Sunday Homily, November, 2007, 32nd in Ordinary Time

Readings:

Acts 1,  15—17, 20-26,  They proposed two, Judas, called Barsabbas, and Matthias.

Psalm 103,    The Lord has set his throne in heaven.

1 John 4, 11-16,   If God so loved us, we also must love one another.

 John 17, 11-19, So that they may be one.

Levi & Rich say, "Hi, Folks, Welcome in."

Acts: a review–

Author:  Luke, the author of The Acts & The Gospel

Date: ca. 50 years after the death of Jesus

Our Selection: Believe it or not, on this the last Sunday we read from Acts, we are now back to chapter 1 after getting as far as chapters 9 & 10.  What is going on is this.  The chapter opens with an introduction and then a description of the Ascension, Jesus going up in the sky.  Apparently the event took place about a half mile outside Jerusalem on the Mt. of Olives. 

Afterward, all the community come together in the room they had been hiding in. About 120 are present and Peter gets up to speak.  We read Peter's words. 

Victoria, also, says, "Come in, Folks."

John's letter: There is a great line in this selection.  See if you can spot it when you hear it.  I'll tell you after the reading, but a hint, it is the last line.

Sources: Good News Bible; The New Interpreter's Study Bible

And Annabelle says, "Guess where I came from, Everybody. I came from Seattle to see where my mommy grew up."

Our World, Good or Bad?

I like the line in 1 John which says that God is love.  This seems to go contrary to what our ancestors believed because they present a vision of a god who is certainly not into unconditional love.   I would like to believe God is loving.

However, there is another line in John’s gospel that I want to talk about this morning, the line that says we do not belong to this world.  Like, is the world bad?  What do you think?  Is the world bad or good and do we belong or not?

John, The Baby Whisperer, working his magic on Genevieve.

I propose that we do belong and that the world is good.  We make it better because we belong.  A story.

One morning recently I walked into the J (Jewish Community Center) at 5:30 to do my spin class.  As I walk in, another rider whom I like, Mike, comes in and we walk together down a long hallway to the room with the 25 stationary bikes. 

Somehow we get talking about his dad.  Mike is one of 12 kids and the family has done well.  The family came from Europe during the time of Hitler.  

When you live in Seattle, you know how to light candles, Annabelle & Oscar, Gloria and Eric.

At one point he tells me that during the holocaust his dad lost 70 to 80 first cousins.

I am stunned and shocked.  I have never known a person who has this experience in their family.  In fact, I have never known in my life so many Jewish people.  It is privilege and a pleasure. 

Mike’s story gave me two thoughts.  First, I was reminded of how horrible a time it was during the reign of Hitler and the 3^rd Reich.  A person living then, especially a Jewish person, could easily see the world as bad.

When you swim and dance, you can do anything. Georgie is ready.

My second thought was that Mike was an amazement, not bitter, not seeking revenge, but a person who presents himself as peaceful, friendly, and accepting of the events that took place in his family.  You know me, I actually got choked up with him when we talked a bit more after the spin class.  Mike chooses to see the world as good. 

Despite all the evidence to the contrary, I propose that the world is good, is beautiful, because of three phenomena, people, nature, and events.

Cole, What are you doing up here this morning? Oh, yes, it is cupcake time for birthday boys.

Mike makes the world good, Romeos make the world good (sometimes, maybe), you people make the world good and beautiful.  The people I go camping with in Yosemite also make the world good and beautiful, at least some of them.

Nature?  I find the beauty of Yosemite so overwhelming I have to go back every year.  I can find a beautiful world sitting in a rocking chair on our back porch having a cup of coffee early in the morning, while I gaze at the grass & trees in our yard.

Cupcakes of The Week line-up, Lily & Scot, Cowboy Cole, Gloria, and Maureen.

Events?  What about the marvel of our Sunday get togethers?  I go crazy over the beauty of Ragbrai, that bike ride I make the end of July west to east across Iowa, along with 15 thousand other crazies.  Talk about a people event.

What do you think?  Bad or good?  If good, what is your data? 

The Special Community Blessing for Oscar and Annabelle and the family.

