Sunday Homily, December 15, 2019, 3rd Advent

Sez our dear Harper "Welcome in, Everybody."

 

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 to the Jews who have returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian Captivity, about 555 years before Christ.  It helps to picture the mood of these people. 

 

 

Away we go!

 

Are you a Cowboy Fan?  How do you feel about this year?  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 Preston Hollow. 

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, the city and we Christians.  Jerusalem, then, applies to us.

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

 

 

Takes Zoe to really light a candle.

 

 

Readings:

Isaiah 60, 1-6,  The glory of the Lord shines upon you. (nice)

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

Ephesians 3, 2-3, 5-6, God's grace was given to me.

Matthew 2, 1-12,  Where is the newborn king of the Jew?.

 

 

And to really get  it lit, it takes Victoria.

 

The Epiphany, a Cornucopia of Symbols:

2 observations–

Where to begin, folks.  There is so much symbolism in this liturgy, in Matthew, for sure, and in the combination of Matthew with Isaiah and Psalm 72.  Matthew carefully crafted this story to appeal to both his fellow Jews and the Gentile population.   I'll touch 2 points, each with 3 subdivisions..         

 

 

And to really get it all right, it takes Buddy to read the Blessing of the Candles.

 

 

The Wise Men have a double & triple significance because they are

1. Gentiles
2. They come from the east, considered the source of wisdom in the world of that time.  Where does the sun rise?  Where do stars rise?  A new son has been born and like the sun in the east or a star he will bring new light. 
3. They are searchers & symbolize every man’s search for meaning in life.    Remember Matthew speaks to two audiences, his fellow Israelites, whom he is chastising for not searching, and the Gentiles. 

 

 

And then backing it all up is Leo singing.

 

2. The 3 gifts. 
3. Gold is given because it signifies royalty. 
4. Frankincense, or incense, signifies divinity. 
5. Myrra signifies medicine.  Myrra is for the human.  It comes from a bush like tree that has a yellow, sticky sap on its bark.  The sap was good for skin infections and acne, asthma, colds, and flu, and even herpes.  It is found in Saudi Arabia & Somalia.

 

 

Bringing the gifts Bernadette, her daughter Michelle, and Grace.

 

 A post script.  People in Europe used to write an inscription over their doors, e.g. 20+C+M+B+17.  The numbers are our year.  The letters are Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, supposedly the kings' names.   Christians made it say, “Christ & you 3 kings bless our house or Maison the year listed."

 

 

And trouble with Richard, Cody, & Ben.

 

 

 Another post script.  In New Orleans Epiphany starts Carnival season, which leads up to Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.  The parades start, folks.  Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler.

 Sources: Reginal Fuller, St. Louis U. Liturgy; Biblical & Theological Resources, the Voice Institute, on line; Wikipedia; and other sources.

 

 

The communion team with Patricia, Claire, Geri, Grace, & Denni.   Thanks, You All.

 

An Epiphany Story

Rosemary & I once went to the exposition of some paintings of about six or eight artists. Among the artists and the reason we were there was my childhood buddy, Ed Lamberty, who gave the homily here on alcoholism & AA some years ago.  He was presenting some of his works.

 As we were wandering around we ran into another couple who are old friends.  We ask what brought them to this exposition.  They pointed across the room to a middle aged, middle class, blondish woman who was standing by some of her works.

 

 

Hi, Marlene, Mabel, & Cindy.  So good to see you.

 

 Here is the story the wife told me.

The couple we know are both academics on the university level.  Some years ago the wife had been teaching and came to know one of her students.  The student was a mother with a son about 8 years old.  At some point in time the father had abandoned them and left them with nothing.  They were living in the mother’s car.

 

 

Thanks, Rick, for all the good pictures.

 

My friend says to me that this so shocked her and she thought this cannot continue.  An Epiphany moment.  She described the situation to her husband and two sons who were about 10 & 12.  Guess what they did.

They invited the mother & son to live with them until they got on their feet.  The two sons moved into one bedroom and the mother & her son took the other.  Here they lived for almost a year until the husband found the woman a job. 

 

 

Peace, Everybody.

 

The woman now is successful and is developing as an artist, selling her works for big sums.  The son graduated from Jesuit, graduated from college, and now is married with a couple of his own kids. 

 Obvious from the fact that they were at the art exposition, my friends are still quite close with the mother & her son. 

 

Peace for 2020.

