My friends, first off today, I want to wish all the mothers a very happy day, and as you know from previous years, we not only remember those women who have given us physical birth, but those who have mothered us emotionally, and spiritually through our lifetimes.  For the most fortunate here, you had a mother who not only gave you physical, but emotional, and spiritual mothering too.  It is important that we raise up the fact that this isn’t true for everyone—me being one, so that it is wonderful that there can be other ways “to be mothered.” 

   Now that we are fully into the month of May, we should lift up one very special mother, sister, friend – Mary of Nazareth.  Our Church through its hierarchy has unfortunately, over time been satisfied to put her on a pedestal and remember that she once said, “Yes” to God, which is significant, but not all that she was about. 

   Anyone who has been, and is a mother, in any of the ways mentioned above, knows that you have to say, “yes” again and again over time to what life brings – any woman worthy of the name has to be strong, committed, brave – having a big heart, and able to give the world, justice, mercy and love.  In truth, no one would call such a woman, “a wall flower.”  We can only hope and pray that our new Pope Leo has such a view of women, and will move in time to recognize their gifts for ministry and leadership in our Church.

   So, friends, beyond Mothers’ Day and reflection upon Mary of Nazareth, this is also the 4^th Sunday of Easter – alleluia!  And within the season of Easter, this is also Good Shepherd Sunday. I was happy to hear Pope Leo include within his opening remarks to the world, that he sees himself, “shepherding all the People of God, because our God loves each person just as they are.” 

   Looking at today’s readings then, beginning with Acts, we see Paul and Barnabas moving beyond the Jews, to the Gentiles, folks like us, in other words.  They were getting resistance from their own people and their response, as we just heard, was to “shake the dust” off their feet as Jesus had instructed and offer their “good news” to those who wanted to hear it!  The Gentiles we heard, “responded to the Word of God with praise,” and [they] “were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.” 

   Upon reflection, it seems to me that this might be a good path moving forward in a world, our world, that seems so full of hatred, strife, selfishness, disregard for difference, and power-over-others.  The “path” I speak of, is lifting up all the good possible, concentrating on that, as I shared with a friend this week, treating others as we want to be treated ourselves – setting aside that which isn’t life-giving.” 

   The 2^nd reading from Revelation has John sharing his vision of heaven – “an immense crowd, from every nation, tribe, people, and language.”  We should really reflect today, this week, on what that tells us…God is telling us through John that all of God’s wonderful, beautiful, different people will be there!  So, to spend any time in “negative” spaces over things we personally can’t change is a waste of good energy.  But we can voice our opposition to all that is unchristian, and to those who claim to be “Christian,” but don’t show it in their actions. 

   Additionally, we are told in the 2^nd reading that God will wipe away every tear…with this, I would say, we have our “walking” orders…what our God is willing to do for us, we must be willing to do for others. 

   Today’s gospel from John is a short version of the story of the Good Shepherd, and basically, we are told that [if you have ears to hear, we will] “hear [Jesus’] voice” – [he] know[s] [us] and [we] “follow him.”  The extended story of the Good Shepherd lets us know, as our brother Jesus tells us in this beautiful parable, that he will “go after even one lost one.” 

   Again, it seemed from Pope Leo’s opening remarks that he sees “his new role” challenging him to go after every, “lost one too.” 

   With regard for those needing “shepherding,” this past week, I read several articles about “sex-trafficking” and of how “storefronts” for this disgusting trade, “are more prolific than McDonald’s!” Because it is so difficult, apparently, for law enforcement to get their arms around, the victims are more often the ones arrested for prostitution than are the perpetrators of these crimes, instead of attempting to get to the causes of why this continues to happen. 

   Not being a social scientist, I would simply make a general statement about the status of women in the world and Church.  Women are seen as “less than, not worthy, or called equally to lead, to serve – and until that changes, blame can always be shifted, true causes for evil can be overlooked. 

   My friends, the Easter Season challenges us to dig deep within ourselves, finding all our God-given tools to be our best, to face our world, in its often “messiness,” “holding fast to the grace,” and [shine the] “light” God has given us, as in the 1^st reading says today; to be the change we want to see in our world.  As we have remembered this week 17 years of ministry in this community, let us praise our good God for this opportunity.  May we with each other’s help continue “shining our light.” Amen? Amen! Alleluia!

