If you would like to receive these daily reflections (written by various parishioners) in your email box each day, contact darcy.wharton@rocklincatholic.org 

They also appear each day on Facebook.  Find us at www.facebook.com/ssppcommunity

Reflections for Sept. 21-27, 2020

September 21, 2020 - Sunday: Day of Holiness

For the last 6 months Sunday Church has been totally different. Most of us attend the live-streamed Mass from home. “My dad is so particular that we attend Sunday Mass with a proper disposition. We, dad, my brother, his wife, nephew and niece, all dress for church and come to the living room with candles lit and attend the Sunday Mass on Television. We do everything just like in the church, with the right posture while praying and singing.” said my cousin. “Dad always insisted it is not just a day of obligation but it is the day of holiness”. 

The day of holiness and sharing it with family is an expression of our gratitude to God. The Holy Eucharist plays a role in it as Eucharist means to give thanksgiving and praise. Especially at this time, as we are vigilant about our health and the health of the community, we can make the Eucharistic table at home as a family, cherishing every blessing we receive from God while praying for the end of this lingering and unprecedented situation. 
Bony

September 22, 2020 - Bodies of Living Sacrifice

Mrs. Madhavi was my first-grade teacher. She was my favorite; not just for me, for everyone in the school. She was so special and known for her motherly care. In later years, I heard my mother say about her colleague that, Teacher Madhavi always brought an extra lunch pack which she would share with a poor student. She always sat with them while sharing the meal.  We had a lot of students from poor fisherfolk families and her actions led to a relationship with the families also. The entire village knew her well because of her love for her students. She was a living example of compassion for others. 

“We are the body of Christ, if one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” (1 Cor. 12: 26 -27).  We are called to be bodies of living sacrifice. (Ref. Rom 12:1-2)

The act of compassion and sharing is the hallmark of every Christian. This learning begins at home. Every gesture of kindness is a sacrifice for one another in our family. Then it is extended to others who are in need. It is a spiritual worship.
Bony

September 23, 2020 - First Communion

A few weeks ago we celebrated the first communion of our 97 second graders. It was a beautiful celebration of the Holy Mass; a special day as Jesus comes in person for the first time in their lives. I still remember my first communion. It was a day of grand celebration.  It is very fresh in my mind even today. I received a lot of gifts and had great pleasure in being the center of attention and the person of the day. I felt like I was being elevated from the earth. At the end of the day, after our family prayer, my grandfather held me by his side and said, “You received a lot of gifts today. But remember always, Jesus is the most important gift in your life.” 

Every time I receive communion my grandfather’s words echo in my ears. But what merit do I have that God comes to me in person? It is His merciful love that makes me and you worthy to receive Jesus, the ultimate gift of Our Heavenly Father. ‘Holy Communion’ as the word suggests is the tangible form of being in union with the Lord. It is the food for our eternal sustenance and existence.

 “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.” (Jn. 6: 51) May our receiving of His body and blood keep us united with Him and one another.
Bony

September 24, 2020 - The Gifts

Hussain is my childhood friend. We started school together. His dad was a street vendor of toys, jewelries and other accessories. He went from place to place as there would be festivals and feasts in temples and churches. When I was in third grade, I received a gift from Hussain after our church festival. It was my first gift from a friend in my life! After that he was very special to me. I was really moved by his gesture; the reason is that a Muslim friend giving a gift to me, a Christian, on our church festival was something unusual. Unfortunately he dropped school at fourth grade and joined his dad in business. He now has a store in town. I see him often when I am home. We keep our friendship alive even today. 

If I cherish the memory of receiving a gift from a friend for the first time so much, how much more should I remember God who showers me with a lot of blessings in my day-to-day life? Never miss a chance to thank Him. Life itself is a gift. Everything that holds me in this life is a blessing from God. Let me not dare to complain of anything I think I am lacking; honestly, why should I? For my Father knows what I need before I ask.  (Ref. Mt. 6.8)
Bony

September 25, 2020 – Holy Spirit at Work
While watching his favorite movie ‘Aladdin and the Magic Lamp’, my young nephew exclaimed, “How I wish if I had a magic genie like Aladdin, I would get lots of toys, chocolates, move around everywhere as I like and get good grades in my class”! As adults, perhaps we might not long for the company of a magical genie, but we might wish for miracles to happen when our power and effort fail to achieve what we need or want.  Let us not forget the Spirit we are gifted with in our Baptism, the same Spirit of God who empowered Apostles to do good to others – in the form of miracles.
He is our energy in the challenges we face in our lives. The confidence we have in the Spirit is induced by prayer. 
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever - the Spirit of truth.” (Jn. 14 – 12, 16).
Allow the Spirit of God to work miracles in your life, and in the lives of others in and through you.
Bony

