Sunday Homily, December 11, 2016, 3rd Advent, Cycle A

 

 

No touch Our Father.  The flu.

 

 

Welcome: Catholic Mass with coffee & juice, and pastries, some bought, some home-made.  

Time: 9:30; Celebrate with the Community & Stack

Place: Sigler Elementary, 1400 Janwood Drive, Plano, TX 75075

 

 

 

 

Don't leave yet, Leo.  We are almost finished.

 

 

Readings:

Deuteronomy 18, 15-20,  Moses spoke to all the people.

Psalm 95,  Today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts

Corinthians 7, 32-35,   I should like you to be free of anxieties. 
A married man is anxious.

Mark 1, 21-28, Is not a man’s life on earth a drudgery?

 

 

 

 

What a team we got, Georgie, Buddy, Leo, David, Ben, Shonda (barely visible), and even Emma singing (just out of sight, Mike).

 

 

Community Activities:  

 

THIS SUNDAY: birthday brunch after Mass, Welcome!  Guess for whom.

 

 

 

Do I dare ask what you crazies are laughing at?  Like Me?? 

 

 

 

ROMEO MEET: Friday, January 26, Jason's Deli, Collin Creek Mall, west side of Central, 1:00.  Welcome all wakos,  you will fit right in.  

JULIET LUNCHEON, (aka.,just us ladies into eating together),  February Luncheon,

 Hope everyone is keeping warm on this chilly January night. Many of you have suggested going to the Bavarian Grill for lunch in February.  We can enjoy authentic German cuisine in a warm, friendly and inviting atmosphere.

We will meet Friday, February 2 at 12:30.  The Bavarian Grill is located at 221 West Parker Rd., Plano.  It is in the same shopping plaza as Burlington Coat Factory.

Please let me know if you will be joining us.

Thanks,  Marilyn,    972-491-7068     

 

Dickenson Trip:  February 23- March 3

 

 

 

 

Elevation help.  Great when you got Parkenson's.

 

 

What is going on in Our Catholic World:

1    Why are young Catholics departing, National Catholic Reporter, January 22, 2018, 740 words,      Download YOUNG CATHOLICS DEPARTING 1-25-18    

 

 

 

 

Healing for Cheryl.

 

 

True?

 

 

To me, old age is always fifteen years older than I am.

 

Bernard M. Baruch, upon observing his eighty-fifth birthda.

 

 

 

 

 

Healing for David.

 

See you Sunday.

J.S., 214-783-0443

 

 

 

 

Special Community Blessing for Ray & Beth, who have surgery this week.  Part A, Rosemary shares her blessing.

 

 

JSM Mission-Faith Statement:  Help create a Catholic Community that welcomes all God’s People, provides for and challenges spiritual and total growth.

Reaches out to help people who are disadvantaged and make the world we live in a better place to live.

 

 

 

Community Blessing, Part B, everybody.

 

Isaiah 5:  As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.

Philippians 1: Only, conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ.

Matthew 20:  Are you envious because I am generous?  Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.

 

 

The Blog will be on vacation until Sunday, October 15, 2023

 

 

Thanks…     

Music,    Shonda & Ben 

Readers,  Geri & Mike

Homily,   John Stack

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Kevin

Final Blessing, Linda

 

                                      

John Stack and John Cade start Mass

 

 

Remember these special people:

For the family of Ron Senter;   For Meredith  whose cancer has come back;  For Tom Good;  For Tom  Quinn who had back surgery on November 21st; For Lambrini, John Cade's wife, who is dealing with cancer ;  For Madeleine, Richard Eshelbrenner's granddaughter;  For Hue; For Jackie;  For John's sister, Kathey recovering from a fall;   For Tom Good;   For Mary Hall's friend Cadence still suffering from a serious medical condition;   For Sir Charlie;  For Ron ;  For Teresa Quinn's niece, Maddie who has a brain tumor;

                                                                                                 

 

Jackie's sister, & friend, Lynn;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg.;   For Jean & Cliff Wright;  For Dee, and for her daughters, Lisa & Lauren;  For a young man who is suffering from depression;  John Cade's daughter, Joey, with cancer; from Barbara, a little baby boy named Ford recuperating from an operation & the families of Annie and Michael ;    for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

 

 

Ben gets a cookie for his daughter, Sophia's birthday.  Ben promised he would bring it home.

