Sunday Homily, May 18, 08, Trinity Sunday

 

 

"Welcome in, Everybody," says Bill.

 

Readings:

Sirach  15, 15-20, Before man life and death, good and evil

Psalm 119,  Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 2, 6-10,  What eye has not seen.. What God has prepared for those who love him.

Matthew 5, 17-37  If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out.

 

 

Thanks, Grace, for lighting today's candles while the girls are away for the week end.

 

Observations:  on Sirach—

What:  This is one of those 12 odd books in between the Old and the New Testament.

 Author: a Jewish teacher called Joshua.  The only identified author in the whole Old Testament.  He tells us who he is, that he is a teacher, lived in Jerusalem, and traveled a lot.  It seems he put his work together while running a school in Alexandria, Egypt.

 

 

Thanks, John, for reading today's Blessing of the Candles.

 

 His grandson translated the Hebrew work into Greek.  This Hebrew text was lost for centuries until the 19^th century, when 2/3 of it was found in Cairo.  Then other portions were found in Qumran and Masada, as late as 1964.

 Date: composed around 175 years before Christ.  About 90 years before Christ the Jews put together their official bible, but excluded Sirach because they could not find the Hebrew version, only the Greek. 

 

 

The bearer of gifts, Loretta, Richard, & Cody.

 

 Christians accepted the book as part of their bible in the 2^nd century after Christ.  The Council of Trent (keep 1555 in mind as a date) officially accepted it, making it part of that extra 12 books called the Apocrypha or Deuterocanonical.  Martin Luther rejected the book & so do many Protestant congregations today.

 Subject Matter: practical ethics, duties.  Beware of the either / or spirituality presented.  Also, what about unconditional love??

 

 

 

Today's Team, John & John.

 

Subject today: you may choose good or bad.  Beware of the either / or spirituality presented in the reading.    All is either good or bad.  No in between or both, which is more what we all are, both good and bad.  

It can be simplistic & Pelagian, that is, it is all up to you and you have all the strength needed to choose good.  Pelagians thought that you had to EARN your salvation.  Therefore, the more religious stuff you did, like the more Masses, the more pilgrimages to the church & shrines, the more novenas & rosaries,  the more merit you win for yourself.

Psalm 119: the longest of all the psalms.  A focus on observance of the laws, decrees, and statutes.

 

 

Communion time.

 

Matthew 5:  a continuation of the Sermon on the Mount. Note the figures of speech called “antitheses,” namely, “You have heard it said, but, I say to you.”  4 even 5 times.  Matthew is trying to establish the authority & authenticity of Jesus.

See if you can find any unconditional love in this passage?  

Sources: Good News Bible; New Interpreter's Bible; Reginal Fuller, S.J., David Westberg, S.J., & Larry Gillick, S.J., St. Louis U. Liturgies, on line; Wikipedia .

 

 

Communion helpers & cleaners

 

Wako Spirituality

We have been here before, Folks.  In fact, Mike says to me, “So, are you going to start with that same story again?”  Yes, Everybody, we begin with that same story.  Just a quick reminder.  Here we go.

When I was studying theology in Toronto years ago, like maybe 1970, an article came out in the local newspaper.  Some guy had read the passage saying that if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.  He did it, folks. 

 

 

Shonda & Ben, The Best.

 

 In this passage from Matthew there are five pieces of advice to the early Christians which taken literally can get a person all messed up.  Is there a positive as well as a negative to each? 

Two observations before I touch the five.  I have mentioned this so often that I hope you are not worn out.  First, infinite demand and infinite acceptance.  Watch out here for a lot of infinite demand.  I’ll give a positive & a negative for each.  Secondly, God, unconditional love.

 

 

 

Bill getting us ready for the Love for Kids picnic, this for handicapped kids.

 

Matthew’s five pieces of advice are 1. breaking the least commandment,  2. getting angry,  3. looking at a woman, 4. divorce, and  5. swearing.  Here goes.

• Matthew says that if you break the smallest commandment you will be the least in the kingdom.  Moreover, unless you are better than the Pharisees, you will not even get into the kingdom.  The positive here is that the bar is set high.  The negative is that all, all of us sinners will be kept out. It creates scruples and obsessive compulsive behavior.  

 

 

It always tastes better through the nose.

