Sunday Homily, July 7, 2019, 14th Ordinary Time

Readings:

Isaiah  6, 1-8,   “Here I am,” I said, “send me.” The call of Isaiah.

Psalm 138,  In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.

 1 Corinthians 15, 1 – 11,   I am the least of the apostles.

Luke 5, 1-11,   The big catch of fish.

Says Kevin, "Welcome in, Everybody, we are ready."

Observations:   Isaiah (I) 

This is The Great One.  The Prophet.  My favorite.  In general, this work has three parts put together by three different people.  It is time dependent: before, during, and after the, you guessed it, the Babylonian Captivity.  Keep 555 before Christ in mind as an easy date.  You can guess that this is Isaiah I, being chapter 6 (of 66 chapters)

Last week we heard the story of the prophet Jeremiah’s call by Yahweh.  This week we have Isaiah’s call. 

Harper, too, says, "Hi, Folks, Welcome in."

Psalm 138

Want to hear something beautiful?  Listen to today’s psalm.  Another of my favorites. Thanks, thanks, and more thanks.

1 Corinthians 15

In last week’s Corinthians’ reading Paul described his vision of love.  Today he continues talking to the people of his church in Corinth, focusing on how he was called by God.

So, today we have a theme of call & gratitude.  Even the gospel has a sub-theme of call.  Pretty neat.

 Candle Lighters of The Week, Cole and Leo.

Have a Happy Lent?

This morning, Folks, I want to talk about how to have a happy Lent, a Lent positive spiritually-psychologically and even physically.  

I got a story to exemplify my ideas. 

Last Friday morning at our 6:00 A.M. spin class at the Jewish Community Center, I had the opportunity to celebrate the birthday of our trainer, a girl in her thirties named Jennifer.  She did not know this was coming.

The Best, Shonda & Bethany, Ray & David,

She had told me the date of her birthday when I asked her a couple of weeks before if she was going to give me a birthday gift the week of the 26^th.  I asked for the theme of Rocky, my favorite work out music.  At the same time she said yes to Rocky, she said her birthday was the 5^th.  I tucked it away.

So, just before she started cranking us up at 6:00, Friday, I got off of my bike and addressed the 20 or so other bikers saying that is was Jennifer’s birthday.  We sang and then I gave her a gift with a ribbon Rosemary had added.  The gift?  A Cliff bar.  I figured she might beat me if I gave her a cupcake.  She eats healthy and it shows.

Ugh, Oh, Folks, that girl is loose.

At the same time the kid that mans the entrance desk walks in with a big piece of poster paper and tapes it on the glass wall.  It said ‘Happy Birthday, Jennifer.’  I had told him about it being her birthday and never expected such a positive response. 

Jennifer was obviously touched.  I became the teacher’s pet with hopes of future preferential treatment.   A dream.

Ugh, Oh, again, Gen, You are hanging out with dangerous people, that is, Leo and Zoe. 

Back to Lent.

I have mentioned before how I have a gloomy reaction to Lent mostly because of my early Jesuit experience with extra penance.   Like, we had chains we wore on our thighs a couple of times a week and we had little whips which we used to scourge our backs a couple of evenings a week before we went to bed in our cubicles.  I think we were sane enough to laugh at most of this.

So, how do we make Lent this year a positive experience?  I think most of us are into a fine tuning zone, a little here, a little there.

Jennifer and Kennedy, baptism time.  Welcome into our world, Kennedy.

So, physically, what needs fine tuning?  Myself, normally I have to watch the big 3, sugar, butter, salt.  I love them all, but they do bad things to me.  My goal: trim off maybe 5  pounds, weight I have gained from Thanksgiving, through Christmas, to my birthday the end of January.

So, where do you want to fine tune, lose a pound or two, exercise a bit more?

Hi, Kennedy, Thanks for bringing your mom & dad and your  god parents,  Nick and Stephanie.

Spiritually-psychologically?  I would propose two positives:

1. Take time to contemplate, appreciate, and give thanks for something.
2. Make an effort every day to do something positive, like singing happy birthday to Jennifer.  I was lucky to have that opportunity to celebrate her. 

The Braun family,  Don & Debbie, Kennedy & Jen &  Kyle, Eric, Heather & Mckinley. 

Rosemary & some others of you have suggested we keep a jar, write down on a small piece of paper the positive thing we did that day, and put the paper in the jar.  A one a day vitamin.

