Sunday Homily, May 12, 2019, 4th Easter & Mother’s Day

Readings: 1 Kings 19, 4-8; Psalm 34, Taste and See the Goodness of the Lord; Ephesians 4, 30-5, 2; John 6, 41-51

Kings:  a review–

Subject: The kings of Israel.  The Big 3 were Saul, David, & his son Solomon.  The Book of kings follows the Book of Samuel, which describes the lives of the the kings up to the death of David.  Kings takes up the life of Solomon, his building of the temple, his death, and the fate of the kingdom following his death, i.e., it divides and is conquered. 

Time Period: : from ca. 900 – 550 BCE, or from Solomon to Nebuchadnezzar & Cyrus of Persia (Iran).

Authors: a compilation of many sources that was put together at the end of the Babylonian Captivity, ca. 550 BCE.

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.

There has been a contest: 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. 

We will read an expanded chapter 19, from 1-13.

Taste and See the Goodness of Life

The psalm today says to "taste and see the goodness of the Lord."  I would like to suggest that we taste and see the goodness of life.  I have a Yosemite story that exemplifies this.

The scene.  It is day 5 of our 9 day trip in the park.  We are at about 9,000 feet.  Our last campsite has been at a beautiful high altitude lake called Miller Lake.  No one else was around it but our group of 10.  It has rained every afternoon since we entered Yosemite, more rain than I have ever seen in all the years I have come to Yosemite.  

We have to descend from the lake, reach the bottom of Matterhorn Canyon, then climb up the canyon as far as we can go & still have shelter from trees.  I've told the guys in the lead to look for just the right spot to camp in overnight before we go over our third pass of the trip, the third of four, all above 10,000 feet, the first one above 11,000.  

When I arrive in the campsite the guys have chosen, it is close to the time for the rain to begin.  Everyone has set up their tent except me and one or two others.  I notice we are not in compliance with camping rules, but who am I to suggest that everyone move their tent 100 feet away from the trail and the mountain stream.  

So I set up my own tent in a wooded area with lots of vines & bushes, take a quick dip in the mountain stream to clean up, and climb into my dry tent for a brief snooze before the rain passes and we get out for dinner around 5:00.  

Just before 4:00 while the rain comes down a ranger lady arrives at the lower level of our camp.  She asks to see our permit, like happened on our second night with no problem.  This is the first time in years I see rangers again in the park.  Everyone tells her that Stack has the papers.  She arrives at my tent.  I open up she informs me there in the rain at 4:00 P.M. that we have to move our campsite.  We are too close to the trail, too close to the stream, we have built a small, illegal fire ring, and we even had a shower rigged up in a tree over the trail.  She could give us a dozen citations, even fine us, really me as the coordinator of the group.

No discussion would budge her.  Not the rain, not the hour, nothing.  She left saying she would go up canyon, then return later to see our progress.  I felt horrible.  I remember sitting in my tent thinking, "What next?"  I figured at least we could wait until 4:30 to see if the rain would stop. 

Meanwhile, on the lower level of the campsite, Rob & Ray spring into action, rain or no rain.  They head up canyon, at least we would be getting closer to the pass, and search out a campsite, across the river, which the ranger had suggested.  We had already waded 3 times the same mountain stream and each time had to put on sandals because the water was higher than our boots.  There was a little bit of resistance, with hope to find something on our side of the stream.

In the end we chose the site across the stream, everyone packed up wet rain flies, crossed the river, and set up on the broad grassy slope.  The campsite ended up being terrific when it stopped raining.

In many ways this experience could have turned our trip into a trip from hell.  As a matter of fact, looking back, there was a special beauty, a special good.  First, I did not have to initiate the change of camp.  Everyone pitched in with acceptance & without complaint.  Then we found an even more beautiful campsite which was a half mile closer to the pass than I have ever camped before.  And finally, after packing up wet the next morning, we climbed over Burro Pass and found my most favorite and the most beautiful campsite that I have ever enjoyed.  We dried out quickly and stayed here two delightful nights.

I could taste & see the goodness of life on this trip.

In your life, what are 2 places or ways you taste & see the goodness?

Picture 1:  Mass with Kevin & T.J.

Picture 2:  Alexandra & her dad, David

Picture 3:  Cara & her mom, Christine

Picture 4:  Shelby & her mom, Debbie

 Readings:

 Isaiah 61, 1-2, 10-11,  He has sent me to bring glad tiding to the poor,  (excellent, though not in Handel’s Messiah)

  Psalm – Luke 1,    My soul rejoices in my God.

