Sunday Homily, February 4, 2018, 5th Ordinary Time

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.

Readings: 2 Maccabees, 7, 1-14; Psalm 19; 2 Thessalonians 2, 16-3, 5; Luke 20, 27-38.

2 Maccabees: The two books of Maccabees cover the history of Israel for about 50 years, from ca. 200 to 150 B.C.  The books are again part of the Apocrypha collection, those books separate from both the Old & the New Testaments.

2 Maccabees emphasizes loyalty to the law, even in the face of persecution.  Our selection exemplifies this loyalty in the story of seven brothers & their mother.   This leads to the gospel story which also treats of seven brothers & one wife.

What to Die for; What to Live for

The date of this event was Nov. 16, 1989, 18 years ago this Friday.  The place: a Jesuit university.  The Jesuits have a residence for their men on the campus.  About 10 men live there and this evening six are at home.  Like most Jesuit residences they eat dinner about 6:00, then chat for a while, go off one by one to work on their classes or papers, and finally turn in before 11:00 or maybe 12:00.  A routine evening.

About 1:00 in the middle of the night the routine is shattered by 30 or 40 uniformed soldiers who bang on the door and barge in.  They wake everyone up and herd them into the patio.  While this is going on, other soldiers are crashing around the rooms, throwing books & drawers on the floor, and busting open cabinets.  A house keeper & her daughter are found in an adjacent apartment and they are taken into the patio with the 6 priests.

The searching and ransacking goes on for a couple of hours.  Meanwhile in the patio the priests and the women are made to lie face down on the grass.  At some point in the night while the group is lying down, each one is shot in the back of the head.

This took place at the University of Central America, San Salvador, El Salvador.

I am reminded of this contemporary event when I read in Maccabees about the mother with the seven sons.  Some comments about these events.

First, it is humbling to hear about people who believe so strongly about something that they are willing to die, even die being tortured.  These Jesuits at the university were attacked because they criticized the policies of the El Salvador government.  Some years before this event a gunman had walked up the main aisle of the cathedral in San Salvador and in front of everyone shot Bishop Oscar Romero face to face as he finished up a Mass.  He, too, had criticized the government for brutalizing the peasant people.  The Jesuits probably figured that the government would surely not murder a whole household of priests.  I stand in awe of the courage of these people.

Secondly, would that if we are called to defend our principles even to death, we could die defending the poor, struggling to bring peace, or demanding more equality.  While I admire the courage & integrity of the seven sons and mother, I am sad that they died over a law about eating pork.  Muslims today can kill infidels using a suicide bomb with the belief that Allah is pleased with them and they will have a special place reserved for them in paradise. 

It is like saying anyone who eats Blue Bell ice cream is going to hell, or eats it on Friday.  I am reminded of how I grew up being taught that I was going to hell if I ate meat on Friday.  People are trained to believe that drinking a glass of wine or dancing is sinful.  These laws are simply demands of other people who are like ourselves.  We let them mess with our minds.

Thirdly, let me suggest that there are two way to give your life.  The one, like the Jesuits, is swift and often violent.  One shot, end of story.

The second way of giving your life is exemplified by Ofelia’s husband, Luis, whom many of you saw at our two anniversary parties.  Both years Luis touched our hearts with his vows to Ofelia.  I, however, saw him every Thursday evening gently take care of Ofelia week after week, patiently being with her as she slowly lost her life.  For weeks he could not leave Ofelia alone, so he was house bound unless someone like Hospice showed up.  He told someone that last Saturday that he and Ofelia had fallen in love again.  Luis gave his life for Ofelia.

Most of us will probably not get shot in the back of the head for criticizing the government or fighting for peace.  All of us, however, are called to give our life, our daily life, to bring peace & life to another or many others.  Like, you teachers, you nurses, you drivers, you soccer coaches, you parents, you all.

For whom or what are you giving your life today?

AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2007-11-11.mp3

Numbers 11, Would that all the people for the Lord were prophets.

Psalm 19, The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart. 

James 5,  Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder.

Mark 9,  If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.

Shonda & Ben bringing us together.

Thanks……

Music,    Ben & Shonda

Readers,  Beth & Rob & Buddy, our candle blesser 

Gospel,     John Cade

Homily,   John Stack

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,      Hue & Mike

Final Blessing, Rosemary

Beth reading the first reading from Numbers.

Readings: 

Download Readings 26th Ordinary time 09-26-21

Homily by John Stack,  

Download Homily 26th Sunday 9-26-2021

Rob reading from James.

Remember these special people:

For John & Karen Anderlick's unborn grandson;   For Rosemary's great niece, Rylie;  For Richard's grand daughter, Madeleine;   For Esparza's new great grandson  & Frank;  For all the medical personnel struggling to treat the tsunami of sick people, in particular, locally, Cindy's staff at Presby, Dallas, and at Frisco Presby, the mother of Harper and Betsy, Kendle, working in labor & delivery, and for Hue & Linda's daughter, Doctor Rosemary Beavers;   For Mary & Dave Hall's g-daughter Allison Keller working at St. Lukes, The Woodlands,   For Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody &  Leo & all of Shonda's dear family; For Ursuline Sr. Mary Troy,

Jan & Charlie saying, "Hi, Everybody!"

Jackie's mom, sister, & friend, Lynn;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg.; For Meredith, cancer free & John Schanot;    For John O'Donnell & Jean;   For Jean & Cliff Wright;  For Dee, and for her daughters, Lisa & Lauren  ;  For Anthony & Sabrina;    For a young man who is suffering from depression;  John Cade's mother in law, Kalliopi Piskiouli and Lambrini, plus John's daughter, Joey, with cancer; from Barbara, a little 12 month old baby boy named Ford recuperating from an operation & a nephew; for David McKeon's brother, Hugh; For Beth's friends & brother;   for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

Mary, Connie, & John singing the beautiful hymn "On Eagles' Wings."

Birthdays:   Ben's daughter, Sophia, 14 (yesterday), Judy Carol, Leo (11?), Jackie Johnson

Anniversaries:  

Fred & Patricia

Tom & Becky Good

Ron & Nancy Kovatis

Cathy, Fred, & Ron updating the news of the week.

Community Finances,   September 26, 2021

Expenses: $600.00 

Outreach: $5.00 

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

Rosemary sharing her beautiful Blessing of the Week.

Rosemary's Blessing:

“Rivers do not drink their own water;

trees do not eat their own fruit;

the sun does not shine on itself

and flowers do not spread their fragrance for themselves.

Living for others is a rule of nature.

We are born to help each other.

No matter how difficult it is.

Life is good when you are happy

but much better when others are happy because of you.

Let us remember that pain is a sign that we are alive,

problems are a sign that we are strong and

prayer is a sign that we are not alone.

If we can acknowledge these truths and

condition our hearts and minds, our lives will be more meaningful,

different and worthwhile.”

Pope Francis

Peace, Everyone!

John sharing his research on Matthew & the Jewish environment.

Readings:

Genesis  2, 7-9; 3. 1-7,  The Lord God planted a garden in Eden.

Psalm 51,  Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Romans 5, 12-19,   Through one man sin entered the world.

Matthew 4,  1-11.

Hi, Betsy.

The Gospel of Matthew and the Jewish Synagogue—Talk One

This is the first part in a short series on the relationship between the Jewish synagogue and the Gospel of Matthew.  My primary source is John Shelby Spong’s book titled, Biblical Literalism: A Gentile Heresy, published 2016.

Ash Wednesday at Marlene's house.

Spong is a retired Episcopal Bishop and a Biblical scholar. Other references include The Catholic Study Bible, published 2011, edited by Donald Senior, C.P.; and the Constitution Dei verbum in 1965 by Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI at the 2^nd Vatican Council.

