Sunday Homily, November 19, 2017, 33rd Ordinary Time

Acts 2:   Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

1 Corinthians 12:To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.

John 14:  The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you."

John Cade and John Stack start Mass

 

 

Thanks…     

Music,   Ben & Shonda

Cody reading from Corinthians

Outreach: $   80.00   

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 

Preparing for Communion

 

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

A Pentecost Prayer

Welcome Holy Spirit,
In the silence of a still night’s fearful thought you come,
comfort in the sleepless worries,
gentle in the rising doubts,
forgiving all our handmade hurts,
patient in our pointless hurry,
counseling as the waves come crashing,
“Be still and know that I am God.”

Wonderful Counselor, Comforter,
you will never abandon us.
You will always be with us.

Your promises are sure.

Help us to give like you,
forgive like you, live for you.

Amen

Found on the Catholic Relief Services Website

Readings:   Acts 4, 32-35, They had everything in common; Psalm 118, Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, his love is everlasting; 1 John 5, 1-6, Everyone who loves the Father loves the one begotten by him; John 20, 19-31, Jesus came and stood in their midst.

 

 

Homily for the Second Sunday of Easter, Mike Carrell

In the Smithsonian Magazine that I was reading in my doctor’s office recently, there was a photograph entitled Tricycle and Memphis, 1970.  It was a color photograph presented in the first showing of color photography as an art medium at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 1972.  It was a colorful picture of an old but sturdy tricycle with a blue seat with red rubber grips on a curved handlebar. It had some white spots of paint that had somehow been splattered on the seat, frame and wheels. 

I could tell that the camera had been held at a very low angle to indeed give the tricycle the look of elegance, like a chariot it encompassed almost the whole picture.  In the diminished background you could see a couple of one story flat roofed houses, one with a carport.  One art critic found it perfect, another perfectly awful. 

 

The critic who found it perfect understood the context within which it had been placed—the diminished background, the fading away of the old Memphis was the result of a blossoming Southern culture that had begun in the Memphis of 1970, with bold new music, art, and literature.  The paint splatter an indication that the blossoming was a work in progress.

Today we are told of the importance of signs within the gospels.  However, if we want to understand the signs, we too must understand them in the context of the gospel teachings in which we find them!

Some of you will remember being taught by question and answer.  First we were given the question, ‘What is a sacrament?’  Then we were given the answer to memorize: ‘A sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace.’    If one were to translate that word sign into Greek, the Greek word chosen would be the word used for sign in our reading today. 

Remember a couple of months ago when the leper came and knelt before Jesus saying, ‘If you choose, you can make me clean,’ There is a sign being given when Jesus says, ‘I do choose. Be made clean.’  We can come to understand the sign because of the context of the teaching in which it was placed.  At the end of that teaching Jesus was proclaiming the good news to those who crowded around him. 

This good news, ‘In the Father’s plan of salvation the Messiah had come to us as the Lamb of God,’ fulfills what came before it in the teaching that stated that the Mosaic Law required the offering of an unblemished lamb for the leper’s sins.  So we know that these words of Christ has brought forgiveness to the man—the meaning of the sign.

I presented you a sign from the Luke gospel during a Christmas season homily. I told you that of the Christ child in a manger dressed in swaddling clothes was a sign of the Church.  The manger was a feeding trough; the child wrapped in the shroud of the linen strips was the Lamb of God from which were come to be fed the Word and the Bread of Life.    We come to understand this from the context of the teaching because the shepherds watching over the flock by night are the twelve watching over their lambs, that’s us, who desire for us to be fed with Christ’s words and the Loaves blessed and broken to become the bread blessed and broken for others. 

The Catholic catechism teaches that, ‘The Church draws its life from the Word and the Body of Christ, and so she becomes Christ’s body.’ 

