Sunday Homily, December 18, 2016, 3rd Advent, Cycle A

Readings: Acts 3, 13-19; Psalm 42, Lord, let your face shine on us; 1 John 2, 1-5; Luke 24, 35-48.

Acts: A review–

Author:  Luke, the author of both The Gospel and Acts.  Today we get Luke twice, in the first reading with Acts and in the last reading, today's Gospel. 

While we are on the subject, Luke's gospel story today is a compliment to last week's gospel story by John.  Both John & Luke find the apostles in a locked room, Jesus appears, and he says, "Peace."  Both focus on the physical, last week on Thomas demanding to see the wounds, this week Jesus eating.  What does he eat?   Why so much focus on the physical? 

Date:  written about 40-60 years after Jesus death, i.e., ca. 70-100 A.D.

Subject: Two points of organization.  One is that chapters 1-8 focus on the resurrection, ascension, and Pentecost, plus their effect on the community.  The rest of the book, i.e., chapters 9-28, Paul.  The other point of organization goes from Jerusalem, to Palestine, to the whole world with the news about Jesus.

Today's Selection:  The selection today is somewhat backwards compared with last week.  Last week, chapter 4; this week, chapter 3. 

The scene is this, just like last week when we read from chapter 4.   Peter & John have just healed a lame man at the door of the temple.  The people come rushing to see.  Peter & John say, "Hey, we did not do it."  In fact, Jesus did it and he has been raised from the dead.  This caught the attention of the priests and authorities who had the two arrested and put before the council.  They are released the next day after a warning not to talk about this Jesus.  Then they return to the local community of believers. 

Last week we tuned in at this point and the reading focused on how the community attempted to live a communal life, everyone sharing.  Today we go back to the time just after the healing of the lame man.  The people have rushed to see the phenomenon and ask Peter & John to explain.  Today's reading is their explanation.

Who Needs to be Richest or Prettiest?

After all the academic background & history on the readings today, I would like to propose we have a homily lite.

Consequently, I have five questions.  See if you can answer them.

Name 5 wealthiest families in Dallas.

Name 4 Miss Americas.

Name 3 Heisman Trophy winners.

Name 2 winners of, take your pick, best actor/actress, Dancing with the Stars, American Idol.

Name 1 recent MVP in either the NFL or NBA.

Anybody got 15 names?  I would suspect that most of you, like me, cannot name more than one or two people on this list, maybe none in some categories.  Folks, these people are not slugs.  They are probably the best in their fields.  But who knows, and who cares?  50 years from now who will remember these people?  Point: all this wealth, all this beauty, all this talent makes what kind of difference in your world? 

Now let me put five more question to you.  See if you can answer them.

Name your 5 best friends. 

Name 4 teachers who positively affected your life.

Name 3 who compliment you.

Name 2 models or mentors in your life.

Name 1 person whose courage you admire.

Got 15 people?  Difference?  What makes the difference?  The latter people make or have made your life, you richer?  So, what if you forget about being the richest, the prettiest, the best, and focus on making life richer for those around you and those following you?

How?  We planted trees for a couple of decades here.  Remember the Trinity River trash pick up organized by Kovatis?  Habitat.  Coaching, teaching.  Collin County Adult Clinic.

So, what are you doing?

AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2009-04-26.mp3

Picture 1:  Mass with Kevin helping

Picture 2:  Birthday: John Simari, Denni Zurchin with Chloe, & Kevin

Picture 3:  Audry & Grandma Jo

Picture 4:  Alexandra with dad David

Readings: 

 Exodus 32, 7-11, 13-14,   I see how stiff necked this people is.

Psalm 51,  I will rise and go to my father.

1 Timothy 1, 11-17, I am grateful to him who has strengthened me.

Luke 15, 1-32, The Prodigal Son (The Best).

 

 

Exodus observations :

What : a story, a long parable.  It has 2 parts, the exodus or exit from Egypt
and the years wandering in the desert.

Who: the work is all about Moses, but he
did not compose it.  Rather, it was put
together by a committee during the Babylonian Captivity, 555 before Christ.

Subject: it appears that the purpose of the
work was to encourage the people during the Babylonian Captivity.  It is not history and borrows stories from
other cultures.  For instance, the
parting of the Red Sea comes from a Mesopotamian creation myth and the 10
Commandments resemble the Code of Hammurabi.

Our Subject: The people have been bad, God is
mad at them, and Moses defends the people.

