Readings: Genesis 15, 5-18; Psalm 27, The Lord is My Light and My Salvation; Philippians 3, 17-4,1; Luke 9, 28-36
 

Introduction to the Readings

Our three readings today are each very interesting in themselves.  Our first reading, from the book of Genesis is from Chapter 15.  We hear about Abram and one of many times we are told about the descendants of Abram.  Genesis is very interesting reading from Chapter 12 on for several chapters. We hear about the call of Abram, his leaving his homeland with all is possessions including his wife and nephew Lot, their time in Egypt and then the split with Lot, and their dividing up the land.  Then we read about the rescue of Lot and all of the people by Abram.  As a reward, Abram is offered whatever he wants by the kings and he basically says that he wants nothing.  Then we have our reading today, where again we have this promise by God to Abram of many descendants.  One item of interest is towards the end of today’s reading we are told that a “trance fell on Abram”, basically he fell asleep.  In our gospel, the disciples also fall asleep, before a strange vision. 

The second reading is from Paul’s Letter to the Philippians.  This is a very short letter, only four chapters, and something we might consider reading in its entirety during the coming week.  http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/philippians/intro.htm

More about the Gospel later in the homily.

 

   

 

Second Sunday of Lent – Homily

“This is my chosen one, listen to Him” The last time Luke’s Gospel records words from God the Father is right after Jesus’ Baptism, when we hear “You are my Son, the Beloved, my favor rests on you”. 

This gospel passage we have just heard is very interesting.  I want to look back for a moment to last week’s gospel reading about the temptation account.  If you had all been good Jews very familiar with the Old Testament, when I read that account and said that Jesus was lead into the desert for 40 days you would all have immediately thought about Moses spending 40 days up the mountain (Ex 34:26) before receiving the Ten Commandments, the sign of the covenant between God and his people, and also remembered Elijah’s 40 days in the desert (1Kings 19:8) after his great confrontation with the false prophets, and of course (Deut 8:2) the forty years of wandering in the desert after the escape from Egypt.

Today’s reading, often referred to as the Transfiguration, has much to tell us.  Once again we are going up a mountain.  It seems to be where many important things happen in the God relationship.  Whenever Jesus goes off to a quiet place to pray, most of the time it seems to be up a mountain.  This time he takes Peter, James and John, and just as later in the garden of Gethsemane, they promptly fall asleep!  I take this as a source of encouragement, to keep trying.  And to follow with the link you all made with last Sundays 40 days reference, Jesus meets up with the two great prophets of the Old Testament, Moses of the Law and Elijah, THE PROPHET.  Luke wants us initially to view Jesus as Prophet. 

In a section of Luke’s Gospel just before today’s reading Jesus has just told his disciples about his being rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the scribes and being put to death and rising after three days.  In this transfiguration account, that is exactly what Jesus is talking about with Moses and Elijah!  Of course the apostles are mostly asleep during this conversation, and when they wake up, again we have poor Peter putting his foot in it by wanting to erect three tents.  There are a couple of problems with Peter’s suggestion.  The idea that God can be captured and put in a certain place, like a tent, or even a church!  And secondly, that Jesus is far greater than any prophet, which is why the voice comes out of the cloud and tells them the important thing is “to listen”. 

If we carefully read the gospels to try and get a sense of what Jesus was saying, he really didn’t say too much, he mostly did.  And I think that if we listen carefully to the Gospel the message we must come away with as followers of Jesus is not a set of beliefs or creeds but the command to action, to love one another.  To take care of the poor and the sick, to feed the hungry and to clothe the naked, to visit those in prison.  Because “as often as you did it to these you did it to me”. 

At least that is what I hear when I listen, what do you hear?

 

 

Says Genevieve, "Happy Easter, Everybody.  It is my very first Easter."

 

Readings:

Acts  10, 34, 37-43,  You know what has happened all over Judea.

Psalm 118,  This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.

1 Corinthians 5, 6-8, A little yeast leavens all the dough.

John 20, 1-9,  Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark. 

