2nd Announcement for Palm Sunday, April 5, 2020

Readings:  Wisdom 1, 13-15, 2, 23-24; Psalm 30, I will Praise You, Lord, for You have rescued Me; 2 Corinthians 8, 7-15; Mark 5, 21-43.  

     

Wisdom: 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 centuries.  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.

Date: ca. 100-200 BCE.  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

This is Radical

There is a novel going around called Shanghai Girls, by Lisa See.  I recommend it. The novel tracks the lives of two middle class, educated sisters who are born in Shanghai in the 1920's or early '30's.   It follows them through a time in 1937 when the Japanese invaded China to the time when they end up in California as arranged brides. The novel has good character development and provides a view into a time just before & after the Second World War from the perspective of Chinese middle class women. 

What struck me in a unique way was the mother of the two girls.  She was, according to the girls, an old fashioned mother.  That is, she bound her feet so they would not grow.  From the novel I discovered what a barbaric & painful experience this was for women, young & old.  Imagine the pain of wearing shoes too tight or new.  Why?  Beauty?  I discovered in researching for our homily that another reason was to limit the mobility of women.  So they cannot run away or even run.  The reason for the demand was to limit mobility; the side effect was beauty, all because of male bias against women.

I remembered this novel when I read about Jesus healing two females.  Do you realize how radical this was, especially with the woman bleeding?  Leviticus, the third book of the Bible, has a lot to say about women who bleed.  For instance, a woman giving birth to a boy is ritually unclean for 7 days; a girl baby, 14 days (chapter12).

In Lev. 15 it says that during menstration, women were ritually unclean, which meant they were considered socially dead, not allowed in the temple, not allowed in the community, could not touch anyone and no one was allowed to touch them or their clothes or they, too, were ritually unclean.  So what does the lady in Mark do?   What does Jesus do?

Do you realize today how historic and universal this bias was against women?  Plato in The Republic says that Socrates asked, Do you know of any thing done by humans which is not done better by the male.

Hindus teach that a woman must immolate herself after her husband's death.  Buddhists consider it bad karma to be reincarnated as a woman.  Jewish men are taught to pray, Blessed be God who has not created me a heathen, a slave, or a woman.  Our Bible in Genesis blames a woman for the origin of evil in our world.

In 1873 in Illinois a case was decided against a woman.  She had passed the bar exam to be a lawyer, and the court would not grant her appeal to receive a law license.  A judge said that the place of a woman was in the home and that women did not have the fortitude to deal with such issues as the law.

The church fathers, as they are called, had their own bias.  St. Jerome says that when a woman wishes to serve God more that the world, then she will cease to be a woman and will be called a man.  You do not want to know what St. Augustine thinks about women.

So why this historic and universal bias against women by men (& women)?  One reason, from my research, blood.  Another is the male nervousness & weakness around women, beginning in adolescence.

So here comes Jesus along.  The woman touches him.  He could have had her killed by the crowd.  What was she doing in the crowd anyway?    And what does he do?  He calls her "Daughter," and heals her.  This is revolutionary.  He moves from bias to inclusion & acceptance.

In Galatians (Chapter 3) it says there is no male or female.  Just folks.  We are being called to get rid of the bias.  Women do not deserve to have their feet bound.

 

How is your bias barometer?  Any bias against women, men, a particular race, political party, a part of town, a school? 

Sources: The Sins of Scritpture, Bishop (Anglican) John Shelby Spong; Catholic Encyclopedia on line.

Audio on vacation this week & next, sorry.

Picture 1:  Mass with Kevin & Noah helping

Picture 2:  Kevin & Noah

Picture 3:  Birthdays & Anniversaries, Sue Tomas, Rick & Jackie, Sandra & Chuck Pratt

Picture 4:  Birthdays & Anniversaries, Nina Waldron, Barb & Warren Wittek

Isaiah 35:  Springs of water will burst out in the wilderness, streams flow in the desert.   Hot sands will become a cool oasis, thirsty ground a splashing fountain. 

James 2: Listen, dear friends. Isn't it clear by now that God operates quite differently? He chose the world's down-and-out as the kingdom's first citizens, with full rights and privileges. This kingdom is promised to anyone who loves God.

Mark 7:  He took the man off by himself, put his fingers in the man's ears and some spit on the man's tongue.  Then Jesus looked up in prayer, groaned mightily, and commanded, "Ephphatha! – Open up!" And it happened. The man's hearing was clear and his speech plain – just like that.

 

 

Another Reminder for 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 8, 2024

 

Note:  Because of popular demand and because I am still congested, no spin class for me at the J Monday morning.  John

 

 

 

Hi, Dearest Emma, Welcome in.

 

 

Readings:

Exodus 20, 1-17,  Yahweh gives the 10 Commandments to Moses

Psalm 19,  Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

 1 Corinthians 1, 22-25,  God is stronger

John  2,  13-25, Jesus cleans out the temple.

 

 

 

 

Tori & Zoe at work lighting our candles.
 

 

 

Exodus: 2nd book of the Bible & of the Torah, the first 5 books of the Bible.

 

Date of Composition: put together ca 450-400 BCE, though elements come from 1000 BCE at least.

 

Author(s):  Moses, no.  At least 3 sources, maybe 4, e.g., the Yahweh (J) source, the Elohim (E) source, the Priestly (P) source, and even the Deuteronomy Source. 

 

 

 

 

 

While Zoe & Tori light the candles, Georgie reads the Candle Blessing.

