Sunday Homily, February 10, 2019, 4th Ordinary Time

 Readings:   Jeremiah 31, 31-34, I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts; Psalm 51, Create a clean heart in me, O God; Hebrews 5, 7-9, He learned obedience from what he suffered; John 12, 20-33, Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground.  Whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.

Jeremiah:  We have not seen Jeremiah for a long time, since before Thanksgiving.  Remember that he is one of the Big 3 Prophets (because of the size of the work, e.g. 62 chapters in Jeremiah), who are Isaiah, Jeremiah, & Ezekiel.   A review:

Lighting Today's 5 Candles, Sienna & Brian, Brooklyn & Erin

Author: most of the work is done by Jeremiah’s scribe Baruch.  Jeremiah is described as the broken hearted prophet because of his heart rending life spent warning the people & kings that their behavior was going to be punished.  And so it happened with The Babylonian Captivity.

Time:  ca. 600 BCE, as an easy date to remember.   The Captivity went from around 585-550 BCE.  Jeremiah may have died in Egypt during The Captivity in Babylon.

The Scene:  Remember that the Holy Land had a north & a south, Israel & Judah.  First, the northern kingdom, Israel, was defeated by the Assyrians, 622 BCE.  These Hebrew tribes vanish into the DNA of the region, “The Lost Tribes of Israel.”  Next, the Babylonians & Nebuchadnezzar defeat the Assyrians and threaten the southern kingdom, Judah with the capital Jerusalem.  Jeremiah is watching this and seeing it as Yahweh's punishment.  In 596, more or less, the Babylonians do destroy Jerusalem and cart the Hebrews into slavery.

Today's selection, chapter 31.  Yahweh is promising to make a new covenant or agreement with all the people, and to forgive them, after having shown the people who is master.  Here is the covenant idea mentioned again.  It is a pact or a deal.

Sources: Fr. Reginald Fuller, St. Louis U., Wikipedia; Answers.com; Encyclopedia of Judaism

Brooklyn Walks!

Hate My Life?

I have a story this morning which I have told twice, once at St. Mark's, over 8 years ago and here about 4 years ago.  Pardon me if you've heard it. Some of our best stories we tell over & over, they are so poignant.  The story speaks to my point today.  I had permission for the story.

It happened many years ago when I was working full time as a psychotherapist out of an office at Jesuit.  I think it was the first Monday morning of May.   I know it was a beautiful morning like today.  A boy came to see me who had been in my office on and off for about six years.  He had just graduated from high school and enlisted in the Air Force.  He had struggled since grade school with bouts of depression, and that morning seemed to be in great shape.  We did not even spend more than 30 minutes together, his mood was so up beat and care free.

The Girls, Robyn, Erin & Brooklyn, & Sandra

He left.  Maybe two or three hours later a call came in.  The boy had left Jesuit, crossed Inwood to the Lincoln Center complex at LBJ, drove up to the top of the four floor garage, parked his car, headed to the edge of the garage, and walked over the side.  He landed on the cement street four floors below, face down flat.

A passerby saw it, called 911, and in a second the paramedics from just around the corner were on the scene.  He was in Parkland in a flash.  He lived.

It was not for about 3 weeks until I got to visit him.  He apologized.  I admit I was mad.  I loved this kid.  He fooled me.  He said that he had been in a zone, happy because he knew he was out of there, meaning he was ready to go to the other side.  He wanted to escape the pain of life and go to heaven.  He said he had  no fear in walking off that fourth floor, none of the hesitation you feel before you jump off the high diving board the first time. 

Emma & her mom, Beth

You may guess why I tell this story.  It exemplifies what happens when you take literally "whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life."  This little piece of advice, taken the wrong way, can be so dangerous. This boy hated his life.

 I would suggest there is a negative and a positive way to hate my life. 

The negative is exemplified by this kid's story.  This is often what is happening when you hear of someone cutting on themselves.  If I hate my life and hate myself, I will want to punish myself.  So I cut myself.  Or I may think that I am such a loser that no one will pay me any attention if I do not do something dramatic like spill my blood. 

