Sunday Homily for December 2, 2018, 1st Advent , C cycle

 

IMG_4660

 

Welcome in Everybody, and welcome to Advent.

 

Readings:  

Jeremiah  33, 14-16, “The days are coming”, says the Lord, “when I will fulfill the promise I made.”

Psalm 25,  To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

1 Thesssalonians 3,12-4,2, May the Lord make you increase and abound in love.

Like 21,  25-28, 34-36, There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars.  

 

 

IMG_4669

 

Welcome from today's Offertory Team, Michelle & Gil, Carol & Rich

 

 

One Day on a Walker   

For a New Appreciation of People, Try a Walker

This morning I would like to talk about how I came to see again how genuinely good ordinary people can be.  Want a quickie answer to that?  Try lumbar stenosis which leads to lower back pain which leads to life on a walker.

 

IMG_4654

 

Another Day on the walker.

 

Two examples.

Just after the doctor put me on a walker I had an 8:00 A.M. appointment with my skin doctor.  It was freezing dark, cold, windy, and I had to park in one of those ground level parking areas, like about ½ a mile from the double glass entrance doors. 

As I hobbled up to the doors, a guy and a woman jumped ahead of me and held the doors open for me.  I was most touched.

 

IMG_4655

 

Leo the Candle Man in Action.

 

The same thing happened when I departed the buildings.

Other similar events happened all the time we were in Hilton Head.   But a special one took place at an Alabama highway welcome facility just departing Georgia. 

We stopped in the visitor space to visit the facilities.  As I approached the one story building I noticed that the host of the facility this particular morning was a black guy about 60.  He saw me and was immediately heading toward the entrance doors.

 

IMG_4657

 

Buddy reading the Blessing of The Advent Candle.

 

We arrived about the same moment and I reached out to pull outward the right hand door.  Trouble was, I was coming at it from the left.  I was awkwardly pulling the door with my right hand when the guy opened the door and stepped out to help me. 

Lucky me, because I was planning on using the door handle with my right hand to balance.  Suddenly the door was open, the handle out of reach, and I am falling over—right into the arms of the welcoming station.  Yes, he caught me and graciously got me righted.

 

IMG_4685

 

Yes, Harper, you look really pretty with your new shorter hair.

 

Then, even at the restroom door, truckers were holding it so I could enter and depart.

I have been most touched, folks, and feel privileged.

Any of you seen these people around lately? 

And the question I would ask normally, I don’t ask now because it is irrelevant.  You do this kind of activity every day.

 

IMG_4678

 

Could it be that Leo's most favorite time of our Sunday Mass is the Cupcake of the Week time.

 

 

Similar Posts

  • Reminder for Fifth Sunday of Easter, May 7, 2023

    Acts of the Apostles 6:  The word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly, …

    1 Peter 2:  You are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises" of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

    John 14:  " … Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father."

                      

     

    John Stack Ministries now meets at:  The ArtCentre of Plano, 902 E. 16th St, Plano

                         

                              

     

    May 2

    Hello May

     

     
     
    Another Reminder for the Fifth Sunday of Easter,  May 7, 2023

    Here are the links for Sunday:

    For Zoom   ( the video conference, same as last week )
     
     
     
                                                                      
                                                                     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

     

    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
  • Reminder for 1st Sunday of Advent, December 3, 2023

    Isaiah 63:  Yet, O Lord, you are our father; we are the clay and you are the potter; we are all the work of your hands.

    1 Corinthians 1:  He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    Mark 13:  Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, …

     

    Advent 2
     
     
    Another Reminder for the 1st Sunday of Advent, December 3, 2023
     

    Here are the links for Sunday:

    For Zoom   ( the video conference, same as last week )
     
     
     
     
     
     
    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.

  • Sunday Homily, May 27, 2018, Trinity

     

      IMG_3527

     

    "Welcome in, Everybody," say Emma & her mom, Beth.

     

    Readings:  

     Deuteronomy 4, 32-34, 39-40,   The Lord is God in the heavens above.

    Psalm 33,   Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

     Romans 8, 14-17,   Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.  (??)

     Matthew 28, 16-20,   Go and make disciples of all nations.   

     

     

    IMG_2782

     

    Who let this critter in?  Are there things living in that garden?

     

     

    Deuteronomy observations:

    What:  This work is the 5th and last book of the Pentateuch/Torah.  The first 4 books are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, & Numbers.  Deuteronomy has basically 3 speeches delivered by Moses before the people enter the promised land.  He reviews all they have endured the past 40 years and how Yahweh has shown his care and power to save them.

    Author: Moses may have spoken some of the ideas in the speeches, but others have put the work together.  In fact, in chapter 34 the death of Moses is described.  Someone other than Moses probably covered this episode.

     

     

    IMG_3529

     

     

    Welcome Home, Sophia, so nice to see you.

     

     

    Date: 700 years before Christ.

    Our Selection: the end of the first speech.  Moses is reminding the people of how Yahweh cared for them and why they must honor him for this as their one and only god.

     

      IMG_2771

     

    Kevin & Ben, the candle team of the week.