The positive gesture can tie up with the gratitude. 

Rosemary will say a word about this at the time of The Blessing of The Week.  

So, how are you going to celebrate a Lent that is happy?

Hooray, The Team is back from vacation!

Readings:  

 Genesis 3, 9-15,   The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me—she gave me fruit from the tree.

 Psalm 130,   With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption

 2 Corinthians 4, 13-5, 1,  We have a building from God

 Mark 3, 20-35,   Who are my mother and my brothers? 

Tori says, "Welcome back, Everybody."   And we say to you, Tori, "Welcome home from your vacation.   It is more fun when you are here."

Homily:  When Jesus Christ ascended to heaven in glory, we were not left as orphans.  The Father, through his Son, bestowed upon us his very Spirit to enable us to be Christ in the world.  Each of us has a different spiritual gift, and a different story.  But each of us has been graced, to grace others, for the glory of God.

While CC lights the candles, Georgie reads the Blessing of The Summer Candles.
 

When John and Ro, and Judy and I ate lunch or dinner with others on our cruise, we came to the table with an expectation to listen to a feast of interesting stories.  And, we were not disappointed.  In reflection, I think that the four of us were gracious and good listeners, treating each story teller with compassion.

Some evenings, and most lunches, one or more of us sat at a table with a couple that we hadn’t met before.  One lunch I sat across from two ladies who shared with me their story on how, why, and they met.  A softer voice came from the African American woman.  Both had become flight attendents for the same airline and had traveled the skys together for a couple of decades through good times and bad, those years when inappropriate language had been directed toward her best friend.  Both married years later; but every year they would find a time, such as this cruise, to be with one another.   Grace at work for the glory of God.

Mike sharing his (pleasant) memories of the 12 day trip the four of  us (he & Judy, Rosemary & I) made in and around Bordeaux, France.

One evening we introduced ourselves to a man and woman traveling together who revealed that they had been good friends since grade school, but were not married. He had never married; her husband had passed a few years before.  Recently they had sought out one another and decided to take this cruise together. You couldn’t help but feel very happy for them.

There was a woman who we invited to join us for dinner three evenings in a row.   Her husband began the trip sick and he would not leave their room until he felt well.  We daily cheered her up and on the fourth day she sat with us with her smiling husband who thanked us for watching over her.

Welcome back, John, and congratulations on finally getting your arm operated upon after the bike accident.   Is that a tazer or a weapon sticking out with the two straws?   Rumor has it there is gin & tonic in there, like pain med.

One evening the four of us sat at a table with a young man and his mother.  She was probably the happiest woman in the cruise.  She had been asked by her son to spend a week with him on this cruise. She was so happy seeing and listening to him tell stories, some about her. Tears were often in her eyes as she smiled and quietly spoke to us.   I was struck with the question, ‘Why hadn’t I taken the opportunity to take my mother, just the two of us, on a trip?’

It has been tough doing the elevations without you kids to help me out. 

Readings: Acts 13, 14, 43-52; Psalm 100, We are His People, The Sheep of His Flock; Revelation 7, 9, 14-17; John 10, 27-30

Acts:  a brief resume of what Tony has already explained, using the structure of who, what, when, and today's reading.

Who wrote: Luke, who wrote the Gospel.  He was a Greek speaking Gentile convert to Judaism.  He writes for Gentile Christians.  Writes about Paul, but did not know him nor his letters.

When: Big question.  Before or after 2 momentous events–

70 C.E: the Jews rebel against Rome.  Rome smashes them and destroys the most precious temple.  End of priests, beginning of rabbis.

88 C.E.: the Jewish Christians who have been worshiping in the temple or synagogue for decades split off. 

What about: story of spread of Christianity after Christ's death.  History or not?  Big question.  Idealized history?

Today: Paul & Barnabas scolding the Jews and affirming the Gentiles.  Is Acts pro Gentile?  

Revelation: a strange book

Some of my old Jesuit confreres were convinced the author(s) of this book was on halucinagens, undergoing an LSD trip.  What do you think?

The Good Shepherd

Want to know what a good shepherd looks like?

There is a couple.  They are celebrating 25 years of marriage.  They met in college in Pennsylvania.  Good kids.  The girl, Donna had spent a summer overseas doing service work in Calcutta. 

Know who else started out in Calcutta?  Mother Teresa.

The guy, John had also been doing summer mission work with the Glenmary Home Missionaries. 