 

And J.T. and his mom, Maria, say, "Happy Easter, Folks." 

 

 

Acts observations:

What:  This work describes the spread of Christianity though out the Mediterranean world.  The main characters are Peter & Paul.  It presents both an idealized view of the community and a look at the significant struggles that took place between Peter & Paul on policy.  

We will see Acts every Sunday until May 15, Pentecost.  

 

 

Kevin says, "Come on in, Folks, we are ready to celebrate Easter."

 

Resurrection People

This Easter morning I would like to talk about Resurrection people.  These are folks who have come back to life.  Some may not be local, others are right here in our marvelous community.   I have three people and a bonus.  Here we go.

Ever hear of Anthony Graves?  He is an exoneree.  What is that?  Anthony is a black guy who was pardoned or exonerated for a multiple murder near Bryan, TX.  He never committed the crime.  Anthony spent 18 years in prison, 12 of them on Texas death row.  The DA at the trial hid evidence and falsified testimony.  He has since been disbarred.  How could he live with himself!

 

 

Hi, Emma, is that an Easter package?

 

 

How do you think you would feel if you were released after spending 18 years in prison?  Anthony Graves came out not angry, not resentful, and not seeking revenge.  He came out grateful and at peace. 

As some recompense, Anthony was given 1 1/2 million.  Anthony would easily be excused if he just took the money and went off the radar screen. 

 

 

Hi, Ben, Love the metalic look.   Happy Easter.

 

As a matter of fact, Anthony has used the money for others unfairly imprisoned.  He has opened a free clinic in Houston where exonerees get medical help and counseling.  He also works on the cases of others he knows have been unjustly condemned. 

Anthony is a Resurrection Person for me.  

(Reference. Dallas Morning News, 3-20 & 23)

 

 

 

Hi, Charlotte, tell your daddy thanks for coming today & bringing you and Nora.  

 

There are others, too, closer to home and closer to me, members of our very own own community.  

Rosemary & I brought communion one Sunday a  year or so ago to Stacie when she was struggling with chemo and cancer recovery.   Stacie is now cancer free and this past February 17 we just celebrated Stacie’s wedding to Paul.   Guess where they had met?  On an airline flight.  They were seated together.  Stacie is one of my Resurrection People. 

 

 

Hi, Nora, thanks for coming today.  Remember Christmas?  Who was  Baby Jesus?      Ready for your baptism this Saturday?  

 

 

Also part of our community is Jackie.  She had one bout with cancer and I was with her when she danced in her driveway one afternoon after she had been declared free of that cancer. 

A year or so later, it returned.  After more treatment, the prognosis is positive and Jackie rejoices in being alive.  She has even become part of a small team of cancer survivors who share their stories with medical students at Baylor.  Jackie is one of my Resurrection People.

 

Happy Easter, Natalie.  You look terrific.

 

Finally, a bonus.  This person, who will remain nameless, had received a present from Santa of a new bike a couple of years ago.  A few weeks later on a beautiful Friday afternoon in January on a bike ride around White Rock Lake this person fell off of her bike and broke her left elbow so badly it needed 9 screws and a plate to put it back together.   Recuperation took some months.

You would figure, right?, that she would give up biking and take up walking the dog.   Nope.   She got back up on that bike and last summer rode around The Lake most weekdays.  In fact, she has become a wicked biker.  This is my special Resurrection Person. 

 

 

Anybody want to try to guess what Chloe & her grandmom, Denni  are plotting? 

 

Who are your Resurrection People? 

How are you an R.P?

 

An Easter Picture, Denni & her grandkids minus only Nora.

 

 

Readings: Luke 19, 28-40 (Entry into Jerusalem); Isaiah 50, 4-7; Psalm 22; Philippians 2, 6-22; Luke 22, 14-23, 56 (The Passion). No homily today. Download the reading of the Passion as an mp3 file.

Two parts to the liturgy today. Part one covers the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and the blessing of the palms.

Part two covers the Passion and begins the solemnity of Holy Week.

