Homily for June 18, 2017, Fathers’ Day & Corpus Christi

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Guess who is saying, "Welcome in, Everybody."  Would you believe, Zoe & Tori & Harper.

 

Readings:

Deuteronomy   8, 2-3, 14-16,  Do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

 Psalm 147,   Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.  

1 Corinthians 10, 16-17, We, though many, are one body.

John 6, 51-58,   Eucharist 

 

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Likewise, Kevin is ready and says, "Come in, Folks."

 

Father’s Day History:

 Four steps:

  1. The Civil War started thinking about a Mother’s Day.  Anna Jarvis pushed it ca. 1907 and it was made official in 1914 by President Woodrow Wilson.
  2. Monongah, WV mining disaster, 210 fathers killed, Dec. 6, 1907 (just before Christmas & after the Mother’s Day activity).  Fairmont, WV.   Grace Golden Clayton pushed the idea. 
  3. Spokane, WA, Sonora Dodd & influence of Mother’s Day.  Dodd’s dad had fought in the Civil War and all by himself raised Sonora & her 5 siblings.   
  4. Pres. LBJ made it special, 1966.  Pres. Nixon made it a national holiday, 1972.

 

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Even Buddy, roped up and ready to go says, "Hi, Everybody."
 

 

Father’s Day

This morning I would like to talk about Father’s Day, especially from the perspective of one of those special events that happens every now and then.  One of those events took place last night.

What happened was that a class I had been a part of at Jesuit as a teacher had a 50th class reunion at one of the guy’s houses.  About 4 other teachers were invited, one of which was a Jesuit friend who likewise had departed and married 37 years ago, as he told Rosemary &  me.

 

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Hi, Cody, Hi, Ben.  Great to see you, as always.

 

I loved these guys and I was doubly touched because one of the guys that organized the reunion and who personally invited me was a guy named Frank Hart.  I have been like part of his family since I was in 7th & 8th grade at Christ the King. 

I have mentioned often enough how Frank Sr. was such a positive influence in my last two years at Christ the King, like ’52, ’53, & ’54.  He was not just a coach, teacher, and Scout Master.  He was  a second father. 

 

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Here they are, Everybody, Ben's beautiful family, Jack, Sophia, and Camille.

 

Frank is still alive and Friday afternoons I visit him at a convalescent home where he is just waiting to move to the other side.  He sleeps mostly and does not even know me. 

Some of you may remember when we planted trees on Marsh Lane from Northwest Hwy. to LBJ, Frank Sr. had a restaurant and invited the whole team to eat at his place after the planting, free. 

 

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Would you buy a used car from either of these two characters, Sir Charlie & Gilberto?   Like, how about an Edsel?  Mint condition?

 

Some of you also may remember when we finished tree planting on numerous other streets the next few years, the picnic was always catered by a restaurant called Back Country Bar-B-Que.  That was Frank, Jr. the son and the former student who invited me & Rosemary to the reunion.  20 years ago or more I performed the marriage between Frank and his wife, Martha. 

Just to show those kids I am still an idiot, I had to borrow 5 bucks from Frank to pay the valet parking.  We were at the home of Mike McKool, 5 minutes from our house, and neither Rosemary nor I took any money. 

 

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Shonda & Ben bringing The Magic.

 

Rosemary & I heard lots of personal stories.  One kid’s experiences in Viet Nam really touched me. 

I am not a real father.  But I have had the privilege of being nurtured by some good fathers and have tried to nurture some other young guys.  Last night some of those once young boys really touched me.

How have you been nurtured by the father figures in your life?

And how have you passed on the nurturing?

 

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Says Sandra, "Happy Father's Day all you guys."

 

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  • Sunday Homily 11-21-10, Christ the King & Thanksgiving

    Readings: 2 Samuel 5, 1-3; Psalm 122, Let us go Rejoicing to the House of the Lord; Colossians 1, 12-20; Luke 23, 35-43. 

    History of the Christ the King Feast: date, author, reason it was declared

    Date: Not during the early church, not during the time when Constantine made Christianity the religion of the Empire, not during the time of Luther & the Reformation, not during the time of Pius IX with the Italian Resorgiamento & his Infallibility statement (1870), but in 1925.  Fairly Recently.

