So, my friends; we are back to Ordinary Time with this Sunday, having walked through the Easter Season celebrating with Alleluias our praise for a God who has loved us beyond measure and one, in Jesus, who basically asks us to do the same.

We have celebrated along the way, Trinity Sunday, reflecting on a God who shows Godly goodness in three distinct ways—as Creator, Savior-Friend and Spirit of Jesus who walks continually with us throughout our lives.

Just last week, we contemplated, “The Body of Christ,” known to us, in a special way on the altar, but more importantly really, in our world, in each other, in all of creation.  For it has been said, “If we can’t find Jesus in the next person we meet, we really need look no further, because we won’t find him there either.”  So much mystery here, yet there is so much truth too.

Now today with our continuing of Ordinary Time; we discover once again that the Scriptures call us to anything but an “ordinary” response to life.  Each of the readings today are about “call”—the at times, urgency of it, but always, “the constancy” of it.

In the reading today from Kings, it seems that those called are cut a bit of a break in that, especially with Elisha, he can go home and finish up his affairs, say good-bye to his family, who in this Near Eastern world, are so important.  At this time and in this place, all security in their world was tied to their family.  But once that is done, Elisha is more than willing to follow Elijah.

In the gospel, we see more urgency in Jesus and must remember that his time is short—he is on his way to Jerusalem and for him and his would-be followers, the time is now!

So, are we to take Jesus literally here, or is there some wiggle-room in following his call?  I believe this is a time, looking at the entirety of the Scripture message, “that we be about love,” when Jesus is not telling us to be cruel to our families, “let the dead bury their dead,” but is more so saying that once we do say “yes” to being his follower; we are to be constant in carrying out our “yes,” through the ups and downs, much like a couple on their wedding day who says they will be in this, “for better or worse.”

We also see from the gospel, in its entirety, that everyone whom Jesus called didn’t follow the call in the same way.  Jesus called some to literally follow him around the region of Galilee and to carry that message beyond, while others were to serve him in place, in their homes—we think of Mary, Martha and Lazarus.  So to us friends, through our life work, whatever that may be; we are called, each of us, to be our best selves, living moral, just, honest and good lives, serving others—caring for them, remembering to care for ourselves, as part of the equation, doing the right thing, doing what Jesus would do, when easy, but more so, when not easy.

I think of an example out of this past week as I participated in the first board meeting of the Winona Sheltering Network.  Following up on this idea of doing the right thing when easy or not so easy, one of the board members from one of the other Catholic churches in town, looked around the table,  saw another person and myself representing two of the other Catholic churches in town and asked why all the Catholic churches weren’t represented?  I answered his query by emphasizing what a difference it would make in the Catholic community if our bishop could come out publicly in support of this good work which includes, among other things, that of sanctuary and asylum for those needing either.

It was stated by another person that the bishop is in support of assisting immigrants to this country as he personally called the pastor of one of the Catholic parishes in western Minnesota who has declared their parish a sanctuary church to tell him that he supported his work among immigrants there.  Why not say that publicly and give Catholics all over this diocese permission, if they need it, but more so, the challenge, to do the same?  In my reading this past week; I came upon these words, “We are the Church, it’s time we acted like it!”

And certainly, I am not making light of the fact that this “standing up for others” will always be easy, for any of us, including the bishop, but I would expect that if a person is going to hold a position of leadership, then they had better lead or give up the position and let someone in there who will!

At this point in our journey of faith in this country, we face an urgency—just as Jesus did in his time, and it is for this reason that I criticize the bishop.  The time is now to do the right thing where immigrants on our southern border are concerned, the time is now to do something about gun violence in this country, the time is now to become a country once again that lifts up what is best in all of us instead of appealing to what is the worst, most selfish response to a world of suffering.

We need diplomacy, not angry rhetoric—we need understanding instead of war-like posturing.  Simply put, we need love instead of hate and the time for all of this is NOW!

