Sunday Homily, June 15, 2014, Trinity & Father’s Day

Readings:

Acts 4,  8-12,  In his name this man stands before you healed.

Psalm 118,    The stone rejected by the builders has become the corner stone.

1 John 3, 1-2,   See what love the Father has bestowed on us.

 John  10, 11-18,  I am the good shepherd.

Genevieve says, "Hi, Everybody, Welcome. Nice to see you for the first time."

Acts reminders:

Author: Luke, the same who wrote the gospel.  He was an educated, urbane Jew.

Date: the years 75-80 

Subject: This is a travel log, detailing the spread of Christianity from Jerusalem to Rome and the Mediterranean in between.

Today: Peter is talking to the elders and leaders of the people, aiming to convince them about Jesus.

Genevieve welcomes the Whole Community, and, in turn, the Whole Community welcomes Genevieve.

The Good Shepherd

I would like to talk this morning about the good shepherd.  Two proposals.  

First, we have shepherds all around us.

Secondly, the good shepherd has three characteristics.

1. The shepherd gathers people.
2. The people the shepherd gathers are richer and happier because of being called.
3. The shepherd, likewise, is richer and happier because of inviting all these people. 

Vivian says, "In two more weeks I will get to say hi to everybody, too."  Hey,  is there something in the water around here?

Four examples.

I mentioned that this past weekend Rosemary & I attended both a Jesuit class reunion and an alumni reunion of 50 years at Spring Hill College in Mobile.  The shepherd who called us together and made all the arrangements was my classmate and good friend, Bill Dowie.  To me this was extraordinary because the last time we all met two years ago, over twenty of us, Bill was still mourning the love of his life, whom he had cared for the last years of her life.

Not only did he gather those who could make it somewhat at the last moment, but he shared with us that he was introduced to someone with whom he sees a special relationship developing.  Rosemary & I were most touched, doubly so by the charming woman he brought.

I left that reunion richer and happier.

The Spring Hill Jesuit reunion group on the Fairhope pier, eastern shore, Mobile Bay.   Bill is third from left, Keqi is first on the left. Others, (l-r), Jim Raymond, Rosemary, an Old Geezer, Carl Castille, and Jack Podsiadlo. Joe Reardon taking the picture.

The second shepherd is in our very midst.  This guy invites with open arms and open heart guys who have hit bottom.  We, too, have accepted his invitation to nurture these men by our help with Souls Harbor, of which he is the director, a 24/7 job. 

Brent, Thanks for being a good shepherd for over 60 men and a shepherd for me and the community.

Our class in '65 in front of Assumption Hall.

The third shepherd, every Thursday at least, loads up 16 meals.  With her friend, Barbara, they deliver Meals on Wheels to homebound men and women, whites and a rainbow of races.

Rosemary and Barbara gather their people by bringing meals to their door.  The people are richer and happier because of their visit, as I am by their example.

Over 100 of us Jesuits lived in Assumption Hall, Spring Hill College, Mobile in the 60's. After expecting that the building would be finally designated as a historical monument, how deflating to find the building demolished and in its hallowed place two student residences. No appreciation for old age!

Finally, there is a lady in our neighborhood named Patty Cody.  She is our neighborhood shepherd.  She organized the neighborhood association.  She has set up a security patrol for us, and a neighborhood communication network.  You can find your lost dog or cat and you can put on line a picture of a lost dog you find in your yard.  All this, plus other conveniences.  But her biggest bringing together takes place on July 4, when everyone is invited to a neighborhood parade, a picnic at the playground of a grade school, and a time when we see each other, maybe the first time since last July 4.

Rosemary & I are the refreshment Czars and each year I come home richer and happier with what Patty has helped us celebrate.

Guess what, Victoria. You were once little, too, just like Genevieve.

Let me add an extra and a special Good Shepherd, Genevieve.  Does she not call us all together?  Do we not feel richer and happier just be in her marvelous presence.  And from my vantage point, I think she, too, is richer and happier because we are all responding to her.

Harper is pretending to be sleeping through another masterpiece homily.

Good shepherds are all around us.  

Who is a good shepherd in your life and for whom are you a good shepherd?

Cupcake of The Week to Paul and Carrie for acing the Boston Marathon last week.

Readings:

Genesis 11, 1-9,   The Tower of Babel story.  This comes from the vigil Mass of Pentecost, rather than the Sunday Mass.  A great story, which is why I chose to have it read.

Psalm  104,  Lord, send out your spirit, and renew the face of the earth

1 Corinthians 12, 3-13,  There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same spirit.

John  17, 1-11,  Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

Who let these Crazies in? Marsha, Cathy, and Connie.

 Genesis

What :  The first book of the bible, very entertaining because it is imaginative story telling.  It starts with the two stories of creation and takes off.   It responds to the little kid’s question, “How did we get here, daddy?”