Ash Wednesday, Lynda & Tom.

Pius XII’s encyclical, Divino Afflante Spiritu (tr. “Inspired by the divine spirit”) in 1943, encouraged all Catholics to read the Bible, and that Biblical study should be in the original languages. And he allowed for the use of the historical-critical method for understanding Biblical texts.  

The Choir on the stairs.

The 2^nd Vatican Council’s Constitution Dei verbum (tr. “Word of God”), in 1965, was set up by Pope John XXIII when (before he died) he nixed the first draft by a Vatican-only group, and asked for another draft from a group balanced with conservative and progressive biblical experts.

Jackie reading.

The second draft, accepted by Vatican II and approved by Paul VI, is progressive, acknowledging that Biblical interpretation requires the insights of historical analysis and literary analysis, and an understanding of the purposes of the text as written for its original audience.    

Frank reading the Gospel.

Bishop Spong begins his study with the necessity of being knowledgeable about Jewish culture, Jewish symbols and Jewish storytelling; otherwise we are unable to understand the Gospels. Most Christians are unaware of the Jewish context of the Gospels. We need to know how the gospel stories would have been understood by the Jewish gospel authors and by the Jewish audiences they originally were written for.

Remember, you came from dust & you will return to dust.

Being Jewish, Jesus and his disciples attended the Jewish synagogue during Jesus’ lifetime and for 2 generations following Jesus’ death, about 55 years.  It follows naturally that the memories of Jesus were deeply associated with the synagogue.  

Ashes for you, Dearest Mabel.

People often overlook that the original disciples and the followers of Jesus were—like him—Jewish.  As Jews they would participate in the life of the synagogue and the weekly Sabbath liturgy. As a result, the synagogue became the setting where the teachings of Jesus and the stories about him were recalled and passed on.

Sandra reading from Genesis.

It’s commonly accepted that the split between the synagogue and the followers of Jesus didn’t happen until the year 88 of the CE. This means that Paul died as a Jew, his missionary goal being to open up Judaism to the Gentiles. So, when Paul’s converts gathered on the Sabbath to ‘break bread’ it wasn’t as a step toward founding a new religious movement (a church), but to add a whole new dimension to life in the synagogue. 

Carrie reading from Romans.

The timing of all this also means that the earliest gospels, Mark and Matthew, written before 70 CE, existed while the Christian movement was part of the life and practice of the synagogue. To end this first talk, let me repeat these three amazing facts: 

Happy Birthday, Michelle

1) Jesus’ followers were members of the Jewish synagogue for about 50 years following Jesus’ death; the split between the Jewish synagogue and the followers of Jesus happened in the year 88 CE; 

2) Paul died as a member of the Jewish synagogue in about 63 CE, over 20 years before the split happened; 

3) the gospels of Matthew and Mark, even perhaps Luke and Acts, were written while the Christian movement was still part of the life and practice of the Jewish synagogue.      

          Rosemary reading her Blessing of the Week.

No mid-week blog this week.  Gone to Mexico.

Readings:  Isaiah 63, 16-19, 64, 2-7, We are the clay, you the potter; Psalm 80, Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved; 1 Corinthians 1, 3-9, I give thanks to my God always on your account; Mark 13, 33-37, Be alert, you do not know when the time will come.

Isaiah: One of the big 3 Prophets, mostly because of the size of the book.  At least 3 writers put this book together and this is number 3.

Thanksgiving History: Everyone knows about the first Thanksgiving in 1602 with the Pilgrims and the Indians eating together, the Mayflower, and Plymouth Rock.   Here are 5 facts that people do not hear about usually.

1.  When did Thanksgiving begin?  Our ancestors have celebrated end of harvest feasts of gratitude for centuries.  Lincoln first focused on a national feast; FDR established the national holiday in 1941.

