Jan, The Head of Traffic Control, on the job.
Readings:
1 Kings 19, 16 19-21, You shall anoint Elisha.
Psalm 16, You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Galatians 5, 1, 13-18, For freedom Christ set us free.
Luke 9, 51-62, No one who sets his hand to the plow…
I say, Pere, remember that pretty red Studebaker….
Readings:
2 Samuel 5, 1-3, You shall shepherd my people Israel.
Psalm 122, Let us go rejoicing to house of the Lord.
Colossians 1, 12-20, He is before all things.
Luke 23, 35-43, If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.
History of the Christ the King Feast: date, author, reason it was declared.
Date: Not during the early church, not during the time when Constantine made Christianity the religion of the Empire, not during the time of Luther & the Reformation, not during the time of Pius IX with the Italian Resorgiamento & his Infallibility statement (1870), but in 1925. Fairly Recently.
Author: Pius XI, pope 1922-39
Reason(s): at least 2 factors–The Times and Modernism/Secularism
1. The Times:
a) End of WW I and build up to WW II
b) Mussolini & Hitler: the same year Pius XI became pope, Mussolini became prime minister. By 1925 he had become a dictator. The feast was to counter the dictatorship. "Christ is king, not you."
2. Modernism & Secularism:
a) Modernism. Despite being scholarly and pro-scientific methods, Pius XI was suspicious of biblical scholarship which questioned, for example, biblical inerrancy, the nature of bible miracles, the virgin birth, the resurrection, the atonement theory that God demanded his son suffer & die for a single sin by a human.
b) Secularism coming out of the Enlightenment said that all people were equal, people should have a say in government as in democracy, and backed the separation of church/state, like proposed by Jefferson. The Catholic Church was against democracy.
Sources: Living with Christ, Nov., 2009; Wikipedia
Our Blessings
Thanksgiving, as many of you know, is my most favorite celebration and feast of the year. For three reasons.
This season I have come up with a half dozen or eight really special gifts. I would love to share with you my top three.
First, as Rosemary would say to you, “That cowboy has married up.” I agree, folks, and I am enjoying every moment of married life. Rosemary and our home, Aviana, and the fun we all have. I lived for years with loneliness, especially at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and doubly especially when I lived in Tanzania. I am not lonely anymore.
I bet you won't find another Catholic priest counting his marriage as his biggest blessing of the year.
Secondly, you people. This community. You people are an amazement to me and to many others who cannot be here. The warm hospitality, the generosity, and the mutual support and acceptance of one another, especially of the kids. Do you realize that we have been celebrating here for nine years this coming Sunday? I will never forget that first Sunday we gathered here.
Thirdly, I’ve had some marvelous bike events. The 5 Boro in N.Y. coupled with the big McGinn family reunion. The week long ride across Iowa, like riding in a circus. The exhausting but exhilarating Hotter ‘N Hell ride out of Wichita Falls, 100 miles, 100 degrees temp.
Connected with these events I include our 9 day Yosemite back packing trip, my most favorite park and my most favorite trail, the Matterhorn Canyon trip. The last time I took this trip was 2009 and I knew that I would never again be able to hike like this with my factory edition hips. You know the rest of the story. This was the first time I traveled the Matterhorn Canyon since 2009 and I thought then that I would never see it again. I was moved to tears on occasion.
Two bonus gifts. Rosemary & I every Monday evening have a date night. Guess what we do. We are dancing again. At the Farmers’ Branch Senior Center, a fun place with a bunch of old geezers who can really dance.
And, finally, my French.
I am most grateful.
Your biggest gifts this year? Your biggest gift.
Readings:
Acts 4, 8-12, In his name this man stands before you healed.
Psalm 118, The stone rejected by the builders has become the corner stone.
1 John 3, 1-2, See what love the Father has bestowed on us.
John 10, 11-18, I am the good shepherd.
Acts reminders:
Author: Luke, the same who wrote the gospel. He was an educated, urbane Jew.
