Readings: Isaiah 8, 23-9, 3; Psalm 27, The Lord is my Light and my Salvation; 1 Corinthians 1, 10-13; Matthew 4, 12-23

 Intro to Readings

 The gospel reading today should sound familiar when you hear it, as it is mostly a repeat of our first reading from Isaiah.  In today’s reading Jesus has just heard that John the Baptist has been jailed by Herod and so he decides to head over to Capernaum. 

 

The reading describes Capernaum as being in the region of Zebulum and Naphtali.  These places were named after two of the sons of Jacob, he of the ‘twelve tribes’ fame.  Galilee is a very familiar name to us as Jesus spent a whole lot of time there.  This area was the area invaded by the Assyrians in the eight century BC and all of the wealthy and educated people where carried away as slaves.  What was left were the peasants, and so we have this reference to the land left in darkness!

 

Nazareth was to the southern end of Galilee.  Galilee itself was a rather small and insignificant place compared with Jerusalem in Judea.  Capernaum was a fishing village on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.  It was also close to the Via Maris, which you will hear referred to in the first reading as the seaward road.

 Because of this earlier exile, there was a much greater mix of gentiles in this area.  There was a certain amount of tension between the Jews who lived in Galilee and those in Jerusalem.  They were not considered quite as ‘pure’ due to their constant contact with the gentiles.

  

The really important part of the gospel reading is the last line, where we are given Jesus’ message “repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand”.

 Our second reading from Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians shows what can so easily happen to any small community of believers.  The community is breaking into factions and forgetting its purpose.  

 

The Homily: instead of a formal homily today we have a baptism.  Catch the video:

  

 Picture 1:    Mass Begins  

Picture 2:    Special Welcome to Sienna, Brian, Payton, & Erin 

Picture 3:    The Baptism Party, Brian, Susanne, Payton, Erin, & Sienna

Picture 4:    The Baptism

   

 

Readings: Exodus 17, 3-7; Psalm 95; Romans 5, 1-8; John 4, 5-42

Exodus: After two weeks in the first book of the Bible, today we move to the second. The book basically tells the heroic struggle of Moses to get the Hebrew people out of Egypt, where they had gone because of the drought in their land some decades or centuries before.  Moses is considered the author.

Today’s reading makes an enormous jump from the story in Genesis about Abraham’s call to an episode after the exodus where the people are angry with Moses for taking them out of Egypt into the drought of the desert.  See how Yahweh saves the people and Moses.

Whatt??  You Want a Date??!!

Decades ago when my younger sister Kathey & I were little kids, we used to love Saturday nights.  On those nights we had fun harassing poor young baby sitters.  Or, later as we grew older, we had fun causing mischief by ourselves.  Because every Saturday night our parents went out to have fun.

This is one of my most favorite memories & stories that I have mentioned to people getting married for the past 30 plus years I’ve been doing weddings.  I remember a time when I must have been around second or third grade.  The second world war was over and my dad was probably going bankrupt.  He had worked before the war in paper products.  When the war broke out and paper was scarce he opened a coffee & donut shop on Ervay St. in down town Dallas.  The Mercantile Bank was being built and he was doing well.  When the bank finally opened his business went in the hole because all the workmen moved elsewhere. 

I had started school at University Park Elementary, then moved to Christ the King when they built a school.  I remember being anxious that I was going to have to return to University Park, because we could not afford the Catholic school.  I actually never did return.

All during this time I can remember my folks going out on Saturday nights.  They had a lot of friends, of all sorts of religions, something odd for those days, thinking back on it.  Occasionally the group would come to our house those Saturdays and I enjoyed that just as much.  The people were accepting and fun to hang around. 

I think this was part of what kept my parents going.  They had fun and they had fun at least once a week.  I often tell married couple, "You have fun once a week, and you won’t have to end up in Stack’s therapy office." 

One of the fun things my parent’s loved, I heard mentioned yesterday morning on The People’s Pharmacy, 6:00 A.M., Saturday (note credit).  A doctor describing how to live a long & healthy life suggested dancing as an excellent form of exercise.  My mom & dad, especially my dad, loved to dance.  I wish I could see how they did swing dancing, which was popular during their time.

I often ask couples who come to my office when was the last time they had fun.  They look at me like I am loco.  This is Dallas.  People work and work.  There is no time for fun.  Fun will come when we retire.  In Dallas people lose their health to make money, then lose their money to restore their health.

Consequently, the fourth suggestion for having a great marriage is to have a weekly date.  Get some friends together, go out, go dancing.  Date!  Once a week!  Good times, bad times.

When was your last date, the next?

AUDIO:  http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2008-02-24.mp3

Readings: Acts of the Apostles 6, 1-7; Psalm 33, Lord, let your Mercy be upon Us, as we place our Trust in You; 1 Peter 2, 4-9; John 14, 1-12 

 
 

Acts observations & review—(Author, Date, Place, Subject) a repeat from Easter

 Author: This is Luke, the physician, the companion of Paul, the Gentile writing for Gentile Christians, and the same Luke who wrote the Gospel of Luke.

