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.

Monday May 29, 2023

John 19:25-34

Today we celebrate the Feast of Mary the Mother of the Church. I am hoping that with the new music minister we have, we will do some Marian Hymns. I remember in the olden days we crowned the statue of Mary in May and we recited the rosary in October. The theme of Mary has a way of transporting me to my days as a child. It really feels like home.

I remember standing still several years ago as I saw for the first time The Pieta. The body of Jesus laying lifeless as his mother holds him. I was a seminarian then and I just wondered what that moment would have been. What her words would be. Mama would simply cry and say over and over again “my son, my son…”

We do not get this from the scriptures as much as we get it from extra biblical sources. But Jesus family was very involved in his ministry. His brother James was bishop of Jerusalem, his Uncle Cleopas and his wife were the two disciples traveling towards Emmaus, could his brother John be the beloved disciple?

Anyway at the cross Jesus entrusts his mother to the beloved disciple who took her into his home. He cared for her as she cared for him. Today I invite you to ask the blessed Mother to pray for the growth and sustainability of our church. We lift up all those who need an extra prayer and ask Mary Mother of the church to intercede for them.

Love you all.

Friday May 26, 2023

John 21:15-19

“Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?”

Have you ever wondered why Jesus asked Simon Peter that question three times? Because, Peter like a politician never really answered it the first time around. Or maybe Peter had to grow like most of us in his understanding of love. Actually maybe we need to revisit the question itself. I have come to learn that the word translated as love had three different meanings. It meant (1) Love as in brotherly love, (2) Love as in romantic love and (3) Love as in sacrificial love.

So Our Lord asks Perter if he has Agape love for him, sacrificial love and Peter answers yes Lord I love you like a brother. Eventually St Peter answers I would die for you.

I actually see it as growth. When you have come to know someone, you find yourself one with them. What our Lord asks of us the church is not to count numbers but to truly know and love our parishioners. I hold you in my prayers today and want you to know that you have more than a friend in me. Sometimes our parishioners just want someone who would visit, someone to talk to, someone to listen.

I heard a story years ago that I have told many a time about two drinking buddies. Like Jesus one buddy asked the other three times if his friend loved him. Then he asked “If you love me, do you know what pains me?”

Thursday May 25, 2023

John 17:20-26

A very happy Thursday to you. The day got away from me yesterday and before I knew it, it was over. Something great happened though. Fr Will accepted the position as full time Associate Pastor or Co/Pastor (in my mind). We welcome his brilliance. We also put together the job description of our would be music minister for Louisville and Lebanon. That position will post anytime now. Let me know if you know someone interested in leading us in worship through music. We also tightened up some administrative duties.

As we were doing this a little voice in my heart kept saying “pick up the pieces and live fully.” New beginnings are tough. We like to go into the future with great plans but sometimes going into the future starts by simply picking up the pieces and trying to form something new with the pieces. It may be different but it is our best self. We as a community went through a birth process and now we live.

This week Jesus spends a significant amount of time praying for his disciples. His prayer is that they may come to know on a personal note that there lives have purpose, that they are in the world but not of the world. I think this is why we are indestructible. Whatever comes our way we can use to become new.

Tuesday May 23, 2023

Acts 20:17-27

In a few days we will celebrate the great feast of Pentecost. I know in the old country the novenas are in full swing as we prepare for the greater outpouring of the Holy Spirit. I remember many years ago while still in Zambia I read a book titled “The Spirit bed me go!” I don’t remember much of the content but that title has remained with me. The Spirit of God bids us and prompts us in many different ways. I want to invite us today to look at our lives as unfolding the way God wants. If you are like me, we hear no voice but there is an orientation that our lives have taken.

In today’s first reading St Paul tells the elders of the church in Ephesus that despite all his trials he listened to the Spirit and “without faltering put before you the whole of God’s purpose.” May we too come to know that purpose in a personal way. And this is the will of God that you may know our Lord Jesus Christ and through this knowledge may have life.