2.  The pilgrims did not know they were pilgrims.  They called themselves saints, and strangers were called non-saints.  The word pilgrim came along in the 18 hundreds, 2 centuries later.  They were not even Puritans, but separatists.  They split off from the Church of England, old Henry VIII's church, and the Puritans did not split off.

3.  The Separatists did not come to establish religious freedom.  They came for religious freedom for their religion and only their religion. 

4.  The Mayflower returned to England, was torn apart, and its beams were used to build a barn in Buckinghamshire (just north of London & east of Oxford).

5.  How did the Indians & Separatists communicate?   The Indians were Algonquians & one of them, Squanto had actually lived in England some years.  He returned to his tribe and taught his friend, Samoset English.  It was Samoset who communicated with the Separatists, & the Indians taught them to raise corn, to fish, and to hunt.  In the first winter half of the 100 Separatists died before the Indians taught them how to survive. 

How Prepare for a Marvelous Christmas

    When I returned to the States in the late 80's and began to work full time as a spiritual director & psychotherapist, I was struck every fall by a tension that I found in some people.  They were nervous about the coming Christmas season. 

    I remember people bringing this up as early as the beginning of the school year in September.  Certainly by October and most certainly by Halloween.  People were tense and anxious because of memories of bad Christmas seasons. 

    Because of this and because we are just beginning the season of Advent, the season of preparation for Christmas, I would like to review some ways to prepare ourselves for a marvelous Christmas.  I have 5 observations.

    1.  First, beware of fear and depression.  I read Mark's story about the man traveling abroad and I can  get spooked into thinking God is going to grab me when I'm not looking.  Nonsense.

    Depression seems to surface more during the Christmas season, because of at least one reason.  Expectations.  We expect more out of the Christmas season, peace, love, warm relationships, gifts.  When the reality comes in below the expectation I have, I get disappointed and maybe depressed.  Memories of disappointing Christmases can also depress me. 

    2.  Unlike Mark's warning about sleeping, I would propose that we need more rest at this darker time of the year.  Our ancestors used to sleep when it went dark.  Today we force ourselves to stay awake and lights keep us awake.  Doctors are saying we need more sleep in the dark days of winter and are recommending, get this, 9 hours.  Maybe try an extra hour.  Try a siesta.

    3.  Along with more sleep, try a little more exercise.  My internist tells me that he wants me to exercise every day.  I do.  Walk through the neighborhood.  Ride a bike.  Along the way look at the colors of the red oaks and Bradford Pear trees. 

    4.  Have you got anything special you do every year for Christmas, during Advent?  Something to get you into a Christmas spirit?  If not, what about finding something?  Two things I have got to do every year: take in a performance of Handel's Messiah and take in the Dallas Symphony Christmas concert.  I may get in an extra one or two of these, but I find this so touches my spirit.

    I know a few families who tour Christmas lights.  Here in Plano is Deer Park.  One of the best is Highland Park, Beverly Drive and Armstrong Parkway, both east and west of Preston.   In Deer Park, you may walk around.  In Highland Park there are horse drawn carriages. 

    5.  Finally, in line with Mark's gospel, watch, watch for the daily miracles and blessings.  Review your year for the biggest blessings, like I mentioned before Thanksgiving.  

    I hope you are not anxious about or nervous about the coming of Christmas.  If you are, even more relevent is my question, 'What are you doing to make  Christmas this year a beauty?'

Picture 1:    1st Sunday of Advent begins

Picture 2:    Mary & Nikki

Picture 3:    Advent candle lighting

Picture 4:    Barb & Ron after their 40th

Picture 5:    Norm

Picture 6:    Leo on the move

Readings:

Isaiah  62, 1-5,     The Lord delights in you. (another excellent reading, this time from Isaiah III)

Psalm 96,  Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.

 1 Corinthians 12, 4-11,  There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same spirit, different forms of service, but the same Lord.   (a good selection)

John 2, 1-11, There was a wedding at Cana.  ( a good story)

Harper says, "Hi, Everybody, Welcome in.  It is so nice to be back after a long absence."

