Christmas Eve Homily, December 24, 2019

Readings:

Acts 15, 1-2, 22-29,  Unless you are circumcised, you cannot be saved.   

Psalm 67,  Oh, God, let all the nations praise you

Revelation 21, 10-14, 22-23,  The angel took me in spirit to a great, high mountain.

John 14, 23-29,  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.

 WHAT: Acts

WHO: same as author of Gospel of Luke

WHEN: late 60’s, before 70

WHY: To further Paul’s desire to make “The Way” of Jesus’ followers acceptable to people in the Greco-Roman world of his time.

Today’s reading from Chapter 15 of Acts gives us another example of how the followers of Jesus at that time were originally Jewish. We have no documents from the 20 years following Jesus’ death. Scholars conjecture that there were writings from that time that became sources for the authors of the gospels of Matthew and Luke.

Whether or not there were such documents, the focus of the Jesus movement was on the “kingdom of God.” The movement gathered around the belief that Jesus preached with urgency and intensity the need to establish God’s reign on earth. The movement was a way of life and was radical in its embrace of Jesus’ preaching.

It is highly likely that in this 20 year period Jesus was considered by members of the movement to be a Jewish prophetical figure. The movement’s concern was to change this world. The focus was on Jesus’ preaching a way of life that would express the Divine Presence in human living and loving.

It is also important to acknowledge that this was a Jewish movement rather than a new religion. There is no evidence to suggest that any members of the Jesus movement thought they were part of a new religion.

Then, beginning mid-century with Paul’s writings and culminating in John’s Gospel at the end of the century, a monumental shift in thinking occurred. The short answer is that Paul, himself a Jew, embraced the idea that Jesus’ preaching and message was intended for Jews and Gentiles alike. So, in his letters, Paul wrote about Jesus in a way that could be heard and would be acceptable to the Greco-Roman world of his time.

This raises many other questions for us, for another time.

 

 Homily: 

When Lambrini left for Baton Rouge 2 weeks ago for a week of business training, I thought my home job would be watching after and preparing meals for my mother-in-law, Kalliopi. That changes when we discovered on Wednesday morning she had some serious bleeding. I took her to the ER. Eventually she was transferred to a room in the hospital,  given 2 units of blood by transfusion, and several tests ordered.

A colonoscopy indicated that diverticulosis was the likely culprit. Kalliopi was in hospital till Friday, still in a lot of pain from the broken arm. I was moved by the peace with which she accepted all the questioning and poking and testing she endured along with the pain of her broken arm. She shared her gratitude for the treatment she received from the doctors and nurses and techs. She did not whine or demand special treatment.

 

When Kalliopi was moved from the ER to the room I met her roommate, Margaret. I spoke with Margaret off and on and actually asked about her story. About 5 years ago Margaret was bitten by a dog in the abdomen and she developed sepsis, a dangerous blood infection that is often fatal. In her case it led to the amputation of both legs and about half of her right hand. Her lungs were seriously affected. She is on oxygen all the time. Before we left Margaret told me she was to have a rib removed to facilitate being able to treat her lungs that need drainage and other treatment.

In talking with Margaret I observed how calm she seemed to be and how she did not complain about being in the hospital again for more surgery. The only time she complained was when we met her. She had been taken for tests and had not been given a meal. I offered to get food for her down on the 1^st floor, but she kept asking nurse at station for a meal and eventually got it. When they brought her food, it wasn’t great. When she heard me say I was going down to eat, she asked me for a favor, to bring her a Hershey bar with almonds, which I did.  

Eventually I asked Margaret how she was able to have peace in the midst of all her trauma.  Margaret replied, “I pray a lot.” She added that when she woke each morning, she gave thanks for her life. I told her she was an inspiration to me in the way she accepted her life just as it came to her, and in the way she received peace and shared that peace with others.