 

• Secondly, if you get mad at me and call me a fool, you are going to Hell.  I love it.  The positive here is the call to anger management.  I am challenged to know that all feelings are okay and need to be controlled.  The negative is that it gives me the idea that anger is not allowed, so stuff it.  Trouble is, it does not stuff well.  Not like a sleeping bag or tent.  It pops up in unexpected places.

• Looking at a woman with lust.  The positive here is teaching respect for all people.  This advice, written by men for men, was attempting to gain some respect for women who were looked upon as property.  I found this in Tanzania & Kenya.  Rosemary read me an article about some guy who cut off his wife’s ears and nose for reporting him for abuse.   The negative is that it teaches us that feelings are sinful.  In the old days, we thought we looked at a girl and we were going to hell.  This is doubly sad because I don’t think there is a hell anyway.

 

 

 

More of the same, please.

 

• Divorce is adultery.  The positive is that it reinforces the unity of marriage.  The negative is that people stay in abusive or addictive marriages long after it may even be safe.  Divorce is failure and we all fail sometimes even in tragic ways.  In order to escape using the word divorce the Catholic Church comes up with the more convoluted word Annulment.

• Swearing.  The positive is that it involves politeness and respect for others.  Even if I am okay with my anger I do not swear at someone.  The negative is that it tightens us up.  We forget the therapeutic value of cussing, maybe a healthy & fun way of releasing anger.  The healthy Jesuits I lived with certainly partook of this therapy. 

 

 

Welcome home, Loretta.

 

 The overall danger in these pieces of advice is that we really get messed up, forgetting two things.  First they are presenting infinite demand and they make no mention of infinite acceptance.

Secondly, where is the God of unconditional love?

 The poor guy in Toronto who blinded himself is an example of how we can mess ourselves up with goofy religion.  

 Where are you with these ideas?

 

 

Readings: Sirach 15, 15-20; Psalm 119, Blessed are They who follow the Law of the Lord; 1 Corinthians; Matthew 5, 17-37. 

 

Observations: on Psalm 119, on Matthew 5, and, first, on Sirach–

 Author: a Jewish teacher called Joshua.  The only identified author in the whole Old Testament.  He tells us who he is, that he is a teacher, lived in Jerusalem, and traveled a lot.  It seems he put his work together while running a school in Alexandria, Egypt.

 His grandson translated the Hebrew work into Greek.  This Hebrew text was lost for centuries until the 19^th century, when 2/3 of it was found in Cairo.  Then other portions were found in Qumran and Masada, as late as 1964.

 

Date: composed around 175 years before Christ.  About 90 years before Christ the Jews put together their official bible, but excluded Sirach because they could not find the Hebrew version, only the Greek. 

 Christians accepted the book as part of their bible in the 2^nd century after Christ.  The Council of Trent officially accepted it, making it part of that extra 12 books called the Apocrypha or Deuterocanonical.  Martin Luther rejected the book & so do many Protestant congregations today.

 Subject Matter: practical ethics, duties,

 

Subject today: you may choose good or bad.  A bit simplistic & Pelagian, that is, it is all up to you and you have all the strength needed to do what you want.  Pelagians thought that you had to EARN your salvation.  Therefore, the more religious stuff you did, like today, the more Masses, the more pilgrimages to the church & shrines, the more novenas & rosaries,  the more merit you win for yourself.

 

Psalm 119: the longest of all the psalms.  A focus on observance of the laws, decrees, and statutes.

 

Matthew 5:  a continuation of the Sermon on the Mount, like Tony talked about last week.  And like he mentioned, note the so called figures of speech called “antitheses,” namely, “You have heard it said, but, I say to you.”  4 even 5 times.  Matthew is trying to establish the authority & authenticity of Jesus.

Sources: Good New Bible; New Interpreter's Bible., Wikipedia; Reginal Fuller, S.J., David Westberg, S.J., & Larry Gillick, S.J., St. Louis U. Liturgies, on line.

 

 

Tear It Out & Throw It Away, My Right Eye?  You Crazy?!

 I think I have mentioned this once before, but it bears repeating because it is so relevant. 

 When I was studying theology in Toronto years ago, an article came out in the local newspaper.  Some guy had read the passage saying that if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.  He did it, folks. 

 In this passage from Matthew there are five pieces of advice to the early Christians which taken literally can get a person all messed up.  Is there a positive as well as a negative to each? 