Isaiah observations:

When you see that today's selection is from the 62nd chapter, you may pretty easily guess  that this is Isaiah III.   The last 10 chapters of the work are from Isaiah III, that is, chapters 56-66.  

Remember that Isaiah III talks consolation and comfort for the people, most of whom have now returned from the Babylonian Captivity to a destroyed Jerusalem.

"Yep, Welcome Back, Cathy."

What is your gift?

Want to take a trip to East Africa this morning, to my beloved Tanzania?  I want to talk a moment about our gifts and forms of service like are mentioned in 1 Corinthians.   To exemplify my thinking, I want to tell you a Christmas story that took place ca. 1980.   I was tempted to tell you about a wedding I did on the slope of Kilimanjaro, but this is just as good and we have only finished with Christmas a few weeks back.

So, buckle your seat belts and let’s take off.

"Hi, Victoria, Hi, Buddy."

There is a town smack in the middle of Tanzania called Tabora.  It was on the east west railroad from Dar es Salaam, the capital, to Lake Tanganyika.   The Jesuits staffed a church in Tabora, not large, but with lots of people.  It also had about 20 spokes out from the main church, outstation churches built when more expatriate priests were around to man them. 

I was at one of these outstations for Advent and Christmas around 1980 to work on my Swahili.   Two Maltese Jesuits interns were with me (from the island of Malta, off the island of Sicily).  They were what were called scholastics, i.e., learning to be Jesuit priests.  Good guys,  Joe Xerri and Joe Pulicino. 

Want to hear The Best?  Shonda, Bethany, Ray, & David.

Later I visited Xerri at his home, not on Malta itself, but the island of Gozo, just off of Malta.  He eventually left the Jesuits.  Pulicino, got ordained, returned to TZ, worked with refugees, got captured by some Sudanese, and eventually was released.

So we three Jesuits are at this outstation, which was a fairly large, cinder block, rectangular building with a bell, a bell tower, and a corrugated tin roof.  I often thought about the priests who built the church and then had to leave it empty somewhere along the way.  It must have hurt.

 Zoe & Cole at work on our major life problems.

The little town where this church was situated was tiny, just a few houses with tin roofs, maybe even mud walls.  The church itself had an outstation, another little village even smaller.  I did a funeral in this tiny village and fell into the grave.  That scared everybody really good.

The people around the main church had not had a Christmas Mass in ages.  They wanted a midnight Mass and we offered to put together a Nativity pageant.  They jumped at it and we had a cast of dozens. 

And More Problems being solved.

So the night comes.  You got to picture the scene.  No electricity.  We had a few of the old kerosene lanterns.  I spent many an evening with those kerosene lanterns.  There was no heat other than campfires.   Christmas in TZ comes in the middle of the warm & dry season, just opposite to us in the northern regions.

We rang the bell.  People were literally camped out all over the place because many had walked for miles.  The church filled up.   There was plenty of music, basically drumming and shakers, and, of course,  great rhythm. 

A Cupcake of The Week to Georgie for being a Great Helper.

The one thing I never expected was the wave of June bugs.  The church walls were not totally closed, but had sections where cinder blocks with holes were used.  With the light in the church in the totally dark night, bugs came from everywhere.  Nobody seemed to be bothered in the least.

The Mass lasted probably 2 hours.  The Nativity pageant was super.   Nobody wanted it to end.

 Happy Birthday, Becky.

Why talk about this?  Gifts.  We had a gift and we shared it with everybody.  They had gifts of music and excitement and gratitude.  The kids pitched in with the pageant. 

You can say that Jesus had a gift and he shared it.  Mary, too, had a gift and she shared it, her son.

What gift do you have and how do you share it?

Cupcake of The Week to Cole for being The Candle Lighter of The Week.