 1 Thessalonians 5, 16-24,  Rejoice always.

 Mark 1, 1-8,   I am the voice of one crying out in the desert

Emma says, "Hi, Everybody, Welcome in and meet my best friends.

Isaiah observations– 

Who:   This is Isaiah 3.  Isaiah  1 goes to Chap. 39, Isaiah 2 goes 40-55.  From 40 on we have what is called the Book of Comfort.  Our selection today is all about comfort.  The writer is consoling the Hebrews after returning from Babylon to a destroyed Jerusalem  around 555 before Christ.

The first marvelous couple of verses are repeated more or less in Isaiah 42, i.e.,  Isaiah 2.  Also, Luke puts these words into Jesus mouth in chapter 4 of his gospel.

Buddy, Our Candleman.

Advent Wreaths: This little liturgical practice came to the Catholic liturgy, believe it or not, from the German Lutherans in the 1500's, the time of Martin Luther.  It was more than just decoration.  The circle symbolized eternity.  The greens Christian life in a dead time of the year.  The candles represent each of the 4 weeks of Advent, each candle symbolizing the greater light brought by Christ.  Their color purple symbolized penance and purification for the Coming.  The Rose  candle says, 'We are almost there!

Who is that pretty girl in pink and purple? Why, that is Zoe.

Our Friend, Curtis Ekes

For the Second Sunday in a row, Folks, I come before you with unfortunate news.  Another of our best buddies, a good friend, and great supporter, Curtis Ekes, moved to the other side last Sunday evening at Presbyterian, Dallas. 

I had the honor to be with him just an hour before he died.  He had moved that day from San Remo Rehab Center to Presbyterian because of trouble breathing and maybe pneumonia.  Because of the move, Rosemary and I had missed our usual Sunday visit with him.  From the hospital Sunday evening Marlene called to let us know he may not make it through the night.  I was stunned. 

Megan, Bill's daughter, sharing her amuzing memories of Curtis, alias, Big Daddy.

As a look back I can claim I received three things from Curtis, an example of how to be gracious, an example of how to be grateful, and an example of how to treasure people, in particular family.

Long before Curtis could not come to Vines and even before he would come in with his walker, I would meet him at the door as he came in.  Always it was, “Good Morning, John.”  He was delighted to chat and ask about myself.   I was touched by how gracious a gentleman he was.

Jeremy, son of Bobby and Debby, sharing his takes on some of Megan's tales of Big Daddy.

As far as gratefulness, every time Rosemary and I would visit him at home, it was, “Thanks for coming.”  This would be repeated frequently.  If he could have, he would have said it in the hospital.

In fact, the example of graciousness and gratitude came equally from Curtis and from Mabel.  You two were twins, Mabel, and I was touched so often and learned a lot.

Carly, daughter of David and Lori, being the youngest, gets to set the record straight about Big Daddy.

The third gift I received was simple appreciation of people and, especially of family.  There is an awareness in the Ekes family that family is built upon having fun together.  The custom you folks have of getting everyone together for a Sunday meal at Curtis’ and Mabel’s house is as good as it gets.  Marlene and Cindy put it together these days.  If Rosemary and I were not so busy on Sundays, we would come begging to your door at the time you are serving.

Thanks, Curtis, for the beautiful example you have given me of graciousness, gratitude, and people appreciation, especially of family.  Thanks for Mabel, Bobby, Billy, David, Marlene, and Cindy, and all the family. 

Curtis moves to his final spot, escorted by all his sons and grandsons.

Here is a response I hear from Curtis, a Hoppe Indian poem about the soul’s transition:

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there,
I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight
On the ripened grain.
I am the gentle Autumn's rain.

When you awaken in the morning hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there.
I did not die.

Big Daddy, the hunter and fisherman, at home in his nature.

Readings:

Ezekiel, 18, 25-28, The Lord's way is not fair!

Psalm 25, Remember your mercies, O Lord.

Philippians  2, 1-11, Humbly regard others as more important than yourselves.

Matthew 21, 28-32, Which of the two sons did his father's will?

