Announcements, no. 2

In the spirit of Holy Week, here is a copy of a contemporary  Stations of the Cross which we have used in past years.  You may like to read them as a family and meditate on them.

 

If you would like to download and print the stations here is a link Download Stations of the Cross-Covid 2020.

 

Stations of the Cross -  Good Friday   Station Focus Application 1 Jesus is condemned to death For all those who have been condemned to die Innocent people have been condemned to die.  We are blessed in this community – we have health care and food when we need it.  Many people die because they do not have access to doctors, nurses, clean water.  Let us pray for those in need of these most basic resources.  Let us pray for those who are suffering from Covid-19.  Let us also pray for those unjustly condemned to die or spend their life imprisoned.  Let us pray to the Lord.  Lord hear our prayer. 2 Jesus is given his cross For all of us that we may bear our cross with acceptance We all have our crosses – physical, emotional, economic. We deal with the pot holes in our journey  as best we can and with the help of our family and friends.  Right now we are dealing with staying home and being isolated.  Let us pray that we can help others who need our friendship to help them to carry their cross.  Let us pray to the Lord.  Lord hear our prayer. 3 Jesus falls the first time For all of us who have failed We all fall down along the way.  Sometimes we fail because of things out of our control and sometimes because of things within our control.   Let us pray for peace during our current staying at home.  Let us pray for patience with ourselves as well as a renewed conviction to try again.  Let us pray to the Lord.  Lord, hear our prayer. 4 Jesus meets his mother For our mothers and other significant women in our lives Mothers hold a special place in our life's journey.  We ask a lot from them and have great expectations of them.  Let us pray for the mothers of the world that they have the strength and love to do what is needed for their children and that they are loved in return.  Let us pray for all those who have lost their mothers.  Let us pray to the Lord.  Lord, hear our prayer. 5 Simon of Cyrene carries the cross For people who help us when we are in need We all need help at one time or another.  We are also given the opportunity to help others.  Let us pray for the humility to accept help when we need it.  Let us also pray that we may see where we can help.  Maybe a phone call is exactly what someone needs these days.   Let us pray to the Lord.  Lord, hear our prayer. 6 Veronica wipes the face of Jesus For all the care givers Care giving can be rewarding and also exhausting.  May those who care take with love the elderly, the infirmed, the young, the poor, relatives and strangers know that they are appreciated for their care giving.  May we be grateful for our doctors, nurses and front line health care people especially at this time.  Let us pray to the Lord.  Lord, hear our prayer. 7 Jesus falls the second time For people who are hard on themselves We can be harder on ourselves than anyone else.  We expect a lot from ourselves.  May those who are never satisfied with themselves, know that  they are lovable, learn to accept being imperfect as we all are, and also learn to laugh at their mistakes.  Also, may we be there to give them a positive word.  Let us pray to the Lord.  Lord, hear our prayer. 8 Jesus meets the daughters of Jerusalem For people we meet on our life's journey We meet many people on our life's journey.  Some are important.  Some are almost invisible.  Some are rich and some are poor. May we see the gift that they are to us and likewise that we may be a gift to them.   Let us pray to the Lord.  Lord, hear our prayer. 9 Jesus falls the third time For people who have addictions and keep falling Addictions come in all sizes and styles.  Food, control, smoking, alcohol,  drugs, deviant behavior.   We pray for those people who are fighting addictions and we also ask your help to renew our pledge to do better each time we fall again.  Let us pray to the Lord.  Lord, hear our prayer. 10 Jesus is stripped of his garments For people who have been stripped of their dignity in one form or another The poor, the homeless, the unemployed, the disabled have all been stripped of some dignity.  May we treat each person with the respect and honor with which we would want to be treated ourselves.  Help us to reach out at this most difficult time, in whatever way we can to help the most needy.  Let us pray to the Lord.  Lord, hear our prayer. 11 Jesus is nailed to the cross For all the nails we use on occasion – sharp words, prejudgement, impatience It is so easy to do and it can be so hurtful.  Help us to grow in patience,  acceptance and positive words for others.  Help us to smile, say hello and wish others a good day.  Let us pray to the Lord.  Lord, hear our prayer. 12 Jesus dies on the cross For all those dying or near death We all will die.  May we pass in peace and among those we love and who love us.  At this time, we pray for all those who have died and are dying from Covid-19.  Let us pray to the Lord.  Lord, hear our prayer. 13 Jesus' body is taken down from the cross For all those who have experienced the death of someone significant in their lives Everyone has lost someone perhaps a parent, a spouse, a child, a relative, a friend, a dog, a cat.  It hurts.  May we be there to comfort those who are suffering from losing someone special. Let us remember those who have lost a loved one from Covid-19.   Let us pray to the Lord.  Lord, hear our prayer.

