This Sunday’s Gospel story is without doubt one of the most famous in Christian scripture…we all know it…we all get the point…or do we? As a majority Christian nation we certainly fail to live up to it!

We find ourselves living in a country of great extremes: on one hand we have sinful waste and staggering excess and on the other hand we have ever growing numbers of our sisters and brothers living in crushing poverty. And, so very many of our citizens seem to not care at all about the suffering of the poor, nor do the majority of our elected politicians. Our political discourse has degraded to an increasingly violent and vitriolic distain for not only competing ideas but for the actual persons who hold those competing ideas and visions.

The more hysterical the rhetoric, the more clicks and reposts it garners and then more support among what appears to be a callous and morally bankrupt faction of our nation. Somewhere along the journey we have lost sight of the meaning of the parable of the good Samaritan.

Samaritans were considered by the Israelites to be “subhuman”…not unlike the dehumanizing rhetoric we hear used today by public officials toward immigrants and refugees, towards women, towards members of the LGBTQ+ Community, towards persons of color, towards the unhoused and towards those who are differently abled. Samaritans were often compared to dogs…not cute cuddly puppies…but rather mangy half-starved denizens of the night who wander the dark streets in search of a morsel of food. And this is precisely who Jesus makes the hero of this parable.

It is the “outlier” who is really the “insider”; it is the one who acted as God would desire all of us to act toward another human being in need. Who was his sister? Who was his brother? Surely not an Israelite, who after all hated and despised his people. But in the midst of that knowledge the Samaritan was moved with pity and cared with gentleness and kindness for the one who hated him.

This Sunday’s Gospel offers us the chance to reflect on who we wish to be: the hardened, heartless priest who passes by…or the good Samaritan who risks being gentle and kind to someone who most likely despised him?

God cries out to us to be compassionate and kind toward others -- especially those in need; especially to those whom our society marginalize and despise, just because of who they are.

We know all too well who the marginalized and despised are…what are we willing to do for them? Are we willing to risk being a good Samaritans by refusing to remain silent in face of genocide, racial profiling and injustice, cruel and inhumane attacks? Are we willing to continue to call, to write and march for what we know is morally correct and just? Because your every phone call, your every letter, your every form of protest matters -- individually and collectively. It matters.

Because it means that we are willing to cross to the other side of the road and do the right thing. To demand true justice and to call our politicians back to a previously established moral and ethical standard from which they have walked away from, no longer “seeking a more just and more perfect Union”.

The dream has dimmed…but is not gone. Not as long as we continue to fight for it -- in our everyday words and actions demanding to form a more just, peaceful, kind and caring society where everyone is seen, valued and respected and cared for.

God’s Blessings,
Fr. Tim

This week’s gospel reading recounts “the sending out of the seventy-two” disciples to preach the bursting forth of the Reign of God. They were preaching this reign that was “at hand” and is still coming upon us. Last week the theme of Sunday’s readings was “God’s call”. And so we reflected on God’s call to each of us, here and now.

God’s call to each of us is at the same time unique for each one of us and yet the same in that we are all called to preach the Gospel and to live in and build up the Reign of God. But are we ready to “live” the Reign of God? Jesus makes it abundantly clear that it will not be easy. And, in fact, our very lives may be at risk for proclaiming the Gospel and “living it”. Jesus cautions us that we are being sent out into the world “like lambs among wolves”.

As we have just celebrated the 4th of July, the great “high feast day” of our nation, perhaps we should ask ourselves if we as citizens are working to build a country that reflects the values of the Gospel; the values of the Reign of God? Are the homeless being housed…are the thirsty quenched…are the hungry being fed…are immigrants, migrants and refugees being welcomed? Is achieving true racial justice a national value and goal to which we are actively working? Are all these realities not signs of the bursting forth of the Reign of God?

And when we as a nation fail to feed the hungry, to shelter the homeless and to welcome the stranger -- the immigrant, migrant and refugee -- we fail in creating true racial justice and then we fail “the mission”. We fail to build up the “Reign of God”. We fail to live out our discipleship!

