Kathy Coffey

Jesus’ words in John 15:4, “Make your home in me as I do in you” must be meaningless to those deprived of housing. In California, which ranks 49th out of 50 states in homes per capita, that’s a lot of people.

“Based on a January census widely believed to underestimate the true figures, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported that the nation’s homeless population grew by about 15,000 people to about 568,000, or 2.7%. The number of Californians without homes, meanwhile, spiked by more than 21,000 to nearly 130,000, or 16.4%. While the nation’s homeless population remains about 10% lower than it was a decade ago, California’s has expanded more than 22% in that time.” (San Francisco Chronicle, 12/24/19) https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/Editorial-Welcome-to-California-the-Homeless-14928730.php?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headlines&utm_campaign=sfc_opinioncentral

But heartening solutions are in the works.

On Jan. 8, ’20, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a budget of more than $1 billion to fight homelessness. His executive order requires state agencies to take urgent and immediate action by January 31 to make available state properties and facilities to rapidly increase housing and shelter options. Admirable action, when California has a shortage of 3.5 million homes. Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf brokered a deal between a real estate investment group which owns properties that stand empty, the squatters Moms 4 Housing, and a non profit community land trust to convert these buildings to affordable housing.

While those are larger-scale responses, one with particular appeal is the effort of First Presbyterian Church, Hayward. It all began when Pastor Jake Medcalf met a desperate man at the door, and could offer him only a blanket. Realizing the man clearly needed shelter, the pastor looked around at his 4-acre space and said, “this is the best we can do?”

Thus began the tiny home project which could inspire other churches. The first project of its kind, it relied on the expertise of six for-profit developers who volunteered their services. As Jeff Scofield, one of them said, “I …believe that everybody deserves a roof over their head…. And the fact we have the skill set and relationships that can help with supplying homes puts us in a unique position to help with this problem.”

Once the first residents have moved into their six tiny homes on the church parking lot in February, Medcalf and partners plan to expand, bringing tiny homes to other church parking lots around the East Bay area. Each one is small, but has a toilet, shower, stove, heater, fan and bed. In addition First Presbyterian offers a safe-parking lot program that allows eight people at a time to sleep in their cars on the church lot. One of those, Ruth Soares is praying she’ll get a tiny home. Working as an in-home caregiver for the elderly, her monthly income of $2000 isn‘t enough for a market-rate apartment.

The initial process of permitting took two years, but construction took only six weeks, and the next projects should move more quickly since guidelines are now in place. As many churches, mosques and synagogues deal with the realities of ageing populations and extra space, could they too start thinking creatively about better uses for under-utilized areas? “In my Father’s house are many rooms” (John 14:2).

Retreat led by Kathy Coffey: “Those Feisty Gospel Women”

San Damiano Center, 710 Highland Dr., Danville, CA (925)-837-9141

www.sandamiano.org        March 27-29, 2020

Prisca speaks: My husband Aquila and I were tentmakers. I never dreamt how cutting, sewing, and patching leather would lead to my great work: piecing together the fledgling Christian community like a big tent. Years later, John’s prologue would describe the incarnation as God’s “pitching a tent in us.” Our recorded story began when Paul asked us for a job. He stayed with us for eighteen months in Corinth, where we had already established our business, when he was new in town. To set the record straight, Paul didn’t convert us; we were already Christian.

It caused some buzz when my name was mentioned before Aquila’s, (in four of six references), but let me explain. I didn’t muscle in to threaten his status; it was simply a natural recognition of my leadership. He was always supportive and strong, but a man of few words.

So I was the talker, better known, but we thought of ourselves as equals, a team. Notice how Paul refers to “their” house, not just Aquila’s, as he would if more closely following the custom of our day. Oh, the male was head of the household in society, but no patriarchy for us! Everyone knew I was the feisty leader.

