The Easter AWE!

“The community of believers was of one heart and one mind…” I know without a doubt that all of us learned something about ourselves during this past year. We learned it about ourselves as individuals, as couples, as families, as a parish community, as a compassionate city, as a country and as world citizens, as explorers of the universe. Did we get closer to being of “one heart and one mind” as Jesus envisioned life after His resurrection?

Jesus was so present to his disciples. He showed them the way. To reinforce the witness he had given, the teaching he had done, the ways of being with them, he spent even more time with them. He had them experience the power that they had to heal, to show mercy, to care for all. The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles does just that. They held all things in common and everyone had all they needed.

This “holding all things in common” is a real struggle for us. Holding al things in common might include doing our part to contribute to parish life—being present In the church pews is minimal—active participation includes service as liturgical ministers—as singers, greeters, communion ministers, lectors, altar servers.  It means being the Body of Christ, living as the Body of Christ everywhere we go after our participation in the Sunday liturgy.

As we enter the time of recognizing signs of “new life”—the meaning of resurrection—we are being given opportunities to name the ways that we can be of “one heart and one mind” and to “hold all things in common.” During this time of Jesus’ reinforcement of his teachings, the boosters that he gave his disciples, we too are entering into a new journey, a new way of being community.

We don’t know exactly what that looks like or feels like. All we know is that we have been waiting, we have been learning, God has been working in our lives. It is time as we journey to Pentecost to open our minds and our hearts to how we want to be with each other in the future.  We can’t go back to the past, the way it was. It is a different time. We are different.  We have the opportunity to re-connect, to renew relationships, and to form new ones. What are we willing to do, who are we willing to be when we too have the opportunity to live and to be as the community described in ACTS?

This is our call to be witnesses to the Resurrection of Jesus. Only then can we call ourselves disciples. Only then do we enter into the dance of discipleship:  Accompany, Welcome and Encourage—the very real AWE of Resurrection!

May we all be filled with AWE!

The Journey To The Cross

The Hosanna’s that greet Jesus in his procession through Jerusalem are celebrations of all the wondrous deeds, the merciful and compassionate acts of Jesus throughout his ministry.  Jesus acted in response to the other “hosannas” that asked “Please, Lord, please save us!  Please Lord, give us success!” Jesus heard their cries and laments.  Jesus healed and restored dignity to those who were kept away, shunned, discounted, excluded, mocked and bullied.

Is it no wonder then that those who were marginalized, but seen and healed by Jesus, are exactly the ones who accompany Jesus on his journey to the cross, on his way to his death? These companions included the women, and Simon, and the good thief.  What does this tell you about Jesus?  Those who needed him most, those who did not have daily or weekly access, were the ones who stayed and ministered to him.  They did not run, fall asleep or cower in fear!  They stayed!

The women who weep, the women who stand at the foot of the cross, who provide the burial anointing and who experience Jesus’ first appearance after his resurrection are all  staying companions on the journey.

This week, spend some time thinking about people who are experiencing their own crosses,  the suffering of the most desperate kind—torture, helplessness, rape, mutilation, domestic violence, gun violence, death and destruction all around them. What are the Ukrainians saying to us as they confront injustice?  What are parents of children who died in mass shootings saying to us?  What injustice do we feel strongly about?  What are we willing to do to make it right?  Jesus went to the cross because he challenged the status quo.  Isaiah says “Morning after morning, he opens my ear that I may hear.”  What cries are we hearing? The cries of Ukraine? Of starving people?  Of our planet in crisis?  Of racial injustice?

This week I have been facilitating a meeting of the leaders of all the religious orders in the U.S. who have Providence in their name, like my community, the Sisters of Divine Providence. Yes, transition work is well underway both at the parish and in my new ministry beginning in June. In the next few weeks, I will introduce you to resources that might help you to reflect on the Sunday readings. This week, my resource is teamrcia.com. This is their reflection on the raising of Lazarus, that deeply felt loss of a brother and the compassionate response of Jesus. That response is provoked by the faith of Mary and Martha.  How does our faith do the same?

Background: Like those preparing for the Easter sacraments, Mary and Martha already have faith in Jesus. Their challenge is to grow in that belief. Can he really do the impossible right here and now—for me? Can he really bring the dead to life—even me? Have we asked him?

1. What part of your life makes you feel as if you were living in a tomb? What old habits or perspectives make you feel trapped and lifeless?
2. What part of society or the church makes you feel the same way?
3. What do you experience a call to come forth from your tomb? To liberation?
4. How has Jesus been restoring you to life? When do you feel his new life in you?

