Thursday June 29, 2023

Feast of St Peter and Paul

Many many thanks to you for the heart warming birthday wishes I got yesterday. Celebrating a birthday is indeed celebrating the day of our arrival and also a reminder that we were sent here with a mission.

Talking about Mission, about purpose, about callings, there is no better example of it than Peter and Paul. It is interesting that the church lumped these two together because they could not stand each other. St Paul thought he had to prove himself to the Jerusalem church then he was like bump them, I am going my own way. St Peter was trying to keep the gentile church connected to Jerusalem but he got himself in trouble when he ate pork. It was a mess. They agreed to each going their separate ways but staying connected in mission.

Both of these men had a strong sense of being sent. This is how I want you to live. You were sent here to bear a child, to build the kingdom, to set others free. Have a sense of mission and enjoy the journey. Before you know it the end will be near. Time does fly so acknowledge the task at hand.

Wednesday June 28, 2023

Genesis 15:1-12

June 28 is a very special day in my life. On this day many moons ago, in the depths of Africa my mother went into labor and brought me into this world. I was to be the third of her seven children. Her clan now extends to the Americas. We never really celebrated birthdays back in the day. Mine definitely was not celebrated but I think we have made up with celebrations. I still get a wee bit embarrassed by the birthday celebrations but I appreciate a little cake. So if you want to do something to celebrate me, give to Rabbouni Catholic Community a little something or a little prayer. Now to the readings.

“It happened that the word of the Lord was spoken to Abram in a vision, ‘Have no fear, Abram, I am your shield; your reward will be very great.”

I often think of the faith of Abram. How he trusted and left everything. This faith story is your story as well. How many times have you felt the urge to go into the unknown? How many of us has life unfolded exactly as we planned it? We all are always in the process of stepping into the unknown. May we be encouragement to one another and support in our journey of life. And to the cancers out there, may we keep the world guessing!! Love you all.

Tuesday June 27, 2023

Matthew 7:6,12-14

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls in front of pigs, or they may trample them and then turn on you and tear you to pieces.

I really do not know how to interpret this passage. There is obviously something that is lost in translation. So how do we read it?

One of your precious gifts is your energy. After trying over and over again to win over the Pharisees and religious leaders, Jesus lifts up his hands and shakes his head. These guys are exhausting. They find fault with everything he does. Sometimes you just have to do you and let the chips fall where they will. This is particularly hard for people like me who are people pleasers. I thrive on compliments, I want to be liked and so I and people like me will give and give and if we get one little criticism our whole world falls apart.

So there are really two strands of thought here:

1. Guard your energy and do not waste it on the ungrateful.

2. Find joy in your work or in being you and do not go out of your way seeking approval.

I really do not know if this is what our Lord meant but we gave it a try.

Friday June 23, 2023

Matthew 6:19-23

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and woodworms destroy them and thieves can break in and steal. But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven..

Have you ever thought of what is most important in your life and how much time you spend on it? It has always seemed to me that what i treasure somehow tends to get less time. Everything else, this want and that distraction takes up my time and before I know it… I have run out of time. Our dear friend Sheila Laemmle had a beautiful reflection on how time flies by and before we know it, we are sixty or seventy..

So talking about treasure. Right relationship with God and those in our life is the biggest treasure we have. So today we fix what is broken, we improve what is working.

Thursday June 22, 2023

Matthew 6:7-15

Lord teach us how to pray!! This is a question asked if Jesus by grown Jewish men. They certainly because of culture, language, time and space have grown up surrounded by the Jewish prayer. How then can they ask Jesus to teach them how to pray? Well, you are a recipient of 2000 years of Christianity, you certainly can pray right? Ahhhhh I am a little awkward around prayer too. I can talk up a storm but don’t ask me to pray in public unless you have a book. I can read you some prayers. Why? Why is it awkward for some of us to pray? Ever talked to a stranger? What is the difference between being with a stranger and being with you best friend? You try a lot with a stranger while you talk little but deep with your best friend. You have plenty comfortable silence with someone you have a relationship with. Teach us to pray … he taught them how to live. Then we learned how to recite the prayer. Jesus covered his face, guys live this way … “Our Father…

Tuesday June 20, 2023

Matthew 5:43-48

Our Lord continues his special instructions to his friends. Today he invites them to go beyond the normal calling of loving neighbor. He adds “But I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike.

