~~~SisterSea~~~

23 rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Reflection First Reading Proverbs 9:1-6 Second Reading Ephesians 5:15-20 Gospel John 6:51-58 A few words and phrases stood out for me in today's readings. The phrases of the first reading, “a fearful heart, ‘Be strong, do not fear!” speak to the conflicting moods of North America and Europe today. Our leader's are promoting a climate of fear, especially fear of the other. Yet, there are those who are inspired to be strong and refuse be paralyzed by fear. They refuse to give up hope for the world. They believe things should and can be better. The words from today's Gospel, “‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened’”, just would not leave my consciousness. Could Jesus be speaking to us as well as the deaf and speech impaired man in the gospel? Is Jesus asking us to open our ears and hear the cries of the strangers, widows, and or...

Shared Homily Starter First Reading: Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15 Second Reading: Ephesians 4:17-24 Gospel: John 6:24-35 The Vancouver Pride Parade is taking place this afternoon. I'm wearing my rainbow stole as a sign of our community's inclusiveness. In this community of Christ, in all our diversity, we are one. As such God's commands and God's love includes all of us. Today's reading from the Book of Exodus described the time after God through Moses has led the Israelites from slavery and saved them from Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea. They are ungrateful for their deliverance. They have no food and fail to trust in God's faithfulness and that God will provide. Instead of anger, God responds with food and another chance to follow God's instructions. This is a pattern that has echoed through the ages down to our times. We are ungrateful for wha...

Shared Homily Starter First Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6 Second Reading: Ephesians 2:13-18 Gospel: Mark 6:30-34 Theologian Diarmuid O'Murchu recently gave a 2-day workshop in Vancouver. In one of his talks, he questioned why King David is held up as an icon and why the Gospel writers would want David as part of the genealogy of Jesus. David may have been a good shepherd boy but as a king, he was a tyrant and he set in motion events that would 'destroy and scatter' God's people. For example, David had at least seven wives not counting his concubines yet he coerced the wife of one of his most loyal soldiers to sleep with him. Then in order to hide his adultery, he sent the soldier on a mission on which he knew the outcome would be the soldier's death. David's lust is a metaphor for greed. He has more than enough but he still wants more even if it means...

Shared Homily Starter First Reading: Ezekiel 2:3-5 Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 Gospel: Mark 6.1-6 Today is one of those times when the readings seem to fit together beautifully. For me, today's readings form a sort of, “User's Guide for Prophets” or “Prophesying 101”. What is a prophet? In Biblical terms, a prophet is not one who predicts the future. Rather, a prophet is one who critiques their current society using futuristic terms or futuristic imagery. They call attention to deviations from God's plan for a just world. In today's world, we call them economic, environmental and social justice activists, liberation theologians. They feel impelled to speak truth and some even use science fiction writing and film as the vehicle for prophetic truths. In today's first reading, God is talking not only to Ezekiel but to us. Today, just as ...

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time—Fathers' Day First Reading: Job 38.1-4, 5-7 , 8-11 Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5.14-17 Gospel: Mark 4.35-41 Today is National Aboriginal Day and Fathers' Day. In preparation for each Sunday's liturgy, I consult the Ordo . The Ordo is the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops' annual handbook for priests. It provides some liturgical suggestions, lists the Lectionary texts, vestment colour, and Sacramentary pages to be used for the day. In what should be a call to reconciliation, today's Ordo entry mentions Fathers' Day but makes no mention of National Aboriginal Day or reconciliation. In light of the Church's role in residential school's, I found this deeply disturbing. Laurel, and Anglican priest friend of mine, struggled with the Anglican readings specially chosen for today, and how to make them relevant in light of recent events such as the ...

Path to Reconciliation Shared Homily Starter Second Reading Roman 8:14-17 Gospel Matthew 28:16-20 Today is Trinity Sunday. Today's scripture readings provide an opportunity to reclaim or reinterpret these texts using the Holy Trinity as the template for all relationships. And so, today is an opportunity to reflect on the past with an eye on reconciliation between First Peoples and settler peoples of Canada. In the reading from Roman's, Paul, tells us “ all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” We Christians have been quite arrogant by trying limit whom and how the Spirit of God leads. God, Father/Mother, Eternal Word and Holy Spirit, has been active in the world since the beginning—always and everywhere: before Christianity and Christendom; before creeds and cathedrals; and, before dogma and doctrine. I often think fiction writers are better theologians than theologians. In the movie, Winter's Tale, Colin ...

Fourth Sunday of Lent -- Reflection / Homily Starter   If you are here for the first time, after my sermon, I usually ask a question that has to do with the theme but not necessarily on what I've said. Please feel equally free to share or not. As this is kairos Sunday, today's homily will touch on kairos Canada and celebrate our community's participation in the local kairos group. The Greek word, pleonexias , used in today's Gospel, means both greed and covetousness. Covetousness is greed that surpasses the desire for more than what one needs for a comfortable life. It is an insatiable desire to have what rightfully belongs to another, no matter how little the other has. Such greediness is prone to continual accumulation by means of violence, trickery, or the manipulation of authority. Jesus was aware that the questioner was attempting such a manipulation. Jesus' response ‘ Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you? ’ was a r...

International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia Homily 1 Gospel: John 17: 6-19 – Easter 7B Today is the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia. The purpose of the day is “to promote a world of tolerance, respect and freedom regardless of people’s sexual orientations or gender identities.  For people of all faiths and no faith, the day calls us to compassion. For Christians, Jesus in today's gospel points the way beyond tolerance and towards compassionate action. John’s gospel tells of a compassionate Jesus who, while on earth, both experienced persecution, hatred, and violence and protected his disciples from them. The most prominent element of this passage is Jesus’ compassion. We see that Jesus and the early Christian community knew the pain of violence and persecution. Even though he is soon to be betrayed by one of his disciples and crucified, he prays to God on behalf of the disciples. He protects them o...

First Reading Acts 9:26-31 Second Reading 1 John 3:18-24 Gospel John 15:1-8 Shared Homily Starter Today's first reading from the Acts of the Apostles. It is set after Saul's conversion. We are told, “ he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. The didn't believe that this man who had been persecuting them had changed his beliefs or his heart. It wasn't until Paul's actions verified the sincerity of his words, that the Apostles truly accepted him. Yesterday some of us attended the KAIROS Blanket Exercise put together by local Kairos members and graciously hosted by St. James. The KAIROS Blanket exercise is a teaching tool that uses participatory popular education to raise awareness of the nation-to-nation relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. 1 At the beginning of the exercise a...

Shared Homily Starter First Reading: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19 Second Reading: 1 John 2:1-5 Gospel: Luke 24:35-48 The liturgical season of Easter is the only time that the readings are all from the New Testament. During this season the first readings are from the Acts of the Apostles. Today's reading from Acts is another occasion where our Roman Catholic Lectionary differs from the Revised Common Lectionary and omits scripture verses. This textual omission significantly changes the meaning and therefore our understanding of the scriptural message. Today's reading is from Acts, Chapter 3, which begins with Peter and John's encounter with a cripple beggar outside the temple, where they are about to enter. Peter tells the beggar, “‘I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you.” Peter then cures the man in Jesus' name. The man jumped, took Peter...