Paul in his letter to the Galatians today, speaks of the guidance of Jesus’ Spirit.  Jesus told us that he would never leave us and the proof of that is his Spirit that is with each of us whenever we do that which Jesus calls us to do.  We will always be up against the human, man-made, (for the most part) laws that seek to control us, but we, as Jesus’ followers must always respond to the law that is written on our hearts—the law to love.

We can’t take our lead today from James and John who want to torch the town that is rejecting them.  We can never respond in like manner to those who have hurt and rejected us.  Our brother Jesus in today’s gospel didn’t reprimand the Samaritans for their rejection, but his own apostles for their lack of love. Amen? Amen!

Friends, this feast today, Corpus Christi, or the Body of Christ, is a wonderful one in that it calls us very clearly, to the heart of the message of our brother Jesus, that each of us, be “bread” for our world.  Our Scripture readings today are all about feeding those who are hungry, giving hospitality, which Joan Chittister says, “is the sacrament of the self—in it we give ourselves away to those who need to rest their burdens for a while”—those who come to our homes, to our shores; we must give the best wine and food, and it isn’t mere food for the body, but for the heart and soul—the food of understanding of what another walks with.

We see this plainly in the gospel today from John.  Jesus not only sees and understands their physical hunger, but knows they are looking for more—to be loved and cared about, to be understood from one perhaps who truly knows the plight of their everyday lives—of how hard they have to work from morning till night to keep food on the table for their families.

And we too think of our brothers and sisters at our southern boarders—no matter the rhetoric out of Washington, these “neighbors” only want what each of us wants; security, food, and a roof over their heads, for themselves and their families.

Many women in our world, many of you here understand the sense of hospitality and care that Joan Chittister speaks of, that sense of giving people a respite from the cares of life. We were trained, growing up, we women, that when family and friends came to visit, we would always give them, “a little something” to eat before they left.

For me, it was my Aunt Eleanor on my mother’s side—I always enjoyed visiting her, because before we could leave, we had to have some, LUNCH, and my Aunt Eleanor was the best at laying out a spread! Not just coffee and cookies, mind you, but sandwiches, and perhaps even a luscious piece of cake with ice cream.  She truly knew how to treat guests.  And it was not just the physical food, but the “food” of friendship and fun!  It was almost too much! This everyday example is really eucharist in our everyday lives.

In the gospel today, we see Jesus doing the same as my Aunt Eleanor.  In this story, as well as throughout the entirely of the gospels, Jesus brings out the best, and is most generous with the gifts—12 baskets left over!

Jesus invited the people of his day to eat his body and drink his blood and upon hearing his invitation, found it confusing. This was because they were looking at his message in a purely physical way—the way our Church hierarchy has for far too long.   How can I eat another’s flesh and drink their blood?  Yet, Jesus said, they and we must do this to have everlasting life.

Surely, Jesus’ words held a deeper meaning—taking the words and actions of Jesus and making them so much a part of us that in fact we “eat” and “drink” them, his body and blood, soul and divinity—all of himself.  When he said, “Eat my body, drink my blood,” which is all of me, my life, flowing through me, my very Spirit, given by my Abba God, he was really saying, “Become like me!”

So we, as his followers, strive for that—to become more like him every day—“eating and drinking” of his words and actions—making them our body and blood, or in the words of the song, “bread for our world!”

And when you think about it, isn’t this what each of us strives for in life? To know when our time here is coming to a close, that we have made a difference, that what we feel is most important in life, that we have cared for ourselves and our families and extended care as well to all those who come into our lives, that our care has indeed extended beyond ourselves and our immediate families—that basically, the world is a better place because we were here—our life, “our blood,” so to speak, our essence has flowed out among those in our world.  I think it is significant that both Sister Joan Chittister and Father Richard Rohr, both in their early 80’s have felt the need at this time in their lives to write, perhaps, “one last book” and in their words, and I paraphrase; they didn’t want to die feeling they had not said, these final, most important words, given them, for our world!