     

     

    Best line in all the readings?  Blessed the people the lord has chosen to be his own.

    That's us.  Therefore, NO FEAR!

     

     

     

    In Memory of Frank Hart

    Last Sunday evening I attended a Rosary at Christ the King for my old coach, Boy Scout Master, and friend, Frank Hart.  Monday morning we had a Mass.  In honor of Frank and the Trinity I want to relate 3 moving aspects of Frank’s celebration.

    First, Christ the King, a place that witnessed my growing up.  I have not been in the Church in over 15 years, when I did weddings there as a Jesuit.  It felt like coming home a bit and two unique memories hit me.

     

     

    IMG_3548

     

     

    The Offertory team, Bernadette & Gil, Ray & Claire.

     

    Right off the bat, where the podium is is where a good friend of mine, Jimmy Gannon, broke my left leg at football practice.  I had never spoken from that podium until that Rosary.  Frank did it.

    Next, my dad attended 7:00 A.M. Mass daily.  I knew his pew.   I returned to Dallas to teach at Jesuit after never getting home for 7 years.   3 other Jesuits on their way to Jesuit, El Paso, & myself drove all night.  I arrived at 7:00 and rather than going home I had the guys drop me at Christ the King.  He was there.

     

     

    CK 2

     

    The main aisle, Christ the King, podium on the left.

     

    The second aspect of the event that touched me was the large number of fellow kids like me who showed up, especially classmates of Frank, jr.   As Don Zimmerman, another classmate of Frank and pastor of Christ the King said, “It was like a reunion of ex-Jesuit students.”  A big one, too.   A tribute, also, to Frank.jr.

    The third aspect to the whole celebration was remembering how Frank had touched me into new life and new self-confidence.   Hang on.  You might have heard me talk about this, but it is relevant to all of us.

     

      CK 1

     

    The main altar, Christ the King.

     

    It was the summer after my 6th year at Christ the King and I signed up to go to a week at Boy Scout camp on Lake Texoma.

    Before we even left town some 8th graders let me know that they were going to initiate me.   They scared the poo out of me and as soon as I arrived at Texoma I played sick and came home.

    I was humiliated.  I was so ashamed. 

     

     

    Frank 2

     

     

    A young Frank Hart. 

     

    A year goes by and Frank has been hired by Christ the King to coach and be Scout Master.  Texoma again.  “No thanks,” I say.  My dad is now an unofficial assistant to Frank and he tells me he is going up to spend one night at Texoma as a helper to Frank.  “Want to come?” 

    I knew I was in a bad place.  So I said I would go and return with him.

     

     

    Frank 3

     

    Mickey & Frank.

     

    I’ll never forget the night we arrived.  It was dark.  Frank was sitting on his cot in the two person, short walled, canvas, Army surplus tent, a Coleman lantern hanging from the ceiling.  Frank did not even get up, but he greeted me with such a sincerely warm and non-judgmental simplicity that I turned a corner in my growing up.  I stayed for the rest of the week.

     

      Frank 1

     

     

    Bill Deor's comic charicture of Frank, the disciplinarian at Christ the King.

     

    Who has touched you?

     

      Frank 4

     

     

    Rest in Peace, Dearest Frank and Dearest Mickey.

  • 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 3, 2022

    Isaiah 66:   …as a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you;

    Galatians 6:  Peace and mercy be to all who follow this rule and to the Israel of God.

    Luke 9:  The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;

     

               

    IMG_5118
    Connie reading from Isaiah

    Thanks…

    Music,    Ben & Shonda & David

    Readers, John & Connie

    Gospel,   John Cade

    Homily,  John Cade

    Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

    The Magic Zoom makers,      Hue & Richard & Kevin

    Final Blessing, Rosemary

     


    IMG_5122
    John reading from Galatians

     

    Readings:  Download 07-03-22 – Readings – 14th Sunday Ord

    Homily:  Download 07-03-22 – Homily – 14th Sunday Ord

                      

                                          IMG_5119

             Shonda, Ben and David, the Musicians

                                              

     

    Remember these special people:

    For Sandra who has been diagnosed with Large B Cell Lymphoma;   For Lambrini, John Cade's wife, who is dealing with cancer and Kaliope, John Cade's Mother-in-law, with 2 broken vertebrae;  For Jackie;  For John's sister, Kathey in the hospital after 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; 

                               

    IMG_5149

    Happy Birthday, Cindy

     

    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.

     

    IMG_5151

    Happy 2nd Birthday, Madeleine

         

    Birthdays:  Brent 7/6, Paul Bieda 7/8, Cindy Cramer 7/9

    Anniversaries:   Jan & Charlie 7/5

          

    Community Finances:   

    Expenses: 635.00 

    Outreach: $  61.00

    Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

                        

    IMG_5131                          
    Hue, the Sound Man

     

    Rosemary's Blessing:  

    Lord

    May we never take our freedom for granted

    and help us to strive so that this same freedom

    may be experienced by everyone in our country,

    especially the poor and the oppressed,

    and eventually by all humankind.

     

    Andrew Greeley A Book of Irish American Blessings and Prayers  

     
     
     
     
     

    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