Thanks to the Team

Music,  Ben & Shonda (on Air Force duty)

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

Gospel,  Deacon Mike 

Homily,  John Cade 

Eucharistic Prayer A & B, Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers, Mike, Ben & Hue, Richard 

Final Blessing, Rosemary

For hosting us at Legacy, Becky

Download Readings Week 26

John Cade's Homily  (above, Remembering…)

Homily on Priesthood  First, a little bit of history of the Christian priesthood; and second, a little bit on blessings in my life.

The Apostle Peter, In Chapter 2 of his first letter, vs 4, wrote, “Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you serve as priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God”.  And he continued in vs 9, “You are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him.”  (As far as I know, among Christian churches today, it is the Morman church that asks all its members to exercise their priestly role.)

        Saint Jerome, around 380 CE, gave his view of the Christian priesthood, derived no doubt from the traditions and practices of the early church. He wrote, “The priestly dignity is the personal possession of the Christian; it does not belong to the Christian because of membership in a church which has a hierarchical priesthood.  Rather, the layman’s priesthood, as all priesthood, is a sharing in the priesthood of Christ.” 

He continued, “It’s the reality of the Christian’s priesthood which distinguishes members of the ‘royal priesthood’ from the rest of humankind.  No distinction between one member of Christ’s priestly body and another, can be compared to the distinction between those baptized and confirmed and those not—there is a basic unity that underlies the threefold character of baptism, confirmation and priestly orders.”  It is clear that Saint Jerome placed the origin of priesthood in Christian baptism.  

But jump about 800 years ahead and you are into Medieval Scholasticism, in universities all over Europe.  Scholasticism was a ‘philosophy of learning’ with emphasis on reasoning to extend knowledge.  You take a topic and dispute it in the form of a question, with counter proposals and opposing arguments.  It began as an attempt to harmonize Christian theology with philosophical antiquity such as with the Greek philosopher, Aristotle.  One thing scholasticism was not based on was early Christian tradition and practice. 

Saint Thomas Aquinas became scholasticism’s most famous member.  One of the founders of scholasticism, Alexander of Hales (in England), obscured participation in the priesthood of Christ by the baptized/confirmed Christian.  For him priesthood no longer has its origin in Baptism, but in the separate sacrament of Orders.  His thinking and conclusion was approved in the Council of Trent, in 1550, and stands today.  

In our time, most of us who lived as adults during the papacy of John XXIII and the Second Vatican Council, had high hopes for a more collegial understanding of how leadership could be structured and lived out in the church.  Many of us today support a return to greater opportunity for service by all baptized & confirmed Catholics.  Opportunities clearly were there in the early church.  Don’t tell me we can’t figure out how to make it happen now.  Isn’t it time already, for greater inclusion and equality of opportunity in the church?  I can hear RBG, that extraordinary Jewish woman and Supreme Court justice, giving us, her own – Amen.

Secondly, a little bit on my personal history of blessings.  I experienced the call, in my mid-teens, to greater closeness with God—of course, to ‘save my soul from hell’. After two semesters in college, I entered the seminary, and eight years later was ordained a priest on Sept 30, 1961.  I felt then and feel now the blessing of that day.  I loved living and working as a priest, ‘saying’ Mass, doing homilies, being invited into others’ lives through counseling, visiting the sick, teaching in high school, and leading retreats.  

Six or seven years later, when I was in the psychology program at Loyola Chicago, I began to experience a deep loneliness…and also disillusionment with the American hierarchy’s negative reaction to calls for reform by Pope John XXIII and the Vatican Council.  Some of you will remember the great number of priests who left in the late 60’s and early 70’s.  I was one of them.  Having a psychology degree was a blessing, as I could continue one of the things I loved as a priest—counseling with people having a difficult emotional time.  I married and helped raise four kids, including two as stepfather.  Some of the big blessings:  my relationship with a marriage partner (twice), being part of a family with kids (and now grandkids), relationships with friends, mentors and colleagues.  My marriage relationship with Lambrini is amazing; we are a couple now for 28 years and counting.  Also, even with diabetes and cardio-vascular disease, I am blessed with overall health. It’s a huge blessing to be able to enjoy the Autuum time of life. 

An unexpected blessing came 15 years ago when you, this community, welcomed me back as a Catholic priest. Simply being part of this loving community, seeing the way you live your lives, is a blessing that keeps on giving.  Why?  Because every Sunday, and often between Sundays, you help me ‘see’ the blessings in my life, and you help me live with gratitude. 

My question:  How do you see yourselves as a ‘royal priesthood’, sharing in the priesthood of Christ?  How do you live with acceptance and love for others, and also see your daily blessings?   

