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  Tuesday – 19 th Week in Ordinary Time Gospel – Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14 A Child-like Wonder Mass at Kateri Center The Saint Kateri Center, where I minister to the Catholic Native American community, first opened as the Anawim Center in 1982, in Chicago’s Uptown community, which was then the center of American Indian life.   The name ‘anawim’ has its roots in the Hebrew language, the language of the Old Testament. It literally means ‘those who are bowed down’ and refers to the poor of every sort – the vulnerable, the marginalized, the socio-economically oppressed, those of lowly status without any earthly power.   In Jesus’ time, it meant children, widows and lepers, those who were completely dependent on others.   So it should come as no surprise that, when Jesus is asked who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, His response is not religious or political leaders, not the rich or powerful but “a child.”    One who is little and possesses a p...
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Monday – Feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr Gospel – John 12:24-26 Service with a Smile Zucchini Five years ago we hit the ‘garden jackpot’.   We had 3 zucchini plants in our garden that year!   3 plants grown from 3 quite tiny seeds, each one barely a half-inch long.   And yet, from those 3 plants, we made 40 loaves of zucchini bread, 2 dozen zucchini lemon cookies, 4 dozen zucchini chocolate muffins, and 1 zucchini blueberry cake.   And that doesn’t include the 5 zucchinis still waiting to be cut up, much less the many that were still on the vine.   Such little seeds!   Such an abundance of life and productivity!   Side note – this year in Tennessee, the harvest was rather underwhelming!   But the baking shall continue!!! We are all a bit like the seeds in today’s Gospel.   The life, the real life, lies inside the seed.   And, in order for the life to germinate and grow, the seed has to die, to break open and let the life...
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  19 th Sunday in Ordinary Time Readings: 1Kings 19:4-8, Matthew14:22-33 Stillness Mass with Apostolic Nuncio, Cardinal Christophe Pierre A fellow was stuck on his rooftop in a flood. He was praying to God for help.   Soon a man in a rowboat came by and the fellow shouted to the man on the roof, “Jump in, I can save you.”   The stranded fellow shouted back, “No, it’s OK, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me.”   So the rowboat went on. Then a motorboat came by. “The fellow in the motorboat shouted, “Jump in, I can save you.” To this the stranded man said, “No thanks, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith.” So the motorboat went on. Then a helicopter came by and the pilot shouted down, “Grab this rope and I will lift you to safety.” To this the stranded man again replied, “No thanks, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith.”   So the helicopter reluctantly flew away. Soon the water rose above the ro...
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