Sources: Good News Bible,
The New Interpreter’s Study Bible, Wikipedia

 

 

 

The Prodigal Son: A Work of Art

 This story is my favorite parable of the whole Bible.  Note one thing: this is story, not
history.   The author carefully crafts
his work of art to show how much God loves us unconditionally.  Let me give you three observations about the
son, three about the father, and an extra three to show you how astounding this
story is. 

First, the younger son:

 

        1.  He has no right to ask for inheritance.  None. 
By asking he is saying he wishes the father and the older son dead.  A symbolic murder.  Father can kill him for this.

        2.  He works feeding pigs instead of asking for
help from the temple.  This means he
rejects the religious tradition and is considered a traitor not only to the
family, but to the religion.  

    3.  So, as a horrible failure as a son of the
family and a son of the religious tradition, he decides to return.  He makes up his little speech and heads
home.  He is hungry to the point of
dying.  Do this or die.  Many listening Jews would say, Die.  

The Father: he actually commits as many crimes and sins as
the son.

 

    1.    
He runs down the road to
the son when he sees him coming.  A very
undignified action.  Outrageous.  People who emphasize conditional love point
out that the son at least came back. 
Despite this point, all the other elements of the parable point to a
father with unconditional love.

        2.  He embraced and kissed the son.  Huge violation of Jewish religious custom and
law.  By doing this the father positions
himself outside of the religious & cultural community.  He is a reject like the son. 

        3.  He cuts the son’s speech off before he can finish, eliminating the last sentence, “treat me as you would one of your
hired workers.”  And to make it worse, he
orders the servants to bring the finest robe, ring, and sandals. 

 

The robe, the ring, and the sandals:

        1.  The robe: restores the son’s dignity. 

        2.  The ring: gives authority to the son, even
equal to the father and certainly more than before he left.

        3.  The sandals: gives the son freedom.  Slaves were not given sandals so they would
not run away.  The father is doubling the
message he gave when he cut the son’s speech off before he could say the third
part about being treated as a servant.  

 

A word about the older son, because we so often identify
with him.  Two additional and final
points.

        1.  That he tells his father how he feels.  Great. 
In those days, it meant the father can kill him.  Today: communication. 

        2.  What is his challenge: acceptance of his
brother, his father, and himself; focus on gratitude for all he has; move from
trying to be a good boy to loving?  Any
one of these?  Or all?  All.  

I apologize for so much data.  There is even more.  The point is that the story is a carefully
crafted literary work of art that attempts to describe how totally unconditionally
loving our God is.

How does this image of God reflect your image of God? 

 

 

Source: The
Liberating Stories of Jesus, Francis Vanderwall (Dallas’ Open Window will
present Francis Saturday, September 28, for an all day seminar.  Welcome. 
More info below.  Sunday he will
be with us at Vines.  He is an ex-Jesuit
and one of my best old Jesuit buddies.)  
Download Fall 2013 Conference 9-20-13

 

 

 

 

Readings: Entrance procession, Luke 19, 28-40; Isaiah 50, 4-7; Psalm 22, My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me?; Philippians 2, 6-11; Passion, Luke 22, 14-23, 1-49. 

 Some short reflections on the readings, short because of the length of the readings, i.e., the Passion.

It is very unfortunate that we only read little sections of the Luke’s Gospel each Sunday.  It is like seeing a few minutes of a movie; we keep getting interrupted and can too easily lose the whole plot.  Remember, Luke’s product is both the Gospel and the Book of Acts and together they form a complete message.

The very early church was Jewish.  After the Resurrection, the followers of Jesus continued to go to the synagogue or temple, this we see in Acts, and they also met in each other’s homes to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.  As they reflected on the life of Jesus, they turned to what they were most familiar with, namely the Old Testament, in their efforts to try and understand Jesus’ place better.  And so after forty or fifty or even sixty years of this, as our Gospels emerge they are hugely influenced by the Old Testament.  It was the only way the gospel writers and the early communities knew how to understand Jesus and his message.

 

Today, we have one of those points, if we were watching a movie, when the music would be cranked up.  For Luke, from Chapter 9:51 up until today’s first Gospel reading Chapter 19:28 Jesus has been journeying towards Jerusalem.  Today he enters Jerusalem and begins what we know as the Jerusalem ministry, a mere two and a half chapters. You will remember way back at the beginning of this gospel, when Jesus gets left behind in Jerusalem, he says to his parents, “Did you not know that I must be busy with my Father’s affairs.” Right after today’s reading, Luke has Jesus go to the temple and clean it out and then begin teaching in the Temple every day. 