 One observation before I touch the five.  I have mentioned this before when we’ve talked about Christian spirituality.  Infinite demand and infinite acceptance.  Watch out here for a lot of infinite demand.  I’ll give a positive & a negative for each.

 

Matthew’s five pieces of advice are 1. breaking the least commandment, 2. getting angry and going to Gehenna, 3. looking at a woman with lust, 4. divorce, and 5. swearing.  Here goes.

1.  Matthew says that if you break the smallest commandment you will be the least in the kingdom.  Moreover, unless you are better than the Pharisees, you will not even get into the kingdom.  The positive here is that the bar is set high.  The negative is that all, all of us sinners will be kept out. It creates scruples or obsessive compulsive behavior.  Pretty discouraging.

 2.  Secondly, if you get mad at me and call me a fool, you are going to Gehenna.  I love it.  The positive here is the call to anger management.  I am challenged to know that all feelings are okay and need to be controlled.  The negative is that it gives me the idea that anger is not allowed, so stuff it.  Trouble is, it does not stuff well.  Not like a sleeping bag or tent.  It pops up in unexpected places.

 3.  Looking at a woman with lust.  The positive here is teaching respect for all people.  This advice, written by men for men, was attempting to gain some respect for women who were looked upon as property.  I found this  in Tanzania & Kenya.  Rosemary read me an article about some Muslim who cut off his wife’s ears and nose for reporting him for abuse. 

 The negative is that it teaches us that feelings are sinful.  In the old days, we thought we looked at a girl and we were going to hell.  This is doubly sad because current scholars consider hell to be non-existent, a cognitive creation by humans.   I agree. 

 

4.  Divorce is adultery.  The positive is that it reinforces the unity of marriage.  The negative is that people stay in abusive or addictive marriages long after it may even be safe.  Divorce is failure and we all fail sometimes even in tragic ways.  In order to escape using the word divorce the Catholic Church comes up with the more convoluted word Annulment.

 5.  Swearing.  The positive is that it involves politeness and respect for others.  Even if I am okay with my anger I do not swear at someone.  The negative is that it tightens us up.  We forget the therapeutic value of cussing, maybe a healthy & fun way of releasing anger.  The healthy Jesuits I lived with certainly partook of this therapy. 

 The overall danger in these pieces of advice is that we really get messed up, forgetting two things.  First they are presenting infinite demand.  Secondly, they make no mention of infinite acceptance.

 The poor guy in Toronto who blinded himself is an example of how we can mess ourselves up with goofy religion. 

 What do you think about these ideas?

 

 Picture 1:   Mass Begins

 Picture 2:   Communion Helpers, Patricia, Nancy, Beth, & Jan

 Picture 3:   Dessert First with Mike & Holly

 Picture 4:   Landry & Leo with Loretta & Ray

 Picture 5:   Landry, whom we were praying for, with her mom & dad, Ashley & Zack, and her big brother, Cooper, in the stroller, along with Ray & Loretta

  

 

 

 

"Welcome in, Everybody," says our dear Michelle, The Great Mom.

 

 

Readings:

Isaiah 40, 1-5, 9-11,   Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God

Psalm 85,  Lord, let us see you kindness and grant us your salvation.

2 Peter 3, 8-14,  One day with the Lord is like a thousand years.

Mark, 1, 1-,  He will prepare your way.

 

Christmas Eve Mass, 12/24/17 at 4:00.

 

 

Our Dearest Candle Lighter, Emma, at work bringing us light.

 

Observations on Isaiah

Who: number 2 Isaiah, my favorite and a bringer of peace and consolation.  This is despite the fact that Isaiah 2 is composing during the time of the Babylonian Captivity.

If you are familiar with Handel’s Messiah, you will recognize lines he took directly from this passage.  

 

Watch out for a line in the letter of Peter, where God is compared to a thief who will come unexpectedly and send you to a bad place.

 

 

 

Thanks for the help with the Offertory, Teresa & Tom, and Leo in the back.

 

 

The Day of the Lord will come like a thief

In the spirit of Advent I want to tell you three stories about how the thief came to me in the past week.  This is my kind of thief, one who brings peace and consolation.

 

 

 

The Best Music with Shonda, Ben, & David.
 