Who: there are at least 4 author streams, two primary ones, the Yahwist and the Elohist, and two secondary ones.  The Greeks have the Iliad and the Odyssey.  The Israelites have the Yahwist and the Elohist.  Why these two words?  Simple.  It is the word the stream uses in talking about God. 

Time:  The Yahwist stream was put into a written form about 900 years before Christ.  The others were put into writing in later centuries.

Our Passage:  The little kid asks, “Daddy, why do people talk differently?”  This is the answer proposed, the Tower of Babel.  

These guys, too. Who let them in? John and Joe.

Pass The Spirit, Please

I want to start this morning with a question.  How do I get the spirit?  Let me tell you.  Today’s story of the week.

As you all probably know, on Monday evenings Rosemary & I go dancing at the Farmers’ Branch Senior Center.  There are probably 50 people who show up every Monday and many of them can really dance. 

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

At 6:00 there is a couple who provide simple dance lessons, ball room, swing, country western.  They spend 6-8 weeks on each type of dancing.

At 7:00 a live band comes on and plays until 9:30 or 10:00, one week ballroom, the other week country western.   You got to be 50 to get in, so a lot of you folks probably can’t get in.  They will card you.  There are lots of people who come alone and I admire their courage at getting out.  There is even a blind woman, Janice, about whom I talked once.

The Girl in the Pink Ribbon, Zoe.

This past Monday night during the live music dance session, at one point Rosemary and I were sitting out.  We are watching everybody dance what was something like a swing. 

One couple whom I had never noticed before, I noticed.  They were not dramatic dancers, but they really had beautiful flow and creativity.  They might have been using a cha-cha step.  When they finished up, I got up, went straight to them, and complimented them on being terrific dancers.

Another Girl in Pink, Tori.

Well, they were touched by the compliment and gracious in their thanks.   They thanked me a bunch of times and we shook hands.  Guess who else was touched.  Yes, I was.

How do I get the spirit?  First, you already have it.  Secondly, it is augmented by giving it.  By giving a compliment.  What is the spirit?  New life, new peace.

Candle lighter buddies, Leo and Cole with Erin helping out.

I remember when Rosemary & I did a lot of dancing, 4-5 nights a week.  We were good in those days.  People would compliment us and I would just be pumped.   New life.   We would thank them profusely.  Compliments are spirit gifts.  New Life, new peace.

I have a compliment I am holding for a special person.  This is a black lady about 55-60 who works at the Tom Thumb on our corner of Preston & Royal.  I see this lady often at about 7:00 in the morning when I am buying bananas after my morning spin class at the “J,” the Jewish Community Center.

Chuck, Cole's daddy, and Mike waiting for their Cupcakes of The Week.

This lady I so admire because she gets up about 3:00 A.M. to catch two buses to come open this grocery store by 6:00.  We know each other by name.

Last Monday I was waiting in her checkout line while she finished with another lady.  My friend’s name is Sondra.  She was being her usual friendly self with this white, elderly lady.  “Good Morning” and everything.  As she finished, she thanks the lady, who had said nothing, and welcomed her back again.  The lady left saying nothing.  

Cupcakes of The Week to Diane, Teresa, Chuck, Mike, and Zach.

I want to compliment Sondra on her non-stop friendliness to a lady who seemed to be an early morning  curmudgeon.  I was really hurt for Sondra and we chatted about other things.  I want to return and compliment her this week.

How do I get the spirit?   By giving it.  A compliment is an amazing spirit gift.   The Prayer of St. Francis says that in giving we receive.  

I compliment that couple on their dancing.  They get new life and new peace.  And their response gives it back to me.  

From whom have you received a compliment lately?

To whom did you give a compliment lately?  Next time?

Cole and Erin.

Ash Wednesday Services at Marlene's house.  2017 Keystone, Plano 75075 at 7:00.

Who let this ex-Jesuit student in here?  We need a sergeant at arms.  Is this the real Jim Shropshire?

Readings:

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

Psalm 103,  The Lord is kind and merciful.

1 Corinthians 3, 16-23,  Do you not know that you are the temple of the Lord.

Matthew 5, 18-48,   Love your enemies.

Welcome back home from Seattle, Gloria

February 23 homily

The structure of our Christian Sunday service, still today, has an intimate relationship with our brothers and sisters who attended their Jewish Sabbath Synagogue Service yesterday. After they sang songs, and gave praises to God, a teaching was given to them from the Law or Prophets that contained an expectation for the coming of the Messiah.

Deacon Mike sharing his thoughts on our readings.

In like manner, we sang and praised God with psalms, and we also received a teaching from the Law given by the Lord to Moses that ‘We are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.’ Recall the commentary present in the first reading. It informs us that we are not to judge, or take revenge, or hate, or hold a grudge, against a neighbor. 