John sharing his research on Matthew & the Jewish environment.

Readings:

Genesis  2, 7-9; 3. 1-7,  The Lord God planted a garden in Eden.

Psalm 51,  Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Romans 5, 12-19,   Through one man sin entered the world.

Matthew 4,  1-11.

Hi, Betsy.

The Gospel of Matthew and the Jewish Synagogue—Talk One

This is the first part in a short series on the relationship between the Jewish synagogue and the Gospel of Matthew.  My primary source is John Shelby Spong’s book titled, Biblical Literalism: A Gentile Heresy, published 2016.

Ash Wednesday at Marlene's house.

Spong is a retired Episcopal Bishop and a Biblical scholar. Other references include The Catholic Study Bible, published 2011, edited by Donald Senior, C.P.; and the Constitution Dei verbum in 1965 by Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI at the 2^nd Vatican Council.

Ash Wednesday, Lynda & Tom.

Pius XII’s encyclical, Divino Afflante Spiritu (tr. “Inspired by the divine spirit”) in 1943, encouraged all Catholics to read the Bible, and that Biblical study should be in the original languages. And he allowed for the use of the historical-critical method for understanding Biblical texts.  

The Choir on the stairs.

The 2^nd Vatican Council’s Constitution Dei verbum (tr. “Word of God”), in 1965, was set up by Pope John XXIII when (before he died) he nixed the first draft by a Vatican-only group, and asked for another draft from a group balanced with conservative and progressive biblical experts.

Jackie reading.

The second draft, accepted by Vatican II and approved by Paul VI, is progressive, acknowledging that Biblical interpretation requires the insights of historical analysis and literary analysis, and an understanding of the purposes of the text as written for its original audience.    

Frank reading the Gospel.

Bishop Spong begins his study with the necessity of being knowledgeable about Jewish culture, Jewish symbols and Jewish storytelling; otherwise we are unable to understand the Gospels. Most Christians are unaware of the Jewish context of the Gospels. We need to know how the gospel stories would have been understood by the Jewish gospel authors and by the Jewish audiences they originally were written for.

Remember, you came from dust & you will return to dust.

Being Jewish, Jesus and his disciples attended the Jewish synagogue during Jesus’ lifetime and for 2 generations following Jesus’ death, about 55 years.  It follows naturally that the memories of Jesus were deeply associated with the synagogue.  

Ashes for you, Dearest Mabel.

People often overlook that the original disciples and the followers of Jesus were—like him—Jewish.  As Jews they would participate in the life of the synagogue and the weekly Sabbath liturgy. As a result, the synagogue became the setting where the teachings of Jesus and the stories about him were recalled and passed on.

Sandra reading from Genesis.

It’s commonly accepted that the split between the synagogue and the followers of Jesus didn’t happen until the year 88 of the CE. This means that Paul died as a Jew, his missionary goal being to open up Judaism to the Gentiles. So, when Paul’s converts gathered on the Sabbath to ‘break bread’ it wasn’t as a step toward founding a new religious movement (a church), but to add a whole new dimension to life in the synagogue. 

Carrie reading from Romans.

The timing of all this also means that the earliest gospels, Mark and Matthew, written before 70 CE, existed while the Christian movement was part of the life and practice of the synagogue. To end this first talk, let me repeat these three amazing facts: 

Happy Birthday, Michelle

1) Jesus’ followers were members of the Jewish synagogue for about 50 years following Jesus’ death; the split between the Jewish synagogue and the followers of Jesus happened in the year 88 CE; 

2) Paul died as a member of the Jewish synagogue in about 63 CE, over 20 years before the split happened; 

3) the gospels of Matthew and Mark, even perhaps Luke and Acts, were written while the Christian movement was still part of the life and practice of the Jewish synagogue.      

          Rosemary reading her Blessing of the Week.

No mid-week blog this week.  Gone to Mexico.

Genesis 22, 1-2, 9-13, 15-18, Take your son Isaac.  You shall offer him up as a holocaust; Psalm 116, I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living; Romans 8, 31-34; Mark 9, 2-10, He was transfigured before them.

