Reminder for Sunday, July 8, 2018, 14th, Ordinary Time

Isaiah 50:The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced;

Philippians 2: Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance,  he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Music,   Ben & Shonda

Expenses: $   470.00

Outreach: $    110.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

Rosemary's Blessing:

The grass never sleeps.

Or the roses.

Nor does the lily have a secret eye that shuts until morning.

Jesus said, wait with me. But the disciples slept.

The cricket has such splendid fringe on its feet,

and it sings, have you noticed, with its whole body,

and heaven knows if it ever sleeps.

Jesus said, wait with me.

And maybe the stars did, maybe the wind wound itself into a silver tree, and didn't move,

maybe the lake far away, where once he walked as on a blue pavement, lay still and waited, wild awake.

Oh the dear bodies, slumped and eye-shut, that could not

keep that vigil, how they must have wept,

so utterly human, knowing this too

must be a part of the story.

Gethsemane  by Mary Oliver 

Acts of the Apostles 8:  Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. 

1 Peter 3:  For Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God.

John 14:  I will not leave you orphans;  I will come to you.

Hue reading from the Acts of the Apostles

Thanks…     

Music,    Ben

Readers,  Linda & Hue

Gospel,   John Cade

Homily,   John Cade

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Kevin

Final Blessing, Rosemary

Linda reading from the First Letter of Peter

Readings:  Download 05-14-23 Readings – 6th Easter

Homily:  Download 05-14-23 Homily – 6th Easter

Mary and Ben commenting on the homily

Remember these special people:

For Cindy Cramer's family;  For the family of Ron Senter;   For Meredith  whose cancer has come back;  For Jan;  For Tom  Quinn who had back surgery on November 21st;  For Sandra who has been diagnosed with Large B Cell Lymphoma;   For Lambrini, John Cade's wife, who is dealing with cancer ;  For Madeleine, Richard Eshelbrenner's granddaughter;  For Hue; For Jackie;  For John's sister, Kathey recovering from a fall;   For Tom Good;  For a young man, 19 struggling with a brain tumor and cancer;     For Mary Hall's friend Cadence still suffering from a serious medical condition;   For Sir Charlie & Jan; 

Jackie's mom, sister, & friend, Lynn;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg.;   For Jean & Cliff Wright;  For Dee, and for her daughters, Lisa & Lauren;  For a young man who is suffering from depression;  John Cade's daughter, Joey, with cancer; from Barbara, a little baby boy named Ford recuperating from an operation & friends, Annie, a mom of 3 kids and Michael ;    for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

The women of the Community get a special blessing for Mother's Day

Birthdays:  

Anniversaries:  

Community Finances:   

Expenses: $  480.00

Outreach: $  125.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

Here is the homily for Sunday.

Ezekiel

Ezekiel was the third great prophet with Isaiah and Jeremiah, because this author’s book is big like theirs, divided into 48 chapters.  Ezekiel is called by God to warn the Israelite people of their coming punishment and banishment to Babylon because of their infidelity to God and his law.  Ezekiel starts out about 600 years before Jesus lived and before the Babylonian captivity. Ezekiel’s prophecies continue through the captivity and the return of the Jewish people to Israel.

Homily

The book of Ezekiel is about warning people to get it together. The Gospel story has a similar directive to warn or confront a friend of their need for correction.  I want to say a word about that difficult directive.  The formula given in Matthew is 1) By yourself, speak your hurt to your friend and try to work it out; 2) take one or two others and confront your friend; and 3) take it to the community for mediation.  The smartest statement in Matthew may be admitting that these three steps might not achieve the desired end, and then you start over from scratch (or you drop it).  The point I want to make is that human relationship is probably the most difficult thing we do as humans and that healing hurt is what we’re all about.

An example is a personal case I have talked about before, between my sisters and me.   

1) Two of my sisters felt hurt and upset by each other’s actions in regards to our sister Carol’s care in a nursing home. Our older sister had been in charge of managing Carol’s care.  The sister who lives in the town where Carol’s nursing home was visited Carol and checked up on her every day. The older sister and the local sister didn’t seem able to speak respectfully to or listen well with each other. Often they would cancel out one another’s directives about Carol’s care. So Step 1 didn’t really happen.