He is asking us to harbor no evil energy for anyone because ultimately that energy changes you. Those who have been truly hurt and betrayed know how incredibly difficult this is. Maybe on this space you can share how you got over the hurt. I have lived a very lucky life and have not faced such betrayal but the little I have faced almost broke me. It almost broke me because I have the hardest of times letting go. It is the pain of us who seek approval. May you find ways to be like God.

Monday June 19, 2023

Matthew 5:38-42

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You have learnt how it was said: Eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I say this to you: offer the wicked man no resistance.

How does this passage hit you? My first read of it does not sit well with me at all. I am not about to be someone’s punching bag. I mean I can take some blows but then I have to say “NO” to meanness. Hake Jesus did not turn the other cheek. He asked a question instead “why did you hit me..”

Imagine now that you are a zealot. You have been born and raised to fight for the coming of the messiah. And then he says the above. Do the opposite, restrain yourself and you will be more powerful. Every once in a while you are called upon to be the bigger person and just take it so the silliness can stop. I want to thank all of you who at some point have decided “not to go there.” There was so much you could have said and done but you held the waters like a dam. Look at you, that was impressive and recognize yourself today for standing tall and stopping it all.

Friday June 16, 2023

Matthew 11:25-30

Jesus exclaimed, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children.

What sort of things you might ask? Well, if you are born in a place and time where you almost need a doctorate to understand what God is saying then the simplicity of Jesus is a gift. He looks at people who are burdened by Church and hunger and says to them “come to me you who are overburdened and I will give you rest.” The secret that he reveals to them is how unnecessary some of the little rules that the Pharisees or how narrow the Sadducees have defined God.

The one truth that unburdens me the most is this that there are no empty spaces. I live and move and have my being in Him. See you Father’s Day Sunday as we sing our traditional “The Old Man”

Thursday June 15, 2023

Matthew 5:20-26

Many years ago I heard this saying from someone and I have really expanded it other areas in my life. The saying is “The church is like a swimming pool, all the noise comes from the shallow side.”

How many times does Jesus invite the disciples to pull out into the deep or to let the weeds and wheat grow together and time will tell the difference. One on my friends Tina Margaret was talking to me about Proverbs 13:3 how we ought to guard what comes out of our mouths especially when in a spiritual battle.

Anyway I digress, in todays gospel our Lord invites us to be the deeper persons. Our righteousness should go beyond that of the talkers of religion. All he says is be good and do good without a trumpet. Talking about that, do you know how wired we are around feedback. Free yourself of that. The results will come, sometimes it takes years but the results will come. Stay consistent, listening only to the voice in the deep.

Wednesday June 14, 2023

Matthew 5:17-19

As a young novice in the passionist order I stood in the kitchen mesmerized by how our cook Mma Maseo was managing all the pots. She was fixing a meal for the reverend brothers and the beautiful, delicious smell was coming from her kitchen. I watched as she cut up tomatoes, onions, throwing a bit of this spice and that spice in the different pots. Eager to learn I asked, “mma Maseo nthuta, Ke kopa recipe” “mother Maseo teach me, I am asking for the recipe.” She stopped and looked me dead in the eye “ga ke apayi sekgoa” “I do not cook like white people.”She was almost offended. You see, the Irish priests were great cooks but their were married to their recipe books. You had to have the book with you as you cooked.

That scene in my life came back as I hear Jesus say “Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. The disciples noticed that Jesus was cooking up religion without a book. He took a little bit of this and that but it all came together. He was saying life is not black and white, there is some gray. May you come to a place in your spirituality where you are not tied but freed. Try Rabbouni Catholic Community.

Tuesday June 13, 2023

Luke 10:1-9

In today’s Gospel, our Lord sends out 72 others to every place he intended to visit. His instructions to them are to bring peace and announce that the kingdom of God is near.

(1) Bring Peace

(2) Announce God’s Kingdom is near

(3) Don’t mess this up but if you do, try again.