                                          

Birthdays:   Sophia

Anniversaries:  Becky & Tom Good 9/26, John Cade Ordination 9/30

       

         

Jackie sharing her homily

 

 

Community Finances:   

Expenses: $  345.00

Outreach: $  

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

          

John gets a cookie for the anniversary of his ordination

 Readings:

 Deuteronomy  30, 10-14,  If only you would heed the voice of the Lord.

Psalm 69,  Turn to the Lord in your need and you will live.

Colossians 1, 15-20,  He is before all things.

Luke 10, 25-37,  A Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight.

 

 Deuteronomy observations:

 

The Scene: the desert outside the promised land.  Moses is talking to the people about all that has happened to them since he led them out of Israel and through the desert for many years.  Now, as they prepare to enter, Moses is dying.  He is simply exhorting them to love Yahweh and obey his laws. 

The Author:  not Moses.  A compilation put into three discourses.

Date:  guess when?  Yes, after the Babylonian Captivity, ca. 555 before Christ.

Subject today:  Moses talks about a command, but never mentions exactly what it is.  Watch for the answer in today's gospel.  The Great Command.

 

 

The Good Samaritan

I would like to talk a bit about the Good Samaritan parable this morning.

There may have been two meanings.  Initially this parable looks like simply an encouragement to help others, which it is.
 

However, there is a second meaning, perhaps more profound, especially for the Jews who are listening. It has to do with prejudice.

 

The setting. A Jewish lawyer is asking a question about his justification. Where does one draw the line in helping a person? Who is my neighbor? Some observations.

First, the road from Jerusalem to Jericho was notoriously dangerous and plagued with thieves. That this man was alone is significant.  People would travel in groups for safety. Was he an outcast?  Friendless?  Not too
intelligent or not so innocent?

Second, the man was stripped. For the lawyer this would signify that the man was without identity, of no identifiable class. In other words, he might not be anything, not even a Jew. He was Every Person.  A human being.

 

Thirdly, the priest & the Levite (a priestly class). The lawyer would know why they did not stop to help. The Law. They would have been on the way to the temple and they could not cause themselves to be ritually impure or dirty.  In the temple they had to be pure, no contact with dirty people or they could not offer their sacrifice.   Organized religion still follows this practice? 

 

Then, fourth, along comes the Samaritan. To the Jewish lawyer & the Jewish listeners Samaritans were considered scum.  Samaritans were Jews from Israel thought to have intermarried with pagans, i.e., people who did not recognize Yahweh as the name of their God, probably Assyrians after 700.    They did not get swept up in the Babylonian Captivity. They would defile the temple just by entering. In sum, they were vile and dirty, certainly not capable of performing an act of love.

 

But, to the surprise of the lawyer & the audience, it is the Samaritan who performs the act of love.  He even risks his own life by rescuing the man. Jesus further twists the knife by showing how the Samaritan goes beyond the call by setting the man up in an inn and promising to cover all his expenses.

The composer of the parable goes further and plays with two elements used in the temple sacrifice: oil and water.  The Samaritan employs these elements to clean (purify?) the victim.  The author knows what he is suggesting in using these items.

Jesus is responding to the lawyer's question, "Who is my neighbor," by saying "Everybody."  No prejudice.

 

Know anybody like that Samaritan?  How about you?     

Sources, Francis Vanderwall, Jesus, The Parable of God (Francis will speak here September 28-29)

 

                                                                                                                                                     

 

Daniel 12,  But the wise shall shine brightly.

Revelation 1,  I am the Alpha and the Omega.

John 18,  My kingdom does not belong to this world.

 

Sunset Split, Croatia 

 

Thanks……

Music,    Ben 

Readers,    Brent & John, & Buddy, our candle blesser 

Gospel,     John Cade

Homily,   John Cade

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,      Hue & Mike & Richard

Final Blessing, Rosemary

 

Mt. Vesuvius

 

Readings:  Download 11-14-21 – 33rd Ord Readings

 

Homily:  Here are the homilies for the Sundays when the Blog wasn't published. 

Download 10-17-21 Suffering Servant in Isaiah

Download 10-24-21 What Was It Like To Be Jesus (1)

Download 10-31-21 First and Greatest Command – 31st Ord (1)

 

John Stack is in Presbyterian Hospital, Dallas.  He has a lot of pain from a bad back and fell last week.  He is now in the physical therapy area.  He is doing better.  He is having a steroid shot on Tuesday and physical therapy.  Hopefully, he will be back soon.

