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:

2 Kings, 5, 14-17,    Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan 7 times  (amusing what has been left out leading up to this passage).

Psalm 85,  The Lord has revealed to the Nations his saving power.

2 Timothy  2, 8-13 ,  If we persevere, we shall also reign with him.

 Luke 17, 11–19,   Of ten lepers healed only one returned to give thanks.

You may wake up now, Georgie, he is finished talking.  

2 Kings observations:

Time of the events: 900 B.C.

Time when written: 555 B.C., during the Babylonian captivity.

Subject of 1 Kings: This book continues the history of the kings taking up with the death of King David and continuing through the story of David & Bathsheba's son Solomon.  He builds the famous Temple of Solomon.  After his death the nation divides into the northern & southern states, Israel in the north, Judah in the south (including Jerusalem; remember by the "J's").

I cannot believe you, too, My Dearest Genevieve, are asleep. 

Subject of 2 Kings: This book continues the history of the decline of the two states until Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeats the people, 555 before Christ. 

Subject of our chapter 5: one of the generals of the Syrian-Babylonian army goes to visit the prophet of the day, Elisha.  Naaman, the general, has leprosy.  Note the twist of the story at the end.  Thanks is a theme of this selection and it sets the stage for Luke's story about gratitude. Three characters: Naaman, his little slave girl, and Elisha.  Read the story before this to understand the meaning of what is taking place.  I will summarize it at Mass.

I think, My Dearest Tori, that you are looking to scare me.

Mike Miller and Thanks

This morning I would like to talk about how giving thanks is a learned behavior and one I learned from my mother when I got ordained.

First, however, I would like to talk about Mike Miller.  Yesterday morning we had a delightful memorial for Mike at Dickey’s Funeral Home here in Plano.  As you can imagine, I took an hour to get through this memorial.  I spent a lot of time just trying to get a few words out. 

Denise and Kara, mom & daughter, say, "Welcome in, Everybody."

I talked about 3 memories. 

First, when I really got to know Mike.  Guess where.  The Collin County Adult Clinic, which our community supported financially for some years.  Mike was the head of the pharmacy department at the clinic.  I would visit him now and then because the pharmacy was a quiet oasis in a crazy busy clinic.  It was often triage time and enormous numbers of people would receive treatment in about 3-4 hours every Thursday evening.

Secondly, remember when Rosemary & I would have our annual anniversary party in May?  Not only would we renew our vows, but we invited people who were celebrating special anniversaries, like 25 or 40 or 65 years, even 1 year.

One year Mike and Dee renewed their vows.  Dee said to Mike that after all these years, when Mike walked into the room she was just thrilled like the first time.  That so touched me.  It touched even more a friend of mine named Julie.  She was in tears and still talks about it.

It surely must be my turn to play this guitar.  

Finally, a third thing.  Do you people realize that Mike and Dee almost always were holding hands during our Masses?   I ask Rosemary to do the same thing, and you know what she says. 

I give thanks for Mike in my life and in our community life. 

Mike Miller's memorial, Saturday, Michael, his son, sharing beautiful memories. 

Now, giving thanks.  A learned behavior.

When I got ordained in June of 1971 at St. Rita’s in Dallas, I received a number of gifts.   I remember wondering how I was going to thank all these people and I remember my mother being adamant. “You send them a note.”  That seemed pretty daunting to me because this was pre-email, maybe even pre-electricity.  I had to send by mail all these thank you notes.  My mom: “You always thank people.” 

Twelve years ago when we began this community and you people began to generously support the program.  I was stunned.  And I heard my mom, “Always thank people.”  This is why every Sunday afternoon I aim to get you a thank you note for your generosity.  My Momma told me. 

Brandon, our Candle Lighter of The Week, does the magic.

Giving thanks is a learned behavior. 

How are you like the one leper who returned to give thanks?

Sez James, "I'm innocent," if you believe that!

 Readings: (for Christmas Eve, 4:00, Midnight Mass readings)

Isaiah 9, 1-6, The People who have walked in darkness have seen a great light.

Psalm 96, Today is born our savior, Christ the Lord.

Titus 2, 11-14, The grace of God has appeared.

Luke 2, 1-14, In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus….