 

I would propose that this is what epiphany is, a light shines on a presence.  The presence is a challenge and, perhaps, involves care for others.   The presence may be the example of another person.

 Who is an epiphany for you?

 For whom are you an epiphany?

 

 

Readings: Leviticus 13, 1-2, 44-46; Psalm 32; 1 Corinthians 10, 31-11, 1; Mark 1, 40-45 

Leviticus: The book of the Levite tribe, the priestly tribe, one of the 12 tribes of Israel (from the 12 sons of Jacob–The Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob).

Author: a collection of many sources, but not Moses (impossible).

Date: some laws go back 1400 BCE., others from ca. 450 BCE.  

Note: an interesting example of how academics better understand these texts.  They noted that both Leviticus 11 & Deuteronomy 14 have similar lists of clean and unclean animals for eating.  Deuteronomy 14, however, has 11 additional critters which are not mentioned in Leviticus 11.  These 11 dwell only in the Arabian desert, not in Egypt or the land of Canaan (Holy Land).   From this it can be deduced that the person (s) writing the laws in Leviticus had not wandered the desert and was writing before the Exodus.  The writer (s) of Deuteronomy, however, had wandered the desert.  Source: The Book of Leviticus; Believe: Religious Information Source, Canon Tristam

Subject matter: laws for better living with Yahweh.  For instance in chapter 11, one may not eat pigs, camels, or rabbits, no animal with a divided hoof.  All winged insects are unclean, except those that hop.  In chapter 12, women are ritually unclean after giving birth, 7 days for boys, 14 days for girls.  Chapter 19, "love one another as one's self."  This morning's selection deals with how people with leprosy are to be treated.  Leprosy, of course, was considered a punishment for sin & disobedience.

Exclusion vs Inclusion

When I first lived in Kenya & Tanzania in the late 70's I spent time working on my Swahili in a Jesuit parish that was in a town called Tabora, Tanzania.  The town is in the middle of Tanzania with no paved roads leading to it.  Only a few roads in the town itself are paved.  The parish had about 3 Jesuit priests in those days, if I remember correctly, a French Canadian, an Irish, and an Indian.    Today the Jesuits have departed and handed it over to the diocese because of not enough Jesuit priests.

In those days the parish had 21 outstations, some of which even had other outstations further out.  These were located in small villages where little mud walled churches had been put up.  Occasionally I found a rather large cement block church left over from times when priests were more abundant.   Each Sunday we would all head out on motorcycles to the outstations. 

On the edge of Tabora there was a special community.  A community of men & women who had leprosy.  The exclusion of these lepers was similar to what we read in Leviticus, though they received better care.  Our parish used to help them a lot and I went to say Mass for them and spent time talking with them often individually, sometimes in a group.  Despite the effectiveness of modern medicine, many had significant scarring and were without hands or feet.  I remember being touched mostly by the quality of their spirits and sense of acceptance. 

I am reminded of this leper community when I read about the lepers in today's readings.  Leviticus lays down the directives, exclusion.  Mark has Jesus dealing with a leper, including him in the community.   I've already discussed Leviticus.  Let me mention 3 points relevant to Mark & his account.

First, Mark's aim.  Mark wants to convince Christians of Jewish & mostly Gentile background that Jesus is the Messiah.  This community probably lived in Galilee, that is, around the Sea of Galilee or in Syria.  How do today's students of the bible know this?  Because they analyzed the text and noted that Mark used Greek rather than Aramaic.  Moreover, Mark describes some Jewish customs.  Both points indicated that he talks to a community made up more of Gentile Christians than Jewish Christians.  They could not speak Aramaic and they did not know Jewish customs.  Also, it is thought that the community was dwellingng around Galilee because Mark describes the geography of those places rather than around Jerusalem. 

Secondly, Mark's means, how does he accomplish his end?  He uses two literary techniques, the somewhat famous Messianic Secret technique and miracle stories. 

When Mark has Jesus tell the leper, "See that you tell no one anything," Mark is using the Messianic Secret technique.  People were saying that they lived at the time of Jesus, but never saw or heard about any of these miracle events.  Mark is saying that they did not hear about them because Jesus tried to hide his powers.  The secret is only supposed to be revealed at the end, at the death & resurrection.  Nevertheless, as part of his technique Mark allows it to leak out by writing that the man "began to publicize the whole matter."

