Liturgy in-Person & on Zoom Indiana Interchurch Center 1100 W. 42nd St. Indianapolis IN 46208 Liturgy schedule When Marion County is HIGH on the CDC Covid map, St. Mary of Magdala liturgies will be on Zoom only.
For prior homilies, visit our blog.
Good shepherds care for the earth.
April 21, 2024, 4nd Sunday of Easter and Earth Day Helen Weber-McReynolds Readings from: A New climate for Theology, by Sallie McFague; Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer; John 10: 2, 1, 3-7, 9-18 Yesterday afternoon, I had an experience of the “abundant life” vision to which Sallie McFague referred in our first reading. I was at Girl Scout Camp Gallahue, in Brown County, out on the lake, teaching canoeing. There were 114 Scouts and leaders there, and over the course of four hours, they came down and put on their life jackets, got in their boats by twos and threes, and experienced that beautiful freedom of propelling a boat with their muscles and paddles. That silent peacefulness of unity with water, boat and body, augmented by wind, bright sun sparkling on the lake, and friendship. The awesome beauty of earth, lake, and sky. Of learning something new, or teaching something you have loved all your life, and sharing with a new generation. Over and over, kids and adults just kept saying, “It’s so beautiful here.” The physical setting was breathtaking, but so was the opportunity to soak it all in, with their kids, their troop mates, their neighborhood volunteers. I think is was an example of what Robin Wall Kimmerer referred to in our second reading as “making something beautiful in response.” God has given us a world that is so intricately interrelated that we will never fully understand it. We can only try to immerse ourselves in it, whenever we can, and do our best to share it, and to inspire one another to protect it and sustain it. As McFague said, working for environmental justice “….need not be a call for asceticism, for anxiety, or for despair. Rather, it is a vision of… our place as dependent and interrelated with all other life-forms in order to attain a just, sustainable planet where we—and all others—can flourish.” When we understand that our biology and that of bees, as Kimmerer points out, is identical in attraction and enjoyment, we get a glimpse of the love with which God created the world given to us. God truly is a protective, caring shepherd, who leads us to what we need and can teach us how to thrive. When we think about sheep, however, we know that they are not necessarily the docile, soft, wooly followers that are depicted in children’s bible stories. Sometimes sheep butt heads, even for hours at a time, fighting for dominance. They throw themselves at each other at speeds up to 20 miles an hour. People can be the same, fighting greedily for oil and gas revenue, for example, at the peril of the earth and everything in it. We need the energy these products can give us, but not at the expense of climate change and its consequences, which, as Pope Francis has pointed out, impacts the poor first and most. We must use the intelligence and impulse toward charity which we are endowed to reverse the forces destructive to the earth which we have instigated. Jesus emphasized in today’s gospel that he was one with us, bodily unified with our flock, and willing to sacrifice himself to teach us the dedication efforts like reversing climate change will take. He was willing to lay down his life, and calls us to lay down our work with governmental leaders, our financial support, and our study and understanding of the environment to care for one another by caring for our planet. Experiencing the world’s beauty can inspire us. Avoiding head-butting for dominance must be part of the love put into it. And providing inspiring experiences for others can help. Sacraments
We celebrate the Sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing, and Matrimony - which includes Holy Union for heterosexual or same sex couples. Services also include funerals, committal services, and celebrations of life. Also other traditional services such as house blessings. Call Helen Weber-McReynolds, RCWP, to request a home or hospital visit. 317-691-1016. To Volunteer
New volunteers are always welcome to join our liturgical ministries. Participate as a musician, lector, greeter, usher, communion minister, or share another talent with us. Our website was done by a volunteer! If you have an idea and would like to share your time & talent, please tell us! Contact Helen at 317-691-1016 for more information or fill out the form below! St. Mary of Magdala Catholic Community gives 10% of its income to charity.
Our most recent recipient, the Hooser Environmental Council, is a voice not only for direct protection of Indiana waters, wetlands and wilderness, but for environmental justice, sustainability, greener businesses, and ways to tackle the causes and effects of climate change. For information on their many programs, see https://www.hecweb.org/. Other recipients include:
Tax Deductible Donations If you would like to make a tax deductible contribution to St. Mary of Magdala, please send a check to: St. Mary of Magdala Catholic Community P.O. Box 20042 Indianapolis, IN 46220 |
Upcoming Liturgies
with St. Mary of Magdala and our sister communities Sun. May 5. 11 a.m., BICC, in person and Zoom Sun. May 12, 11 a.m., StMMCC, in person and Zoom Sat. May 18, 5 p.m., HCICC, Hermitage and Zoom Sun. May 26, 11 a.m., StMMCC, in person and Zoom The sister communities
StMMCC: St. Mary of Magdala Catholic Community Rev. Helen WeberMcReynolds , pastor Gathering in person at: Indiana Interchurch Center 1100 W. 42nd St., Indianapolis IN 46208 Zoom link requests: hweber@iuhealth.org BICC: Brownsburg Inclusive Catholic Community Bp. Nancy Meyer & Rev. Angela Nevitt Meyer, copastors Gathering in person at: 516 E Main St, Brownsburg, IN 46112 (Ash Interactive entrance behind Enterprise) Zoom link requests: biccinquiry@gmail.com HCICC: Home Church Inclusive Catholic Community Contact Rev. Peggy Alderman for information. Zoom link requests: peggymomm@gmail.com Working Hungry film at St. Thomas Aquinas,
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