 

 

There is a person who lives in a suburb not far from our community gathering place here at Sigler Elementary.  In this neighborhood the Dallas Morning News is delivered every morning at 6:10.  The paper is thrown into the lawn from a passing car or pick-up (not like in my days as a paper boy when I walked and took pride in placing the paper right at the front door).  In the neighborhood the first person to fetch the paper walks around and delivers everyone’s paper to their doorstep.  Pretty cool.

This past Friday morning this person was ready to do the paper delivery, stepped out, and behold, his paper had already been delivered by a neighbor.  This is getting merit by intention, an old Catholic grade school teaching of the Ursuline nuns.  The person?  Our Mike Carroll, a thief who regularly brings peace and consolation to all.

 

 

 

Communion ready, Claire & Sandra, Geri & Mike & Patricia.

 

 

 

The name of second thief is unknown.  Andy Sokolowski, one of our stalwart backpackers, told me this.  He & his wife were in their RV looking for a special park in Arizona.  They cannot find it, are sitting at the edge of the road looking at their map, and up comes a black guy who asks if they are lost. 

Yes!  The guy explains how to get to the park, which involves about half a dozen turns on little roads.  A couple of miles down their road, they are lost again. 

 

 

 

The real thieves at the Love for Kids picnic bringing peace and consolation.

 

 

But, behind them comes the thief bringing peace and consolation.  He offers to personally lead them to the park.  The thief of peace and consolation has struck again.

The third even took place yesterday, yes, the Great Love for Kids picnic at the large ranch west of Flower Mound.  The picnic invites kids from DISD and other school districts.  The schools are mostly from low income neighborhoods.

 

 

 

Those thieves were everywhere.   This young teacher is lacing up the shoe of one of her little charges.

 

Saturday 30 plus buses delivered a thousand pumped kids to a whole swarm of activities.  I watched those kids come into the big rectangular pavilion.  They were so excited.   Immediately they were welcomed with music and special middle school kids who sang and invited the kids to dance.  One the stage was even a Downs Syndrome girl who could really dance.

Waiting for them were bags of pop corn, kool-ade, face painting and tatoos, horse back rides, and  lunch.  Plus more music and dancing.  Every kid got a new winter coat and they were not all alike.  When the kids got back on their buses, guess what they found. A package of goodies had been put on every seat in every bus.

 

 

 

 

Welcome, All You Kids.

 

Who made this all possible and did all the work?  A whole big gang of volunteers , among them a big bunch from our community.  They struck again, those thieves of peace and consolation.

To whom are you a thief bringing peace and consolation?

 

 

These kids looked like middle school level, but could they all sing and dance, and get everyone else dancing.

 

 

 Readings: Exodus 17, 8-13; Psalm 121, Our help is from the Lord, who made Heaven & Earth; 2 Timothy 3, 14-4, 2; Luke 18, 1-8 

Exodus

 Author: Not Moses.  3 sources identified by literary style, points of view, use of Yahweh or Elohim.

 
 

Date: the sources have different possible dates, but 700 & 800 BCE seem to have some foundation.  The Egyptian period itself is thought to be ca. 1250 BCE, during the time of Rameses II.

 Subject: Moses leads the Jewish people out of slavery in Egypt.  Remember how they got there?  The story of Isaac & his 12 sons, his youngest sold to camel drivers by the brothers, etc.

 Our Selection: scene, the desert; the event, the Amalekites attack the Jews.  Yahweh orders Joshua to mow them down with Moses’ supporting him with arms outstretched in blessing.   Not much connection with the Gospel.

 Sources: New Interpreter’s Bibl;, Good News Bibl;, Wikipedia; St. Louis U. Liturgy & Reginald Fuller.

 

Why do You Pray?

 There is a subdivision in North Dallas called Northwood Hills.  You go north from LBJ up Hillcrest to Belt Line and the subdivision is on both sides of Hillcrest.

 A few years before I departed the Jesuits some residents of Northwood Hills approached me about planting trees in their neighborhood.  I really did not want to go north of LBJ with my 800 gallon trailer.  They persisted and bit by bit, after a trip or two hosted by 2 or 3 couples, I finally agreed. 

 
 

We eventually planted ca. 400 trees along Hillcrest & Belt Line, in Fretz Park, and at a couple of elementary schools.  I watered those trees as often as twice a week for 2-3 years.  Ride by there now and the results are beautiful.  I am delighted I did it.

