Sunday Homily, October 8 2017, 27th Ordinary Time

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 2, 7-9, 3, 1-7; Psalm 51, Be Merciful, O Lord, for We have sinned; Romans 5, 12-19; Matthew 4, 1-11.

 

First Sunday in Lent 2011– Intro to Readings

 Our first reading today comes from the Book of Genesis chapters two and three, and gives the second account of the creation of the world.  This is actually the older of the two versions. 

 The first chapter creation story was written around the 5^th century BCE and today’s one came from around the 8^th century BCE.  The story in today’s reading is primarily about the temptation by the serpent and the eviction from the garden.  There are just a few points I would like to draw your attention to about these creation stories. 

 This material must be understood for what it is and is not.  It is not accurate scientific information about the beginning of the world.  It is myth.  Now myth, properly understood, is not simply just make believe, but a style of writing which has a clear purpose. Myths are a society’s founding poetic narrative that provides the basic understanding of a society and its reason for being.  There are very similar stories found in other even earlier cultures.

 

 It is from St. Paul that we get the idea that this action by Adam and Eve of disobeying God was what we have come to know as Original Sin.  There is nowhere in the rest of the Old Testament that we have any suggestion that the people viewed the event as being “Original Sin”.  This idea was later taken up by St. Augustine and got its own legs from there.

 If we pay close attention to the story, there are several things worth noting.  The relationship between God and man, at the outset is perfect!  Everything has been made for man’s enjoyment.  Enter the serpent, and the temptation is “to be like God”.  The relationship was broken by the decision, and from that moment the relationship changed.  Remember that immediately after eating they hide from God.  The humans made the gap between the two.

 Our second reading takes up the same event, Paul to the Romans and this is where that idea of Original Sin is developed and then, as I mentioned above, greatly developed by Augustine and others.

 

First Sunday in Lent 2011 – Homily

 Welcome to Lent, a time traditionally to ask, so what are you giving up for Lent.  And my usual answer was something like, candy or homework!  Today I am not sure that I am giving up anything, I am going to try to take up something instead.  The original meaning of lent is Spring, and spring is a time of new beginnings. 

 Lent is also the time when those preparing for baptism and entry into the Church through the RCIA program begin their final steps, by signing the Book of the Elect.  I am pretty sure that just as an athlete will train for a competitive event, so too the Church sees lent as a time for us to prepare for Easter. 

 

Given that I have previously said just this past Easter that if you can understand the Resurrection you are probably committing some kind of heresy, then for me the easiest way to get my head around the whole death/resurrection event is to see it as some kind of sign of God’s unbelievable love for each one of us – and leave it at that.

 The gospel today gives us some ideas for lent.  It is the story of Jesus spending 40 days in the desert prior to beginning His public ministry.  Remember so much of Matthew’s gospel points back to the Old Testament, and we will then recall the 40 years of wandering in the desert. At the end of the 40 days we are told he is faced with three temptations.  The three temptations are best summarized as follows:

 

1. Change the rocks into bread.  It is a temptation to take the easy way out, there is no one else around, no one will see, no one will know.  We too can be tempted in this way.
2. Jump from the Temple, the place where surely God is most present.  He will save you.  How often do we tempt God?  In our heads how often do we see, if God doesn’t want this to happen, then it won’t.
3. Promise of power, if only Jesus will worship the devil.  The danger of abuse of power, it is such a tempting thing to have power over others.

 My plan for this lent is to focus on these three temptations, and reflect on my own life in terms of each of the temptations.  Perhaps Lent should be a time of reflection on this journey we call life, a time for a thorough examination of conscience.  Remember when NASA was sending rockets to the moon, there was a phrase used “a mid course correction”.  Maybe by taking time during lent, taking a closer look at our own lives, maybe we too could use a mid course correction.

 

Picture 1:   We begin

Picture 2:   Leo

Picture 3:   Emma

Picture 4:   The Pastry Shoppe

Picture 5:   Curtis & Mabel with Cindy 

  

 

 

 

 

Welcome in, Dearest Harper.  I wish I could have been with you this morning, but next week for sure.

 

Readings: 

1 Samuel 1, 20-22, 24-28, In those days Hannah bore a son

Psalm 84,  Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.   

1 John 3, 1-2, 21-24, See what love the Father has bestowed upon us.  

Luke 2,  41-52,  When he was 12 years old they went up according to the festival custom.

 

 

Thanks for your beautiful welcome Cindy & Dee.

 

HOMILY     

Since the Church has always taught that Jesus was truly human, I like it when the Scripture gives an example of the family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus as an actual, real human family.

 

 

Rick, you make an excellent candle lighter.  Thanks for your help.

 

 

Today’s Gospel gives such an example. Luke’s story hints at a family conflict caused by Jesus’ behavior. Luke gives us just a glimpse of the conflict, but I can imagine it going something like his mom, Mary saying, “How could you do this to us? Not telling us where you were all this time. This was hurtful to your father and me. We’ve been looking for you since last night; and were worried to death all this time! Don’t you know how disrespected we feel? We taught you better than this”…(and perhaps, both concerned parents, either Joseph or Mary said)…“Do not do this to us again!”