This past Sunday Lambrini and I were at Joey’s home for the 70^th birthday celebration of my former wife, Kay. Joey, as a surprise gift for her mom, had flown Kay’s granddaughter, Chyna, and Chyna’s 10 month old daughter, Catrina, from Florida for the weekend.

 

 

I mention this because I got to experience again the peace that Chyna, the new mother in our family, has. I won’t go into details, but Chyna has had plenty of trauma in her young life. Yet she displays so much peace in her life, in her mothering and in her relationships.

A few words about peace, inner peace. Although some people may live in a more-or-less constant state of peace, most of us experience moments of peace in our lives. For me it is most often close contact with nature and in special relationships that I experience peace. Sometimes we are surrounded by nature (trips to mountains or oceans eg) and sometimes we are struck by nature in our urban lives (sunset, cloud formation eg). Peace received in relationships sometimes comes with those we are closest to, and sometimes it is a chance moment like my meeting Margaret.

My question is how do you receive and experience peace? And how do you share this peace with others?

 

 

 

 

 

Here he is, Everybody, the baby we have been waiting eagerly to meet.  Welcome in, Atlas, we are all so happy to meet you.  You are marvelous, just like you mom & dad.

 

 

Readings:  

 Wisdom 1, 13-15, 2, 23-24, God did not make death; God formed man to be imperishable

 Psalm 30,   I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

 2 Corinthians 8, 7, 9, 13-15,  As you excel in every respect

Mark 5, 21-43, Daughter, your faith has saved you.  Go in peace. 

 

 

 

Welcome back, Wendy & Brandon, and congratulations on a marvelous little boy.

 

Wisdom observations:

One of the 14-15 books of the deutero-canonical books of the bible.  Not part of the orginal Jewish bible, not part of the OT nor the NT, but in between and the subject of controvercy over the cenuries.  Were they really part of the bible or not?  How do you know?  Catholic church accepts the books.

Author: not Solomon, but a Jew living in Alexandria, Egypt, who spoke and wrote excellent Greek.

 

 

The Best Music with Wendy & Katie.

 

Date: ca. 100-200 before Christ.  How do we know these facts?  Because of text analysis.  For example, while the author wrote in Greek, he uses phrases and expressions that have a Hebrew flavor.  Also, he mentions rulers and places that reveal date and locale. 

Sources: Catholic Encyclopedia on line

 

 

 

With Patricia reading the Blessing, Emma does her candle magic.

 

 

You can do it too

In the gospel today Jesus gives life to a little girl.  I would like to propose that you can give life, too. 

I have a story for you from my Dallas Morning News columnist friend, Steve Blow.  I saw his touching story some years ago.  In fact, Steve is retired & I miss his thoughts..

 

 

 

Offertory with Mary & Sydney & Hugh.

 

Ever hear of Fausta Twizerimana or Dolena Westergard?  Well, 10-11 years ago Fausta flew into Dallas and arrived exhausted one evening at the East Dallas Grace United Methodist Church.  She, her five siblings, and her parents were from a refugee camp in Tanzania, where I lived for about 10 years.  Fausta was 4. 

The Church welcomes refugees and this particular evening Dolena Westergard was there.  Dolena met the family and picked up Fausta. She fell in love. '

 

 

They are moving in, Folks, Beth & Rob, Sir Charlie & John

 

 

The family continued to attend the church and fitted into the fabric of the community.  Dolena watched Fausta and noticed that the girl had a gift for dancing.  She was always doing it. 

After four years of watching the girl dance, Dolena, who was now really a god mother to the kids, enrolled Fausta in the Dallas Black Dance Theatre.  Fausta, now 8, fell in love, too.  Never did she miss a session for the next four years. 

 

 

 

Wendy & Katie, you have been missed around here.

 

Then, along comes 2015 and a notice goes up that the Dance Theatre of Harlem was coming to Dallas to audition for positions in their summer workshop. 