Date: the years 75-80
Subject: This is a travel log, detailing the spread of Christianity from Jerusalem to Rome and the Mediterranean in between.
Today: Peter is talking to the elders and leaders of the people, aiming to convince them about Jesus.
The Good Shepherd
I would like to talk this morning about the good shepherd. Two proposals.
First, we have shepherds all around us.
Secondly, the good shepherd has three characteristics.
Four examples.
I mentioned that this past weekend Rosemary & I attended both a Jesuit class reunion and an alumni reunion of 50 years at Spring Hill College in Mobile. The shepherd who called us together and made all the arrangements was my classmate and good friend, Bill Dowie. To me this was extraordinary because the last time we all met two years ago, over twenty of us, Bill was still mourning the love of his life, whom he had cared for the last years of her life.
Not only did he gather those who could make it somewhat at the last moment, but he shared with us that he was introduced to someone with whom he sees a special relationship developing. Rosemary & I were most touched, doubly so by the charming woman he brought.
I left that reunion richer and happier.
The second shepherd is in our very midst. This guy invites with open arms and open heart guys who have hit bottom. We, too, have accepted his invitation to nurture these men by our help with Souls Harbor, of which he is the director, a 24/7 job.
Brent, Thanks for being a good shepherd for over 60 men and a shepherd for me and the community.
The third shepherd, every Thursday at least, loads up 16 meals. With her friend, Barbara, they deliver Meals on Wheels to homebound men and women, whites and a rainbow of races.
Rosemary and Barbara gather their people by bringing meals to their door. The people are richer and happier because of their visit, as I am by their example.
Finally, there is a lady in our neighborhood named Patty Cody. She is our neighborhood shepherd. She organized the neighborhood association. She has set up a security patrol for us, and a neighborhood communication network. You can find your lost dog or cat and you can put on line a picture of a lost dog you find in your yard. All this, plus other conveniences. But her biggest bringing together takes place on July 4, when everyone is invited to a neighborhood parade, a picnic at the playground of a grade school, and a time when we see each other, maybe the first time since last July 4.
Rosemary & I are the refreshment Czars and each year I come home richer and happier with what Patty has helped us celebrate.
Let me add an extra and a special Good Shepherd, Genevieve. Does she not call us all together? Do we not feel richer and happier just be in her marvelous presence. And from my vantage point, I think she, too, is richer and happier because we are all responding to her.
Good shepherds are all around us.
Who is a good shepherd in your life and for whom are you a good shepherd?
Readings: Acts of the Apostles 6, 1-7; Psalm 33, Lord, let your Mercy be upon Us, as we place our Trust in You; 1 Peter 2, 4-9; John 14, 1-12
Sixth Sunday of Easter – Intro to the Reading
Because we have been reading from Acts and Peter’s First Letter for the past several weeks I thought today I would focus on John’s Gospel. It is very different from Matthew, Mark and Luke, better known as the Synoptic Gospels. They were written earlier than John, and their style is more story or history. Both Matthew and Luke start their gospels with an account of the birth of Jesus, Mark begins when John the Baptist baptizes Jesus as an adult at the Jordan. St. John begins his gospel with the cryptic phrase “ in the beginning was the word and the word was God and the word was with God”. John’s community was a group that had been evicted from the Jewish faith. Thus in this gospel there is a great deal of animosity between Jesus and “the Jews”. A few weeks ago I mentioned that one of the features of John’s gospel was to show that each of the major Jewish feasts have been reinterpreted by Jesus. There is another way to look at the gospel. The first part can be described as the Book of Signs, where Jesus does a whole lot of miracles. The second half is the Book of Glory. It is from Chapter 13 to the end. But chapters 13 to 17 are the Last Supper and there are long monologues from Jesus to his disciples. Incidentally John does not refer to them as apostles but always as disciples. Four chapters are dedicated to the Last Supper. Our reading today is taken from this section of the gospel. And some of these chapters are repetitions. It suggests that the gospel has been reworked and added to by later writers, because the theme of not abandoning the disciples in today’s reading comes up again, almost word for word, two chapters later. If there is anything, which becomes clear in the discussion during the last supper, it is that the disciples just do not understand Jesus’ mission.