The greeting in Arabic and really in Kiswahili is this “Salam Aleichum” or simply “Salam.” Is the Lord simply asking us to greet someone with a smile and not to burden them? Is this the mission? Go greet everyone. Acknowledge them!!! Let them know someone sees them, sees their struggle. Just find the time to say hello. Secondly remind them that God is here.

You know the 72 are never mentioned by name and we do not know if Jesus followed up and visited every person these 72 met. But one of them found himself in Zambia. And that message of Gods nearness reached my ears. I in turn say to you as well. God is much closer to you than you think. May the troubles and riches of the world make you think otherwise.

Friday June 9, 2023

Tobit 11:5-17

I want you to take note from this first reading how Anna waits. She is watching the road for the return of her Son Tobias. His Father Tobit, waits as well. He waits for the return of his son who will bring healing to the Lord.

You should see the simple waiting if our Dog for Grayson. This dog even knows the sound of the school bus, Grayson’s school bus.

How does God wait for you to wake up. Or to be sober enough that he may lead you by the hand and show you your amazing life. Maybe there are some things we have missed because our eyes were closed like Tobit, maybe there is good news we have missed because our ear was tuned to the bad news about ourselves. Remember you may be waiting for God but God has been waiting for eternity for you to read this and hear his whisper. Life is good with you in it.

Thursday June 8, 2023

Solemnity of Corpus Christi

We will celebrate this great solemnity this coming Sunday and I will reserve my reflection on it until then. There is however one little strand that we get from our first reading that I want to leave with you. From the book of Deuteronomy 8:2-3,14-16 we read “Remember how the Lord your God led you …”

Please take out your concordance and find out how many times the word “Remember” shows up in the Bible. Our story of salvation is wrapped up in remembering how God has come to us and telling and retelling that story. Yes there are big stories we find in scripture and tradition but don’t discount your own “rememberings”

Can you look back now and tell your story of how this God has always shown up?

Wednesday June 7, 2023

Mark 12:18-27

Sometimes there isn’t much to say but repeat a line or verse that touches you and sit with it. Today Jesus says “You go wrong because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God.”

I always wished I would be the kind of Christian that quotes scripture like my born again friends. They seemed so holy… well from a distance. The approach they gave us in seminary was going beyond the words. We were taught to understand the world and culture that birthed these sacred texts. And so I become a little nervous and embarrassed that I cannot quote it. Actually scripture quoting Christians were a bit annoying. I found that they were good at quotes but horrible at being sensible. Anyway I digress. The encouragement from our Lord is that we have a healthy approach to scripture. Remember, the Pharisees are using scripture to cause more pain and to trap Jesus. So quote it for the good!!! Love you

Tuesday June 6, 2023

Mark 12:13-17

In today’s lovely passage the religious leaders set a trap for Jesus. Should we pay taxes to Caesar? This by the way is not really a question about taxes but it was about getting Jesus in trouble. I cannot believe how much time, money and energy went into setting these traps. That much hatred must have made their lives miserable. Listen do worry about the haters if you have any. They will be consumed from within.

Anyway I am more interested in what Jesus did not say, in what Jesus alluded to. Did you know there is an inscription and an image on your soul? On your soul is the image of God and the inscription “child of God.” Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God. To God is the responsibility of healing you. To God is the responsibility of caring for you in every way. Give God a chance!!!

Monday June 5, 2023

Mark 12:1-12

I almost want to repeat this beautiful parable word for word but you know it all too well. A man plants a Vineyard, he goes away and put other folks in charge of it. He then sends for his produce, rent, commissions but everyone he sends is ignored. Then he sends his son.

We all know that the vineyard of the Lord is Israel and the many messengers sent to her are the prophets. Lastly the Messiah is sent but they treat him brutally.

Pause one second! Is this about Israel? Could it be about you? And if it was about you, what does it say about our lives and those in it. How many people has the Lord sent to you to help you to be fruitful? And what have you done with those messengers. I am reminded of how many times I tried to drive mama away because I did not want to hear the brutal good news. Today whether you are the one bringing the message or receiving it I want you to see God in everything that is happening. Recently my heart broke as someone whom I loved very much was not in a place where he could receive the tough and not so tough love. The end result is destruction. May we all be humble enough to see God in those who come to us.

