Epiphany 7C.2025
Karen A. Calafat (with adaptations from SALT+ Commentary)


Loryn Brantz wrote a poem that has been circulating recently. It states, in part:
In a time of hate
   Love is an act of resistance
In a time of fear
   Faith is an act of resistance
In a time of misinformation
   Education is an act of resistance

I wonder if what we hear in Jesus’ teaching today is a form of resistance? And what about Joseph in our Old Testament story? I’ve never heard today’s readings quite like I did this week during preparation for this homily. With all the chaos and turmoil spinning out of control people are turning to forms of resistance to claim some semblance of agency, some sense of power.

Robert Reich, professor and former Secretary of Labor writes, “Successful resistance movements maintain hope and a positive vision of the future, no matter how dark the present.”

Joseph certainly lived through some very dark times, as did Jesus.

It seems reasonable to say that Joseph practiced resistance by handling with grace all the mistreatment he endured in life.  He seriously couldn’t catch a break! He had every reason to be filled with hatred, resentment and bitterness, but he resisted and was able to love those who hated him and forgive those who abused him.  He did not do unto others as they had done unto him. 

But Joseph resisted the human tendency toward hating his enemies and cursing those who did him wrong. Joseph practiced resistance and was overcome with joy and compassion when he discovered his brothers and his father were still alive.  He provided food for his entire extended family during seven very dark years of famine. 

I wonder if Jesus’ teaching from last week and this week are a form of resistance. Last week was the beginning of Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain where we heard about blessings and woes. Blessing for those who are poor, hungry, sad, and outcast. And woe for those who are rich, well fed, and happy.

In today’s continuation of the same sermon, Jesus turns toward instruction on living a graceful human life. His instructions are not the easy road!

“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you…. Expect nothing in return.”

(Just a quick word about abuse: “Like any great teaching, this one is vulnerable to disastrous distortion. The call to “offer the other cheek,” for example, or to forgive or lend without return, can be misconstrued to prohibit withdrawing from abusive situations. But this confuses love with acquiescence. True love acts to end abuse — primarily for the sake of the abused but also for the sake of the abusers, who harm themselves as well as their victim. Thus withdrawing to a safe harbor and holding abusers accountable are not only consistent with “loving our enemies” — they’re expressions of it.” SALT+)

And then we come to that verse that we learn early in life: Do to others as you would have them do to you.

We tend to think of the “Golden Rule” as being about fairness, but the love Jesus has in mind is anything but “fair.” In fact, as described in one of my favorite study resources, SALT+ commentary, “Jesus’ critique of reciprocity (even sinners do that!) makes clear that “fair” is precisely what true love is not. Rather, true love goes above-and-beyond reciprocity. In this sense, Jesus is recommending an “unfair” kind of love, an extravagance that benefits not the one who benefits you, but rather the one who opposes you; or indeed, an extravagance that gives more to a thief than the thief takes in the first place! There’s a playful spirit of hyperbole darting in and out of these ideas, as if they’re designed to evoke a kind of absurd, ecstatic state of generosity, a state of pure mercy, a state of grace. Turns out this isn’t a “Golden Rule” at all. It’s a Golden Love, a playful, beautiful, graceful way of life.

Jesus challenges his listeners to love not as a strategy for gain, but rather for the sake of love itself. — And what do we call this kind of love, this completely free, above-and-beyond, gratuitous giving? We call it “grace.” This is exactly the love Jesus calls us to live out, not as gods or angels but as “children of the Most High,” human beings created in God’s image: “Be merciful, just as God is merciful.” When we love this way, we embody the imago Dei.” The image of God. The imago D.E.I. This is the love we were made for.
Our English translation loses some of the power that we might have heard in this passage in the Greek. Jesus’ preaching builds with intensity and it is all about grace which our passage translates as “credit” which loses the spiritual importance. "If you love those who love you, what grace is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what grace is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what grace is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

           “What grace is there in that?  What grace is there in that?

Jesus’ point is clear: We are made to be gracious, to love gracefully, to practice grace in the image of God’s grace.