Thirdly, how Mark carefully crafts his writing.  It is noted that in this chapter 1, Mark has 8 points he is using to convince people.  For example, he built community by calling the apostles, he showed power by running off an unclean spirit, he gives life to Peter's mother, and so on.  The miracle he describes today is number 8 and aims at inclusion  of rejects in the community.

Instead of excluding the leper like Leviticus instructs, Jesus welcomes him.  In fact, he does something that broke the law and the people would be astounded.  He touched the leper.  This was after Mark has the leper break the law by approaching Jesus.  People around are saying, "Wow!", when they read this. 

This might be today's lesson for us.  Inclusion.  Like it was for me in Tabora, Tanzania, it may be easier for us to think of including a leper, because we know the virus is not that contagious and can be effectively treated.  But HIV?  What about other races, colors, religions, students from other schools?

Whom do I have trouble including in my community?

References:

• Austin Cline, Audience of Mark's Gospel (on line), for the 11 extra critters

• Carmelite website, Homilies, for the 8 points Mark makes in chapter 1

AUDIO:  http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2009-02-15.mp3

Picture 1:  Mass with Sabrina helping

Picture 2:  Hunter & Dillon, Kim, Ken, & Cindy

Picture 3: at the Coffiee Island, Maureen, Greg, & Angelo

Picture 4:  Hunter

 

 

Welcome Back, Mr. Luke, and thanks for bringing John & Karen, your super grandparents

 

Readings:

Sirach  3, 17-18, 20, 28-29, Conduct your affairs with humility.

Psalm 68,  God, in your goodness you have made a home for the poor.

Hebrews 12, 18-19, 22-24,  You have approached Mt. Zion

Luke 14, 1, 7-14,  When you hold a banquet, invite the poor

 

 

 

 

 

And likewise to you, Dear Dee, welcome back.

 

Homily:

A story that touched me a few weeks ago, following the mass shooting in El Paso, was the story of Antonio Basco. His companion of many years was killed in that attack. Neither of them having family in the area, he was feeling really alone in planning the funeral.

Antonio invited the anybody who could to join him at the visitation and remembrance, thinking maybe a few well-wishers in El Paso would join him. What happened?

 

 

Our super candle lighting team in action.

 

Thousands showed up—yes, thousands!—and some came from hundreds of miles away. People heard the story. In their mercy they saw the pain of Antonio’s personal tragedy: he was surviving the loss of his long-time companion.

Their hearts went out to him, and they showed up to be with him in his loss and grief. Many others, who heard of the story, also felt mercy for his suffering and were with him in Spirit, in their hearts.

 

 

 

Watch out, Luke, you will get put to work bringing up our gifts.

 

From today’s readings, Mount Sinai is where Moses received the law from God – the ten “thou shalt not’s” for a people with a short memory. Those words and warnings scared me as a young person hearing them in catechism class and the special preparation for First Communion and First Confession—the stakes went up for us kids with the pressure of the exaggerated importance of those really big events—1^st communion, 1^st confession. (We definitely didn’t get M & M’s for our penance in First Confession.)

 

 

 

The Communion Team, Connie, Denni, Brent, Mike, and Cheryl.

 

Rather than the ‘thou shalt not’s’ from Moses on Mount Sinai, it’s ‘Love one another as I have loved you,’ from Jesus. Jesus spoke Good News—that we were never separated from God by Adam’s sinfulness or our own.

God is always with us, all of us. We always have access to God’s Spirit, all of us. The Spirit of God is within us, and is present in all our relationships, all of us. In his words, and in how he lived his life, Jesus brought the Good News.

 

 

Mike & Mike, our local sportscasters?

 

 

How do you acknowledge God’s Spirit—within you, and in every connection you have with others?  How do you acknowledge the Good News of Jesus and live it?

 

 

Our reps to the local Open Window organization, a group hoping to update the Catholic Church, for example permitting women to be priests.

Readings: Luke 19, 28-40 (Entry into Jerusalem); Isaiah 50, 4-7; Psalm 22; Philippians 2, 6-22; Luke 22, 14-23, 56 (The Passion). No homily today. Download the reading of the Passion as an mp3 file.

Two parts to the liturgy today. Part one covers the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and the blessing of the palms.

Part two covers the Passion and begins the solemnity of Holy Week.

