Sunday Homily, April 21, 2019, Easter

Readings:   John 12, 12-16 (Story of Jesus entry into Jerusalem); Isaiah 50, 4-7, I gave my back to those who beat me; Psalm 22, My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?; Philippians 2, 6-11, He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave; Mark 14, 15, 1-39, The Passion.

The community processes out of the cafetorium into the hall where the singing begins and Mike & Ryan lead the procession back into the main celebration area

Because of the extraordinary amount of reading in this celebration, there is no homily.

The reenactment of the Entry into Jerusalem with palms

Special Note: Holy Thursday & Good Friday Services, the home of Curtis & Mabel, 7:00 P.M.

As each person enters into the cafetorium they and their palms are blessed and cleansed with water

Emma with the help of her mother, Beth, lights the 6 candles of Lent

Readings:

Ezekiel   33, 7-9,  You duped me, Lord, and I let myself be duped.

Psalm 95,   If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Romans, 13, 8-10,  Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another.

Matthew 18, 15-20,   Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I.

Sorry, no homily today.

Mass begins.

Kathy and Harper

The Offertory

Mike and Dee celebrating 57 years

Kevin

The Dinsmores

Readings:

 Proverbs 9, 1-6, Wisdom has built her house.

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

Ephesians 5, 15-20,   Watch carefully how you live.

John 6, 51-58, I am the living bread. 

                  Says Victoria, "Hi, Everybody, Welcome in."

Proverbs:

What are they: a collection of moral & religious teachings in the form of pithy sayings.  For example: "Better to eat a dry crust of bread with peace of mind than to have a banquet in a house full of trouble" (17, 1); "Being cheerful always keeps you healthy" (17, 22).

Some a bit tough: "Don't hesitate to discipline a child.  A good beating won't kill him" (23, 12).

Some amusing: "A nagging wife is like water going drip-drip-drip" (27, 15); "Better to live on the roof than to share the house with a nagging wife" (25, 24). 

Author: Maybe Solomon is behind chapters 1-29.  Most likely a compilation.

Date: Ca. 300 BCE is considered a possibility with material coming from as far back as 900, during the time of Solomon.

                        Georgie, too, says, "Welcome, Folks."

Taking Care of the House Wisdom Built

In honor of it being mid-August and summer vacation time, even though it is rapidly coming to an end, I have homily light this morning.  Just a simple lesson I learned, again, this week.

When was the last time you had no running water in your house?  Or even no a/c?

This past week Rosemary & I had no running water in our house for one day and two nights, which seemed like an eternity.

And, of course, Genevieve says,  "Hi Everybody, thanks for coming to see me.  Nice to be here."  

A month ago or, even, maybe 6 weeks ago, I thought I was hearing water running in our house.  I could only hear it in the bathroom I use when I get up, like 4:00 in the morning.  It is so quiet at that hour that I can easily hear unusual sounds.  I checked the toilet stoppers in the other two bathrooms.  No noise.   During the day I could not hear the noise because of other noises.  With the a/c blower running, I could not hear the noise except maybe just a tiny bit.

I told Rosemary I wanted to check the water meter at the street one time when we both were riding around White Rock Lake.  I would see if the meter moved.  I set up the read, then forgot when we came home and we used the sinks. 

Can't drink wine?  No problem.  Jan has you covered, grape juice.  

Then, I sort of forgot the noise.  But I continued to hear it. 

Then one morning, I went to the water heater closet.  The noise was much stronger.   So I finally did the water meter check and the dial had moved in a two hour period when we were away.  So I told Rosemary that we have a water leak and it may be the water heater. 

Cupcakes of The Week, John & Jean (57th) and Bern and Gilbert (50th)

We call Levy, the company we have used for year.  A guy comes the next day, turns off the water heater, and tells me it is not the water heater.  Which means it is under the floor.  “Are you on pier & beam or slab,” he asks me.  Pier & beam, thanks. 

So he has to call for another guy to go through the small door in the floor.  The guy does, says there is a lake down there, and he cannot get to the leak which is right under the water heater, but in a place too small for him to get to.  “We’ll send Junior tomorrow, because he can get in these narrow places.  Meanwhile, turn off the water at the street.”

                    A Work of Art, Mary, Bethany, and Ray.
 

Unfortunately, Junior cannot come the next day, Tuesday.  He is booked.  We have to wait until Wednesday morning, 8:00 A.M.

So, yes, we have no running water from Monday afternoon, through Tuesday night, and into Wednesday.  I filled some buckets before I turned the water off.  But, How did our ancestors live without running water.  Sinks, showers, and toilets.

From Chris, the anything at all to get out of going to Yosemite, a torn tendon in his foot.  6-9 months recovery. 

We finally got water, but not until Wednesday afternoon.  I was ready to hug Junior, who was not so small, but agile.  I wanted to thank the running water gods on my knees.