Special Thanks:

• For reading, Jackie McGrath, Tony Whitley, Blair Reyes, Nancy Kovatis, Jessica Bresson                
• For the Altar Bread, Angie Carroll
• For Serving, T.J., Lacee, & Lorynne
• For the Altar, donuts, muffins, coffee, & juice, Margie, Jackie, Lisa, Ray & Claire, & Margarita
• For the Books & Communion Cups, Roy & Carol Strom, Beth & Rob Robinson
• For ushering & all sorts of jobs, Cliff Wright
• For the music, Ray & Shonda, Wendy, Elliot & Hue, Rick & Jackie

Happy Birthday: Mark Nugent, Cole Bentley, Jacob Wilson & Nicole Wilson, Elliot Zurchin

Happy Anniversary: Bobbi Jo & Danny, Myron & Chris Hubble

Please Remember: Rosemary’s nephew definitely improving; Jean Atwood’s uncle Harry & aunt; Margarita’s sister Tina’s friend Evelyn with cancer; Jackie Ritter’s friend Chad Johnson; little 5 month old Sadie with cancer, friend of Jack Carlson; Tom Quinn’s brother Tim; Nina Tucker’s friend Nancy with stage 4; Barb Senter’s mom, Margie’s mom, Dona & Cathy Goode’s mom; David Pastula & his companions in the military over seas, including Trey Bailey back from his 3rd deployment, Ryan McClurg, Matt Gardner, Chebino, & T.J.’s friend Aimee; David & Ofelia, Rita; Mary Ellen’s Christopher, Margaret, & Jim; George & Marianne’s sons & Linda’s son; Rob’s mom & dad; & a cure for autism from Laura Chollick.

Spiritual Formation Schedule (CCD): We’ve started. Welcome!!

Your Finances:

• April 1: Income for Running Expenses: $778.00      
• April 1: Income for Outreach Expenses: $515.00

Thanks for your Generosity!

Next Mass: April 8, 2007, Easter Sunday

Holy Thursday Mass & Good Friday: 7:00 P.M., home of Chris & Terry Phipps, 1712 Glenwick Dr., Plano 75075

Key: Westwood stoplight (between Custer and Alma on 15th Street) Go south and 3rd street on right is Glenwick.

Click here for a map.

 

 

Welcome, Everybody, to our new home.  And thanks, Becky, for all you have done to welcome us.

 

 

Readings:  

 Exodus 24, 3-8,   This is the blood of the covenant

 Psalm 116,   I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord

 Hebrews 9, 11-15,    He is a mediator of a new covenant.

 Mark 14, 12-16, 22-26,   The Eucharist   

 

 

 

 

John with his long awaited arm operation done.

 

 

Exodus:   8 points on the readings, including 2 on Exodus, 4 on points from the other readings, 2 more on Exodus

    1.  This is the 2nd book of the Torah/Pentateuch, the first section of the Old Testament.  Deuteronomy, which we visited last week, is the 5th & last book.

 

 

 

Emma doing her candle Magic.

 

 

    2.  Story: This is a fabulous and edifying fable that tells how the Israelites got out of slavery in Egypt with the leadership of Moses. 

    3.  Passover: the night the angel passed over the first born male children of the Jews because they had smeared lamb blood on their door posts.  But the angel killed all the Egyptian first born sons to make Pharaoh let the people go.  Remember, this is not history, rather like a fable, like Aesop's Fables.  There is a story about the burning bush in the Holy Land, for tourists.  Tourists are told this bush was the bush that burst into flame and from which Yahweh spoke to Moses.

 

 

 

 

Welcome in, Harper.  I cannot wait to meet your new little sister, Betsy.

 

 

    4.  Covenant vs Contract: in a contract two parties agree to do something.  If one fails, the contract is often null.  In a covenant two people agree, and even if one party fails, the other party honors the covenant.  The Covenant between Yahweh & the People:  the people will honor Yahweh as their only god; Yahweh will protect and care for them as his chosen, and bring them into a new land.