When our lives are marked by acts of love (an action, not a feeling; love is treating others with dignity, honor, and respect; love is taking the high road when low road is easier.) when our lives are marked by love and grace even in the face of fear, even when hate abounds, when our lives are marked by love and grace even when situations are unfair, we are practicing resistance.

Loryn’s poem about resistance ends:

In a time or poor leadership
   Community is an act of resistance
In a time like this
   Joy is an act of resistance

Falling into a pit of despair, being consumed with rage and outrage, even giving in to depression would be reasonable responses to dark and difficult times, but Jesus calls us to something else, to something different. Jesus calls us to love. Love for others and Love for ourselves.

Love is an act of resistance. Grace is an act of resistance.

Indeed, joy is an act of resistance.
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Resist. Resist. Resist. (Loryn Brantz)
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Epiphany 6C 2025
The Rev. Karen A. Calafat
I assume at least some of you came here today seeking blessing. Well, now you know how to find it – blessing - that is. Give away everything you own and move down on Lancaster to the tent city under the freeway. For Jesus preaches that God’s blessing is upon the poor, the hungry, and those who are weeping.

If this gospel reading doesn’t make you a little bit uncomfortable, you may not have been listening. It is easy to hear blessed are the poor, the hungry, the weeping when we identify in those categories – you know like “poor in confidence, poor in health, poor in friends or family;” or “hungry for justice, hungry for connection, hungry for peace,” but we are truly not among the poorest of the poor.

Consider for a moment the current state of global poverty. According to the World Bank, approximately 689 million people worldwide live on less than $1.90 a day—this is the global poverty line. Most of us spend more than that daily just to heat or cool our homes. This staggering statistic represents lives filled with struggle and hardship, lives that echo the blessed of whom Jesus speaks.

As we reflect on the challenges of poverty in our world, we cannot overlook the United Nations’ 2015 Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These 17 goals include a bold commitment to end poverty in all its forms everywhere by the year 2030. Jesus’ message speaks directly to this mission - emphasizing that the Kingdom belongs to the poor and urging us to work towards creating a society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Jesus came for everyone, and Jesus spoke to everyone. In Luke’s gospel, Jesus’ sermon is delivered on the plain rather than on the mountain like in the gospel of Matthew, you know, The Sermon on the Mount that we studied a few months ago. SALT+ commentary explains the differences between the two Gospel and this sermon from Jesus: Matthew presents Jesus as a kind of new Moses and so sets his version of this sermon “up the mountain,” just as Moses received the Torah on Mount Sinai. Luke, on the other hand, presents Jesus as a figure in the ancient prophetic tradition, less a new Moses and more a new Jeremiah. And while prophets may pray on mountaintops, as Jesus frequently does, their prophetic preaching is done down among the people, in the nit and grit of everyday life: “He came down with them (all of them – apostles, disciples, Jews, Gentiles, insiders, outsiders, women and men – Jesus came down to all people) and stood on a level place.” Prophets famously declare new life in such “level places” — think of Isaiah announcing, “the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain;” and likewise, think of Ezekiel’s famous “valley” of dry bones that God restores to life. As Luke tells it, Jesus is down and dirty: he walks, and heals, and teaches in the valleys and on the plains, meeting us exactly where we are.

Jesus’ teaching is a declaration of dignity for those often neglected by society. His sermon identifies and develops a vision of the new world. This new world is grounded in the scriptural affirmation of God as the Merciful One and in the perspective that God’s children reflect God’s graciousness in their own lives.

The words of the beatitudes become a living word when we let them wash over us: when we attune ourselves to the poor, the hungry, and the weeping around us.

We do not have to give everything away and live on the street, but we do have to care about those who do. If God’s blessing is upon those who are poor and hungry, shouldn’t we want to draw near them, to draw near where God is most present? Jesus encourages us to be in solidarity with them, to become potential instruments and channels of divine blessing on their lives.

How do we do that? Well, here are 3 suggestions and you can add your own to the list:

1)Vote every chance you get and keep in mind the impact on the poor, hungry and weeping of the actions and people being voted in.

