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  Saturday – 13 th Week in Ordinary Time Gospel – Matthew 9:14-17 Celebrate! Street Scene, Jerusalem The Pharisees in today’s Gospel are complaining to Jesus that His disciples do not fast like any fine upstanding Jews.   Jesus’ reply is a reminder to us all that, even in the midst of fear and sadness, we should not avoid celebrating those times of joy, those moments in life that call for laughter and child-like wonder. Happy (almost) 4 th of July!   Are you happy?   Do you really feel like celebrating? Is your whole family gathering to celebrate like you’ve done in the past?   We are living in a time of divisive language and rhetoric, a time of unrest, sickness and fear, a time of dis-connectedness.   What the heck is there to celebrate?   We lost a beloved member of our Kateri community this week.   Barbara was well known for her smile, her compassionate personality and most definitely her fry bread!   We also learned that our beloved senior elder, Susan Power, t
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  Friday – 13 th Week in Ordinary Time   7/1/22 Gospel –   Matthew 9:9-13 Hospitality Part 2 Old Market, Jerusalem What a difference a few days make!   Last Thursday we read about a Pharisee inviting Jesus to dinner and the atmosphere was anything but hospitable; in fact, it was downright unfriendly.   And then today Jesus basically invites Himself to dinner at the house of Matthew.   Yes, he was a Jew but he was also a tax collector.   That meant he took money from his own people and handed it over to the enemy- the Romans.   And he probably kept some of the money for himself.   He was considered a traitor by his fellow Jews; he would have been despised and shunned. And yet Jesus invites Himself to Matthew’s home for dinner.   And amazingly, or maybe not, other tax collectors and sinners joined the meal.   Jesus explains to the Pharisees that He hasn’t come for the righteous but for the sinners. In fact, Matthew’s Gospel has this recurring theme of Jesus calling sinner
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  Thursday – 13 th Week in Ordinary Time    6/30/22 Gospel – Matthew 9:1-8 A Helping Hand Magdala Chapel A couple of weeks ago, I stopped at the drug store yesterday to pick up a prescription.   No, not for me!   This one was for one of our cats, Gracie, who was suffering from high blood pressure.   Little did I know that was the last time I would pick up a prescription for her.   Days later we would have to say goodbye to her as she succumbed to her final illness.   As the pharmacist was ringing up the purchase, she asked me if I had any questions about the medication.   I told her NO, especially since Gracie and I are both taking the same drug.   She just burst into laughter and thanked me for really making her day! Looking back now on that moment, it reminds me how sometimes all it takes is just a few words to brighten someone else’s day!   What you think is a simple gesture can be a miracle, a kindness, to someone else!   And even now as I (we) continue to grieve ove
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Wednesday – Sts. Peter and Paul Gospel – Matthew 16:13-19 Who are You? Church of St. Peter Primacy, Sea of Galilee Who are you?   No, I don’t mean the theme song from CSI!   I mean, if someone asked you who you are, how would you answer?   Some would respond simply with their name.   Others might say I’m a father, a wife, a son, grandma, cousin, friend.   Still others might say teacher, police officer, carpenter, lawyer, nurse, student, bus driver, web designer, athlete. No matter what the answer, each response speaks of a relationship, a connection to others.   Each response ties us to others in unique and personal ways.   None of us live in isolation; we all live in relationship with others. Jesus asks a similar question in today’s Gospel.   Who do people say I am?   Some say John the Baptist reborn, or Elijah or Jeremiah or a prophet.   Jesus then asks - who do YOU say I am?   And it’s Peter who responds – You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!   Peter’s answer
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  Tuesday – 13 th Week in Ordinary Time   6/28/22 Gospel – Matthew 8:23-27 The Storm Inside Stormy Night, Tel Aviv Ever been driving in the middle of a snowstorm?   Roads are iced up and you can barely see ahead of you.   Windshield keeps fogging up and you can’t even tell if you’re on the right side of the road?   Ever been home in the midst of a long and loud thunderstorm? The house is shaking and the windows are rattling to the point you think they will break.   And you keep checking the basement for water.   Terrifying times that shake you to the core. That’s where the disciples are in today’s Gospel.   This is no leisurely ride on the Sea of Galilee.   Storms pop up out of nowhere and this one is terrifying even for the disciples, most of whom are fishermen and should be used to it.   They are scared and fearful for their life.   And Jesus?   Well, He is sleeping!   After awakening, He rebukes them for being worried for their safety. He reminds them that He is
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