September 26, 2020 – You be Jesus
3-year-old Treesa said to her aunt, “Nana, can you buy me a watch?” Her aunt mentioned praying to Jesus for it, thinking it was an occasion to teach her a lesson about prayer.  But Treesa replied, “Jesus can’t do it, He can’t move out”.  Pointing to the framed picture of Jesus in the room she said, “Look, he is bound in the frame.”  Is this a child's version of you-do-God’s work or is she reflecting or pointing to our unconscious belief that He is not capable of doing it?
When faced with troubles and challenges, who is the first person we approach for help and support?  What is our action towards easing them?  Do we have a trusted conviction that God cares for us, and He is the only one who could sort out our difficulties and needs? Secondly, how far have we gone to be ‘Jesus’ to others? It takes courage to leave our whole being into the Hands of God and also to be another Christ as St. Teresa of Avila would say, “Christ has no body, but yours, no hands, no feet but yours. Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which He blesses all the world.”
Bony

September 27, 2020 – Keep Updated
We are living in a world of technologies; everything around us is getting smart: smart phones, smart watches, smart homes, etc. And we notice that this smart world of technologies needs constant updates. It is fun to watch the younger generation helping the older generation with the updates of new smart technologies in communication and living: twitter to tik toks.  All these programs require constant ongoing updates for safety and efficacy.
How about our communication and communion with the Lord? Does it need any kind of updating? Interestingly, God’s mercy and love for us is already an updated version, one that occurs on a daily basis.  "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23). The gifts of love, compassion and kindness we get from His hand are fresh every morning. For updating our relationship with the Lord, we need to click regularly on ‘personal prayer’ and in this platform you experience His ‘new love and mercy’. Lord, let me love you with a refreshed and updated heart every day.  
Bony


Reflections for Sept. 14-20, 2020
Monday, September 14, 2020 - Take His Hand
These are times fraught with uncertainty and stress and I tend to think that there have never, ever been times like this before in history.  Oh, woe is me.  Whatever can I do?  A gospel reading on August 9 of this year related the story of the disciples being together in a boat that was being tossed about in the wind and waves and feeling threatened.  Then along came our Lord, walking on the water towards them.  They thought, as Fr. Bony pointed out in his homily, they were seeing a ghost.  They didn’t recognize Jesus.  Throughout the world people are being tossed about by the tempest generated by Covid-19 and feeling, as I do, threatened by the possibility of illness and death…just as the disciples in the boat on the lake.  But, again as Fr. Bony pointed out, there is Jesus, always there and ready to respond to our fear and our needs.  We may each have our own wind and wave tossed boat that we are riding in but it is up to me to realize that Jesus is not a ghost but a lifeline if only I recognize His presence in those around me, serving me in the markets, in our institutions of government, schools, medical facilities and, very importantly, in our church.  Jesus continues to offer me the chance to walk on the water with Him just as He offered Peter that same chance.  I just need to trust Him as I reach for his hand.
Deacon David

Tuesday, September 15, 2020 - Peace Be to You
Someone was ruminating on missing Mass in the church building and wondered when we would again be inside and able to shake hands or give hugs or even smiles without masks.  That got to be a sort of meditation for me.  I miss the closeness and warmth of the feeling of looking someone in the eye and offering the gift of peace, the peace that I get right back from the handshake, hug or smile.  My meditation goes on from there, though, to just how I take that gift with me into my life outside the church.  I ask myself if and whether I relate what I’ve gotten during the Mass from the scriptures, the Eucharist and from sharing it all with the community to the world outside the church doors.  Sad to say, as I’ve mentioned before, I’m not perfect.  Exiting the parking lot sometimes tries my patience which chips away my peace.  Often there will be a homeless person standing at an intersection with a sign asking for help and I tend to ignore the plea (I can come up with any number of reasons) and then, driving on, there goes another chip.  I’ve got work to do and I look to Jesus’ example of not simply saying “…go in peace” but actually helping it to happen.  I can only pass along the peace I receive when I am peaceful, not impatient or selfish.  Pray for me.       
 Deacon David

