Sunday Homily, March 17, 2013, 4th Lent C

 Readings:

Isaiah 43,16-21, In the desert I make a way.

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

Philippians 3, 8-14,  For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things.

John 8, 1-11,  They brought a woman who had been caught in adultery

Leo 3-17-13

Think it is hard to get Leo to Mass on Sunday?


 

Emma 3-17-13

Emma, too.

 Isaiah Observations:

The scene: the Jewish people are captives in Babylon ca. 550 years before Christ.  Isaiah the great prophet had warned the people that their bad ways were going to lead to this. 

In this chapter 43 Yahweh reminds them of how much he has done for them in the past and lets them know that they are still his people.  Their lives will get better.   The writer is Isaiah 2.  There are at least 3.

The first 5 verses of this chapter are some of the best in the Bible, telling the people to not be afraid because he is with them. It goes— 

Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you.  I have called you by your name.  You are mine.  When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you…  When you pass through fire, you will not be burnt. 

Truck 3-17-13

Soul's Harbor truck which the community filled. Patrick shared his marvelous history of recovery with us, which is why we have no homily today. Patrick is going through drug recovery at Soul's Harbor, which we support.

 

Philippians

Philippi was the first church Paul set up on European soil.  He is in prison.  He is basically saying that for him nothing has any importance beyond his relationship with Jesus.

 

Chloe 3-17-13

Guess who this is.

Cole 3-17-13

Cole with his dad, Chuck.

  

 

Video: Cupcakes of the Week, Ken, John, and Brooklyn (2, today; 30 sec.)

 

 

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  • Sunday Homily, February 19, 2017, 7th Ordinary Time

    Readings:

    Leviticus 19, 1-2,  17-18,  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.   

     Psalm 103,  The Lord is kind and merciful. (Stanza 2, one of the best)

     1 Corinthians 3, 16-23,   You are the temple of God.

     Matthew 5, 38-48,    Love your enemies.

     

    CIMG7205

     

    "Welcome in, Everybody," say Olivia and her dad, Cory.

     

    Observations on Leviticus

    What :  the 3rd book of the Bible and one of the 5 books of the Torah.

    Who:  a compilation of sayings accumulated over centuries, not Moses, as was thought for some years.

    Date: sometime after the Exile in Babylon, ca. 555 before Christ.

     

    CIMG7220

     

    "Don't forget me," says Tori, "Come in, Folks."
     

     

    Subject:  rules about how to live, how to worship, and the penalties for transgressing.  This is based upon 2 beliefs:

    1. The world has been created good, but is vulnerable to sin.
    2. Enactment of proper ritual makes God present and ignoring proper ritual compromises the harmony between God & people. 

    Some unique rules:

    1. Cursing, death.   24.14
    2. Unkempt hair, God will smite you.  10.1
    3.  You will not tatoo yourself, 19.28
    4. Trimming your beard.  19.27
    5. Cutting the hair on the sides of your head.  19.27

    Today’s Subject:  the best line in the whole work, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”   19.18

    Sources:  Good News Bible, Wikipedia

     

    CIMG7234

    The Offertory Team, Bill, Ray, Bernadette, and Richard.

     

    I want to help people.  That’s what I’m for.

    Ever hear of a guy named Clarence Griffith?  I read about him in the Dallas Morning News recently.  Three things are unique about him.

    1. He was born in 1913.  Know anybody that old?  104 years.
    2. When he was 94 he received triple heart bypass at Baylor, Dallas.
    3. Ever since his recuperation he regularly goes to console and help people in the Baylor cardiac waiting room.  He gets them coffee, food, and offers them support, praying with them or just letting them talk.  He says,  “That’s what I’m for.  I want to help people.”

     

    IMG_2116

     

    Leo, our Candle Lighter of The Week.

     

    For me, Clarence Griffith has accepted that, “The Lord is gracious and merciful, never gets angry and is abounding in love.”  Moreover, he is making himself live that image.

    Last week we looked at infinite demand that was followed up with promises of hell.  A fear based program.

    This week we look at a different infinite demand equally challenging.  The demand is to get rid of fear in our relationship with God using that description, and to help others to do so.

     

    IMG_2121

     

    The Team.

     

    This is one of the biggest reasons I have been and am a priest, and even a psychotherapist, to help others get rid of fear in our relationship with God.