Practice: Some people live in tombs—through chronic illness, disability, mental or emotional challenge, age, etc. Look around at your own life, and discover whom you can bring to life simply by reaching out to them. Then do so.

A New Opportunity to Share My Light

We most commonly associate light with the season of Advent. Each week, we light a candle of the Advent wreath. Christmas lights start popping up all around town. Advent takes place during the darkest month of the year, but the readings of the season remind us that we “are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14) and encourage us to share that light with others.

Light is a big part of the Lenten season, too. On the Second Sunday of Lent, we heard Matthew’s Gospel account of the transfiguration, when Jesus’ “face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light” (Matthew 17:2). We just recently prayed together in the glow of candlelight at our Lenten Taizé Prayer Service. As we sang “Holy Darkness,” we each processed up to the cross and lit our prayer candles. As we left each candle at the cross, the light in the sanctuary grew brighter. We could visibly see how we diminish the darkness when we join our prayers together and share our light with each other instead of keeping it to ourselves. As Jesus taught us, “Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house” (Matthew 5:15).

Now we come to this Sunday’s readings. The Fourth Sunday of Lent, also known as Laetare Sunday, invites us to rejoice. We have reached the midpoint of Lent, and we are closer to celebrating the joy of Easter, nearer to that moment at the Easter Vigil when the new Pascal Candle is lit. Those who have been to the Easter Vigil can testify to how splendid a sight it is to see the whole church brightened by the candles we light from the Pascal Candle, symbolizing the light of Christ, rising in glory, scattering the darkness of our hearts and minds. We also celebrate as our catechumens receive the light of Christ at their baptism. St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians this Sunday reminds us of that light. He writes, “Brothers and sisters: You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth” (Ephesians 5:8-9).

With this symbolism of light in mind and gratitude in my heart, I must share some news with you. I began working at St. Francis of Assisi on October 12, 2015. After nearly seven and a half years at this parish, I have accepted a job offer from my alma mater, Trinity University, and will be starting my new position in the Alumni Relations and Development Office on April 3, 2023. Because St. Francis holds such a special place in my heart, this decision involved deep, prayerful reflection and contemplation, but I believe that the Holy Spirit is guiding me down this path as the next appropriate step in my life and my career.

Since I first stepped foot into the parish office, I have felt nothing but an incredible sense of warm, welcoming hospitality from all of you. Thank you for the friendships we have shared and the projects and initiatives we have collaborated on. Most of all, thank you for showing me what a truly vibrant parish community looks like and can accomplish together.

Thank you to Fr. Tony and the remarkable parish staff. I say it all of the time, but you really are like family to me. We have watched each other grow in tremendous ways over the years and have accompanied one another in seasons of joy and sadness, emerging stronger and more connected through every challenge and triumph.

I want to make it clear that this is not goodbye. I still plan on attending St. Francis; in fact, I will now get to worship with you in the pews again! While I am glad that we have been able to provide the invaluable service of live streaming throughout the pandemic years, I have deeply missed being out there next to all of you in the sanctuary, joining my voice with yours in prayer and song.

Please pray for me as I prepare for my new job. I see this as a great opportunity to let my light shine before others, glorifying God by my good deeds (Matthew 5:16). Know that this amazing parish family will always be in my prayers.

Yours in Christ,

Kenneth Caruthers

Living Water

How am I like the woman at the well? This reflection from Team RCIA provides us, as a parish welcoming community, to accompany our catechumens and candidates in their diving deeper into anything that might keep them (and us) from following more deeply, loving more dearly, and seeing more clearly.

Background: Jesus will step over boundaries in order to bring the good news to everyone. Although the Samaritans claimed to be authentic inheritors of God’s covenant, the Jews regarded them as apostates and refused to allow them to worship at the Temple in Jerusalem. And so, the Samaritans had built their own Temple on Mt. Gerizim. Yet in this passage Jesus not only asks a Samaritan but a woman to give him a drink of water. An important detail: she is coming to the village well alone and in the heat of the day probably because the other women won’t have anything to do with her because her checkered marital history. She is an outsider.

1. In what ways have you found yourself alone, thirsty, dried out, and hopeless?
2. What are you afraid to tell Jesus about yourself even though you want to?
3. What do you want to tell him that you are really thirsty for?
4. How has he already given you living water? How have you shared it with others?