 

 

Healing Touch for Emma.

 

 

Welcome: Catholic Mass with coffee & juice, and pastries, some bought, some home-made. 

Time: 9:30; Celebrate with the Community & Stack & John Cade  

Place: Legacy Charter School,  601 Accent Drive, Plano, TX 75075

 

 

Healing Touch #2.

 

Readings: 

Acts of the Apostles, 13, 14, 43-52, The Gentiles were delighted.

Psalm 100,  We are his people, the sheep of his flock. (excellent stanzas)

Revelation 7, 9, 14-17,  I, John, had a vision of a great multitude.

John 10, 27-30, My sheep; hear my voice.

 

 

With this three some Everyone wants to Sing!

 

Community Activities:  

ROMEO MEET: Friday, May 10, Jason's Deli, Collin Creek Mall, west side of Central, 1:00.  Welcome all wakos, you will fit right in.   

 

Juliettes, June, TBA

 

A Summit Meeting.

 

TRUE?

 

Slow down and everything you are chasing will come around and catch you.

John De Paola

 

 

Wake Up, Rick!

 

What's up in Ye Old Catholic Church?  Like…

1.    Bannon's anti-Francis movement threatens church unity,  https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/bannons-emerging-anti-francis-movement-threatens-church-unity

 

 

Hooray, the Coffee Shoppe is open.

 

See you Sunday,  

J.S., 214-783-0443

 

 

Guess what Beth & Bill are talking about…  Pagosa Springs.

 

JSM Mission-Faith Statement: 

 Help create a Catholic Community that welcomes all God’s People, provides for and challenges spiritual and total growth.

Reaches out to help people who are disadvantaged and make the world we live in a better place to live.

 

 

If it is Cinco de Mayo, it must be Anniversary Time, like 14.

Acts of the Apostles 1:   Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was counted with the eleven apostles.

1 John 4:  God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.

John 17:  Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth.  As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world.  And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth.”

John Cade's Homily from 5/5/24:  Download 05-05-24 Homily -6th Sunday of Easter

 

 

Ladies' Luncheon

 

 

 

"Welcome in, Everybody," say Cody with Sandra & Emma & Beth & Sophia.

 

 

Notice: if ever you notice that suddenly you are not receiving this blog, please reregister under www.johnstackministries.com.    Two guys just told me on the same day that the blog suddenly stopped coming.   This is the error of the carrier, Typepad, and it happens fairly regularly for some reason.  So sorry.

 

 

 

 

Guess who is Sophia's favorite dad.   I bet it is Ben.

 

 

Readings:

Deuteronomy 18, 15-20,  Moses spoke to all the people.

Psalm 95,  If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts

Corinthians 7, 32-35,   I should like you to be free of anxieties. 
A married man is anxious.

Mark 1, 21-28, Is not a man’s life on earth a drudgery?

 

 

 

 

 

A double team.  While Emma performs her candle magic, Georgie reads the blessing of light.

 

 

Deuteronomy observations :

What : 5th book of the Bible, of the Pentateuch or Torah   It is a series of addresses by Moses to the people in the desert after escaping from Egypt & Pharaoh.

Psalm 95 observations:

I would like to share some ideas about the part of the responsorial that says, If today you hear his voice. 

The first stanza is the best of all the readings.  Watch for it.

 

 

 

 

Welcome in Vanessa, Stella, and Coco.

 

 

1 Corinthians observations:

There was in ancient times a theory of asceticism that said that all pleasure was harmful to the inner spirit.  This applied double for sexual experience.  From personal experience I would reject this idea.  Watch what Paul says about marriage vs celibacy.

