12th Sunday, Ordinary Time, June 21, 2020, Fathers’ Day

Readings:  Isaiah 45, 1-6; Psalm 96; 1 Thessalonians 1, 1-5; Matthew 22, 15-21

Isaiah: This selection comes from what is probably Isaiah 2, written some centuries after the first 39 chapters.  Isaiah speaks from Yahweh's perspective and He is calling someone by name.

Thessalonians:

• Time written: ca. 52 A.D.  Considered Paul's first letter.

• Place: Paul was writing in Corinth, Greece to the town in northern Greece, Thessalonica, at the northern corner of the Aegean Sea.

• Purpose of writing: to comfort and encourage the new Christians of Thessalonica, most of whom were Gentiles.

Picture 1: Beginning of Mass

Picture 2: Choir, Wendy, Shonda, & Ray

Called to Caretake

Last Tuesday Rosemary went to visit a woman named Robin Reddick.  Robin is Kay Reddick's daughter and it was Kay who visited us last January around the time of my birthday.  Robin, who is 50, has never spoken a word in her life, has a severe case of Down's Syndrome and has lived in special homes for the majority of her life. 

To celebrate Kay's 80th birthday Rosemary & I went to visit her in Lindsay, Ontario, a little town about 2 hours north east of Toronto.  I've known & had a special relationship with the Reddicks & their 6 kids since I studied Theology in Toronto from '68-'72.  When I visit them I almost always visit Robin. 

We found Robin in the dining room of the center.  She was asleep at the table semi-reclining in a wheel chair that tilts back.  Next to her right was Irene, a little lady asleep with her head almost touching the edge of the table.  Across the table was Gladys who said repeatedly, "I'm a graduate nurse," and referring to Robin sleeping in her wheel chair, "She is never a problem." 

I always have the question, "Why," when I visit Robin.  Kay says that without saying a word, Robin has profoundly effected her life for the better.  Robin lives in this facility now because she is declining in health, sleeps most of the time, and frequently does not eat.   For the first time ever Robin had tears in her eyes while we were there.  What is the feeling behind the tears?  What is going on inside Robin?

While I was humbled by my time with Robin as usual, I was equally struck this time by the staff.  Ontario does a terrific job with such services.  There must have been about 5 women serving lunch to ten tables of four persons each.  These women humbled me.  They laughed, they played, they knew the names of all the elderly & handicapped people, and they teased them.   I got up once and served tea to Gladys and the ladies were all appreciative.  They were hand feeding some people and all the while talking to them. 

These care taking ladies came to mind when I reflected upon today's readings.  In Matthew we hear about giving to the state and giving to God.  In Thessalonians, Paul says they are chosen.  In Isaiah, Yahweh says, "I have called you by your name."  That confounds me when I think about Robin.  Does Yahweh call her by name?  Does Yahweh choose her?  To do what?  To what kind of life? 

I can see the care taker ladies being called by name & chosen to nurture those people in their charge.  In fact, I see all of us who are not like Robin to be called to care take.  This is how I understand the Matthew reading about rendering to Caesar.  We care take in ever wider circles, beginning with those closest to me physically, perhaps my family.  Then as a Christian I am called to care take my village, my town, my state, my country, my globe?  

I remain confounded by Robin's life.  However, I have no doubts that I am called to care take people in ways similar and dissimilar than the ladies at the center. 

Name three people you care take in your life.  Whom do you care take in the beyond, like nationally?

AUDIO:  http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2008-10-19.mp3

Readings:

Ezekiel  18, 25-28,  Is it my way that is not fair?

 Psalm 25,   Remember your mercies, Oh Lord.

Philippians 2, 1-11,  God greatly exalted him.

Matthew 20, 1-16,  The man who had two sons. 

