Emmaus Blog

Tuesday, March 31, 2026:  Encountering The Dark Night Of The Soul Reflection by Mike Boucher of Spiritus Christi A few weeks ago after mass, I sat down with a man who was going through a very difficult time. He’s currently without a place to live, his significant other is in the hospital and he had no one to really turn to. In the midst of our conversation he tearfully talked about how he was just trying to be faithful to God and all these bad things kept happening. He wondered aloud, “What am I doing wrong?” His sentiment is one that I have heard before (and sometimes even felt). It’s the lament expressed in our first reading from Isaiah 49 where the writer says that “I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength…” The passage starts on a more positive note when the writer says that, “The LORD called me from birth, from my mother’s womb God gave me my name.” But then as things progress, we see that even though the prophet was called by God there wer...

 Sunday, March 29, 2025:  REFLECTION FOR Palm Sunday by Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv, Pax Christi USA Bishop President Matthew 21:1-11 (37)  21  When they got close to Jerusalem and arrived Most of the crowd spread their outer garments on the road, while others were cutting down branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. 9  Moreover, the crowds going ahead of him and those following him kept shouting: “Save, we pray, the Son of David!i Blessed is the one who comes in Jehovah’s name!j Save him, we pray, in the heights above!” 10  And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in an uproar, saying: “Who is this?” 11  The crowds kept saying: “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazʹa·reth of Galʹi·lee!” 12  Jesus entered the temple and threw out all those selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.m 13  And he said to them: “It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of pray...

Saturday, March 28, 2026: All Over America NO KINGS Day March and Demonstration TODAY! Please remember: No Kings Demonstration today -- all over our country.. Saturday, March 28, 2026: Denise will be at the north end of the circle in front of Santa Rosa JC starting at 2:30. Just look for Denise and her florescent orange hat!  Let's march together or meet up at Courthouse Square! Just say NO to Kings! From wherever you are, please join your local march. We need millions of people to join us.And invite your family and friends to join too! "Rabbit Is Up to Tricks" by Joy Harjo In a world long before this one, there was enough for  everyone, Until somebody got out of line. We heard it was Rabbit, fooling around with clay and the  wind. Everybody was tired of his tricks and no one would play  with him; He was lonely in this world. So Rabbit thought to make a person. And when he blew into the mouth of that crude figure to see What would happen, The clay man stood up. Rabbi...

 Friday, March 27, 2026  No Kings tomorrow Saturday March 28: - please read and join!  No  Please remember: No Kings Demonstration tomorrow -- Saturday, March 28, 2026: Denise will be at the north end of the circle in front of Santa Rosa JC starting at 2:30. Just look for Denise and her florescent orange hat!  Let's march together or meet up at Courthouse Square! Just say NO to Kings! From wherever you are, please join your local march. We need millions of people to join us.And invite your family and friends to join too!

Thursday, March 26, 2026: Reminder about our Upcoming Retreat with Victoria -- at Enid and John's home and a reminder about the NO KING's March and celebration on Saturday. From Mary FitzGerald: We need folks to respond! Could you please send a reminder with today's blog post that I'd like to know who is coming to the retreat on April 25th?  I haven't heard from many people.  Directions for responding: Please send Mary a quick email or text by tomorrow - Friday the 27th, or a soon as you can. That would be most helpful in our preparations for this day of reflection.  The retreat will also be offered on zoom for those who can't physically attend.  Even if you think you may attend on Zoom please let Mary know. Thank you! Please respond to Mary mary@edfitzgerald.com 707-790-7037 Denise Dixon will be at the North End of the Junior College parking circle at 2:30 to lead our Emmaus folks. You can find her because she'll be wearing a florescent orange Hat (sorry ...