Special Thanks:

• For reading, Jackie McGrath, Tony Whitley, Blair Reyes, Nancy Kovatis, Jessica Bresson                
• For the Altar Bread, Angie Carroll
• For Serving, T.J., Lacee, & Lorynne
• For the Altar, donuts, muffins, coffee, & juice, Margie, Jackie, Lisa, Ray & Claire, & Margarita
• For the Books & Communion Cups, Roy & Carol Strom, Beth & Rob Robinson
• For ushering & all sorts of jobs, Cliff Wright
• For the music, Ray & Shonda, Wendy, Elliot & Hue, Rick & Jackie

Happy Birthday: Mark Nugent, Cole Bentley, Jacob Wilson & Nicole Wilson, Elliot Zurchin

Happy Anniversary: Bobbi Jo & Danny, Myron & Chris Hubble

Please Remember: Rosemary’s nephew definitely improving; Jean Atwood’s uncle Harry & aunt; Margarita’s sister Tina’s friend Evelyn with cancer; Jackie Ritter’s friend Chad Johnson; little 5 month old Sadie with cancer, friend of Jack Carlson; Tom Quinn’s brother Tim; Nina Tucker’s friend Nancy with stage 4; Barb Senter’s mom, Margie’s mom, Dona & Cathy Goode’s mom; David Pastula & his companions in the military over seas, including Trey Bailey back from his 3rd deployment, Ryan McClurg, Matt Gardner, Chebino, & T.J.’s friend Aimee; David & Ofelia, Rita; Mary Ellen’s Christopher, Margaret, & Jim; George & Marianne’s sons & Linda’s son; Rob’s mom & dad; & a cure for autism from Laura Chollick.

Spiritual Formation Schedule (CCD): We’ve started. Welcome!!

Your Finances:

• April 1: Income for Running Expenses: $778.00      
• April 1: Income for Outreach Expenses: $515.00

Thanks for your Generosity!

Next Mass: April 8, 2007, Easter Sunday

Holy Thursday Mass & Good Friday: 7:00 P.M., home of Chris & Terry Phipps, 1712 Glenwick Dr., Plano 75075

Key: Westwood stoplight (between Custer and Alma on 15th Street) Go south and 3rd street on right is Glenwick.

Click here for a map.

 

 

Who let that rabbit in here??  Happy Easter, Everybody.  Welcome.

 

Readings:

Acts of the Apostles  10, 34-43.   You know what has happened all over Judea

Psalm 118,  This is the day the Lord has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad.

1 Corinthians 5, 6-8,   A little yeast leavens all the dough.

 John 20,  1-9,    The Resurrection

 

 

Chloe with Nora and Charlotte and their buddy, all say, "Happy Easter, Folks, welcome in."

 

 Resurrection

I would like to talk about the Resurrection this morning.  I suspect that you, like me, consider this event a one time event from ancient history.

However, on the contrary, I want to suggest that resurrection events are multiple and present tense.  They take place daily or, at least, frequently in our lives.  A resurrection moment is a moment of great positive feeling, great consolation, a Kilimanjaro moment, and a time when I say ‘It is good to be alive.’

 

 

 Joanie  and the kids.

 

Let me give you 4-5 examples. 

First, there is a bike ride the last Saturday every August in and around Wichita Falls, yes, the famous Hotter ‘N Hell.  After you have ridden the 100 miles and just before the finish line in town, you pass over a bridge leading up and then down to the finish.  Many a time when I am on top of that bridge, I am in tears, tears of gratitude and positive feelings.   I can say to myself, ‘It is so good to be alive!’

 

 

 

The Gerwers, Casey & Rob, and the kids.

 

Secondly, another bike ride in July, for a week, 500 miles, crossing Iowa from west to east, from the Missouri to the Mississippi.    When I come down a hill and behold that enormous gorgeous river, I have a Kilimanjaro moment.  Tears again, gratitude, wonder. ‘It is good to be alive.”

 

 

Cody with Ben & Olivia.

 

Thirdly, Labor Day every September we put together a group of 5-12 people and we head out back packing.   I started doing this with the Jesuits back in “89 and we have seen numerous beautiful parks.  For me The Beauty is Yosemite and especially our particular route on the east side, a route I call Matterhorn Canyon.

There are 3 passes of 10 thousand feet.  Kilimanjaro moments each.  Equally positive are 2-3 special campsites.  ‘It is good to be alive in Yosemite.’

 

 

Harper with her daddy, Brian, and her granddaddy, Ted 

 

2 more.  Every Fall and Spring many of us in the community volunteer at the Love for Kids picnic at Circle K ranch in Flower Mound.  2 weeks ago I am standing at the entrance to the pavilion to welcome the kids, who are all handicapped.  They come with their marvelous parents.

