Trinity Sunday, June 7, 2020,

Rosemary's Blessing:

O God, we thank you for the fact that you have inspired men and women in all nations and in all cultures. We call you different names: some call you Allah; some call you Elohim; some call you Jehovah; some call you Brahma; some call you the Unmoved Mover. But we know that these are all names for one and the same God. Grant that we will follow you and become so committed to your way and your kingdom that we will be able to establish in our lives and in this world a brother and sisterhood, that we will be able to establish here a kingdom of understanding, where men and women will live together as brothers and sisters and respect the dignity and worth of every human being. In the name and spirit of Jesus. Amen.

 

Taken from The prayers of Martin Luther King Jr.  by John Dear appearing in the National Catholic Reporter, January 15, 2013

 

 

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The Production Team.

 

Thanks to the Team

Music, Shonda & Ben

Readers, Rose & Patricia,  & Buddy, the candle blessing

Eucharistic Prayer & Gospel, John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers, Mike & Ben & Becky & Richard & Tom

Final Blessing, Rosemary

 

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Almost time, 9:30

 

Readings:

Exodus, 34, 4-6, 8-9, The Lord, gracious and merciful, rich in kindness & fidelity. 

Daniel (Psalm) 3, Glory & Praise forever.

2 Corinthians  13, 11-13, The Grace of the Lord Jesus and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.

John 3, 16-18,  God so loved the world…

 

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On air.

 

Please Remember these special people:

For Jim Esparza, the son of Frank & Mary, who just passed Saturday with sepsis;   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;   For Jim Esparza, the son of Frank & Mary;   For Joe Hogan with cancer;  For Loretta's aunt Alicia;   For Ryan, Rosemary's nephew, who had surgery; For Bill Hammond,    For Sydney;  & For Sir Charlie;  Shonda's mom;   for Michelle;  For a friend, a neighbor, & a doctor, Karen, with brain cancer; For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg; For Meredith, cancer free.;    For Hue;  For John O'Donnell;    For Dee, and for her daughter, Lisa; For John Schanot's continued health;  For Anthony & Sabrina;    For a young man who is suffering from depression;  John Cade's mother in law, Kalliopi Piskiouli and Lambrini;  Virginia Mattingly

 

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Becky & Tom.

 

Birthdays:  Shonda (last Week), Deacon Mike ordained '78, Bill Ekes, Alison DeGenova 

Anniversary:  The McClurgs, Diane & Kent, 48 years, & Diane's knee replacement this week.

 

 

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On air with Ben.

 

This  week's Readings:

 

Download MASS 20 0607 Trinity Readings

 

 

Homily by John Stack

Here it is, folks, that line again, the one that says The Lord is gracious and merciful, never gets angry and abounding in love.  That summarizes for me who our God is.

I want to talk this morning about a black lady I knew when I was teaching at Jesuit '65-'68.  She was one of the first important black persons in my life who exemplified this description of God.  You ever heard of Juanita Craft?  A big lady with a big voice and a bigger heart.  She was elected to the Dallas City Council after I had departed Dallas.  She came to my '71 ordination in a police car at the old St. Rita.

Juanita taught me at least 3 lessons.   First she taught me how to take charge and get things done with grace.  This came about because she invited me to join her and about 25 young members of the Dallas NAACP on a greyhound type bus trip to the annual NAACP convention in Atlantic City.  I must admit that I gulped a time or two, then accepted her invitation.  I was the only white guy on that bus.  Juanita charged each of those kids to be the best  & clean that bus every time we got off that bus.

I was impressed as a fellow bus driver at Jesuit.  Never had I instructed my Jesuit kids on the bus to clean up.  I did that after.  Because of Juanita I realized I could organize a planting of 400 trees, put together a group of friends to visit Yosemite, and accept an invitation to work in East Africa.