Homily by John Cade

Homily:  I want to focus today on Jesus’ teaching that God is now and was always with us, and how we can see God. There’s that Bible verse in today’s Responsorial Psalm 86 vs.5 that says “You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness.” Stack has said it’s his favorite line in the Bible.  I decided to google this verse and found the same words in multiple places in the Bible.  Psalm 145: vs. 8-9 has exactly the same lines. And Psalm 103 vs. 8 has the same.  And it’s not just in the Psalms.  The Book of Exodus Ch. 34, verse 6 reads, “The Lord is a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness.” The Book of Joel Ch. 2, verse 13 has exactly the same line. And the Book of Jonah Ch. 4, verse 2 has the same.

The take-away from those verses that describe God as “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and rich in kindness,” could be that whenever we see those traits and those behaviors, we are seeing God.  Jesus’ said the kingdom of God is here, and is experienced when we share mercy and kindness with one another.

On July 4^th I joined a group of family and friends for the Fair Park fireworks display. At the end of the evening Leo & Freddie, seeing fireworks for the first time, said, “This was the coolest ever.”

Later I remembered some of what I saw and experienced about being gracious and showing kindness.

1. I got to Fair Park early and walked around, then sat on a bench eating a corn dog slathered with mustard. I saw a woman walking with 2 children and an infant in a stroller. The little one dropped a stuffed toy to the ground. Another woman saw it and, noticing the mother hadn’t seen it happen, called out to her and pointed to it.  They made eye contact and I saw them connect with a smile as the mother picked up the toy. This was a brief but gracious human contact.
2. At one point after our group got together at the lagoon, my nephew Merik, offered to take Leo and Freddie on a walk around the lagoon. He entertained them for 30 or 40 minutes, and his act of kindness allowed the other adults time to visit.
3. Gina, a close friend of my daughters Joey and Sam, came with her husband and 2 daughters, who are a little older than my grandsons. Gina thought about the 4 kids who would be there and brought snacks for all of them and also light sticks to make necklaces or bracelets or, like Freddie, just to wave around. The kids loved it and I took note of her thoughtful kindness.
4. Most of the group had gotten snow cones while walking around. So I decided to get in line for a snow cone for myself (I was told that there were sugar free ones) and for Gina’s daughter who had missed out on one. It was a really long line of more than 30 people. After a while I struck up a conversation with a woman in line. Later another woman, also in line, joined in the conversation. At one point the latter woman, who was sort of ahead of me and the first women (line not straight but uneven), offered that we both go ahead of her. Of course by this point we had all been in line a long time and had tired feet. That was another act of kindness and mercy.

My question: when have you seen God lately?  And when do others see God in you?

Readings: Exodus 16, 2-15; Psalm 78, The Lord gave them bread from heaven; Ephesians 4, 17-24; John 6, 24-35

Exodus

Over the past several weeks John, (Stack) has been telling us about the real starting point of the history of the Jewish people.  Starting with the death of Solomon the kingdom is divided, and then follows invasion after invasion.  First the northern kingdom, Israel, is wiped out by the Assyrians, and never recovers, around the year 732.  Then the southern kingdom of Judah falls to the Babylonians, and the people are taken away into captivity, the city and more importantly the temple is destroyed!  We find the beginnings of the written Old Testament at this time.  The story of the Exodus, when the people were enslaved, rang true for the people, had a big impact.  This offered them hope in Babylon. 

The book of Exodus has three main sections.  One – the stubbornness of the Pharaoh is overcome when Yahweh hears the cry of the slaves.  Two – the Sinai event, the covenant and finally, Three – the coming into the Promised Land.  This all took 40 years, and so we need to have stories in-between.  Today’s is one of these, showing Yahweh feeding his people, who are into some serious grumbling!

Ephesians

An interesting letter, attributed to Paul, but we know better.  Probably written after Paul’s death in Rome .  Not too clear that in fact it was written for the folk in Ephesus or was more a letter, which could have gone to anyone.  There are no issues, which are being addressed going on in a local community.  But there are some interesting items in this letter.  This is the letter where we are told that wives need to be submissive to their husbands, children obey their parent, and slaves be obedient to their masters.  Parts of this letter could easily be parts of very early liturgies.