The vast majority of Congress claim to be followers of Jesus. How then is it that the laws they pass are in direct violation of words, vision and the call of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

How does hunting down hard-working, tax paying immigrants and refugees and deporting them to third party countries where they have no relatives, may not speak the language, are not wanted and have no real possibility of building a viable life -- how is that welcoming the stranger? How is that loving my neighbor?...which Jesus told us, in the final judgment, would be exactly what we will be judged upon.

How is canceling USAID which will lead to the death of millions upon millions of people around the world in the next few years, and the canceling of US food programs for the poor and most vulnerable of our nation along with gutting Medicaid and other social safety net programs for the poor – how is that morally and ethically defendable?...all while giving tax breaks to the wealthy.

In what world is terminating and reversing all federal DEI programs, and attempting to bully private institutions and businesses to do the same – in what world is this a morally and ethically defendable course of action?

There is a very important message of hospitality that runs through today’s Gospel. In it there is a cultural expectation that the disciples will be received and offered hospitality in the towns and villages that they go to, to preach the Reign of God. They are told by Jesus to accept the hospitality in whatever form it is offered and to not move around seeking the best accommodations, the better food and drink, but to take what is offered and be satisfied.

And just as importantly, they are to wish peace upon the house and its inhabitants. So, there is a twofold nature to the giving and receiving of this hospitality. The recipient of the hospitality not only just receives, but also offers the gift of peace to the family and to the very home itself.

It speaks to a way of being in the world -- it is about the stance one takes towards the other and towards the world. It is a
fundamental stance of openness and love; of leaning into the encounter, led by the Spirit, aware of the presence of God in the moment and in the other and in the world.

And it seems that over the past few years there has been a seismic shift in the stance that many Americans have taken towards the other and towards the world. It seems to have become a stance of anger and resentment, closed off to the encounter and a rejection of the presence of the Divine in the other who is not like them.

Perhaps, in light of the celebration of our nation’s birthday, for those of us who are Christian, we should take a few minutes to reflect on how, we as a nation -- our elected officials and our fellow Americans who claim to be Christian -- are doing living out the mission Jesus gave us. And, ask ourselves what we might need to do differently, as individuals and as a nation, to readjust our fundamental stance towards the other and towards the world.

Blessings,
Fr. Tim

Throughout the Gospels Jesus is drawn to the outcasts -- to the poor and the marginalized. We see him time and time again reaching out to the leper and the unclean; to people that he should have avoided but instead he embraced. It is precisely in his embracing of the “suffering ones” that I believe Jesus’ identity shines forth.

In today’s Gospel Jesus asks the disciples “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter correctly responds: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” To which Jesus responds by telling Simon he is blessed because this has been revealed to him by the Father in heaven.

And he gives Simon a new name -- Peter, meaning rock -- and proclaims that he will build his church upon this rock and hell itself will not prevail against it. And then he sternly warns the disciples not to tell anyone that he is the Messiah.

And in the following passages, Jesus then goes on to tell them that even though he is the Messiah, he is going to suffer greatly, be rejected by the religious leaders and ultimately be killed! He tells them that anyone who wishes to follow him must deny themselves and pick up their cross and follow him and whoever loses their life for him and for the sake of the Gospel will save their life! Jesus is letting them all know that they too are going to be beaten, stripped and spit upon just like he will be as he will make his way to Golgotha.

Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem and to the cross was a journey of embracing all of those who suffer under the weight of their crosses -- crosses placed upon them by human traffickers, by inhumane and unjust immigration policies. It was an embracing of those who bear the weight of the crosses of systemic racism, bigotry and misogyny and social marginalization.

He is the Son of the God, the one of whom Isaiah spoke of, who walked with the weak and vulnerable. Just as he embraced those whom others recoiled from or found unworthy or “out of place,” we, as his followers, we are called to embrace them and welcome them too, just as Jesus did.

In the midst of a nation in such chaos, and so deeply divided, we are called to be voices of unity, and speaking out in support of those who are marginalized and threatened because of the color of their skin or their nationality or their gender or sexual orientation.

We are called to be voices of welcome to all those who are being turned away and chased down like they are less than human and cruelly deported to foreign countries where they know no one and have little or no chance of establishing a meaningful life. We are called to be voices of welcome to the thousands of refugees and asylum seekers who are so
desperately looking for a new life, a new home in our country.