    Which leads me to three demands presented by Matthew.  If you reflect upon it, these three are a result of knowing that our God is gracious and merciful, never gets angry and is abounding in love.

     

    IMG_2392

     

    The Wedding, Patricia and John.

     

    First, Matthew says, using his favorite little figure of speech, ‘You have heard it said, but I say to you…’, when someone hits the left side of your face, offer the right and don’t resist the person who is evil. 

    Is this insanity or what?  Has it ever been tried?  Yes, you say, by dead people.   Impossible.  This is the message of the pacifist, a person mostly ridiculed by the rest of us.  Know any?  Sure, John Dear, once a Jesuit, Roy Bourgeois, once a Maryknoll. 

    I wonder what would happen if we really did this.  I confess I have not been able to get there. 

     

    IMG_2391

    Congratulations, John, I am so happy when I am not the only one with tears up here.  Must be because you come from Australia.  Double congratulations.  
     

     

    Secondly, give to the person who asks from you.  Another tough one.  How do you feel passing the men & women begging at stop lights?  I, for one, feel horrible, even though I know they have a number of shelters, like The Bridge and Austin St. Shelter.   I can work in those places and know that we as a community help them, but I still feel horrible passing those people on the corner.

    Thirdly, love my enemy.  I really don’t have any serious enemies that I know of.

    IMG_2402

     

    "I, Patricia, take you, John in marriage.  I promise to be true to you in good times and bad, in sickness and in health.  I will love and cherish you all the days of my life."

     

    Despite failure to live up to these demands, which are infinite, our God is still infinitely accepting, specifically gracious and merciful, never get angry and is abounding in love.   Moreover, relevant to our weakness, he says in the following line, “Not according to our sins does he deal with us.”

    104 year old Clarence Griffith is showing people this image of God in the Baylor hospital waiting room.

    Who shows this image to you?

    To whom do you show the image?

     

    IMG_2413

     The Kiss.

     

  • Sunday Homily, October 21, 2012, 29th Ordianry Time B

    Readings:    

    Isaiah  53, 10-11,  The Lord was pleased to crush him in infirmity.

    Psalm 33,   Lord, Let you mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

    Hebrews 4, 14-16,   Let us confidently approach the throne of grace.

    Mark 10, 35-45,  Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant.

    Leo 1021-12

    Leo arriving with tie.

    Isaiah:

    A review:  

    Authors: at least 3 because there are 3 distinct parts to Isaiah the book.    

    Time of Composition: near the end of the Babylonian Captivity, i.e., ca. 550 BCE.

     Subject Matter: warnings about impending doom because of the badness of the people in part 1 up to chapter 39.  The remaining two parts are called the Book of Consolation, letting the people know that a more peaceful & prosperous time is coming. 

    IMG_2116 Harper

    Harper cruising the neighborhood with her bus

      

    Today’s Selection:  (read all of chapter 53), Isaiah II,  4 observations—         

              A. This chapter in 2 Isaiah is not included as one of the 4 Suffering Servant Songs, though it presents the same theme.           

              B. The he, the servant that is talked about is

                        –for the Hebrews, the Jewish nation/people;

                        –for Christians, Christ.         

              C.  False Belief number 1?  The Jews thought Yahweh demanded suffering or sacrifice of valuable items ( e.g., sacrificial lamb, scape goat ) as payment for badness.   

              D.  False Belief number 2?  The Jews & Christians believed that an original great sin had been committed by our ancestors & that sin could only be paid for by a human-divine hero, Jesus.  He had to be sacrificed to this god.  Or as the first line of our official reading says, “The lord was pleased to crush him with infirmity.”  

    Do you think God crushes people with infirmity?   Was there really an original sin?   Contemporary theology says no.

     

    Cathy 10-21-12

    Harper's granny, Cathy.

    If I don’t want to be 1st, do I have to be a slave?

    I want to talk today about being first and being a slave, or if I don’t want to be first, do I have to be a slave?  A story. 

    You all know that Rosemary & I love to ride our bikes around White Rock Lake.  We go south on the White Rock Creek Trail from Royal Lane, then circle the lake clockwise with stops at the north bridge and the boat house at the south end, near the dam.  About 20 miles.