 

Today’s gospel reading just happens to be an entire teaching from the initial ending of the John gospel.  To paraphrase, we are told the signs of the gospels were written so that we might believe that the Messiah has come to us as the Christ, the Lamb of God, to bring forgiveness to our sins and union with the Father through him. 

This is why, like Thomas, we are to place our hand into the pierced side of the body of Christ, because Christ’s body symbolizes the Church, the body of Christ alive in the world through the power of the Holy Spirit.  This wisdom must give specific meaning to the story within the context of this last teaching: ‘For as the Father has sent me, so I send you, in the peace that comes from being forgiven and with the power and authority of the Spirit breathed upon us to be the bread blessed and broken to the ends of the earth.

Over time, I will help you come to understand that all of the resurrection teachings of the Gospels are about the Church! 

Now, let me give you a brief insight as to why the inspired writers added another ending to the John gospel that consists of two additional teachings.  Both the Mark gospel and the Matthew gospel have a second teaching about the loaves and fishes.  The loaves, fishes and leftovers are signs, when understood correctly, that describe the mission Christ gives to his disciples, and us, to take the good news to the ends of the earth. The 5 loaves and the 7 loaves are the twelve disciples who have been called to become the Bread they eat.  We are the leftovers! From us are to come other leftovers!  

The gospel of Luke was not written with this second teaching because its writers wrote a whole book, called the Acts of the Apostles, to describe the mission to the ends of the earth; one of its teachings is about the 7.  Since the inspired writers of the John gospel placed an obvious ending to their gospel, they must have envisioned another book to complement Luke’s Acts of the Apostles.  Later, after a decision was made not to do this, two inspired teachings were added to the original John gospel—one a teaching about the 7. 

The first would present how all the stories of the four gospels were used in the mission to the ends of the earth.  Since Luke’s Acts continuously describe the persecution of the Apostle Paul, not one of the twelve, the last teaching in the John gospel was written to incorporate the persecution of the Apostle Peter.   Recall that I suggested to you to read the Sermon of the Mount from the Matthew gospel during Lent.  The beatitudes end with, “Blessed are you when you are persecuted for the sake of the Christ, ‘Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”

The context of each of our personal stories is not complete.  How will others remember us as leftovers blessed and broken for others? 

 

 

 

Readings: Isaiah 50, 4-9; Psalm 116, I will walk before the Lord, in the Land of the Living; James 2, 14-18; Mark 8, 27-35

Isaiah: 

Date of Composition:

A picture of the time span:

        1. Solomon (he of Wisdom, the temple builder, 700 wives, & 300 mistresses–if he really existed) dies ca. 900-1000 BCE

        2. the Hebrew kingdom divides into 2 parts, the north, Israel (Galilee), the south, Judah.

        3.  Assyria destroys Israel and obliterates the 10 Hebrew tribes located there, ca. 725.

        4.  Babylon carries into captivity the Hebrews of Judah, ca. 590.

Contemporary scholars conjecture that this work could have been composed over a period of 400 years, i.e., 700-300.  It obviously begins by predicting disasters.  They happen,  the 2 big tragedies in Jewish history up to the Holocaust, the Assyrian destruction & the Babylonian Captivity.

Author (s): obviously it was composed by numerous people.  Isaiah himself is considered behind chapters 1-39.  In fact, line 1 identifies Isaiah as the author of the ideas.

What is it about:

Chapters 1-39: predict doom for the Hebrews because they have not been faithful to their one god, YHWH.

Chapters 40-55: called Isaiah 2, this & the remaining chapters (56-66) are called The Book of Consolation.  They try to assure the people who are now in exile that YHWH will restore them to their former glory & peace.  In fact, in chapter 45 the composer even mentions the name of Cyrus, the king of the Persians who defeats Babylon & sends the Hebrews back to Jerusalem.  So the composer knew of Cyrus and a date can be narrowed down.