So who's crazier, Sir Charlie or La Reina Patricia

Even without such dramatic examples, I do not want to encourage someone who hates their body, hates their job, hates their family, hates their school, hates.  Just thinking about this I recoil.   There may be reason for the hatred.  However, "There is a better way," I want to say and I would say it.   I believe in talk therapy.   Feelings are all okay.  I just don’t want some feelings to stay around. 

On the positive side, I would suggest two things.

First, the word hate can be considered as hyperbolic, a big word meaning exaggeration.  It is like Rosemary telling me, "You get me up at 5:00 tomorrow morning for spin class & it is divorce!”   Think she is exaggerating?  I hope. 

Rich & Mary

Secondly, I would suggest that this all has to do with being more alive now, in this life. The grain of wheat falling to the ground and dying fits in with this.  For example: look at March Madness.  Many of these player have died to themselves to achieve & to be better players.  How many hours in the gym have they spent practicing free throws?  When they could be hanging out, sleeping in, text messaging?  And they love their lives.  I’ve seen boys do this at Jesuit. 

Goofy, but I hate my life to love my life.  I don't want to get up early.  I could sleep in to 11:00.  However, I, we, Rosemary & I get up and head over to the Jewish Community Center, 6:00 A.M. spin class.  The result even Rosemary loves  life.  And so do I.

The boy who jumped is now okay, amazingly.  It took him years of physical recovery.  Two things did not happen that blessed him.  He did not damage his brain and did not damage his spine.  Every other bone, plus his teeth, were broken.  Once he got strong enough he went to medical technical school, got his certificates, and now has good jobs in various hospitals in the city.  I don't think he hates his life anymore.  In fact, he loves it. 

Maureen & Marilyn looking over the enormous food drive

How do you love your life?

Sources:  The Center for Liturgy, St. Louis U.; St. Raymond Catholic Church, Dublin, CA; Carmelite Order Web; Homilias Domincales.

"Welcome in, Everybody," say Cody & Richard.

Readings:

Isaiah , 42, 1-4, 6-7,  Here is  my chosen one.

Psalm 29,  The Lord will bless his people with peace.

Acts of the Apostles 10, 34-38,  I see that God shows no partiality

Matthew 3, 13-17,  Jesus came to John to be baptized

Welcome back out of the hospital, Bill.  So good to see you here.

Mike's Homily

Jesus of Nazareth came from Galilee to John at the Jordan River to be baptized by him.

John tried to prevent him, saying, 
“I need to be baptized by you,
and yet you are coming to me?”

Wire that old guy up, Hue.

Jesus said to him in reply,
“Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us
to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John allowed him.

After Jesus of Nazareth was baptized,
he came up from the water and behold,
the heavens were opened for him, 
and he saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove
and coming upon him.

And a voice came from the heavens, saying, 
“This is my beloved Son, the Messiah, with whom I am well pleased.”

The communion table.

Homily

We are to become the words and actions of the Messiah in our everyday lives; recognizing with joy his presence with us.

Want to know who runs this celebration here?

Chicago is a special place to Judy and I; we spent our honeymoon among our visits there.  I still have a story in mind that a Chicago woman wrote when she daily used a bus route getting to work and then returning home.  Walking to the bus stop each day allowed her to get to know some of people she would say hello to.  She got to know a baker who placed in his window each day donuts and her favorite bear claws.  Occasionally she would purchase a small sack of them carefully wrapped.

The Best Music with Shonda & Ben & David.

One such day, on the way home from work all of the seats were taken. She began taking off her coat, her hat, her brief case and her bear claws just as someone got up to depart from the bus. She and the young man reached the empty seat at the same time.  He let her enter first after he had taken off his coat, hat, scarf and what he had been carrying.

The Celebration team.