Our Bambino, Emmit

 Isaiah: author, date, subject, today’s selection–

   Author: This is probably my most favorite book in the Old Testament.  Isaiah is one of the Big Three OT prophets along with Jeremiah & Ezekiel.  This is because of the size of the work, 66 chapters, but even more so because Isaiah is so beautiful and influential in the Christian story. 

There are really three Isaiahs, chapters 1-39, 40-55, & 56-66.  How do we know?  Simple.  Different styles of writing, different vocabularies, different slants to the message.

   Date: 1 Isaiah, our selection is put together ca. 700 BCE.  2  Isaiah, ca. 500 BCE; 3 Isaiah, ca. 400 BCE.

Cole lighting 5 candles with his parents, Chuck and Erin

 Subject: As always, there have been predictions of doom & destruction because of the badness of the people. 

Today’s selection: This passage, however, is the flip of this.  Listen for words like rejoicing, making merry, joy, peace, a God-hero Child is born.

Source:  Good News Bible, Bishop John Shelby Spong

The Gerwer gang making their stage debut.

A Christmas Story

I have a Christmas story I would like to tell you this Christmas Eve afternoon. 

It seems that a short while back there was a young man named Hayden.  He is about 25 years old, married, and a father of a couple of kids.

Cupcake of The Week to Rosemary Beavers, 20 today.

He is driving along one day and gets stopped by a cop.  The cop says that his inspection sticker is out of date. 

Hayden says he has no excuse why he has not taken care of it.  He had to make a decision recently.  It was get the car inspection or pay his due bills and in particular feed his family.  His salary did not cover everything this month. 

More Cupcakes of The Week to Ashley and Jeremy Ekes, 25 the 23rd, Sunday

The cop said he still had to give him a ticket.  He wrote it out, folded it,  gave it to Hayden, and drove away. 

Sadly Hayden took the ticket, put it on the seat, and then opened it.

Santa and his Elf appear.

Inside was a hundred dollar bill.

Hayden broke down and cried. 

Santa and his kids.

A couple of observations.

First, the cop was Plano Police, one from our very own Plano, our very back yard. 

Jake with his granddad, Jack.

Secondly, he also wants no publicity.  Hayden’s grandfather told the police department about their caring officer, so they knew.  The officer, however, wanted no pictures and no name. Apparently he has done this before.

Soul's Harbor, Dicers and dish dryers with Barry, The Dish Washer

Thirdly, I found the story in the editorial section of The Dallas Morning News Friday morning, December 14.  Know what else happened that day?  Newtown, CT. 

There may be tragedy in our world.  Still God visits us in special ways.

I could  ask you now how have you been visited recently or this year.  A good question.   However, I want to ask this:

When did you last give someone $100?

When will you do it next?

Jim and other volunteers prepared to serve Christmas dinner to the 50 plus men residing at Soul's Harbor.

Source: The Dallas Morning, News, December 14, 2012

Readings:                          

Genesis  14,  18-20, Abraham gave Melchizadek a tenth of everything.

Psalm 110,  You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek.

1 Corinthians 11, 23-26,    Do this in remembrance of me.

Luke 9, 11-17,  Give them some food yourselves.

Welcome Erin & Diane & Cole.  So good to see you all.

Spirit Feast

I would like to talk this morning about 2 things.   First, what was my most favorite moment or experience on the Viking cruise.  Secondly, let me say a word about Jesus feeding the people.

This little story in Luke about the feeding of the 5 thousand men is one of my favorites.  I have talked about the story a number of times over the years, because I’ve been there & done that.

Welcome back, Marlene.  It has been too long since the days we did the 9:00 Spanish Mass in the cafetorium at St. Marks. 

The point I like to make is that  these country people would hardly ever leave home for the day without some food hidden  away in their robes.  They would not be in to sharing it. 

By telling his apostles to share their 5 loaves and 2 fish, Jesus gets the people to share their food, too.  He creates a spirit of trust.  I would call this a unique spirit event, which leads me to the first point I mentioned,  what about our cruise was the best.

Welcome Home, Ellen.
 

 As much as I loved being guided through so many cities I had read about and heard of my whole life, this was not my favorite.