 

 

 

 

Thanks so much for your company yesterday, Mike.  You sure helped me to wait patiently while my surgeon got delayed for almost 4 hours.  We actually had fun in that OR waiting room.  Like with the lady who was wanting nothing but a coffee while she waited.

 

As for Jesus, I can imagine his side too. Some claim Jesus had brothers and/or sisters. Whether he had siblings or not, he was twelve, equal to a teenager today, a time kids are practicing behaviors that are rebellious or just plain independent. Working with your Dad learning carpentry isn’t bad, but Jesus may have begun to experience it’s limitations. And being in the big city for the first time as a 12-year old probably exposed Jesus to opportunities he hadn’t considered before—like a chance to talk about the Scriptures with temple scholars.

 

 

 

Hi, Jan, Where is that crazy guy you hang out with, like you know, that Sir Charlie?

 

Luke had his own goal in mind, building up Jesus’ credentials as a kid wise beyond his years and already showing an advanced knowledge of the Scriptures. So we don’t get the whole story here, of Joseph and Mary and Jesus, being a working class Jewish family living all those years in a small town.

 

 

The Best Music with Shonda, Ben (where is your hat), and David.

 

Though just a glimpse, in this story Luke gives us a hint of the holy family being like a regular family I can identify with. How about you? Can you imagine from Luke’s story how the family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus acted and lived—and had conflicts—much like your own family?

 

 

John sharing another of his insightful homilies to end the year of 2018.

Readings:

Zephaniah  3, 14-18, Shout for joy, sing joyfully, be glad and exult.

Psalm, Isaiah 12, 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, Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none.

Rose Banzhaf in from Colorado Springs.

 

Hunter & Audry lighting the 3 Advent candles for the 3rd Sunday.

Zephaniah: date, author, subject, & our selection 

    Date: two possibilities–ca. 650 BCE, before Babylon & contemporary with Jeremiah.  Or ca. 200 BCE.  Or both, like Baruch last week.

    Author: probably not Zephaniah himself, but someone recording what he said.  He is one of the 12 minor prophets, simply because his work is small, only 3 chapters. 

    Subject: like all prophets, Zephaniah predicts doom and destruction to Jerusalem because the people are not good.  His purpose: alter behavior, especially the religious behavior, of his fellow citizens of Jerusalem.  A rather jealous and punishing god is presented. 

    Our selection: last lines of the last chapter, a song of joy and rejoicing.  This is the only positive note in the 3 chapters.  Consequently, scholars think it may have been added to the original work.  This is the only time in the 3 year cycle that we have a reading from Zephaniah.  Take a good look.

 A reminder: this reading, like others this Advent is addressed to a people in slavery.  In this reading the prophet is telling them a day of freedom is coming.  This is the historical milieu.  These guys knew nothing about Christ & had no concept of needing redemption, except from their slave masters.  Only after the Christ event did people, his followers, go back to the slavery time and use it as a metaphor for redemption of humankind from captivity or darkness.

Sources:  Good News Bible, The New Interpreter's Study Bible

 

Mike explaining our Penitential Service.

The Service, each receiving and each giving forgiveness and peace.

Homily Today:  Given by Lynne Sipiora, Executive Director of the Samaritan Inn, the only homeless shelter in Collin County.   See The Dallas Morning News, December 15.  We are supporting them this Sunday.  Check the 4 minute video of her presentation, very moving.

Readings: Jeremiah 17, 5-8; Psalm 1; 1 Corinthians 15, 12-20; Luke 6, 17-26.

Jeremiah – Picture this: all the students & faculty are assembled.  You go before them and tell them that they are all lazy, selfish, egotistical, and fat.  Change or you will fail in life. They boo you.  The principal, too, gets up and says the same.  You and the principal love these people.

After school you pass through the parking lot & the kids curse you, trash you, throw rocks at your car, and spit on you.  Same with the principal.  The atmosphere in the school and attitude of the students goes down. 

This is where we find Jeremiah and Yahweh.  They have warned the people and the people have rebelled.  Both Jeremiah and Yahweh are downhearted.  What we read is Yahweh’s response while he is in this depressed mood, in the eyes of the writer.

Corinthians – Paul continues to address the people of Corinth, this time about the resurrection.

Trust No One?

When I first came home from East Africa, I spent the winter at the Jesuit church in downtown Houston until I could get a program in Dallas.  One early evening after visiting my mom here in Dallas, I was returning to Houston.  I had my airline ticket and went to Love Field.  I stood in that Houston line, got to the counter, gave the attendant my ticket, and she says to me, “You are at the wrong airport.” 

Talk about feeling like a fool.  I had an A.A. ticket instead of Southwest.  To compound my feelings, when the girl asked if I would like to buy a ticket, I realized I had about $20 in change, no more.  No credit or debit card yet.  I was just back from Africa.  Plus, now I was alone, because my mom had gone back home.  No cell phone naturally. 