Wednesday, September 16, 2020 - More on Peace
Sister Joan Chittister asked a question in one of her books that stuck in my mind: “Is it so much more comfortable to say bedtime prayers than to speak peace in a warring world?”  I thought about that and had to answer, yes it is.  There are days that I simply block out the “cares of the world” and don’t think about others until I get ready for bed each night.  Then it is (sort of) easy to think about those “cares” and pray for God’s intervention/help/comfort as I slip into sleep.  Darn it, though, I am struck by my call to actually do something.  Many times I’ve heard the words that I, in the world, am Jesus’ eyes, hands, feet, heart doing what I’ve been baptized to do: be a Christian and, above all, spread peace;  the peace that those who are homeless, hungry, naked, fearful need.  So Sister Joan is not only a spiritual goad and guide but also a prophet asking the hard questions,  questions that require an answer, my answer.  I recognize the various types of war in our world: shooting, bombing, killing, disparaging, ignoring, lying and discriminating.  The course is clear and sometimes hard:  to speak peace in a fractured world.  But Jesus, my guide, didn’t hesitate.   Will I?              
  Deacon David

Thursday, September 17,2020 - What Is My GIFT?
Pablo Picasso is quoted as saying “The meaning of life is to find your gift.  The purpose of life is to give it away.”
What a great way to sum up what it is for every Christian, no, for everyone to adopt as “meaning and purpose”.  Well, it certainly is something for me to meditate on.  The implied question is just what is it that God wants or expects of me.  ME!  I cannot instruct you to follow what is meaningful to me or speaks to me.  Picasso may have addressed people at large but from his life and body of work, I think he may have been reflecting on how he spent his own life, his gifts and talents and how he gave them away for anyone and everyone to enjoy.  He labored to find his gifts, then spent a lifetime developing them and I am the recipient. 
What then is my gift?  That question is there for everyone.  As for me,  I have been gifted with faith, that nebulous thing that is so hard for me to define and share.  I have been given various talents, some  evident and others more commonplace but necessary for the betterment of others.   I am not a Picasso, but I am a steady worker who can “help”.  It is time for me to reexamine in what other ways God has gifted me and then make sure I give that away.            
 Deacon David

Friday, September 18, 2020 - Check Engine Light
Jane and I drive a 2011 Honda Accord with 150,000 miles on the odometer.  It shows scratches and dents accumulated over the years.  I pride myself on keeping a maintenance schedule so we’ve had no major mechanical concerns.  The check engine light came on a couple of days ago so I took it to a local mechanic for diagnosis.  Whew!  No big problems but it is going to require a more complete diagnosis and a little work. 
So it goes with my own “check engine” reminders, physically, mentally and spiritually.  This old body needs more care (and shows the scratches and dents of the years) and I am amazed at how my brain sometimes betrays my search for a word that I know is there…but it takes longer to recall.  I would like to say it has become easier to pray and meditate as I’ve had 60 years of practice but, alas, the scrapes and dents manifest in my spiritual life as well.  So what am I to do?  The spiritual guides I rely upon have good advice…stick to it, work hard and rely upon the example of the prophets of old as well as modern day.  They say I’ve got to keep at it and not to despair as they too ran into rough patches.   So I’ll pay attention to my spiritual “check engine lights”, diagnose what needs to be done, and do the work.  And I’ll accept my spiritual scratches and dents as citations and medals of accomplishment. 
Deacon David

Saturday,  September 19, 2020 – Changes
Summer 2020 has gone despite lingering heat.  How can I tell Autumn is here?  Leaves, leaves and more leaves.  Good for the compost pile but sometimes hard on the body that has to rake them up this time of year.  I’m not complaining as I really do appreciate the signs of seasonal change here in Northern CA, changes that we didn’t experience living in Southern CA.  The colors on clergy vestments as well as on the altar and ambo are still green, the natural color of life pointing to life eternal.  It is in these seasonal changes of the colors of nature and the seasonal changes of color in our Church that I am able to acknowledge and reflect upon the changes I observe in myself and in those I interact with from year to year in the parish.  Once upon a time I had blonde hair which turned to brown as I entered adulthood and then, now, white which, again, signals a change of season.  Just as the colors of the seasons reflect natural change and the Church reflects its own change of seasons via colors, I too am enjoying the natural  progression of life in myself and those around me knowing that this is the way God planned it.  So, come along with me, whatever your age, and don’t only accept the changes but enjoy them.  May God continue to bless you with life, love and faith.                     
Deacon David