Homily for Sunday August 2, 2009

I think the topic for consideration today has to be connected with food— or by extension nourishment!  We are in John’s Gospel.  Last week we had the feeding of the 5,000 or if you prefer, the feeding of John Stack on a stopped train somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Africa.  Food figures very frequently in the stories we have about Jesus, culminating with the Last Supper.  Jesus uses meals to really get people thinking again about their lives.  He dines with sinners, eats on the Sabbath, feeds the multitudes a couple of times, goes to wedding feasts and probably gets everyone drunk!  And finally adds a whole new layer of meaning to the Passover Meal.

But I want to suggest another form of nourishment, which we find frequent reference to, and that is ”spiritual nourishment”.  We have many, many examples of Jesus going off by himself into the hills to pray.   In this country we are more than blessed with the physical nourishment, we are “super-sized”, and unfortunately life seems so busy that the “Spiritual Nourishment” can too easily be forgotten.  I find that my prayers are the same ones I learned as a child, and I now try to find new ways to pray.  Part of the challenge is that I needed to update my images of God too.  The childish ones have had to go.  There is no tall bearded man up in the sky!  I am challenged to replace this god, my creation, with one more in keeping with our better understanding of the universe.  Plus, recall, the minute I have God figured out, I am probably in heresy!!!!

Our community, getting together each week is a huge help.  I have a chance to sit and listen to the Scriptures, reflect on their meanings as they apply to my life.  I have a chance to interact with others in a different way than I do with people I meet thru work.  Sometimes prayer is just sitting and listening to God, and sometimes it is God listening to me.  Then there can be other times when we can both just sit and be!  The silence, which happens when two people are very comfortable together.

Picture 1: Mass with Tony, Kevin and T.J.

Picture 2: Wendy, Shonda and Ray

Picture 3: Charley Keszler, Diamond (Gayle & Tony's niece), Gayle and Tony

Picture 4: Jane and Paul Drake

Thanks so much John & Mike & Buddy for helping me out when I could not come in this morning.  It's been a long time since I came down with a chest cold like this one I picked up.

Readings:

Genesis 22, 1-2, 9, 10-18,  Yahweh tells Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac.

Psalm 116,  I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

Romans 8, 31-34-22,  If God is for us, who can be against us?

Mark 9, 2-10, The Transfiguration.

Good Morning, My Dearest Tori.

Our First Reading is about Abraham from the Book of Genesis. I will share something about it later.

Our Second Reading contains my favorite verse from Romans

Thanks, Emma, for always being ready to light our candles.

Homily:

In our Liturgical Calendar, the gospel on the second Sunday of Lent is always that of the Transfiguration.  In our three year calendar today’s gospel is according to Mark.  Last year it was from Matthew, and next year it will be from Luke.  The Church also chose, at some time in the past, to have similiar texts about Abraham as the First Reading on the Second Sunday of Lent

Today we listened to the messenger from heaven telling Abraham,  ‘Since you did not withhold from God your beloved son, He will bless you with descendants as countless as the stars of the sky.’

Mike homilizing.

With regard to this myth about Abraham’s relationship with God in the Book of Genesis, it touches not only upon Jews, but today’s Muslims and Christians as well.  One of our favorite VBS hymns is ‘Father Abraham.’

In today’s gospel reading, Elijah and Moses represent the expectation of the Prophets and the Law for the coming of the Messiah; His words fulfill theirs.

Thanks, Mike.

Today’s visually brilliant presentation of the Father’s beloved Son, reminds us of the many times in the Gospel where not only Jesus is called the Light of the World, we too have been given that name when the Spirit transforms us to be the Body of Christ in the world.  We are God’s sons and daughters.