Homily
This past Sunday at Notre Dame College, during the graduation ceremonies, the Laetare Medal (“Truth is mighty, and it shall prevail.”) was presented to Sr. Mary Scullion and Joan McConnon for their work with Project H.O.M.E., which they both started some 30 years ago in Philadelphia. During her acceptance speech, Sr. Mary made the following comment, which seemed to me to fit perfectly with what I wanted to talk about this morning. She said, “our faith doesn’t give us answers, it gives us courage”.
Each of our readings today focus in one-way or another on the early Church. We have just read from St. John’s Gospel Jesus trying to assure his disciples that even though He is going away, He isn’t going to be far away!
In the Acts of the Apostles we hear of early success as the community expands beyond Jerusalem to Samaria and Peter and John being sent to that little community to strengthen them with the Holy Spirit.
Finally in our reading from the Letter of Peter, Peter is writing to another little community, which needs encouragement. They are surrounded by non-Christians and are feeling insecure in their faith.
You would think that having been around for over 2,000 years these feelings of abandonment, weakness and the need for encouragement would be long gone – and yet I feel exactly as those early communities and those disciples felt, so long ago.
When Vatican II was held, there was a great sense of excitement. It was said at the time that Pope John XXIII threw open the windows of the church and the Holy Spirit was able to get back in again. There was a great sense of renewal and fresh new life in the church.
In recent times, with the huge exodus of Catholics from the church, that group who has left would make up the second largest church in America if they were together. The decline of vocations to the priesthood, the shame and disgrace of the pedophile scandal, and with the current mighty efforts to undo much of what was done at the Second Vatican Council. The church’s refusal to even consider discussing having women ordained priests, I feel that the Holy Spirit must have gone away again.
This is why today’s readings are important for me. I need to be reminded that in spite of all of this, the Holy Spirit is very much alive. He is present in the hundreds of small faith communities such as ours, which are being formed all over the country. In two weeks time in Detroit, over 40 of those communities will be gathering as the American Catholic Council to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Vatican II. These little communities are led by the Spirit. They are celebrating God’s presence in their midst. They are doing what we do each week. Come together, listen to God’s Word, break bread together and reach out to those in need, whether it is the CCAC, the Plano Homes, MyFriend's House, Habitat for Humanity or the people in Tuscaloosa, AL whom you heard about last week.
It is all of these things, which convince me that we are not abandoned. The Holy Spirit is very present here in our community and in all of those other communities today. That presence of the Holy Spirit may not give us the answers, but does give us the courage to follow Jesus’ command to love.
Picture 1: Mass begins
Picture 2: Offertory with Charlotte & Geri
Picture 3: Communion Helpers
Picture 4: Communion
Picture 5: Leo with his buddy, Richard
Readings:
Acts 7, 55-60, They threw Stephen out of the city, and began to stone him.
Psalm 97, The Lord is king, the most high over all the earth
Revelation 22, 12-14, 16-17, 20, I, John, heard a voice.
John 17, 20-26, I pray that they all may be one.
Sorry no homily today.
Welcome in, Dearest Emma. So nice to see you.
Readings:
Ezekiel 2, 2-5, Son of Man, I am sending you to the Israelites, rebels.
Psalm 123, Our eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his mercy
2 Corinthians 12, 7-10, A thorn in the flesh was given to me.
Mark 6, 1-6, A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
The Best Music thanks to Katie and David.
Ezekiel observations:
Who: Ezekiel is one of the Big 3 prophets. Why? 48 chapters. The other 2: Isaiah & Jeremiah. These 3 have lots of chapters & material.
Ezekiel was born into the priest class. He later was considered a prophet. He got The Call from God. When he was about 25 he was swept up in the Babylonian captivity, around 590.
When: It covers the period of the Captivity, 600-550 before Christ, which Ezekiel lived personally. But the work is composed toward the end of the Captivity, around 550. This is Ezekiel’s material, but it has been saved and edited by his fellow priests.