Sunday, September 20, 2020 - You, Me and God
The daily mass readings back on September 2 included an excerpt from Chapter 3 of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians.  I bring this up because one of the sentences is close to my heart.  As you know Jane and I were posted to Kenya for three years as Lay Mission Helpers.  The motto of the LMH is “For we are God’s helpers”, taken from Chapter 3.  On rereading the whole of that chapter I see how it relates not only to the LMH but, indeed, to all of us.  Paul uses the metaphor of gardener to make the point that we each have a role to play in building this earthly kingdom of God:  One plants, another waters BUT God makes the plant grow.  So it was for Jane and me in Kenya where we worked alongside others in service to the native population.  That is, we and other volunteers, and not only from Catholic organizations, planted and watered what we had to offer to the living human garden.  In the fifty years that have gone by since we were there I’ve often wondered how the garden grew.  What did my students do with their education?  What happened to the people we interacted with in church and the community?  I acknowledge with St. Paul that we did some planting and watering but it is God who made the plants grow.  But this planting and watering isn’t limited to foreign missionary work.  It happens everywhere.  So I must continue the work of planting in my daily life and works.        
Deacon David


Reflections for Sept. 7-13, 2020
Monday, Sept. 7, 2020-Losing Control
This past summer our daughter decided to have her wedding on the middle of Donner Lake.  The plan was to paddle to the middle of the lake where their exchange of vows would occur, and then continue to the other side of the lake for a small picnic lunch.  It was a beautiful day with what felt like a slight breeze.  We got in our boats and paddled against the wind to the middle of the lake.  In order to stay together as a group, we all hung on to each other’s boats.  The ceremony was beautiful and after it ended, we were shocked to find out that the wind had pushed us back to our starting point!   We got a good laugh and I realized that this was a great example of how we were clearly not in control!  Forces like wind, wildfires, and pandemics are exceedingly difficult to control and can teach me to surrender.  Despite these forces, however, we can hold on to and support each other.
Lord, teach me to relinquish my need for control and help me better support those around me.
Darcy Wharton

Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020- A Privilege
We are once again in the midst of an election season.  Along with many others, I tire of the political ads and the increasingly negative tone that accompanies them.  As much as I find myself discouraged by the realities of our current system, I also know that I am privileged in having the right to fully participate in this system.  This year marks the 100^th anniversary of women being granted the right to vote.  This single decision allows my daughters and I to follow the directives of the Catechism of the Catholic Church which states, “It is the duty of citizens to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom.” (CCC 2239)  It can be easy to take my right to vote for granted and I am indebted to those who made it possible.  Even though our current political climate may not be conducive to productive dialogue, I will always appreciate exercising my right to vote.
Lord, help me stay focused on charity as we enter this election season.
Darcy Wharton

Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020- The More Things Change
Twenty-four years ago Michelle Pfister and I began our work as staff members at SS. Peter & Paul.  We recently spoke of how we never would have guessed that we would find ourselves in this new reality of parish life, experiencing outdoor liturgies and online faith formation.  The recent changes and the need to communicate these changes to all our parishioners sometimes leave our heads spinning.  However, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
We recently experienced the celebration of First Holy Eucharist.  As I visually scanned the parking lot, I saw excited children, proud families, and a true appreciation of Eucharist.  The air was smoky, the families were in lawn chairs, but the children were still dressed in their beautiful outfits with smiles on their faces (behind their masks, of course)!
I have no idea how many more changes I will see in my lifetime with regards to church life, but I know that some things will never change.  God will always be with us, wanting to enter our hearts in whatever ways are possible!
Darcy Wharton

Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020- Be Kind and Have Courage
I recently watched a documentary on the life of Anne Frank.  I remember reading about her as a young teen and being fascinated by her writings and the story of her life.  How could a young girl have such an optimistic view of people despite her circumstances?  I was surprised to find out that at the front of her journal were the words, “Be Kind and Have Courage”.  These seem to me to be great words to live by. 
When the trials and discomforts of life come my way, it can be difficult to be kind.  These are usually the times when I am short-tempered and quick to criticize others.  Yet I have never faced the reality of war or felt the need to hide myself in order to preserve my safety.  Anne Frank stands as a reminder to me to make choices that enrich the lives of others even in the most difficult times.
In the face of adversity, can I be kind?  Can I have courage to do the right things? 
Darcy Wharton