We are called to carry the cross of all of those who lost their lives in ongoing military attacks and in the ever-growing number of wars…and for the families and loved ones left behind whose lives are forever wounded and scarred.

All the afore-mentioned women, men and children are the crucified whose crosses, like Simon of Cyrene, we may help to
carry even if for just for a few steps on the long and sorrowful journey of their shattered lives.

And in the carrying of their crosses, we may come to know them just a little better and come to see Christ present in
them, in the midst of their sorrow and suffering.

As I wrestle with Jesus’ question…who do you say I am?…whose cross might I help carry? Who might I let help carry my
hidden cross?

Blessings,
Fr. Tim

On this day when we celebrate the awesome gift of the Eucharist one would think that the Gospel of this wonderful feast day would be about “the Last Supper,” but instead, it is the Gospel of the feeding of the five thousand.

When the disciples come to Jesus and complain that the people are hungry, Jesus says in response “give them some food yourselves”! The story of the “feeding of the five thousand” is about Jesus’ acknowledgement of human hunger…hunger for food… hunger for peace, hunger for justice…and a deep hunger for God!

As we celebrate the gift of Jesus giving himself to us in the Eucharist let us take seriously his command to “do this in memory of me”. Of course, the question is: what is the “this”?…for sure it is the breaking of the bread and the sharing of the cup. But is it more?

Perhaps the “this” of “do this in memory of me” includes all that Jesus had done in his ministry and what he was about to do, the next day, as he stretched out wide his arms on the cross!

As Roman Catholics we believe that the bread and wine become the real body and blood of Jesus Christ poured out for the life of the world. And that when we receive the real presence of Christ we are changed, transformed more and more into the Body of Christ. It becomes an indwelling of
the very presence of Jesus Christ within us! A Divine presence that we carry out into the world; one that has the power to transform us and our lives…and the world! We have to tap into that presence and allow it to shape our lives, and all of our encounters with each other.

This transformation though is not just for our personal sake alone but for the sake of the world. We are called to take the real presence of Christ out into the world and feed all those who hunger. Those who hunger for food…those who hunger for racial justice…those who hunger for peace and
stability in their lives…and those who hunger for an encounter with God!

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is calling us to take this real presence of the Risen Christ into the world by demanding that Congress not cut our most crucial social support programs -- Medicaid, Medicare, Snap, school lunches and all of the other safety net programs that
they are voting on to eliminate or severely cut back, leaving millions of our most vulnerable sisters and brothers at the risk of total ruin.

The Bishops are asking us to speak out on immigration reform and a stop to the unethical deportation operations that are happening all across the country. Please go the Bishop’s website and click on “Alerts” -- let us put our discipleship of Jesus Christ into action. It only takes a minute. You can make your voice heard and live out Jesus’ command…“when I was hungry you gave me to eat, when I was a stranger you welcomed me, when is was sick and imprisoned you visited me…

Let us fulfill Jesus’ command to feed those who hunger for food…for equality and justice…for those who hunger for peace…and those who hunger for God. How do I share the “real presence” within me with others? How does participating in the Eucharist effect the way I live my daily life?

Blessings,
Fr. Tim

Most every year as we celebrate the feast of The Most Holy Trinity my mind returns to an 8th grade classroom and a tall red-haired nun, in a modified black habit with a short veil, named Sister Mary Janelle. I recall her patiently helping my classmates and myself as we wrestled with the concept of the Holy Trinity: three Persons who were at the same time separate but, yet one.

As she went through theological gymnastics trying to help us understand, ultimately, she conceded that it was a mystery…a mystery with a capital “M”. At the time my classmates and I felt it was a bit of a “cop-out” on her part…but now 50 years later I have come to see her wisdom, and have come to be comfortable with, and truly enjoy the concept of resting in the “Mystery” which is The Triune God.

We live in a society that demands to know all things, to have concrete explanations for everything, and to have it right now! All we have to do is “Google it”! But the reality is, that ultimately God is beyond the fullness of our understanding. Today I realize that I am part of a religious tradition that has passed on a faith; a faith filled with mystery and awe in our God. There is a consensus of our ancestors that holds sacred “revealed truths” that are essentials of our faith that will always lie just beyond our capacity to fully understand them.