The Zoom Wizards at work.

Please Remember these special people:

For Alan Stryker;  For John Doherty with back pain; For Becky's dad who has moved to the other side;  For Cindy recuperating at home;    For David Dismore's bad shoulder from a biking accident; 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 all the students and teachers and coaches returning to school, for Geri's sister with heart & circulation problems, David Dinsmore in a bike crash.

Ben bringing his Vitality to our music, alone today because Shonda has Air Force duty.

For Jackie's mom, sister, & friend, Lynn;  For a friend & 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,  For the students, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

Mike working on elevating our Zoom quality.

Birthdays:  Judy Carrell (today), Leo (10), Tori & Buddy, (10) 

Anniversaries: John Cade, 49 years ordained, Fred & Patricia,10th; Erin McClurg & Greg, 3rd; Claire Z & Andrew,9th, Ron & Nancy Kovatis, 48th.

Community Finances, September 27, 2020

Expenses: $450.00  

Outreach   $100.00    (often for Souls Harbor, Legacy, etc.)

Thanks, Folks, for doing what you can.

Rosemary's Blessing:

Rivers do not drink their own water;

trees do not eat their own fruit;

the sun does not shine on itself

and flowers do not spread their fragrance for themselves.

Living for others is a rule of nature.

We are born to help each other.

No matter how difficult it is.

Life is good when you are happy

but much better when others are happy because of you.

Let us remember that pain is a sign that we are alive,

problems are a sign that we are strong and

prayer is a sign that we are not alone.

If we can acknowledge these truths and

condition our hearts and minds, our lives will be more meaningful,

different and

worthwhile.

Pope Francis

Just in case you missed our new address, 7017 Helsem Way  75230.   (notice the same Zip Code as Tulip Lane?)

Readings: Exodus 17, 3-7; Psalm 95; Romans 5, 1-8; John 4, 5-42

Exodus: After two weeks in the first book of the Bible, today we move to the second. The book basically tells the heroic struggle of Moses to get the Hebrew people out of Egypt, where they had gone because of the drought in their land some decades or centuries before.  Moses is considered the author.

Today’s reading makes an enormous jump from the story in Genesis about Abraham’s call to an episode after the exodus where the people are angry with Moses for taking them out of Egypt into the drought of the desert.  See how Yahweh saves the people and Moses.

Whatt??  You Want a Date??!!

Decades ago when my younger sister Kathey & I were little kids, we used to love Saturday nights.  On those nights we had fun harassing poor young baby sitters.  Or, later as we grew older, we had fun causing mischief by ourselves.  Because every Saturday night our parents went out to have fun.

This is one of my most favorite memories & stories that I have mentioned to people getting married for the past 30 plus years I’ve been doing weddings.  I remember a time when I must have been around second or third grade.  The second world war was over and my dad was probably going bankrupt.  He had worked before the war in paper products.  When the war broke out and paper was scarce he opened a coffee & donut shop on Ervay St. in down town Dallas.  The Mercantile Bank was being built and he was doing well.  When the bank finally opened his business went in the hole because all the workmen moved elsewhere. 

I had started school at University Park Elementary, then moved to Christ the King when they built a school.  I remember being anxious that I was going to have to return to University Park, because we could not afford the Catholic school.  I actually never did return.

All during this time I can remember my folks going out on Saturday nights.  They had a lot of friends, of all sorts of religions, something odd for those days, thinking back on it.  Occasionally the group would come to our house those Saturdays and I enjoyed that just as much.  The people were accepting and fun to hang around. 

I think this was part of what kept my parents going.  They had fun and they had fun at least once a week.  I often tell married couple, "You have fun once a week, and you won’t have to end up in Stack’s therapy office." 

One of the fun things my parent’s loved, I heard mentioned yesterday morning on The People’s Pharmacy, 6:00 A.M., Saturday (note credit).  A doctor describing how to live a long & healthy life suggested dancing as an excellent form of exercise.  My mom & dad, especially my dad, loved to dance.  I wish I could see how they did swing dancing, which was popular during their time.

I often ask couples who come to my office when was the last time they had fun.  They look at me like I am loco.  This is Dallas.  People work and work.  There is no time for fun.  Fun will come when we retire.  In Dallas people lose their health to make money, then lose their money to restore their health.