    Author: Pius XI, pope 1922-39

    Food Drive 11-21-10 

    Reason(s): at least 2 factors–The Times and Modernism/Secularism

    1.  The Times:

    a) End of WW I and build up to WW II   

    b) Mussolini & Hitler: the same year Pius XI became pope, Mussolini became prime minister.  By 1925 he had become a dictator.  The feast was to counter the dictatorship.  "Christ is king, not you."

    2.  Modernism & Secularism:

    a) Modernism.  Despite being scholarly and pro-scientific methods, Pius XI was suspicious of biblical scholarship which questioned, for example, biblical inerrancy, the nature of bible miracles, the virgin birth, the resurrection, the atonement theory that God demanded his son suffer & die for a single sin by a human.

    b) Secularism coming out of the Enlightenment said that all people were equal, people should have a say in government as in democracy, and backed the separation of church/state, like proposed by Jefferson.  The Catholic Church was against democracy.

     Sources: Living with Christ, Nov., 2009; Wikipedia

    Ryan 11-21-10 
     

    Two Roads Diverged in a Yellow Woods

     

    And sorry I could not travel both
    And be one traveler, long I stood
    And looked down one as far as I could
    To where it bent in the undergrowth;  
     
    Then took the other, as just as fair,
    And having perhaps the better claim,
    Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
    Though as for that the passing there
    Had worn them really about the same,  
     
    And both that morning equally lay
    In leaves no step had trodden black.
    Oh, I kept the first for another day!
    Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
    I doubted if I should ever come back.  
     
    I shall be telling this with a sigh
    Somewhere ages and ages hence:
    Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
    I took the one less traveled by,
    And that has made all the difference.  
     

                            Robert Frost

                                                                                                       

    Connie 11-21-10 

    A few weeks ago this past fall Rosemary and I received a special gift.  We were given two tickets to a Notre Dame home football game, a game against Pittsburg. 

    This had special meaning for me because when I was 18 I was enrolled in Notre Dame for college.  I had even bought some winter clothes.  Until I changed my mind and joined the Jesuits, to my mother’s rather lengthy irritation. 

    Never in the following 50 odd years of my life did I ever get to visit the campus where my life might have been totally different.

    In the spirit of Thanksgiving I want to give thanks for three things connected with this event.

     Mark 11-21-10

    First, I finally had the opportunity to reunite with one of my best old buddies from high school and even grade school, Pete Wacks.   He  has spent almost all of his adult life in Chicago working as an F.B.I agent.

     There is an amusing quality to this.  Here are two kids who seemed to get into trouble together and who spent some evenings in the University Park jail.  One ends up a Jesuit priest & the other works as an F.B.I. agent.

     After 50 years it was like we just picked up where we left off.  Rosemary & I spent the whole weekend with Pete & Margie.  We stayed at their house and they drove us to South Bend and joined us at the game.  One of his buddies even met us when we arrived at the campus and toured us around in a golf cart.  

     I am really grateful for this.

     Secondly, I was grateful for the opportunity to visit what I had heard was one of the beautiful campuses.  I got to meet touchdown Jesus, to witness a game in a fabled stadium, and to walk the campus.  The trees were just changing colors and it was a beautiful, warm fall afternoon.  It was fun and touching to walk around imagining how my life could have been different had I ended up there for 4 years.

     Thirdly, I was grateful that I had chosen the second road the summer of ’58.  It has been a good road.

     Wendy 11-21-10

    As we look forward this week to Thanksgiving, I invite you to reminisce.  Look back.  Not often in life do we encounter two roads in a wood.  How grateful are you for the roads you have chosen?

     

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  • Sunday Homily 4-12-10, 4th Easter

    Readings: Acts 13, 14, 43-52; Psalm 100, We are His People, The Sheep of His Flock; Revelation 7, 9, 14-17; John 10, 27-30

    Acts:  a brief resume of what Tony has already explained, using the structure of who, what, when, and today's reading.

    Who wrote: Luke, who wrote the Gospel.  He was a Greek speaking Gentile convert to Judaism.  He writes for Gentile Christians.  Writes about Paul, but did not know him nor his letters.

    When: Big question.  Before or after 2 momentous events–

    70 C.E: the Jews rebel against Rome.  Rome smashes them and destroys the most precious temple.  End of priests, beginning of rabbis.

