Readings:

2 Kings, 5, 14-17,    Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan 7 times  (amusing what has been left out leading up to this passage).

Psalm 85,  The Lord has revealed to the Nations his saving power.

2 Timothy  2, 8-13 ,  If we persevere, we shall also reign with him.

 Luke 17, 11–19,   Of ten lepers healed only one returned to give thanks.

 

 

You may wake up now, Georgie, he is finished talking.  

 

2 Kings observations:

Time of the events: 900 B.C.

Time when written: 555 B.C., during the Babylonian captivity.

Subject of 1 Kings: This book continues the history of the kings taking up with the death of King David and continuing through the story of David & Bathsheba's son Solomon.  He builds the famous Temple of Solomon.  After his death the nation divides into the northern & southern states, Israel in the north, Judah in the south (including Jerusalem; remember by the "J's").

 

 

I cannot believe you, too, My Dearest Genevieve, are asleep. 

 

Subject of 2 Kings: This book continues the history of the decline of the two states until Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeats the people, 555 before Christ. 

Subject of our chapter 5: one of the generals of the Syrian-Babylonian army goes to visit the prophet of the day, Elisha.  Naaman, the general, has leprosy.  Note the twist of the story at the end.  Thanks is a theme of this selection and it sets the stage for Luke's story about gratitude. Three characters: Naaman, his little slave girl, and Elisha.  Read the story before this to understand the meaning of what is taking place.  I will summarize it at Mass.

 

 

I think, My Dearest Tori, that you are looking to scare me.

 

Mike Miller and Thanks

This morning I would like to talk about how giving thanks is a learned behavior and one I learned from my mother when I got ordained.

First, however, I would like to talk about Mike Miller.  Yesterday morning we had a delightful memorial for Mike at Dickey’s Funeral Home here in Plano.  As you can imagine, I took an hour to get through this memorial.  I spent a lot of time just trying to get a few words out. 

 

 

Denise and Kara, mom & daughter, say, "Welcome in, Everybody."

 

 

I talked about 3 memories. 

First, when I really got to know Mike.  Guess where.  The Collin County Adult Clinic, which our community supported financially for some years.  Mike was the head of the pharmacy department at the clinic.  I would visit him now and then because the pharmacy was a quiet oasis in a crazy busy clinic.  It was often triage time and enormous numbers of people would receive treatment in about 3-4 hours every Thursday evening.

Secondly, remember when Rosemary & I would have our annual anniversary party in May?  Not only would we renew our vows, but we invited people who were celebrating special anniversaries, like 25 or 40 or 65 years, even 1 year.

One year Mike and Dee renewed their vows.  Dee said to Mike that after all these years, when Mike walked into the room she was just thrilled like the first time.  That so touched me.  It touched even more a friend of mine named Julie.  She was in tears and still talks about it.

 

 

It surely must be my turn to play this guitar.  

 

 

Finally, a third thing.  Do you people realize that Mike and Dee almost always were holding hands during our Masses?   I ask Rosemary to do the same thing, and you know what she says. 

I give thanks for Mike in my life and in our community life. 

 

 

Mike Miller's memorial, Saturday, Michael, his son, sharing beautiful memories. 

 

Now, giving thanks.  A learned behavior.

When I got ordained in June of 1971 at St. Rita’s in Dallas, I received a number of gifts.   I remember wondering how I was going to thank all these people and I remember my mother being adamant. “You send them a note.”  That seemed pretty daunting to me because this was pre-email, maybe even pre-electricity.  I had to send by mail all these thank you notes.  My mom: “You always thank people.” 

Twelve years ago when we began this community and you people began to generously support the program.  I was stunned.  And I heard my mom, “Always thank people.”  This is why every Sunday afternoon I aim to get you a thank you note for your generosity.  My Momma told me. 

 

 

Brandon, our Candle Lighter of The Week, does the magic.

 

Giving thanks is a learned behavior. 

How are you like the one leper who returned to give thanks?

 

Sez James, "I'm innocent," if you believe that!