Fausta has been dancing now for 4 years, is 12, and Dolena thinks it would help the girl just to learn how to audition.  No expectations.

You guessed it, Fausta gets selected. 

 

 

 

It is cupcake of the week time, 3 cupackes and 1 Bellvita.

 

 

Fine, but who is going to buy plane tickets for Fausta and a chaperon, plus about $3,000 in expenses?  This is New York, after all.   

You guessed it again, Grace United Methodist.  That night Fausta sat in a Broadway theatre to watch an African story, The Lion King.

Grace United Methodist gave life to Fausta, and, in particular, Dolena gave life to Fausta.   I even read that Prestonwood Baptist is giving life to the kids in the detention centers.

 

 

 

 

Congratulations again, Brandon, on such a marvelous kid.

 

 

This week families & people all over the country are trying to give life to the kids separated from their mothers and fathers.

Just like Jesus gave life to that little girl and to the woman who touched him.

To whom do you give life?

 

 

 

 

Wake up, Brandon, it is homily time, yeah. 

 

Source: Dallas Morning News, Steve Blow, Metro section, circa July 1, 2015

 

 

Readings: 1 Samuel 16, 1-13; Psalm 23, The Lord is My Shepherd; there is nothing I shall want; Ephesians 5, 8-14; John 9, 1-41. 

 

 

Fourth Sunday of Lent – Intro to Readings

 Our three readings today have to do with seeing.  In the first reading we have the account of Samuel being sent by God to find a successor to King Saul.  At this time, the succession of the kings was not by direct descendant, but they were chosen by God..  Recall that Saul was their first king, a king they demanded from God so that they could be just like every other people around them.  God gave them Saul.  Saul did not quite work out, and today’s reading is the account of God’s selection of his successor, David.  The account focuses on the fact that God sees people differently than we do.  You might say he shines a light through the cover of the book to see into the person.

 Paul’s letter to the Ephesians continues this theme of God’s light and introduces us to the well-known phrase “Jesus is the Light of the World”.  The Letter to the Ephesians is one of those letters where Paul’s authorship is strongly questioned.  The letter contains no references to companions, addresses no particular questions or issues in a particular community, and very closely resembles the Letter to the Colossians.  There is much reference to Baptism in the letter and it seems that some of the passages in the letter are taken from early Christian liturgies, particularly Baptism. 

 

Our responsorial Psalm today is the very beautiful Psalm 23 “The Lord is my Shepherd” and has two ideas: God as Shepherd and God as Host.  The psalm was probably part of a thanksgiving liturgy.

 Our gospel today is from St. John and originally I had intended to read the shorter version, but all of the commentators I read were so full of praise for the entire chapter and how it is one of the masterpieces of Johannine story telling, well what could I do!

 

 Homily

 Last Monday after work, I caught the DART train home.  When I got into the front carriage, there was a young woman at the front of the carriage speaking to everyone.  I sat down and immediately realized I was in for a sermon!!  Not what I needed at that moment.  I wanted the train driver to come out of his cab and toss her off the train!  But as she talked I listened.  She was telling us about how Jesus had come into her life and saved her, and Jesus would save us too, if we would only accept him.  In fact we were already saved. 

 As I listened, I started to do what the Pharisees did in today’s Gospel.  I wondered so what now, what is the big difference in her life, I wanted to know the “so what”.  Then I began to ask myself would I be willing to get up in front of a carriage full of people and share my faith in Jesus.  She was a very good speaker, she spoke clearly and calmly.  Then she sat down after thanking us for listening.  The man in the row behind her leaned forward and said something to her, I didn’t hear, but I could see that she wiped a tear from her eye.  The train rolled on and after a few stops she rose, turned to us all and invited us to have a “Blessed day” and got off. 