 Does this experience of mine and the parable of the gruff judge and the widow exemplify our relationship with God?   Who knows?  Each of us has our relationship and our expectations of the relationship.  For me, I have my doubts.  Three observations, one like and two dislikes.

 First, I like the lesson in asking for what we want, even from a judge at city hall.  The father of my best buddy when I was a kid used to tell me, “John, you can’t fight city hall.”  Maybe not, maybe so.  But you can certainly ask for what you want—in this life.

 Secondly, what I don’t like: the comparison of God with this grumpy judge who accedes to the widow’s request just so he won’t be bothered.  I have a different, more benevolent image.

 

Thirdly, what I don’t like: a false expectation contained in the parable that I can wear down God by my persistence.  I remember my mom’s 9 day novenas.  Probably to save me from hell.  Then I joined the Jesuits and left home and she probably told God that was not quite what she intended. 

 I find it helpful to make that infamous God distinction of mine, the macro-managing God and the micro-managing God.  I don’t see God doing the latter. 

 If God is a micro-manager, I don’t get it at all.  For every person apparently saved, how many thousands, millions have been lost, often with painful, agonizing deaths.  Take for example the Holocaust.  Did those people not beg Yahweh to be saved?  The slaves beaten to death.  Even here is Texas these days, the black men falsely accused and spending decades in prison until DNA proves their innocence.  My friend Tony works with maybe a dozen of these guys at Holy Trinity.

 So, why pray for people like we do?  Our people.  You know them. 

My observation: I hope some cosmic kinetic energy flows out to make more gentle the life of the person I pray for.  2-3 praying together emanate hopefully more energy. 

The Northwood Hills folks pestered me until I granted their request, a lesson for all of us in our daily lives.  This may not be a model for our relationship with God. 

Why do you pray?  With what results? 

 Picture 1:  Leo welcoming the Community

 Picture 2:  Leo's Mom & Dad, Shonda & Ray

 Picture 3:  Anthony & his dad, John

 Picture 4:  The Coffee Shoppe, Bob & Judy

 
 

 

"Welcome in, Everybody," sez Beth & Emma.

 

Readings: 

Acts of the Apostles, 5, 27-32, 40-41  We gave you strict orders to stop teaching in that name.

Psalm 30, I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

Revelation 11-14, I, John, heard the voices of many angels.

John 21, 1-19, Jesus appears to the apostles at the Sea of Tiberias.

 

 

 

Watch out, Bill, you are a marked man. 

 

 

I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

I would like to talk this morning about how the Lord has rescued me.  Like from my fears.

There was this happy hour.  About 6 to 10 of us first year Jesuit theology students put it together our first semester in Toronto.  Probably all of us had spent the last 3 years teaching in various Jesuit high schools from Seattle to NY, through Chicago, and Dallas where I taught at Jesuit.

It was great fun squeezing into each others’ small bedrooms for a drink and chatter about 5:30.  Lots of laughter & camaraderie.

 

 

 

Sophia & Georgie, you make a great candle lighting team. 

 

As the second semester began a number of us began to be a bit concerned that we were drinking a bit much.  Like one drink on week nights, 2 or three on weekends and holidays.   

So we decided to replace the happy hour to bundle up (Toronto gets lots of cold & snow in January) and run our half mile driveway to the entrance gate & back.  I even stopped drinking at this time for about 6-8 years, until I went to East Africa.

 

 

 

And John, Hue, Connie, and Patricia, what an offertory team you make.

 

Our property was a beautiful east west park like campus.  On the north side was the back yards of a row of, say 10 nice middle class houses.  Our drive passed along the row of houses.

Though I loved my Jesuit buddies and even enjoyed running  through the snow in the dark under occasional street lamps, I was sad that I would not have a warm house, kids, and a wife, like lived in those houses.  I even got close to a local Catholic family who had 6 kids.

 

 

 

A bikers' consultation.

 

Looking back now, the Lord was rescuing me, whispering in my spirit, You do not have to give up this life to be okay and to make a difference.

The next time I got the message was when I went to East Africa and saw how lots of good priests, bishops, and even a cardinal had common law wives.  The people cheered them for being normal.