This Isaiah 2 section presents 4 suffering servant songs, #3 being our selection today.  Jews see the servant to be the Hebrew people/nation.  Christians see the servant to be Christ.  Isaiah 2 is considered maybe the most influential O.T. book, especially on the New Testament.  On Isaiah 2 Mark built much of his gospel, especially the story of the crucifixion.

Handel's Messiah uses Isaiah 2 for its lyrics.

Chapter 56-66: more assurances of a return to peace & glory.

Our selection: Isaiah 2.  The suffering servant is talking about the abuse he is experiencing.  Then he proclaims, 'YHWH will help me & I won't be put to shame.' 

Take up Your Cross and Follow

As most of you know, the last Saturday in August I joined Bill Hammond & 14 thousand plus other nuts to ride in the Hotter 'N Hell Hundred (as in miles).  Folks, it was ecstatic. For me participatory athletic events like this have an elixir, a kinetic energy that touches me all the way down to my toes.  In fact, for the second year in a row, as I rode down the ramp of a bridge and headed toward the dramatic finish arch, I had tears of consolation in my eyes.  I am humbled that I can actually be part of the event.

As much as I was intoxicated by the over all event, two smaller happenings moved me.  Both occurred in the latter 50 mile section, the section where I know I am more wako than I thought.  I had pulled into one of the marvelous rest stops around mile 70.  There were tons of riders & volunteers all around.  I went over to a chair to rest a few moments.  Near me was a group of about 6 guys in their late 20's, very athletic and full of personality and energy.  One of their guys was sitting about one seat over from me and he was teasing back & forth with the other guys.  I look over at him and he's got no left foot.  I am stunned.  Lying on the ground was his artificial foot and he was massaging his stump.  So, what am I complaining about!

Later I am pedaling along and clumps of riders are passing me.  I see ahead of me a young guy whom I just might pass, hooray.  I get up behind him, say, "On your left," and begin to pass him.  I look over at him as I am coming along side and he has no arms.  He has metal prosthetics.  I gulp.  Suddenly I am embarrassed to pass him. 

I talk about this because it feeds right into something that is mentioned in Mark, a paragraph that has great potential for healthy living, and for unhealthy living.  Mark mentions that to follow Jesus I have to deny myself and take up my cross.  I got to lose my life to save it.  Hey, I don't like denying myself and I am not attracted to the idea of taking up a cross.  Look what happened to him.

Folks, we have infinite demand here again.  The other side being infinite acceptance.  Let me touch three points, a little history and an explanation of the unhealthy and healthy approach to these ideas.

First, the history.  When Mark wrote you can bet he was under the influence of the philosophy of dualism.  That is, all the world is divided into two, bad-good, flesh-spirit, body-soul.  To enhance the growth of the spirit & soul, the flesh & body has to be disciplined.  In fact, basic appetites & attractions must not only be disciplined but hammered into quiescence. 

Which leads to the second point, the unhealthy & healthy living.  It is easy to see how a person, influenced by this philosophy could be hard on himself, in fact, could do damage to himself.  It is called masochism.  Spiritual practices that mirrored this philosophy were part of my early Jesuit training.

In order to detach ourselves from our attachment to our families, our love of our families, we young Jesuits were never allowed to return home for a visit, not for Christmas, Easter, anything.  I remember one summer vacation floating down the Calcacieu River in a pirogue in s.w. Louisiana with a classmate of mine, and he told me that a few miles away in New Orleans his brother was getting married at that very time. We thought that was normal.  We had to extinguish our desires.  This is how the idea of denying myself can be unhealthy or at least just unnecessary.  I have told you about the little rope scourges we were expected to use on ourselves especially on Fridays. 

Thirdly, on the healthy side, I have my two handicapped guys in the HHH.  I would propose that to live a healthy life, to develop a wholeness in myself, to aim to be a Renaissance person, I need to focus on four targets, the intellectual, the physical, and the spiritual/psychological.  This involves denying myself and self discipline, it involves moderation.  I am my cross.  The reward is contentment & peace.