My friends, we continue today and this week with our “alleluias” as we marvel at our loving God in Jesus, coming to be one-with-us, and to speak for justice for all people, especially the least among us.  His speaking out we know was often against the civil authorities of his time – not a good thing to do if one values their physical life.  Our brother Jesus, in order to be true to himself and the God who sent him, had to challenge the powers of his time to do the right, just thing and we know he paid the price for his actions.  This is the message that his first disciples preached after his Resurrection. 

   Jesus, in today’s gospel from John appears to the apostles to fine-tune this message. We find these now, “fishers of people” reverting to what they know best, and is probably most comforting – fishing for physical food, which in reality is needed to keep them alive. 

   Into this reality, Jesus, knowing the human condition, comes once again to guide and support them.  We see Jesus’ tender, yet courageous approach with Peter to help him know that even though he denied Jesus during his passion, he is still loved.  Additionally, he makes clear the fact that as his followers, we can’t just “talk” about who Jesus was, but must “act” too.  If we say we “love” Jesus, then we must “tend the lambs – feed the sheep.” 

   Needless to say, perhaps, but necessary probably too, is the fact that the “lambs and sheep” are those in our midst who are needy in many ways, the poor, the homeless, the abused, and so on.  We see many actions these days coming from the powers-that-be, and even curiously, from those claiming to be “Christian,” that are far from what can be said to be, “caring for the least among us.” 

   I think it is significant that Jesus seems aware of how it can be difficult to do the right thing in the face of little support, and so he comes into their midst, to this chosen fragile group to uplift and support, letting them know that “he will always be with them,” and especially when the going gets tough. 

   We can only imagine that for Peter, whom Jesus has asked much of – to lead this rag-tag group of men, the fact that when the going did get tough, Peter denied even knowing Jesus, not once, but three times, had to have been hard for Peter to get over. 

   Jesus lets Peter and us know, in a gentle way, that he realizes that we love him and that we will, with his help, do the right thing.  I think we would all agree that our basic humanity, at times, gets in the way of the good that we would do. 

   Each Wednesday I pick up our grandson, Elliot after school, and then we have a few hours with him, which includes a snack, doing some reading, his homework, and some games, before having supper—he calls it “dinner,” either at our house, with his parents, or at theirs. 

   During his homework this past week, he wanted to know my answer to the question, “Is deciding whether an action is right or wrong always easy?”  to which I answered, “No, it is not.”  In fact, I am presently working on such a dilemma, but that is another homily.

   But the above question attempts to get children thinking beyond “black and white answers to the often-complex situations we find in our world.  As you know, many questions/situations fall into “gray” areas that aren’t always adequately, or justly answered in a black and white way. 

   The first reading today from Acts finds the apostles at odds with the high priest who wants them not to preach about Jesus, speaks well to this question of right versus wrong, “Better for us to obey God than people.”  This answer from some of Jesus’ 1^st followers answers “why” nearly 300 women in this country and around the world have followed their God-given calls to priestly ordination in a Church that claims that these ordinations are “invalid.”  In our nearly 17 years serving this community as a Vatican II parish, I humbly think that we have called that bluff. 

   Perhaps a quote that speaks well to what Jesus is doing today with Peter and ultimately, with us, as we try to be true to his words and actions, comes from an unnamed philanthropist, “We don’t try to make things easy for people, but to make things possible.”  I believe additionally, this helps those of us “doers” to keep the balance we need in life in order that we not only care for others, but ourselves as well. 

   My friends, as we try to be our best selves in a world so filled with need, let us remember the balance our brother Jesus shows us today in his ministry to Peter.  And with John in the 2^nd reading from Revelations, we can pray, “Be praise and honor, glory and dominion forever and ever.  Amen? Amen!  Alleluia!

So my friends, here we are at the 2^nd week of Easter, having accomplished 6 weeks of Lent – a time given us by our Church, to, in its very best sense, I believe, look at our personal lives to see how much they resemble that of our brother Jesus.  And in doing that, we then can express nothing but gratitude for a God who has loved us so much as to send Jesus, to live his one wonderful life among us, showing us so completely how we should try to live ours. 

   The Scriptures for this week show us Jesus’ first followers living in somewhat of a “honeymoon” phase in the selection from Acts today.  Wonders in the form of physical cures seem to happen miraculously simply through Peter’s shadow falling upon the afflicted.  Luke, the presumed writer of Acts lets us know that “more and more believers … in great numbers” [were added to their ranks].  This had to be a heady experience for these first followers – one that they would have to come to terms with as time went on, for we who know, “the end of the story,” realize that persecution for these faithful followers will come – but for now, the wonders that they are seeing is something to marvel at. 