 

 

 

Charlie, are you looking in somebody's pocket?  I caught you!

 

 

 

Getting kicked out of East Africa sent me back to the States different, open to a relationship, but certainly not knowing anyone .  I got into dancing and guess who came along, Rosemary.

And now a little story about our relationship which some of you have maybe heard piecemeal.  

 

 

Would you trust your cupcake with these two?

 

I asked Rosemary if she would marry me in 1990.  There was one enormous condition: that we wait to formally marry until 2005, when I would be 65.  Why?  Because once I  left the Jesuits I would have no insurance.   I had seen some of my guys leave, have a disease or accident, and cripple that marriage.  Guess what.  She agreed and this morning, Cinco de Mayo, we celebrate our 14^th. 

How has the Lord rescued you from your fears?

 

 

 

What a handsome group  of Romeos.  Eat your hearts out, Juliets.

 

Welcome in, Sydney & Hugh, you are early enough to find seats.

 

 

Readings: 

Isaiah 6, 1- 2,  3-8,   Whom shall I send? Here I am, send me..

Psalm 138,  In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.  (Good one)

1 Corinthians 15, 1-11,    I am the least of all the apostles

Luke 5,  1-11,  Today this passage is fulfilled in your hearing.

 

 

"Welcome in," says Ben, "we are ready to warm You up."

 

Observations:   Isaiah (I) 

This is The Great One.  The Prophet.  My favorite.  In general, this work has three parts put together by three different people.  It is time dependent: before, during, and after the, you guessed it, the Babylonian Captivity.  Keep 555 before Christ in mind as an easy date.  You can guess that this is Isaiah I, being chapter 6 (of 66 chapters)

Last week we heard the story of the prophet Jeremiah’s call by Yahweh.  This week we have Isaiah’s call. 

 

 

 

Cindy, too, says, "Welcome in, Everybody.  It is warmer in here than out there in that cold rain."

 

Psalm 138

Want to hear something beautiful?  Listen to today’s psalm.  Another of my favorites. Thanks, thanks, and more thanks.

1 Corinthians 15

In last week’s Corinthians’ reading Paul described his vision of love.  Today he continues talking to the people of his church in Corinth, focusing on how he was called by God.

So, today we have a theme of call & gratitude.  Even the gospel has a sub-theme of call.  Pretty neat.

 

 

Jim & John solving all our problems in life.

 

Sunday Homily

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart

We have been blessed the past few weeks because of so many good readings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and now Psalm 138, one of my favorites.   I can still remember when and where it was that I became aware of its beauty.   I was in Nairobi making a private retreat near an arboretum.  My subject today, therefore, is another of my favorite activities,  giving thanks.

 

 

Jan, our official greeter as everyone comes in, readies the home made communion bread and the grape juice.

 

About two weeks ago I got an Email from a young woman who wanted me to perform her wedding in October here in Dallas.  I have backed off of doing weddings almost every weekend.  Just too exhausting & I don’t have the old energy.

I do not remember this girl, but she wrote something that really hooked me.  She said that she used to attend St. Marks Cafetorium Masses and loved my homilies.  Naturally,  of course, I accepted her invitation, and was grateful that here is one person who has with me fond memories of some good times.

 

 

"Where is that crazy mike button?"

 

The second reason I gave thanks this week tied in with this girl who is called Kathleen.   Remember the monster kid who came to our Mass last Sunday?  Noah and his mom.  The kid whom I knew when he was just a little guy who helped me  as an Altar server in the cafetorium.  Within a couple of weeks I have remembered with gratitude the good times I had at St. Marks.

The thirst reason why I am giving thanks to the Lord with all my heart today is because  of the spinal surgeon who took away all my pain with his operation.   Thursday, exactly six weeks since the operation, he gave me a complete and total discharge.

 

 

Emma, you are so good, I think you could light those candles in your sleep.

 

I may ride my bike & return to the 6 A.M. spin classes at the Jewish Community Center.  I don’t even have to have a physical therapist.  According to him I am old enough and experienced enough to manage my continuing rehab.

 

 

Buddy, you have a gift for reading and you are developing a terrific stage presence.

 

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart.  

For what are you giving thanks this morning?

 

 

I give thanks, Sir Charlie, that you have not pulled a fast one on me in the last 5 minutes, or so I think, maybe, I hope.