Sunday Homily for December 30, 2018, Holy Family

Readings:

Isaiah, 22, 19-23, On that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim

Psalm 138,  Lord, your love is eternal.  I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart X 3 times.

Romans  11, 33-36,  Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God. 

Matthew 16, 13-20,   You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church.

 

 

Thanks to the Team

Music,  Ben & Shonda

Readers,  Connie & John Doherty , & Buddy, the candle blesser

Gospel:  Deacon Mike

Homily,  Stack 

Eucharistic Prayer A & B, Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers, Mike (on vacation) & Richard (on vacation), Tom, Ben & Hue 

Final Blessing, Rosemary

 

 

 

 

 

Download Readings Week 21

 

Coming up in the readings is the psalm of the day, i.e., Psalm 138, one of my long time favorites.  There are two translations, the more modern and the more traditional.  Because I have spent so many hours meditating on the more traditional form, I offer both translations.  For me thanks is the key to my relationship with God, as well with others.  See what you think about the italicized parts.

1.  I will give thanks to you, Oh, Lord, with all my heart for you have heard the words of  my mouth; in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise.

2.  I will give thanks to your name, because of your kindness and your truth.

3  Your kindness, O Lord, endures forever.

 

 

Aviana watching over the stove and over us.

 

Reflections of a Tornado Refugee Family

Somewhere in the distant past when I was a Boy Scout at Christ the King I was trained to always leave my campsite better than I found it.  I probably drove my fellow campers crazy when I went camping with my Jesuit buddies and especially when I went with Bill & Mike, Ray & Rose, and a dozen or so others.  I would aim to be the last camper to leave the site, with the exception of Mike. 

Exactly a week from tomorrow I will be cleaning a campsite.   Rosemary & I will be departing the house we have lived in for 15 years and the house that my parents bought in ’75.   I will take one last look around, probably with Rosemary, to make sure this campsite is better than I found it.  Even though a bulldozer will demolish it.

 

 

Looking out our front window, 4 houses used to be there.

 

This is already proving to be emotionally quite difficult for me.  The problem is that there are numerous tender memories in that house, like the portrait of Aviana that Rosemary painted on the ceramic tiles behind the stove in the kitchen, painted one summer while I was out camping with the gang.  For her I had put in the tiles and the parquet flooring in that kitchen.  Every room in the house I have painted and decorated with decals.  I painted the outside more than once and even the sturdy tool shed.  This campsite has been a home. 

The neighborhood, too, has touched my heart.  This is where the 16 year old St. Marks boy who lives three doors down rang our bell one spring afternoon and told me ‘Thanks for being delightful neighbors.”  I am still touched.  We also have handled all the free refreshments for our neighborhood July 4 party.  Rosemary, the lady who walks the little white dog, is known everywhere.  She is also the Tulip Lane block captain.  She expects me to salute her.

 

 

 

There used to be a 50 year old beautiful Live Oak on this corner.  Gone, along with whole bunches of other trees.

 

The one reason I am happy to move on: the destruction of the trees, many of which I planted.  It used to be delightfully shady at our corner, Tulip Lane & Camellia.  Now, it is a desert, with all 8 of the houses around us destroyed.  It must also have been 20 degrees hotter those 100 degree days recently. 

The house itself has a number of cracks in the ceilings and walls, which is why we easily decided we had to move.   It has been a comfortable campsite.  Despite the presence of the bulldozer just across the street, I will leave this campsite as neat as I found it.

As Psalm 138 says, I will give thanks to you Oh Lord, with all my heart, eventually.

 

 

 

There are three lots on this corner.  

 

Please Remember these special people:

For Becky's dad discovered with the virus;  For Cindy recuperating at home;    For Esparzas, Frank & Mary,  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;   For Mary & Dave Hall's g-daughter Allison Keller working at St. Lukes, Woodlands,  For Joe Hogan with cancer;  For Loretta's aunt Alicia;    For Sydney;  & For Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody & Ben & all of Shonda's dear family;   for Michelle;  for Bill Ekes' longtime buddy, Bobby Duncan, who just passed to the other side.

