Author: kredig

Bulletin and Message for the Week – 5th Sunday of Easter

/ kredig

  • NO MASS AGAIN THIS WEEK, May 7, 2023. We are hoping to resume liturgies next week, May 14, 2023. A final decision will be made toward the end of next week. I continue to have trouble with my nights and sleeping, which makes it difficult to get going in the morning. Continue to pray for me as I do for you. Thanks! Pastor Kathy

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Readings:

  • Acts 6: 1-7
  • 1 Peter 2: 4-9
  • John 14: 1-12

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Dear Friends,

Once again, I can’t be with you for Mass this week, but let’s look forward to next week! In lieu of that, I share a story with you from the past, for your reflection this week. Please keep in mind that the Scriptures included above, for this Sunday, hold the simple message that our God walks with us each day, and, we are never alone.

Luke, in the Acts of the Apostles, lifts up the image that those who “preach the Word” should be “freed” from the daily tasks of “caring for others.” In this, I would say, he is wrong. “Preaching the Word” and “caring for the needs of others,” are one and the same, and the mission of all, as was so well demonstrated through the life of our brother Jesus.

Peter, in the 2nd reading confirms that Jesus can be a “stumbling block,” but if we keep our eyes on him, doing as he did, remembering to “not let our hearts be troubled,” all will be well.

His message was always, “If you have seen me, you have seen my Abba-God.” And by extension, we too must see God in others. In light of this, the following story from Sister Joan Chittister says well what we are to be about in our world.

“An old rabbi once asked his pupils how they could tell when night had ended and the day had begun. ‘Could it be,’ asked one of the students, ‘when you can see an animal in the distance and tell whether it’s a sheep or a dog?’ ‘No,’ answered the rabbi.  Another asked, ‘Is it when you look at a tree in the distance and can tell whether it’s a fig tree or a peach tree?’  ‘No’ answered the rabbi.

 ‘It is when you can look on the face of any man or woman and see that it is your sister or brother. Because, if you cannot see this, it is still night.’ ”

   Friends, we must always see life on a larger scope than the students in the story did—Jesus, the Christ who came to be one of us, we remember as, “the Light of the World” –if we are to truly follow him, we must too, bring light and not darkness.

   Joan ends her reflection of the old rabbi by saying, “Pay attention to the new nativism,” [that seems to continue to be spreading across our country, because] as Joan continues, “if you don’t, we may never know when the night has ended and the day has begun.”  Amen? Amen!

Bulletin and Message for the 4th Sunday of Easter

/ kredig

  • Again, NO MASS this week–my apologies! I am making minuscule improvement each day, just hard to see sometimes. Thank you all for so many well wishes, prayers and love.

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Dear Friends,

Being that my days of late have needed to be about “care for myself” as I recover from knee surgery, I am including a few paragraphs for your consideration from a past homily for this week. Hopefully, you will find meaning in reflecting upon them once again.

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Readings:

  • Acts 2: 14, 36-41
  • 1 Peter 2: 20-25
  • John 10: 1-10

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Thoughts to consider based on the above readings:

     I begin today with a story as it serves well, I think, as a fine example of what we are each to be as Jesus’ followers:   A person stopped for the yellow light, and the person who was tailgating, furiously honked because they missed their chance to get through the intersection.  Still in mid-rant, that person heard a tap on the window. The officer ordered the person to exit the car with hands up, was ultimately taken to the station, searched, finger-printed, photographed and placed in a holding cell.  After a couple of hours, a police officer escorted the would-be criminal back to the booking desk and the arresting officer who said, “I am very sorry for the mistake, but I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, and giving the person in front of you the finger. I noticed the “What Would Jesus Do?” bumper sticker, the “Choose Life” license plate holder, “Follow Me to Sunday School” bumper sticker and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk, so naturally I assumed you had stolen the car.

Good to remember that people are watching!

The reading from Peter today as well as the gospel from John speak of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, one who knows his own and calls them by name—who has “put up with suffering [for us] for doing what is right” and only asks that we try and do the same.  If our stance toward our world is going to be one of “pastoring” as opposed to that of “legislating,” we will have to see our world through a lens that is often more gray as opposed to black and white.