 

 

Readings:

Isaiah 49, 14-15,  I will never forget you.   

 Psalm 62,  Rest in God alone, my soul.

 1 Corinthians 4, 1-5,   Then everyone will receive praise from God.

 Matthew 6, 24-34,    Do not worry about tomorrow, tomorrow will take care of itself.

 

 

"Happy Mardi Gras, Everybody," say Cathy and Harper.

 

Isaiah observations and reminders—

Who, This is 2^nd Isaiah.

When, This is during the Captivity in Babylon, ca. 555 before Christ. 

Subject, The writer, the prophet, is trying to lift the spirits of his fellow slaves.  He gives them exquisite news, using God’s words, “I will never forget you.”  A short but touching cameo of consolation and hope. 

 

 

And from Kevin, "Welcome in, Folks."

 

Have a Happy Lent

I admit that Lent is my least favorite seasons of the year, mostly because of the emphasis on penance I encountered as a kid and during my early years as a Jesuit.  We did penance in those days.  I don’t think it was spiritually and psychologically healthy. 

Therefore, I would like to talk about how to have a Happy Lent.  A no dread zone.  And, I would add, a belief that God cares not a whit for us doing all sorts of penance.   

 

 

Tori, too, says, "Hi, Everybody."

 

Consequently, I have two points based on being people fully alive.  The first point focuses on self nurture and has two suggestions.

First, treat yourself each week of Lent.  Like take a special day off, go out to eat, like join us at Romeos or Juliettes, have some ice cream, and go for a drive (if possible with the traffic congestion).  In fact, because we have not had a day off since Thanksgiving, Rosemary, I, and Aviana are going to visit her sister in Hilton Head for a week. 

 

 

Hi, Vivian.  It is so nice to have you with us this morning.

 

Secondly, spend some quiet time in contemplation, especially with a focus on gratitude.  I just read about a guy who survived the Burma death camps.  He said he was never a prisoner, meaning he always focused on what he was grateful for whatever torment was going on around him.

The second half of this you will maybe hate me for bringing up.  But, here I go, exercise.  I want to keep you people alive, fully alive until you are ready to check out.  This really involves only 2-3 hours per week, 30 minutes a day for six days.  There are two types of exercise, cardio and strength. 

 

 

The Candle Man of The Week, Cole, at work. 

 

Cardio involves walking, riding a bike, and running.  A 30 minute walk around the neighborhood has amazingly positive effects. 

I can certainly vouch for how good I feel after I have done a spin class at the Jewish Community Center in the morning.  I do this Monday through Friday and it is marvelous.

 

 

Delivery day is here,  TODAY.   Do we have a doctor in the house?  
 

 

Strength is for muscle and bone, and involves things like yoga, Tai Chi, and weights.  It also includes doing things like gardening (even mowing the grass?), taking the stairs, walking from the outer edge of the parking lot, dancing, and house work (like vacuuming).

The goal in all of this is to be fully alive and happy until we arrive home. 

 

 

Offertory team, John & Connie, Scott & Lily

 

So, how are you going to have a Happy Lent?

Good article on exercise,  Download EXERCISE FOR LENT 2-

 

Bethany, when is my new play mate coming to visit me?  

I forgot to include John Cade's Homily from Sunday in yesterday's blog.  

 

Pre Homily  Download 06-01-25 Homily 1 – Ascension

Homily  Download 06-01-25 Homily 2 – Ascension

 

 

Thanks for bringing up our gifts this morning, Carrie & Paul & Mike.

 

 

Readings:  

 Isaiah 35, 4-7,  Be strong, Fear not.  (Isaiah at his best!)

Psalm 146,   Praise the Lord, My Soul.

 James 2, 1-5, Did not God choose those who are poor?

Mark 7, 31-37,  His speech impediment was removed.

 

 

 

Thanks, Dearest Zoe, for lighting our candles this Sunday morning.

 

 

Isaiah observations

 

This selection is from Isaiah 1.    It is a time when Judah, the southern kingdom, is threatened by a powerful neighbor, Assyria (ever hear of this place today?)  Isaiah saw that the real threat to the life of Judah was not simply the might of  Assyria, but the Kingdom's own evil ways.  Guess what is coming, the Babylonian Captivity. 