2) Call your elected officials – daily, if necessary – to voice your approval or disappointment with their actions. You can call your mayor, council person, senator, representative and governor. It may not change their actions, but at least you have taken a moment to speak on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves.

3) Donate your time, talent or treasure to support agencies that feed the hungry, clothe or house the poor, and comfort those who weep. If you are not able to donate time, talent, or treasure, there is still something you can do: PRAY - pray for those who do that ministry and pray for those who receive the services of hundreds of agencies that address the needs of the poor and the hungry. And in our current situation of chaos, pray for those agencies being decimated by government slashes – hitting as close to home as Catholic Charities in Fort Worth who does so much to help asylum-seekers and refugees. That program just laid off 59 employees due to the end of federal funding. The need for prayer is great. Lord, have mercy!

So that was an eye toward those who are blessed. But in addition to the blessed that Jesus speaks of, there are also woes. What about the bad news, the “woes”? Are those addressed to us? Well, to the extent that we are rich, well fed, and happy, the answer is Yes — and we can receive Jesus’ “woes” as direct challenges calling us toward more just and generous ways of life. (SALT+)

Our lives are complicated, and most of us will fit into both of these categories — blessing and woe. To the extent that we find ourselves in need, or in despair, or left out, Jesus brings us words of blessing and encouragement. To the extent that we find ourselves in prosperity, or satisfaction, or privilege, Jesus brings us words of challenge, exhorting us to share God’s blessings with our neighbors, and with all of creation.

What do you do when you don’t know what to do?

In the words of the prophet Jeremiah and the Psalmist,

“Be like a tree!”

Be rooted in God. Trust in God who knows all that is going on.

Be like a tree – do not be fearful when the heat comes; when things get tough sink your roots deeper, stand tall, and bend with the wind.

Be like a tree – avoid being anxious and always bear fruit; live life fully even when difficulty is swirling all around. Bear the fruit of God’s love every chance you get.
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Trees are something we see every day but may not even notice them, especially this time of year – stick season when the leaves are gone. When you find yourself overwhelmed or discouraged, look to the trees. Look to the trees as a reminder to stay rooted in God, to put your trust in God. Look to the trees as a reminder that “Blessed are all who trust in the Lord.”

Epiphany 4C: The Presentation of our Lord
Karen A. Calafat
February 2, 2025

Please bear with my long introductory comments today, but looking at the religious setting of today’s gospel will give us a greater understanding of what is going on. I promise to bring it full circle to how it might apply to our lives now over 2000 years later.

In today’s gospel reading from Luke, Jesus is about 6 weeks old. The explanation of purification ritual is found in chapter 12 of Leviticus. A mother was considered unclean for 7 days after the birth of a child. Then for an additional number of days – specifically, 66 if the baby was a girl, and 33 days is the baby was a boy – thus, 7 days + 33 days = 40 days, which is how we know Jesus was 40-41 days old.

The new mother was considered to be in a liminal space, an in-between space, after giving birth then the sacred ritual or purification re-integrates her into society. This ritual included bringing offerings to the temple and presenting them at the door to the priest who would then burn them as an offering to God to make atonement on the mother’s behalf.

The requirement for offerings was different depending on a family’s financial status. Since Mary and Joseph were to provide a pair of turtle doves or two pigeons tells us that they were not wealthy people, for that was the offering designated for the poor, for those who were not able to present the more expensive offering of a lamb. What we also glean from this story is that Mary and Joseph were religiously devout Jews and faithful members of the temple community. As such, they participated in the rituals prescribed by their faith.

Following the purification rites, the parents then present the baby in the temple. I imagine the excitement of Mary and Joseph was much like the excitement of most new parents, wanting the world to see their amazingly beautiful baby and wanting that child to receive every blessing possible for health, safety, and fullness of life. (In writing this, I was reminded of feelings I had when my firstborn arrived some 29 years ago now. I had thought, “As soon as this baby is born, I can just relax, knowing that it is okay. Ha! Little did I know I would spend the rest of my life seeking God’s blessing, protection, and guidance for his life – and then two years later adding my daughter to that same list!)
Joseph and Mary enter the temple on the designated day to present their baby boy for blessing. And what happens is notable. Keeping in mind that the temple grounds were some 35 acres of buildings and open courts - there is a bit of divine intervention here to choreograph this meeting among Jesus’ parents and Simeon and Anna. (I had a divinely choreographed experience Friday that I will share at our Parish Meeting during Coffee Hour.)