   I began these thoughts with a story that asked us to consider if we merely “proclaim” our Christianity or actually “show it” through our actions.  Only we can determine how that will be for us.  Only we can determine if we will live, as Jesus did—trying to understand, giving a response and action that is reflective of justice, mercy and love for each other, or not.  Amen? Amen!

Homily – 3rd Weekend of Easter

/ kredig

  Friends, on this Earth Day, I am going to “cut to the chase” this weekend which brings us to the 3rd week of Easter and say very simply and succinctly that the message we all should reflect on as we ponder today’s readings is— “It’s all about love!”

   Now that having been said, next; we need to understand that to truly love is a most challenging activity! It calls us— “this loving” to be our very best selves.  It calls us in our present-day world to somehow get past ignorant statements in place of leadership, selfishness when merciful governing is called for, and move toward those who are truly leading in our Congress and State houses, keeping our eyes on their reflections—witnessing that while, difficult, are what is best for our nation and our world. 

   Today’s gospel from Luke lifts up the fact that in the strange, fearful, yet hope-filled times after Jesus’ rising to new life, people, like those disciples on the way to Emmaus didn’t know Jesus until he did “something that was familiar to them.”  Scripture says, “Their eyes were opened” when he “broke the bread.”  This action of, “breaking the bread,” we must remember, is sign and symbol of Jesus’ own “breaking open” of his entire life—for all of creation, showing us how to truly live. 

   In our time we must move beyond the present chaos, of so many things that plague our Church and Nation: misdirection about issues of gender and sexual expression—the consideration of what constitutes “life,” and whose life is most important, time and energy being spent on “Eucharistic Conferences” designed to keep the “Eucharist” in a tiny, little box with no connection to the “real presence” in the world of Jesus, the Christ.  We must ask, “What is it now that truly “breaks our hearts open” and as the disciples on the way to Emmaus, makes those same hearts, “burn within us?”

   “Being our best selves” in these times that calls for nothing less, will help us to understand the truth when we hear it—truth that works for the good of all, as opposed to lies that are simply—self-serving and many times, dangerous.  On the other hand, our hearts “break open and burn within us” when we hear the head* of the United Nations Food Program share the truth that millions of people in this world are on a trajectory toward starvation!  This number tends to double when anything extra is added, like a world virus, climate catastrophe, etc. *This information was from 3 years ago, but the same could be said today about starvation.

   Last week we talked about what perhaps needs to be “resurrected” within each of us to make Jesus’ resurrection complete.  For me, it comes down to, listening with a heart truly broken open to what our God is trying to tell us, now, in 2023.

   What faces our world, like the call of our brother Jesus, is all about rising to the occasion and becoming all that we can be.  Being OK with the fact that more than half of the people in this world live on less than $10,000 a year is not being our best.  Being OK with the fact that millions of people are headed toward starvation if not for the United Nations feeding them weekly is not being our best selves.  Being OK with the fact that poor and dark-skinned people in this world are hardest hit when a pandemic, or any other catastrophe hits,  is not being our best selves and should call us to make some long-term changes .

   And you might say—well, Pastor, I’m not OK with any of this!  And even though it hurts me to say it, because I indict myself as well, if we don’t actively work to change the present disparity between the rich and the poor in our world, we ARE OK with it! 

   All of the readings this Sunday speak to the idea of “being on a journey.”  In the 1st reading from Luke in Acts; we hear that God “sent” Jesus with “miracles and signs”—which [show us], “the path to life.”  Psalm 16 confirms this notion, “You will show me the path that leads to life.”  Peter, in the 2nd reading, consuls, that we should, “conduct ourselves reverently during our sojourn in a strange land.”   The gospel, also from Luke speaks of disciples, “on their way to Emmaus.” 

   Today, our world celebrates Earth Day plus 50 years.  We have been on a long journey trying to save our planet these past 50 years—there have been ups and downs on this journey.  The “ups” are reflective of the “reverencing” that Peter speaks of today—the literal, breaking open of our hearts at our earthly home’s beauty, so much so that we have been willing to be about initiatives with the countries of the world to save our planet from global warming.  The “downs” of course, are reflective of a lack of that same “reverencing.”  I have to wonder at our diocesan Church in Winona/Rochester, planning to “reverence” the Eucharist in the “mere bread” without making the vital—connection to our beautiful, and in some ways, dying planet.