 

 

Subject:  The 10 Commandments–observations:

1. Academics see 3 maybe 4 versions of the 10 commandments, Exodus 34 (the oldest), Exodus 20 (our selection), Deuteronomy 5 (the last)
2. The versions come from the sources composing at different times, for example these 4

• The Yahweh Source, 10th Century BCE, therefore, Exodus 34    
• The Elohim Source, 9th Century BCE, therefore Exodus 20
• The Deuteronomy Source, 7th Century BCE, therefore Deuteronomy 5    
• The Priestly Source, edited all the sources in 6th Century BCE (450-400 BCE, at the end of the Babylonian Captivity).  The 7 Day Creation Story comes from this source at this time.

 

Source:  Bishop (Episcopal) John Shelby Spong (Excellent Biblical Scholar)

 

Side Note:  it is interesting to realize that the 10 Commandments are not considered the first set of laws.  For instance, the famous Code of Hamurabi .  Hamurabi was the ruler of Babylon (good old Babylon again) 18-20 centuries even before the Christ event.

 

 

 

 

Good Morning to the Kerns, Michael, Candy, Ben, and Holly around here somewhere.

 

 

The Week's Blessings (3)

Two Sundays before Ash Wednesday we had a first reading from the Book of Job.  Job was the man over whom Yahweh and Satan had a little wager.  

Job was a prosperous man.  So Satan bet that Job would curse Yahweh if Yahweh allowed Satan to send into his life a whole lot of afflictions.

 

 

 

 

And Good Morning to you, also, Vanessa and Stella.

 

 

The line that Job is famous for comes after Job has been flattened.  He says to his tormentors, “The Lord gives.  The Lord takes away.  Blessed be the Lord.” 

This has been one of those rare Job weeks in my life.  Things started going down Thursday about 2:00.  I felt a slight whisper in my chest.    I know my physical system well enough to spot when something different is happening.

 

 

 

 

The Team, Georgie & Buddy.

 

 

Rosemary & I had just spent Monday to Thursday with Kay Reddick in the small Ontario town of Lindsay.  We were just departing to drive into Toronto to share dinner with Renee, one of the Reddick kids. 

When we arrived at Renee’s house, I knew I was coming down with something.  It turned out to be Influenza Type B.  I struggled with that all the way home and through Saturday & Sunday until I saw my favorite internist Monday.  Initially, he thought I had severe chest congestion.  Only on a just to be sure did he do an influenza test.  In ten minutes my doctor said, “You got it.”

 

 

 

Ladies' Luncheon, Friday.

 

I felt immediate improvement once I got on Tamaflu.  What a gift.   But, as far as I was concerned this diagnosis complicated my life.  I had hoped to join the Dickinson team.  I never made it.  “The Lord gives.  The Lord takes away.  Blessed be the Lord.”

I truly have no significant reason to be anything other than grateful—for my health. 

 

 

 

Who let these people out on the streets?

 

I had a five day menu of Tamaflu and every morning I felt better until Saturday morning I woke up and knew I was healed.  I am grateful for my health.  I am disappointed I did not get to take part in Dickinson, but I am touched and proud of our community which contributed so much.

What are you grateful for this third Sunday of Lent?

 

 

 

This could be dangerous.

Acts of the Apostles 5:  So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.

Revelation 5:  To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and ever.

John 21:  Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.

Simon, son of John, do you love me?

 

 

Connie reading from the Acts of the Apostles

     

 

 

Thanks…

Music,    Ben & Shonda

Readers,  Connie & John

Gospel,    John Cade

Homily,  John Stack

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,      Mike & Hue & Richard & Kevin

Final Blessing, Rosemary

 

 

John reading from Revelation

 

 

 

 

Readings:  Download 05- 01-22 – Readings – 3rd Easter

Homily:  

 

 

 

The Community singing

 

 

 

Remember these special people:

For John Stack having a hard time right now with a bad back;  For Sandra who has been diagnosed with Large B Cell Lymphoma;   For Lambrini, John Cade's wife who is dealing with cancer;  For Tom Good;  For a young man, 19 struggling with a brain tumor and cancer;    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, and for Hue & Linda's daughter, Doctor Rosemary Beavers;   For Mary & Dave Hall's g-daughter Allison Keller working at St. Lukes, The Woodlands and for a friend Cadence still suffering from a serious medical condition;   For Sir Charlie & Jan;  All of Shonda's dear family;

                           

 

Shonda and Ben

Jackie's mom, sister, & friend, Lynn;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg.; For Meredith, cancer free & John Schanot;    For John O'Donnell & Jean;   For Jean & Cliff Wright;  For Dee, and for her daughters, Lisa & Lauren;     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; from Barbara, a little baby boy named Ford recuperating from an operation & friends, Annie, a mom of 3 kids and Michael ;    for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

 

 

Communion

                   

                  

Birthdays:  Denni Zurchin

Anniversaries:   

      

Community Finances:   

Expenses: $  765.00

Outreach: $  65.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

Communion
                                    

Rosemary's Blessing:  

 

Can you at TypePad please tell mye why I cannot up load pictures when I am away from my home computer. I am on the road, using my lap top and cannot load pictures. This is the third time I have experienced this inconvenience. Otherwise, things are okay.

 

 

Thanks…     

Music,   Ben

Community Finances:   

  Expenses: $    920.00

  Outreach: $    200.00 

 

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 

John and Connie share about their trip to Ireland

 

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

from Pope Francis

 

“Rivers do not drink their own water;

trees do not eat their own fruit;

the sun does not shine on itself

and flowers do not spread their fragrance for themselves.

Living for others is a rule of nature.

We are born to help each other.

No matter how difficult it is.

Life is good when you are happy

but much better when others are happy because of you.

Let us remember that pain is a sign that we are alive,

problems are a sign that we are strong and

prayer is a sign that we are not alone.

If we can acknowledge these truths and

condition our hearts and minds, our lives will be more meaningful,

different and

worthwhile.”