I loved watching the water and watching the captain park this enormous boat, but this was not my favorite.

My favorite: the meals!   Yes.  But not in the way you are thinking,  the food, which was excellent, but in the sense of spirit.  Let me give an example.

This is it, the Viking Sea sailing out of the Norwegian fiord of Flam.  Stupendous beauty.

There was a couple named June and Steve.  We actually met them in the Heathrow Airport, where we were all part of a group of about 12 who missed our connection to Bergen, Norway because we had only 50 minutes between arriving from Boston and departing for Bergen in another terminal.

A bunch of us spent the night at a Holiday Inn, including June & Steve.   We rode the shuttle with them and had breakfast together. 

Docked at the Norwegian village of Flam from the exterior tables of the so titled "World Cafe," probably because from this 7th floor stern deck you can see the world.

On board we continued to see them and ate with them.   On one occasion we had dinner with them in my most favorite eating location on the boat, the World Café, as they called it.  It was on one of the top floors of the 8-9 floor boat, in the stern area, had no waiters, just buffet, and from each of the numerous tables on the port, starboard, and rear,  I could see the ocean.   A fabulous place to eat and appreciate just being alive and in that setting. 

This particular evening we were finally settled in and the ship was moving.  We talked about all sorts of things and we had a common spirit on so much.  We actually sat at that table and talked for 3 hours.  June noticed it when we were beginning to break up.  I had never even thought of the time.

The marvelous World Cafe from the inside.

That 3 hour meal was my favorite moment.  It was a spirit feast.

It is difficult to have these spirit feasts.  We are so busy.  It takes time.  I don't get to do this often.  At Romeos we don't take 3 hours, but we can take two.  On our camping trips we can take 3 hours.   This is one reason why I tote in every evening a pint or more of Jack Daniels and a pound of cheese for hors d'oeuvres.  Camaraderie.

The World Cafe.

This is what we try to do here at Sigler each Sunday.  And I think we succeed.   Even now without wine.

It is the feast of Corpus Christi.  When is your next spirit feast?  What about tomorrow, Memorial Day?  

Who let that homeless man on board?

Readings: Amos 8, 4-7; Psalm 113; 1 Timothy 2, 1-8; Luke 16, 1-13.

Amos: This prophet lived about 800 years before Christ.  It was a time of prosperity in Israel.  However, Amos saw that the prosperity was limited to the wealthy, and that it fed on injustice and on oppression of the poor.  He warned that Yahweh would punish the nation for this.

Our reading comes toward the end of his little book and touches both themes: oppression of the poor and punishment of this by Yahweh.

Taking Care of Myself

In the first Sunday bulletin blog I sent out this month I included a link to an age profiler.  You answer about 30 questions and the instrument takes your present age, adjusts it according to what habits you claim you have, and then projects the year you will reach in life.  A number of you mentioned taking this and were amused at the results. I promised I would let you know what I came up with.  My present age is 67. My adjusted age was 41. And you will have me around until I am 109.  The profile indicates how you are taking care of yourself.

Our little steward in Luke this morning is taking care of himself. I’ve mentioned that biblical studies indicate that he simply cut his own commission to these debtors. He was not necessarily stealing from the rich man. By cutting his commission, he makes sure he is going to be popular with the debtors.

Which brings me to how we take care of ourselves. How do you do it? Want a scale or a map, one that is reflected in the profiler? I’ll give you seven that are pretty commonly accepted as essential. In a work called Aging Well by George Vaillant these seven points are used to describe where people in a study were. They were pictured on a spectrum from Happy-Healthy to Sad-Sick. The seven factors are relevant to every age.

The first four are no brainers:

• no smoking. And if you are smoking, the sooner you give it up the sooner you move closer to the Happy-Healthy side.
• no abuse of alcohol. I have read about a new class of alcoholics – the geriatric alcoholic. For instance, the successful business man who has retired and begins to drink more & more, earlier & earlier until he is polishing off a number of drinks every evening. 
• weight control. Tough. 
• exercise. At least walk. At least 3 days a week, maybe every day.

The last three are not as self evident as the first four.