I wasn’t spared the fear of persecution either (Rom 16:3). We risked our necks to save Paul in Ephesus, and after that, authorities seemed to know me, to sneer threateningly whenever I’d walk through town. I was so frightened, I persuaded Aquila to return to Rome. Somehow, martyrdom didn’t seem the right path for us. Our work was—forgive the pun—cut out for us.

Paul did the original visioning and dramatic speeches. Then he’d turn the new converts over to us. Wise choice. Who know better than tentmakers how to shelter newborn, vulnerable people? I’d keep them warm and dry. A tent is a flexible place, open to wind and change. Unlike more rigid structures of stone or wood, its flaps can always accommodate one more. I spent so much time sticking my neck out to rescue, I couldn’t be bothered by excluding.

This excerpt is a sneak preview from More Hidden Women of the Gospels, which will be published by Orbis Press in 2020.

Kathy will be speaking at:

St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church 2601 San Ramon Valley Blvd. San Ramon, CA 94583

 TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.

“Prayer In Chaos, Commotion and Clutter”

All are welcome. Free events require registration. To register, go to https://GIFT2020.EventBrite.com

Scholars say that the mythic elements in this story– the sky opening, the voice of God, the descent of the Spirit like a dove—are common to spiritual experiences in many religious traditions. What makes Jesus’ unique?

Even in later, more ordinary circumstances, he remained attuned to the source of that experience: to God his father. Whether he was engaged in hot debate, confronting hideous disease, or teaching in the marketplace, Jesus didn’t forget that voice, that spectacular affirmation. He acted always as God’s beloved child. Furthermore, he saw everyone else through that same lens—no matter how cantankerous, sick, or stupid they were.

Do we? When doing dishes or driving, do we remember we are precious? Confronting a crisis, do we carry into it the same qualities that have gotten us this far: our courage, strength or skill? When we’re angry, mistaken, rejected, exhausted, ill, betrayed, depressed, unemployed, or told we’re worthless, does that sense of affirmation rise up within?

What God said to Jesus, God says to us: “you are my dearly beloved child. I’m pleased with you.” That should matter more than all the applause or awards in the world. And we should in turn hear that same description of everyone we meet.

This experience marks a pivotal point for Jesus: he emerges from it energized and inspired for his public ministry. Even in the long desert days, he must hear the echoes of that voice. When we’re tempted to focus on the criticisms, we could turn instead with joy to that life-giving praise.

Kathy will be speaking at:

St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church 2601 San Ramon Valley Blvd. San Ramon, CA 94583

TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 10:00-11:30 a.m, on:

“Will the Real Mary Magdalene Stand Up? Stand Back!”

And TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. on:

“Prayer In Chaos, Commotion and Clutter”

All are welcome. Free events require registration. To register, go to https://GIFT2020.EventBrite.com

Perhaps because regimes around the world which lean towards totalitarianism are proliferating, recent works of art have raised the question: how to best resist unjust authority?

It’s not a new question: Jesus himself faced the dilemma of whether to resist or ignore the Roman oppression. Human evolution has conditioned us for fight or flight. Over the centuries, those have been the most common responses to injustice. According to scripture scholar Walter Wink, Jesus proposed an alternate, a third way: creative nonviolent resistance.

“Jesus reveals a way to fight evil with all our power without being transformed into the very evil we fight. It is a way — the only way possible — of not becoming what we hate… Jesus abhors both passivity and violence.”

In the excellent film “JoJo Rabbit” (poorly titled—at first I thought it was a cartoon), a mother and child see bodies hanging in the public square of their German village, overtaken by Nazis. When the little boy asks, “what did they do?” the mother replies, “they did what they could.” As, it turns out, she did too—hiding a Jewish girl in her attic, distributing anti-Nazi fliers. And she met the same fate.