Welcome, Annabella, to Dallas where your mother grew up.

A second reading was not present in the Liturgy of the Word of the Early Church. Sometime in the last century however, the Church began to include this additional reading to enhance the gospel teaching of the Sunday service. Today it prepares us to become temples of God’s Spirit, so that for we can welcome and live the wisdom of the words spoken by the Messiah in the written Good News of Jesus Christ.

Happy Mardi Gras Aggie & Allen.

Today’s first reading, “that we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves,” is fulfilled by the inspired writers of the Matthew gospel with the teaching to us that instead, ‘We are to love our enemies and pray for those who seek to persecute us; That’s how we can become children of our Father in heaven!

Good Work, Tori.

So, how did Jesus of Nazareth live today’s gospel reading? He took upon himself to love others as he had been loved by the Lord; He kept the perfect law! In like manner he called out to the Father he loved as he was being crucified with the words, “Father, forgive them for they do not understand what they are doing!”

Candle Lighting time with the experts, Tori & Zoe & Buddy.

Readings:

1 Kings 19, 9, 11-13, Go outside and stand on the mountain before the Lord.

Psalm 85,  Lord, let us see your kindness and grant us your salvation            

Romans  9, 1-5, They are Israelites.  

Matthew 14, 22-33,   Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.     

Thanks to the Team

Music,  Ben & Shonda

Readers,  Jackie & Patricia, & Buddy, the candle blesser

Gospel & Homily,  Deacon Mike 

Eucharistic Prayer A & B, Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers, Mike (on vacation) & Richard, Ben & Hue 

Final Blessing, Rosemary

Download Readings week 19

1^st part of Homily

Today’s gospel is a continuation of last week’s story from Matthew about the Lord, with his disciples, feeding the Jews with the fish and the loaves, for the fish are a metaphor for the liturgy of the Word, and the loaves and leftovers a metaphor for the liturgy of the Eucharist. 

Homily by Mike Carrell

The Lord be with you.

A reading from the holy gospel according to Matthew

After Jesus had fed the Jews, he made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side of the lake. With the crowd dispersed, Jesus climbed the mountain so he could be by himself to pray.

He stayed there alone, late into the night. Meanwhile, the boat was far out to sea when the wind came up against the boat, and they were battered by the waves. At about four o'clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water. They were scared out of their wits. "A ghost!" they said, crying out in terror. 

Their music just gets better & better.

But Jesus was quick to comfort them. "Courage, it's me. Don't be afraid." Peter, suddenly bold, said, "Master, if it's really you, call me to come to you on the water." 

Jesus said, "Come ahead." But when Peter looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, "Master, save me!" Jesus didn't hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, "You of little faith, what got into you?" The two of them climbed into the boat, and the wind died down. 

The disciples in the boat, having watched the whole thing, worshiped Jesus, saying, "This is it! You are God's Son for sure!" 

Tom, Richard, & Hue working their magic.

2^nd part of homily

It was Jesus intention for his disciples to follow his example of sharing the fish and preparing the gentiles to also receive the loaves and leftovers, so that Jews and gentiles could become brothers and sisters in Christ. This story teaches the Church that its disciples were to have faith in his words even until the end of time.  The gospel of the Lord.

There he is, Folks, Mike finally in the wilderness of Colorado, with Rose.

Please Remember these special people:

For our Bill & his family,   For Becky's dad just discovered with the virus;  For Cindy recuperating from a procedure some weeks ago;    For Esparzas, Frank & Mary,  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, Woodlands,  For Joe Hogan with cancer;  For Loretta's aunt Alicia;    For Sydney;  & For Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody & Ben & all of Shonda's dear family;   for Michelle;

Two happy campers, Mike & Rose.

For Jackie's mom;  For a friend, a neighbor, & a doctor, Karen, with brain cancer; For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg; For Meredith, cancer free;    For Hue;  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

Where is that Mike??!!

Birthdays:   Carrie Bieda, 62; Stephen Farmer, 30; Marlene; Richard has a new grandbaby, Madeline, congratulations, Carrie

Anniversary:  John & Jean O'Donnell, 62nd;  Ryan McClurg & Grace, 7th  

Rosemary's Blessing:

Come, O Dancing God,

Spirit of Life and Love,

of  Beauty and Diversity,

stir up my soul,

bathe me in your light,

and unleash my own spirit

that I may dance with you

and be light for those around me

and reflect your love to all that I meet this week.

Edited and adapted from a blessing by Fr. Andrew M. Greeley

A 2020 broadcasting studio??

Community Finances, August 9, 2020

Expenses: $1040.00

Outreach   $300.00    (often for Souls Harbor, Legacy, etc.)

Thanks, Folks, for doing what you can.