To stay in our house we had to replace the roofing.   A good move.  It has taken us 5 months to find and get into our new place, September 1.
 

For Jackie's mom;  For a friend, a neighbor, & a doctor, Karen, with brain cancer; For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg; For Meredith, cancer free;    For Hue;  For John O'Donnell;    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.

 

 

The house of the professional hockey player, Tyler Sagan.  It is now gone.

 

Birthdays:     Marsha Farmer & Marilyn Ackerman

Anniversaries: 

Rose & Wally Banzhaf, 49th 

 

 

Brain Trust??

 

Community Finances, August 23, 2020

Expenses: $600.00

Outreach   $500.00    (often for Souls Harbor, Legacy, etc.)

Thanks, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

The Best Music, Ben & Shonda.

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

 

May you learn to see your self

With the same delight,

Pride and expectation

With which God sees you in every moment.

 

To Bless the Space Between Us by John O’Donohue

 

 

As of September 1, Rosemary & I will have a new address,   7017 Helsem Way, Dallas 75230.   This enclave has TREES, unlike our poor, dear, tornado battered Preston Hollow neighborhood.

 

 

 

 

Welcome, Everybody. 

 

 

Readings:  

 1 Kings 19:4-8,  Elijah went a day’s journey into the desert.  

 Psalm 34,   Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

 Ephesians 4:30-5,2, Be kind to  one another

John 6: 41-51,  I am the bread of life

 

 

 

 

Emma doing her Candle Magic.

 

 

Kings:  a review–

Subject: The kings of Israel.  The Big 3 kings were Saul, David, & his son Solomon.  The 2 Books of kings follows the 2 Books of Samuel, which describe the lives of the the kings up to the death of the Great King David, my favorite.  1 & 2 Kings takes up the life of Solomon, David's son, his building of the temple, his death, and the fate of the kingdom following his death, that is, it divides and is conquered. 

Time Period:  from ca. 900 – 555 before Christ, or from Solomon to Nebuchadnezzar & Cyrus.

 

 

 

 

Hue reading our Blessing of the Summer Candles.

 

 

Authors: a compilation of many sources that was put together at the end of the Babylonian Captivity, ca. 555 before Christ. 

Our Selection: focus is on one man, the prophet Elijah.  The kingdom has already been split.  Our story takes place in the northern state, Israel.  Time of severe drought.  The king is Ahab; his queen, the famous Jezebel.  The prophet Elijah has scolded them for turning to false gods to end the drought. 

 

 

 

Welcome, Dear Sandra.

 

There has been a contest in chapter 18: Elijah vs the 450 prophets of Baal, ultimately to see which side would be more effective in bringing rain.  2 bulls were slaughtered.  Naturally, Elijah wins when Yahweh answers his prayer, sends down fire, and consumes the bull Elijah has slaughtered.  When he wins, he slaughters the 450 prophets of Baal.   

We enter at a point where Jezebel is furious with Elijah for killing her favorite prophets and aims to kill Elijah.  He is going to run away all depressed. 

 

 

 

 

What a Team!  It don't get no better.

 

 

Taste & See the Goodness of the Lord

I want to talk this morning about one of my favorite themes, namely that we can see, hear, and be touched by the presence of the Lord every day.  As the Psalm says & I believe, we can taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Two examples.

 

 

 

 

Our Special Ekes' Offertory Team, Cindy, Bill, & Marlene.

 

 

As you all know Rosemary with her buddy, Barbara, delivers Meals on Wheels every Thursday.  They visit 15 to 20 clients every week in the general area of Spring Valley east of Coit. Among their clients, whom they love, is a elderly Vietnamese.

While the apartment complex in which he lives is somewhat worn down, he is scrupulously neat and clean.  He has planted flowers and grass outside his door.  In fact, he trims the grass with scissors.

 

 

 

Elevation time.

 

The man heard about rental bikes and thought it would make his trips to the grocery store much easier.  A good idea until he discovered that a credit card was needed. 

There must be a Vietnamese radio station in town.  So he calls up to voice his disappointment.