The fourth element in wholeness is you got to live for others, like James' reading brings up.  Jesuit talks about being men for others.  I specialize in aiding the underprivileged.  I do it not for me but for them.  In giving, however, I am richer. 

Those two guys I encountered in the HHH have taken up their crosses, they have denied themselves and I would suggest that they are more content and peaceful than if they had stayed home watching TV.

Your cross?  What is it?

Picture 1:  Mass with Kevin & T.J.

Picture 2:  The Choir with Celeste, Marianne, & Ray

Picture 3:  Birthdays & Anniversaries, Theresa McClure, Doug, Teresa, & Taylor Read, and Chloe's mom Claire (24)

Picture 4:  The Donut Shoppe with Chloe surrounded by Frank, Jackie, her mom, Claire, and grand dad Tom

 

 

 

 

"Welcome in, Everybody," sez Crazy Patricia.

 

Readings: 

1 Samuel 2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23,   I would not harm the Lord's anointed.  

Psalm 103,  The Lord is kind & merciful. (a good one, a favorite line)

1 Corinthians 15, 45-49,    The first man was from earth; the second from heaven.

Luke 6,  27-38, Do good to those who hate you.

 

 

 

" Welcome in, Everybody," from the whole team.

 

Observations  on 1 Samuel

Our 1st reading today is from the first book  in a fun & interesting 4 book series which is somewhat historical, somewhat metaphorical & imaginative.

The books: 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings.  The first two books center on 3 main characters, the first ever kings of the Israelites, namely Samuel, the first king, Saul, the 2^nd king, an insecure, jealous, and paranoiac man, and the Great King David, a colorful character. 

Ever hear of Bathsheba?   Check out David in 2 Samuel.

 

 

John reading his marvelous updating of today's Gospel.

 

The last 2 books, 1 & 2 Kings, describe the beautiful times of Solomon and the building of the temple.  The final book of the 4 describes the bad ways of the people which lead to the bad days of the Babylonian captivity.

Estimated time of composition, ca, 555, during the Babylonian Captivity.

 

 

Wake up, John.  Punch him, Karen.

 

Homily, February 24

When I was studying  theology in Toronto from ’68-’72, the fall of my second year we had to take a course in moral theology.  We were part of a consortium of seminarians.  We Jesuits were the biggest group with ca. 40 guys.  There were probably 6-8 other groups, even some individuals.   All guys.

We Jesuits lived in a large building in a northern suburb called Willowdale.  There were four classes with a total of probably 200, plus 6-8 Jesuit professors.  We had classes on the down town campus of U. of Toronto.  

 

 

Our bread baker and hostess with the mostest welcoming everybody to communion.

 

The fall of my second year our class had to take a course in moral theology.   Fundamentally it was how to administer the Sacrament of Reconciliation, or Confession, plus other moral questions.  For example, like torture, capital punishment, abortion.

The professor of this rather large class was a young Jesuit priest just graduated from Harvard, named Bryan.  I honestly don’t remember his last name.  Bryan was sharp, liberal, and not blessed with public relations skills. 

 

 

And hiding behind John, Allen & Aggie.

 

Bryan put off the majority of the class and a group even came to complain to him.  What did Bryan do?  He told them if they did not like him or his presentations, they could go somewhere else.  He did this with more blunt language than I use here.  So all these guys boycotted his class.

I give all this information as background to my interaction with Bryan in the spring semester of that same academic year.

 

 

Would someone please sit with Sandra.

 

At the end of our third year the Jesuit program normally had the moral theology exam.  Since my class had already covered the class requirements, some of us thought we would like to take the moral theology exam at the end of the second year.   Get it off the agenda.

So I get elected to go make the request to, take a guess, Bryan.  He not only denies my request and tells me to wait until the end of year 3, he tells me if I & my buddies do it anyway, he will flunk us all.   We did and he did.   I even went to the Jesuit rector to complain before we took the exam, which, incidentally was in Latin before a board of 3 of the Jesuit faculty.

