Monthly Archives: June 2025

Reflecting on Matthew 16: 13-19

Peter and Paul had much in common. They lived, at times, in the same city (Jerusalem), and died in the same city (Rome). After their professions of faith, their names were changed. Saul became Paul, and Simon became Peter (Petra), whose faith was the rock upon which Christ built his church. And he will call his servants by a new name (Is. 65:15). 

They both fell to their knees in awe before Christ. For Peter, it was at the beginning of his journey with Jesus, when, after fishing all night and catching nothing, Jesus instructed him to cast his net on the other side of the boat, and a miraculous catch of fish followed.  When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8).

St. Paul’s fall is the most famous in all history:  As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9: 3,4)

Using the contemporary language around recovery, they both went into Spiritual Rehab after they betrayed Jesus. Peter went out and wept bitterly after denying that he knew Jesus (Luke 22: 62-64).

Paul, on the way to bring letters of authorization to persecute the Church, was struck blind for three days, and was ministered to by those whom he had thought were his enemies, the leaders of the Church in Damascus.

Some traditions insist that these two great saints died at the hands of the Emperor Nero on the same day, June 29th, 57 AD.

Sts. Peter and Paul, pray for us!

How have their stories been instrumental in the formation of your faith?

Kathy McGovern ©2025

Reflecting on I Cor. 11: 22-26

All these years later, I still can’t watch the movie Titanic. It’s just too terrifying. I was especially shocked to realize that the measure of who lived and died was exactly commensurate with how much money they had.

The wealthy, luxuriating in first class, had access to the limited number of lifeboats. Those who booked passage in steerage would not have the chance to survive that—everyone understood— belonged first to those who had a lot of money.

I think of that while listening to Paul’s letter to the Corinthians today. We only hear the section where he recounts the events of the Last Supper, but what comes before and after those words betrays Paul’s real message.

Just before he recounts the words of Jesus at the Last Supper (called the Institution Narrative), he scolds the Corinthians for taking a Titanic-type approach to the meal the Christians share in each other’s homes, in which the Eucharist is celebrated.

At the table, the rich get the nine places closest to the host. Those struggling to make ends meet are consigned to the atrium, the outer chamber, where they may or may not get anything to eat at all.

So, Paul says, (1Cor. 11: 17-22), some go ahead with their private suppers, and some have nothing to eat. Some get drunk while others go hungry. And then they scandalously receive the Eucharist!

St. Paul is appalled that such divisions should exist at the Eucharist, of all places. He reminds them of Jesus’ last words, because they speak of the eternal unity of the Bread, the Cup, and those who receive.

Happy Feast Day, Church. This is the feast that tells us who we are.

Do you remember your First Communion with joy?

Kathy McGovern ©2025

Reflecting on Proverbs 8: 22-31

I particularly love this take on the Trinity that I got from my lifelong friend Fred, who got it from the great theologian Cynthia Bourgeault. imagine turning a kaleidoscope around and around, back and forth. You see thousands of images of the creation of the world. You see, in coalesced, kaleidoscopic prisms, all the animals, all the plants, all the rivers that came to birth because the Father called them into being.

You turn the kaleidoscope again, and hundreds of new images appear. There is the angel Gabriel, the Babe, the shepherds, and the angels.  With each turn, you see, in glorious color, shards of the life of Jesus. There is the Woman at the Well, and Lazarus rising from the tomb. The last turn allows you to witness Jesus’ own resurrection. What wonders live in this kaleidoscope!

Your third twisting of the tube takes you all the way back, before the world’s creation.  There are no depths, no hills, no fountains. No mountains, earth, fields, nor “first clods of the world.” But wait. Who is that playing—like a little child!—on the surface of the earth, delighting the Father day by day? That’s the Spirit, who animates all things, and gives the kaleidoscope its mysterious beauty.

Now, with each twist, you glimpse fragments of each of them in every frame, never individual, never alone, eternally changing, eternally THREE. And here’s the best part: as we gaze on them, they are gazing at us, seeing our sorrows and joys, our anxieties and hopes, and our futures, living in glory on high with Christ Jesus.

Can you SEE it? The Trinity is gazing at you, with eternal love, forever and ever, AMEN.

Can you imagine your life as it would be organized in a kaleidoscope?

Kathy McGovern ©2025 

Fire. We dread it, we fear it, we need it.

We look for the arsonist’s sparks that precede it.

Who lit the match? Now the city’s ablaze.

Tongues as of fire light tongues filled with praise.

It’s fire! It’s roaring, it’s soaring, it’s spreading.

It looks like it might be quite rapidly heading

To Your street, to Your house, and to Your heart, now lighting

A joy and a power the Spirit’s igniting.

We know how we got here. We kept our hearts still.

We listened to scripture. We searched for God’s will.

It started with Mary, her wide-hearted YES,

And now every Christian must kneel and confess

That our Jesus is LORD. Let all the earth tremble.

Let war zones, and drought zones, begin to resemble

The City of Peace, where wide rivers flow.

O Spirit, come heal us, that all hearts should know

That YOU are the Comforted soul’s welcome guest.

YOU are our wisdom, Refreshment, and Rest.

Lord, send your Spirit, and give grace, I pray

To every dear person who reads this today.

How can the Spirit help you this year?

Kathy McGovern ©2025 

Okay, Church. It’s that time of year again. This is the week when the entire Church does a full-court novena. We celebrate Ascension Thursday today, on a Sunday, because it often goes unnoticed on the weekday, and it’s a tremendous solemnity. So, yes, technically, the novena started last Thursday. Still, all 14 million practicing Catholics worldwide observe Ascension today, which means we collectively begin our joyful wait for the coming of the Spirit in one week.

We do this in solidarity with those disciples—Mary, the mother of Jesus, being foremost among them (Acts 1:12)—who followed Jesus’ instruction not to leave Jerusalem until they received the Spirit (Lk. 24:48). Nine days later, a noise like a driving wind filled the house where they were staying, and the Holy Spirit descended.

So YES! We keep this Pentecost novena (seven days, really) as a worldwide Church, and we wait in joyful hope for the Spirit to come to us in mighty ways next Sunday on the great feast of the Holy Spirit, the birthday of the Church.

I entreat us all to storm heaven during this particularly potent week of prayer. I’m begging for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and for immediate food and medicine to be rushed to the millions of people who will die of famine without humanitarian aid.

Once again this year, I invite each of us to imagine someone in the world of our same gender, age, and name who needs our prayers this year. There are at least thirteen different global spellings of Kathleen. Google your name and randomly choose someone. They can thank you when they meet you in heaven.

What will be your novena prayer this year?

 Kathy McGovern ©2025