Here is a link to a survey about access to the Sunday Mass.  Please take the survey and let us know how easy/difficult it is to get to the Mass.  Thanks. 

(Take this survey and all your life problems will be solved.  That is what Becky & Mike told me.)

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. 

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. 

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.

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. 

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    

Readings:

Wisdom   2, 7-11,  I prayed and prudence was given to me.

Psalm 90,    Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy.

Hebrews  4, 12-13, The word of God is living and effective.

Mark 10, 17-30,  It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom.

"Hi, Everybody," says Genevieve, "Welcome to my baptism.  This is my mom, Mary, and my grandmom, Jill."

Wisdom:

Date of Composition: 100-200 BCE, which is why it is considered significant.  It provides a glimpse into the cultural & social milieu which prevailed just before & during the time of Christ.   We had Wisdom for our first reading 3 weeks ago.

Place of Composition: Alexandria, Egypt.

The Composer: a Jew who wrote educated Greek.

Unique Quality: Wisdom is one of a set of 12 (or 14) books written in Greek considered not part of the original 39 books of the Hebrew Bible, the O.T.  This blew up around 350 CE when St. Jerome, one of the Fathers of the Early Church, i.e., a church leader who influenced a lot of church dogma, said the books were not genuine.   He was opposed by St. Augustine.  It was the Council of Trent (ca. 1550), that declared the 12 books okay.  Another person doubting the validity of the books was Martin Luther. 

Rich, Ray's dad, and Jill and George, Mary's parents, with The Queen.

You probably won’t find these books in the Protestant Bibles.

Our Selection in Chapter 7: the book of Wisdom generally says that good guys get rewarded by God, bad guys don’t.  This selection personifies the virtue of wisdom, using the feminine pronoun she, and praises her as above all other values & pleasures.  I loved her even more than health or beauty, the composer declares.

 Sources: The Good News Bible, Got Bible Questions on line.

                         Genevieve's moment has arrived.

Mark, an observation

I do not want to talk about the Gospel this morning, but I would like to give you a head's up about one line, It being easier for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye than for the rich to enter the kingdom.

1.  I've been there and done what it says.   I am left with the belief that we don't have to be so hard on ourselves.  We are talking about infinite demand.  Balance that with infinite acceptance.

2.  Change the perspective.  Instead of the infinite demand focused on saving my soul for eternity, focus on the kingdom being present tense. Peace is the kingdom now.  Do we often push ourselves to achieve a goal in this life?  And with the goal do we experience peace?  I experienced peace in going to East Africa even though it tore my heart out to leave my mom and friends.

              "Robert, Ray, where have you seen God most recently?"

Don’t Judge that Book by the Cover

I did it again, Folks.  I judged the book by the cover.  In fact, I did not realize I was doing it.  The book, the German People living during the 3^rd Reich and the War.   

This is not saying that I had not met some marvelous Germans when I worked in Tanzania.  In fact, I even visited two German medical sisters in their homes on my various home visits.  One lived in Bonn, the former capital while Germany was divided.  The other lived in Cologne, which we visited this past trip on the Rhine. 

               "When I saw this perfect little girl this morning."

There was a series of insights into the German people on this journey, but in particular there was one Sunday afternoon in a little town called Speyer.  We had docked overnight, been toured around the town in the morning, and then the afternoon we were free.  Around 6:00 we would depart Speyer. 

Rosemary was pooped, so I told her I would just walk over to the plaza in front of the church and look around.  I had walked around for maybe an hour when I decided to simply sit on a park bench in the shade and watch the people.  It was a beautiful, contemplative afternoon for me.

                Today, even the gorilla gets a hug from Kevin.

In the park I was struck by the simple family enjoyment, parents with kids and people with dogs.  Europe is very dog friendly.  Rosemary & I saw three elderly ladies seated at an outdoor coffee shop, and the fourth seat, a little white poodle.  The dog was very well trained and polite.

The little town of Speyer was also neat and clean and people had red geraniums in almost every window sill.  I saw this in every German town and city.

It takes preparation, bread, wine, readers, and song books, and Jan coordinates is all.

On top of this, Germany is just drop dead beautiful, as Ron A. has told me repeatedly.  Green, hilly, forested, and dotted with these lovely towns. 

I have a bad habit of judging the book by the cover.  This is the first time I discovered that I have judged a whole people.  I had been shifting, I admit, because Rosemary has been feeding me these gripping novels about the conscientious German during the Reich. 

                                   Ray & Leo, dad & son.

How to survive if you disagreed with the program, when even a word overheard by a person could get you reported, visited in the night by the S.S., and then sent to a death camp.   There were a number of priests and Jesuits who encountered this.

                 Cupcake of the Week to Angela on her birthday.

I have come to see how I have been judging this book by its cover, the German people.

What is the book you are judging by its cover?

                        Not only does Jan coordinate everything.