As a final example, let’s look at Jesus’ last supper, indeed a meal of love with his faithful followers and no doubt, men and women were present. What happens there? Jesus breaks bread and pours wine and tells them that whenever they do this, he is there with them.  Just prior to this sharing, Jesus prays a beautiful prayer of love to God asking that God would bless all those given to him (his apostles, disciples and friends) and all who would believe because of their words (that’s us friends!)—he prayed that God would bless us all and keep us safe.

He prayed that they and we would love others as he had loved us and does love us, and we know that within a very short time of this prayer, his body would physically be broken and his blood physically spilled, just as he had so often broken and spilled his body and blood emotionally and spiritually, during the years of his short life— all of it, out of love for us—so that we would get this one message right. When we think of heads of state, of corporations, even religious organizations and what they put into writing about what they feel most important for their members, followers, to be about, none is as simple or eloquent as Jesus’ final testament—“I want you to love, as you have seen me love.”

Think what it would be like in our world if our country extended diplomacy with a bit of love and understanding, trying to see both sides of “the deal” not striving “to be great again,” but for a more humane resolution! Think what our Church Universal would be like if more love and less law was extended!

So, our brother Jesus, with a great deal of emotion—took the elements of the traditional Seder Meal, blessed and broke, poured and shared and raised them to a new level, saying, “When you do this, remember me—that I have loved you and so go out and love others!  If we stop at the single thought of eating his body and drinking his blood; we will be lost and confused like those first believers, hearing those words for the first time. We always need to go deeper where Jesus is concerned.

Many of us remember, as youngsters, learning that if the consecrated bread ever dropped while the priest was distributing it, everything must stop until it was reverently picked up.  Do we likewise stop everything in our world when Jesus’ body is “dropped and broken” through the trafficking of the young, through the sexual abuse of children by those who should be protecting them, through the concentration camps on our southern border, and through the ongoing violence of guns in our society—more guns than people in our United States of America, and we could go on!

I think Jesus used the simple language of eating and drinking to help the people, all of us,  see and understand the greater message he intended to share—simple eating and drinking was and is, the stuff of life, it was about keeping the body and mind, heart and soul together.  If people, all of us, could take in that simple concept of food and drink, giving us life and energy to live, and move it to a higher level, realizing that to begin to live as Jesus’ example to us, to take his actions, his words, his love, and eat of THAT “body” of truth and drink of THAT “life-blood” of goodness, then we would rise above our humanity, and in fact, be more like God.

Today, we are singing, “Let Us Be Bread” for a purpose! We are expected to be “bread” for our world and that “bread” is made up of goodness, mercy, caring, justice, understanding, and love.  And when did we ever live in a time that called for such “bread” more?  From the Vatican to the halls of Washington, calling each of us to let “our hearts break open with love,” as Melinda Gates speaks so well of in her new book, The Moment of Lift. 

When we can try and put ourselves in the shoes of those who don’t know justice in this world—having enough physical food for their families, a roof to cover their heads, being shown the respect that every human being deserves, then, and only then;  would all of this suffering cease! This is truly Jesus’ body and blood!  Amen? Amen!

Dear Friends, 

This weekend we are treated to a fine homily by my colleague and friend, Dick Dahl who subbed for me yesterday as I officiated at a wedding out of town.  Enjoy! Thank you, Dick! –Pastor Kathy

“God for us, we call you Father. God alongside us, we call you Jesus. God within us, we call you Holy Spirit. You are the eternal mystery that enables, enfolds, and enlivens all things, Even us and even me.” This prayer of Father Richard Rohr’s is one way of being open to God as Trinity. Today’s homily is largely based on his recent two weeks of meditations about God as Trinity.

Although God revealed as Trinity is a central Christian belief, many of us were told we shouldn’t try to understand it because it’s a “mystery.” Fr. Rohr sees mystery not as something you cannot understand; rather, it is something that you can endlessly understand! There is no point at which you can say, “I’ve got it.” There is always more.