    Leo & Harper 10-21-12

    Leo & Harper, buddies

    Homeward bound from the boat house we use West Lawther Drive, a beautiful little lane running between the lake and gorgeous mansions. Lots of bikers use this road and walkers and runners use the path meandering along closer to the lake.

    There can be mini, spur of the moment competitions on this road heading north.

    Leo & Sienna  10-21-12

    Leo & Sienna, buddies

    One day I come down the hill near the boat house and see ahead of me about 3 bikers.  That sight can give me motivation and adrenaline.  “I am going to take those people.”  And so I do, two of them.

    The third guy, a young black man, I pull up behind him.  After hesitating a bit because he was moving pretty good, I pass him too.  And I kick on the gas expecting to leave him behind. 

    Leo at altar 10-21-12

    Leo visits the Altar

     

    About a mile later I look in my little helmet mirror to see if I can still see him way back there.  Where is he?  Right on my rear wheel.  I am stunned.  So 2-3 times more I go all out thinking I will get some distance.  Never.  He stays with me all the way under the Northwest Highway Bridge, where Rosemary had her accident, and all the way up the Creek trail to Royal Lane. 

    As I prepare to turn off to the parking lot, I signal him to come along, and I thank him for an excellent ride.  He laughed and agreed.  We parted.  I have never seen him again.   

    Rob 10-21-12

    Rob gets a Cupcake of The Week for Sixty Years!

    Anybody not want to be first once in a while?  Be best in something?  Absolutely normal.  Look at sports, academics, appearance.  Despite having long ago accepted the fact that I am not first in anything, and that is okay, even at 72 I find the competitive passion kicking in occasionally.

    So does that mean I have to be a slave or servant?  Very tricky statement psychologically. 

    Sandra 10-21-12

    Sandra receiving Chuck's Cupcake of The Week for Seventy Four Years!

    3 Observations:

    1.  It is normal and okay to want to be first.  Certainly kids without much experience in life have the desire.
    2. When Mark says “servant” and “slave,” do you see Mark’s hyperbole, his exaggeration, and his use of infinite demand?   This is his literary tool to make a point.  Which does not mean we dismiss it straight off.
    3. Here is where I have seen the danger.  A person who is religiously obsessed poorly trained, spiritually & psychologically insecure, or scrupulous, this poor person can take the servant idea literally.  The motto, “Always better to give than to receive.”  No way.

    I have known & worked with people in this situation.  The person cannot allow anyone to do anything for them.  For that matter, I have some of that stuff.  I don’t always like to be on the receiving end.  Giving and serving can be quite satisfying.

    Holly 10-21-12

    Our dear and U.T.'s special, Holly, with her brother, Ben.

    Maturity does two things. It helps me to accept myself as I am.  It also challenges me to make a difference in our world.

    How do you handle not being number one?  How do you make a difference? 

     

  • Sunday Homily 2-28-10, Lent 2

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

    Tony and Kevin 2-28-10

    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.

     

       

    John 2-28-10
     

    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?

    Alison 2-28-10

  • Sunday Homily 6-27-10, 13th Ordinary Time

    Readings:  1 Kings 19-21; Psalm 16, You are my Inheritance, O Lord; Galatians 5, 1, 13-18; Luke 9 51-62.

     

    Thirteenth Sunday Ordinary Time

     

    Introduction to the Readings

     

     

    Our three readings today come from the First Book of Kings, the Letter to the Galatians and Luke’s Gospel.  I suspect that the only reason for the selection of the first reading is because it contains a sentence which is very similar to one found in today’s gospel, namely a request to say good bye to my parents, similar to the gospel response to a calling namely “let me first say farewell to my parents”. 

     

     

     

    The Book of Kings selection describes the transfer of power from the prophet Elijah to the prophet Elisha.  Don’t be confused by the fact that in the reading Elisha slaughters the oxen and burns the plow.  This is to show that he is abandoning his old life for the new one. 

       

    Mass Begins 6-27-10

     

    And maybe the second reading was selected because the word “yoke” would connect it to the first reading!  And of course the word plow shows up in the gospel, tying the three readings together!!   But we have been reading from this letter for the past several weeks. 

     

     

     

    Remember Paul is trying to show that having Christ inside is all that is really needed, not observance of the Law of Moses.  In fact we will see a very powerful statement that the whole law is fulfilled by loving your neighbor as yourself.  