Think about the story of Elijah where the bowl of flour and the jar of oil never run dry, it is fulfilled by the Bread blessed and broken who has come down from heaven, celebrated in our liturgy of the Eucharist for all time.

No wonder you are such a neat kid, Buddy.  You are a Longhorn.

The prophecy of Moses, is that God will send to us the New Prophet, who will speak the words of God.  It is fulfilled by his beloved Son, with this command to us, ‘Listen to him.’

This week when and where will we find a secret place to listen to him to transform us?

Sorry, Ben, I could not help you this morning.  I was totally in bed, a strange place for me in the daytime.

Mike helping us with the persistent widow.

Readings: 

Exodus 17, 8-13  Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

Psalm 121,  Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

2 Timothy 3, 14-4, 2,  Remain faithful to what you have learned.

Luke 18, 1-8, Because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her.  

Grace enters, sans bike.

Introduction to Exodus:

 Recall that the Book
of Genesis ends with the Israelites still in Egypt.  When the Book of Exodus begins, a new Pharaoh
ordered that all newly born Hebrew males were to be thrown into the Nile River
to die, for he feared the sheer number of the Israelites. The Egyptian men
would continue to take their young women and use them as slaves, the older
would die, and the Israelites would vanish from the face of the
earth—genocide.  

Cole ready to take off.

The inspired writers tell us that God had something else in
mind.  He used Moses, who had been hidden
at birth, to have Pharaoh change his mind and set the Israelites free.  The ensuing journey of the Israelites to
receive the Law, a covenant with God, and finally their own land is presented
in the rest of the first five books of the Bible.

That journey would take forty
years.   Our First Reading from the Book
of Exodus is from the first month of that journey.  

The reading from Second Timothy is also part
of today’s theme of having faith in God.

Georgie ready for service.

Homily

 Jesus presented a
parable to his disciples to teach them to pray always. Widows, along with the
orphans, are the poorest of the poor.  The
widow who had been ripped off in our gospel was from apparently a very small
village.   The judge is her worst
nightmare!  He does not respect God or
neighbor. He’s unwilling to even listen to her.

 However, we are told
that she doesn’t lose heart.   Why?  Because Jesus’ words have taught her that
women do have rights and power, and that ‘one with God is a majority.’  In faith she perseveres; and her prayer is
answered.  

Cupcakes of The Week to Bill and CC (on opposite edges of the age spectrum).

I visualize her using a walking stick as she comes to the
gate of the village where this judge arrogantly resides for business.  Each day she stands a little closer to him as
she speaks; and each day, to the judge, the size and appearance of her walking
stick becomes a little larger and more ominous. 
Finally, standing very close to him one day, he decides that he will
deliver her a just decision so that she will not strike him! 

Harper accepting Cathy's Cupcake of the Week.

Jesus states that his Father will bring justice to those who
put their faith in him.  But today’s
parable story ends with the question, ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory
will he find faith on earth. 

Offertory, Brent and Meredith.

The answer was given by the poor widow of the parable.  His faithful bride, who prays without ceasing,
who listens to, and obeys his words, will be waiting for him when he comes in
glory.

Harper happy with that Cupcake.

Today, as always, we have come together to be united in
prayer. We have come to pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks,
for that is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus.’  

Robyn and Brian .

This Liturgy is the Prayer of the People of God, and it
joins us at this moment with people celebrating it all over this world as we
ask the Spirit to come upon us through the Gospel and the Bread about to be
blessed and broken. 

Mr. Leo, the photogenic.

We are Christ’s body
especially when we join our hands and raise them toward God in prayer with the
words that Christ taught us to bring about his kingdom by forgiving others,
like the unjust judge, as we have been forgiven.

Rosemary with her blessing.

Readings: Malachi 3, 19-20; Psalm 98; 2 Thessalonians 3, 7-12; Luke 21, 5-19

Observations on Malachi:

 Interesting notes:

                   1.  This is the last book of the Old Testament.  Fitting for the last Sunday of the church calendar year.  Next week, Christ the King, then Advent and a new church calendar year begins.