June 4, 2023

TRINITY SUNDAY

Here is the problem with white people. I know, I know, I have become a racist and people will be protesting outside our church door. But y’all got a problem. The problem with white people is that you have to EXPLAIN everything and it has to make SENSE and it has to be SCIENTIFICALLY and MATHEMATICALLY explainable. It has to be UNDERSTOOD. Y’all even try to get into a tornado and understand it.

So naturally we have to explain God, God has to make sense. This Sunday many a priest will try to MANSPLAIN God as we all fall asleep. You will hear “The mystery of the Trinity consists in this, that God being numerically and intrinsically one is but three persons.” Huh! What he say?

What does that even mean or enrich my life? Actually St Thomas Aquinas said “Quid quid potest intelligi vei cognitari minus est ipso Dei” or “whatever can be known is less than God.”

So the best homily for this Sunday is “I got nothing for you, just drop some money in the collection box and see you next week.” I kid lol. Anyway if you come to Rabbouni, you might hear something that relates. Our presider and homilist is Fr. Lawman Chibundi and our organist is Mr Raymond Fehr-Hendrix. See you at 9:00 AM in Lebanon and 12:30 PM in Louisville.

Thursday June 1, 2023

Mark 10:46-52

I don’t know how I missed the little details in the story of blind Bartimaeus. There he was by the side of the road yelling at the top of his voice “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me”. Here is the little detail I missed. When Jesus asks, “What do you want me to do?” His response was “That I may see AGAIN.

Along the way he lost sight. The hard knocks of life instead of teaching him actually made him blind. After you have been a police officer or a nurse for sometime or even a teacher, you may find yourself at the mercy of cynicism. We all need to guard ourselves from this. Blindness comes in many different forms. My prayer is that we come to that self awareness. I pray we bring ourselves to saying and ask that we may see again. Have you lost sight? Do you want to see again?

I know this is easier said than done and actually it is luxury to go on retreat or find some place you can go to gain perspective but we owe it to ourselves and those around us. Find the time!!

Wednesday May 31, 2023

Luke 1:39-56

Today we celebrate the visitation of the blessed Virgin Mary. It is one of the joyful mysteries of the Rosary that Mary set out, by herself to go to the house of Elizabeth and she stayed with her. From this visitation we get the Magnificat. You know that beautiful song very well sung by her and Elizabeth… My soul is filled with joy as I sing to God my Savior. Incidentally the song is very similar or really is also sung by Miriam the sister of Moses after they cross the Red Sea. But The Blessed Mary made it her own. Do you have a favorite hymn/song that lifts you up when you are in the unknowns?

Let’s talk visitation, at least in the Zambian context. How many Zambians from my generation have had a sister or cousin disappear to the village only to show up months later with a child she went to get from the village? In a deeply Catholic Community it was scandalous to have a child outside of marriage. So many scared girls were sent off. Sent off at a time when they needed their mothers into a village with strange smells. Was it safe in the days of Mary for her to be traveling alone, a teenager traveling alone. Obviously I am bringing the all too familiar Zambian experience to this story.

What I love about the Blessed Mother is that she figured it out, she found someone who could listen and she dealt with her questions. May you figure it out. You maybe dealing with old age, alone, scared. FIND JOY in the midst of your pilgrimage.

Tuesday May 30, 2023

Mark 10:28-31

The most favorite part of my vocation is definitely preaching and celebrating the sacraments. I absolutely love it. There is also my least favorite part of this vocation —- making sure our books are balanced or to put it bluntly — asking for money. It stresses me to no end but I have to make sure our doors remain open. So please remember Rabbouni in your financial planning this summer.

Now back to my favorite thing. Did you receive the Holy Spirit? As a church we have a complicated relationship with the Holy Spirit. We love it when it is contained or domesticated. But a wild Holy Spirit is a dangerous thing indeed. Think about this—- at creation Gods Creative Spirit hovered above the heavens and then it crushed on the earth. I would imagine that was some creative chaos. On Pentecost the same spirit crushed on those locked in the upper room. It wasn’t ordered displacement but confusion then growth.

So did you have some chaos in your life? That’s when you know the Holy Spirit is above you. I want to start a new thing. Whenever I am in a whirlwind, I will ask what God is up to. I will embrace it as my baptism in the Spirit.