At the core of the reality of the Holy Trinity is the concept of relationship, of interconnectedness. It teaches us about the relationship of the three Persons of the Trinity -- not just in their interconnectedness, but also in The Trinity’s relationship to us and our relationship to one another, in and through this Triune God.

Remember in the Gospel of John the indwelling nature between the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are key elements of John’s theology. In the Gospel Jesus says I am in the Father and the Father is in me…and we will send an Advocate, and this Advocate -- the Holy Spirit -- is from them and in them. It is this same Holy Spirit whom we receive at Baptism and Confirmation.

And so, we need to remember that This Divine indwelling goes beyond just the Holy Spirit for, as Jesus proclaims “I am in my Father, and you in me and I in you.” (John 14: 20). We share in that Divine Indwelling; we are fill with Divinity. Think about that for a moment…let it sink in, God bearers. And so are our sisters and brothers also God bearers -- how does that impact how I see them and feel about them and ultimately, how I treat them.

The Holy Spirit has been sent into our hearts to lead us headlong into The Mystery…to live out in concrete terms what we say we believe even though we do not fully understand.

Our lack of understanding has no impact on The Mystery itself… The Mystery, God, desires us and loves us just as we are…conflicted and wrestling with our faith. One of the most important realities is that we remain engaged…wrestling with our faith… engaged with God and engaged with each other, “all others”!

Remaining engaged in the struggle for understanding and keeping open hearts and minds to the Holy Spirit, the bringer of wisdom, ultimately brings us closer to God and closer to one another.

And what wisdom and understanding is the Holy Spirit trying to bring us today in the midst of the national chaos that we find ourselves thrust into?

Guided by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, how do we continue to shine a light on the darkness of the sin of the systemic racism and bigotry that is woven into the very fabric of our nation?

What wisdom and insight is the Holy Spirit trying to impart to us as to how to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Ukraine, Venezuela, Iran, South Sudan and so many other nations that are at war or on the brink of war and suffering from the horrors of famine.

What wisdom is the Holy Spirit seeking to impart to us on how we might grow closer to the Triune God through putting Jesus’ commandment to love one another into action in our daily lives with ALL our sisters and brothers, even with those with whom we disagree?
​
May you be blest in and through the indwelling of Divinity within you. 

Fr. Tim

Happy birthday to the Church, to this parish community of Our Lady Queen of Peace and to the Spiritan Community. We are thankful for the Holy Spirit’s coming upon Mary and the other disciples on that amazing and shocking Pentecost day so many centuries ago. An event that unleashed a religious revolution that has, down through the centuries in one way or another, impacted the whole world.

We are thankful for our courageous Black Catholic sisters and brothers who, filled with the Holy Spirit, went to Richmond to meet with the bishop and ask for a parish of their own where they could worship in dignity and be treated with love and respect. And, we are thankful for the Spiritan Congregation who responded to the call from the Bishop of Richmond to come to Arlington and work with the first Black Catholic Families to start a new Black Catholic Parish community.

We offer a prayer of gratitude for all the parishioners and clergy who have gone before us, filled with the Holy Spirit and labored to build and grow this wonderful diverse and welcoming Catholic community.

St. Augustine said that the Spirit blows where the Spirit wills… not exactly comforting if you are someone who likes things neat and orderly or if you prefer to have life all figured out and neatly packaged. Most of us would prefer to see life’s decisions as right or wrong, good or bad…as if everything in life were black and white. The problem with life is that most of the time we are living in the grey-- everything is not always black and white!

This is where the Holy Spirit offers counsel; the challenge is to be open to the Spirit’s counsel! The Holy Spirit blows where it wills and inspires and guides whomever it chooses, whenever and wherever it chooses.

Most of us get used to a particular routine and we find comfort in doing things in a particular way and we find discomfort when our routine gets changed by outside influences or when we are forced to do things in a different or new way. It is no different in the church: we all get comfortable in the way we worship, in the way we pray, in the way we sing, in what we sing…and, then when change comes and we suddenly are set off center, we feel “off balance” at the change or new ways.

I am sure that many in the church today see ‘the Pope Francis’ challenge to live a radically gospel centered life’ as a change from what they were used to; a change in what they thought it meant to be a Catholic.

In answering the Gospel’s call, Pope Francis called us out of the church building and into the streets to be a “field hospital” where binding up the wounds of the poor and brokenhearted is a priority.