Thursday when Rosemary & Barbara bring him his food for the day, what do they find in the living room?  A new bike, complete with a lock, an air pump, and bike stuff all from some family that was listening to the radio station.

Taste and See the Goodness of the Lord.

 

 

 

 

Play Station #1.

 

One final story from this year’s Ragbrai.  This story comes from David.

On Monday, the second day of riding, we rode from the overnight town of Dennison to Jefferson, a ride of 70 miles or so.  Along the route there are always vendors, both in the lovely little towns we pass through and just on the shoulder of the road or in a big field.  My favorite, of course, is the Amish site with ice cream & pie.

Another favorite, as you may imagine, is the craft beer garden.  There will be 3-4 scattered along the road and the crowds are enormous.  You have to be really careful riding by because of all the off going and in coming bikers.

 

 

 

 

 

Play Station #1 revisited.

 

 

Somewhere along the road to Jefferson David stops.  He gets a beer and is talking to a couple of guys from Grinnell College, just east of Des Moines (French for monks).  One of the guys is looking for a potty seat for his kid.

Why a potty seat on a bike ride of 70 miles.  From David: " Both guys had their families riding.  One of the families had a 2-3 year old girl who rode in a compartment on her mom's handle bar.  The little girl was potty training and the parents did not want to confuse her and loose ground.   They had a potty seat but it had gotten lost in their sag wagon pick up truck."   (Homily by committee.)

 

 

Our Special Welcoming Committee: Jan can do it all.

 

 

So they go on down the road and end up at the Catholic Church in Jefferson, our overnight town.   Guess why.  Lasagna!  I stopped, too, but later. 

One of the Church volunteers, a guy, hears that the Grinnell guy is looking for a potty seat.  He has one & it is not being used.  He can go get it.  “Be back in an hour & a half,” he says.  He lives 35 miles away.

When did you last Taste & See the Goodness of the Lord?

 

 

 

Our Beloved Music Team, Shonda, Ben, & David.

 

Readings: Sirach 50 22-24; Psalm 113; 1 Corinthians 1, 3-9; Luke 17, 11-19 (these are the readings for Thanksgiving, Nov. 22, page 88 in our booklets)

Sirach: Another book from the Apocrypha, a book of religious, moral, and practical sayings.  Our selection is a benediction reading in the spirit of thanksgiving.

My Blessing of the Year

Last October when we were having that gorgeous stretch of Indian summer, I took the Dart train downtown to have lunch with a friend.  I got on at Forest Lane and got off at Pearl just down from Thanksgiving Square.  Because I love to look out the front window as well as the side windows, I grabbed as usual a seat in the first car. 

At the Walnut Hill Lane Station or Northwest Highway a young, attractive woman in her late twenties got on, crossed the aisle, and sat in the seat reserved for handicapped.  She had with her a beautiful male golden retriever who sat in front of her with his handsome head slightly out in the aisle. The woman was blind.

How I admired this woman’s courage I can hardly tell you.  Here she is blind, with a beautiful dog, riding public transit, and going down town.  All sorts of accidents can happen.  She gave me one of those gratitude moments. 

With all she had, she could not see, could not see the marvelous blue of the sky that day, the sparkling shades of green that passed the windows of our train, she could not see the variety of people who shared the car with her.  That woman’s presence moved me. 

I was humbled and became aware of the gift I have.  I can see the colors and the people, and how often do I not savor nor appreciate.  That day I did. 

We are coming to the end of our year.  Thanksgiving arrives Thursday.  It is time to contemplate our past and ask ourselves, What are my blessings this year? 

I can think of three and I bet you may know what they are.

First was our February trip to East Africa, Tanzania & Kenya.  For me it was a double gift.  The more important part was that I was coming home after 20 years, that I felt immediately at home, and that I had no rancor in my heart of how my time ended there.

Secondly, our Sunday morning community.  I look forward to being with you people all week and I live for days on the consolation of our celebrations.  The contributions we have been able to make as a community: the blood drives, the pharmacy in Mexico, the house we helped to renovate, and yesterday’s house project in union with Lakepoint Church.  An amazing year.

