Dear Friends,

We continue this week in [Extra] Ordinary Time to be challenged by our brother Jesus to, as always, be our best selves. He asks us “to be willing,” to basically show up and do our part! This kind of challenge is never convenient, often not fun, but the “good stuff” of being Jesus’ followers. Peace and love to you all–stay safe and well–Pastor Kathy

P.S. Please call or email should you wish to chat or if I can be of any help to you–507-429-3616, aaorcc2008@gmail.com.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Entrance Antiphon

Loving God, be my rock of safety, the stronghold that saves me. For the honor of Your name, lead me and guide me.

Let Us Pray

Opening Prayer

Creator God of heaven and earth, the loving plan of your wisdom took flesh in Jesus, the Christ and changed humankind’s history by your perfect act of love. May we fulfill in our lives your loving outreach to our world—we ask this in Jesus’ name, along with you our Creator and the Spirit who all live and love us forever and ever, Amen.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Readings:

• Leviticus 13: 1-2, 44-46
• 1 Corinthians 10: 31–11: 1
• Mark 1: 40-45

Homily

   My friends, in today’s gospel from Mark, we hear Jesus’ compassionate words as the Scripture passage says, “He was moved with pity.” A leper comes to him and says, “If you are willing—you can heal me.” And Jesus’ response comes to us, “as the light in the darkness” that each of us so needs in these times fraught with a pandemic, economic instability, systemic racism, unaddressed clericalism within our beloved Church and so much more. I might add, many live, in hope, that at least 17 individuals in Washington might be “willing’’ to do the right thing for our democracy this week.

   Jesus responds as we expect that he would: [Yes,] “I am willing!”  It’s a simple, yet compelling statement. 

   A bit of cultural, back story is important to truly know just how “compelling” Jesus’ statement is.  The time in which he lived had the cultural practice of shunning people with illness that they couldn’t explain—any skin inflammation or sore was considered to be “leprous” and people were literally afraid for their lives of such things that they didn’t understand.  The result then was to send such afflicted people out of the community in which they lived.

   Now it is bad enough to do this when a person is vulnerable and most in need; but the added piece was the “community” was everything to the Israelite people and to be put outside of that community was a death sentence for them.  This was so because no one cared for their physical needs and this, as a result affected them not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well.  Additionally, people connected physical illness with sin—a double bind that most people of the time wanted nothing to do with!

   Because of fear, the community responded in less than a human way and thus, Jesus’ reaction to the social outcast who dared to present to him is so much more compelling! “I am willing!” 

   There has been much in this past year of pandemic that has called each of us to, in effect say, “Yes, I am willing!”  And in those things where I have asked your assistance to serve those less fortunate; I am truly grateful for those of you who have stepped up and said, “I am willing!” I will share just a short list here:

• February Home-Delivered Meals—to all who have and still are participating, with special mention to Michael Maher for once again organizing this outreach.
• For those helping a young family with some meal assistance during a hard time for them.
• For those continuing to make meals for the Catholic Worker.
• For the continued generous financial giving of so many of you so that we can reach out in significant ways in our city, nation, and world.

   While the above wonderful actions are about physical ways that people within our community have said, in effect, “Yes, I am willing,” our brother, Jesus, continues to call each of us “to be willing” to make those significant changes in our lives that sometimes call us to go deeper and even sometimes, to stand alone. 

   I am speaking of changing our hearts and minds—perhaps our ways of thinking, to see, “a bigger picture,” to include a stranger, to listen to the story of someone whom, on the surface, we may not even like, or fear. 

Fear is a powerful emotion that might cause us to be less than human, less than Christian—to do things within a group that we might not do alone. 

   This past week, the House Managers of our United States Congress made a compelling case for why Donald Trump should be convicted of high crimes and misdemeanors, calling senators, some of whom are far from saying, “I am willing” to make this personal—for themselves, for their families, for our country—not just another political exercise.  It has been said, “the greatest way for evil to triumph is that good [people] remain silent.”

   There is much in our beloved country that needs fixing—from those who would tear our democracy asunder as on January 6^th, people whom I believe live and act in our world out of a great deal of fear, to meeting the needs of all our people, those abused because they were born with beautiful black and brown skins, as women, as people who love differently than what some consider, “normal,” and the list can go on. 

   I am part of a new group in the Winona Community who is trying to assist those coming to our southern borders seeking asylum from countries where they have been abused and fear for their lives.  Pastor Dick Dahl joins me in this group.  Our Steering Committee of perhaps 8-10 people spent some time “dreaming” in a recent call about where we would like to see this mission in say, 2,3,5 years.  This is the real “heart work” that our humanity and our spirituality—our very faith demands of us—that our brother Jesus is calling us to today in the story of the leper who “assuring” Jesus that, he can help, “if he is willing.”

   After our Steering Committee Meeting this week, I spent some one-on-one time with a member as we talked about what is truly needed from us as members of faith groups when we try to meet the needs of those seeking asylum.  Basically, we agreed that our faith challenges us to make the hard decisions, even if we must stand alone.  Part of our joint “dreaming” was to recall the words of Teilhard de Chardin, “Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides, and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then, for a second time in the history of the world, [humans] will have discovered fire.”

   My friends, Paul tells us this week through the Corinthians, that, “whatever you do, do it for the glory of God.  To me, that says, because our God lives and breathes and acts through each of us, we show our glory and become all that we were meant to be. 

   The reading from Leviticus gives the Old Testament rendition of what the people in Jesus’ time were still living with—the notion that one of us, any of us would ever be considered, “unclean” and must be shunned.  Moses lived some 1300 years before our brother, Jesus, and in his time, he shows us the way—[Yes] “I am willing” to say that is wrong and to help you.  We, as Jesus followers must do the same, my friends—we must in our times, be willing too to right the wrongs!  Amen? Amen!

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Prayers of the Faithful

Response: “Jesus, be with us.”

1. Jesus, our Brother, as we reflect on making choices that affect ourselves and others in wholesome ways, give us the strength to move ahead and be true disciples in action, we pray—Response: “Jesus, be with us.”

• O God, be with all world leaders—in our country 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, be with us.”

• Loving God, give each of us health of body, mind, and spirit–especially those with COVID, but with all other illnesses too, struggling today, many times beyond what they feel capable of bearing—give each one your strength and wonderful gift of peace, we pray—Response: “Jesus, be with us.”

• 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, be with us.”

• O God, help us always 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, be with us.”

• Loving God, be with each of us today giving us what we most need in life, to be your loving servants, we pray—Response: “Jesus, be with us.”

• 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, we pray— Response: “Jesus, be with us.”

• Loving Jesus, be with all families who have lost loved ones this week, from COVID and all other causes—give them your peace and help them to find their way through their grief, we pray—Response: “Jesus, be with us.”

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

Let Us Pray

Loving God, be our strength, give us your wisdom; show us the way to make the choices for life and goodness 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, we can’t be together physically at the table to share Jesus in a physical way—but remember that Jesus is ALWAYS with us!

Prayer of Communion

Jesus, holy One, you give us food from heaven. May we always hunger for the bread of life. Grant this in your loving name—Amen.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________