Friday, Sept. 11, 2020- When the Power is Out
We were enjoying a normal evening when suddenly the power went out.  “Now what?” we thought.  It was pitch dark.  It was early in the evening and we had been relaxing on the back porch.  We quickly had to remember where the flashlights, candles, and lighters were stored.  We were able to find those and a kind neighbor even called to see if we needed anything, since we were not staying in our primary home.  It seems that in times like these our focus also becomes very narrow and we learn to accept the kindness of others.  We become concerned with our immediate needs and we can only see what is within inches of us.  For some people, short power outages are scary, while for others, a minor inconvenience.  As a child, I remember enjoying them.  We lit candles and it seemed like a good time for a board game. 
What became clearer to me during these recent power outages was that in times in which we face a new reality, we are forced to narrow our focus and take one second at a time.  Long range planning becomes futile and it works best when we rely on each other and God for assistance.
Perhaps I could remember that when the lights are on!
Darcy Wharton

Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020- Order, Disorder, and Reorder
Fr. Richard Rohr writes and distributes daily reflections and lately has focused on the concept of what he notices is a universal pattern in life.  First there is order, then there is disorder, and finally there is reorder.  It occurred to me that this pattern is everywhere!  Think of the pandemic.  We had a typical way of relating to the world.  Then there was a period of disorder when we weren’t sure what to do, and after a while we became used to the changes and our lives were “reordered”.  This is similar to what the Church calls Salvation History.  There was order in the garden of Eden, there was disorder when sin entered the world, and finally Jesus reordered history.  I’m sure you will find this pattern in your own life many times over! 
I believe that knowing this pattern can help us more readily accept changes in our lives.  If I can recognize in the midst of chaos that I am simply experiencing the “disorder stage”, then I am open to God reordering my life in a new way that can bring about a sense of peace.
Lord, let me be open to the ways in which you work in my life, no matter what stage I am experiencing.
Darcy Wharton

Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020- Moments that Take Our Breath Away
I mentioned in an earlier reflection that our oldest daughter was recently married.  As we entered fully into the experience of the day, there were a few moments that literally took my breath away.  The sunlight on the water, the exchange of their vows, the feelings of love, and the smiles on everyone’s faces.  These were moments that no words could ever describe.  When I have these moments, I recognize them as moments of grace.  They can happen quite unexpectedly and are to be treasured.  One of my mentors in Spiritual Direction says that grace is an accident and our spiritual work is to become “accident prone”!   I know that it is good for me to intentionally keep my eyes open to unexpected grace. 
Lord, through a daily discipline of prayer and through the ordinary moments of my day, may I be more open to your presence and express my gratitude for the countless ways you shower me with grace.
Darcy Wharton

Reflections for Aug. 31-Sept. 6, 2020

Monday, August 31, 2020 – Joyful, Joyful

Every time I watch either of the “Sister Act” movies, I am moved to tears as the choir sings beautiful and powerful hymns/songs in harmony.  My most recent viewing led to an absolute cry-fest as I realized just how much I miss singing with the choir and congregation at mass. 

This longing to sing is joined with many other longings over these past months: the longing for heath and safety, for school and work to resume as normal, for hugs, for community and for the Eucharist.  And yet, I had to consider that perhaps these reunions wouldn’t look like my fantasy: walking into the sanctuary, joining hands at the Our Father, hugging at the sign of peace, and singing together.  What if it’s more subtle than that?  What if it sneaks up on us so that we find ourselves looking around and realizing that it’s already happened?

It’s true that we are slowly being reunited: from scheduled mass times in our email inbox to outdoor masses.  God, the master conductor, is bringing us back together bit-by-bit…note-by-note, and we will make music together again. 

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness,
Drive the dark of doubt away
Giver of immortal gladness
Fill us with the light of day,
Lord fill us, with the light of day.

-Katie Maynard

Tuesday, September 1, 2020 – A Pilgrim’s Shoes

The shoes of St. Ignatius of Loyola are currently on display in the Church of Jesú in Rome.  I imagine these shoes carrying him all over Europe, sharing the Spiritual Exercises, and then I think about my own worn out sneakers or flip-flops.  While they would never be worthy of being kept under glass on display, they serve the same function: carrying me on a journey. 