Practice: Blessing ourselves with holy water as we enter church is an ancient custom. Rather than being a bit of Catholic magic, it is meant to remind us of our baptism, of the cleansing that God continually gives us and of God’s invitation to be part of his covenant people. The gesture proclaims our belief in Christ as Redeemer and the words our faith in the Trinity. How can you make this gesture more intentional for yourself?

https://teamrcia.com/2023/02/reflection-questions-for-rcia-seekers-year-a-the-2nd-sunday-of-lent-through-the-5th-sunday-of-lent/

Transfigurations

The Gospel readings for the last three weeks have given us accounts of Jesus’s baptism, temptation, and now transfiguration. All of them reveal to us the meaning of Jesus being the beloved Son/Servant. The disciples witness the confirmation of that belovedness in God’s voice saying “listen to him.”

God’s glory is revealed in the light, the brilliance of Jesus’s transfiguration. This transfiguration is about our call to a blessed future. When we can trust God’s call to follow Jesus, we can let go of all that we hold onto for security (prestige, honors, money) and begin to see the various transfigurations all around us whenever women and men embrace honest, vulnerable, and authentic lives patterned on the Gospel way of life—the Way!

In Pope Francis’ Let Us Dream, he writes: “What saves us is not an idea but an encounter. Only the face of another is capable of awakening the best of ourselves.”

In what persons in your life have you seen God’s glory revealed to you? For whom have you been a revelation of God’s glory at work in our world? Which person brings you liberation and a sense of purpose when you listen to them? How is our St. Francis Church community—the people of God gathered here in various settings—good at revealing God’s glory? When do we experience transfiguration? And what do we still need to work on?

I am going to focus on seeing the light shining brilliantly in people that I don’t know—Yet! I will meet one new family at Mass and another during faith formation time. This just might be an encounter that awakens in me the best version of myself that God created me to be! Who will join me?

Where is My Desert?

This week’s gospel narrates Jesus’ time in the desert and the temptations he endures. Where is my desert? What do I learn about myself in that desert? These are questions that heighten our awareness of what really matters in our lives as we begin our Lenten journey. Pope Francis shares this reflection with us:

Let us imagine that we are in a desert. The first feeling would be that of being enveloped by a great silence: no sound besides the wind and our own breathing. The desert is a place of detachment from the din that surrounds us. It is the absence of words to make room for another Word, the Word of God, that caresses our hearts like a light breeze (cf. 1 Kings 19:12). …

By calling us to the desert, Jesus invites us to listen to what matters, to what is important, to the essential. … We need to pray. Because only before God do the inclinations of the heart come to light and the duplicity of the spirit cease. The desert is a place of life not of death because speaking to the Lord in silence, gives us life again. …

The desert is the place of the essential. Let us look at our lives: how many useless things surround us! We chase after thousands of things that seem necessary and that in reality are not. How good it would be for us to free ourselves from many superfluous realities, to rediscover what matters. …

Audience Pope Francis, Feb. 26, 2020
Beginning of Lenten Journey

Love with God’s Love

How to live and love differently than the world! That might be the combined theme from our readings this weekend. Be holy as God is holy; be perfect, as your Father is perfect. We are called to love not only as God loves; we are called to love with God’s love.

As Paul says, we are holy because the Spirit of God already dwells within us. It is the Spirit, the love of God dwelling within us that enables us to follow the call of Jesus.

An invitation for all of us: Spend some time in silence reflecting on the presence of the Holy Spirit dwelling in you. Pray for the love and strength of the Spirit to flow through you. Use the words of a familiar traditional song to help:

            Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.

Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.

And I always add, “And don’t let me get in the way!”

What is the Holy Spirit calling you to be and to do?

As we prepare for Lent, the reframing of the Prayer of St. Francis by Pope Francis might help us to practice living and loving differently from the world.

LORD, MAKE US INSTRUMENTS OF YOUR PEACE

Help us to recognize the evil latent in a communication that does not build communion.

Help us to remove the venom from our judgments.

Help us to speak about others as our brothers and sisters.

You are faithful and trustworthy

May our words be seeds of goodness for the world

Where there is shouting, let us practice listening

Where there is confusion, let us inspire harmony

Where there is ambiguity, let us bring clarity

Where there is exclusion, let us offer solidarity

Where there is sensationalism, let us use sobriety

Where there is superficiality, let us raise real questions

Where there is prejudice, let us awaken trust

Where there is hostility, let us bring respect

Where there is falsehood, let us bring truth. Amen.