    One clarification about the gospel reading; when the young man asks to be able to bury his father first, Jesus’ response seems harsh to our ears.  However, you need to understand that custom had it in those times that the eldest son would live on the land of his parents and was responsible to bury them when they died.  His father is not dead, the son simply wants to put off following Jesus until some unknown time in the future.

      

    Communion 6-27-10

     

    Homily

    Reconciliation and Forgiveness

    Last Saturday I had a chat with an aunt of mine in Dublin.  She is an Ursuline nun and will be 95 in September.  I asked her if she was following the World Cup and she said, “Oh yes, we keep hoping that England will be beaten”!! 

     

     

    It is an attitude not unlike what Jesus came across in the gospel today.  To the Jews the Samaritans were the modern day English to the Irish!   There are several references to Samaritans in our gospel stories, the Good Samaritan, the Samaritan woman at the well and if we don’t understand the animosity that existed between the two groups we miss a whole lot about those incidents.  To talk about a ‘good Samaritan’ is like talking about a good Palestinian to an Israeli or a good English man to my Aunt! 

     

     

    When apartheid was abolished in South Africa and Nelson Mandela was elected president, in order to try and create a single unified country he established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to try and put the past in the past.

     

     

    The week before last, the Saville Report was issued in England and it was a 10 year study of a very sad day in Derry in the North of Ireland when 13 civil rights people who were marching in a parade back in January of 1972 were shot dead by British troops. 

     

     

    The report finally laid to rest the claim by the army that they had only fired in self-defense, the report said the army had lied, the victims were all unarmed.  The new British Prime Minister, David Cameron, publicly apologized for the incident.  These were first steps in reconciliation over a terrible wrong.

     

    Chloe 6-27-10

     

    The need for reconciliation doesn’t stop just with countries and nations.  Most of us know only too well the pain caused by separations within families or longtime friends.  I find it funny when you see little kids playing and they get in a row over something.  One will run home saying “I am never going to play with Jimmy again”.  Just as the parents are getting ready for a face off, they had better look around, because the kids will be back together as best friends. 

     

     

    But by the time we are adults something seems to change.  Fear, blindness or pride seems to enter into the equation and keep us apart.  And then pretty soon we are finding all kinds of additional items to throw on the resentment heap to justify our position. 

     

     

    We can’t afford to let this happen.  We need to reach for forgiveness, we need to remember the words of Jesus, “Peace be with you”  “Take the mote from your own eye before reaching for the splinter in your brothers eye”

     

     

    Each one of us at least knows of situations where family members have become estranged from each other, or lifelong friends have parted ways over some perceived or real wrong done.  These are very sad situations, because we will never have the chance to recapture and live the time days, weeks or years lost.  In our gospel today we see a classic example. 

     

    Zoe 6-27-10

     

    The Samaritans and Jews had parted ways during the exile.  In the eyes of the Jews they were not fully Jewish because they had intermarried with pagans and I’m sure the list is long.  After the Exile, when they returned to rebuild the Temple, the Samaritans did nothing but harass their efforts.  By the time we get to Jesus there is nothing but pure hatred between them.  When Jesus is passing thru a Samaritan village and is not welcomed, James and John want to call down fire on the place.  Jesus simply moves on.

     

     

    Irreconcilable differences can be over come, but it takes both parties to want this. At least we must ask ourselves, have we done everything we could.  Then be at peace.

     

     

    I am going to keep working on my aunt’s opinion of the English! 

     

    Picture 1:   Mass begins

     

    Picture 2:   Communion

     

    Picture 3:   Chloe

     

    Picture 4:   Zoe    

     

  • Sunday Homily, February 23, 2014, 7th Ordinary Time, Cycle A

    Readings:

    Leviticus  19, 1-2, 17-18,   You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

    Psalm 103,  One of the best lines in the Bible, 3rd stanza, The Lord is gracious and merciful, never gets angry and is abounding in love.

    1 Corinthians 2,  6-10,  The spirit of God dwells in you.

    Matthew  5, 38-48, When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well.

     

    Cole

    Cowboy Cole says, "Hi, Folks, Welcome in."

     

    Observations on Leviticus

    What :  the 3rd book of the Bible and one of the 5 books of the Torah.