Both sets of shoes call to mind the word “pilgrim.”  We are pilgrims on a journey in faith: always seeking to serve God better, and to respond to invitations to live out the gospel.  But what if I saw myself as a pilgrim in my life as a mother, wife, daughter, sister, colleague and friend?  Seeing myself as a pilgrim reminds me that (1) it is easier to travel with less to carry, (2) I am one who is dependent on the kindness of strangers for what I need, (3) I am reliant on fellow travelers for companionship and direction, and (4) rather than needing to rise above others as our culture so often encourages us to do, I need to walk with them. 

We are thousands of miles from that sacred room with the shoes in Rome, but it helps when I take off my own shoes at my own front door, to see them just as St. Ignatius’ shoes…as the shoes of a pilgrim.  We don’t have to be saints, and we don’t need fancy shoes, because the ones we are wearing now will do just fine.  We only need to remember to unburden ourselves of that which we do not need to carry, remember our dependence on others, lean on our companions and just walk with each other: one foot in front of the other.

-Katie Maynard


Wednesday, September 2, 2020 – In the beginning…

On the night before my daughters’ birthdays, we like to tell them the story of the day they were born.  Already, after just a few years of this tradition, the girls have begun to participate in the retelling of the stories.  There are certain parts of the story that they do not want us to miss, like the earthquake we felt in the hospital the night Evelyn was born, or how my husband was racing to put his scrubs on as we were wheeled to the operating room to deliver Grace & Noelle. 

I think that this is how it is with God and us, as our creation story is told and retold.  We hear the Genesis narrative, “In the beginning” proclaimed repeatedly in our cycles of readings; and we look forward to hearing the nativity story of Jesus’ birth every year at Christmas, because our beginnings are important.  However, our creation story is constantly unfolding as God comes to meet us in our lives.  And as we respond to this meeting place with God, we participate in the storytelling, chiming in with our favorite parts that we don't want to miss. 

-Katie Maynard

Thursday, September 3, 2020 – Listen

When it comes to relationships, I like to think that I am a good listener, except for when it comes to prayer.  I’ve tried to practice contemplative prayer, and while I have clarity in the silence, it is a very difficult practice to be still.  I find a great deal of wisdom in the indigenous cultures, which pay close attention to nature and are intentional about their relationship with the land.  When I traveled to Chiapas and immersed myself with the Maya people, I was in awe of how they wove the land into the stories of their faith and how their interactions with the land became their prayer. 

It’s not surprising then, that my greatest “success” at listening has been when I am in Montana at my grandparents’ house on the Blackfoot River.  During our recent visit there this summer, I was restored by the simplicity of watching the river, and listening to the Aspen leaves.  This simple act of “paying attention” allowed me to find a stillness in my heart and made room for presence with my loved ones.  This was an incredible gift, given the worry, stress and chaos that these past months have brought to our lives. 

I don’t think that I am alone in finding myself being driven out to nature during this time of social distancing.  Maybe it’s God nudging us out into the wilderness…an opportunity to be still and to listen, so that our hearts and our prayer may be renewed for the road ahead.

-Katie Maynard

Friday, September 4, 2020 – Patches and Pieces

I love to sew, but quilting has always been something that has intimidated me.  I have beautiful quilts pinned on Pinterest and all the tools that I would need, but there has been something about the investment into a quilt that I haven’t quite been ready for yet.  Maybe it’s the cutting fabric into tiny pieces, only to sew them back together again in a different way that feels daunting.

I’ve started to wonder if this is what has been happening to my life during COVID.  As things have been cancelled, cut apart and rearranged, I also notice that they are starting to be pieced back together again.  It sure looks different, and there are tiny threads, which could unravel at any moment, but things are coming together slowly. 

As this is happening, I’ve been wondering if I’ll be ready for things once they go back to “normal” and if I will have the stamina to bee-bop around my life’s events and work.  But what if God is stitching my life back together in a new way, with patchwork pieces and stronger thread, so that when I take a step back and look at my life, there is an incredible beauty that encompasses struggle and joy, the cross and resurrection?
 
-Katie Maynard

Saturday, September 5, 2020 – A-S-K

Asking for help is something I have had to work on throughout my life, and while I can recognize the gift of vulnerability in building trust and community…it’s still really hard!  As my daughters returned to distance learning this fall I was worried that they wouldn’t be “seen” for all of their strengths and would be defined by their limitations by this relationship being built with their teachers on a computer screen.  I found hope in the chat function of Google Meet however, when I saw my daughter Noelle type “I am having a hard time” into the chat.  At eight years old, she figured out how to advocate for herself and ask for help in a completely new format with a teacher she only knew for two days. 