Today's passage is much more on the hopeful side.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading our Blessing of The Candles this morning, My Dearest Georgie.

 

Be Strong, Fear not.  He comes to save You.

I want to talk this morning about fearing not and being strong, because he comes to save us.

The summer of 1970 was the summer before I got ordained here in Dallas.  I had two more years of theology study in Toronto.  That summer of 1970 I was interning as a chaplain at Boston City Hospital in a Pastoral Counseling program run by Andover-Newton Theologate.

 

 

Welcome in, Natalie & Jim. 

 

 

I lived in the Jesuit  residence in Dorchester.  There were about 4 of us Jesuits.  Because a great Jesuit of the house worked with the kids of the neighborhood  our house was a total safe zone.  The younger kids would look through the windows of the dining room & living room during meals and when we had guests.  We told them your car will not be touched if you park here and they know you are friends.

Remember the Plow Shares 5 and the draft board burnings that Summer?  One of the guys lived with us.

 

 

 

I got The Best Team.

 

 

Every morning I would get up and walk to the hospital through the somewhat famous Roxbury area of Boston.  I never had a problem.  They knew who I was.

My day consisted of visiting patients, typing up interviews verbatim, and taking part in rather confrontational group sessions of 5 or 6 with a supervisor.  I think I came close to getting kicked out for refusing to redo one of my verbatims. 

My most favorite part of the day was visiting the patients.  I loved this dynamic.  There were some powerful sessions.

 

 

 

And we got The Best Music.

 

 

I remember especially one old tough white Bostonian, a former Catholic.  I asked him what became my favorite question, How do you feel about dying?

For a day or so he said, No problem.  Another day he tells me I’m going to hell when I die, but so be it.

You know why.   He and his first wife had divorced years ago.  He  married his recently deceased wife and had kids and a 25 year  happy marriage.  

 

 

 

For Hue our Total Community Blessing on your operation this Wednesday.
 

 

I could not believe it.  This may have been my first with this phenomenon.  I had already concluded that hell was a gimmick of the writers of the time and did not exist.  It was good for keeping in line the people of the tribe.

Would you have sent that guy to hell, for ever? 

What about you?  Where you going?

I think the old guy died peacefully.

 

 

 

Okay, Joe, can we trust you to get that birthday cupcake home to Marsha. 

 

On The Light Side:   (A little old, but still good)

 

On their way to the church to get married, a young Catholic couple 
were involved in a fatal car accident.

Being good Catholics the young couple find themselves sitting outside 
the Pearly Gates waiting for St. Peter to process them into Heaven.

While waiting, they begin to wonder: could they possibly get married 
in Heaven?

When St. Peter finally showed up, they asked him.

St Peter said "I don't know. This is the first time anyone has asked. 
Let me go find out" and he leaves them sitting at the Gate.

After three months, St Peter finally returns, looking somewhat 
bedraggled. "Yes" he informs the couple " I can get you married in 
Heaven".

"Great!" said the couple "But we were just wondering, what if things 
don't work out? Could we also get a divorce in Heaven?"

"You must be joking" says St. Peter, red-faced with 
frustration, slamming his clipboard on the ground.

"What's wrong?" asked the frightened couple".

"OH, COME ON!" St. Peter shouted "It took me three months to find a 
priest up here …..Do you have any idea how long it'll take me to find 
a lawyer?"

 

Blame Ken Cramer for this, not Me!

 

 

 

 

Acts 15:  It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities, namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meats of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage.

Revelation 21:  The city had no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gave it light, and its lamp was the Lamb.

John 14:  The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.

 

Tom reading from the Acts of the Apostles

 

Thanks…     

Music,   Ben

Outreach: $  300.00   

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 

Brent, thanking the community for a $2,000 check for Soul's Harbor

 

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

Grant us, Lord God,

a vision of your world as your

love would have it: 

a world where the weak are protected,

and none go hungry or poor; 

a world where the riches of creation are

shared, and everyone can enjoy them; 

a world where different races and cultures

live in harmony and mutual respect; 

a world where peace is built with justice,

and justice is guided by love.