    88 C.E.: the Jewish Christians who have been worshiping in the temple or synagogue for decades split off. 

    What about: story of spread of Christianity after Christ's death.  History or not?  Big question.  Idealized history?

    Mass Begining 4-25-10

    Today: Paul & Barnabas scolding the Jews and affirming the Gentiles.  Is Acts pro Gentile?  

    Revelation: a strange book

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    Sacrament of the Sick 4-25-10

    The Good Shepherd

     

    Want to know what a good shepherd looks like?

     

      

    There is a couple.  They are celebrating 25 years of marriage.  They met in college in Pennsylvania.  Good kids.  The girl, Donna had spent a summer overseas doing service work in Calcutta. 

     

       

    Know who else started out in Calcutta?  Mother Teresa.

     

       

    The guy, John had also been doing summer mission work with the Glenmary Home Missionaries. 

     

    Offertory 4-25-10

     

    So they got married and planned to have a family.  They tried and waited.  The news: they could not have kids.  So, one thing led to another and they adopted.

     

     

    They adopted Rosa, a baby from an orphanage in Mexico. 

    Then they adopted Natalie, a baby from Guatemala.

    Then David, a baby from a local foster care family.

    Then they adopted a 12 year old.  Maria Elena came from the same Mexican orphanage as Rosa. 

     

      

    They had been living in a house in Philadelphia.  They moved to a church basement.  Then to an empty convent. 

     

      

    All the while they continued adopting kids.  Just could not say no.  Donna was home schooling the kids.  John was working as an independent contractor—until they reached 11 kids.  Then he quit his job.  He was needed too much at home.

     

     

    With the number of adoptions rising they found a 7 acre farm in south east Pennsylvania.  Here they could attempt more self-sufficiency.  They also were granted status as a foundation and took the name of St. Joseph House.

     

    CCAC 4-25-10

     

    Today on the farm they have somewhere between 17 and 20 kids under their roof. 

     

      

    How have they managed over these 25 years and 20 kids?  With the help of Catholic communities like ours right here. 

     

     

    What kind of good shepherd are you?  Are we?

     

    I found the story of John & Donna Kurtz in the March edition of The Anthony Messenger.   There is a picture of the whole bunch on the cover. http://www.americancatholic.org/Messenger/Mar2010/Feature1.asp

     
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    Picture 2:   Sacrament of the Sick, Debbie
     
    Picture 3:   Offertory, Taylor & Zack Read
     
    Picture 4:   Monthly contribution ($2000) to the Collin Co. Adult Clinic

     

     

  • 4th Sunday of Lent, March 14, 2021

    2 Chronicles, In those day all the princes & people added infidelity to infidelity.

    Psalm 137,  Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you.

    1 Ephesians, 2,  We are his handiwork.  

    John 3, God so loved the world that he gave his only son.

     

    Snoopy 26

     

    It is coming….

     

    Thanks……

    Music,  Ben & Shonda

    Readers, Denni & Tom, & Buddy, the candle blesser

    Gospel,  Mike Carrell

    Homily,  John Stack

    Eucharistic Prayer A & B, Stack & John Cade

    The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Richard & Mike  

    Final Blessing, Rosemary

    For hosting us at Legacy, Becky

     

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    The Three Sisters, Clare, Patty, & Rosemary

     

     

    Sunday Readings:

    Download Reading 4th Lent 03-14-2021 YrB Lent4

     

    John's Homily

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    The McGinn Clan, Joseph, Patty, Rosemary, Clare, & Bobby (missing only Peter, deceased).

     

     

    Please Remember these special people:

    For Carrie's ex, Larry with Corona;  For Alan Stryker;  For Joe Sullivan;    For Rosemary's great niece, Rylie ;  For Richard's grand daughter, Madeleine;   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 &  Leo & all of Shonda's dear family; For Ursuline Sr. Mary Troy 

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    A Special Gift at the end of the tunnel: John Cade

     

    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 daughter, Lisa;  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 4 month old boy undergoing an operation & for Rollie with Corona; for David McKeon's brother, Hugh; for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

     

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    The Brain Team, Mike, Richard, & Hugh.