Thanks, CC, for lighting our candles and thanks, Georgie, for reading the Blessing of the Summer Candles.
Message:
Today’s selection: Ezekiel gets The Call or invitation from God to go tell the Israelite people that God sees what is going on. Which means, tell them they are behaving horribly and they will pay dearly for their misbehavior.
The Dinsmores at work, David with the music, and with the offertory, DarbiAnna, Dana, Donna, and Dawson.
4 Reasons why I am (still) proud to be an American
I am still celebrating July 4th this week. And I’m still proud to be an American. What got me reflecting on this was what happened in our neighborhood July 4 morning. But, as I reflected, other events came to mind. Let me give you 4 quick stories.
The first took place when I first went to work in Africa on a one year contract. I was directing spiritual retreats mostly for nuns, often with another Jesuit friend from PA.
July 4, let the Parade begin
Before I went over to East Africa I was scheduled to give a number of programs in Nigeria. There was an old veteran Jesuit who had a house in Lagos, the capital at that time, Joe McKenna from NY. I used that house as my base.
I used to fly out of Lagos, give a number of programs, and fly back.
Every time I returned I had to take a taxi to get to his house in the suburb of Sirulere. He would ask me how much I paid. It was always too much. “5 Naira only,” he would say.
Training wheels welcome.
So, I’m returning one day determined. I walk into the terminal where there are numerous taxi driver, beginning with the richest. I pass them all and pick a raggedy guy outside the terminal. “5 Naira to Sirulere, “ I say. Okay.
Hanging onto my bag I get into the back seat of this old contraption.l I could see through the floor to the street.
The annual Preston Hollow parade is on.
By going over medians and across sidewalks we arrive in like no time. I give him 8 Naira. “No,” he says, “We agreed on 15.”
We go back & forth until I get out. We are in a cul-de-sac, fortunately in my mind. He gets out. We argue.
Suddenly he grabs my bag and attempts to jump back his taxi. We have a physical tussle right there in the street. He is a big guy, but no muscle I discover. No contest. I take my bag and walk to the door of the house. McKenna is inside chuckling away. It is dinner time. “I am going to kill you for this, McKenna,” I think to myself.
If you are nice you might find space in a wagon and somebody will pull you.
The guy follows me and is screaming. I don’t know what more to do and am nervous that he will gather a group of fellow Nigerians and they will join him. In fact, the contrary takes place. The little guy who is the house cook comes from around the back of the house , screaming himself that this guy has insulted a guest. Neighbors gather and all say the same.
Finally, a young Nigerian Jesuit novice rides up on his little motor scooter and takes the guy off. I think he actually give the guy 15 Naira. By now I could care less. It was not worth all the drama.
That day I was proud to be both a Jesuit and an American.
The Refreshment Committee in action. Want to know how success is measured? 22 dozen donut holes were consumed in an hour and maybe two more dozen could have found takers. This is plus cookies, grapes, lemon aide, and bottled water.
Three more quickies.
In the Metro section of the newspaper this week, a lady from NY, Claire Scoville, late thirties, attractive, a film producer, dropped everything and flew into S. TX to help nurture the little kids. Claire Scoville gives me reason to be proud to be American.
Happy Birthday, Paul. Does Paul look like a man of 57 years? Looks more like 59 to me.
Secondly, one afternoon this week I am northbound at the stop light at Preston & Royal, going to give blood platelets at Carter Blood. 3 northbound lanes, 2 left turn lanes. I‘m about 3 cars back. The light goes green for all of us. Everyone accelerates, when suddenly in front of us from the right comes an SUV slowly making a left turn. Everyone had to brake. In fact, I thought that SUV is going to get hit. It made it, but, get this, not one northbound car honked. No rage, no critical parent, Kindness.
Thanks for coming to visit us again, My Dearest Kayla.
Finally, why I am proud to be an American: our annual neighborhood parade. So many delightful young families. Rosemary & I are the refreshment team, so you know it was good. It was 22 dozen donut holes good. Yes, I am proud to be an an American.