Introduction to Genesis 22

 The concept of a covenant between God and His people is one of the central themes of the Bible. The First Reading last week was the covenant God made with Noah. This week it is the covenant God made with Abraham, and next week it is the covenant God made with Moses.  Of course, as Christians, our belief is that we have a covenant with God through Jesus Christ. 

God, with infinite love for us brings salvation to the Table in the covenant won for us by Christ.  What are we to bring?  We are to live the spoken Word in our lives with gratitude!

 Before Bill Poncik gives the first reading, I want to share a story he emailed me a couple of weeks ago.  The mother of a young boy knowing that he had a terminal disease and only a few weeks to live asked him what he wanted to do that day. He replied that he would like to go to the Fire station for maybe he would have been a fireman.  She called the neighborhood fire station in Phoenix where they lived, told the chief there the situation and asked if her son could come for a visit. The chief asked for his height and weight and told her to bring him at 9:00 AM and plan to stay awhile. They were greeted by the morning shift of 16 men who made him a fellow fireman for a day, gave him a fitting safety helmet, yellow protective coat and boots. He and his mother began a wonderful tour; but he was told that if he heard the bell ringing that one of the 16 firemen would escort him to one of the trucks. Three times that day the young boy lived his dream.  A few weeks later his mother called the station once again to tell them that the angels would be coming for her son, that he was still awake but not for long. She was told to open the window of his bedroom when she heard the siren. That day 16 firemen climbed the ladder and entered his window fully dressed in their yellow and red. They were there, when the boy left them, dressed like the angels who had come to carry him to paradise.  16 men were living Christ’s words with gratitude in answer to God’s gift of salvation.

Mass Begins

Homily from Mark 9:2-10

Candle lighting, Mike & Jenny

 Again, to better understand a reading, one must consider the context in which it has been placed.  So, in the teaching that precedes this transfiguration event, a man is seeking to be in a covenant relationship with God through Christ.  In this process of coming to faith he observes those around Jesus to be ‘like trees that are walking.’ 

What does this mean?  Christ’s disciples have to commit themselves to Christ’s words. The seed has been planted; but they have no roots, no foundation. They have failed to understand that he is the Messiah. That teaching does end with Peter coming to the realization that the Messiah has come to them; however, he misunderstands Christ’s mission and the disciples’ responsibility in response to God’s plan of salvation.

The Dembneys, Kate, Chris, Susan, & Nancy

 Secondly, let’s look at the purpose of Christ’s mission in the very first verses of this Mark gospel realizing that since they are in the summary of the gospel we will find them somewhere in the later text of the Mark gospel.  When the Mark gospel begins we find that when Jesus comes forth from the waters where John was baptizing, the Holy Spirit comes upon him with the voice from heaven saying, ‘This is my son the beloved.’  These words are present twice in the Mark gospel. Here in the beginning of the summary of the Mark gospel—the second time, of course, is in today’s gospel. 

 Thirdly, we need to look at the very beginning of the Bible in the covenant God made with Abraham in the Book of the Law.  When Moses came up from the waters of the Red Sea leading the Israelites to freedom the Spirit came upon him.  Later, when Moses went up the mountain, by himself, the second time to receive the 10 commandments, Moses face continued to give off some light for he had been close to the radiance of God when the covenant had been made with him.

Leo joins the choir

  In today’s reading, Jesus takes his inner circle of Peter, James and John up the mountain where Christ’s divinity is revealed to them. Streams of light come forth Him, for he was dazzling bright. When Moses and Elijah appear Peter is still in the dark, for he wants Jesus to abide in the presence of Moses and Elijah.  It is then we hear, with Peter, the voice from heaven, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, Listen to Him!’ (Exclamation point) No one is there but Jesus. The words of Moses and Elijah are to be understood as an expectation of the Law and the Prophets for the coming of the Messiah. When one listens to, and puts into practice, the words of Christ with all their mind and heart and soul, they enter into the new covenant with God through Christ through grace.  The words of Christ fulfill the covenants that required circumcision and obedience to the Mosaic Law.