So they got married and planned to have a family.  They tried and waited.  The news: they could not have kids.  So, one thing led to another and they adopted.

They adopted Rosa, a baby from an orphanage in Mexico. 

Then they adopted Natalie, a baby from Guatemala.

Then David, a baby from a local foster care family.

Then they adopted a 12 year old.  Maria Elena came from the same Mexican orphanage as Rosa. 

They had been living in a house in Philadelphia.  They moved to a church basement.  Then to an empty convent. 

All the while they continued adopting kids.  Just could not say no.  Donna was home schooling the kids.  John was working as an independent contractor—until they reached 11 kids.  Then he quit his job.  He was needed too much at home.

With the number of adoptions rising they found a 7 acre farm in south east Pennsylvania.  Here they could attempt more self-sufficiency.  They also were granted status as a foundation and took the name of St. Joseph House.

Today on the farm they have somewhere between 17 and 20 kids under their roof. 

How have they managed over these 25 years and 20 kids?  With the help of Catholic communities like ours right here. 

What kind of good shepherd are you?  Are we?

I found the story of John & Donna Kurtz in the March edition of The Anthony Messenger.   There is a picture of the whole bunch on the cover. http://www.americancatholic.org/Messenger/Mar2010/Feature1.asp

Readings:

 Deuteronomy 4, 1-2, 6-8, The commandments to Moses

Psalm 15,    The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

James 1, 17-18, 21-22, 27,  Every perfect gift is from above.

Mark 7, 1-8, 14-15, 21-23,  All these evils come from within.

                        Zoe says, "Welcome in, Everybody."

Observations on Deuteronomy

What is it about: Moses is addressing the people just before they are to enter into the Promised Land, the land of the Canaanites.  They have escaped from Egypt and have been wandering around in the desert for about 40 years.  Moses is dying and knows he will not go into Canaan.

The theme of the staged talk is that God has saved and blessed his beloved people.  To help them live better he has given them the 10 commandments and a whole bunch of other laws.  This is a book on the laws.

             Buddy says, "Last day here?  Dunno, I like it here."

This is the 5^th book of the original bible and the fifth of the Big 5, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy

Authors:  Inferring from the work, it is obvious that the judges and teachers of the people compiled the material.

Time composed: as with so much else, after the Babylonian Captivity, around 500 before Christ.

               "Hi, Tori, Want to see how you like Sigler?"

Observations on James

1.   We have James for 5 Sundays
2.   James was not an apostle, but head of the community after Jesus.    He gets stoned in 62.

 Sources: The New Interpreter’s Bible Study; The Good News Bible

        3.    Ever hear the story of Santiago de Compostella?    There is a large, ancient basilica in the Spanish province of Galicia, which, even up to today, has been a pilgrimage site for centuries, one of the big 3 sites in the world.  The other 2? Jerusalem & Rome.

The tale?  Briefly.  

        Genevieve says, "Well, it is all new to me.  Let's try it."

The Apostle James supposedly went from Jerusalem to the North West province of Galicia in Spain to convert the people.  He baptized with a sea shell which is his symbol on the pilgrimage route.

He went back to Jerusalem, was killed, and buried.  The angels transported his body to Galicia and buried it there.

One day a little shepherd boy was in the fields and a light shone from heaven on a spot.  A voice told him to tell the bishop to dig there for St. James' bones.  He did, the bishop dug up the bones, and he built a chapel over the site.  

        Leo says, "I like this place and I'll have fun at Sigler, too."

This was about the year 700, just after the time the Moors had crossed into Spain from Africa and swept all the way up into France.  From this time until 1492 when Queen Isabella finally kicked them back to Africa, the Moors lived a lifestyle and culture that was far superior to Spain and Europe in those times.

Meanwhile, James became the patron of the effort to remove the Moor. He was called the Matamoros, killer of the moors.

Over the years the chapel gave way to bigger and bigger until this large basilica was built.  It was a great economic boon, because thousands of pilgrims came.  Cures were apparently taking place.

           After 32 years working at TI, John is retiring.  Give that                       man a cupcake.

The basilica is famous for its huge thurible, which is swung at the end of most Masses from side to side in the apse, not the nave.  This was supposedly to lessen the aroma of the unwashed pilgrims who were allowed to shelter in the balconies around the basilica.

Rosemary & I & even Mary Ellen have visited Santiago de Compostella. Moreover, a former Jesuit classmate of mine from Washington State is this day making the pilgrimage which goes from Europe, like from Paris, over the Pyrenees, and along the northern part of Spain to Galicia.