Four or five minutes later he opened the sack of bear claws, smiled at her, and began to eat one of them. She was stunned, and began to give him the evil eye.  Having finished the first one, he licked his fingers, of all things, and took a second one from the bag.  He nodded at her to join him. She gave him another evil look.

The Candle Ritual.

Not wanted him to take advantage of her again, she took out two of them, and saying nothing ate them rather quickly while he licked his fingers and smiled at her. She knew that there was only one left, so she tore it in two and gave him the smaller piece, and smiled back at him. 

Mike homilizes.

The bus came to a halt, and he departed, without her having said anything during the whole time they had sat together.  She was angry, especially at herself for having stuffed herself and said without words, “Good Riddance.”  A few minutes later she stood to get off the bus.  As she did so she put her hat back one, followed by her coat, lifted up her brief case and then her scarf. 

The last thing she took from her seat was her neatly folded, and carefully wrapped bag of five bear claws.  The messiah had been in her midst, and she had not greeted him with a single word.

"It is Girl Scout cookie time," sez Our Dearest Harper.

Isaiah 66:  I know their works and their thoughts, and I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory.

Hebrews 12:  So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees.  Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be disjointed but healed.

Luke 13:  For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

Claire reading from Isaiah

Thanks…     

Music,   Ben  

The Kiss of Peace

Outreach: $  50.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

Rosemary’s Blessing:

O God from whom all blessings come,

we thank you for this celebration and meal and community. 

We also thank you for the joys with which you have blessed us through the years. 

May our lives shine forth as bright lights of gratitude for all your gifts.

Edited and adapted from a blessing by Fr. Andrew M. Greeley

Leviticus 13, 1-2, 44-46, If the man is leprous and unclean…

Psalm 32, I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble.

1 Corinthians 10, 31-11, 1, Do everything for the glory of God.

Mark  1, 40-45,  A leper came to Jesus.

Spring Dreaming….

Readings:

Proverbs 31, 10-13, 19-20, 30-31, When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls.

Psalm 128,   Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5, 1-6,  You’re sons of Light, daughters of Day.

Matthew 25, 14-30,  A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.

Kevin says, "Welcome in, Everybody."

Intro and homily by John Cade

The Book of Proverbs was also called in earlier times the Book of Wisdom.  It is written in poetic verse form and its first verse lets us know it is intended to ‘teach wisdom’.  It is a compilation of several collections of such sayings about life both secular and religious.  The collections were written at various times and are one of the few Old Testament books not connected with the destruction of Jerusalem and Babylonian captivity.

"What's next," Says Leo.

About Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, he formed this community in Greece about 50 after Jesus’ time.  Apparently his preaching and gathering converts to the Jesus group caused quite a disturbance among the Jewish people living there, to the point that, to prevent further disorder, Paul left Thessalonica (Thessaloniki in Greek) and went on to Corinth where he wrote both letters to them.  I’ll speak more from this later. 

There is a parable of the talents in Luke similar to today’s in Matthew.  The word often translated as ‘talent’ actually referred to a goodly sum of money in Jesus’ time.  Some biblical studies say the parable wasn’t about how we use our ‘talents’ but was an attack on the scribes who were not fair in their treatment of the poor and marginalized, and not caring in their sharing the wealth of God’s mercy. 

John begins, celebrating his 80th.

Homily

For many years I didn’t like the Sunday readings at the end of the Church year, and the scary ‘you better watch out’ sermons.  It always seemed to be doom and gloom and scary judgment upon us.  Kinda like ‘you better not pout, you better not cry, you better watch out, I’m telling you why’ but much worse—not just Santa will punish you, we’re talking God.

Turns out we can find more hopeful and positive messages about us and what it means to be a follower of Jesus in the readings at this time of year.

I like the verses in Paul today to his community in Thessalonica: “Friends, you’re not in the dark…..You’re sons of Light, daughters of Day.  We live under wide open skies and know where we stand….So walk out into the daylight…dressed up in faith and love and hope….

Freddy, who loves to snuggle with his mom, Joey, who is John's daughter.

