Sunday Homily 8-7-11, 19th Ordinary Time

Readings: Exodus 17, 8-13; Psalm 121; 2 Timothy 3, 14-4, 2; Luke 18, 1-8

Exodus: to understand this book it helps to review what came before in Genesis.  Namely, creation, Cain & Abel, the flood, the tower of Babylon, and then the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob.  Remember that Jacob had 12 sons, the last of which, Joseph, was sold by his brothers to a camel caravan which got him to Egypt. 

Joseph thrived in Egypt, becoming the favorite of Pharaoh, while drought & famine afflicted the land of Joseph’s brothers & his father, Jacob.  At one point Jacob sends his sons to Pharaoh to get food & help.  That is how eventually the Israelites ended up in Egypt, to live. 

Exodus is the story of their escape from Egypt, Moses, his birth and call, and how he gets the people away from Pharaoh.

In our selection the people are in the desert fighting for their lives.  Three characters make up the story, Moses, Joshua, the leader of the Israelite army, and Amalek, the leader of the army attacking the people. Moses is blessing his people by holding his staff over the army as a blessing, like praying for success.  See what happens.  This sets up the Luke story about the widow petitioning the judge for a victory.

What We Ask For

A few years ago I had three elderly people from the subdivision of Northwood Hills contact me about planting trees in their neighborhood.  Two were a couple and there was a third guy, all probably about my age right now.  I really did not want to do this project because they were north of LBJ and I thought it was too far to drag the water trailer full of water from Jesuit, where I was living then.

So I put them off.  Maybe even for a year.  Eventually, however, because of their persistence I went to see their project, which consisted of Fretz Park, Hillcrest from LBJ to Beltline, Beltline from Preston to Coit, and a neighborhood elementary school, about 350 plus trees.

Despite not being eager to tackle the distance, two things pulled down my resistance.  First, they were willing to kick in a good portion of the cost of the trees.  Secondly, they were so gracious and eager to improve their own neighborhood.  I could not tell them no after all they were willing to put out, and all their pleading. 

You know the rest.  We planted one of our bigger projects and the trees are thriving.  In fact, I did not even water that project once this summer.  You may not know it, but they gave me a recognition of gratitude at one of their large community meetings.

When I hear Luke’s story about the widow & the judge I always think about Northwood Hills.  With gratitude. 

With confusion also, because I have difficulty with the main point of the story.  Namely, that God will answer persistent prayer, without even being slow about it, as Luke says.  Do you believe that God answers our prayers, and even more swiftly if we are persistent as the widow?  My mom thought that a nine day novena with special prayers got her every request, though my memory tells me otherwise.

I need to make a distinction and an observation to make sense of this for me.  I have talked about it before, so I remind you.  The distinction is between a macro-managing God and a micro-managing God.

The macro-managing God I can handle.  This god is behind the big stuff, the sky, creation, the stars, life, the balance of the universe.  I see this god as like a person bowling.  He gets the ball going and it travels on its own.

The micro-managing god, however, is in the small stuff, responsible for my sickness, for instance.  He makes good things happen & bad things.  He can change each.  If I pester this god enough he will find my lost wedding ring or car keys.  He will cure the sick, make me rich, fix the lottery so I win it, and so forth.  This god I don’t see in my experience.

Then why do I pray for people?  Like at our prayers of the faithful.  This is the observation. I pray first because I think, I hope, our God hears and is personal.  Secondly, I pray because I imagine that my spirit sends forth some kind of emotional energy to that God that says, "Please take special care of this person I love."  When we do this as a group, the emotional energy has a little more punch. 

A by product of praying for others is it sensitizes me to the suffering & difficulty other people are experiencing.

So where does this leave us?  Don’t pray for people?  Don’t pray persistently like the little widow or the people from Northwood Hills?  No. It may mean I lower my expectations. Maybe it helps to make the distinction about the macro vs micro-managing god.  I still remember people in prayer. 

Ultimately, what is your belief about praying for special intentions?

AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2007-10-21.mp3

Readings: Acts 2, 1-11; Psalm 104, Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the Face of the Earth; 1 Corinthians 3-13; John 20, 19-23

Acts:  a reminder–

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

Date: ca. 50 years after Jesus' death

Today's selection: In chapter 1 we saw 3 things: introduction by Luke, the Ascension, and the election of a new apostle, Matthias, to take Judas' place.  The next big event is the coming of the spirit.  That is what is described today.

Pentecost by Tony O'Donovan

Readings:

Acts  5, 27-32, 40-41,  The Sanhedrin ordered the apostles to stop speaking in the name of Jesus

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

Revelation  5, 11-14, I heard to voices of many angels.