2) Their inability to connect work together as co-caregivers led to step 2 and my involvement. Our older sister asked me to be present at a meeting with the local sister and our youngest sister, and an ombudsman representing Carol. This was an awkward meeting.  Since the home had complained about the local sister’s intrusive and disruptive behavior at the home, and threatened to ask us to remove Carol from the home, I and our youngest sister sided with our older sister in the matter. In theory this meeting had the potential of bringing us together for Carol’s sake.  In reality the process pitted two sisters and a brother against Carol’s local sister and set limits on that sister’s behavior as regards the nursing home and its staff.  No real listening to one another happened.

3) That takes us to Step 3: As Catholic Christians we no longer have a tradition of taking one’s hurts to the church community for mediation.  That venue in this time is the court.  Carol’s local sister took the matter to the court and she ultimately gained legal management over Carol’s care.  This result was probably beneficial to Carol as the push and pull about her welfare and treatment ended, and Carol’s local sister continued to visit and care for her till Carol died 1½ years ago. The family breach, however, hardened, and my sisters remain estranged from one another. 

Do I think I am alone in having family hurts that remain unresolved?  No, I don’t. In 44 years as a counselor, I have known many relationships that are stuck in their hurt.  Do I lose hope for them or for my own family relationships?  No I don’t.  Today’s second reading from Paul to the Romans, is a clue to our hope: everything is summed up by love, and there’s no accounting for how or when love will find expression. Period.

Finally, going back to Ezekiel, near the end of his book (in Chapter 37) Ezekiel talks about God’s promise, when times were the darkest, to raise up the people of Israel and help them get it together and walk back to their promised land.  His point was that, even if we are dead and gone and our bones are dried up, even then God is with us raising us up. Ezekiel’s poetic words were turned into a spiritual I remember singing as a child: “Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones….I hear the Word of the Lord” …  your toe bone connected to your foot bone, your foot bone connected to your ankle bone….

My question for you is: Who has been Ezekiel in your life, confronting you and giving you hope in stuck times?

And when have you been the Ezekiel in someone else’s life?

Guess who says hello.

Welcome: Catholic Mass with coffee and juice and pastries, both bought and home-made, after Mass

Time: 9:30; Celebrate with the Community & Stack. 

Place: Sigler Elementary, 1400 Janwood Drive, Plano, TX 75075

The Offertory Team, Meredith & Brent, Cheryl & Caroline. 

Readings:

Isaiah  6, 1-8,   “Here I am,” I said, “send me.   (The call of Isaiah.)

Psalm 138,  In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.  (one of my favorites)

1 Corinthians 15, 1 – 11,   I am the least of the apostles.

Luke 5, 1-11,   The big catch of fish.

 Wow!  What do I see on that table? 

Community Activities:  

1. ROMEO MEET: Friday, February 5, Jason's Deli, Collin Creek Mall, west side of Central, 1:00.   Welcome all wakos, you will fit right in.                                                                                                                                             
2. JULIET LUNCHEON, (aka.,just us ladies into eating together),  Thursday, February 5, 1:00 P.M.,   Cafe Amore.  600 N. Coit, Richardson,  (Italian & BYOB),   Please RSVP to Marilyn Ackerman, rmackerman5@gmail.com

Oh, that looks so good.  I wonder if anybody is watching.                                                          

What is going on in our Catholic World  

1.  Currents in American Christianity, Corpus, December 29,   920  words,        Download American Christianity 2-4-16        

Donor Receipts for your 2015 donations have been emailed out.  If you have not received yours, please let John or Rosemary know.  Thank you for your generosity.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Me?  Eat one of those cookies?  Never!  But…may I?

True? 

 Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing.

CAMILLE PISSARRO

The Gang, Gil & Bernadette, "Sir" Charlie & Jan

See you Sunday.

J.S., 214-783-0443

The Sacrament of Healing and Life.

JSM Mission-Faith Statement

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

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

For Victoria and Zoe, too.  

Communion, too, bread & grape juice.

Says Cindy, "Welcome in, Everybody."

Readings:

Isaiah , 49, 3, 5-6,  I will make you a light to the nations.

       (This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine.)

Psalm 40,  Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will.

1 Corinthians 1, 1-3,  Paul, called to be an apostle

John 1, 29-34, I saw the spirit come down

And never to be left behind, Ben, too, says, "Come in, Everybody.  It is delightful here."

I will make you a light to the nations

Have you people ever heard of a woman named Samantha Elandary?  No?  Never heard of her?  You must be living under a rock. 

No.  Actually I had never heard of her until I saw her at choral presentation last fall at Richardson High School.  All singers were Parkinson persons.  She  is my choice for being a light to the nations.  Certainly she is a light for me.  Why?