Leo resigned from the choir with Lynda

 Some might be saying, ‘Well, yes, I understand; but be more specific about that to which we are to listen.”  Well, now we know why the inspired writers of the Matthew Gospel have a Sermon on the Mount! That sermon is to enlighten us. Not only is it a summary of how we are to live our lives; but it informs us that it is how we are to illuminate others to come to glorify God. During Lent I would recommend that we all reread it. It begins at Matthew’s Chapter 5.  How are you going to remember where it is in the Matthew gospel? Just look at one of your hands—five fingers—Chapter five.

 If you read the Letter of James written to the Jewish Christians its inspired writers tell us that in the New Covenant there is one perfect law.  Since in that letter there are many references to the John gospel, it’s not hard to realize what those inspired writers meant.  In the John gospel Jesus presents his disciples with one commandment.   We are to love one another as Christ loves us!  When we do that we are truly living the entirety of Christ’s words—the perfect response to the covenant God has made with us in Christ Jesus.

Georgie with her dad, Randolph, and her friend, Meghan

 Reflect for a moment on something you plan to do this coming week. How will you illuminate those moments to those who around you by your words and actions?  Remember, we show our gratitude to God only to the degree we show our love toward others!

John, Kevin, & Mike

Readings: Acts of the Apostles 2, 42-47; Psalm 118; 1 Peter 1, 3-9; John 20, 19-31

Intro to the Readings – 2^nd Sunday of Easter

 Our first reading today is from Acts of the Apostles.  Remember this is part 2 of Luke’s story of Jesus and the Early Church, part one being his Gospel.  In Acts, Luke picks up the story right after the Resurrection.  He repeats the short piece about the Ascension, but the main body of Acts deals with the spread of the Good News to the Gentile World.  Our reading today is early in the story and is a kind of interlude about the early Christian church in Jerusalem. 

 
The few verses in today’s reading give us what I will call an idyllic view of that community.  And interestingly Luke, writing to a Greek audience uses a word in today’s reading, which only appears here in the Bible, but is commonly used in Greek literature to describe a kind of Utopian society.  I mention this because we could easily feel discouraged when we listen to what that early community was like and then reflect on our own community here today in 2011.  But for Luke’s original readers, this community is the one described by Plato, Ovid and other Greeks as the ideal community where all possessions are shared. 

 There is one other item worth noting in the reading and that is the four actions of this early community, the teaching of the apostles, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayers.  These are a great summary too of what Jesus did in his life.

 The second reading today is from the First Letter of Peter.  It was written to the churches in what is today Turkey and Syria.  The communities are having a tough time due to their faith, although they are not being persecuted yet.  Peter’s letter offers them great encouragement.  He probably wrote it around the year 64 from Rome. 

Second Sunday of Easter 2011 – Homily

Today, after we pray the our Father and a few other short prayers I will turn to you and say “ the peace of the Lord be with you all” but what is that ‘peace’?  I think we have a clue from the gospel just read.  To get a better understanding we need to look closely at what is happening in John’s gospel. 

Our reading today comes from the second half of Chapter 20.  Chapter 20 begins with the words “it was very early in the morning on the first day of the week, and still dark, when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb.”  By the way, chapter 19 ends with Jesus being laid in the tomb.  So we know we are on Easter Sunday morning.  What John’s Gospel proceeds to do is show that faith in the resurrection comes slowly.  Jesus’ disciples were not expecting it.  So when Mary finds the tomb empty her immediate conclusion is someone has taken the body.  Peter and another disciple, the ‘beloved’ disciple show up after Mary told them what she had discovered, and we are told they saw the garments, and that the ‘beloved disciple’ saw and believed, nothing about Peter believing yet. 

 And then we have today’s reading.  It is the same day, but evening.  They are all in a locked room, afraid of the Jews.  So I have to wonder, how big an impact had this early ‘faith’ of the beloved disciple had on the group.  By the way, Mary did see a gardener whom she recognizes when he calls her by name, but I suspect her story was put down to the rantings of a grieving woman??  So Jesus appears in the room, and twice says “peace be with you”.  What is this peace?  He immediately breathes on them, and remember an earlier breathing – in the book of Genesis, when God breathes on the clay and forms man, we now have God again breathing and forming new men!  People filled with the Holy Spirit.  In human terms I feel that this “peace be with you” had the same effect as when a child wakes up in the night crying and a parent wraps them in their arms and says “its OK, I’m here with you”.  The child feels safe. 