This homily’s message is simply this: Jesus revealed God as being all about relationship and connection. Jesus revealed that God is dynamic relationship itself. We hear this in today’s Gospel when at the Last Supper Jesus says, “Everything the Father has is mine…the Spirit will take from what is mine and declare it to you…(in fact) guide you to all truth.” Father, Son and Spirit is all about relationship and connection.

I find it striking that contemporary science, especially Quantum physics, affirms that the foundational nature of reality is relational; everything is in relationship with everything! The mystery of Trinity is embedded as the code in everything that exists. We are part of this dynamic relationship. Therefore this means we all belong. There are no outsiders.

The Trinity opens an amazingly expansive view of reality—all reality. In other words, all creation—galaxies, solar systems, black holes, and wonders beyond our imagining–all reflect the creative presence and signature, as it were, of the Divine relationship. Humans are not independent beings, nor is any part of creation; we all exist in radical relationship—ecosystems, orbits, cycles.

Beneath the ugly manifestations of our present evils–ecological devastation, brutality, indifference to the suffering and desperation of millions, hating each other for their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or nationality—beneath all this dis-ease facing humanity right now is a distorted and painful sense of disconnection.

Many feel disconnected from God, from our planet, from each other, and even from themselves. This sense of isolation is plunging our species into increasingly destructive behavior and much mental illness. A dominant feeling described by a growing number of people, especially young people, is loneliness.

Nevertheless, Thupten Jinpa, who was the Dalai Lama’s English interpreter for many years writes, “We are born to connect.” He goes on, “Real life connectedness is the cure for loneliness. Opening our heart to others, caring for others, and allowing our heart to be touched by others’ kindness, living our life in ways that express compassionate care creates strong connections.” In fact he adds, “Our longing for connection, not just with our fellow humans, but with animals, is so deep that it determines our level of happiness.”

So, a sense of disconnection is based on an illusion. Nothing can stop the flow of divine love; we cannot undo this eternal pattern even by our worst sin. Nothing humans can do can stop the relentless outpouring force that Fr. Rohr calls the divine dance. Love does not lose, God does not lose. That’s what it means to be God!

As Trinity, God can be thought of better as a verb than a noun, God is a flow more than a substance, God is an experience more than a deity sitting on a throne. And we live naturally inside that flow of love—if we do not resist it. Infinite love is planted within humans and all of creation.

I repeat, whatever is going on in God is a flow, a radical relatedness, a perfect active communion between Three—a circle dance of love. God is Absolute Friendship. God is not just a dancer; God is the dance itself. This pattern is mirrored in the perpetual orbit of electron, proton, and neutron that creates every atom, which is the substratum of the entire physical universe. Everything is indeed like “the image and likeness of God” (Genesis 1:26-27).

We are intrinsically like the Trinity, living in absolute relatedness. To choose to stand outside of this Flow is the deepest and most obvious meaning of sin. We call the Flow love. We really were made for love, and outside of it we die very quickly.

Father Rohr, writes, “Once we allow the entire universe to become alive for us, we are living in an enchanted world. Nothing is meaningless; nothing can be dismissed. It’s all whirling with the same beauty, the same radiance. In fact, he says, “If I could name the Big Bang in my own language, I’d call it the Great Radiance. The inner radiance of God started radiating at least 13.8 billion years ago. We must realize that we are the continuation of that radiance in our small segment of time on Earth.”

Father Rohr says, “This is nothing I can prove to you. This is nothing I can make logical or rational. It can only be known experientially in the mystery of love when you surrender yourself to it, when you grant a blessed I-Thou relationship to every other thing—a plant, an animal, a single tree, the big blue sky—as Francis of Assisi put it, “Brother Sun, Sister Moon.”

The essence of the Trinity undercuts all dualistic thinking. The contemplative mind sees similarity, connection, and meaning everywhere. We know the Trinity through experiencing the flow itself, which dissolves our sense of disconnection.

With this vision you will live in a fully alive and congenial universe where you can never be lonely again.”