The Brain Trust.

 

Readings:

Habakkuk,  1, 2-3, 2,2-4, I cry for help, but you do not listen

Psalm 95,  If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

2 Timothy 1, 6-8, 13-14, Stir into flame the gift  of God.

Luke 17, 5-10,   We are unprofitable servants.

 

 

 

 

 

You see this Buddy!  He has the whole Blessing of The Candles memorized!

 

Where is the spirit these days?

I never know from where or why suddenly something or someone will really touch me.

On floor #1 on board the Viking Sea there is a grouping of 2 small & one larger room with workout equipment.  6 to 7 every morning I used to work out.  Get this, even Rosemary joined me.  Then at 7:00 we would head down to the atrium on the same floor where there is a small bar that serves the best lattes on the ship.

 

 

 

The Candle Lighting Girls, Tori & Zoe.

 

 

About the third morning out I am working out on a stand up elliptical when I hear the clear and friendly voice of a guy on a treadmill behind me.  It seems like he enjoys talking with everyone. 

The room has three elliptical & 4 stationary bikes in one line and a second line of maybe 6-7 treadmills, all facing the big windows outside of which the sea is going wild.

 

 

The Offertory Team, Bill, Fred, and Martha.

 

I chat up the guy when he finishes and we are both drying off.  This goes on maybe 4 more days when one morning we all 3 get talking at the water fountain in the corner.  In answer to his question, whatever it was, Rosemary & I share the story of our marriage.  He goes crazy.  I tell him he is welcome to share it with others and he does.

Maybe 2-3 days later I realize the guy is working out twice a day.  I am impressed and see why he looks to be in such good shape, being in his late 50’ or 60’s.

 

 

Tara, where did you get that megawatt smile??!!

 

We go on for another 2-3 days until we arrive at L’Ance au Meadow in Newfoundland, a fairly recently discovered area where a Viking village existed some hundreds of year ago.  To get from the village where the ship moored to the former Viking village Viking Cruises had to requisition 10 or more buses, school buses no less.

Lo and behold, at the Viking village we meet up with our new friend and get talking.  It was a delightful sunny day, mild temperature.  We asked him more about his life.  We already knew he was a university professor.

 

 

 

 

Fred & Martha, So good to see you both in town and with us.

 

 

Turns out he had to watch both of his parents slowly deteriorate one from Alzheimer's & one from Parkinson's.  Because of this he tries to stay in the best shape possible.  This news really stunned me.  Just that he shared it meant a lot.  No wonder he works out so faithfully, something I certainly appreciate and emulate. 

When was the last time your spirit was touched?

(What about Izzi’s baptism last Sunday!)

 

 

The Best Music with Shonda, Ben, & David

 

 

 

 

 

 

Readings: Acts 4, 32-35; Psalm 118, Give Thanks to the Lord for He is Good, His Love is Everlasting; 1 John 5, 1-6; Luke 24, 35-48.

Acts:  Just a reminder–

Author: Luke who is writing a continuation of his Gospel.  Much of his Gospel material is copied from Mark's Gospel.

Date: maybe 40 years after the death of Christ, or ca. 70-100 A.D.

Subject:     

•    First, the spread of the Christian movement in Jerusalem

•    Second, the spread of the movement through Palestine, i.e., the Holy Land

•    Third, the spread of the movement throughout the known world

Our selection:  Peter & John have just healed a cripple at the temple door.  Peter has told the gathered Jews that he did not do it.  Jesus gives them the power.   And, moreover, Jesus has risen from the dead.  Peter & John get arrested for this talk and then are released with a warning to not go around talking about Jesus Christ as risen from the dead.  The men return to the local group of believers where they share their adventures.  At this point Luke sets aside a couple of paragraphs to describe the local group of believers. 

You will note that the believers live a communal life.  This is what I lived as a Jesuit and it was comfortable.  It is also why I knew I was taken care of as long as I was a member.  Leave and I depart with nothing.