 
The resurrection, belief in the resurrection, makes us different people.  Yes it is the leap of faith, not a solid provable fact, but that faith gives us a hope, and a security that nothing can really harm us.  It is what gave the apostles the courage to go out and face that group of hostile Jews.  It is what brings us here this morning. 

 Remember in the first reading today from Acts, that little early idylic community which Luke described, we are not that different.  We come together to break bread, to pray, to learn the teaching of Jesus, and we do share our possessions.  This morning we will be giving anther $2,000 to the CCAC and also some money to the Plano Homes, and those are just two small examples of sharing our possessions.

 So today at our mass, when I say “the peace of the Lord be with you all” reflect for a moment before we offer each other the sign of that peace, do you feel like the child, wrapped and safe?

Picture 1:     Penny receiving a check from Bobby for Plano Community Homes

Picture 2:    Offertory with brother & sister, Bobby & Marlene

Picture 3:    Leo with Jackie

Picture 4:   Wendy's parents

Picture 5:   Gilberto preparing for the 5 Boro Bike tour with 2 of Rosemary's Nephew's kids, Emma & William 

Readings:

Jeremiah  20, 7-9,  You duped me, Lord, and I let myself be duped.

 Psalm 63,   My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord, my God.

Romans, 12, 1-2,  Do not conform youself to this age.

Matthew 16, 21-27,  Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.

Mr. Payton sez, "Hi, Everybody," along with his dad, Derrick.

Jeremiah observations–

What:  I think Jeremiah is my second favorite O.T. prophet, behind Isaiah, mostly because he makes whining and complaining into an art form.  I need to take lessons from him.  Not that he did not have enough to complain about.   Jeremiah is one of the Big 3 with Isaiah and Ezekiel.  He is called the ‘broken hearted prophet.’  Here is why.

Time:  Jeremiah lived and prophesied in Jerusalem around 600 before Christ.  Why is this important?  It is some 50 years before the Babylonian Captivity.  Jeremiah had a heart rending life predicting punishment of death and destruction for the Hebrews for their sinful, selfish ways.  Jeremiah predicted disaster, and disaster came in the person of Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon-Bagdad.

Jeremiah wore a wooden yoke as a visual aid to his message.  He may have been ultimately killed by the Hebrews.

Today:  Jeremiah is in top form.

            Sienna says, "Hi, Folks, Welcome in."

Deny Yourself, Take up Your Cross, and Follow Me

I want to talk this morning, folks, about the line in Matthew, Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me.  I confess right off, I hate this line.  Can you imagine a loving God creating people to deny themselves and take up a life of suffering? 

Matthew’s line can be very tricky.  It can be approached healthily or in a rather sick way.  I can witness to the latter in my own life.  I have already described how as a young Jesuit I was expected to do penance and deny myself in various ways, like the practice of using little whips to scourge our backs and little chains with points to wear around our thighs.  This was supposed to bring me closer to God.

Brooklyn, too, says, "Come on in Everybody, it's fun."

I can laugh at this now, but I am humbled at how easily I can be snookered.  When I read this line and others like it in the Bible and remember my experiences, I now see the presence of an ancient philosophy that still influences a lot of religious activity today.  The philosophy: dualism. 

The idea is simple.  Reality comes in pairs, hot & cold, dark & light, order & chaos, and, in particular for this discussion, body & soul or flesh & spirit.  So far so good. 

Tristan says it checks out okay here.

The trouble enters with a judgment about the flesh & spirit.  Specifically, flesh is bad, spirit is good, superior.  Consequently, so that my spirit may reach an elevated plane of purity & perfection, and ultimately closer union with God, I attempt to subdue my flesh by disregarding the body's needs, ultimately aiming to live without it.  Do not give in to pleasure.  How about that!