     

    Birthdays:   John O'Donnell, Ken Cramer

    Anniversaries: Fred Martinez & Martha, 12th

     

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    Clare & Joe with Rosemary at Hilton Head.

     

    Community Finances,   March 14, 2021

    Expenses: $ 710.00

    Outreach: $ 150.00  

    Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

     

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    Rosemary with our Unique Special Gift

     

    Rosemary's Blessing:

    God,

    Bless anyone who has asked me to pray for them

    and anyone that I have promised to pray for.

    Bless anyone that I cannot get along with

    And anyone that cannot get along with me.

    Bless the person who has hurt me deeply

    and anyone that I have hurt.

    Bless the person that I cannot forgive

    and anyone that cannot forgive me.

    Grant me the grace to live as a person of peace today

    and to treat all I meet today with dignity

    Unknown

     

     

     

     

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    Welcome to Hilton Head

     

     

     

    JSM Mission-Faith Statement  

          Help create a Catholic Community that welcomes all God’s People, provides for & challenges spiritual & total growth.  

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

     
    John Stack Ministries, 7017 Helsem Way, Dallas, Texas 75230
     
       
  • Sunday Homily 1-3-10, Epiphany (Magi Visit)

    Readings: Isaiah 60, 1-6; Psalm 72, Lord, Every Nation on Earth will adore You; Ephesians 3, 2-6; Matthew 2, 1-12.

     

    Isaiah 60: author, date, subject

     

    Author: 3 Isaiah (responsible for chapters 55-66)

     

    Date: ca. 400, after the Babylonian Captivity, ended ca. 550

     

    Subject: lines such as, Rise up in splendor, the glory of the Lord shines, people from the east will come with gold & frankincense.

     

    source: John Shelby Spong

     

    Mass begins 1-3-10

     

    The Great Debate: Myth vs Fact

     

    I have just had an epiphany event in my life.  I was visited by an old friend, a wise friend, maybe a wise guy friend.  He says, "Stack, you are a fraud."  You folks have known this all along.  He says that the homily I gave before Christmas on the Partridge in a Pear Tree was not true.  Sorry to have to tell you this.  The history was wako, did not happen.  As you can imagine, I was quite deflated, but figured he was right because he is more of a researcher than I. 

     

    So, folks, the old geezer fraud fesses up this morning.  I confess that I did not do any research on the subject.  Somebody sent it to me a few years ago, and I did not even save the name of the sender. 

     

    Kevin 1-3-10

     

    So, using my friend's research and my own, I discovered that maybe the symbols were connected to the old Christmas carol ca. 1990.  Apparently nobody knows.  It was pointed out that these symbols did not need to be secret because of persecution.  The Elizabethan protestants shared most of the same symbols.  No secret needed.  Plus the carol may have come from France.  So, everyone, erase that homily and the history I gave you.  I blew that one. 

     

    It struck me in the midst of this, could we be witnessing the creation of a myth?  100 years from now how many people will believe the version that I presented?  Could this be an example of what took place in the bible?  You have certainly heard that biblical scholars have determined that the nativity stories are the result of literary liberties taken by Luke & Matthew, not factual history.  I can give you two simple examples.

     

    Eshelbrenner 1-3-10

     

    First, Bethlehem.  It is thought that Jesus was really born in Nazareth.  But Luke & Matthew, the only writers dealing with the nativity, wanted to connect Jesus with King David.  David was born in Bethlehem.  It is pointed out that it is a long way from Nazareth to Bethlehem, it was winter, and Mary was pregnant.  A woman researcher commented, "Only a man would imagine such a journey possible for a pregnant woman."

     

     

    Why were people going to Bethlehem?  To be counted in a census of all the descendents of David.  David lived a 1000 years earlier, had many wives and mistresses.  His offspring would have numbered in at least the thousands.  No wonder there was no room.  And imagine how skitzy Herod would be with these thousands of potentially hostile subjects just a few miles from Jerusalem.

     

    Why did the writers use such literary liberties?  They want to show that Jesus was special, he was the figure 1 Isaiah predicted, the God-hero, the wonder worker, the Prince of Peace.  They had heard so much about the adult Jesus that they wanted to make his birth a God-hero event.  So, connect him with the Great King David.