Simeon was an old man, but the Spirit had revealed to him that he would live long enough to see the Messiah. Our text says, “Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple, took Jesus in his arms and praised God for what he was seeing. Simeon knew that in seeing this baby, that Jesus was the Messiah. He knew then that he could die in peace with the assurance that his beloved Israel would someday be restored.

It is worth noting in the continuing season of Epiphany where we learn more about who Jesus is, that Simeon says of him, he “is a light for revelation to the Gentiles.” What this tells us is that the Messiah is for all people – that God’s work of fulfillment is for the whole world, not just for Israel, but for all people.

Simeon moves from praise and awe to words of caution for Mary. I cannot imagine her concern with his words of warning that conflict will break out as Israel will differ in its response to Jesus – and we know rest of that story.

Then enters the scene, the prophetess Anna. Anna is the only female prophet mentioned in the New Testament. She spent all her time in the temple, praying and fasting. She was 84-years old when she met Jesus. And she like Simeon, immediately irecognized Jesus as the Messiah. She praised God and shared the Good News of God’s redeeming grace with anyone and everyone who would listen.

Divinely choreographed, Simeon and Anna happened to be at the same temple where Mary and Joseph showed up to present Jesus. In a 35-acre span of building upon building, they were in the right place at the right time.

So how does any of this apply to us today?

First, Faith Community. Joseph and Mary were part of a faith community. They observed the rituals and practices of their community. Being part of a faith community can add meaning and purpose to our lives. It offers people to spend time with when life is good and when life is hard. We bring what is precious and important to us to share with the community of believers. And if something happens to the things or people that are precious and important, we are in a circle of support to help us through, to hold us up when we can’t stand on our own. I heard many of you attest to this Friday night at the beginning of our discernment process and it was a joy to hear!

Second, Ritual. Ritual is good for the soul. I know my morning cup of coffee in the quiet of my home is a ritual that sets the tone for my day. Some of you have exercise rituals that mark your days. Ritual can steady the ship in rough waters. Coming together on Sunday mornings is a ritual that helps us remember what is important and to whom we belong. There are church rituals that keep us rooted in faith – most of us have a favorite prayer, hymn, or scripture that sustain us. We have church services that ground us – some love The Great Vigil, some love Rite 1 liturgy with the prayer of humble access (which will be offered at 8:15 Sunday mornings through Lent), some love the Creation Series. If you don’t have a grounding ritual, this could be a good time to develop one. Perhaps you develop a mantra – a sacred word or phrase that you use when you are feeling anxious or unsettled. My epiphany star word for this year is “calm” and I have already had opportunities to practice! It is likely the perfect word in the current storms around us.

The third thing we might take from today’s gospel is Light. In keeping with our Epiphany theme, we ask, “What does the light reveal?” Here, light shows that Jesus is God’s revelation – revelation of God’s glory for all people; revelation of God’s presence for all people; revelation of God for all people. We do not get to determine who is in or out. It is ours to proclaim by word and deed God’s love for everyone.

Fourth, Age. Simeon and Anna had had many trips around the sun and yet, they still had purpose and meaning. They had things to do and truths to proclaim. Let that be an inspiration that we are never too old to be useful for God’s purposes. We are never too old to proclaim the Good News of God’s love for all.

It seems we are in a season where standing up for God’s love for all people is upon us. Let us be attentive to the moments. Let us not miss the choreographed encounters God brings into our lives, giving us a chance to shine the light of Christ. . .

. . . for those who most need to see it,

. . . for those who most need to hear it,

. . . for those who most need to know that they are God’s beloved.

And perhaps you are the one who needs to be reminded that you are God’s beloved, presenting yourself in this temple today.
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God loves you. God loves you. God loves you.