    5.  Sacrifice & holocaust: ancient tribal belief that I must offer to my god (s) things precious to me to appease the god's anger or win his favor, for example, animals, prisoners, and the most beautiful girl in the community.  Jesus was seen as this sacrifice to appease the god, and also as the high priest who usually performed the sacrifice.  Thus the emphasis on blood & death.  Today scripture scholars as well as ordinary folks don't believe in a God who was so angry that he demanded special sacrifice.  We do not have a vengeful, angry God.

 

 

 

 

Sandra reads our Blessing of the Candles.

 

 

    6.  12 tribes: the 12 sons of the patriarch Jacob (or Israel; the 3 patiarchs were Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob-Israel).

    7.  Author & Date of Exodus: not Moses.  Rather a compilation of material from different centuries, that was mostly put together after the Babylonian Captivity, e.g., ca. 550 BCE.

    8.  Our Selection from Exodus: the people have been wandering in the desert and are now being given laws and customs they must observe.  The Covenant is being sealed.

 

 

 

 

The Best, Shonda & Ben.

 

 

A Banquet of Joy

In  honor of it being the feast of Corpus Christi, which is a celebration of our relationship with someone who totally loves us and accepts us as we are, I want to tell you a banquet of joy story.

These banquets take place morning, noon, and night.  It does not matter.  In fact, my dad was part of a morning banquet every week day at Christ the King parish, as I mentioned last week.

 

 

 

 

Rita & her admirer at the JCC gym, Jewish Community Center.

 

 

The banquet I was part of was in the morning about 6:00, at the Jewish Community Center, in the second floor gym, in fact.

There is a little lady named Rita.  She is black, about 60, big hair, somewhat round, and walks slowly into the gym with a walker.  She arrives with a DART bus, the small type bus that picks up individuals.

She comes maybe twice a week and settles on a recumbent bike which she pedals easily for 30-40 minutes. 

 

 

 

 

If that crazy Parkinson won't let the right hand behave, Jackie makes for a great substitute right hand.

 

 

I noticed her because she was unique in the gym.  And I really admired her for doing it.  So I started greeting her and we exchanged names sometime during the past year.  Last April I told her that I would be gone for a couple of weeks.  Rosemary & I were going to France.

She was so excited and asked me to bring her a little key chain statue of the Eiffel Tower.

 

 

 

 

Want to know why Rosemary played hookey from Juliettes Friday?   These two little critters, great nieces Rosemary (how about that!) and Alice, flew into Dallas with their mom, Kristine.   

 

 

I told Rosemary and, lo and behold, one afternoon in a tiny town curio shop in the Perigord region we found just what she wanted.

It was a week or two until I saw her come in one morning.  I got the Eiffel Tower key chain, went to her bike, bowed, and gave her the gift.

She went so crazy over that little token of my affection for her that I was almost in tears.  Her delight was my Banquet of Joy.

 

 

 

 

Coming up, Cupcake of The Week Time, everybody's favorite part of our celebration.

 

 

When was the last time you had a Banquet of Joy?

 

 

 

 

Sez Leo, "Cupcake time yet??"

Readings: Genesis 14, 18-20; Psalm 110, You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek; 1 Corinthians 11, 23-26; Luke 9, 11-17 

   

Sorry for the delay on the Sunday Blog.  The Editors had a wedding near Austin Sunday Evening.

 

 

Genesis: a review—

 

 

What: the first book of the whole bible, part of the Torah, the first 5 books of the ancient Jewish bible.   The word, from Greek, means origin or beginning.

 

The book is a mythical panorama that covers:

   1.  2 creation stories

   2.  The apple tree, the snake, Eve, The Fall

   3.  Cain & Abel

   4.  Noah & the Flood

   5.  Tower of Babylon

   6.  The Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob (or Israel)

   7.  The 12 sons of Jacob & Joseph sold into Egypt

   8.  The migration to Egypt (which sets up the Exodus)

 

Who wrote: not Moses; 4 major streams or sources can be identified

 

Date: Anywhere from 1500 to 500 B.C.E.