     

    Finally, secondly, there is one small but significant mistranslation.  In Isaiah 7, 14, it is said, "A young woman will have a child."  Matthew, most likely intentionally to craft his point, mistranslates the word young woman as virgin, and says 'a virgin will become pregnant' (1, 23).  And so it has come down. 

       

    There are three ways to respond to these studies.  One is to say, "No problem, God can do all that stuff.  He's all powerful."   The trouble with this is that the evidence is becoming overwhelming.  Like still saying the earth is flat.

     

    Or I can simply toss out the whole and stay home.

     

    A middle ground could be to recognize that literary liberties have been used.  And still celebrate the event.  The event, the Prince of Peace gives me peace and gives me a longing to share the peace. 

     

     

    Chloe 1-3-10

     

    I goofed up by not researching the Partridge in a Pear Tree.  Sorry about that.  What we may be seeing here is a myth process similar to the biblical stories.  Myth or fact?  How can I be an educated, intelligent Christian?

     

    What do you think about all this?  What do you feel about it?

     

    Sources: John Shelby Spong; Harvey Cox, Future of Faith; Catholic Encyclopedia on line; Snopes

     

     

    Picture 1:  Epiphany Celebration begins

     

    Picture 2:  Mass with Kevin helping

     

    Picture 3:  35th Anniversary, Carol & Richard 

     

    Picture 4:  Chloe dances (see video)

     


     

     

  • Sunday Homily 8-17-08, 20th, Ordinary Time

    Readings:  Isaiah 56, 1-7; Psalm 67; Romans 11, 13-15, 29-32; Matthew 15, 21-28.

    Romans: For months we have been using as our second reading Paul's letter to the Romans.  I have not mentioned it or even included in the homilies for two reasons:

    1. It is not related to the other two readings. The Gospel & the first reading attempt to follow a theme. The second reading continues the same book week after week and if it relates it is accidental.
    2. It is dense. 7 letters are considered written by Paul who wrote this one probably around 55 A.D., while he was in Corinth, Greece, and in anticipation of a visit to Rome. It is the most complete statement of his understanding of the Christian faith. Some scholars consider it his masterpiece, but it is often difficult to understand.

    Noah 1

    The Assumption

    This past Friday the Catholic Church celebrated one of its big feast days, the Assumption of Mary into heaven.  The meaning: Mary, after she finished her time on earth, was taken bodily into heaven.  Let me talk about this feast.  4 observations.

    1.  The history of the belief.  The idea that Mary was taken up bodily into heaven got going by at least the 5th century.  People thought that she was rewarded for her role in redemption by this action on God's part. 

    2.  The history of the declaration.  In November, 1950, Pius XII declared this event to be a dogma of the Catholic Church, that is, you have to believe it if you are a Catholic.   It was the first and only doctrine declared under papal infallibility, a doctrine proclaimed by Pius IX in 1870.

    The story behind both of these dates is quite interesting.  1870 is the date of Italian unification.  Up to this time there was no united peninsula, no Italy like today.  There were at least three big parts: north, south, and right in the middle the Papal States. 

    The people wanted those states to be part of the whole.  Pius IX was adamantly against ceding an inch of his property.  When the people won the property deal , Pius withdrew into the Vatican, declared himself a prisoner of the Vatican, appealed to France who did not help him, and finally declared that what he said as pope on faith & morals was infallible, despite the advice of the majority of his consul tors.

    In 1950 the Second World War was finished and the world was stunned into shock by the revelation of the Holocaust.  Pius XII himself was downcast by the Holocaust.  Moreover, he was getting some heat because he did not stand up more strenuously to Hitler.  He had been Vatican ambassador to Germany during the build up of the Third Reich, so he knew the atmosphere well.  On top of that, there was evidence that at least one senior vatican official was complicit in sending Jews to the death camps. 

    Pius XII might have experienced some shame.  In the face of the brutality of the Holocaust, Pius decided to make a dramatic statement to show the sacredness of the human person, body included, by declaring the assumption of Mary's body into heaven a dogma. 

    3.  The basis in Scripture for the doctrine.  There is none.  What is taking place here, is that Pius is articulating what has been considered a belief for centuries.  It has been believed for, say, 10-15 centuries.  Therefore, it took place.  There is a weakness here, of course.  What can be asserted a fact without evidence, can be discarded without evidence. 