In the novel The Ventriloquists, by E.R. Ramzipoor, the Belgian resistance to the Nazis is diabolically clever and based on fact: writers produce a parody of the daily newspaper filled with Nazi propaganda. They know they’ll hang for their satire, but on one day, 60,000 Belgians buy the hilarious paper and laugh at their oppressor. The writers consider it a small price to be imprisoned and killed for their effort. The leader reflects on what he likes about the group: “former shopkeepers and teachers and builders, people with nice furniture and reasonable salaries, who could have done nothing, could’ve kept their heads down and gone about their business. But they didn’t. Those who could have done nothing instead did everything.” Even the postmistress intercepts a shipment of yellow fabric, imprinted with stars ready to be cut out and forced on Jews to wear. Oddly enough, all the churches suddenly get yellow altar cloths, distributed quietly by the resistance.

The final example is the most dramatic: Franz Jaggerstatter, an Austrian farmer in “A Hidden Life,” beheaded (and later named a saint) for refusing to take the oath of loyalty to the Third Reich. Franz’ decision leaves his wife, three children and mother to fend for themselves making a brutally hard living, with the added difficulty of their villagers ostracizing them.  As Malick’s film unfolds, Franz’ wife suggests they escape, or he do medical service. Those seemed plausible alternatives, which his conscience will not allow. Under the circumstances, everyone might make a different decision. After all, few criticize the von Trapp family for escaping Austria to Switzerland and eventually the US.

Interesting questions for us to chew over, we whose government is relentlessly cruel to refugees, heedless of its irreparable damage to the environment, and so unethical it deserves impeachment. How do we resist bogus authority, in our own spheres, with our own forms of creativity?

Kathy will be speaking at:

St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church 2601 San Ramon Valley Blvd. San Ramon, CA 94583

TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 10:00-11:30 a.m, on:

“Will the Real Mary Magdalene Stand Up? Stand Back!”

And TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. on:

“Prayer In Chaos, Commotion and Clutter”

All are welcome. Free events require registration. To register, go to https://GIFT2020.EventBrite.com

Just as the overture to a Broadway musical sounds themes that will recur in later songs, so the Prologue to John’s gospel read on Christmas day begins ideas that will be developed later. One that is especially relevant today is how God seeks out human beings, making them God’s own children. Always, God tries to change human darkness into stunning light.

To apply that truth to our own experience, we might reflect on verse 16:  “From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” What have been the special graces in our lives, spilling over from God’s fullness? Have we been aware of them, and thankful?

No matter what our worries are: about scarcity or loss, unemployment or loneliness, illness or death, today we set them aside and rest in the fullness of God’s overflowing love. This is a day to focus on the wonder of God becoming human, uplifting us all to be brothers and sisters of Jesus. Isaiah expresses the good news: “the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem” (52:9). In this case, Jerusalem stands for all of us: redeemed, graced, blessed, joyful.

On this day, we may sing carols around the crèche, worship with our faith community, ring the bells, enjoy the decorations, laugh, tell stories, eat the feast and relish Christmas cookies. If that sounds a bit self-centered, we’re also called to hospitality: as in the Benedictine tradition, to welcome all guests as Christ.

Kathy will be speaking at:

St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church 2601 San Ramon Valley Blvd. San Ramon, CA 94583

TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 10:00-11:30 a.m, on:

“Will the Real Mary Magdalene Stand Up? Stand Back!”

And TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. on:

“Prayer In Chaos, Commotion and Clutter”

All are welcome. Free events require registration. To register, go to www.sjasr.org/GIFT

Notice the angel Gabriel’s first word to Mary: “Rejoice.” Let’s remember it this week, which can be one of the most hectic in the year. The angel says, “rejoice.” Not “spend. Clean. Cook. Decorate. Shop. Bake. Wrap. Shop again. Create the perfect holiday ambiance. Work to exhaustion. Make everyone in the family sublimely happy.”

In his Rule, St. Benedict says, “each day has reasons for joy.” Maybe at this time of year, they are more obvious. The shared belief of Christians is that Jesus has become one with humans, indeed has pitched his tent within us. None of us deserves this, so we celebrate God’s lavish abandon, the pure gratuity of God’s gift.