So, if I am supposed to love my enemies, do I have to love Brian?   Yes.

 

 

Welcome Home, Beth, our Colorado Snow Bird of the Week.

 

Two comments.  We are dealing here in Luke with infinite demand.

At the same time, we are offered infinite acceptance.  For example, my favorite line showing up this morning in the Psalm, The Lord is gracious and merciful, never gets angry, and is abounding in kindness. 

 

 

Help is on the way, Hugh.

Readings: Malachi 3, 19-20; Psalm 98; 2 Thessalonians 3, 7-12; Luke 21, 5-19

Observations on Malachi:

 Interesting notes:

                   1.  This is the last book of the Old Testament.  Fitting for the last Sunday of the church calendar year.  Next week, Christ the King, then Advent and a new church calendar year begins.

                   2.  A little book, only 4 chapters.

                   3.  Last of the 12 minor prophets (because of their small content)

 
 

Author: Malachi means “my messenger” in Hebrew. The writer’s real name is unknown.

 Date: 400-500 years before Christ.  This is deduced from the emphasis on the temple and the priesthood, and the word “governor” used one time.  Governors ruled after the Bbylonian Exile, ca. 590-550, kings before.    

 The temple was rebuilt ca. 520 after the Israelites came back ca. 550 from the Babylonian Exile.  The Persian ruler Cyrus let them return & rebuild the old walls & temple. 

 Message:  Beware, you priests and people, because you are lax, corrupt, and cheating god of his rightful offerings

Today’s Message:

                   1.  a day is coming when the bad guys will get it.

                   2.  fear my name and find healing.

 Sources:  Good News Bible; New Interpreter’s Study Bible; The Minor Prophets by Al Maxey (on line); & Wikipedia

 

Fear

 Tuesday we celebrate the anniversary of an event that took place in 1989, 21 years ago. 

 It happened in the middle of the night on the campus of UCA, the University of Central America.  All was quiet.  6 Jesuit priests were either asleep or close to it in their residence.  Their housekeeper & her daughter were in the apartment in the rear.  The university is a Jesuit university, like the U. of San Francisco, Georgetown, Fordham, and others in the States. 

 About midnight witnesses heard a great commotion at the door of the residence, yelling and banging.  Outside were 40-50 soldiers dressed in camophlage.  They broke the door and stormed in.  Going room to room, they busted down doors, smashed windows, and dragged the 6 Jesuits and their housekeeper & daughter into the inner patio.

 The banging and breaking and yelling continued for about an hour.  Around 1:00 people outside began to hear shots.  One by one the 8 people were shot in the head from behind. 

 9 years before this, on March 24, 1980, a similar event had happened in the same country, El Salvador.  Archbishop Oscar Romero was shot by a single assassin in the middle of his Mass in a chapel at a hospital in San Salvador.

 I talk about this this morning because, first, it still moves me and, secondly, according to the readings, especially good old Luke, this is exactly what is going to happen to you, to us. 

 

So what is our response?  Two observations.

 First, Malachi and the prophets of the O.T. declare that the bad things that happen in our lives are because we have been bad, lax, unfaithful, mean, greedy.  God will punish us.  And if we are good, God will reward us.  Today this thinking is called the gospel of wealth,  In fact, if you just send money to our church God will multiply your donation & you will be rich.

 It does not take much experience to know this just does not happen.  I just heard about a 3 year old girl with cancer.  God is not punishing her, or her parents.

 Secondly, I remind you of an idea I have talked about before, the three fundamental motives, fear, hope for reward, & love and gratitude. 

 We can walk through life fearful of everything and never savor the beauty.  My old time Catholic religious training used fear a lot.  You have a date, you mess around, you get killed on the way home, you go straight to hell.  Not quite.