As her mother, I felt deep consolation knowing that she felt comfortable asking for help.  I imagine that God feels the same way when he sees us acknowledge our struggle and ask for help.  The truth is that we cannot do this alone, and there is strength in the humility called for in supplication.  God is waiting…so just A-S-K.

-Katie Maynard

Sunday, September 6, 2020 – Our God is Here

After patiently waiting during quarantine, my girls finally celebrated their First Communion at an outdoor mass on a Saturday morning under smoky skies.  As I found myself sewing special “First Communion” masks for my girls, and toting my lawn chairs to their assigned spot in the church parking lot, I realized that although this was not the ritual that I had dreamed of for my girls, it was beautiful and it was perfect. 

As we listened to the opening song, I let the words of the prayer wash over me with my daughters standing next to me:

Here in this time
Here is this place
Here we are standing face to face
Here in our hearts
Here in our lives
Our God is here

Here we become what we receive
Here in this Eucharistic feast
We are his body
Living as one
Our God is here

Whenever and wherever we say “Amen” – in our path of discipleship, or in receiving the Eucharist in the church parking lot…our God is here!  So, there is a beauty in letting go of expectations in our faith, and I am so grateful for my eight year olds for helping me see that when you’re ready to say “Amen,” you’re just ready! 

-Katie Maynard


Reflections for Aug. 24-30, 2020

Monday, August 24, 2020 –  The Gift of Life
This week is a week of commemorating and celebrating!  Today is my birthday and Wednesday is our anniversary.  This has caused me this year to reflect on what a gift life is;  not just human life, but what it means for something to be alive at all.  In the last Ethics class I taught at Sierra College one of the group projects presented was on the meaning of life.  These students did an excellent job distinguishing life from inert matter.  I had always valued human life but had no qualms about killing moths, cockroaches and various fish and animals for food.  After that presentation, though, I shifted my focus a bit.  While I am not a vegetarian, I now am concerned with both the manner of life and death of what I eat.  I no longer indiscriminately kill insects (with the exception of mosquitoes!).   As I reflect on life,  I realize that living a live is different than having a life.   It requires intention, care and awareness.  And I look differently now at what the Incarnation means to me:  that God, pure Being and freedom, took on the limitations of human life and became one of us to show me, me! what living a life should look like.  So it’s not about me, this birthday.  Rather it’s about gratitude for the chance to try, intentionally, to live joyfully the kind of life Jesus modeled.  And it’s about gratitude for the gift of forgiveness when I fail. 
Jane Haproff

Tuesday, August 25, 2020 –  Dawning Awareness
One of the good things about being retired is what I call the “slow wakeup”.  No loud alarm clocks going off, no clock radios waking one with the latest news, just a slow entry into the day.  Often I lay there and think about the day ahead, whether I have obligations of any sort or not, what meals I’ll prepare, whether I’ll exercise before or after coffee…etc.  One morning recently as I lay there,  I noticed a shadow fluttering on the wall at the end of the bed.  It was a soft gentle movement, the kind of shadow that the leaves of a tree cast when disturbed by a breeze.  The movement was somewhat erratic; I could discern no pattern to it.  I thought it might be a drape blowing, but all of the windows were closed.  I was puzzled by this shadow and thought about how this is like the Holy Spirit moves in my life:  softly, gently, a bit erratically with no pattern and no discernible source, inviting me to be part of this mystery we call God.
Jane Haproff

Wednesday, August 26, 2020 – A Tale of Two Cities
There is a wealthy retail business owner in Manhattan who successfully applied for PPE money when it was available through the CARES Act.  With those funds he continued to pay his employees who were on commission their draws for three months since they would have no sales.  When things reopened in June, he called them all back to work and demanded that they repay all of the money he had paid them.
In their rush to get money out to people, congress did not stipulate how to treat people whose salaries were a combination of commissions and draws so when challenged, the owner felt justified. 

Two hours away, in upstate New York, a manager of a Lowes walked into a newly reopened barbershop with a bag of high quality masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and disinfectant spray.  He gave the bag to the owner who said he couldn’t afford to pay for it.  The manager replied that it was a gift because he knew small businesses had been hit so hard.  This manager also sent employees who wanted haircuts to that barbershop on company time. 