            Harper says, "What is that man talking about now?" 

Grateful Reminiscing

Seeing that this morning we are doing our last regular Mass in our old home, I would like to do a little grateful reminiscing.  This started out pretty simple, then it got overwhelming, and finally I have narrowed it down to 4 main points.

First, remember the first time we celebrated Mass here, Thanksgiving weekend 10 years ago?  I can remember it clearly.  It had been about 5 months since I had seen most of you and certainly all those people who poured in that Sunday.  I was at the entrance greeting everybody with tears rolling down my cheeks.

                               Leo the Candle Lighter.

There used to be a middle aisle here.  Remember?  That Sunday I walked down the aisle, turned around, and then could not say anything for probably half an hour. 

That was one of the special events in this room and one of the special events in my life.

Secondly, three special events. 

1.  Christmas Eve celebrations with the little kids presenting the nativity.  Remember some of those days when we had a whole bunch of baby Jesus, both boys & girls?

                 Offertory, John & Jean, Louis, Judy & Mike

    Connected with that is the way the community has welcomed the kids     each Sunday, and the babies, like Genevieve and last week, Vivian.      Those kids give me so much spirit to my life.

1. Another special event was Fred’s memorial.  One of our best buddies. 
2. Then there is our music, with Ray and Shonda pulling it all together.   I get so high on what we sing I can dance all week.
3. After all this, thirdly, I have been touched by three special people who give me life, Mike, John, and Tony O’Donovan.

                           The Best, Shonda, Bethany, & Ray.

I remember that it was at Sigler one Sunday when his son Paul brought Mike to the community. 

Without John & his open spirit, I would really feel tied down.  You two help keep the community together.

With regard to Tony, do you realize that we would have been in a bind if he had not stepped forward before I was out some months with my new hips?

The final event I am grateful for is you folks, you people.  I am both touched that you keep coming back, week after week, and because of your presence I begin the week on a high, full of joy and sacred memories. 

Thanks for the 10 years of marvelous memories.

             Genevieve says, "Wake me up, please, when he is finished                   talking. 

Readings: Habakkuk,1, 2-3 & 2, 2-4;Psalm 95; 2 Timothy 1, 6-14; Luke 17 5-10.

Habakkuk: the words of this prophet come from the end of the 7th century, B.C. at a time when the Babylonians were in power.  He was deeply disturbed by their violence and asked Yahweh why he was silent. Yahweh’s response was that he will rescue the people in his own time.  But meanwhile, the good will live on because they are faithful to Yahweh.

In our selection we have a bit of both: Habakkuk’s complaint & Yahweh’s response.  This connects with Luke’s gospel which touches on faith and the servant who simply is doing what he is supposed to do.

Faith? In What?

A short while ago Donna sent me a quiz on religion.  A handful of questions asks about what a person believes.  Like, do you believe, or not believe in God?  What do you think happens after you die?  And so on.

After you finish the quiz you are matched up with the religious group with which you have the closest fit.  My closest fit turned out to be Liberal Quaker.  Roman Catholic for me was in the twenties.  So why don’t I become a Quaker?  Because it does not feel like home, which Catholicism does.  I hope to work with the essentials of Catholicism.  Some say this is being a cafeteria Catholic.  I would prefer to call myself an a la carte Catholic.  The only intellectually healthy way.

I thought of all this because of Luke’s  comments about faith.  If I had faith I could uproot trees.  I would be happy to just get rid of the weeds in the lawn. Is this not exaggeration? Sadly some sects take it literally, as you know. Faith is the product of a process, often called faith formation.  And this is where it really gets tricky. Who determines what is taught to young people and members of a religious group? What I was taught as a child, wow. So much of it I don’t accept any more.

My Catholic education was anomalous.  I learned to critique literature, poetry, politics, government, psychology, but not religious instruction.  I memorized that. That religious instruction was supposed to be my faith. Doubts & questions were not encouraged. 

This leads me to make a distinction between religion and spirituality. I think both religion & spirituality produce my faith. My spirituality, likewise, is influenced by religious instruction. Some of these observations come from Vaillant’s Aging Well.

First, religion is usually exclusive, while spirituality is inclusive.  For example, If you don’t believe the pope is infallible, you are excluded from the membership.  If you don’t wear certain dress, you are expelled or criticized. 