Despite the desire I had to crawl in a hole and disappear, I figured I had to do something dramatic quickly.  So I turned around, faced the long line of afternoon commuters, addressed everyone, and asked if someone could loan me the fare, which was only about $35 those days. 

Guess what happened.  Yes, a lady from Victoria stepped up and loaned me the money.  What would I have done if everyone had just ignored me?   Wow, it scares me to imagine it.  She was very cordial and I sent her the money later from Houston. 

“Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings.”  Remember what I said about Yahweh being depressed and hurt by his people’s behavior.  The writer of Jeremiah is imagining what Yahweh’s response would have been.  The writer might have just been hurt by his best friend. 

Trouble is, the person who trusts not one single person, that person is poverty stricken, truly poor.  You hear occasionally of people whose attitude toward others is that everyone is out to get you.  Pretty pessimistic.  Probably a sentiment resulting from hurts earlier in life.   

Today with our gift of the New Testament, we might modify this.  I would suggest that we arrive at the Kingdom today by trusting in God and by trusting people.  We enter the Kingdom more easily with a community, like we enjoy here. 

If I did not trust people, I would not have asked the crowd for air fare.  If the lady from Victoria did not trust, I would not have received a gift.  As it was, we both arrived in the Kingdom—Houston Hobby.

When was the last time you were blessed by trusting?

Click here to download the homily as an mp3 file.

Readings: 

 Habakkuk 1, 2-3, 2, 2-4,   I cry for help but you do not listen.

Psalm 95,  If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

2 Timothy 1, 6-8, 13-14,  Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me..

Luke 17, 5-10,  We are unprofitable servants.

Habakkuk (What a
Name!), Observations:

Author: 
Habakkuk, one of the 12 minor prophets (small book, only 3
chapters).  Less known about Habakkuk than any other scripture writer.

Date:
Probably right before the great Babylonian Captivity, i.e., around
600. 

Subject: 
The Babylonians are coming.  Get ready for bad times, because
you Jewish people have been bad.  Like all prophets, prophesy of doom and
disaster for sin, followed by peace after purification by Yahweh.  There
is an imaginary dialogue between Yahweh & Habakkuk.  

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

 

 Unprofitable Servant?

I
would like to talk this morning about the idea of being an unprofitable
servant.   But first, a story to exemplify my thinking.

I have
this self image of being a hot bike mechanic. 
  It is true I love working on
bikes, fixing flats, cleaning and lubricating, adjusting the gears.   To me
a light-weight road bike is a work of art. 

The
true self image I have, however, is, as they say in French, a faux image.  Ask Rosemary, ask Claire Ochipinti, whose
gears I tried to adjust to no avail. 

It
is the marvelous gears that are my regular downfall.  This past week I ate some true humble pie
with Rosemary’s bike.  I adjusted the
gears after Rosemary had problems.  I did
not get it right. 

So
I took the bike to REI near us.  I know
two really good mechanics, who actually offered to hire me in the shop.  One of the guys, Chad, worked on the bike.  The next day Rosemary still had gear
trouble.  I tried again to adjust the
gears to no avail. 

So
this time, Friday, after ROMEO’s, I visited Rick Guerney’s Plano Cycling.  I have two more favorite mechanics there, Aaron and
a girl named Lorenda.  If Plano Cycling
were not so friendly when I walk in, I would not always head there when I really
need help. 

I
meet both Aaron and Lorenda.  She
immediately takes my bike, puts it on a repair pole, asks me the problem, and
fixes it in, of course, a couple of minutes. 
I am humbled. 

I
am doubly humbled because she gives the bike a quick overall check out and
finds that Rosemary’s brakes are squishy. 
She even installs a new rear brake cable.  I am embarrassed because I try to keep
Rosemary’s bike 100% safe.  And Lorenda
finds the brakes squishy, wow.

I
remember this event when Luke tells me I am nothing but an unprofitable
servant.   After all the humble pie of
the week, I can believe him.    First I
think I am a hot bike mechanic.  Then I
find out I not only can’t fix the gears, but I neglected Rosemary’s brakes, the
most elemental thing.  Yes, I am pretty unprofitable.

From the psychological perspective, I see a trap in considering myself simply as an
unprofitable creature, in other words, fairly useless.  Could this not end up being a description of a low self image?   

From a relationship perspective, I also see a trap.  Have we not begun to focus on the passages in Scripture where God and we have a special relationship?  Servant and master is not where we are at.  

I
would propose two thoughts:

1. 
Let me change from master & servant to Giver and
Gifted.  The Lord gives all this to us and we are gifted.  

2. 
Secondly, we are givers to others.  We are both.    And want to know when we are specially gifted?    When we are giving, not as unprofitable and
useless servants, but as people in a special relationship.     

So how do you see yourself as gifted and how do you see yourself as giving to others?