John 21, 19-31,  Simon, do you love me more than these?   

Introduction: In our reading from Luke’s Acts we are told that the apostles are teaching, through the power of the Spirit, about the Lamb of God.  At this time they have in their possession the gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke. In the Book of Revelation, written later, we are told about the four living creatures that glorify the Lamb of God. They are the gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John; in these gospel stories Jesus is alive to us through the power of the Spirit.

The Offertory Procession – Tom, Teresa, Caroline and David

Homily by Mike:

Today’s gospel reading is not in the original John gospel. It was added later with two other parable-like stories.  Since the gospels complement one another, the inspired writers of the Matthew gospel prepare us for this reading with the words, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a net, thrown into the sea, that catches people of every kind,’ and that’s why Jesus had called his disciples to be fishers of men.

In Judaism, there was a net; it was called the Sabbath Synagogue Service.  Later the inspired writers initiated a net in which the Sunday gospel reading fulfilled the expectation of the Law and/or the Prophets for the coming of Christ.  We give thanks that the Holy Spirit moved the Church to re-institute the net during Vatican II, to be used in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. 

Kevin, John, Buddy, and Georgie

In today’s parable-like story, Peter and six others have gone fishing for gentiles, not fish.  We know their intention because seven disciples also began this mission to the gentiles in the Matthew and Mark gospels, and in Luke’s Acts of the Apostles.  We are told on the first day of their mission they caught nothing.  Jesus tells them in this parable story to use the net, and that even if they cast it to the worst possible place, the right side of the boat were the rudder would most likely tangle the net; they would still catch many gentiles. The success that the disciples have ignites John’s heart, and he tells Peter, ‘It is the Lord.’

Now, there are two synonymous fish in this story.   Each has the same Greek definition, ‘to be eaten along with the bread.’  Recall the gospel stories about the loaves and fish that anticipate the Lord’s Supper. After the Lord blesses the loaves and fish, or gives thanks over them, he gives them to his disciples to distribute to the Jews and to the gentiles.  So, what is it that we are to consume today along with the body of Christ, the bread blessed and broken that we are called to become daily in our lives?  It is this Sunday’s Liturgy of the Word where our parable story was first proclaimed and now being explained.

Hi, Genevieve

Many of you have or have seen other Christians whose cars or homes show the symbol of the fish, ichthus, one of these two words for fish in this parable story. Recall its Greek acronym stands for, ‘Jesus, Christ, God’s Son and Savior.’ Believers identify themselves with it. And they should! This Greek word for fish is found throughout Matthew, Mark and Luke; but in John it is only found there in today’s reading along with the other word for fish found only in John.

Shonda, Ray and David

If you study today’s reading carefully in Greek, you will realize that the net used by the seven to catch many gentiles was composed of the 153 parable-like stories written by the inspired writers of Matthew, Mark and Luke.  In our reading today, Jesus joins them with the original gospel stories of John, that were not yet in use but in these disciple’s possession, along with the additions to the John gospel on the grill, to form the one Gospel. The truth presented by this parable-like story is that the net that was formed will not be divided; there is one Gospel, one net, to be used to the ends of the earth.

Today’s parable-like story ends this way:  Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.  This is how the disciples knew that it was the Lord present to them in both the Liturgy of the Eucharist and the Word.

Leo, the Candle Lighter

Having a vision, Aggie?

Readings:

Isaiah 11, 1-10, The wolf shall be a guest of the lamb…(beautiful, poetic?)

Psalm 72,  Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.

Romans 15, 4-9  Let us throw off the works of darkness

Matthew 3, 1-12,  John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert  (Fear based spirituality?)

We have noticed that people discover that the Blog has not been coming.  Typepad tends to drop people for no reason.  So if this happens to you, just sign up again by going to www.johnstackministries.com

Welcome in, Chip & Cathy.

Curtis Jenkins, December 15

This morning I have my first Christmas homily of the season.  I want to introduce you to Curtis Jenkins, a  school bus driver for about 70 kids from Lake Highlands Elementary, Richardson West Junior High, and J.J. Peace Senior High.  Jenkins is a 46 year old black guy who married his 8^th grade girl friend.  They have 3 daughters all in their 20’s. 

Teamwork.

Jenkins has been driving the school bus for 7 years.  Initially he gave up his career as an electrician/ plumber so he could be more present to his mother, who is not well.

What is special about Curtis is taking place right now, this very week  All the 70 kids who ride his school bus may make a request for a Christmas present.  Last year apparently when Curtis had bought, wrapped, and loaded all the gifts into his bus, there was hardly room for the kids.  He does this every year.

