Is everyone awake? Perhaps you were awakened by the start gun for the Ironman this morning. Yes, there are Ironmen and women out there today, while we are here. And we are grateful for each of you who are in this circle. Bathed in the light of God’s love, and in this sweet sunlight, you are golden. In the privileged time I had over the past year with our grandchildren I was reminded of the Wakefulness that accompanies parenting little ones. So I smile to read this Gospel after having a visit with Ziggy, our little grandson yesterday, and …
Jerry Folk’s Homily from August 20, 2017
Pentecost XI Holy Wisdom Middleton, WI Community and boundaries—that’s what all of today’s readings are about. In the reading from Isaiah, chapter 56, the prophet boldly revises the boundaries of the faith community of Israel. Today’s reading omits verses 4 and 5 of the chapter, which is the boldest of these revisions. There the prophet writes “For thus says the Lord: to the eunuchs who…hold fast my covenant, I will give, in my house and within my walls a…name better than sons and daughters.” The prophet’s inclusion of eunuchs and foreigners in the faith community explicitly contradicts the words …
Joseph Wiesenfarth’s Homily from August 13, 2017
Joseph Wiesenfarth Homily 8.13.17 1 Kings 19:9-18, Romans 10:5-15, Matthew 14:22-33 Put yourself in Elijah’s place. Some really dangerous people who have killed your friends are looking to kill you. Unlike them, you are unarmed. So you are hiding out to save yourself. But suddenly a stranger—soon to be a friend—momentarily unnamed, finds you and asks why you are holed up in a cave? As Elijah did, you tell your story to the stranger. As was the case with Elijah, your friend, happens to be Yahweh. Or to use a modern term, your friend happens to be God. Next …
Paul Knitter’s Homily from August 6, 2017
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Aug 6, 2017 Isaiah 55: 1-5; Rom. 9: 1-5; Matt. 14: 13-21 “What about the Jews?” INTRODUCTION As you have sometimes heard, we homilists occasionally complain about being dealt a hand of “difficult texts” – biblical passages that are either obtuse, maybe offensive, or hard to put together. I can make no such complaint today! I have been dealt a full, rich hand in the passages from our first and third readings, Isaiah and Matthew – beautiful, fertile images and metaphors of abundant food for all: “Wine and milk that can …
Colleen Hartung’s Homily from July 30, 2017
The Parables: An interrupting, corrupting and transformative vision Homily, July 30, 2017 Matthew 13: 31-33, 44-52 Colleen Hartung Today’s gospel begins with the last two parables that Jesus shares with the crowds gathered on the shore at the Sea of Galilee; the gathering we have been hearing about for the last couple weeks. In today’s reading, Jesus says to this crowd that the Reign of Heaven is like a small mustard seed that grows into the greatest of shrubs providing shelter for the birds of the air. It is likely, there are people in the crowd that chuckle and …
Leora Weitzman’s Homily from July 23, 2017
July 23, 2017 • 16th Sun Ord. • Is 44:6-8, Rom 18:12-25, Mt 13:24-30, 36-43 • Leora Weitzman Dear to the heart of many a writer is Anne Lamott’s advice to produce terrible first drafts. The language she uses is too salty for this sacred setting, which is part of what makes it so down-home reassuring. She says to get the whole draft out, resisting the temptation to fine-tune as you go. If you stop to weed out imperfections, you may quickly find yourself second-guessing the good stuff, much as first-century Israeli farmers could mistake immature wheat for a local …
Mary David Walgenbach’s Homily from July 9, 2017
We are celebrating Benedictine spirituality this weekend, beginning with our summer Oblate retreat which is usually scheduled close to the Feast of Benedict and Scholastica on July 11th. And we are culminating the weekend with Paz Vital’s first profession into the Sisters’ community at Holy Wisdom. Paz grew up in Mexico City with her parents, who are here today, along with six of her brothers and families from Los Angeles, CA. Paz is the third youngest of nine children. She liked to study and earned her doctorate in Biomedical Sciences from the National University of Mexico. She moved to Houston, …
David McKee’s Homily from July 2, 2017
13th. Sunday in Ordinary Time July 2, 2017 2 Kings 4:8-17, Romans 6:12-22 3, Matthew 10:40-42 This morning, I’m afraid I may be accused of trying to curry favor with the Sisters. My encounters with today’s readings have moved me to chew on two of the core Benedictine values: hospitality and stability. These values are foundational for many of us; directly for those of us who are oblates of this monastery, and indirectly for all of us who worship here and are nourished by the atmosphere of this place. The spirit of St. Benedict and his Rule …
Rosy Kandathil’s Homily from Trinity Sunday, June 11, 2017
Trinity Sunday: June 11, 2017 Genesis 1:1, 26-31; Psalm 8; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; Matthew 28:16-20 By Rosy Kandathil Last Saturday, I attended my friends’ wedding at Saint Johns in Collegeville, MN. As many of you know, I have been working on a Masters in theology at Saint Johns for the better part of the last two years. During that time, these two friends who were getting married last weekend had become particularly dear. They lived across the hall from me. We had shared meals, stories, laughter and tears. Our relationship meant a great deal, and I was so glad …
Wayne Sigelko’s Homily for May 21, 2017
Homily for the Sixth Sunday of Easter Sunday, May 21, 2017 Now that we have experienced all this, now that God has taken us on this roller coaster ride from the depths of the torture and execution of Jesus, to the confused ecstasy of coming to terms with our experiences of the Risen Christ (and, at 6 Flags they brag about Goliath and its puny 4.5 G’s), what’s next? That will be the question that preoccupies us for the next few weeks. Actually, it’s the question that has preoccupied us for the last two millennia. How do …