I really learned a lesson.  Gratitude for the conveniences I take for granted every day.  Water, a/c, electricity, to name just three.

            Could Zoe be studying Swahili?  Will let you know.

And you, what gifts are you not grateful for?   Happy Summer.

           Here they come, The Gang, Buddy, Zoe, and Victoria.  

Wisdom 2, Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious

Psalm 54, The Lord upholds my life.

James 3,  Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder.

Mark 9,  If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last.

John Simari reads the first reading.

Thanks……

Music,    Ben & Shonda

Readers, John & Brent & Buddy, our candle blesser 

Gospel,     John Cade

Homily,   John Cade

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,     Richard & Hue & Mike

Final Blessing, Rosemary

For hosting us at Legacy for all these years & will miss you enormously, Becky

Brent reads the second reading.

Homily by John Cade,  

Download Homily John Cade 09-19-21

Welcome home, Sir Charlie & Jan.  So good to see you.  It has been too long!

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,

John shares his interesting insights into today's readings.

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; for David McKeon's brother, Hugh; For Beth's friends & brother;   for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

Welcome Home, Patricia & Fred!

Birthdays:   Ben's daughter, Sophia, 14

Anniversaries:  

Tom & Lynda Fleming

Rob & Beth

Peace, Everybody!

Community Finances,   September 19, 2021

Expenses: $ 745.00

Outreach: $ 255.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

Rosemary's Blessing:

How we see ourselves has everything to do with how we see God and how we see others. Let us make sure our God is the kindest, most loving and forgiving person we know. We become our image of God.

Taken from We Become Our Image of God by Sr. Jean Amore, CSJ, Principal Sacred Heart Academy, Hempstead, New York

Happy Anniversary, Beth & Rob, and welcome home.

Says Our Dearest Emma, "Welcome in, Everybody."

Readings:

Isaiah 45, 1, 4-6,  I am the Lord, there is no other.

Psalm 96,  Give the Lord glory & honor.

Thessalonians 1, 1-5,  We give thanks to God for all of you

Alleluia,   Shine like lights in the world   (Great line)

uMatthew 22, 15-21,  Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?

Welcome in Denni, Charlotte, and Chloe, and Tom & Nora.  So good to see you all.

Isaiah observations :

Who : Can you guess which Isaiah this is in chapter 45?  1, 2, or 3?  A little more difficult than the last two Sundays.  This is Isaiah 2, going from chapter 40 to 55.

Today’s selection:  this is not Isaiah 2 at his best.  I like the line, I have called you by your name.  Otherwise, the passage is mildly comforting to the people who are living in Babylonian slavery, around 555 before Christ.

Welcome in to you, too, Dearest Zoe.  Just you wait.  We got something for you.  I have not forgotten.   Get ready,

Cyrus: So, who is Cyrus?          

 Cyrus the Great of Persia, modern Iran, built the first great empire, which extended as far as Athens in Greece.   He was a benevolent emperor of his people and the people he conquered, for instance, the Israelites.

Isaiah 2 is championing Cyrus because he hears of Cyrus coming and hopes Cyrus will defeat the Babylonians and set the Israelites free to return to Jerusalem.  This is exactly what Cyrus does.  Where is Babylon?  Try 50 miles south of Baghdad on the Euphrates River.  What is left?  Rubble. 

Note: Watch out for the alleluia verse.  A good one & I want to talk about it.

Hi, Diane, and welcome back.  Want to learn how to dance?   Diane is one of the best.

Shine like Lights in the World

This morning I would like to talk about the Alleluia verse, Shine like lights in the world.  The final questions are obvious, Who is a light for me, and For whom am I a light in the world.

I have lots of people who answer the first question.  You people, for instance.  What I would like to talk about, however, is two ladies, two black ladies, one of whom has died some years ago.

Our Candle Lighter of the Week in action.

First, ever hear of Juanita Craft?  In the ‘60’s & 70’s Juanita was the Dallas leader of the NAACP and a prominent activist.  She lived in South Dallas west of Fair Park. 

I was a Jesuit intern from ’65 to’68 at the high school.  The summer of probably ’67 I was looking at doing something different.  I talked with Juanita.  The next thing I know I am the only white guy on a Greyhound bus full of NAACP young people and their chaperons.  We were going to D.C. and then to the NAACP national convention in Atlantic City.  Remember this was another tense interracial time.  Sound familiar.  Martin Luther King was assassinated in May, 1968.   This was ’67.

The Best, Shonda, Ben, & David.

I learned two things from Juanita.   First, she was tireless in advocating for her people.  She used the media to help and she eventually was elected to the Dallas City Council.  Believe it or not, she was one of the inspirations for me gathering crowds for those years of planting trees.   Juanita was long dead by then and I had spent 10 years in East Africa.  It was like I would ask myself, ‘What would Juanita do with this dream?’