Pope Francis, following the call of Christ, calls us to be a welcoming presence to immigrants and refugees, to seek out the lost and forsaken, to “be” the word of peace in the presence of war, to “be” the word of love spoken to the lonely and marginalized of the world, to “be” the word of justice and equality spoken in the midst of racial injustice and exclusion, and to be a sign of mercy to those bowed down by life’s burdens.

As well, we are called to be care takers of creation; to take responsibility for the way we live on the planet -- personally, communally, nationally and internationally.

While all of this seems overwhelming, we need to remember that we are not called to do all this by ourselves but rather as a community filled with, and guided by, the Holy Spirit. It is in and through the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit within us and around us that we are able to do all good things! As we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost let each of us ask ourselves: to where and to what is the Holy Spirit calling me in my life?

Happy 80th anniversary Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Parish! And happy 322th anniversary to the Congregation of the Holy Spirit!

Happy Pentecost, and all God’s blessings to you all!
Fr. Tim 

 As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, I cannot help but reflect on the many ideas and concepts that swirl around this feast…some with unintended consequences! The word “ascension” itself congers up images of Jesus rising up into the clouds to join the Father and the Holy Spirit somewhere “up there”…far, far away.

The problem with this image is it can lead us to believe that heaven is “up there” and we are “down here” and that God is
far off and distant from us and distant from our lives. 

This is in stark contrast to the heart and soul of the meaning and significance of the incarnation. The truth of our God
having become “incarnate” (in the flesh) in Jesus means that God is with us…not some remote, disinterested deity watching us from afar.

We need to recall Jesus’ promise: “I am with you until the end”! These simple words are most profound…there is no
need for us to stand gawking skyward with our jaws hanging open. While the physical presence of Jesus Christ, as a singular human and divine presence, no longer walks the earth in the same manner as he did some two thousand years ago, Christ is here. As close to us as our own breath, keeping us alive to be his presence in our world. We need to recall last Sunday’s Gospel in which Jesus told the disciples that when we keep his word God makes us his dwelling place!

As we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus let us celebrate the presence of the Risen One in our midst! Before his ascension
Jesus gave a clear command and mission to his disciples…to us. We are charged with preaching the “Good News” of Jesus
Christ and to be that healing, loving and welcoming presence in a world filled with sickness, hatred, violence and exclusion.

Filled with the “real presence” we are sent forth to stand up and be the voice of the voiceless, to speak out on behalf of
those who are silenced or ignored, to make sure that hatred, racism, bigotry and misogyny are not left unchecked. As we have just marked the fifth anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, by a white police officer, as we witness the destruction of decades of civil rights advances with the dismantling of all the DEI programs across our government, nationally, regionally and locally, in our educational systems, hospitals and in the private sector, in large and small companies and organizations. Make no mistake about it, this is systemic racism overtly and openly ripping apart our civil rights, exposing the monstrous reality of white supremacy and white nationalism. Creating a reality where people of color, women, members of the LGBTQ community, immigrants and refugees are not welcome and their very safety is threatened.
​
Filled with the Holy Spirit we are called to speak the truth of the Gospel to power, whether convenient or inconvenient,
whether garnering us friends or marginalizing us, it is our call as disciples of Jesus Christ!

As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, we know that in the midst of the chaos that swirls around us
we are not alone, because that Divine Presence that dwells within us, remains, guides and guards us as we struggle to live
out our discipleship of Jesus Christ.

As we struggle to find ways to respond and to resist the decisions and action being taken by the administration and our
elected officials that are and will bring serious harm and suffering to millions of our sisters and brothers, let us do so by
choosing, each day, to do what is right and honorable; what is decent; what is kind and just. To choose good over evil, and to
love one another as Christ has loved us. And, let us demand that our elected officials do the same!

We do not walk this journey alone, we walk with our God, and that makes all the difference! The Lord is with you!

Easter blessings of the Risen Christ,
Fr. Tim

I would imagine that most everyone has felt lonely, abandoned by friends or loved ones at some point in their lives. Most of us have felt fearful, wondering how we will make it through rough times with our children or parents, siblings or friends. Or, for African American, people of color and women -- they worry if they and their loved ones will make it through the violence spawned by racism, white supremacy and misogyny that plagues our country, and our world.