A couple of facts.  Dualism is identified as far back as 1000 years B.C. and came out of Zoroastrianism, a religion that worshiped one god and believed in an afterlife.  Did it come from Egypt as so much did at that time?  No, from Persia, the area we call Iran today.  Zoroastrianism was widespread until Muhammad arrived on the scene around 650 and established Islam.  Through the ages lots of people picked up on dualism, for example, Plato, Augustine, Descartes, and the early Christians, like Matthew.

However, there is a healthy approach to the line.  A story to exemplify the healthy.

Buddy in red today.

Way back when I was living at Jesuit and working as a psychotherapist, a single, divorced mother came with her son, Michael, one day and basically said, “help!”  She had a really active boy about 3^rd grade.  He and his neighbor buddy, a black kid, used to race around our neighborhood and the high school on their bikes.  Great kids.

The years passed and I got to know the Michael really well.  One afternoon when Michael was in 7^th grade at St. Monica, we were watering trees with the white truck and old red water trailer.  I don’t remember who was driving us along the medians, but at one point I can remember to this day, he said to me that if he did not make the entrance exam at Jesuit, his life was no good.  

Is red the color today? Who knows. Ask Victoria and Zoe.

I did not say anything at the moment.  But later I told him that thinking was baloney.  I said Jesuit did not want kids who said their lives were no good.  If he made it, Jesuit would be a better place.  If he did not, another school would be a better place because they had a tremendous gift in their school. 

He did not get in. 

So Michael went to Bishop Dunne.  He played sports, worked hard to make good grades, and kept in contact with a neat guy who was the admissions director at Jesuit.

He got in as a sophomore.  He did excellently.

Our Great Leo checking out the scene.

Next Michael wanted to go to A&M and join the corps.  He did not get in.  He does not test well.  So he went to Tech and joined the Air Force ROTC.  After 4 years there he invited me to the ceremony where he was to get his lieutenant bars.  

The ceremony was in a big auditorium.  Michael was the last.  On the stage with him were his mom and his girl friend, Lydia.  At one point in his personal ceremony Michael turns to the whole auditorium, asks their patience for a moment, turns back to Lydia, drops on a knee, and asks her to marry him. 

Talk about blowing the roof off of the auditorium.  Everybody went crazy.  She said yes. 

Emma working her magic spells.

Now, Michael has long finished his flight training, part of which took place right up at the scene of the Hotter N’ Hell, Wichita Falls.  He has been stationed all over the world, like Aviano, Italy, where we got the name of our dog, Aviana, after a visit there.   He has a little boy, a beautiful wife in Lydia, and a platinum career as a jet pilot.  

Michael has denied himself a lot of quite legitimate pleasures to achieve some healthy goals.  Even now he continues to keep himself in good physical and intellectual shape.  

So, how do you deny yourself and take up a cross?   

Offertory, John & Connie, Denni & Tom.

Readings:

Genesis  18,  20-32,  The story of Sodom & Gomorrah.

Psalm 138,  Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

Colossians 2, 12-14,     He has forgiven us all our transgressions.

Luke 11, 1-13,  Ask and you will receive.

 

Kevin, John, and Buddy

Book of Genesis, Ch 18 

— Probably written during the Babylonian captivity (6^th century BCE) to help solidify Jewish people in their identity as the people of God. 

Letter of Paul to church in Colossae: Ch 2 

— Colossae was a small community in Asia Minor, east of Ephesus.  This letter is written during Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome. 

Gospel of Luke: Ch 11

It’s in the letter to the Colossians that we learn Luke was a physician, the only mention of that fact.  Luke was probably Greek and the only non-Jewish writer in the New Testament, and accounts for almost a third of the New Testament (with Gospel and then Acts). This Gospel probably written between 80-100 AD, 3 or more generations after Jesus.  It was still being edited after 100 AD.   

 

Mike and Carol

Homily on 17^th Sunday in Ordinary Time – July 24, 2016

Each week of the year the Church selects readings from Scripture to teach us about God, to feed us with words that give life and comfort and challenge, and that remind us that we are one with God and one with each other. 

