’ all-inclusive love as we seek to overcome the lies and evil of untruth and divisive tribalism expressed in hostility toward immigrants, people of races different than our own, greed, and disrespect even for the planet that nurtures us. We have humble but powerful prophets from the past and from the present to guide us.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Prayers of the Faithful

Response: “Jesus our light, show us the way.”

1. Jesus, our Brother, as we reflect on living our ordinary lives extraordinarily well, give us the strength to be true disciples in action, we pray—Response:  “Jesus our light, show us the way.”

• O God, be with all world leaders—and those in our country, especially our new president and vice-president and throughout the world—instill within each the wisdom of your Spirit to lead their people well. Help all to find the ways to peace, we pray—Response: “Jesus our light, show us the way.”

• Loving God, give each of us health of body, mind and spirit–especially those struggling today with illness beyond what they feel capable of bearing,—give each one your strength and wonderful gift of peace, we pray—Response:  “Jesus our light, show us the way.”

• Loving Jesus, help those looking for work to find what they need, be with those offering work, help each to move in justice to offer a living wage, we pray—Response:  “Jesus our light, show us the way.”

• O God, in this new year help us to strive to be people of peace, not war—help us to remember that Jesus has glorified our humanity by his presence in it, help us to treat people and our world accordingly, we pray—Response: “Jesus our light, show us the way.”

• Loving God, be with each of us today giving us what we most need in life, we pray—Response:  “Jesus our light, show us the way.”

• For our community, All Are One, continue to give us welcoming hearts to be open to all who come to us, help us to discern the new ways you may wish to lead our community, and make it possible to soon be together again, we pray—Response: “Jesus our light, show us the way.”

• Loving Jesus, be with all families who have lost loved ones this week, from COVID and all other causes—give them your peace, be with those our friends and relatives who are newly bereaved in this New Year, to find their way through their grief, we pray—Response: “Jesus our light, show us the way.”

             9. Be the light that individuals, family members and friends, and church communities need to work through the divisions caused by the past four years, we pray—Response: “Jesus our light, show us the way.”

***Let us pray for the silent petitions on our hearts, pause, we pray—then response

Let Us Pray

Loving God, be our strength, give us your wisdom; show us the way to be true lights in our world. Let our fear dissipate as we consider what needs to be done as your disciples.  Give us your heart to love our world and your people. Let us never be afraid to speak or act for the truth especially when people suffer for lack of the truth. Help us to be able to walk a bit in others’ shoes especially those we find hard to love—give us your understanding and your mercy always.  Surround our lives with your care. Bless us, keep us, and hold us in your love—we ask all this of you, Loving Creator, Savior, Spirit—one God, living within us and loving us forever and ever, Amen.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Let Us Pray—Again my friends, we can’t be together, but please remember that Jesus is always with us!

Prayer of  Communion

Loving Jesus, always invigorate us with faith in You and help us to share You with our world—we ask this in your wonderful name, Amen.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________