Monday May 22, 2023

John 16:29-33

Peace and many many blessings to you. Listen to this beautiful verse from today’s gospel. “Jesus answered them:

‘Do you believe at last?

Listen; the time will come – in fact it has come already –

when you will be scattered,

each going his own way…” For some reason this particular verse sticks out for me today. I imagine how different the lives of the disciples would be as they took in ministry. Did things and plans end up exactly as they had imagined?

Well 19 years ago on this very day I was ordained a priest by Archbishop Kelly of the Archdiocese of Louisville. My life has taken the most interesting turns and twists. Sometimes I look back and can clearly see the hand of God. Other times I even scratch my head wondering where all this is going. So on this my 19th year as a priest, I pray you may be open to seeing the hand of God in the twists.

Ascension Thursday May 18, 2023

Matthew 28:16-20

Did I ever tell you the story about the calendar in the closet at St Martin De Porres? It was my first year in the US as a young seminarian. I was going through a lot of cultural shock having left the beloved passionists priests in Africa whose identity I truly had become. Crushed by a indescribable loneliness I went out for dinner at Raffities in the east end. But I hated sitting alone, dinners used to be fun with the brothers but here I am in a strange country dining alone. There was a limp in my throat that was crushing me. I left the restaurant went back to the abandoned rectory and threw myself on the bed. The only prayer I remember saying was “Lord, what have I done leaving Africa.” God spoke to me that day and said open the closet. I dried up my tears and went to put some handme down T Shirts into this closet. Someone had left an old calendar from 1989. There it was on the wall. I fell to my knees and said “help me see you.” Anyway the verse on the forgotten calendar in the closest was “And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.”

He never left, but that was a difficult day. Days later I met Ameenah Ali and Myrtle Lee Baltimore. Yup Jesus showed up as a black woman and what fun we had.

Wednesday May 17, 2023

John 16:12-15

“When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will reveal everything…” So did they go back and waited? What do we do in the meantime? Will the Spirit say “Hey I am here now, it’s Pentecost. You realize that there was a celebration in place already 50 days after Passover right? The feast of Shavuot. The Festival of the Weeks was the second of three Pilgrim Festivals of the Jewish religious calendar. Baptizing it as Pentecost does not really bring the Holy Spirit down.

Those who waited for the Special entry of the Holy Spirit are probably still waiting. But those who went out and ventured to be courageous discovered that along the way they got wiser and courageous. Those who went out to other lands and tried to learn new languages found out that they were speaking in tongues (yours truly). The Holy Spirit does not come to the idle. It is through trial and error, through little failures and successes we find out what works.

Come to Rabbouni, you will see this. A church that was not meant to be, has truly become because people willed it and God blessed it. As I say, the only way to prepare for marriage is to be married. The only way to experience the Spirt is to engage in the works of the Christ.

Tuesday May 16, 2023

The two words that we hear in our study of scripture are EXEGESIS and ESIEGEIS. In exegesis we lift up from the text and in ESIEGEIS we read into the text. I will use the latter for this reflection. I did not post it on Sunday because I thought it did not flow at all. Most priests will understand this , sometimes after the homily you go like “well that was terrible…” But life goes on. Here is part of the not so well delivered homily.

Our Lord says to his disciples that he will not leave them us orphanes. The Father and I will send you another advocate, the spirit of truth. An advocate, Paraclete was one who was called or one who volunteered to stand by an accused. Even without saying a word the advocate’s very presence was a defense. Imagine if Pope Francis attended mass at Rabbouni. His very presence would speak volumes and before long we would be building our own church. This very frightened group of disciples is in need for someone powerful to stand by them.

Let me ask you this? Who is your biggest cheerleader? Who is the one person whom you have asked to understand you and accept you like no other? Your mama! Being a mother is to be the last person in that room. Even with a condemned person/child the mother with these simple words says it all “he is MY son.”

Let’s not think of the Holy Spirit as some strange unknown spirit. Could it be that His Spirit personified is mama. I tell you this, if God loves me more than mama does, then God must love me a whole lot.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mother’s week. Btw have you ever thought about visiting us at Rabbouni? You might like us.