 

 

 

 

There he is, Sophia's favorite daddy and, also, Leo's favorite mommy
 

 

Mark observations:

The story is about a man who had an unclean spirit in him, meaning he was possessed by a devil.  Today people would say Jesus did an exorcism. 

There is another explanation of all this that I subscribe to because of psychological study and personal experience. 

Psychology says there is a condition called multiple personalities.  The condition is the result of severe abuse, especially at a young age.  It is a self defense maneuver, a disassociation from myself. 

 

 

 

 

Yes, it helps to have helpers with the elevation, especially with a little Parkenson's. 

 

 

I have worked with some of these poor people.  They usually had more than one personality with different ages.  With some of those I worked with there had been exorcism, which was not just useless, but harmful.  The person thought they had a devil inside, which was false and horrible.  For starters there is no devil.

Recovery involves acceptance and talk.  Ultimately, the host person needs to close the door to the alternates because it knows it is safe.  It takes time for healing.

Actually, Jesus exemplifies the process, though it normally takes much more time than one encounter.  I would suggest that Jesus presented a peaceful and accepting persona, just what the man’s host personality craved.

Watch as Mark presents a story about multiple personality.

 

 

 

 

How could we do this without Georgie and Buddy!

 

 

Hearing the Voice of God in Unusual Places

I want to talk this morning about three  places the voice of God was heard.  Two are mine.  Number three from a mystery guest who gives me permission to share the story.

The first event came up because I am thinking about the trip planned to Dickenson to help with the clean up.  A few years back there was a tornado in OK City.  The same team went, Professor Jim Maher & his students from St. Bonaventure. 

Jim has my number unfortunately (not really), so I went up by myself.

 

 

 

 

It is almost brunch time, Buddy.  It will be terrific!

 

One day we're cleaning up a mess at a rural town called Little Ax.  We had our team and you will never guess at the other team.  Muslim Emergency Aid.   Remember?  I talked about this after I returned.  They were well equipped like the Baptist Men and great guys and girls.

At one point I was walking down a hill from taking a piece of an I beam to the pile on the dirt road.  For pick up.  One second I was up walking down that slope.  The next I fell over something on the ground.

I was not injured in any way, landing on thick grass.  People started coming to my help.  Guess who was the first to come to me.  Yep, one of the Muslim boys.  I was most touched and humbled.

The voice of God in an unusual place.

 

 

 

Sez Rosemary, "Don't tell the old geezer that he is 78.  He still thinks he is about 40."

 

 

The second was at DFW airport when Rosemary & I came back from the wedding a couple of weeks ago.  We had landed and were departing the plane. 

I stopped to put a book into my backpack, using a wheel chair as a table, stepped to the right, forgot about the little foot piece, and fell right over on the carpeted gangway. 

Like with Joyce Scott, the lady I talked about Christmas Eve, all sorts of people came to my aid and helped me get up.  No injury except to my price.

God spoke again in an unusual place.

 

 

 

Brent, It is an honor to be able to give you these two checks for Souls Harbor.  The work you do there for 65 men in recovery is phenomenal.

 

 

Thirdly, the mystery guest.  Rosemary.

One morning about 6:00 Rosemary walked up to the desk of one of the hotels within shuttle distance of DFW.  We park at these hotels when we fly sometimes.  It costs about $5 per day and the shuttle is free.

Without a word she starts in, “I would like a chit to park here.  My husband is parking the car in the back.”

The clerek looks up and says cheerfully, “Good Morning.”

“Oh, I am sorry.  Yes, Good Morning to you, too.”

The voice of God in an unusual place.   

You, any unusual places?

 

 

Guess what  is coming.

 

 

Readings:

Isaiah 49, 3, 5 &6,  I will make you a light to the nations.

 Psalm 40,  Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will.

 1 Corinthians 1, 1- 3,  Grace to you and peace.

 John 1, 29-34,   John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him.

 

 

Hi, Everybody, Welcome in.

 

Isaiah reminders—

 Author: This is Isaiah #2, the composer of chapters 40-55.

 Date:  Ca. 555 before Christ.  The Jewish people of Jerusalem are in the Babylonian Captivity.