                   2.  A little book, only 4 chapters.

                   3.  Last of the 12 minor prophets (because of their small content)

Author: Malachi means “my messenger” in Hebrew. The writer’s real name is unknown.

 Date: 400-500 years before Christ.  This is deduced from the emphasis on the temple and the priesthood, and the word “governor” used one time.  Governors ruled after the Bbylonian Exile, ca. 590-550, kings before.    

 The temple was rebuilt ca. 520 after the Israelites came back ca. 550 from the Babylonian Exile.  The Persian ruler Cyrus let them return & rebuild the old walls & temple. 

 Message:  Beware, you priests and people, because you are lax, corrupt, and cheating god of his rightful offerings

Today’s Message:

                   1.  a day is coming when the bad guys will get it.

                   2.  fear my name and find healing.

 Sources:  Good News Bible; New Interpreter’s Study Bible; The Minor Prophets by Al Maxey (on line); & Wikipedia

Fear

 Tuesday we celebrate the anniversary of an event that took place in 1989, 21 years ago. 

 It happened in the middle of the night on the campus of UCA, the University of Central America.  All was quiet.  6 Jesuit priests were either asleep or close to it in their residence.  Their housekeeper & her daughter were in the apartment in the rear.  The university is a Jesuit university, like the U. of San Francisco, Georgetown, Fordham, and others in the States. 

 About midnight witnesses heard a great commotion at the door of the residence, yelling and banging.  Outside were 40-50 soldiers dressed in camophlage.  They broke the door and stormed in.  Going room to room, they busted down doors, smashed windows, and dragged the 6 Jesuits and their housekeeper & daughter into the inner patio.

 The banging and breaking and yelling continued for about an hour.  Around 1:00 people outside began to hear shots.  One by one the 8 people were shot in the head from behind. 

 9 years before this, on March 24, 1980, a similar event had happened in the same country, El Salvador.  Archbishop Oscar Romero was shot by a single assassin in the middle of his Mass in a chapel at a hospital in San Salvador.

 I talk about this this morning because, first, it still moves me and, secondly, according to the readings, especially good old Luke, this is exactly what is going to happen to you, to us. 

So what is our response?  Two observations.

 First, Malachi and the prophets of the O.T. declare that the bad things that happen in our lives are because we have been bad, lax, unfaithful, mean, greedy.  God will punish us.  And if we are good, God will reward us.  Today this thinking is called the gospel of wealth,  In fact, if you just send money to our church God will multiply your donation & you will be rich.

 It does not take much experience to know this just does not happen.  I just heard about a 3 year old girl with cancer.  God is not punishing her, or her parents.

 Secondly, I remind you of an idea I have talked about before, the three fundamental motives, fear, hope for reward, & love and gratitude. 

 We can walk through life fearful of everything and never savor the beauty.  My old time Catholic religious training used fear a lot.  You have a date, you mess around, you get killed on the way home, you go straight to hell.  Not quite.

 Better than fear is the motive of reward.  High school football playoffs are in full swing right now.  In August these kids were going through hell, working like crazy to win a championship or even a place on a team.

 And then there is doing it because of love.  We build houses with Habitat because we love to help the less fortunate and are so grateful for what we have.  Because I love people I visit them when they are sick, having a hard time, or struggling with life.

 So how do we respond when we read about all these bad things coming our way?   We don’t fear they will happen to us.  Fr. Jack Deeves lived all those 80 plus years without such bad things.  Like Jack & the other 6 Jesuits in San Salvador, we love life and people. 

 What is your response?

 Picture 1:   Begining Mass with Kevin

 Picture 2:   Offertory with Ray, Dawn, & Loretta

 Picture 3:   Emma

 Picture 4:   Sienna with Robyn