             Pope Francis, World Communications Day 24 January 2018

Providence: The Heart of God

My reflection for this weekend is very connected to the reading from I Corinthians.

What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him, this God has revealed to us through the Spirit.

For the past three months, my religious order community and I have been engaged in a process of discernment. Every six years, the entire membership of the Congregation of the Sisters of Divine Providence gathers to discern both a Chapter Statement and elected leadership for the community. That gathering occurred January 29-February 5. We prayed for over a year that what Providence intends for us would be revealed to us through the Spirit. I share with you today our Chapter Statement to be the focus of our activity for the next six years.

Chapter Statement 
2023-2029

Entrusted with the flame of God’s loving Providence, we Sisters of Divine Providence are committed to sharing its light of hope with all people. We live the mission of being the loving face of our Provident God, who delights in and provides for all creation, leading and guiding it to abundant life. We immerse ourselves more deeply in the charism of Providence, building up our CDP community in gratitude and love for one another, empowering us for mission.

As humble instruments of God’s love, we co-create a world of healing, inclusivity and unity, where every life and all creation are honored and valued. Upheld in prayer, we offer our energy and resources to take the following actions:

• Being the presence of Providence, we listen with open hearts and minds, nurturing caring relationships with those we encounter;

• Collaborating with CDP Associates, sponsored ministries and diverse groups, we address the needs of migrants, the vulnerable, and Earth;

• Uniting with our neighbors wherever we live and minister, we support life-giving communities, giving special focus to those living on the West Side of San Antonio.

Eagerly and joyfully, we carry the flame of Providence to our world in need, fully confident in the Risen Christ’s promise to all, “Know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.” (Mt. 28:20)
February 4, 2023

I also share with you that our community discernment resulted in my being elected as the Congregational Leader/Superior General of the congregation. I am the leader of a team of four General Council members. Our responsibilities include guiding and directing the congregation in living this Chapter Statement, caring for the Sisters (the members), shepherding our sponsored ministries (Our Lady of the Lake University, Providence Catholic School, Moye Retreat Center, McCullough Hall Nursing Center), and managing all that is involved in providing for the needs and involvements of the congregation, otherwise known as the business aspects.

This new ministry for me formally begins with an Installation Mass on June 24. In many ways, the transition from SFA to ministry in the congregation has already begun. Stay tuned for more details as we discern further at SFA.

I have enjoyed being the presence of Providence with all of you for almost 14 years. I admit that I have resisted the work of the Holy Spirit in previous chapter gatherings twice. This time, I was consistently reminded in prayer that my religious community has been forming me and investing in me for 57 years. My sisters have placed great trust in me to lead. And I am reminded very strongly that we continue to trust that God prepares and provides for all that is not yet seen or heard or experienced when God’s love calls us to service. I trust that the Holy Spirit is at work, full-time!

I know that there are things that have not yet entered this human heart, my human heart. But know that each of you already resides there occupying lots of space. And there is room for more. Thanks be to God, to Providence!

Letting My Light Shine

“This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine…”

It’s hard to read this Sunday’s Gospel, Matthew 5:13-16, without thinking of this old Bible School song. I can’t tell you when I first learned these lyrics; I feel like I’ve known this song forever, and I’m guessing that you are familiar with it, too. In fact, I’m willing to bet that some of you didn’t just read that line, but sang it to yourself.

I must be honest and say that I never thought very deeply about the scriptural reference of this song. “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!” As a child, this was a pretty simple concept that we have a light and we are to let it shine. What more do you need to know? I imagined myself walking through dark spaces with a candle or a flashlight. My “little light” would be just enough to guide me in the darkness, to get me safely through my nighttime adventure.

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand,
where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father.”

As with most Bible songs that we learn as children, the song did a good job of helping me to learn a snippet of scripture, but maybe it left out the most important part. At the end of the Gospel, we read “your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” Letting my light shine is not some means by which I guide myself. It also is not meant to serve as a way to attract attention to me. Our light must shine for others so that they can glorify God.

In baptism we receive the Light of Christ, and as baptized people we are commissioned to go out into the world and make disciples (Matthew 28:19). This task can seem overwhelming and, at times, insurmountable, but how encouraging is to know that we can accomplish this mission simply by letting our lights shine? The best part is that we’re not alone; Jesus promises to be with us (Matthew 28:20)!

We are met daily with opportunities to let our light shine, to point others toward Christ through our good deeds. Little by little, day by day we can help others to glorify our heavenly Father. I can’t think of any better reason to sing and to let my light shine!