To Obtain that Peace, Face that Fear

A couple of years ago when I did the wedding in Scotland, I was hosted graciously by Katie McGrath, Bob & Jackie's daughter, who lives with her Scotch husband in Edinburgh.  I arrived a couple days early so I could look around a bit.  One beautiful day Katie took me to a huge book fair in the center of town.  While there we took in a couple lectures.

In one of these lectures there were three people discussing something which I have no memory of.  However, during the course of the lecture one of the people quoted one line from a poem that I had noticed and started to memorize.  As the lecture wound down I got this crazy idea.  I could show my appreciation for what these three people had done so well.  I might stand during the question time and recite the whole poem. 

Folks, I hate to get these ideas.  Where do they come from?  They can come up as questions, too. 

I'm sitting there thinking to myself, I don't want to get up in front of all these people and recite a poem, which I may not even remember.  I was pretty fearful.  At the same time, I am thinking, "Stack, you will be disappointed in yourself if you do not do this."  I have been in this place often.

Guess what I did.  Yes, I stuck my hand up, was called upon, stood, and recited the poem, stumbling a bit on only a couple of words.  People even helped me when I stumbled, which showed me that I was not the only person who appreciated the poem.  I told the panel I dedicated it to them and they seemed appreciative.  Even more grateful was I, however, that I could overcome my initial fear.

Which leads me to our Gospel story today.  Here we have the followers of Jesus, 8 or 10 of them, petrified and hiding behind locked doors.  Jesus comes in and says, "Peace."  I would like to say a couple of things about fear and peace and their relation.

I would propose that there are three types of fear.  One is therapeutic, one is non therapeutic or unhealthy, and the third sort of hits in the middle.  Therapeutic fear is when I meet a bear in Yosemite.  The adrenalin pumps and I want to run rather than getting mauled.  Good idea.  The apostles had this fear in that room, because if they went out maybe they too would get crucified. 

Another type of fear is of the ultimate, the fear of dying.  The response to this is just the opposite.  I may take numerous appropriate measures to cure myself, but in the long run we all will walk the path.  The response to the walk is acceptance. 

My little hero, a Dominican monk whose statue is in the Campo di Fiori in the heart of Rome, Giordano Bruno, seems to have accepted his fate to be burned at the stake one winter morning in 1600.  This was despite the fact that he spent 8 years in two inquisition prisons, Venice & Rome, defending his thinking and writing, fighting for his life.  He was brilliant little man ahead of his time by a few centuries.

The third type of fear was what I experienced when that crazy thought entered my mind.  Fear of humiliating myself, fear of looking like an idiot in front of those people, the old fear of talking in public which fortunately I seldom am cursed with any more.  The reason why Thomas in this gospel is a hero of mine is that he had the courage to say I don't believe this until I see with my own eyes.  He questioned. 

How do you deal with these types of fears.  Sorry to tell you for those who have it, face it and overcome it.  Join toastmasters like a number of people I know, including Rosemary's sister, Claire, volunteer to talk or read before people, ask questions at lectures. 

The result of dealing with these three types of fear?  Peace.  The Peace He is talking about in the Gospel.  Obviously, when I run from that bear in Yosemite, I will have peace. 

Especially I will experience peace when I accept my death, whatever form that may take.  And I will experience peace when I face my non therapeutic fears, like the fear of humiliating myself in front of others. 

I think this is what God created us to experience.  Inner peace.

The poem?  By W.H. Davies, Leisure

What is this life if, full of care, we have not time to stand and Stare?

No time to stand beneath the boughs and stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see when woods we pass, where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance, and watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this, if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare.

 

How are you dealing with your fears? 

AUDIO:  http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2009-04-19.mp3

Picture 1:  Mass begins with T.J. & Lorynne & Lacee

Picture 2:  Emily & Lindsay bring up the bread & wine

Picture 3:  Genny Holcolm

Picture 4:  Barb Wittek, Teresa & Doug Read

 

Readings:

Acts 13, 14, & 43-52,   Both Paul & Barnabas spoke out boldly.