 

Ionian Sea

 

Remember these special people:

For John Stack having a hard time right now with a bad back;  For Becky & Tom's son, Austin, who took his life this past week;  For Laura Chollick;  For John & Karen Anderlick's grandson, Cooper John who lived only a few hours with his parents;   For Rosemary's great niece, Rylie;  For Richard's grand daughter, Madeleine;   For Esparza's new great grandson  & Frank;  For all the medical personnel struggling to treat the tsunami of sick people, in particular, locally, Cindy's staff at Presby, Dallas, and at Frisco Presby, the mother of Harper and Betsy, Kendle, working in labor & delivery, and for Hue & Linda's daughter, Doctor Rosemary Beavers;   For Mary & Dave Hall's g-daughter Allison Keller working at St. Lukes, The Woodlands,   For Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody &  Leo & all of Shonda's dear family; For Ursuline Sr. Mary Troy,

 

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

 

 

Birthdays:  John Anderlick, Diane McMahon-Bergan, Frank Esparza, Cody Mashburn, Rosemary

Anniversaries: John and Connie Bresson

Community Finances,   October 17 – November 7, 2021

Expenses: $  405.00

Outreach: $  200.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

Busy guarding the entrance to the Palace of Diocletian

 

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

 

 

Welcome, Everyone.  This is part of the group of volunteers who took part in the Single Parents' Advocacy Christmas Party, Saturday at Lewisville H.S. 

 

 

 

Preparing lunch with Bill, Connie, & Cheryl, Single Parent Advocacy, Christmas picnic, Lewisville H.S.  12 of our community volunteered.

 

 

Readings:  (happy ones…)

Zephaniah 3, 14-18, Be glad and rejoice with all your heart

(Psalm) Isaiah,  Cry out with joy and gladness, for among you is the great and holy one of Israel. 

Philippians 4, 4-7,  Rejoice in the Lord always. 

Luke 3,  10-18,  I am baptizing you with water… 

 

 

 

An old pro lighting our candles today.  Welcome home, Cole, so good to see you

 

Homily by Mike

During this past week, I spent some time remembering a story about the Fulghum family: Dad, Mom, and their three children, two of which were in Middle School.  Each morning, Dad and the three children left home carrying their lunches in brown paper bags. Molly who was now in first grade enjoyed helping her mom make the sandwiches.  Daddy always got the biggest one.  

 

 

 

As always, Buddy, good reading of our Blessing of the Candles.  Thanks.

 

On this particular day, Dad had two brown paper bags waiting for him.  One wasn’t at all that big or brown, and there was a lot of tape holding it together, but he took it with him all the same, when  Molly told her Daddy that she had added it for his enjoyment. Daddy smiled, but was in a hurry that day, as he placed both in his brief case. 

 

 

The Best Music with Shonda & David.  Sorry you could not make it, Ben, & that you get better soon.

 

When he had finally made time for lunch, he hurriedly opened-up his usual brown bag.  As he was eating, however, he took time to open the other bag that Molly had given him.  He smiled at the stuff that slid out of it when he had taken off its close-pin.   Three small shells, nineteen pennies, one green and blue marble, two animal crackers, two chocolate kisses, a small red, rubber ball and a few jacks, an empty lip stick, a really small plastic dinosaur, and a couple of colored rubber bands, probably for her hair. 

 

 

 

Thanks for a nice Christmas Story, Mike.

 

And, he was thinking, “What am I going to do with all of this stuff, as he was already late for a meeting. So, all got discarded in haste, with the paper napkin that he brushed across his desk top.

 

Thanks, Connie, for telling us about the party sponsored by the Single Parents Advocacy.

 

 

That night after supper, Molly, smiling, asked her dad, who was reading the paper, “Where is my bag, Daddy.  Behind the paper he sat stunned, his eyes got big, and he didn’t know what to say.  Molly said, “You didn’t bring it home? You didn’t loose it did you? Those are my favorite things, Daddy.” 

 

 

But Daddy is already thinking about calling the janitor at work. Finally he said, “I’ll bring it home tomorrow, I promise.  And he could see the sadness in his little girl’s eyes. After her bed time he heads back to the office.  The Janitor says, “you loose something?”  After a short explanation, together, they located the desired trash bag, and thankfully it contained Molly’s items. 