 

 Onto the train got a young man, who sat in her seat, about her age, dressed all in black, a black shirt with the word “neurosis” written across the front, long hair and a tattoo on his arm.  He had leather straps on his wrists with metal spikes on them, and a metal belt and chains around his waist, and a ring in his nose!!   Oh boy, did I have fun with the contrast as I thought about today’s readings!  I had jumped to all sorts of conclusions about the young man.  I was judging the book by the cover. 

 If I go back to my questions about what the young woman was saying.  So what difference was Jesus’ presence in my life?  I need to constantly be aware of my own blindness when it comes to other people.  I need to make sure I don’t fall into the trap of having a closed mind, which is what the Pharisees had in the gospel.  They were completely blind to the miracle, and only saw that Jesus broke the Sabbath law.

 

The blind man’s sight of who Jesus was is something that happened over time.  At first he saw Jesus as “the man Jesus”, then “he is a prophet” then finally as “Lord”.  So too for us, our sight, our faith, is a journey and we grow in our understanding of who Jesus is and what our response to Him is, as we live and allow Him into our lives.

Picture 1:   Mass begins with Tony & Kevin  

Picture 2:   Tony congratulating Bob

Picture 3:   Beth & Rob, Beth being today's photographer

Picture 4:   Cara & Sean with mom & dad, Christine & Ed  

Picture 5:   Leo joins the choir

 

       

Readings:

Ezekiel 37, 12-14,   I will open your graves and have you rise.

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

Romans  8, 8-11,  Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

John  11, 1-45,  The raising of Lazarus.

 

 

Make Lazarus live.  Make life happen.

Guess what, I have a story about France this morning.  I want to use it to exemplify the metaphor of giving life that is contained in the Lazarus story.  I would propose that Jesus metaphorically gave life to Lazarus, something all of us can do, give life.

There is a tour company known as Fat Tire Bike Tours.  Founded a few years ago by, of all things, an Aggie who made good in life, the company has tours in a number of European cities, Paris included, naturally. 

 

 

Rosemary & I have used them a few times in Paris and we find them terrific.  A week ago we joined a group that was going to visit the home of Claude Monet, an hour train trip northwest out of Paris into the province of Normandy.  On these distant trips you take the train out to the location, like the palace of Versailles, for instance.   Then you pick up bikes and ride.

Our tour was meeting at the St. Lazare train station in Paris and going to Giverny, the simple, but beautiful garden home of the impressionist artist, Claude Monet.  Twenty eight people met at 10 A.M. at gate 22, and we split into two with a guide for each.

 

 

Our international group of Chinese, Australians, Irish, Americans, and a 28 year old New Zealander guide rode the train to Vernon, a neighboring town to Giverny.   We picked up bikes, went to buy picnic lunches at a farmers’ market, rode to the edge of the Seine River that ran through the town, and had a picnic.

On the picnic the group came alive.  The guide had his French girl friend with her two French girl friends.  Another sparkling young couple from Australia revealed that they were just engaged the evening before.   Life came to the group as pairs or individuals revealed glimpses into themselves.

 

As the day went on, (we traveled together from 10 to about 7 in the evening), Rosemary & I began to reveal ourselves and we also focused on hearing the stories of others.   We targeted particularly 3 groups.

One, of course, was the Australian couple.  We invited them to tell the amusing story about how the engagement planned never took place, but still was dear.  I said I knew an old priest who would do their wedding cheap.

 

 

Then we spent a lot of attention on the guide and his girl friend.  They were not engaged, but we, of course, almost had them married.  I suggested that same old geezer priest would  do their wedding. 

Thirdly, we focused on a Chinese family from California, a mother, an 18 year old high school senior, and an 11 year old, shy daughter.   The 18 year old especially talked about his hopes and dreams, to go to Georgetown, to become a doctor, to work for Doctors without Borders. 

 

 

He said he wanted to work internationally like I had done.  I affirmed his dream while pointing out I did this in 74 years and he still had time at 18.