Give us the inspiration and courage to

build it, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

From “Engaging our  Faith”, www.ucc.org

Readings:

Ecclesiastes 1, 2; 21-23,  All things are vanity.

Psalm 90,  If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Colossians 3, 1-5, 9-11  Seek what is above.

Luke 12, 13-21, You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you.

 

 

Ecclesiastes Observations: 

Author:  unknown.   A belief was that it was Solomon

Date: 
 250-150 years before Christ.

Subject: 
the work is a putting together of a lot of folk sayings and life
observations which represent wisdom sometimes, sometimes not.  For instance, today’s selection. 

Today: 
pretty pessimistic.  It says that
everything is vanity. 

 

Colossians
observations:  We are done with this work for now,
fortunately.

Best line of
the Day: check the Psalm, the 4^th stanza, “Fill us at daybreak with
your kindness, that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.”  This has been my experience the past week in
Iowa.  More in the homily.

 

Fill us at daybreak with
your kindness

Fill me
at daybreak with your kindness, that I may shout for joy and gladness. 
This was Iowa, folks. 

If you
don’t know what this is all about it is this. 
Sunday, July 21^st, Chris and I set out on our bikes with an
estimated crowd at times of 35,000 riders. 
We departed the west side if Iowa at the Missouri River and finished at
the east side and the Mississippi River 7 days later, Saturday. 

The
whole experience really touched my spirit, but let me single out three special
events, hospitality, trust, and beauty.

First, hospitalty.  Most of
the nights on the ride my team, Spokes of Hope, a cancer support team from
Indianapolis, found homes at which we could set up tents in the yard.  This was a little more private.

 

One
family in Oskaloosa, the next to the last night, knocked me out.  They had a nice big 5-9 acre lot with two
houses for the family.  They hosted about
80 people, Spokes of Hope and Livestrong, Lance Armstrong’s former cancer
program. 

When we
arrived they had spread out on their deck chips and dip and drinks.  At 5:00 they themselves served us all an
enormous dinner.  The next morning they
sent us on our way with a great breakfast. 
All gratis, no charge.   Hospitality.

In Des
Moines a widow of about 6 months invited our 14 member team into her nice
house.  She is a doctor and teaches at
the local medical school.

She,
also, fixed us all a big dinner and a big breakfast.  She sent us on our way with a few dozen
chocolate chip cookies and brownies.  The
Indianapolis folks are probably still eating those cookies.   All
gratis, no charge.  Hospitality.

Next, trust.  Never did I fear my bike would be
stolen.  In the small towns where it was
impossible to ride because of the mass of people, bikes were dropped
everywhere.  In fact, the problem was
remembering, “Wow, where is my bike?”

One
afternoon I rode up to a Tom Thumb type grocery store that had an $8 all you
can eat pasta & dessert sale.  This
was in the last overnight town on the road, Fairfield.  I remember hesitating at first.  My bike. 
Lots of people around.  Plus lots
of bikes.  I left my bike with my helmet & gloves hanging from the handlebar.  An hour
later it was right there along with all the other bikes & bikers.  The trust, everywhere.

Finally,
the beauty.   Don’t believe the idea that Iowa is flat.  It is not mountainous, okay.  It is hilly. 
This trip had lots of hills and lots of scenic vistas, plus beautiful little towns.  Once
I must confess at the end of a day 110 miles long I had to walk a hill, my
thigh muscles saying they just might like to cramp.   I learned prudence from Rosemary.

There
were a number of occasions when the hospitality, the trust, and the beauty, to
not even mention my gratitude at being able to do this, just touched me to
tears as I rode peacefully along.  Which
made me say to myself, “Watch out, man, you can’t see and you will crash.”

This is
the psalm line exemplified, “Fill us at daybreak with your kindness, that we
may shout for joy and gladness all our days.”

How is
it for you?