• a family life or a social life. This involves a proactive approach to people, both family and friends.
• education.The better the education, the more Happy-Healthy. The degree only opens the door to lifetime education.
• defense mechanisms. How I handle bad things, deaths, firings, broken relationships.  Make lemonade out of lemons.

People who do well with these seven factors of life will be more happy-healthy. Those doing poorly will inevitably move toward sad-sick.

Our steward in the reading was taking care of himself.

How are you taking care of yourself?

Happy-Healthy scale: Download nicholas_age_scale.doc

AUDIO http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2007-09-23.mp3

Readings: Acts 1, 1-11; Psalm 47, God Mounts his Throne to Shouts of Joy, a Blare of Trumpets for the Lord; Ephesians 1, 17-23; Luke 24, 46-53.  

Ascension  of the Lord – Intro to the Readings

Today, we have a whole lot of Luke and a reading from Paul, or someone who knew him very well!

Our first reading is from the beginning of Acts and because of the feast, we leave aside John’s Gospel today and hear about the ascension from the very end of Luke’s Gospel.

The Gospel of Luke ends as it began (Luke 1:9), in the Jerusalem temple.

Luke brings his story about the time of Jesus to a close with the report of the ascension. He will also begin the story of the time of the church with a recounting of the ascension. In the gospel, Luke recounts the ascension of Jesus on Easter Sunday night, thereby closely associating it with the resurrection. In Acts 1:3, 9-11; 13:31 he historicizes the ascension by speaking of a forty-day period between the resurrection and the ascension. The Western text omits some phrases in Luke 24:51, 52,  perhaps to avoid any chronological conflict with Acts 1 about the time of the ascension.

Homily for the Feast of the Ascension

Faith is one of those items, which, try as we might, we will never be fully able to explain.  But I think there is a clue to this challenge in our second reading today.  There is a little phrase in there about the eyes of the heart.   I have never heard of the phrase “eyes of the heart” before, but the more I thought about them the more it started to make sense to me.

For most of my life beginning with my first catechism my faith seems to involve learning stuff:  information, ten commandments, seven sacraments, seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, twelve apostles names, mortals sins and venial sins.  The list goes on and on.  As humans, today, we are almost obsessed with information, data.  I don’t think that people at the time of Christ were quite so obsessive as this.  Here is why:

In our first reading today from the opening chapter of Acts, Luke tells us that Jesus ascended to heaven forty days after the resurrection.  Yet in the gospel reading, also by Luke, if we pay close attention to the last chapter of that Gospel, Jesus ascended to heaven the same day as the resurrection!  Both readings are from the same writer.  Both readings coming from close to each other in their respective books, the last chapter of the gospel and the opening chapter of the Book of Acts, and yet this contradiction did not seem to matter to Luke or his audience. 

The only conclusion is that the detail, the facts themselves were not that important.  The event was looked at thru the eyes of the heart.  As I said on Easter Sunday, the fact of the Resurrection cannot be proven; neither can the fact of the Ascension.  They can only be seen thru the eyes of faith, thru the “eyes of the heart”

This week I was watching a new TV program “Into the Universe” from Steven Hawkins, the world's most famous living scientist which is all about the origins of the universe.  Even as intelligent a person as Hawkins cannot find God in our universe, and I believe the reason is quite simple. 

He is not looking with the eyes of the heart; he is looking through the eyes of a scientist who looks for hard data.  Our God is outside all of that.  Our God is in a totally different world.  His is the world of caring, the world of loving, of taking care of the poor, the sick and the lonely.  Our God has one simple rule, love one another. 

This kind of stuff is only visible thru the eyes of the heart.  And so today, as we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension, we can only celebrate it emotionally, not intellectually, because the notion of someone rising from the dead and going up where-ever doesn’t make any sense from a scientifically observable point of view, but is easy to accept in the context of a God who loves you and me unconditionally.

Picture 1:  Fr. Tony Begins

Picture 2:  Fr. Tony & Buddies, Marianne, George, & Ron

Picture 3:  Coffee time, Curtis, Warren, Ken & Cindy, Teresa & Tom, & Mabel

Picture 4:  Old Geezers, Tony, Jerry, David, & Stack

Picture 5:  Backpacking talk, Lynda, Bill, Daniel, & Claire