 Today’s Message: Hope and promise of a better time with emphasis on 1. being a Servant of the Lord, and 2. being a Light to the Nations.

 

 

"Come on in, Folks," sez Zoe.  

 

A Light to the Nations

So, Rosemary says to me, “Hey, we are getting tired of hearing you talk about the Jewish Community Center.  I was running past her my ideas about a homily for this morning.  Therefore, I request your tolerance.  One more time.

I went to this Center initially just to work out a bit, and especially to see how I liked spin classes.   Four houses down from our house lives a youngish  Jewish couple who have two kids now in college and a white dog, named Patty.  Guess with whom Aviana likes to visit. 

 

 

The excellent Candle Man of The Week, Ben.

 

The couple, Bud and Barbra, knew I did a lot of biking and kept encouraging me to visit the J, which is 10 minutes from our house.  When I discovered I could get in free with my United Health card, Silver Sneakers, I started going. 

For the first six months I found the exercise good but there was little camaraderie among the riders.  People came and went without as much as a word.  The next six months I began to learn names and started greeting everyone and talking.  Today there is a lot of camaraderie.

 

 

What a treat, Folks, Buddy is still awake.

 

So it happened one morning while walking to the room where the bikes are that I began to talk with a guy I knew and liked named Mike, a guy in his early 50’s, very personable, smiling all the time, and Jewish.

I had been reading some fictional works on the Holocaust.  So I feel comfortable enough to ask Mike about himself.  “Where is your family from, Mike?”  “From Poland,” he responds.  “Wow,” I think, “the Holocaust was horrible in Poland.  Like Auschwitz is near Warsaw and Warsaw was the scene of the Warsaw Uprising.” 

 

 

I see you Ben, and I cannot say that a little mouse did not swipe your cupcake last week.  Be nice to me and we'll see what might happen.  Even Carol is watching you from behind you..

 

So I ask, “Mike, how was your family effected by the Holocaust?”  “We lost over 80 members of our extended family.”   I cannot believe what I am hearing.  I am struck dumb.  I am choked up.  I feel like I am walking on holy ground, next to a Jewish saint.  A bright light.

There is also a little lady named Haya in our group.  I found out her birthday, got the class to sing to her one morning, and gave her one of those little Belvita cookie packages.  I asked the lady who rides next to me how old she though Haya is.  She says in her 80’s.  So I ask her. 

We are exactly the same age, 76.

 

 

 

Offertory team: Sir Charlie (who released him from time out!) & Jan, Bernadette & Gil. 

 

I am stunned and really curious.  How different was her life than mine?  She speaks with an obvious European accent.  So I invite her to lunch with me and Rosemary.  I am betting that her first 18 years were a lot different than mine spent growing up in University Park .

We go to the Corner Bakery at Preston-Forest.  She says she was born in a small Polish town in 1940, the year after the Nazis had invaded and occupied Poland.  Her father and his two brothers had a business.  Her father, however, must have had a premonition about how bad it might get.

 

 

Here they come, Folks, let's start the celebration, Olivia and Shonda.

 

He took the family first to the Russian zone of Poland, and then managed to escape to Marseilles, France, on the Mediterranean.  From there they went to Israel when it was still a British holding.  Finally, they escaped to New York, where she grew up.  Her two uncles and all the extended family disappeared.

Again I am stunned and humbled to be in the presence of this person. 

 

 

Our Best Man, Cowboy Cole. 

 

I think all of us here and certainly myself, we hope to be light to others, like Isaiah promises.  Often it is the light of others that touches me.   Mike and Haya humble me, sensitize me,  and focus a whole new light on my own life, how blessed I am and have been.

Who is a light for you? 

And for whom are you a light?

 

Cowboy Cole, Take these Pagans out into the wilderness from whence they come and leave them.  No more love for you two.

 

Amos 7:   But Amos stood up to Amaziah: "I never set up to be a preacher, never had plans to be a preacher. I raised cattle and I pruned trees.  Then God took me off the farm and said, 'Go preach to my people Israel.'

Ephesians 1:  Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people – free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free!

Mark 6:   Then they were on the road. They preached with joyful urgency that life can be radically different;   right and left they sent the demons packing; they brought wellness to the sick, anointing their bodies, healing their spirits.