Wednesday, March 25, 2026: I stand with Dolores Huerta and all others who are speaking out. The first part of today's meditation was written by my friend and fellow seminarian Vince Pérez. Vince was a quiet and intense young man who attracted the attentions of our prefect of discipline, Father Maria Cimmarusti. During his life as a priest, Father Mario may have molested more than 250 young men ages 14 - 18. In this reflection Vince Perez discusses the news about Cesar Chavez and his molestation and rape of young girls and women.  " I write as a former Catholic and survivor of clergy sexual abuse during my four years at St. Anthony’s Seminary in Santa Barbara, where I was a minor seminarian. In 1968, after Cesar Chavez’s weeks-long fast, he came to St. Anthony’s to recover. As one of the infirmarians, I brought some of his meals and would occasionally chat with him after classes. At that time, he represented a powerful example of nonviolent struggle and spiritual dedication, es...

Tuesday, March 24, 2026: No Kings this Saturday - please read and join! A poem by Joy Harjo: Perhaps the World Ends Here No  Please remember: No Kings Demonstration this Saturday, March 28, 2026: Denise will be at the north end of the circle in front of Santa Rosa JC starting at 2:30. Just look for Denise and her florescent orange hat! Let's march together or meet up at Courthouse Square! Just say NO to Kings! From wherever you are, please join your local march. We need millions of people to join us. By Joy Harjo The world begins at a kitchen table. No matter what, we must eat to live. The gifts of earth are brought and prepared, set on the table.  So it has been since creation, and it will go on. We chase chickens or dogs away from it. Babies teethe at the corners.  They scrape their knees under it. It is here that children are given instructions on what it means to be human.  We make men at it, we make women. At this table we gossip, recall enemies and the ghosts o...

Monday, March 23, 2026:  the English words liberate and liberation would be better translations for the Hebrew and Greek words commonly translated as save or salvation. No  Please remember: No Kings Demonstration this Saturday, March 28, 2026: Denise will be at the north end of the circle in front of Santa Rosa JC starting at 2:30. Just look for Denise and her florescent orange hat! Let's march together or meet up at Courthouse Square! Just say NO to Kings! From wherever you are, please join your local march. We need millions of people to join us. Reflection: In this reflection Brian McLaren considers the stories of empire and exile that appear in the Bible and continue to this day: If you ask Jewish people what the central story of their Bible is, they will usually say the Exodus, the story of their refugee ancestors being enslaved by the rulers of the Egyptian Empire, until God liberated them and led them to freedom. Although historians and archeologists argue about how much...

Sunday, March 22, 2026: Join us TODAY and celebrate the Passover meal with the Emmaus Community. Join us in person at Christ Church United Methodist 1717 Yulupa Avenue, Santa Rosa California 95403 We begin with a greeting at 3:45 followed by our liturgy at 4:00. Or Join us via Zoom using this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5193158573?omn=87244480762 Passcode: 1234 Or from your browser: Start the Zoom App Enter the Meeting ID: 519 315 8573 Passcode: 1234 --- One tap mobile +16699006833,,5193158573# US (San Jose) +16694449171,,5193158573# US The Passover Meal: with order from The Jewish Haggadah, readings and reconstruction from the New Testament, reliance on human history and archeology and our experience through the ages. Welcome dear friends to Seder – Passover -- and what we call The Last Supper. The Passover meal is the most significant meal in the Jewish calendar and I think we sometimes forget that we celebrate Passover every time we celebrate our liturgy which is our communal ce...

Saturday, March 21, 2026: Join us Tomorrow and celebrate the Passover meal with the Emmaus Community. Join us in person at Christ Church United Methodist 1717 Yulupa Avenue, Santa Rosa California 95403 We begin with a greeting at 3:45 followed by our liturgy at 4:00. Or Join us via Zoom using this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5193158573?omn=87244480762 Passcode: 1234 Or from your browser: Start the Zoom App Enter the Meeting ID: 519 315 8573 Passcode: 1234 --- One tap mobile +16699006833,,5193158573# US (San Jose) +16694449171,,5193158573# US The Passover Meal: with order from The Jewish Haggadah, readings and reconstruction from the New Testament, reliance on human history and archeology and our experience through the ages. Welcome dear friends to Seder – Passover -- and what we call The Last Supper. The Passover meal is the most significant meal in the Jewish calendar and I think we sometimes forget that we celebrate Passover every time we celebrate our liturgy which is our commun...