It is scary when former Jesuit students show up at the parade and say this year is 50 years since graduation. Meanwhile, for me it is 60 years since graduation and entrance into the Jesuit order. Scary?? Yes!!
Readings: 2 Maccabees, 7, 1-14; Psalm 19; 2 Thessalonians 2, 16-3, 5; Luke 20, 27-38.
2 Maccabees: The two books of Maccabees cover the history of Israel for about 50 years, from ca. 200 to 150 B.C. The books are again part of the Apocrypha collection, those books separate from both the Old & the New Testaments.
2 Maccabees emphasizes loyalty to the law, even in the face of persecution. Our selection exemplifies this loyalty in the story of seven brothers & their mother. This leads to the gospel story which also treats of seven brothers & one wife.
What to Die for; What to Live for
The date of this event was Nov. 16, 1989, 18 years ago this Friday. The place: a Jesuit university. The Jesuits have a residence for their men on the campus. About 10 men live there and this evening six are at home. Like most Jesuit residences they eat dinner about 6:00, then chat for a while, go off one by one to work on their classes or papers, and finally turn in before 11:00 or maybe 12:00. A routine evening.
About 1:00 in the middle of the night the routine is shattered by 30 or 40 uniformed soldiers who bang on the door and barge in. They wake everyone up and herd them into the patio. While this is going on, other soldiers are crashing around the rooms, throwing books & drawers on the floor, and busting open cabinets. A house keeper & her daughter are found in an adjacent apartment and they are taken into the patio with the 6 priests.
The searching and ransacking goes on for a couple of hours. Meanwhile in the patio the priests and the women are made to lie face down on the grass. At some point in the night while the group is lying down, each one is shot in the back of the head.
This took place at the University of Central America, San Salvador, El Salvador.
I am reminded of this contemporary event when I read in Maccabees about the mother with the seven sons. Some comments about these events.
First, it is humbling to hear about people who believe so strongly about something that they are willing to die, even die being tortured. These Jesuits at the university were attacked because they criticized the policies of the El Salvador government. Some years before this event a gunman had walked up the main aisle of the cathedral in San Salvador and in front of everyone shot Bishop Oscar Romero face to face as he finished up a Mass. He, too, had criticized the government for brutalizing the peasant people. The Jesuits probably figured that the government would surely not murder a whole household of priests. I stand in awe of the courage of these people.
Secondly, would that if we are called to defend our principles even to death, we could die defending the poor, struggling to bring peace, or demanding more equality. While I admire the courage & integrity of the seven sons and mother, I am sad that they died over a law about eating pork. Muslims today can kill infidels using a suicide bomb with the belief that Allah is pleased with them and they will have a special place reserved for them in paradise.
It is like saying anyone who eats Blue Bell ice cream is going to hell, or eats it on Friday. I am reminded of how I grew up being taught that I was going to hell if I ate meat on Friday. People are trained to believe that drinking a glass of wine or dancing is sinful. These laws are simply demands of other people who are like ourselves. We let them mess with our minds.
Thirdly, let me suggest that there are two way to give your life. The one, like the Jesuits, is swift and often violent. One shot, end of story.
The second way of giving your life is exemplified by Ofelia’s husband, Luis, whom many of you saw at our two anniversary parties. Both years Luis touched our hearts with his vows to Ofelia. I, however, saw him every Thursday evening gently take care of Ofelia week after week, patiently being with her as she slowly lost her life. For weeks he could not leave Ofelia alone, so he was house bound unless someone like Hospice showed up. He told someone that last Saturday that he and Ofelia had fallen in love again. Luis gave his life for Ofelia.
Most of us will probably not get shot in the back of the head for criticizing the government or fighting for peace. All of us, however, are called to give our life, our daily life, to bring peace & life to another or many others. Like, you teachers, you nurses, you drivers, you soccer coaches, you parents, you all.
For whom or what are you giving your life today?
AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2007-11-11.mp3