Secondly, a small thing.  Every time we got off that bus, Juanita would tell everybody to clean up every scrap of trash.  I was a bus driver for Jesuit, mostly sports teams.  I never thought of telling the kids to clean it up.  After the example of that old lady, I did.

To round out that summer I even spent the rest of it living in her little house in South Dallas and being active in the NAACP.

The Balloon Girls at work, Zoe & Tori.

The second black lady is named Sondra.  I see her once or twice a week when I go to our corner supermarket to buy bananas & milk & occasionally flowers.  She is the early morning cashier, is probably mid-‘60’s and should be retired,  She is very friendly and knows my name, Mr. John, and, get this, gets up ca. 2 A.M. to catch two or three buses from South Dallas to open up the store at 6:00. 

These two women shine like lights in my world.

Who are the lights in your world?

For whom are you a light?

Offertory ready with Carrie & Paul, Aggie & Allen.

Readings:

Exodus  34, 4-6, 8-9,  A God merciful and gracious, never gets angry, rich in kindness and fidelity.

Psalm, Daniel 3, Glory and praise for ever.  

2  Corinthians 13, 11-13, Live in peace and the God of love and peace will be with you.

 John 3, 16-18,   Peace be with you; receive the Holy Spirit. 

"Welcome in, Everybody," says Harper.

Exodus Story: 

So the Israelite people have been wandering around in the Sinai desert for many years after escaping from old Pharaoh in Egypt.  Moses has been invited up Mt. Sinai to receive the 10 Commandments.  

He comes down all loaded with two stone tablets written on both sides and discovers that the people have become exasperated with him and the wandering in the desert.  They have created a gold bull to celebrate with and to worship. 

Old Moses, all angry, throws down the tablets and breaks them.  He calls Aaron, his lieutenant, tells him to gather the Levite tribe, the priestly tribe, and he tells them to slaughter all the rest.  They do.

Emma, too, says, "Hi, Everybody, come in."

At this point our reading begins.   Yahweh tells Moses to make two more tablets and to return to the top of Mt. Sinai, where he will get another set of commandments.  It is here where that marvelous line about the nature of God is mentioned again, "The Lord is gracious & merciful, never gets angry, and is abounding in love."

This is ancient folk tale literature at its best, like Aesop's Fables.

Ugh, oh, Tori is missing a tooth.  Are you now a rich girl, Tori?

The Lord is Gracious and Merciful, never gets Angry, and is abounding in Love.  

I want to talk about this line this morning.  For me, of course, the line says it all.  This is my understanding of who God is and how he acts.  Consequently, this is a

You win, Buddy.  Tori lost one, you lost  TWO.  Congratulations.

to do it talk.  How to spot these qualities.

Of course, there are big ways, like visiting my beloved Yosemite, cycling Iowa & Hotter ’N Hell, and getting together Sunday mornings with all of you. 

There are, also, smaller ways.  Two examples this morning.

Rosemary, of course, rolls her eyes when I run my ideas past her. 

Zoe, I think you are rich too.  You got all your teeth.

The first took place Friday at 1:00, guess where.  Yes, at Jason’s Deli.  Our Romeo get together.  There were 4 of us sitting in the very back of the bus, just in front of the doors to the restrooms, Tom & Mike & Andy Sokolowski and myself.  At my left was an extra table & chair for other regulars who had not arrived yet. 

About half way through our lunch one of the assistant managers, Patrick, a tall, nice looking guy, comes back to our area to bring food to a couple.  He is usually really busy, even to bussing tables when the place is full.  This Friday is lighter than usual.

Welcome home, Alexandra.  Declin, you are a neat kid and you got a terrific mommy.
 

So instead of running back to work, Patrick comes over to our table, says hi to everybody, and accepts our invitation to sit.  He is just to my left. 

In the next 5-10 minutes Patrick shares a lot about himself, 28 years old, Plano resident since birth, almost got married once, but is peaceful.  Then back to work he goes. 

The trouble makers corner.  You guys have too much fun every Sunday.

The second event took place in our living room Saturday morning.  A couple came to talk about their wedding in August. 

I find weddings almost always touching and beautiful happenings.  This couple was especially a joy.  First of all, the groom is Austin Goode, whom I have known since way back, since St. Mark’s days.  Tom  & Becky are his mom & dad.  I am really touched by this.

The Anderlicks, John & Karen & Lisa.

If this was not bad enough, Austin introduces Rosemary and me to this delightful, pretty, and full of personality fiance’, Vika.  Her story is so marvelous.  Born in Belaruss, brought to the States at 4 with her whole family by, get this, the Jewish Community Center, which I loved even before hearing Vika’s story.  She goes to private Jewish schools, public schools, and graduates from SMU.  On top of all this Vika has this magnetic  personality.

I can see the personality of our God in these two events.  I can see that he is gracious and merciful, never gets angry, and is abounding in love.

Where do you see the personality of God?

Vika (in blue) with Austin and her parents, Ena and Alex Kuznetsova.