Consequently, the fourth suggestion for having a great marriage is to have a weekly date.  Get some friends together, go out, go dancing.  Date!  Once a week!  Good times, bad times.

When was your last date, the next?

AUDIO:  http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2008-02-24.mp3

Tom escorting his daughter Katy.  Richardson Women's Club.

Readings:

2 kings 5,  14-17, Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan 7 times.

Psalm 98,  The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power

2 Timothy 2, 8-13,  If we have died with him, we shall also live with him

Luke 17, 11-19,  10 were cleansed, were they not?

Welcome, Katy and Enza.

Homily

Because of a mix up on who was handling the homily today, we ended up with no one prepared.

Consequently, in the spirit of giving thanks, which is one of my favorite topics to share experiences, and which was the theme of some pretty good Scripture choices, I talked about my mom's advice when I got ordained in 1971, St. Rita's on Inwood Road, across the drive from Jesuit, in the old church.

Dani doing a reading.

I had received numerous gifts from people I actually did not know well, if at all.   They were my mom's friends.  And she had a  lot!  What to respond to the people who sent the gifts?  I was all for simply accepting the gifts and moving on

Not my mom.  She told me I needed to do the better thing, which was to send a note to every single person who gave me a gift.  Ugh!   This was pre-computers.  I had to write a note, address an envelope, put a stamp on the envelope, and send it off.  It took me forever!

Have you freely  and without reservation come here to give yourselves in marriage?

Because of my mom's advice (not really, her demand), I have continued to try to thank every person who touches me or the community with a gift, and that includes God on a daily basis.

Katy reading her personal vows.

If the only prayer you say in your entire life is Thank You, that would suffice.

 Meister Eckhart

A perfect setting & evening for a large & gracious wedding.

Welcome into a new and delightful life, Katy & Enza.

Readings: 1 Samuel 26, 2-23; Psalm 103; 1 Corinthians 15, 45-49; Luke6, 27-38.

Samuel – This book of Samuel is a transition book describing how the Israelites went from being governed by judges to kings. Samuel was the last judge, Saul the first king.

A third dramatic person enters the book, King David. He is the one who killed Goliath with his sling and was King Saul’s favorite for a while.

However, when Saul noticed that the girls liked David more than he, Saul got jealous and tried to kill him on a number of occasions.

Our chapter 27 is one of these occasions. Watch what happens. The theme centers around compassion & mercy.

1 Corinthians 15 – We continue Corinthians 15 with a rather convoluted contrast between Adam, the first human being, & Jesus.

Turn the Other Cheek?

When Rosemary & I are in Mexico at Christmas we always spend the evenings in the village centers because they are enchanting. One evening in Cuernavaca this year I was standing in a one person line in front of a little kiosk selling fruit juice drinks. The kiosk was one of about six that circle the bottom of the bright gazebo. I always get an orange juice with papaya, banana, and strawberry.

As I wait in line behind a woman another woman walks by me, goes straight to the chest high counter, and asks for what she wants. I am a little indignant. I learned in East Africa, where this happens all the time, to simply say something. So I say in Spanish, "Is there no line here?"

At least the woman appeared rather abashed, even though she tried to ignore me. Ultimately, I got my fruit drink, and I was happy that I had not just wimped out, saying nothing because I hate creating scenes and this caught people’s attention.

Is this an example of offering the other cheek?

What about the example of the Amish whose children were recently killed by some deranged man? They did not just tell their kids that they would do well to forgive, but they brought aid and food to the man’s widow and his family.

I find this teaching of Christ just confounding. Half of the time I can’t do it; the other half I don’t want to. A couple of observations.

One, this is another example of the Christian program of infinite demand. The other half is infinite acceptance. We have humbling examples of people who have lived out this infinite demand: the Amish, Martin Luther King & the Freedom Riders, Dorothy Day, Maryknoller Roy Bourgeois, and even outside the Christian tradition, Ghandi in India.

Secondly, our Christian heritage clearly states that the better way is always compassion and mercy instead of hitting back and violence. David was compassionate and merciful to crazy old King Saul. Theologically we have developed a theory that says self defense is acceptable. Acceptable but not the better.

When that little lady jumped the line in front of me, I could have gotten all angry and really made a scene. I could have said nothing, which for me would have been wimping out. What I decided to do some years ago was to simply comment. Was I turning the other cheek?

What have you done when someone strikes you on the cheek, even metaphorically? What do you want to do in light of this reading?

Download the homily as an mp3.