Or, like the people of Ukraine and the Middle East, who have endured such horrible loss and personal suffering, wondering, how will they carry on?

Or we may have suffered or be suffering a terrible illness and wonder if we will be able to make it through it.

Today’s Gospel tells us that in the very midst of our losses and “lost-ness” -- our suffering, our fear or sense of abandon -- that we are never truly alone; we are not abandoned, for the Risen Christ remains with us.

When I was little I used to think that Christ was with me….but only when I was doing something good or only when I was in holy or sacred places. Oh, how wrong I was!

Jesus proclaims to the disciples that no matter what they “feel,” no matter where they go, he will be with them. And, even more -- the Holy Spirit will be given to them and find a resting place within them.

We are the inheritors of this same promise. We are never alone; never abandoned! Our God is with us always…even when we can’t feel that presence or sense it. God is with us, dwelling within us.

Even in the midst of our worst moments, our most selfish actions; even in the midst of our greatest sin, God is present and loving us through that dark moment -- whether I acknowledge or embrace that presence or not! The “Presence” is still there! And each moment is charged with the possibility of different outcomes, precisely because of that “Presence”; because of the love that is that Presence. And transformation is possible, but only if I am open and present to the encounter -- the encounter with that Divinity that dwells within me!

When I embrace the presence of that Divinity that dwells within me, then new and different possibilities abound for my life. Embracing that Divine Presence within me and embracing it in “the other” is how I can work to overcome the sins of racism, misogyny and white supremacy.

When I acknowledge and embrace God’s very presence in “the other,” then I will truly see them as they are…see them as “God bearers” -- they themselves, dwelling places of God!

This message of the “Divine indwelling” is a critical part of the core message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, along with Christ’s great command, to “love one another as I have loved you”. These truths leave NO space for racism, misogyny and white supremacy! None!

Let us continue to hold in prayer all of the millions the victims of the wars and famine around the world, especially those exacerbated by the callous and self-centered policies and decisions of our elected officials. Let us not just pray, let speak out and make our voices heard. The Bishops of the United States have called us Catholics to write and to call our elected officials and demand that all of the social safety nets that they are dismantling be reinstated. We need to be relentless in making our voices heard. We need to stand firm in our discipleship and protect the vulnerable and marginalized. We need to stand up with and for our federal workers and contractors -- for their jobs, for their dignity and for their futures!

Let us work to find meaningful ways to fight systemic racism, misogyny and white supremacy in our nation and in the world around us.

How do I respond to being loved so deeply and passionately by God? How do I share God’s amazing love for each person with others who are different from me? When was the last time I heard the Holy Spirit calling me to something? Or, away from something? What was or will my response be?

​Easter blessings of the Risen Christ,
Fr. Tim

In these Easter weeks we hear from the Book of Revelations. One of the problems with apocalyptic literature, like in the Book of Revelation, is that some people think it is a crystal ball; a door we can open to see the future. But in reality the function of apocalyptic literature, like we hear today, is that it is not meant to scare us but rather to reassure us!
To reassure us that in the end no matter how scary the world gets, no matter how many monsters roam the lands, no matter how many awful tragedies befall us, God’s love will prevail and ultimately we will all be cared for, nourished and loved in the Reign of God.

Last week’s second reading was about those who had survived the time of great distress, and they were at “the great gathering”. It was a vision of every person from every race, nation, language and tribe all streaming into the Reign of God…everyone!

Today’s second reading for the Book of Revelation, tells us that God dwells with humanity, loves humanity, cares for humanity and is making all things new. We ourselves, are living “a journey”…a journey with God and in God. It is a journey of love and Jesus became one of us to try and show us how to love one another as he loves us. Love is the basis of our very existence…we exist because we have been loved into being by the One who above all else “is” Love.

We find ourselves living in the midst of almost apocalyptic like horrors-- local and international terrorists, a national premeditated governmental meltdown, wars and threats of wars, great storms and natural disasters -- and we can find
ourselves feeling over-whelmed and fearful. And yet scripture tells us that even in the midst of such travails “Divine Love” continues to exists…in us, around us and through us, supporting us, guiding us in the darkest of our days!