  Sometimes my friends, the concerns of our daily lives are all, it seems, that we can handle, and that notion is reflective of my life as it is of yours.  As you know, I am recovering from knee surgery and that is about all that I can handle just now.  I say this, not to garner sympathy, but to let you know that I’m cognizant of the reality of “life” at times. 

   We are all on a unique journey together—all belief systems have a sense of this, and this journey is toward an existence greater than this one; where all people—no matter their gender, race, sexual orientation, financial status, or any other, perceived impediment, will be welcomed.

   I began this homily with the statement that basically, “it is all about love” and the challenge that to truly love, is no small task.  I would like to conclude with some words from a ballad by local, singer-songwriter, John Smith, entitled, “Love’s Not Through With Me Yet!”

   I included mention of this ballad three years ago in a homily and I know that in the past, I have thought of its sentiment in a somewhat negative way, thinking that “love is not through with me yet, because I am not yet doing it right.  But this go-around finds me thinking more positively: John Smith very poetically asks, “Can you love without needing?”—which speaks to the notion that “love” is bigger than just about me.  And again, he asks, “Can you love without bleeding?” which is all about the “reverencing” that we must show toward our earth and its people.  And if you can do these things, than basically, there is hope for our world, because, indeed, “love isn’t through with us yet!”

   After the resurrection, Mary Magdala and the disciples on the way to Emmaus knew Jesus when he did something, “familiar”— “calling her by name,” and “breaking bread” with them.  Let us know and realize, that as Jesus’ followers, what others should recognize in us as, “familiar” is doing the “good” and the “right” in our world and for its people.  Amen? Amen!   

Homily – 2nd Sunday of Easter

/ kredig

My apologies friends, I had promised more than this but due to my knee surgery, and not feeling as good as I was expecting, this was all that I was able to get to you–take care all–(: Pastor Kathy

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   My friends, Eastertime is such a hope-filled time and especially when, as this year, in Minnesota, we are experiencing such beautiful, sunny, and warm weather. I wrote this line two days ago and now we are having near-blizzard conditions!  The interesting thing though, that I have noticed of late, is that “hope” can be present, even when all isn’t necessarily going well in our lives. 

   Hope arises naturally in our human lives, I believe, as the impetus to keep us moving forward when the sad, discouraging, and painful things happen in our lives—illness, surgery, and the deaths of loved ones before we are ready.  Sister Joan Chittister had somewhat of an answer for these times that may bring doubt: “Overtime [she has discovered], the cross is supposed to take its toll on us.  It forms us to find God in the shadows of life.  Ironically enough, it is the cross that teaches us to hope.”  As I said, the hard things, keep us moving forward for the most part, especially if we want to keep engaging with life. 

   Eastertime also has the ability to bring forth “gratitude” in our hearts, even amidst the hard times.  Our Scriptures for this Sunday exude gratitude.  In the 1st reading from Acts, even though their brother, Jesus had died, and arose, we hear that, “the apostles performed many signs and wonders—that they divided everything among themselves on the basis of each one’s needs, with exultant and sincere hearts.”

   In the 2nd reading from Peter, he writes about how they are all, “guarded with God’s power through faith.”  And additionally, Peter commends all those who, “love Jesus and even though you have never seen him, you still believe.” 

   Then in today’s gospel from John, Peter’s words are confirmed by Jesus, “blessed are they who have not seen and have believed.”  We are all included here, my friends.  And the other wonderful line that Jesus says in this passage from John, “Peace be with you,” and he uses this greeting with each appearance after the Resurrection. 

   Once these followers are “at peace,” he then gives them their mission, “As Abba God sent me, so am I sending you…” So, let’s take a look at how these Scriptures apply today, bring hope, and gratitude—basically, new life. 

   Our parish, collectively, has been grieving the loss of our sister and friend, Shannon Hanzel, and because we haven’t yet had a celebration of life, a piece of closure is yet missing. And even as I say that, we each realize that we will never forget Shannon or anyone who has been a significant part of our lives and has died.

   This is the “hope” with which each of us lives—that these loved ones can always be a part of our lives, but in a new way. After Shannon’s death, I visited her husband of 52 years, Jim, and encouraged him to “look for her in new ways—in the faces of his family members, in the stories of her friends.” I encouraged him and each of us, in knowing of the many ways that she touched others’ lives, to hold onto, these “heart moments and memories,” and with that, comes “gratitude,” even amongst the present sadness. 