 

We get the sense of more time than just the few days we experience between Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem and what we will read about shortly as the Holy Week events. 

Finally, recall on the first Sunday of Lent, we read of the temptations of Jesus after his 40 days in the desert.  Luke ends that story with the words “the devil left him to return at the proper time.”   We will see that return in our reading of the Passion when Peter denies Jesus 22:31, when Satan enters Judas 22:3 and at the hour of darkness, 22:53.

 

We are almost done with Lent.  Now we turn to the events of Holy Week and Easter.  Our Gospels give us different interpretations of these events, influenced by the early church’s interpretation in the light of the Old Testament.  Each one of us also needs to reflect on what these events mean to us and how our lives are different.  Was this just a sad story, which happened over two thousand years ago, or are our lives today lived with a different meaning because of Jesus?

 

 

Picture 1:   Palm Sunday Mass begins with Tony

 

Picture 2:   Tony blesses the Palms

 

Picture 3:   Denni, Nancy, & Ron await the Procession

 

Picture 4:   The Procession with the Palms

 

Picture 5:  The Kless Family await the blessing, Christine, Cara, her friend, Sean, and Ed

 

 

"Welcome in, Everybody, sez Ken.

 

Readings:

Isaiah 58, 7-10,  Share your bread with the hungry.  (A beautiful passage. Note: I lied. I thought we were done with Isaiah until next Advent, or so  I read.  I am happy to be wrong.)

Psalm 112,  The just man (person?) is a light in the darkness to the upright.

1 Corinthians 2, 1-5,  I came to you in weakness and in fear.

Matthew 5, 13-16, You are the light of the world.

 

 

It takes a team.

 

Isaiah reminders, again—(I lied again, Folks.  I thought we were finished with Isaiah, my favorite, until next Advent.  Nope.  Not really sorry, though.  We have him again Feb. 26, last Sunday before Lent.)  Where did I get my research?

 Author: This is Isaiah #3, the composer of chapters 56-66.  Isaiah #3 lives after the Israelites have returned to the ruined city of Jerusalem.  It is a very depressing experience after the exuberance of being allowed to depart from slavery in Babylon.  Like returning to your shattered home after a tornado, hurricane, or forest fire.

 

 

"Nuts, Sandra, I think I lost that thumb drive."

 

 Date:  Ca. 555 before Christ, the composition.  The Jewish people of Jerusalem are home again.

Subject:  A great day will come for you Jews.  You will be a bright light at dawn and your wound will be healed (of your defeat and slavery), if you take care of your neighbor, providing food, clothing, and shelter.  The corporal works of mercy.

 

 

Good Morning, Bill & Cindy.

 

Your Light must shine before Others

This is the fourth or fifth Sunday we have dealt with delightful readings that involve light, either receiving light or giving light.  Guess what.  I want to talk again about 3 people who are lights for me.

I have talked before about that guy whom I greatly admire, Jim Mahar, a professor of something like economics at St. Bonaventure University near Buffalo, NY.  This guy just continues to amaze and humble me. 

 

 

 

The Candle Girls at work.

 

I first met Jim through Bill Hammond.  He, I, and others,  all went down to Galveston to help with the clean up and repair of the city after hurricane Ike in 2008.  It seems to me like yesterday and, yet, it is incredibly long ago.

There were 20-25 of us, mostly students probably on spring break.  We stayed in a very hospitable Protestant church.  The pastor himself was most friendly and accommodating. 

 

 

Buddy reading The Blessing of The Candles>

 

The kids had bunk beds on the left & right of the church.  We old guys bedded down in a rectangular room with about 20 Baptist Men volunteers.  I could talk about those guys all day, they are so good.  The only problem that time: one guy in our dorm snored like a bear. 

These guys had an 18 wheeler trailer that they had rigged up with a number of showers.  The people in the church community fed us 3 meals a day. 

 

 

The Offertory a family affair,  Gil, Michelle, & Bernadette.

 

This was the first time I worked with Jim Maher.  I also went to Moore, OK, a suburb of OK City to help with a tornado that passed through a little trailer town called Little Ax.  And now  I get a facebook note from Jim, working with a bunch of St. Bonaventure kids in maybe the Bahamas.