Psalm 100,  We are his people, the sheep of his flock.

Revelation  7, 14-17,  I, John, had a vision of a great multitude.

John 10, 27-30,  I know them, and they follow me.

 

 Acts observations & review:   

We have already covered this material.  What I have here is a quick reminder. 

Date:  sometime before the year 70.  Why?  No mention of the destruction of Jerusalem, which took place the year 70, a Big Date in Jewish history.  The Romans destroyed not only Jerusalem, but also the Temple, the only place where the priests offered sacrifices.  The temple has never been rebuilt and the priests have been replaced by rabbis, teachers formerly.  Today there is a holy mosque on the site of the former temple.

Who:  The same person who wrote the Gospel of Luke.  How do we know?  Similarities of style, language (Greek), and theological themes.

Subject:  The story of the expansion of the Jesus story in 3 areas, first, Jerusalem, then, Palestine or the Holy Land, and finally, into the Mediterranean and ultimately, Rome.  Stories about the early communities are a bit romanticized, like advertisements for Pleasant Valley Retirement Center.

Today’s Subject: noting that the chapter we are reading is 13, you can guess we are not reading about the first circle, Jerusalem.  Not even the second, but the third, the Mediteranian.

Sources: Good News Bible, The New Interpreter’s Study Bible, Wikipedia

 

The Lord is Good

This morning I would like to talk about the first line of the third stanza of our Psalm 100, ‘The Lord is Good.’

Our week has been extraordinarily stressful.  First, the Boston Marathon bombs.  Then, West.  I actually was in West at the Czech bakery, the original, genuine bakery in town, about 4:00, Wednesday afternoon, just before the explosion.   I have fond memories of one really friendly lady at the bakery and hope she is okay. 

I would like to say, yes, the Lord is Good.  Also, people are good.  And, you are good.  Here is what I mean despite the stress of the week.

First, Rosemary & I had our routine appointments to give blood at Carter Blood at Preston & LBJ Wednesday & Thursday.  When I went in Thursday afternoon the place was more busy than I had ever seen it.  Even extra techs had been called in. 

 I asked why and they said it was because of, first, Boston, and then, secondly, West, which had just happened that morning.  The Lord is good.  People are good. 

 Secondly, remember last Saturday, which seems forever ago?  Love for the Kids picnic.  About a quarter of you volunteered to make that day special for handicapped kids and their families.  God is good.  People are good.  You were good.  This is typical. 

Thirdly, this past Wednesday, two days after Boston and the day of the West explosion, I went to Austin with a group of which I was humbled to be part of.  The Nuns on the Bus.

We departed Dallas at 5:30, 10 of us, 2 guys & myself, 7 women, 3 of whom are nuns.  We arrived at the capitol about 10:00 for a little rally on the steps of the capitol building.  I expected maybe 50 people.    300 were registered and another 100 joined, 400 all together from all over the state.

 My job was to visit my two representatives, Dan Branch & John Corona.  It was in Branch’s office that a remarkable event took place.

 The Nuns on the Bus, who had advocated throughout the Midwest in the summer before the presidential election, were requesting our government to not forget the poor, especially that the billion dollars of federal money be accepted for expansion of Medicaid this year.  25% of our population is uninsured, a million & a half. 

We are talking with the aide, basically just letting him know our case.  I have picked up about 6 people from San Antonio, 4 nice, Hispanic little nuns, and a young, nice looking guy.  He had a limp. 

Suddenly, the guy, John, tells the aide, “Let me tell you my story and why I am here.  I walk with a limp because I lost my left leg in Iraq.  I got this prosthesis because I was a vet, no question.  I could have even gotten one more expensive.  I am here because I have become aware that so many people don’t have that care that I had, people who are working full time and still don’t have enough, certainly not enough to buy insurance.” 

The reception office went dead silent.  Everyone was touched, including the nice kid who was the aide. 

God is good.  People are good.  You are good. 

What are you doing to continue to make it better? 