The City of God reveals itself in strange places where good and generous people show themselves to be like reflections of a good and generous God in the same way that shadows on the wall can reflect the presence of the Holy Spirit. 
Jane Haproff

Thursday, August 27, 2020 – Idol Worship?
You know how you have an idea or insight that seems new and then you start seeing it or hearing it everywhere?  Well, that is where I am right now in my relationship with Jesus.  The Gospels over the last several  weeks have given me much to think about.  In the gospel of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes Jesus tells the disciples to “give them something yourselves” when they suggest Jesus send the people home because they are hungry.  In his homily, Fr. Bony reminded us this admonition applies to us also.  Then I encountered St. Teresa’s prayer “Christ has no body now, but yours.  No hands, no feet on earth but yours”  and Kierkegaard praying:  save me from the error of wishing to admire you  instead of being willing to follow you and to resemble you.  None of this is new to me, but the depth of meaning in it all is.   I have known since childhood that Jesus is the Savior whose death and resurrection saved me.  I loved, worshipped, praised and thanked Him but I’m not sure I took seriously that that is not what he came for.  What I am encountering now is the frightening awareness that he really means for me not so much to worship him as to be Him in the world. How is this possible?  Because he feeds me with his very presence in Eucharist, Word, Community and Minister.   Yeah, yeah, I know none of this is new…. But it’s real and that “dawning awareness” overwhelms me!

Jane Haproff

Friday, August 28, 2020 - Idol Worship (part 2)
As I said yesterday, the Gospels recently have caused me to rethink some things.  In discussing the Gospel where Peter walks on water in the storm with the RCIA folks it was easy to see the message of  keeping our eyes and our focus on Jesus.  When Peter looked away from Jesus he sank!  But we also identified an underlying message of fear.  The disciples are described as “terrified”  “called out in fear” “it’s a ghost” “Peter took fright”.   We also discussed how, when Jesus identified himself, Peter was the only one who actually got out of the boat and moved toward him.  Then the question was asked “who are you?” in that story.   Am I the one staying in the safety of the boat when I see Jesus beckoning?  Or do I step outside of my safety zone in trust and walk toward him?  I’m a bit of a coward when it comes to physical things; I don’t like heights, or conflict.  I am so tactful sometimes people don’t realize I’m disagreeing with them!  And it’s nice in the boat, where the disciples “bowed down before him and said, “truly you are the Son of God”…worshipping him instead of going to him. So once again, I’m invited to rethink what Jesus asks of me.
Jane Haproff

Saturday, August 29, 2020 – Games and Prayer
Last week Carly shared how she uses her phone to remind her to pray during these days of isolation.  I identified with that reading because I use my phone to remind me to pray also, though I don’t set a formal reminder.  I have been alternating between playing two different word games on my phone.  If you play any phone games you know that when you change levels or screens adds pop up. You can pay a fee to eliminate these ads, which I have not done and some of these add last between 30 to 60 seconds.  When I realized how much time I was wasting on these adds I decided to put that time to good use in prayer.  When an add pops up, I put the phone down, close my eyes and say the Jesus Prayer, then return to the game.  Ahhh, but as I said a few days ago, the Holy Spirit moves in strange ways and rather than returning to the game immediately my prayer time began to last many more seconds, then minutes. It morphed from the Jesus Prayer to just closing my eyes and being silent and present with God.   Now I don’t feel like I’m wasting so much time on games!  Instead I view the games themselves as invitations to prayer!
Jane Haproff

Sunday, August 30, 2020 –  Giving One’s All
I began this set of reflections with gratitude for all life, especially human life.  I’ve reflected on how to live that life, and who to live it for, realizing that God asks me to model my life on Jesus.  Now in today’s Gospel Matthew recounts how Jesus foretold his death and resurrection.  But not just his death;  Jesus says, “whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up the cross and follow me”….to death?  This is the part where I want to bow down and worship him, staying in the boat and not rocking it!  I can grasp at a different response though when I contemplate the enormity of God and what he has already done for me; the joy he has given me through my marriage, children, grandchildren, and through the ability to teach and in some small way affect the lives of my students hoping it is for the best.  Is there a cross and death in all of this?   Of course there is, a dying to self and a recognition of the importance of the other.  When I think of it this way, then I would gladly carry that cross again because when I let go of self, there is more room for Him.  For me the key is to remember what I believe and how that belief has enriched my life. 
Jane Haproff