 

 

And more lunch with three of our Bona Responds brown T shirts at work.

 

After gathering them and returning them to her beat-up sack, he sat there for a while looking again at what had now become treasures to him. He remembered the shells that she had gathered at the beach last summer.  He remembered the chocolate kisses that he had left under her pillow one night. He remembered teaching her how to play “Jacks.” He remembered when she had found the green and blue marble in a parking lot.  In the morning during breakfast he gave her a long sweet hug and kissed her on her forehead, informing her, this time with gusto, that he would bring her sack home with him that evening, for he had purposely left it on his desk at work.  

 

 

Shonda doing what she does best, getting the kids and everybody to sing and even dance.

 

 

Think about it.  Everyone else in the family could have given him

a gift from their abundance; but she had given him everything that was dear to her; they all were given from her heart.  My suggestion to us is this.

 

 

Shonda in her element.

 

We should take time this coming week to enjoy our grand children’s gifts of Christmas pictures, and ornaments, and clay sheep and shepherds, and especially the one of the little child in the manger.  Let them bring to us the realization that Christmas, God’s gift to us, should be and can be celebrated every day in the little gifts of love, precious jewels, that often, and sadly, sometimes overlooked.

 

 

Link to our community Mass on Zoom:   

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7428208829?pwd=VERncTBxaWdkaFpkTUZKL3RROW81UT09

 

 

Readings:

Acts of the Apostles, 6, 1-7, It is not right for us to serve at table.

Psalm 33, Lord, have mercy upon us as we place our trust in you.

1 Peter  2, 4-9, The stone rejected by the builders has become the building stone.

John 14, 1-12, Thomas said,Wed do not know where you are going. 

 

 

 

Where is Everybody?

 

Please have the attached copy of “Jewish Liturgical Calendar” handy this Sunday,  as John will refer to it in homily. 

JEWISH LITURGICAL CALENDAR

Major Holy Days

Passover:  Celebrates the beginning of the Jewish nation, when the Jews came out of Egypt and began to fulfill their national destiny. [April]

Shavuot: Celebrates Moses receiving the Torah from God on Mt. Sinai.   Hebrew for Weeks – 7 Weeks after Passover. Also Pentecost – fifty days after Passover. [End of May or early June]

Rosh Hashanah:  Celebrates end of time when Messiah inaugurates kingdom of God on earth.  [Late September or early October]

Yom Kippur: Celebrates Day of Atonement, ten days after Rosh Hashanah, and together are called the High Holy Days.  [Late September or early October]

Sukkoth: Harvest festival of Jewish year, a kind of Jewish Thanksgiving Day. This one is now overshadowed by bigger celebrations but, at time of Jesus a most anticipated and enjoyed holy day of Jewish year.  [November]

Dedication-Hanukkah: Festival of ‘Light’, celebrating how the light of ‘true worship’ was restored to the Temple in 2^nd century BCE. [December]

About three months after Dedication-Hanukkah, the Jews were back to the first month of their year (Nisan), and their liturgical cycle started all over again with Passover. The Jewish calendar should not surprise Christians who also follow an annual liturgical cycle of holy days, with the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter and Pentecost.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please Remember these special people:

For all the medical personnel struggling to treat the tsunami of sick people, in particular locally, Cindy's staff at Presby; For John & Connnie's good froend, Bob, who just died of cancer & his grieving wife, Judy;  For Joe Hogan with cancer,  For Loretta's aunt Alicia;    For Bill Hammond,    For Sydney & her dear Husband, Hugh, who just moved to the Other Side,  & For Sir Charlie recuperating from surgery;  Shonda's mom;   For Gilberto recuperating from his gall bladder operation:  for Michelle;  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; 

Tom and Teresa Quinn's niece, Chawna, with cancer, their granddaughter, Mikayla;   plus Neva Flynn, Angel, and Diane Kreeitzer;   Connie Doherty's mom and her sister, plus Kevin's cousin, Peter; For a number of David McKeon's family who are having a rough time with health issues, especially Mark Terain; for our friends, sons, and daughters in the military, including Ryan McClurg and Chebino; cure for autism from Laura Chollick; for our President.

Remembering.….