Perhaps one of Jesus’ most difficult commandments was to love one another, even our enemies! In the midst of our current national political debate…or should I say “conflict”….where is the care and concern of our political leaders for our government workers, our neighbors, for the poor and the immigrant? Where is their care for the starving people in Gaza, in South Sudan and all the other places where USAID once stemmed food crises and helped slow the spread of famine and starvation? Where is the care that Jesus has commanded us to show them?

As disciples of Jesus Christ we are called to be that presence of love…even in the midst of conflict….or perhaps precisely in the midst of war we are even more called to be that presence of love and to work to end the conflict; to build peace and to love one another as Jesus has loved us…even our enemies.

How do I live out Jesus’ commandment of love in my daily life? How do we work to build peace and social justice in this nation that is so deeply divided? How can we respond to the growing international crises wrought by the callous and outrageous actions of our government? How do I respond with the love and care Christ calls me to in my workplace, in my community and in my family? Such deep and difficult questions/realities. But, we do not face them alone, for we do not walk alone. We walk with Christ by our side, and that is what makes all things possible; all things bearable.

May that Divine indwelling continue to guide us and guard us on our journey each day as we continue to move forward building up the Reign of God.

​Easter blessings of the Risen Christ,
Fr. Tim

The image of Jesus as the good shepherd is one of the oldest images of Christ in Christanity.

I remember seeing it in the catacombs of Rome…painted on the walls of ancient caverns by a people of faith from long ago. What is it about this image that has capvated the minds and hearts of Christians for centuries?

Surely for the postmodern, mostly urban culture of the West, this image may well seem a bit arcane and less accessible than it was to our ancestors. Jesus is depicted, through the use of this image, as a shepherd, who was, in that me and in that culture, a relatively unimportant, and certainly not powerful, figure.

The disciples and all those who followed Jesus around experienced Jesus as kind and gentle, like the “good” shepherd who watches over the sheep with great care and concern and even risks his/her own safety for the sake of the sheep.

And we as a church have, of course, just received a new “good shepherd,” with the elecon of Pope Leo XIV. He invoked this
image in his first words to the world:

“Peace be with you all!

Dear brothers and sisters, these are the first words spoken by the risen Christ, the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for God’s flock. I would like this greetng of peace to resound in your hearts, in your families, among all people, wherever they may be, in every nation and throughout the world.

Peace be with you! It is the peace of the risen Christ. A peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering. A
peace that comes from God, the God who loves us all, unconditionally.”

This image of God as a good shepherd, as a kind and gentle god, was somewhat unique in Jesus’ me, but then so was the idea of a god who would be willing to suffer and die for us.

I believe that this image of the Good Shepherd has endured precisely because of its radical departure of a more common
image of a distant and disinterested and sometimes even vengeful god. A reality that was much more common in the
religions of the ancient world.

The gods were deities to whom you made sacrifices to appease their anger and rage for any possible slights or missteps against them you may have made, and thus survive for another day.

This image of “the good shepherd” tells us that our God loves us and cares for us and journeys with us as we travel through the valleys and hills of our lives. Our God holds us in his hands!

But too, it may well speak to us of what we are called to be…in Christ’s image…“good shepherds” of the lost and vulnerable, of the poor and the forsaken. As disciples of Christ we are called to reach out to the poor; to reach out to the marginalized and the ones society and our new administration dismisses or demeans. As disciples we are called to stand up for them and
with them demanding justice and the protection of their rights.

And as we have just recently celebrated Earth Day, we recognize that truly “good shepherds” also recognize the importance of all of creation and the responsibility for our environment, for our sheep depend on a healthy ecosystem. So as “good shepherds” we are also called to care for creation, to be aware of how our lives impact the earth and the lives of all other living creatures.

And so we ask ourselves: how am I being called to be a “good shepherd”…in my family, in my school or place of work, in my
community, in my nation, and in the wider world? What am I willing to risk “as a good shepherd” for the sake of the flock…for the sake of creation…for building up of the Reign of God where all people are respected, valued and loved?

And special Easter blessings to all mothers and to all the women who “mother”, care for, protect, teach and mentor the young and not so young. Thank you! May the peace of the Risen Christ
be with you always!

Easter Blessing,
Fr. Tim