 

Today: a little blessing of Abraham by Melchizedek, a king & a priest.  Abraham has just won a battle.   Melchizedek is seen by the Catholic Church as a sort of proto-priest.  How come no more Jewish priests?  Because the Romans in 70 C.E. destroyed the temple in Jerusalem.  The priests offered sacrifice to Yahweh to win his benevolence.  Now rabbis & synagogues.  What if the temple were rebuilt? 

 

 

 

Luke Gospel: observations—

 

 1.  Luke copied Mark (the earlier writer), 5 loaves, 2 fish, 12 baskets, 5,000 men seated in groups

  2.  Mark is trying to convince the Jews in the temple & synagogue that Jesus is special, similar to Moses .  Both bring the people out of slavery.  Both feed the people, Moses in the desert.

  3.  Mark is working with the Jewish liturgical calendar, presenting Jesus stories each Sabbath in the worship services. 

4.  Please pardon me for repeating an understanding of this nature miracle that I have told before.

Sources: Wikipedia; Bishop Spong, Jesus for the Non-Religious, p. 72

 

 

 

The Miracle of Sharing My Stuff

 

 

I took an overnight train once from the capital of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam, to the Kilimanjaro region where we Jesuits had a house I used as a base.  The train leaves at about 6:00 in the evening and arrives in a town called Moshi about 6:00 in the morning. 

 

 

Normally I would book a first class compartment ahead of time, which is not that much, but much better than coach.  I do not remember the reason  why I was traveling without my motorcycle.  Whatever, I ended up grabbing a coach ticket on the afternoon of the train’s departure.  A dumb move normally.

 

 

Coach, folks, is a scene.  I get on.  All seats are occupied, of course.  The aisle is full of luggage and people.  I find a corner and sit on my suitcase, resigned to sitting up all night. 

 

 

This would have been okay, but about 1:00 in the night we stop in the middle of nowhere.  It looks like west Texas in the dry season, scraggly bushes, semi-desert.  We sit there all that night, all the next day, and finally move as it is getting dark again.

 

 

I have now lived in East Africa a good half a dozen years.  I can speak the language easily.  I know the unpredictability of everything.  However, I did something really stupid that night.  I got on that train without any water or food, assuming the train would arrive as scheduled. 

 

 

Of course, the Tanzanians were provident.  They had food & water.  They would have easily shared with me if they knew I needed anything.  Trouble was, I did not want to drink their water because often it is not purified.

 

 

 

In the whole train, guess how many white folks there were.  One other couple, the guy a 6’4” military kid from West Germany and his blond girl friend from East Germany.  Before the wall came down.

 

 

They had water.

 

 

There are a couple of spin off stories about this couple.  First, I saved them from big trouble when the guy took a picture of a cute Tanzanian baby.  Tanzanians really get spooked and mad about this.

 

 

Secondly, I took the couple up Kilimanjaro and had to laugh.  The guy was like a number 5 out of 5 on the Alpine Rescue Team and near the top of Kilimanjaro I had to carry his pack because he got altitude sickness. 

 

 

I tell this story about the train because it explains to me just how this feeding of the people could have come about.

 

 

The people following Jesus were like my Tanzanian companions.  They did not go off without food.  Moreover, they hid what they had.  And they aren’t sharing it except under exceptional circumstances.  Jesus was one of the circumstances. 

 

 

He takes the five loaves and two fish, takes a bit, and passes it on.  The person who receives it realizes that under his robe he has some bread, too.  He takes a bit and passes it on.  But he also adds a portion of his own bread.  By the time it makes the rounds of 5 thousand times at least 2 (the women & kids), there is a leftover of 12 baskets.

 

 

The miracle was of the heart.  These country people who would hide and hoard to save their lives opened their hidden treasure and shared with their neighbor. 

 

 

This is miraculous.  This we can do. 

 

 

How are you doing it?

 

Picture 1:   Mass begins, Kevin helping

 

Picture 2:   Wendy, Shonda, Ray, & Celeste

 

Picture 3:   Communion

 

Picture 4:  John & Alison DeGenova, Sabrina's parents

 

 

 

 

 

Readings:    

Jeremiah  31, 7-9,   Shout with joy.