Last night I had a party celebrating my 80^th birthday. I want you all to know that, if it were possible, every one of you would have been invited.  The 70 or so people who were there are all friends and all mentors of mine in one way or another, including Leo and Freddie my grandsons, who show me a fresh look at everything in the world. 

All those friends have treated me as a son of Light and never tried to diminish me for any reason.  I have always felt received and accepted, as I do with you here.  My friends and I have not always completely understood where each other was coming from and that’s human and natural and OK.

Sam, John's second daughter, next to Cathy, John's sister.

What also stands out is their enduring connection with me through life and work and times of crisis and so many good times.  My three living sisters all traveled to Dallas to be with me and I find that very touching.  Even more so, because, like most families, my family too have had our share of hard times and hurt feelings and broken connection, a theme many of you have shared with me.

  Isn’t that what the Mass, the Eucharistic Meal, is all about?  Jesus took bread and broke it. We can see in this a symbol of our brokenness, and then we share the bread, a living symbol that we are indeed connected one with another. 

Harper says, "Cupcake time yet?"

I chose words from Paul’s letter today because I heard him talking about his friends in Thessalonica as sons of Light, daughters of Day, who demonstrated their connection with one another through acceptance and loving care. 

My question for us today is how do we show our connection with our friends and our family, and how do we appreciate and celebrate the connection with us from all the people we have had in our lives? 

"Yes, Harper, it is Cupcake time, but for your grandmother. Maybe you will get a bite."  (If not all of it.)

Readings:

Isaiah 40, 1-5, 9-11, Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God (one of the most beautiful readings.)    This marvelous selection from Isaiah will be dramatized by Handel's Messiah, sections 1-4

Psalm 85, Lord, let us see your kindness and grant us our salvation.

2 Peter 3, 8-14,   Beloved, be eager to be found without spot or blemish.

Mark 1, 1-8, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.

Have a Blessed & Happy Advent.

Thanks to the Team

Music,  Ben & Shonda, 

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

Gospel,  Mike Carrell 

Homily,   Deacon Mike Carrell

Eucharistic Prayer A & B, Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Mike & Richard

Final Blessing, Rosemary

For hosting us at Legacy, Becky

Our beloved Deacon Mike Carrell.

Download Reading Week 2 Advent

Download Mike's Homily 12-6-2020

Please Remember these special people:

For Paul & Carrie recuperating, plus her ex, Larry;  For Alan Stryker;  For Joe Sullivan;    For Rosemary's great niece, Rylie ;  For Richard's grand daughter, Madeleine; For David Dinsmore's bad shoulder from a biking accident;  For Esparza's new great grandson baby, son of Monique;  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 Loretta's aunt Alicia;  For Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody & Ben & Leo & all of Shonda's dear family;  

Tranquility.

For Jackie's mom, sister, & friend, Lynn;  For both Jean & Cliff Wright;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg; For Meredith, cancer free;    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; for a little 4 month old boy undergoing an operation, from Barbara;  For the students, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

Making Magic, Hue & Rich.

Birthdays:  Fred Jansky 73 & Patricia 20 years smoke free, Noah Thompson 24, TC Fleming, & Loretta

Anniversaries:

Tom & Denni, 45th

Mike at prayer!

Becky's List: View this photo
 

Community Finances, December 6, 2020

Expenses: $1300.00

Outreach   $225.00  (often for Souls Harbor, Legacy, etc.)

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

Rosemary's Blessing:

When this is over, may we never again take for granted

A handshake with a stranger

Full shelves at the store

Conversations with neighbors

A crowded theatre

Friday night out

The taste of communion

A routine checkup

The school rush each morning

Coffee with a friend

The stadium roaring

Each deep breath

A boring Tuesday

Life itself.

When this ends, may we find that we have become more like the people

We wanted to be

We were called to be

We hoped to be

And may we stay that way – better for each other because of the worst.

Laura Kelly Fanucci

Given to me by Pat Jansky