At one point my attention was caught by a little blond girl about 2 years old seated in a pram.  She had her left hand over her eyes, her head was down on the little basket, and she was sobbing her eyes out.  She broke my heart.  I think she might have been scared by all the people. 

 

 

Our Great Candle Lighter, Cole, at work.

 

Bill Hammond has a story about a little boy about 3 who had a left prosthetic leg.  I noticed him coming in, for sure.  Bill says that later the boy & his family approached the horses for a sponsored ride.  The family told Bill they did know.  The boy did not even like to pet dogs. 

The little boy, however, was so excited once he got on the horse that the horse walkers toured the boy around not one time, but two. 

 

 

I think we have the Zurchin clan here, Tom  & Charlotte, Chloe & Nora with Denni, and Claire & Andrew.

 

What are your resurrection moments?  When was the last one?

 

Carol with Karen, John, & Richard.

Readings:

Isaiah  5, 1-7,  Let me now sing of my friend, my friend’s song concerning his vineyard.

 Psalm 80,   The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

Philippians 4, 6-9,  Have no anxiety at all.

Matthew 21, 33-43,  There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. 

 

 

Isaiah observations–

What:  My favorite prophet again.  When you note this is Isaiah, chapter 5, you can make some pretty educated guesses, like the following 3:

1.  This is Isaiah 1, the first of the three major composers.  Chapter 1-39 are Isaiah 1.

2.  This Isaiah is writing before the Babylonian Captivity, which took place around 555 before Christ.

3.    You might guess correcty, then, that he is criticising the Israelite people for their bad behavior.

Our passage:  In fact, he is highly critical.  He uses the metaphor or symbol of a vineyard.  Just so you know ahead of time, the vineyard is the people.  Watch what he says happens to the vineyard and why.  This, of course, is setting the stage for the gospel, which is about, you guessed it, another vineyard.  Even the responsorial Psalm is about the vineyard.

Guess what I just might talk about during the homily.

 

 

We, The Vineyard

Folks, Rosemary & I have been to the vineyard of the Lord.  In fact, I have been twice during the month of September, Yosemite and now our boat trip on the Danube. 

I am still so influenced by my years as a Jesuit and the desire to live a simple life that I am embarrassed to talk about this cruise.  It cost money.  And I feel squeamish about spending.

 

 

However, this trip was one of, if not the best of all the trips we have taken.  Let me mention three aspects, the natural beauty, the beauty of the staff, and the beauty of the group of people we randomly formed up with.

The natural beauty.  We certainly did travel through a section of Germany celebrated for its gorgeous vistas and its vineyards.  We visited some of the villages.

 

 

However, for me it was the Danube.  Especially at night.  We would open the curtains of our room and the sliding glass door.  6 feet below me was the Danube moving by, quiet with the exception of the swish of water as we powered up stream.  I would get up to visit the bathroom and return to just gaze. 

Secondly, the staff.  There were two in particular, the program director, Stein, and the concierge, Radi, a young woman with personality and glorious black hair.  But also, the staff down to the girl, Carmen, who watched over our room.  From the beginning when we walked on board and were welcomed with glasses of mimosas, to the end when there was a Viking agent waiting to help us at the Nuremburg airport at 3:45 A.M.  Great cordiality and hospitality.

 

 

Thirdly, the people and especially our group.  On perhaps the 4^th night I noticed around 2:00 A.M. we were simply sitting in the river, not moving.  Turned out, a barge ahead of us had troubles and was blocking our entrance into a lock.  We spent that night and the next morning anchored in the river with other tour boats lined up behind us.  Not one complaint from the group.  In fact, we had a good time.

That good time was enhanced by the charm and cordiality of the group we ended up meeting and putting together, four couples.  Chicago, Philadelphia, Ontario, and Dallas  When it was discovered I was a former Jesuit priest, that led to many interesting conversations. 

 

 

Isaiah says that the vineyard of the Lord is the House of Israel.  The cruise ship the Viking Njord was the vineyard of the Lord.  You, We are the vineyard.

I can see it.  Can you see it?

 

 

 

 

Apologies to everyone and to John for putting into last Sunday's blog the wrong homily from John's Mass, September 28.  Here is the correct homily,   Download Cade Homily 9-28-14