Today we learn again about God as merciful, as generous, as giving of the Spirit. 

These teachings about God’s goodness and mercy and generosity were tested for my family a couple of weeks ago when our friend Alex Folz died suddenly in his sleep at age 48.  Alex’ wife Leslie, her grown children Sarah, Mary, Liz and Peter, Alex’ parents Libby and Gene, his 3 sisters, Ali, Amy and Annie, Lambrini and her Mom, Kalliopi, and myself, and so many friends, work mates and acquaintances have been in shock and grief over his passing so suddenly from our lives. 

 

Celeste back from Albania for a couple of weeks

Lambrini met Alex as a co-worker at the Louisiana Department of Revenue 19 years ago.  Lambrini and Alex hit it off and became ‘best buddies’.  Before long Lambrini and me and Kalliopi were treating Alex as part of our family.  For years, several days a week, he would join us for meals.  He helped Kalliopi with her garden, plowing and digging.  He worked at learning enough Greek to be able to communicate with Kalliopi, which she loved about him.  Alex watched over our house and cared for our dog, Coco, whenever we were away.  Coco loved Alex and ran to greet him whenever she saw his car drive up.  We shared tools and vehicles and did all the things good friends and family do with each other.  Alex was a big OU Sooners fan.  He and I watched football games together and he and Mama and I would go eat meat together.

A few years ago he travelled with us on one of our trips to Greece.  Lambrini has always missed her 2 brothers, George in Greece, and John in Massachusetts who died over 10 years ago.  And Alex became her ‘best buddy’.  It was a rare day they didn’t speak, in person or by phone. 

Alex was very close to his parents and sisters.  He spoke with his parents every day and to his sisters frequently.  He loved his nephews and nieces and talked about them all the time.  Alex had friendships he maintained from his college years at OU in Norman, especially his good friend Shawn.  He had tennis buddies who met weekly to play together.  He joined a singles’ group, and that’s where he met Leslie.  In talking about their families, Alex and Leslie discovered that when they were little, their families had lived close to each other in the same area of Indiana, and some even knew each other.  Leslie’s grown kids showed had real caring for Alex, and were so happy that their mom had found love in her life again.  Alex and Leslie married last July at the Catholic Cathedral downtown.  What a happy day that was. 

Alex and Leslie were on a trip for Alex’ annual visit with his family for the 4^th of July weekend, and then they drove on to Chicago for a few days’ relaxation before Leslie’s daughter’s graduation from grad school that Saturday.  On Thursday Alex did not awaken and I got the call from Leslie.  Lambrini flew up to represent our family at his funeral in Indiana.  

We are taught and know that God is merciful, and generous and gives us the Spirit of life.  And we are tested when bad things happen to good people.  As the shock of Alex’ passing has gradually become a little softer, we have begun to see who Alex was to us; how he too was merciful and generous and giving of the Spirit to those around him; how his life made our lives better and more full; and much more fun—we laughed loud a lot with Alex.  As we grieve over this loss, we have realized that Alex was a presence of God in our lives.  Remember John Stack’s question to the parents and Godparents whenever he performs a Baptism: when is the last time you saw God?  Alex showed God’s Spirit over and over in a way that stays with me and gives me joy.  It has also been amazing to see his parents, in their grief, show such concern and caring for all of us feeling the loss of Alex.  And Leslie, dealing with her lost dreams and their lost plans for the future; and yet reaching out to give care and love for others who share the pain of loss.  It really helps that we are all in this together and that Alex’ life has left a lasting mark on all who were connected with him. 

We know from the Book of Job that there is no perfect answer for such losses.  For Lambrini and her mom and me it’s been other people who care and just connect with us that has made a difference.  So many family and friends have reached out to us just to be connected at this time.  I want you to know that I have definitely experienced and appreciated your support.  You listened; you didn’t try to define my grief or give it a meaning or take it away; you have showed me you are present to me and you are with me.  You are a part of the mercy and generosity and Spirit of God in my life.  Thank you for that.

My question today is:  How do you find comfort and the Spirit when you are tested?  And how are you part of that comfort and Spirit for others?