Psalm 126,   The Lord has done great things for us, we are filled with joy.

Hebrews 5, 1-6,   Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God.

Mark 10, 46-52,  Bartimaeus, a blind man, sat by the road begging. 

 

Jeremiah observations:

Who:  one of the Big 3 Prophets, 52 chapters, the “broken hearted prophet,” because he hated being so unpopular and having to condemn so much. 

Baruch, Jeremiah’s scribe seems to be who put down the prophet’s message.   Jeremiah probably died in Egypt.

When: put together before & during the B.C., Babylonian Captivity, say 575 before Christ  (reminder, Babylon is near present day Bagdad, Iraq).

Remember, too,  that time before Christ is counting downward or backwards.

Interesting Side Note: (another reminder) can you guess when the Genesis story of creation in 7 days was composed?  Biblical research reveals that the creation story was put together during the Captivity, this same time, i.e. ca. 575.

Why?  The priests & prophets (e.g., Ezekiel) of the Jews in captivity determined that the people would not be assimilated into the local gene pool as their cousins in the northern kingdom had done when made to live with the Assyrians.  They decided they would establish customs & religious practices that would make the Jews so different they would not intermarry.  Three special laws were established: 1.  male circumcision; 2. dietary laws and laws about not touching menstruating women; and 3. the Sabbath.

The priests put together the 7 day creation story to suggest that Yahweh approved of their Sabbath law.  They had Yahweh rest on the 7th day to bolster their demand that all Jews take a day off every 7 days.  Before the Babylonian Captivity there was no legislated Sabbath and no myth of Yahweh creating the world in 7 days with the 7th being a day of rest.  So, now you know when the story was created & by whom, the priests, and why, to keep the Jews united vs the Babylonians.  It worked, even down to today.

Subject: the usual prophet message—condemn, pay, peace.

Today: Beautiful message of peace and consolation.  It is coming.

Sources: Bishop John Shelby Spong, The sins of Scripture; Wikipedia

Leo and Cole

 She Danced through Life

Rosemary & I had the privilege and the honor Thursday to attend the funeral of another noble woman & friend, like Joan, Colleen Romero. 

I calculate that Rosemary & I have known Colleen and her husband for ten years.  We certainly knew them for a couple of years before we got married in 05/05/05.   You will never guess how we met them.  Dancing.

 Somewhere along the line, a group of us noticed that Plano Parks provided a whole variety of adult classes, among them dancing.  So Rosemary & I, Gilberto & Bernadette, Beth & Rob , and some others, we all decided, “Let’s go learn to dance.”  And so we met Colleen and Fred.

They were our teachers.  They were elegant, charming, and fun.  I danced with Colleen a number of times.  I would ask Fred how I was learning some special dance.  He would laugh.  Then Colleen would guide me to a point where I got it.

 This is the first thing I see when I remember Colleen.  She danced through life, charming, elegant, smiling, and having fun.  She and Fred were even running dance classes at St. Gabriel parish for adults who had Parkinson’s or coordination problems. 

A  second aspect to Colleen I saw recently.  It was a few weeks back when I got a notice that Colleen was not doing well and was in the hospital.   We had not seen her and Fred for months, maybe a year.  She had been struggling with various joint problems for some time, but this was supposed to be serious.

So, I called her straight up.  She answered.  She sounded groggy and stressed.  In fact, she was experiencing nausea.  So I made it quick, saying I loved her and sent her all my support.  She said this may be her time and that she was okay about it.

A few more days go by and I get another note saying that the word is this really is it.  This time we get in the car and go visit her at Medical City Plano. 

I walk in and find her looking and sounding great.  However, she says this is truly her time, that she wants no special treatment, and that she is totally ready.  She was in that acceptance stage we talk about in stages of dying, the stage of peace.  

Colleen was not like Mark’s Bartimaeus today.  She was not blind.  She could see.  She danced her way through life and when her time approached, she accepted it. 

Like I asked with Joan, how have you been blessed by people like Colleen?