 

 Video:  The community blessing Chuck's health and his struggle with cancer (1/2 minute)        

 

 

 

Say Rosemary & Cathy, "Happy Kentucky Derby Weekend and welcome in."

 

Readings:

Acts of the Apostles  2, 14, 36-41  Let the whole house of Israel know.

Psalm 23,  The Lord is my shepherd.  (Beautiful, consoling)

1 Peter 2, 20-25, By his wounds have you been healed.

 John 10, 1-10,  Whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd. 

 

 

 

Welcome back to Dallas, Ann, and to our community.  You are one of our best all time friends.

 

The Three Best

Whenever I go on a trip like the one Rosemary & I just did with Viking on the Elbe River in Eastern Germany, I get questions.  Like, ‘What was the best thing?’  I would like to talk briefly about 3 best things that struck me, a Berlin chapel, a church door, and a concentration camp. 

 

 

 

This bell tower is all that is left of the old gothic Kaiser Wilhelm church in central Berlin.  It is preserved as a remembrance.

 

In the heart of Berlin there used to be a large gothic church called Kaiser Wilhelm Church.  It was bombed badly in the war and all that is left is a large, beat up bell tower.  Bullet wounds and bomb damage from bottom to what is left of the top.   The bell tower has been preserved as is to remind.

 

 

 

Interior of the Kaiser Wilhelm chapel .   The blue ambiance comes from bricks with glass circles tinted blue, very moving.

 

Next to the tower a chapel has been built, very plain, a grey box on the outside.  After looking at prewar pictures of the old church, just for the heck of it, I decide to go inside the rather plain chapel.  I am stunned by the simple beauty.  The curved front wall is made of cement blocks with round blue bottle like glass.   A gold, ascending, larger than life-sized Christ hangs right in the middle.   Simple wooden pews.  The blue and gold ambience was stunning. 

The half destroyed bell tower and the stunningly moving chapel symbolize for me the story of Berlin.

 

 

View of interior from right aisle.  The bell tower in union with this simple chapel symbolize the old and the new Berlin.

 

Second best experience.  Wittenberg and the church where Martin Luther posted 95 theses, exactly 5 centuries ago on October 31.

All my training about this event gave me a misconception.  Namely, that Luther was out to start a church revolution.   Nope.

 

 

Wittenburg, Church door where Martin Luther posted his 95 theses 500 year ago this year.  It was a university bulletin board.

 

The story goes like this.  Luther was a professor at the Wittenberg University.  The church door was a bulletin board.  Professors would post theses which the students were expected to debate the pros and cons of.   Everything was hand written in Latin.  Luther even titled his material as Disputation on the Power & Efficiency of Indulgences.  Disputation is the key word and implied debate of the pros and cons.  It was only later that year or the next that Rome got wind of them and a year later excommunicated Luther and the ideas went viral.

 

 

 

Wittenburg town center.

 

3 samples of theses:

#21.  Those indulgence preachers are in error who say that a man is absolved from every penalty and saved by papal indulgences.

27.  They preach only human doctrines who say that as soon as the money clinks into the money chest, the soul flies out of purgatory.

32.  Those who believe they can be certain of their salvation because they have indulgence letters will be eternally damned, together with their teachers.

 

St. Mary's Church, Wittenberg.  This is not the Luther church which was more of a college chapel. 

 

I spent three years, ’62-’65, studying philosophy at Spring Hill College in Mobile.  There were a hundred plus Jesuits engaged in this process.  We debated theses and we debated in Latin.  I took all my philosophy exams in Latin, written and mostly oral.   We had the church position and we had the adversaries.  We were expected to be able to verbally ace those adversaries.  Luther was probably one of our adversaries. 

 

 

 

A small number of the survivors of Ravensbruck. 

 

This was so déjà vu for me.  I could feel exactly what was going on, no revolt, just debate.  Somebody copied those theses, got them to Rome, and some priest, bishop, or pope over reacted, excommunicated Luther, and a revolt took place among the people.  Could this be taking place today?