    Noah 2  

    4.  The Assumption in my life.  50 years ago Friday I walked into the Jesuit novitiate in Grand Coteau, LA.  30 of us entered more or less together.  Two of my classmates celebrated Friday in New Orleans or Mobile when the Jesuit Province gathered to celebrate anniversaries. 

    On that day 50 years ago my life took a 180 degree turn from being a typical  bratty teen ager to a monk.  From days spent with friends, girls, music, cars, and radios, I entered a world of silence, meditation, physical work, and study.  Feast days were eagerly anticipated and the Assumption was one of the big ones.  I took vows twice on August 15 and the date is still big with Jesuits.  It comes at a convenient time at the end of the summer and before the school year. 

    I still celebrate August 15, and in 2004 I did it in a special way.  You may have heard.  This is the story.  It was earlier that week that I returned from the annual Yosemite trip and was told unexpectedly that I had been suspended by the bishop because of an anonymous letter saying Stack wanted to get married.  Why then?  Who knows?  I had been saying this for years, ever since returning from East Africa.

    August 15 that year was a Sunday.  Where was I always on Sunday mornings?  St. Marks.  10:30 that morning, when I would have been starting the cafetorium Mass, Rosemary & I were watering trees at Fretz Park, Belt Line & Hillcrest.  I had gotten out of the truck to repair a tree, got up, and went into a disassociation state that lasted until about 5:00 that evening.  I woke up looking out the bay window of the living room on Tulip Lane.  Rosemary & Libby had taken me to the emergency room, thinking I had a stroke.  I had been released when they found nothing.  It was stress induced.  I have run into this defense mechanism in people over the years as a priest & psychotherapist.  I never thought that I might try it, but you never know totally what your inner spirit is feeling.

    The stress, of course, was over getting suspended, being turned away by St. Marks, and facing another 180 degree turn around in my life. 

    Rosemary

    Guess what: it was all worth it and I could not be happier.  Actually, both 180 degree turns in my life were special blessings. 

    The Assumption was the feast Friday.  What do you think about it?  What do you believe?

    AUDIO:  http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2008-08-17.mp3

     

  • Sunday Homily, December 20, 2015, 4th Advent

      Sabrina 1

     Welcome Home, Sabrina!

     

    Readings:

    Micah  5, 1-4,  He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock

    Psalm 80,    Lord, make us turn to you, let us see you face and we shall be saved

    Pope Francis' Laudato Si

    A Reading from Pope Francis’ Letter on the Environment:

    Whether believers or not, we are agreed today that the earth is essentially a shared inheritance, meant to benefit everyone. Hence every ecological approach needs to incorporate a social perspective which takes into account the fundamental rights of the poor and the underprivileged.

    The principle of the subordination of private property to the universal distribution of goods, and thus the right of everyone to their use, is the first principle of the whole ethical and social order.  

     

     

    Music 1

    Welcome, Everybody, the music is wonderful.

     

    The Christian tradition has never recognized the right to private property as an absolute, and has stressed the social purpose of all forms of private property. 

    The natural environment is a collective good, the patrimony of all humanity, and the responsibility of everyone.

    The words of Pope Francis.

     

    Luke  1,  39-45, Mary set out and traveled to the hill country. 

     

    Dinsmores 2

    Welcome home all you Dinsmores, David, Dana, Betty, Donna, and Dawson.

     

    Micah: author, date, subject, our selection–

    Author: one of the minor prophets (because of length, 7 chapters), Micah is considered to be the author of these words.

    Date: probably around 700-690 BCE, a contemporary of Isaiah, living in Judah.  He had witnessed the destruction of the northern half of the kingdom, Israel, by the Assyrians, ca. 720 BCE.  He watched Judah pay tribute to Assyria.  He forsaw the Babylonian disaster in 590.

     

    Cole 3

    Candle Lighter of The Week, Cole.

     

    Subject: like all prophets, he predicts doom and destruction for Judah because of the injustice of the people, especially the rich over the poor.  Micah learned from Israel's destruction by Assyria, which he attributed to God's anger with those people. 