 Date: Around 65 years after Christ.  Probably just before the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (70 C.E., a big date in Jewish history), or Luke would have probably mentioned it. 

 

Place: probably Ephesus, today a ruin on the west coast of Turkey south of Constantinople.  Once this town was a major Christian center.

 Subject: the material works like in concentric, expanding circles, beginning in Jerusalem and ending in Rome after touching Judea, Syria, Ephesus, & Europe.  It treats activities in the early Christian community, some of which may describe they way they wished things were. 

 Sources: Good News Bible, New Interpreter’s Study Bible, St. Louis U. Jesuits’ Liturgical web

 

Homily

 This past week four of our community, Bill Hammond, Bob McGrath, Charlotte Gelineau Katner & her husband, Harry, all went to Tuscaloosa, AL to help with the tornado clean up. 

Bill took the homily time to share how he was touched by the students from St. Bonaventure College in Buffalo, NY, by their faculty moderator, and by the people of Tuscaloosa. 

The fifteen boys and fourteen girls who made the trip from Buffalo worked tirelessly cleaning up people's property, sawing up fallen trees, and consoling the victims of the tornado.

 

One of the kids even found the lost wedding ring of a lady.  It was found under a piece of trashed wall board.

Everyone spent nights on the floor of the all purpose center of the Methodist Church in Tuscaloosa.  The community housed all the volunteers and fed the whole group. 

Bill said he returned with sense overload and a marvel at the good will & generosity of so many people.

 

Picture 1:   Mass begins

Picture 2:   Bill Hammond talking about Tuscaloosa

Picture 3:   Offertory, Melissa, Jenny, & their mom Diane Holcomb 

  
Picture 4:   Chloe & Emma

Picture 5:   Leo joins the music with his dad, Ray, and Wendy.

 

 

 

Readings:

Proverbs 31,  When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls.

Psalm 128, Blessed are those who fear the Lord

1 Thessalonians  5, 1-6, The Lord will come like a thief at night

Matthew 25, 14-21, A man goes on a journey & entrusts possessions with his servants.

 

 

 

Thanks to the Team

Music,  Ben & Shonda, Ben sick & Shonda on Air Force duty.  Wow, do I miss you both.  

Readers,  Jackie & John Simari & Buddy, the candle blesser

Gospel,  John Cade 

Homily,   John Stack

Eucharistic Prayer A & B, Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,  Richard & Hue & Mike

Final Blessing, Rosemary

For hosting us at Legacy, Becky

Note: This week in 1989 the six Jesuits in El Salvador were murdered in the patio of their residence at the university by army soldiers, along with their house keeper & daughter.

 

Download Readings Week 33

Download Reading Gospel Week 33

Intro to the readings:

On numerous occasions I’ve talked about my discomfort with fear based spirituality.  I say it again this morning because all the readings this morning, with the exception of the first reading from the Book of Proverbs, encourage a fear based spirituality.   You will see what I am talking about.

So, if not fear based spirituality, what?  Gratitude!

Our up coming celebration?  My favorite: Thanksgiving. gratitude.  

 

 

 

Homily by Stack

 

It is that time of year again, Folks, Thanksgiving, my favorite of the year.  In the spirit of gratitude, Rosemary & I like to scan our year and note the special blessings.  I got three I would like to share with you.

First, the time after the October 20 tornado.  You have heard enough of this.  I would just say that we are totally grateful for finding a new house and getting settled enough that we can feel that it is home.

 

The second blessing came about as a result of the corona virus. The Sunday Zoom broadcast.  I so look forward to coming in here a little after 9:00 and hearing people chatting and laughing via Zoom.  I so long for the day when we can come really together .  Meanwhile, I see & hear everybody.   This special blessing is a huge help until we can return in person, healthy and grateful.      

I am overwhelmed with gratitude to the people who put this Zoom gift together for the community, namely Richard & Hue, David Dinsmore, Tom & Becky, and especially Mike, who was like walking in the dark when he began this adventure.

 

 

Mike on watch

 

My third blessing comes right out of the first reading, the one from Proverbs, describing my partner, my wife, Rosemary, as more special than pearls. 

For most of the 15 years of our marriage I presumed that as we got to the senior citizen stage of our lives I would be ready and delighted to help us in our golden years.  I have spent 75 years of my life healthy as it gets.  

Whoa, as I hit 79 & 80, the place started falling apart.  Other personal tornados came, that is, lumbar stenosis, shoulder arthritis, loss of memory, and just to add a final treat, Parkinsons.  

Guess who takes care of me.  Guess who negotiated our new house, who packed most of our stuff (with our good friend Grace), unpacked everything (with our good friend Grace), and has made a home out our new house.