 

 

Revensbruck compound & barracks.  100,000 plus women were concentrated here.

 

Thirdly, Ravensbruck concentration camp for women.  For years I have read about the camps, in particular Ravensbruck.  This camp was set up for women and it was this camp where medical experiments were performed on the women. 

 

 

 

Ravensbrook compound.  The camp is 60 miles north of Berlin.

 

We drove straight north out of Berlin about two hours on a beautiful day.  When I walked onto the compound I felt I was walking on hallowed, sacred ground. The barracks have all been removed, but the official buildings are still there, the infirmary, the clothes sewing hall, and the men & women officers’ houses.  I stood on the morning assembly ground and could see it all. 

As human beings we are capable of such horror and such beauty. 

 

 

Ravensbruck today.  The barracks have been removed, but the outlines are still present.  On the left are the work building and the infamous infirmary.  The picture is taken from the assembly area.

 

 

Jan, The Head of Traffic Control, on the job.

 

 

Readings:

1 Kings 19, 16 19-21, You shall anoint Elisha.

Psalm 16,  You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Galatians 5, 1, 13-18, For freedom Christ set us free.

Luke 9, 51-62, No one who sets his hand to the plow…

 

 

I say, Pere, remember that pretty red Studebaker….

 

 

 

 Deuteronomy 4, This great nation is a wise and intelligent people.

Psalm 15, The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord

James 5,  Be doers of the word and not hearers only.

John 7,  All Jews do not eat without carefully washing their hands.

 

 

Ben bringing life.

 

Thanks……

Music,    Ben & Shonda

Readers, Mary Jane & John, & Buddy, our candle blesser 

Gospel,     John Cade

Homily,   John Stack

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,     Richard & Hue & Mike

Final Blessing, Rosemary

For hosting us at Legacy for all these years & will miss you enormously, Becky

 

 

Mary Jane reads 1st reading

 

Readings:

Download Readings 22nd Ordinary time 08-29-21

Homily by John Stack

Download Homily by Stack 8-29-2021

 

 

John Schanot reads 2nd reading

 

Remember these special people:

For John & Karen Anderlick's unborn grandson;   For Rosemary's great niece, Rylie;  For Richard's grand daughter, Madeleine;   For Esparza's new great grandson baby & Frank;  For all the medical personnel struggling to treat the tsunami of sick people, in particular, locally, Cindy's staff at Presby, Dallas, and at Frisco Presby, the mother of Harper and Betsy, Kendle, working in labor & delivery, and for Hue & Linda's daughter, Doctor Rosemary Beavers;   For Mary & Dave Hall's g-daughter Allison Keller working at St. Lukes, The Woodlands,   For Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody &  Leo & all of Shonda's dear family; For Ursuline Sr. Mary Troy,

  

Brent & Meredith, our cancer survivor

 

Jackie's mom, sister, & friend, Lynn;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg.; For Meredith, cancer free & John Schanot;    For John O'Donnell & Jean;   For Jean & Cliff Wright;  For Dee, and for her daughters, Lisa & Lauren  ;  For Anthony & Sabrina;    For a young man who is suffering from depression;  John Cade's mother in law, Kalliopi Piskiouli and Lambrini, plus John's daughter, Joey, with cancer; from Barbara, a little 12 month old baby boy named Ford recuperating from an operation; for David McKeon's brother, Hugh; For Beth's friends & brother;   for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

 

 

Peace Everybody

 

Birthdays:   Teresa Quinn & Maureen Macchio

Anniversaries:  

Ken & Cindy Cramer, 59th

 

 

Our Dear Ken & Cindy.

 

Community Finances,   August 29, 2021

Expenses: $1030.000

Outreach: $200.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

Rosemary reads her Blessing.

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

Always pray to have eyes that see the best in people,

A heart that forgives the worst,

A mind that forgets the bad,

And a soul that never loses faith in God.

Unknown

 

 

Peace, Everybody.