    Then, of course, in the prophet tradition, he predicts a return to peace and prosperity after the people are purified.  He speaks to Bethlehem as if to a person and says that a new ruler will come from the town and the good ruler will shepherd the people.  Why Bethlehem?  Because David was born there and the new David was supposed to come from the same royal village. 

     

    Leo- Brandon 2

    Does it get any better?  Leo & Brandon.

     

    Asked what God wants of us (like penance, sacrifices of animals, goods, even children), Micah states one of the great lines in scripture: "What God requires of us is: 1. act justly, 2. love tenderly, and 3. walk humbly with our God." (6, 8)  You people do that. 

    Our Selection: God promises a good ruler will be born in Bethlehem, the place where King David was born, a royal village.

    Sources: Good News Bible, John Shelby Spong, Wikipedia

     

    Marlene

    And from Marlene, "Hi, Everybody, Welcome in."

     

    A Christmas Story

    This morning I want to tell you a Christmas story. I am reminded of the event partly because Tom & Teresa just visited Mombasa, Kenya, where I passed some time while I was living in East Africa.  Also I thought about it at the Christmas concert Thursday evening.

     I have talked about this event before, but it seems to fit here again.  It took place in Tanzania the Christmas of my sixth, seventh, or eighth year living in the country.

     

     

    Brain trust 1

     The Brain Trust, Zoe, Emma, & Victoria.

     

    To begin, it is good to mention that Tanzania does not celebrate Christmas like we do here.  First of all, it is summer, being just south of the equator.  So, warm.   Moreover, people do not decorate with lights like we do here.  It is not the custom, nor do folks have the money.

    I was usually pretty homesick at Christmas, both in the Jesuits and more so in Tanzania.  So this year I decided I would throw a Christmas day party American style, especially with a turkey. 

     

    Advent 1
    Beautiful Advent Colors.

     

    To get the turkey I had to not only go beyond the little town of Moshi, where the Jesuits had a house and where I was based.  I, in fact, had to travel to Nairobi, Kenya, the country immediately to the north. 

    Despite the fact that most of the time I was away from Moshi on the road giving seminars and retreats, I still knew some people from the times I was in town.  So I invited a number of families.

     

    The community 3

    The Community.

     

    In particular, I invited the family who lived next door to us, a husband and wife with their two little girls, for whom I had a great affection.  The family was all Muslim and the father was a police chief.  It is always helpful to have a police chief as a friend in certain countries.  I assure you.

    To invite the family I followed the more formal African protocol.  I invited the husband to come over to our house.  I had two rocking chairs ready in my office/bedroom.  We sat down and I offered him coffee or tea.

     

    Communion 1
    Everybody partakes at this communion, kids, too. 

     

    Then I said, “Mohammed, I would like to invite you and your family to a special celebration of the Christian Christmas.  It will be the evening of December 25, beginning around 5:00.”  Then, I explained what was Christian Christmas.

    Finally, I added, “We both know, Mohammed, that you have a problem with alcohol.  I request that you show up sober.  If you show up drunk, I will have to ask you to leave.”  Mohammed said he was grateful for the invitation for him and his family.  He would not arrive drunk and if he did I should invite him out.

     

    Communion help 1

    Communion Helpers, Beth & Rob & Mike

     

    Want to guess what happened?   You guessed it.

    About 1:00 Christmas day Mohammed and his buddy arrived a bit early.  Yes, they were both drunk out of their minds.  We talked, I told him I was sorry, but he could not come to the party.  He, too, said he was sorry, he left, and I did not see him again that day.

     

    Kevin & Georgie 1

    Kevin & Georgina

     

    Later, however, about 5:00, his wife and girls arrived with a surprise.  In the African tradition of hospitality, she had invited all her extended family and they all showed up together, about 15 of them. 

    Despite all this, we had a fun American style Christmas, most of it, in fact, on the roof.  We had an Arabian style house with a flat roof.  A great place for parties and watching the sun set glow on Kilimanjaro nearby.

     

    The Team 1

     The Team.

     

    Why talk about this today?

    First, to show you how Christmas is celebrated in other countries.

    Secondly, to show just how we are so fortunate to celebrate with such fan fare and warmth.   I am grateful to be here.

    What has been your best Christmas ever? 

    How are you celebrating this year?

     

    Gorilla 1

    Don't forget to hug the gorilla on your way out.  He loves hugs.