Just a word before we go...Seventh Sunday of Easter...May 21, 2023

It could be said that today’s gospel is all about stones. The word isn’t mentioned, I know, but think about it.  Jesus offers a prayer to the Father, a prayer for unity and communion for the people he was leaving behind.  Jesus prays for us because he knew that the stones of the world could immobilize us and prevent the unity and communion he desired for us. 

What are these stones? They could be the millstones of poverty and ignorance that can drag us down.  They could be stumbling stones, such as pride and greed that can trip us up.  Or perhaps they could be the sticks and stones that we all have experienced in our lives...the snide remarks such as “he’ll never amount to anything,” or “who does she think she is?” or even, “you don’t belong here.” These stones carry within them the possibility of wearing us down, dividing us into camps who cannot hear one another, cannot cooperate for the greater good, or can even bring us to violent speech, or worse. They can pin us under a burial mound. 

But the good news is that Easter offers us relief from these stones.  As the stone closing the entrance to Jesus’ tomb could not prevent his resurrection, Easter gives us a season of new life, a season of being freed from the stones we carry, and the promise of redemption.

But, can even stones be redeemed?  Remember that Jesus was “the stone that the builders rejected,” who became the cornerstone.  I would suggest that Fr. John Baran had a great deal to do with redeeming those stones that burdened so many of us.  He saw himself as one who unlocked people, freeing them to realize their potential, their baptismal promise of a full life. He certainly brought new life to our parish, enhancing the existing prayerful foundation with stepping stones of humility, grace and beauty, creating with the Holy Spirit, a warm and inviting environment where all would be welcome and nourished with Word and Sacrament.

So it seems that stones can be life giving, and it is entirely appropriate that on this weekend of what would have been Fr. John’s 65th birthday, we will gather after the 10:00 Mass to dedicate some stones in his memory...the pavers that create the Labyrinth that graces the entrance to St. Anthony’s.  This Labyrinth, developed through the vision of Liz Short Ramsey and funded by parishioners in memory of Fr. John, represents the fulfillment of a dream, Fr. John’s dream, of a place of beauty that would welcome all and provide a respite for prayer, contemplation and peace. 

It might be said that Jesus’ prayer for unity and communion has found a degree of fruition in this labyrinth...the hands, minds, hearts and resources of so many who have worked together to realize this dream give witness to the sense of community, hospitality and prayer that Jesus, and Fr. John, envisioned.