These are my special blessings of the year.  Yours?

 

 

Please Remember these special people:

For Paul & Carrie recuperating;  For Alan Stryker;  For Joe Sullivan;  For John Doherty recuperating from an operation for his back pain;   For Rosemary's great niece, Rylie ;  For Richard's grand daughter, Madeleine; For David Dinsmore's bad shoulder from a biking accident;  For Esparza's new great grand-son baby, son of Monique;  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;   For Mary & Dave Hall's g-daughter Allison Keller working at St. Lukes, The Woodlands,   For Loretta's aunt Alicia;  For Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody & Ben & Leo & all of Shonda's dear family;  

Tranquility.

 

For Jackie's mom, sister, & friend, Lynn;  For both Jean & Cliff Wright;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg; For Meredith, cancer free;    For John O'Donnell;   For Dee, and for her daughter, Lisa; For John Schanot's continued health;  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,  For the students, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

 

 

Birthdays:  Diane McMahon, Frank Esparza, Cody Mashburn, John Anderlick

1989: 6 Jesuits killed by Salvadoran military in a midnight raid at their university

  

 

Community Finances, November 15, 2020

Expenses: $900.00

Outreach   $400.00  (often for Souls Harbor, Legacy, etc.)

Thanks, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

O God, when I have food,
    help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work,
    help me to remember the jobless;
When I have a home,
    help me to remember those who have no home at all;
When I am without pain,
    help me to remember those who suffer,
And remembering,
    help me to destroy my complacency;
    bestir my compassion,
    and be concerned enough to help;
By word and deed,
    those who cry out for what we take for granted.
Amen.

 Samuel F. Pugh

 

Readings:

Acts of the Apostles  1, 12-14,  All devoted themselves to prayer.

Psalm 27,   I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. (a good one)

1 Peter 4, 13-16,  Rejoice.

 John 17, 1-11,   I pray for them. 

 

 

 

"Welcome in, Everybody, " says Harper.

 

To dwell in the house of the Lord

This past Friday after Romeos, I headed across Central to Plano Cycling, one of my favorite places to visit.  I wanted one of my service friends to check Rosemary’s rear bike brake.  She had told me it was soft.  I can fix a lot of things on a bike, and love doing it, but I would prefer a specialist work on her brake for safety’s sake.

 

 

So says Seth likewise, plus, "Wake me up after that old guy stops talking."

 

So I go in about 2:30 and this is why I love to go there.  I walk in and hear, “Hi, John” from numerous staff, or “Hi, John Stack” from the service manger.  I confess it means a lot to be known by name in a store.

I look for my specialist friends, Darrell or Lorinda.  Not there.  A bummer.  But a new guy is there, about 28.   He is working on a bike and apparently is alone.  I tell him what I want and he says, “sure,” he will fix it while I wait. 

 

 

 

Our Candle Lighter of The Week, Leo

 

Turns out Rosemary needs more than a cable tightened.  She has worn out her brake pads and needs a new set.  Joey says, “No problem,” he can fix that in a minute.

So we begin to talk.  “What's your name?  Joey.  How long you been working here?  About 2 months.  How do you like it?  I love it.  How did you get here?”

 

 

Offertory,Bernadette, Gil, and Diane.

 

He proceeds to tell me he had a good office job with good money.  But he was not happy.  He used to bring work home.  He is married, but did not mention kids.  Everything was good, but he was not happy.  He had known Plano Biking since he bought his first bike there as a little kid.  He loved to just visit.

One day he was talking with somebody on the staff and saying how he loved bikes & working on them and how his job was not satisfying.   “We’ll hire you,” the person said.  Joey jumped. 

 

Prep time.

 

This exemplifies what it means

To dwell in the House of the Lord,

To see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

And you? 

How do you dwell in the House of the Lord?

What are the good things of the Lord that you see in the land of the living?

 

 

 

And what for recessional?

 

P.S.   A note to all of you who are celebrating our Memorial Day weekend at your lake houses, on cruises, like to Alaska, Mike & Geri, and to points south, like Tom and Teresa, and to all points in between, you, too, are seeing and celebrating the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

 

The Best Music, Shonda, Bethany for her last event, and David.

Acts 5:   So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.

Revelation 5:  "To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and ever."

John 21:  So he said to them, "Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something."  So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish.

 

 

John Cade and John Stack start Mass

Thanks…     

Music,   Ben & Shonda

Outreach: $    250.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

Connie and John help with Communion

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

Walk softly upon the earth.
May its beauty forever surround you,
its wonders forever astound you.

May its wisdom delight you,
its music invite you
to dance and to play and to sing.

May you love and be loved by all that you meet;
may you know and practice compassion.

Rejoice in the earth and in all of creation.
Rejoice in life.

 

a parting blessing – alfred v. fedak – 2008