   In my own life this past week, amid the pain and inconvenience of my knee surgery, I find that I am filled with hope for better, more flexibility than I am experiencing now.  And right alongside that hope, is gratitude that I live in a time and place and situation that makes this repair possible for me!

   And since I first wrote the above paragraph, I have been experiencing more pain with my knee post-op, along with other discomforts, so the final word on “gratitude” isn’t fully in…(: So, my friends, I will basically end at this point with a question to ponder this next week—considering that we are thinking about Jesus’ Resurrection and have established that “resurrection changes a person,” –we might want to think about what needs to be “resurrected” in us.  Amen? Amen!

Homily – 2nd Sunday of Easter

/ kredig

My Friends, I had promised the readings and prayers for this Sunday, but needed to stop short due to my less than optimum condition today. (: Hopefully, you will find this homily of help in today’s reflections. Take care all–Pastor Kathy

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  My friends, Eastertime is such a hope-filled time and especially when, as this year, in Minnesota, we are experiencing such beautiful, sunny, and warm weather. I wrote this line two days ago and now we are having near-blizzard conditions!  The interesting thing though, that I have noticed of late, is that “hope” can be present, even when all isn’t necessarily going well in our lives. 

   Hope arises naturally in our human lives, I believe, as the impetus to keep us moving forward when the sad, discouraging, and painful things happen in our lives—illness, surgery, and the deaths of loved ones before we are ready.  Sister Joan Chittister had somewhat of an answer for these times that may bring doubt: “Overtime [she has discovered], the cross is supposed to take its toll on us.  It forms us to find God in the shadows of life.  Ironically enough, it is the cross that teaches us to hope.”  As I said, the hard things, keep us moving forward for the most part, especially if we want to keep engaging with life. 

   Eastertime also has the ability to bring forth “gratitude” in our hearts, even amidst the hard times.  Our Scriptures for this Sunday exude gratitude.  In the 1st reading from Acts, even though their brother, Jesus had died, and arose, we hear that, “the apostles performed many signs and wonders—that they divided everything among themselves on the basis of each one’s needs, with exultant and sincere hearts.”

   In the 2nd reading from Peter, he writes about how they are all, “guarded with God’s power through faith.”  And additionally, Peter commends all those who, “love Jesus and even though you have never seen him, you still believe.” 

   Then in today’s gospel from John, Peter’s words are confirmed by Jesus, “blessed are they who have not seen and have believed.”  We are all included here, my friends.  And the other wonderful line that Jesus says in this passage from John, “Peace be with you,” and he uses this greeting with each appearance after the Resurrection. 

   Once these followers are “at peace,” he then gives them their mission, “As Abba God sent me, so am I sending you…” So, let’s take a look at how these Scriptures apply today, bring hope, and gratitude—basically, new life. 

   Our parish, collectively, has been grieving the loss of our sister and friend, Shannon Hanzel, and because we haven’t yet had a celebration of life, a piece of closure is yet missing. And even as I say that, we each realize that we will never forget Shannon or anyone who has been a significant part of our lives and has died.

   This is the “hope” with which each of us lives—that these loved ones can always be a part of our lives, but in a new way. After Shannon’s death, I visited her husband of 52 years, Jim, and encouraged him to “look for her in new ways—in the faces of his family members, in the stories of her friends.” I encouraged him and each of us, in knowing of the many ways that she touched others’ lives, to hold onto, these “heart moments and memories,” and with that, comes “gratitude,” even amongst the present sadness. 

   In my own life this past week, amid the pain and inconvenience of my knee surgery, I find that I am filled with hope for better, more flexibility than I am experiencing now.  And right alongside that hope, is gratitude that I live in a time and place and situation that makes this repair possible for me!

   And since I first wrote the above paragraph, I have been experiencing more pain with my knee post-op, along with other discomforts, so the final word on “gratitude” isn’t fully in…(: So, my friends, I will basically end at this point with a question to ponder this next week—considering that we are thinking about Jesus’ Resurrection and have established that “resurrection changes a person,” –we might want to think about what needs to be “resurrected” in us.  Amen? Amen!