Candle lighting with Tori.

Plus, during the year he gives birthday gifts (Sound familiar?  Maybe cupcakes?).   As the kids prepare to disembark, Curtis gives them a little pep talk, like a hope talk.  Maybe a quickie homily or final blessing?  He even develops community responsibility by creating clean up teams, safety teams (like bigger kids helping smaller kids, and helper kids (like for gift distribution).  Parents say their kids wake up eager and excited that they get to ride Curtis school bus.

He's got it memorized, Folks.

Curtis was featured in the April 20, 2019 edition of the Dallas Morning News. 

You know what this makes me want to do?  Pick up on Cathy’s idea last Sunday where we would give a Christmas gift to every kid in this school.  Are these not our kids?  A possibility?  How many kids are here?

Juliets' Christmas luncheon.   Table 1 of many.

All these ladies do is have parties!

 Readings:  Isaiah 5, 1-7; Psalm 80, The Vineyard of the Lord is the House of Israel; Philippians 4, 6-9; Matthew 21, 33-43 

Isaiah:

• The biggest of the big 3 prophets not only because of the book's volume, 66 chapters, but because of the beauty of some passages.   The book is my favorite.
• Time written: before the Babylonian Captivity (ca. 590) chapters 1-39 seem to have been composed by the prophet.  After the Captivity (ca. 540) at least two followers seem to have composed chapters 40-66.
• Today's selection: talks about a vineyard worker who labors carefully to bring forth good grapes, but gets only weeds.  What does he do with the vines?  This story matches up with Matthew's parable.

Picture 1:    Sacrament of the Sick

Picture 2:    Shonda, Bethany, & Ray

Readings: Sirach 50 22-24; Psalm 113; 1 Corinthians 1, 3-9; Luke 17, 11-19 (these are the readings for Thanksgiving, Nov. 22, page 88 in our booklets)

Sirach: Another book from the Apocrypha, a book of religious, moral, and practical sayings.  Our selection is a benediction reading in the spirit of thanksgiving.

My Blessing of the Year

Last October when we were having that gorgeous stretch of Indian summer, I took the Dart train downtown to have lunch with a friend.  I got on at Forest Lane and got off at Pearl just down from Thanksgiving Square.  Because I love to look out the front window as well as the side windows, I grabbed as usual a seat in the first car. 

At the Walnut Hill Lane Station or Northwest Highway a young, attractive woman in her late twenties got on, crossed the aisle, and sat in the seat reserved for handicapped.  She had with her a beautiful male golden retriever who sat in front of her with his handsome head slightly out in the aisle. The woman was blind.

How I admired this woman’s courage I can hardly tell you.  Here she is blind, with a beautiful dog, riding public transit, and going down town.  All sorts of accidents can happen.  She gave me one of those gratitude moments. 

With all she had, she could not see, could not see the marvelous blue of the sky that day, the sparkling shades of green that passed the windows of our train, she could not see the variety of people who shared the car with her.  That woman’s presence moved me. 

I was humbled and became aware of the gift I have.  I can see the colors and the people, and how often do I not savor nor appreciate.  That day I did. 

We are coming to the end of our year.  Thanksgiving arrives Thursday.  It is time to contemplate our past and ask ourselves, What are my blessings this year? 

I can think of three and I bet you may know what they are.

First was our February trip to East Africa, Tanzania & Kenya.  For me it was a double gift.  The more important part was that I was coming home after 20 years, that I felt immediately at home, and that I had no rancor in my heart of how my time ended there.

Secondly, our Sunday morning community.  I look forward to being with you people all week and I live for days on the consolation of our celebrations.  The contributions we have been able to make as a community: the blood drives, the pharmacy in Mexico, the house we helped to renovate, and yesterday’s house project in union with Lakepoint Church.  An amazing year.

Third and most important, being married to Rosemary.  It is continually better than I could have dreamed.  I am a better priest, a better psychotherapist, and a better, more whole human being. 

Ever since I witnessed that blind girl & her retriever get on the Dart train, I have been in a more grateful state.   

What are you most grateful for this year?

To help us focus on gratitude we have a Thanksgiving Tree which will morph into a Christmas Tree each of the Sundays leading up to Christmas.  Near the tree, which is bare now, you will find paper ornaments with a ribbon attached.  You may write your blessing of the year on one of the ornaments and attach it to the tree. 

Kids will find ornaments that have a picture to color and a blank space on the back for the blessing.  You can even take one home, discuss the blessing with the family, and attach it next week.  Each week I may read anonymously a couple of blessings.  Welcome.

What are you most grateful for this year?

AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2007-11-18.mp3