Jim is a bright light in my life.  In fact, his light is blinding.  I am exhausted just following him from one disaster to another.   He and some kids even came to help in Rowlett once a few years ago.  I did not get to help out, but Bill Hammond was there. 

 

 

The Minor Elevation.

 

Secondly, Pope Francis.  And not just because he is a Jesuit.  Ever hear of Palazzo Migliori at St.  Peter’s square in Rome?  I just saw this in a news bulletin. 

I am proud of Francis and his team because he is taking a rich 19th century palace on the edge of St. Peter's square and turning it into a home for homeless.  The palace could  have been sold or rented out for an enormous sum.   "Beauty heals" was Francis' observation when he inaugurated the palazzo.

 

 

Communion Time.

 

About 50 men & women now sleep in the palazzo, which has 16 bedrooms.  Volunteers provide hot meals.  Among the volunteers are some Americans.

 

 

Bill give a pretty good health report.

 

 

The third group: our kids.  They don’t have to do anything and I love them.  I am so delighted with their presence, which brings light to our celebrations.  Look at Betsy, our most recent arrival.   Betsy, this does not include the monster who brings you, though I am exceedingly grateful to her, not only bringing you, Betsy, but also your big sister, Harper.

I have always welcomed little kids at the Masses I celebrate, and for sure, at St. Marks.  I would normally invite them up around me during the Eucharistic prayer.  One time in the big church a little boy knocked over the standing candles and another time a little baby barfed on my shoulder while I was welcoming her or him for maybe the first time. 

 

 

Sez Betsy, "Wow!  What is this??"

 

Guess what, everybody was so timid and cowed that Sunday they did not even stop me to let me know the baby had thrown up on my shoulder.  Only after the Mass, when even I was beginning to wonder about where that smell was coming from, did someone speak up.  These events both took place in the big church, not the 10:30 cafetorium.   That 10:30 crowd would have spoken up, probably laughing at me.

Again the questions:

Who gives you light?

To whom do you give light?

Anybody know who these character are??

Readings:

Genesis 60, 1-5, Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. 

Psalm 12, The Lord, every nation will adore you

Ephesians 3, 2-6, 11-14,  You have heard of  the stewardship of  God

Matthew 2, 1-12, Magi from the East

 

 

 

The brain trust.

 

 

Readings:

Download Readings 1-3-2021

 

Homily:

Download Mike's Homily 1-3-2021

 

 

Our beautiful Georgie reading Isaiah.

 

Our Kevin reading Ephesians, while Connie, his mom looks on.

 

Thanks to the Team

Music,  Ben & Shonda

Readers,    Georgie & Kevin, and Buddy, the candle blesser

Gospel,  Deacon Mike Carrell

Homily,   Deacon Mike Carrell

Eucharistic Prayer A & B, Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Richard & Mike 

Final Blessing, Rosemary

For hosting us at Legacy, Becky

 

 

 

Remembering…..Mike reading.

 

Please Remember these special people:

For Carrie's ex, Larry;  For Alan Stryker;  For Joe Sullivan;    For Rosemary's great niece, Rylie ;  For Richard's grand daughter, Madeleine; For David Dinsmore's bad shoulder from a biking accident;  For Esparza's new great grandson baby, son of Monique;  For all the medical personnel struggling to treat the tsunami of sick people, in particular, locally, Cindy's staff at Presby, Dallas, and at Frisco Presby, the mother of Harper and Betsy, Kendle, working in labor & delivery, 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 Loretta's aunt Alicia;  For Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody & Ben & Leo & all of Shonda's dear family;

 

John sharing the Eucharistic Prayer still in the Christmas spirit.

 

Jackie's mom, sister, & friend, Lynn;  For both Jean & Cliff Wright;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg; For Meredith, cancer free;    For John O'Donnell & Jean & their daughter, Molly;   For Dee, and for her daughter, Lisa; For John Schanot's continued health;  For Anthony & Sabrina;    For a young man who is suffering from depression;  John Cade's mother in law, Kalliopi Piskiouli and Lambrini, plus John's daughter, Joey, with cancer; for a little 4 month old boy undergoing an operation, from Barbara & for Rollie with Corona; for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

 

Birthdays: Tom Fleming, 64, Cheryl O'hagan

Anniversary: Richard & Carol, 45th

 

 

Community Finances, January 3, 2021

Expenses: $200.00

Outreach   $450.00  (often for Souls Harbor, Legacy, etc.)

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 

Am I dreaming?  Or is it a nightmare??