If this seems a tall order, if we’re too tired or depressed to rejoice, we can take heart from the ambiguity of the feast. Mary’s reaction to the angel is to be “much perplexed.” Indeed, the whole experience is for her a two-edged sword: joy tempered by natural, human fear.

This week, we’ll hear Zechariah’s song of praise. He breaks a long silence, welcomes new possibility, and expresses a hard-won trust in God—and his wife. Let’s try to make this week our own canticle of gratitude and praise.

Kathy will be speaking at:

St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church 2601 San Ramon Valley Blvd. San Ramon, CA 94583

TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 10:00-11:30 a.m, on:

“Will the Real Mary Magdalene Stand Up? Stand Back!”

And TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. on:

“Prayer In Chaos, Commotion and Clutter”

All are welcome. Free events require registration. To register, go to www.sjasr.org/GIFT

When John the Baptist appeared, “The people were filled with expectation” (Luke  3:15). How splendid if those words could still describe us: open to wonder, chins uplifted, eagerly responding to words of hope.

This season seems permeated with impossibilities like the dead stump of Jesse budding. Even if we could wrap our minds around the idea of God becoming human, “pitching a tent in us,“ it’s an even longer leap to see ourselves as God’s children, heirs to the divine kingdom. Irish poet John O’Donohue writes of “being betrothed to the unknown.” Christmas means we are also married to the impossible, getting comfortable with the preposterous. It all began with Mary’s vote of confidence: “For nothing is impossible with God.” During liturgies when we hear Mary’s “Magnificat,” we might remember Elizabeth’s words that precede it: “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord will be fulfilled” (Luke 1:45).

It’s a good time to ask ourselves, do we let bitterness and cynicism poison our hearts? Ironically, WE are conscious of our own limitations. GOD keeps reminding us of our high calling, royal lineage and a mission so impeccably suited to our talents and abilities, no one else in the world can do it. Again, Mary is the perfect model. She might not understand half the titles given her son in the “Alleluia Chorus” of the “Messiah.” Mighty God? Prince of Peace? Such language is better suited to a royal citadel than a poor village named Nazareth.  While her questions are natural, she never wimps out with “I don’t deserve this honor.” Instead, she rises to the occasion.

What’s become of our great dreams? Have we adjusted wisely to reality, or buried ideals in a tide of cynicism? Mired in our own problems and anxieties, do we struggle more with good news than with bad? If these questions make us squirm, perhaps we need the prayer of Macrina Wiederkehr, OSB: “God help me believe the truth about myself, no matter how beautiful it is.”

Remember that the adult Jesus hung out with some unsavory characters: crooks and curmudgeons, loudmouths and lepers, shady ladies and detested tax guys. In his scheme of things, our virtue trips us up more than our sin. The ugly stain of self-righteousness blocks our path to God more than natural, human failures.  Limited as we know ourselves to be, we might ask ourselves the question raised by novelist Gail Godwin, “who of us can say we’re not in the process of being used right now, this Advent, to fulfill some purpose whose grace and goodness would boggle our imagination if we could even begin to get our minds around it?” (“Genealogy and Grace” in Watch for the Light. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2004, 167)

So the “Gaudete” or Joyful Sunday represented by the pink candle invites us to forget our lame excuses (Oh not me! I got C’s in high school, I can’t tweet or sing on key, I’ve always been shy, blah, blah, blah) and come to the feast, join in the dance. To put it in the simple terms of “Happy Talk,” a song from “South Pacific”: “If you don’t have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true?”

Kathy will be speaking at:

St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church 2601 San Ramon Valley Blvd. San Ramon, CA 94583

TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 10:00-11:30 a.m, on:

“Will the Real Mary Magdalene Stand Up? Stand Back!”

And TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. on:

“Prayer In Chaos, Commotion and Clutter”

All are welcome. Free events require registration. To register, go to www.sjasr.org/GIFT