   Moving ahead to today’s gospel from John, we backtrack a bit, finding Jesus’ followers in the Upper Room, basically, “shaking in their boots” or their sandals, as the case maybe.  Jesus understands their fear and within this reading speaks no less than 3x, the words, “Peace be with you” – as he wants nothing but good for them, and so gives his Spirit so that “fear” will not get in the way of them doing the good in the world that he knows each is capable of.  Even though this gospel doesn’t include the words –we sense Jesus’ meaning – especially in the 2^nd reading from Revelation – “Don’t be afraid” – [I will be with you always!]

   I would like to briefly lift up another line from Revelation in today’s 2^nd reading.  John, living on the island of Patmos, the same John of the 4^th Gospel, is told to “write down everything” [he sees].  I take this line in a broader sense to mean that we should continue to keep our eyes on Jesus.  It seems that if each of us who claims, “to be Christian,” could do this more regularly, our world and our Church could be so much better. 

   Another important line from today’s Scriptures that I want to lift up for us to consider is when Jesus tells the apostles that if they so choose to “forgive the failings of others, those failings are forgiven…” – this is a broad power these 1^st believers received – one that I think the hierarchy now within the Church, forget when they claim “to have no power” to do what they are being asked to do that they don’t want to do.  Actually, I believe that these “powerful” words revert back to Jesus’ common practice of responding more from the heart than the head.  I so long for our beloved Church, ruled by men, to respond in our world in like manner. 

   As you know, I always attempt to connect the chosen Scriptures for each Sunday with what is going on in our world, so as to say that these Words are meant for us today as well.  This week’s news here in Winona again unearthed a tragic story of 14 years ago concerning a deceased baby found in the river in a backpack surrounded by angel figurines; thus, this little one was named by some in our community, “Baby Angel.” 

    The police officer in charge at the time seemed overly concerned about this case as did some Winona area residents, spending what seemed to me an inordinate amount of attention looking for “the woman who committed this crime.” 

   Now, 14 years later, with better genetic testing that could identify relationship, and this was done in an unseemly way, the woman has been found, arrested and the news piece this week spoke of “Baby Angel now getting justice.” 

   Now, I am not saying that “something bad” didn’t happen, but only, that perhaps this case calls for some mercy too.  The news report spoke of no mercy nor understanding of what this story in its entirety might be about. 

   For several years, I have been writing to a woman in the Wisconsin prison system, whom I learned about from another minister friend—she has spent the last 38 years of her life there because at a very bad time in her young life, she tragically took the lives of her two young sons.  It was a time in her life, as an abused woman, alone, frightened, and at her wits end, that she thought this was the “best” and only option in her life. 

   Now any of us who claim to be sane, living what we may consider, moral lives, and looking at these two examples from that privileged place, might find ourselves saying, well, it seems like justice is served.

   That my friends would be the “black and white” answer to these equally tragic stories.  The woman that I write to has been denied parole time and time again over these 38 years, even though she has demonstrated her diligence to better herself.  She is no threat to others, yet this punitive system seems to have a need to punish her without end. In 2024 she was once again up for parole, and asked me to write a letter of recommendation for her, which I did – and we were most hopeful this time, but once again, came the denial. 

   And, we hear Jesus’ words in light of this, “Receive the Holy Spirit, if you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven.”  I know in my heart that my friend that I write to is no danger to society, yet she can’t seem to get any mercy. 

   Now, I don’t know Baby Angel’s mom’s story, but I think we can probably agree that it wasn’t a good one – parents don’t do such things when life is supported and cared for.  No doubt if this present case goes to trial, the true and complete story will be made known – and again, not that this woman’s action was good or right; but perhaps the good that each of us possesses as sister and brother humans can come to the fore so that a more complete justice can be arrived at.  The prospect of any more punishment being dealt out in this regard seems absolutely abhorrent to me. 

   In all fairness and truth, it must be said that both of these tragic stories that I have mentioned today reflect the patriarchal society of our world – state and church, where women often don’t have a true voice and are made to bear the blame alone of so much evil that exists when structures of power rather than love dominate our lives. 

   In conclusion friends, during this exultant season of Easter, let us not forget why Jesus, our brother came to be one-with-us –that we would have a “change of heart” –striving to be our best selves for ourselves and for others. Amen? Amen!