 Better than fear is the motive of reward.  High school football playoffs are in full swing right now.  In August these kids were going through hell, working like crazy to win a championship or even a place on a team.

 And then there is doing it because of love.  We build houses with Habitat because we love to help the less fortunate and are so grateful for what we have.  Because I love people I visit them when they are sick, having a hard time, or struggling with life.

 

 So how do we respond when we read about all these bad things coming our way?   We don’t fear they will happen to us.  Fr. Jack Deeves lived all those 80 plus years without such bad things.  Like Jack & the other 6 Jesuits in San Salvador, we love life and people. 

 What is your response?

 Picture 1:   Begining Mass with Kevin

 Picture 2:   Offertory with Ray, Dawn, & Loretta

 Picture 3:   Emma

 Picture 4:   Sienna with Robyn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome in, Tori, so nice to see you.

 

Readings:  

 Isaiah 49, 1-6, The Lord called me from birth.  (good ole Isaiah)

 Psalm 139,   I praise you for I am wonderfully made. (beautiful)

 Acts 13,22-26  To us this word of salvation has been sent.

Like 1 57-66 80,   When the time came for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. 

 

 

 

 

Welcome, Everyone.  What a team!
 

 

Isaiah observations:

What:  The passage is another from Isaiah 2, the best of the 3 parts

Our selection:  Another beautiful passage about a bright future.

 

 

 

 

 

Emma at work as our special candle lighter of the week.

 

 

Happy 50th Anniversary, Bill Hammond

 

Because it is Bill Hammond’s 50th Anniversary with Patty and because Bill is one of my best friends, I get to talk about him this morning.

I do not even remember when it was that I began to hang out with Bill.  It seems like ages ago.  I do remember clearly, however, an event that changed my life.  The HHH, Hotter ‘N Hell Hundred.  The infamous bike ride out of & around the area of Wichita Falls, the last Saturday of August.

 

 

 

 

Georgie reading The Blessing of the Candles.

 

 

I remember Bill calling and inviting me.  I told him I would think about it.  He said that he had everything I would need, even a bike.  I informed Rosemary, which was a mistake.  “You have been thinking about this for years.  Go!!”

So we end up sleeping on our air mattresses on the grass around a big pavilion at Midwestern State U., where Kevin goes to school right now.   My only memory of that night: there was a bar across the RV parking lot and street.  It played loud music all night long.

 

 

 

 

Welcome back, Katie, so nice to hear your beautiful voice again.  Even with Ben.

 

 

Then the fun began.  I got Bill’s extra bike, helmet, and special padded pants.  The now famous part: in the dim light of the parking lot I put the pants on backward and rode 20 miles before I turned them around in a port-a-potty.

This even took place probably about 5 years before my hips in 2010.  And he is still my friend.

 

 

 

 

Hi, Zoe, it is so nice to see you and Emma playing again this week.

 

 

A second reason why I love Bill is that he is a pest.  Just when I think I have a Saturday free from weddings, which I love to do, Bill says, “Hey, John, it is time for Love for Kids.” 

Or I get introduced to Bona Responds and Jim Mahar, the service to others mad man.  This takes me to Galveston to help after the hurricane and, later, to Little Ax near OK City after the tornado up there.  I grieved that I could not go with the team to Dickinson, TX  these  past weeks.

I always come home from these events a richer person.

 

 

 

 

The Offertory Team, Ken & Warren, Barbara & Cindy.  Thanks, you all.

 

 

Finally, as I have already hinted at, Bill is over the edge generous.  The bike & equipment, the rides to recovery sites,   & the invitation to stay at his condo in Pagosa Springs for camping trips.

This last camping trip he loaned me his extra back pack and tent because mine are worn out.  What do I do to show my appreciation?  I stuff his back pack so full I rip the fabric right down the middle.

 

 

 

 

That hand should not be able to be sticking through that back pack.

 

 

Thanks, Bill, for being such a good friend, a pest, and so generous.