The mother was extraordinary.  Leaving China, speaking Cantonese and another Chinese language, Erica, did not seem daunted by the prospect of financing Jacob’s educational dreams.

 

 

By the time we arrived again at gate 22 in the St. Lazare station about 7:00, an amazing closeness and life pervaded the group and everyone was hugging.  Jacob even asked to use us as the subject of a project he had to compose for his classes.  He took our picture.  I was flattered.

By asking these people to tell their stories, I saw them come alive. Reciprocally, their stories enlivened me and Rosemary.  We were mutually giving new life.

I repeat my idea, Jesus metaphorically gave life to Lazarus.  And we give life to each other.   That is what our community attempts to do.  That is what Mike’s ideas about a beans & rice brunch and a penitential rite do for us.

To whom are you giving life?

 

 

 

 

Readings:

Isaiah  60, 1-6, Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem,  Your light has come.

Psalm 72,  Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Ephesians  3, 2-6, The Gentiles are coheirs.

Matthew 2, 1-12, Magi from the east arrived.

  

 Isaiah, a review 

Here is another of those passages which make me love Isaiah so much.  I have mentioned this before.  He is my favorite.  

Today we have Isaiah III talking again to the Jews who have returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian Captivity, about 550 years before Christ.  It helps to picture the mood of these people.  Are you a Sooner Fan?  How did you feel at about midnight Friday night?  Multiply this by 10 and you have how the Jewish people felt after 50 years of slavery and  their town destroyed like New Orleans or parts of NY & NJ. 

When he says Jerusalem or Zion, he is talking to these beaten down people.  Later centuries church leaders began to make these words have two meanings.  Jerusalem, then, applies to us.

Sources: Good News Bible, The New Interpreter’s Bible

Cupcake of The Week to Jan on her birthday

 An Epiphany

I would like to talk this morning about the Epiphany in our every day lives or on special events.  I define an epiphany as a new awareness, a new understanding, greater appreciation.

I did something Friday morning that I had never done before in my life and about which I have been curious.  I did a route for Meals on Wheels. 

 

This came about because next door to us lives an 18 year old girl who is a senior at Greenhill and getting ready to attend Colgate next fall.  The girl, Sydney, texted me the other day inviting me to join her on her community service program.  It is helpful for her to have an adult or companion on her runs, her parents were busy, and we have done these things before.

We picked up our food at the V.N.A., the Visiting Nurses Assoc. head office on Mockingbird near the entrance to Love Field.  This was eye opening enough for another homily.  We had 17 people listed on a page and they all resided in a high rise apartment building just east of Central going toward Fair Park.  The building has 13 floors with about 15 apartments per floor.

Three observations:

1.  These people are not wealthy and they were mostly black.  What they are is so grateful and so friendly.  In the lobby, the corridors, and in the elevators, greetings, chats, cordiality, and grateful comments like, “What you are doing is really good.”  And this even from folks who were not getting meals, but just observing.  I felt such consolation being around these people.
2. My neighbor and friend Sydney.  I tell her, “Sydney, you are ruining my life again,” as she drives me over to pick up the meals at the Visiting Nurses’ Office. 

First, she showed me long distance bike riding.  She & some other girls rode down the west coast from like Seattle to San Francisco a few years ago.  The idea was planted and when Dembney last winter mentioned Ragbrai and Iowa, even though I told him he was crazy at the time, look what happened to me last July.

Sydney next got me to serve meals at the Bridge.  That led Rosemary and me to the Austin St. Shelter, and then to Soul’s Harbor with Brent, where we are really plugged in, even as a community.

And now what: Meals on Wheels, a marvelous phenomenon.  This girl has been an epiphany for me.

     3.    Third observation: this extraordinary service program for high school kids.   When I taught English & Latin & history at Jesuit in the mid-60’s, there was no service program.  I come back to the States in 1990, and most private secondary schools all have the program.

  Sydney told me the Greenhill program sets 24 hours a year.  I noticed Jesuit has 100 hours for seniors. 