    Who:  a compilation of sayings accumulated over centuries, not Moses, as was thought for some years.

    Date: sometime after the Exile in Babylon, ca. 555 before Christ.

    Subject:  rules about how to live, how to worship, and the penalties for transgressing.  This is based upon 2 beliefs:

    1. The world has been created good, but is vulnerable to sin.
    2. Enactment of proper ritual makes God present and ignoring proper ritual compromises the harmony between God & people.

     

    Celeste

    Celeste, too, says, "Welcome in."

     

    Some unique rules:

    1. Cursing, death.   24.14
    2. Unkempt hair, God will smite you.  10.1
    3. Tatoos.  19.28
    4. Trimming your beard.  19.27
    5. Cutting the hair on the sides of your head.  19.27

    Today’s Subject:  the best line in the whole work, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”   19.18

    Sources:  Good News Bible, Wikipedia

     

    Emma

    Emma says, "Don't look yet."

    I want to help people.  That’s what I’m for.

    Ever hear of a guy named Clarence Griffith?  I read about him in the Dallas Morning News this past week.  Three things are unique about him.

    1. He was born in 1913.  Know anybody that old?  101 years.
    2. When he was 94 he received triple heart bypass at Baylor, Dallas.
    3. Ever since his recuperation he regularly goes to console and help people in the Baylor cardiac waiting room.  He gets them coffee, food, and offers them support, praying with them or just letting them talk.  He says,  “That’s what I’m for.  I want to help people.”

     

    Georgie

    Georgie is ready.

     

    For me, Clarence Griffith has accepted that, “The Lord is gracious and merciful, never gets angry and is abounding in love.”  Moreover, he is making himself live that image.

    Last week we looked at infinite demand that was followed up with promises of hell.  A fear based program.

     

    Zoe

    Zoe looking for that crazy cowboy.

     

    This week we look at a different infinite demand equally challenging.  The demand is to get rid of fear in our relationship with God using that description, and to help others to do so.

    This is one of the biggest reasons I have been and am a priest, and even a psychotherapist, to help others get rid of fear in our relationship with God.

    Which leads me to three demands presented by Matthew.  If you reflect upon it, these three are a result of knowing that our God is gracious and merciful, never gets angry and is abounding in love.

     

    Buddy

    Who is this Cool Character? Why I think that is Buddy!

     

    First, Matthew says, using his favorite little figure of speech, ‘You have heard it said, but I say to you…’, when someone hits the left side of your face, offer the right and don’t resist the person who is evil. 

    Is this insanity or what?  Has it ever been tried?  Yes, you say, by dead people.   Impossible.  This is the message of the pacifist, a person mostly ridiculed by the rest of us.  Know any?  Sure, John Dear, once a Jesuit, Roy Bourgeois, once a Maryknoll. 

     

    Tori

    Tori and her puppy friend.

     

    I wonder what would happen if we really did this.  I confess I have not been able to get there. 

    Secondly, give to the person who asks from you.  Another tough one.  How do you feel passing the men & women begging at stop lights?  I, for one, feel horrible, even though I know they have a number of shelters, like The Bridge and Austin St. Shelter.   I can work in those places and know that we as a community help them, but I still feel horrible passing those people on the corner.

     

    Tori-Emma-Zoe 2

    The Girls, Tori, Emma, and Zoe.

     

    Thirdly, love my enemy.  I really don’t have any serious enemies that I know of, even though I have come to know that some hate me for what I am doing with this community.  For that matter, some of these people hated me at St. Marks.   

    Despite failure to live up to these demands, which are infinite, our God is still infinitely accepting, specifically gracious and merciful, never get angry and is abounding in love.   Moreover, relevant to our weakness, he says in the following line, “Not according to our sins does he deal with us.”

     

    Donna-Darbianna

    Mother and Daughter, Donna and Darbianna.

     

    101 year old Clarence Griffith is showing people this image of God in the Baylor hospital waiting room.

    Who shows this image to you?

    To whom do you show the image?

     

    Cupcake 2

    Cupcake of The Week to Diane and her special helper, Cowboy Cole.

     

  • Sunday Homily 4-19-09, 2nd Easter

    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.

    Mass Beginning 4-19-09

    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.

    Emily & Lindsay 4-19-09

    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.

    Genny 4-19-09

    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.

    Reads 4-19-09

    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