Third and most important, being married to Rosemary.  It is continually better than I could have dreamed.  I am a better priest, a better psychotherapist, and a better, more whole human being. 

Ever since I witnessed that blind girl & her retriever get on the Dart train, I have been in a more grateful state.   

What are you most grateful for this year?

To help us focus on gratitude we have a Thanksgiving Tree which will morph into a Christmas Tree each of the Sundays leading up to Christmas.  Near the tree, which is bare now, you will find paper ornaments with a ribbon attached.  You may write your blessing of the year on one of the ornaments and attach it to the tree. 

Kids will find ornaments that have a picture to color and a blank space on the back for the blessing.  You can even take one home, discuss the blessing with the family, and attach it next week.  Each week I may read anonymously a couple of blessings.  Welcome.

What are you most grateful for this year?

AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2007-11-18.mp3

January 25, 2015, 3rd Ordinary Time B

Readings:

Jonah  3, 1-10,  The word of the Lord came to Jonah, saying…..

Psalm 25,    Teach me your ways, O Lord.

1 Corinthians 7, 29-31,   Let those having wives act as not having them.

Mark 1, 14-20,   Come after me and I will make you fishers of people.

 

 

Jonah: This little book of 4 chapters is a gem and tells a delightful short story.   It is so good I would like to read it all, but will read only chapter 1 and most of chapter 3. 

Background: Jonah has been asked by Yahweh to go to Nineveh in Assyria to tell the people & leaders that they are evil and will be punished shortly by Yahweh.  Trouble is, Nineveh is the enemy, like me going to Houston or Philadelphia. 

So he runs away, catches a boat headed for Spain, is blamed by the sailors for causing a big storm on the sea, and is dumped overboard.  The whale swallows him and for three days Jonah is constrained to reflect on what he is doing.  When, after 3 days, the whale dumps him on shore, Jonah is more willing to listen.  We arrive at this point and I will have most of chapter 3 read.

 

 

Author: For centuries, while people took this story as factual, Jonah was considered author of his own story.  Once it was seen as a fable or allegory, it is accepted that the story probably has some unknown ancient as the author.

Date of composition: no one really knows, but educated guesses put it ca. 800 before Christ.

Note: the story of Jonah and the story of Jesus' interaction with his future apostles are both about The Call.   1 Corinthians is really bad.  Just like last week.  Who in Rome chooses these readings?

 

 

Reminiscing at 75

This morning I would like to reminisce on the theme of call at 75.  I propose that calls can be blessings or gifts.  For example. 

I see three big calls in my 75 years.  The first came when I was in high school at the old Jesuit on Oak Lawn.  I felt drawn to be a Jesuit & a priest. 

 

 

 

I admit there was a lot of scare in this decision, scare that I was going to hell because of my sinful ways and the guys I hung around with.  I remember clearly one of the sermons commonly used with us guys.  You go out with your girl friend, you neck a little bit, you head home, you are hit by a train, and killed instantly.  You go straight to hell. 

I remember the pastor at Christ the King telling the people that where you go will depend upon the people you hang out with.  Good people, you go to heaven.  Bad people, you know where.  I looked around and thought to myself, ‘I know where I’m going.’  I look around now and see some of my best friends, one a lawyer, another a banker, and my friend in Chicago, FBI.  On second thought, I still don’t know where we all might be going.

 

 

Trouble is, now I don’t think there is a hell thanks to my Jesuit training. I grew up in the Jesuits.  We simply had to.  I used to look at some of my classmates in the military and thought they were lucky.  We entered the Jesuits in those days and never went home for anything, weddings, special events, maybe funerals of parents.

With all this, my decision to follow this inner call to be a Jesuit was an enormous blessing.

 

 

 

It led me to a second momentous blessing in my life, my years in East Africa, especially Tanzania.  I really had to learn how to adapt.  I learned Swahili and in the process discovered I have a gift for languages.

A high moment for me during maybe my 8th year came one afternoon when I went to a market in a big shed at my base near Kilimanjaro.  I had an old Tanzanian who was a buddy.  He sold fruits and veggies.  I always chatted with him when I was in town.  One day after we had chatted, a little old lady asked him, while I was to the side picking fruit, was I one of them, their people. 