 

Rosemary's Blessing

When the decorations of Christmas have been packed away then the work of Christmas begins:

Lord, help us

to find the lost,
to heal those broken in spirit,
to feed the hungry,
to release the oppressed,
to rebuild the nations,
to bring peace among all peoples,
and to make a little music with the heart…

Adapted from Work of Christmas Begins by Howard Thurman

 

 

Readings:

Genesis 15, 5-12, 17-18     To your descendants I give this land.

Psalm 27,  The Lord is my light and my salvation

Philippians 3, 17-4, 1,   Their god is their stomach.

Luke 9, 28-36,   The Transfiguration.

 

 

 

Says Harper, "Hi, Everybody, Welcome in."

 

Genesis observations

What : book 1 of the whole Bible which includes

1. Origin of people, Creation, Adam & Eve, the apple tree,
2. Cain & Abel,
3. Tower of Babel,
4. The flood, Noah, and the arc,
5. Abraham, The Father of the tribe, Isaac, and Jacob

The stories are mythological and fun reading.

Author: numerous sources, at least 4 big strands. 

 

 

Leo, too, says, "Good Morning, Everyone, Come in."

 

When: guess.  Yes, compiled during the Babylonian Captivity, 555 before Christ, to build cohesion in the tribe because it has a history, especially the point that they are chosen to be special by God.

Our selection: The story about Abraham and how God made a pact with the tribe led by Abraham, considered the founder of the tribe. 

Amusing note: in our reading Yahweh promises a section of land to the Israelite tribe.  This genre of literature comes under the title of denial of responsibility, typified by ‘The dog ate my homework” or ‘God made me do it.’

The story is put together after the fact, after the event.  The fact is, the Israelite tribe had to remove the Caananite tribe from the land.  The Israelites slaughtered them all, men, women, and children, even the live stock.

Their observation years later, ‘Yahweh told us to do it.”  Such was the origin of the Holy Land.

 

 

And, of course, Genevieve says, "Wow, Folks, Look what I found and I got two of these things."

 

Philippians: another amusing observation

Paul says that his enemies and the enemies of the new Christianity have as their god their stomach.   That could apply to me, too.

 

 

Sam escorting his mom Wednesday afternoon.             

 

The Transfiguration Event

I would like to talk this morning about transfiguration events.  I would propose, as I think I have done in the past, that we all have these events in our lives, most likely every day.  Sometimes we plan them.  Sometimes we realize afterward, ‘That activity or experience or social event was marvelous.’

After a transfiguration event I suggest that we experience at least three special feelings, peace, joy, and gratitude.  Let me show you what I mean.

 

A Wedding Prayer for Stacie and Paul, Surrey House, Mckinney.  Laura, Stacie's daughter is on the left, Kevin, Paul's brother, on the right.

 

Remember last week I introduced and welcome a couple, Stacey and Paul?  I mentioned that we had a wedding planned for Wednesday afternoon. 

We had the wedding, outside, Wednesday at 2:00, at Surrey House in McKinney, a nice, simple place I had never been to before.  The weather was as good as it gets, clear blue sky, bright sunlight, perfect temperature, green grass.   All would have made for a transfiguration event, but there was more.

 

Stacie & Paul exchange vows and rings.

         

First, why Wednesday, you may ask.     Because exactly 4 years ago they had met on a airplane flight. 

Secondly, Stacey is a cancer survivor.  The last time I saw Stacey was one Sunday during her treatment when Rosemary & I brought her communion. 

This was enough.  But on top of it all, her two kids, Sam & Laura, had been altar servers for me at St. Marks for some years.  I loved them.

I came away from that event with great peace, joy, and gratitude.

 

A new life begins.                                

 

I know most of you don’t have the privilege of celebrating weddings, as I do.   So we look elsewhere.

For example, did you not come away from the home Mass at Marlene’s house with greater peace, joy, and gratitude?  I did.

What about our Sundays here together?  These are marvelous events for me.

 

It must be Friday.  Those are Romeos, Kerry, Bill, Matt, Paul, Andy, Ray, Bill, An Old Geezer, and Tom, while Mike takes the picture.   Who let them out??

 

I can even say a transfiguration event for me can be walking the dog, even like taking Aviana out at 4:15 in the morning and getting her to perform the double header.  What peace.  What a joy.  What gratitude. 

And you?  Where are you finding peace, joy, and gratitude? 

 

 

We offer provisions to Sandra who takes in the homeless, i.e., Mike & Geri.