The Candle Girls in action.

Samantha, a graduate of UNT with a degree in speech pathology, established in 2005 a non- profit program called Parkinson Voice Project. 

One of the delightful little surprises of Parkinson is that the person slowly loses voice strength, eventually becoming almost mute and faced with whispering to communicate.  I personally have noticed that I am developing a little bit of this.  Ask my buddies at our Friday Romeo’s luncheons.  Maybe even Rosemary would love me more if I would reach this stage.

Buddy reading the Candle Blessing.

Samantha’s program at Parkinson Voice Project has two levels.

1. Individual speech therapy one on one with a professional therapist.  I am on this level.  I started in January a 4 week program of 3 sessions a week, 2 sessions with my therapist,  & a third session with a group of people on this beginner ‘s level.

The communion team.

I have a workbook with phrases I am instructed to read and speak with intent.  Speaking with intent is the key.

2. The second level takes place at the end of my month and involves group sessions where I am challenged to speak with intent loudly.  I’ll tell you more about this in February, when I graduate into the group therapy sessions.

I'm jealous, Ben!

I cannot tell you how consoled I felt the one time I was in the group session.  All of us had the same problem and I felt a sense of strength & of being among kindred spirits.

There are today over 400 participants in the Parkinson Voice Project .   It is also training therapists from other corners of the U.S.  The program started by Samantha, meeting such a great need, is the only one in the world. 

Welcome in.

The program operates on a pay it forward arrangement.  I have not been asked for a nickel.  Participants are obviously chipping in. 

In fact, at the fall choral presentation we were told about a financial challenge Samantha was given.  Collect 1 million dollars and a benefactor would donate $500 thousand.  Samantha & her team succeeded. 

The Best Team.

Samantha Elandary is my Light to the Nations, a person who makes God’s touch reach to all the corners of the earth.

Who is your Samantha?  How are you a Light?

You are The Best Salesgirl for Girl Scout cookies, Dearest Harper.

Ezekiel 47:  This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah, and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh.  Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.
1 Corinthians 3:  Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
 John 2:   He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”

Thanks…     

Music,   Shonda & Ben
Readers,  Pat & Fred
Homily,   John Cade
Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade
The Magic Zoom makers,  Hue & Kevin
The Organization man,  Richard
Final Blessing,  Rosemary

Remember these special people:

For all the people affected by natural disasters like floods, earthquakes etc;  For the Ukraine and the Holy Land; For our new Pope, Leo XIV;  For John Stack;    For Adam, that the doctors may find a remedy for his seizures; For Meredith ;   For Tom  Quinn;   For Warren Wittek; For Tom Good; For Lambrini, John Cade’s wife, who is dealing with cancer ;  For Allen Stryker;   For Mike and Judy Carrell ; For Hue; For Jackie;    For Ron

Jackie’s sister, & friend, Lynn;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg.;   For Jean & Cliff Wright;    from Barbara, a little baby boy named Ford ;    for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

Birthdays:   John Anderlick 11/14
Anniversaries:  Connie & John Bresson 11/14

Expenses: $  890.00
Outreach: $  105.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

Rosemary’s Blessing:

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead: Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved: and now we lie
In Flanders fields!

Take up our quarrel with the foe!
To you from falling hands we throw
The torch, Be yours to bear it high!
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep tho’ poppies blow
In Flanders Field.

IN FLANDERS FIELDS
By Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae
Composed at the battlefront on May 3, 1915
during the second battle of Ypres, Belgium

 The Answer (One of many poems written in response to In Flanders Fields)

In Flanders Field the cannon boom
And fitful flashes light the gloom;
While up above, like Eagles, fly
The fierce destroyers of the sky;
With stains the earth wherein you lie
Is redder than the poppy bloom
In Flanders Field.

Sleep on ye brave! The shrieking shell,
The quaking trench, the startling yell,
The fury of the battle hell
Shall wake you not; for all is well.

Sleep peacefully, for all is well.
Your flaming torch aloft we bear,
With burning heart an oath we swear
To keep the faith to fight it through
To crush the foe, or sleep with you
In Flanders Field

The Answer, by Lt. J. A. Armstrong of Beloit.Wisconsin.

John Stack Ministries meets on Sunday for Mass at
9:30 at the ArtCentre of Plano,
902 E. 16th St, Plano, Texas.

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.