The programs are terrific, not just for the high school kids, but also for old geezers like me who get invited along as adult companions and have such marvelous experiences.

Friday was an epiphany experience for me.  It led to something unexpected and beautiful.

What is your recent epiphany?

For whom are you an epiphany?

 

 

 Readings:

Genesis 11, 1-9,  The whole world spoke the same language.

Psalm 104,  Lord, send out your spirit and renew the face of the earth.

 Romans  8, 22-27,  The spirit comes to the aid of our weakness.

Note: the Genesis and Romans readings are from the vigil Mass readings.

 John 14, 15-16, 23-26  If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

 

 Genesis observations

What: First book of the Bible.  It presents Adam & Eve, Cain & Abel, Noah and the flood, and the Tower of Babel, our subject today in Chapter 11. 

The book also presents the Great Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (also called Israel, because he is seen as the father of the tribe) , and Jacob’s 12 sons (12 tribes of Israel), including Joseph, the beloved, youngest son, who is sold to the camel driving caravan, which takes him to Egypt.  Which leads us to the book Exodus, and you know what that is
about. 

Good reading.  Not history.  Myth. 

Subject:  The word Genesis means origins, and that is what it is about.

When:  compiled around the end of you know what, the Babylonian Captivity,  say, 555 years before Christ. 

Our subject:  The Tower of Babel.  The story is an example of great spin.   There were the languages of many tribes in those days.   Someone attributes this to the sinfulness of the people.  This is like the preacher who said the New Orleans hurricane was sent by God to punish the people.

A Pentecost Story 

I have a Pentecost story for you this morning.  I am considering Pentecost to be a time when we get hit by a new or special spirit. 

This is what happened.

Last Saturday we started building the 73^rd Habitat house, many of which are in the Douglas subdivision of East Plano. 

 We all gathered about 7:30, probably 30 or more people.  It was fun to see our community team and to see other people from previous  builds. 

After a while I begin to know some of these people.

At one point I see an elderly lady I had known from our last build, the next door house.  I remember this lady quite well.  She had really bummed me off one Saturday at the last house.

I had arrived a bit late this Saturday.  Most everyone was putting up and sealing siding. I had done this the Saturday before, so I was comfortable pitching in again.  It was muddy because it had rained.  I had on my Keene sandals.   I noticed this year in the preliminary Habitat notice that they prefer strong shoes with heels and toes.  My mistake.

So I see this group of about 3 working on the west side of the house.  I go up and ask if they need help.  This lady, who is one of the supervisors I
discovered, looks at me and kind of snorts. 

My memory tells me that she proceeds to tell me that they don’t need any help, that I am late, and that I don’t even have on correct shoes.

Can you imagine that I was really steamed?  So I went around to the east side of the house and worked there for the rest of the morning, avoiding that woman.

Last Saturday morning I see her.  I say to myself, “Stay away from her.”

I start helping to build the exterior walls, situating studs, and hammering.  Since there are an abundance of people on the exterior walls, I decide to go work on the interior walls where fewer people were working. 

You guessed it.  The woman is one of the mid-level supervisors of the interior wall project.  Pretty soon I am aware of her standing near me watching my hammering.  And she says, “Good job.”  Then she asks me to help her on some special corner.  When I get it just perfect, she
again compliments me and thanks me for coming out. 

For the rest of the morning, I work with her, like her assistant, even redoing some of the hammering work the younger people did a little less than exactly.  All the time she is most gracious and I find her spirit charming to work with. 

I had one of those experiences, folks.  Because of one negative experience with this lady, I wrote her out of my will.  Last Saturday I had a complete new look.  A Pentecost event. 

I propose that these Pentecost events can happen with people, with a sunrise or sunset, a piece of music, a meal, a birthday or anniversary, a graduation, a wedding, a birth,  or even a death.

What is your last Pentecost event?