 

 

 

I used Swahili so good she thought I was an ndugu, which means something like a brother, something I would never had used for myself.  The old guy told me and I was floored.

Then I was somewhat unpleasantly invited to go back to the States, which led to the third most incredible call and blessing, Rosemary and marriage.

 

 

  Looking back I returned to the States with a loneliness that I picked up in Tanzania and a much different perspective on marriage that I also picked up from the people, the priests, and even the bishops and a particular cardinal.  Tanzanians deep inside think not getting married is contrary to the laws of the universe.  I came home with this and I now could not be a happier person.

Finally, a side effect call and gift: you people, our community, the gift and the fun I receive from you every week.

Calls can be marvelous gifts and blessings.  I have had three and a half marvelous ones. 

And you?

 

 

 

Says Our Dear Harper, "Welcome in, Everybody."

 

Readings:

Matthew 21, 1-11, Jesus enters Jerusalem, (the entrance)

Isaiah 50, 4-7.   I gave my back to those who beat me.

 Psalm 22,  My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?

Philippians 2, 6-11,   He emptied himself

 Matthew 26 & 27,    The Passion.

 

 

Palm Sunday procession beginning.

 

Sorry, we have no homily today.  Long readings. 

 

The Wedding of Scott and Giana at The Windsor at Hebron Park.

 

Frank Costanza ring bearer.  Of all the weddings I have had the privilege of performing, Frank at 93 is the prettiest ring bearer I have ever seen.

 

Mr. & Mrs. Giana and Scott Booth.

 

The beginning of a new life.

Readings: Acts 5, 12-16; Psalm 118; Revelations 1, 9-19; John 20, 19-31

Acts of the Apostles

This book is a continuation of Luke’s Gospel. It tells the story of the spread of Christianity after Christ’s death.

Revelations

This book consists of a series of revelations that were encouraging to the early Christians who were being persecuted at the time.

A Fishing Pole

There is a saying that while it is necessary occasionally to give a person a fish to keep them from starving, even better is it to give them a pole and teach them to fish. I think I have a fishing pole story.

Christmas two ago Rosemary & I visited Karina in Cuernavaca. It is to her and her mother that we have been giving money to help them get through the year, about $200 a month. Karina is about 35 and horribly crippled because of childhood polio.

On this occasion Karina mentioned to me that if I could help her, she could set up her own little pharmacy. When her mother, Maria Luisa, is not sick with cancer, Karina works in a small Mexican pharmacy about an hour’s journey from where they live. It is a difficult process for her to walk up & down the hills to catch the bus.

I have often encouraged Karina to look into further schooling, because I sense how intelligent she is. So far it has been impossible.

Consequently, when I heard Karina’ idea, you would think that I would have jumped at the opportunity to help her become more independent. However, ever since I have worked in East Africa, I have had an automatic reaction to people who hit me up for money. It used to happen in Tanzania so much that I become immediately resistant when I hear that tone of voice.

Until I mentioned it to Rosemary, who said, Why not check out the numbers at least. So this past Christmas, a year later, Karina told us that she could rent a small place near a bus station for $50 a month and that she needed $2500 to open up her own pharmacy.

This is not you local CVS type pharmacy. In Mexico the local pharmacies have just a few tubes of toothpaste, some aspirin, and various popular needs. No prescription medicines.

Folks, I have decided I would like to help this woman. We have been giving her the equivalent of fish every Christmas. Without it who knows where they would be. Now there is an opportunity to give her a fishing rod.

I have passed this by the board for approval. For the next month, until Mother’s Day, I will put out a special little basket for Karina. I want to give her $3000, the extra $500 for her first few months’ rent. This will be separate from our Expenses and Outreach baskets. I don’t want to interfere with them. This money will be a pass it on loan. Every month or whatever we agree upon, Karina can help another person in need whom she knows.

Because you talked me into going back to taking pictures, the next time we are there, I hope to take some digital pictures of Karina’s pharmacy.

Who is the Karina in your life?

Download the homily as an mp3.