Secondly, religion comes from outside, while spirituality comes from inside. True, my spirituality is not formed in a vacuum. It receives input from outside sources.  Spirituality, however, sifts and sorts before accepting it. 

Thirdly, religion is certain and proclaims creeds & dogma that have to be believed.  Spirituality searches. It involves feelings, experiences, and uncertainty.

My brother in law gave me a good book on how religions become corrupt and evil, eventually losing their original charism.  (When Religion Becomes Evil, Charles Kimball) Five characteristics:

• Absolute truth. For example, infallibility. 
• Absolute obedience. We Jesuits took vows of obedience.  Was God asking this? Or people? Like men who lived in Rome. We are all expected to be obedient to Rome.
• End justifies the means. Inquisition. Firing of theologians like Charles Curran over at SMU to eliminate alternative ideas in areas like birth control.
• Justification of the Holy War. Crusades, Jihad.
• The Special Time. Peace will come when all people believe the same religion and there will be one law, like Sheria or Evangelical Christian.

I would suggest that each person’s faith is unique and we are not homogeneous. If we are spiritually healthy.

What are the three things you have the strongest faith in?

RELIGION QUIZ: http://www.beliefnet.com/story/76/story_7665_1.html

AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2007-10-07.mp3

Readings:

Revelation 7, 2-4, 9-14, These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress

Psalm 24, Lord this is the people that long to see your face. 

1 John 3, 1-3,  See what love the Father has bestowed on us.—–

Matthew 5,1-12, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom.

Thanks to the Team,  Ben & Shonda's  

Readers,   Denni & Tom & Buddy, the candle blesser

Gospel,  Deacon Mike 

Homily,  Deacon Mike 

Eucharistic Prayer A & B, Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,  Richard & Hue 

Final Blessing, Rosemary

For hosting us at Legacy, Becky

Download Readings Week 31 All Saints (2)

Homily by Mike Carrell,   All Saints            

The Mark gospel teaches us how potential saints come alive:  It begins with the unexpected: an accident; a death; a fire, a flood. It is then that a call comes to us; the kingdom of God is at hand; repent. Live the Good News! 

Buddy, this morning, revealed to us from the Matthew Gospel how the beatitudes call us each to be the light in the world, to be saints.

The feast of All Saints teaches us that holiness comes in all sizes and shapes. Saints are rich and poor, young and old, warriors and peacemakers, scholars and those who don’t even know how to read. Every era has its saints as does ours. We read about the struggles our nurses and doctors face day after day to keep patients alive during this pandemic.

Mary Ellen, Honfleur, France, 2011, one of our Saints.

We give thanks to our parents, grandparents, and god parents who gave us names of known saints when we were baptized; they were intended to challenge us to be ready to respond to a call to holiness.

Most of the names of these heroes that we read about in the News have already faded away; however some of our teenagers have chosen not to forget about these holy ones by taking their names when they were and are confirmed.

Praise be to God.

Please Remember these special people:

For Alan Stryker;  For John Doherty recuperating from an operation this past week for his back pain;   For David Dinsmore's bad shoulder from a biking accident;  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, The Woodlands,   For Loretta's aunt Alicia;  For Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody & Ben & Leo & all of Shonda's dear family;  

Mike, how come you did not invite us to this beautiful lake?  Daisy State Park, Arkansas.

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 the students, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

Birthdays:  John DeGenova, Ed Kless, Karen Anderlick, Ryan McCabe, 19

Community Finances, November 1, 2020

Expenses: $750.00

Outreach   $200.00    (often for Souls Harbor, Legacy, etc.)

Thanks, Folks, for doing what you can.

Home, Sweet Home for Mike & Gerry.

Rosemary's Blessing:

Gracious God inspire us with the hope in the gift of shalom, the gift of wholeness and the promise of your presence.

Give wisdom to seek nonviolence as an answer to the violence of our lives and world.

Give us courage to seek wholeness in a fractured and divided world, to find reconciliation rather than revenge, to abandon the instruments of violence and death and entrust our lives, our homes and our families to you.

May your presence fill us and others with the thirst for unity, wholeness, and the desire to see all people valued as created in your image.

May we and others receive your shalom, that we might be faithful instruments of your love.

Blessed be your name forever,

Amen.

Rabbi Andrew M. Paley, senior rabbi with Temple Shalom, Dallas.  He emailed this letter to his congregation and gave The Dallas Morning News permission to publish it.