Because Juanita was abounding in love, she taught me how to ask help from others.  Therefore I wrote to my Jesuit confreres at Georgetown and asked if they could shuttle two dozen black kids around D.C. for a day.  Not only did they supply about 5 cars and guides, they invited the whole bunch of us to dinner in the Jesuit dining room that evening.  The Jesuits were gracious and merciful

 

You will never guess what I did when I returned to Dallas from Atlantic City.   I accepted Juanita's invitation to move into her little house in South Dallas and help her with the NAACP youth group that summer.  I knew then, Black Lives Do Matter.

 

How do Black Lives matter to you?

 

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Ben doing the Magic.

 

 

And a repeat:

Birthdays:  Shonda (last week), Bill Ekes, Alison, Deacon Mike ordained '78

Anniversaries:  McClurgs, 48 years & Diane has a knee replacement this week.

 

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Communion for Mike.

 

Community Finances, June 7, 2020

Expenses: $825.00

Outreach:  $500.00  (often for Souls Harbor, Legacy, etc.)

This week we donated $1,500 to Soul's Harbor.

 

Thanks, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 

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  • Sunday Homily,June 5, 2016, 10th Sunday Ordinary Time C

    Readings:                          

    1 Kings   17,  17-24, See, your son is alive.

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

    Galatians 1, 11-19,    The gospel preached by me is not of human origin.

    Luke 7, 11-17,  The dead man sat up and began to speak.

     

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    Welcome, Vivian.  It is so nice to see you.  You are gorgeous.

     

    1 Kings observations:

    What :  1 Kings is the third book in a 4 book semi-historical history of the early tribe of Israelites.  The books, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings.  The story goes from Samuel, the last of the judges, to Saul, the first of the kings, to King David (with Goliath, Jonathan, Mikah and dancing, Bathsheba & Solomon).

    The two books of Kings focus on Solomon and his building of the temple and, finally, the split into two states, Israel in the north, Juda in the south with Jerusalem.  Ultimately, the story tells the defeat of the state of Israel by Syria and the disappearance of those northern 10 tribes. 

     

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    Harper, too, says, "Welcome, Vivian, and welcome, Everybody."

     

     

    When composed:   during the Babylonian Captivity, ca. 555 before Christ.  Why at this time?  Same reason why so much was composed at this time, to explain why the Captivity, to keep the tribal identity, and to provide hope for a brighter future.

    Who composed:   Tradition said Jeremiah the prophet, but contemporary studies show at least 3 writers.

    Today's selection:  the prophet Elijah raises the dead son of a widow.

    Sources: New Jerusalem Bible, Wikipedia

     

    Tori 1

     

    And sez Victoria, "Hi, Everybody, it is nice to be back." 

     

     

    Giving Life

    This morning we have two stories of people giving life.  First, Elijah brings back to life the son of a poor widow.  Similarly, Jesus brings back to life the son of another poor widow.  Of course, we all think, ‘Well, that does not apply to me.  I cannot bring people back to life.’

    Two observations. 

     

    Cathy 1

    She is back, Folks.  Welcome home, Cathy, from Turkey.

     

     

    First, it was common currency for the people to give to their leaders, whether religious or political leaders, the power to give people life.  You were not much of a leader if you could not bring people back from the dead.

    Secondly, I would propose that, despite what you are thinking, you and I all have the gift to bring people back to life.  One example. 

     

    Team 1

     

    The Team with special help from Buddy.

     

    Fr. Duffy.  I never had the opportunity to memorialize Duffy or attend his memorial because Rosemary & I were out of town.  Here is how Duffy gave life to me and to the people of St. Marks. 

    Before Duffy arrived at St. Marks I had worked for some years saying the 9:00 A.M. Mass in Spanish in the cafetorium or the English Mass in the church and, of course, the 10:30 cafetorium Mass.  Only once in those years did I ever enter the rectory.  That was because the bishop came to dinner one evening.

     

    Dinsmores 1

     

    College is out.  Welcome home Dana and Dawson.  Your mom is happy.

     

     

    When Duffy settled in, guess what.  The rectory was wide open.  Welcome, everybody.  I remember when I would finish the two Masses I was exhausted.  I would cross the patio and head to the rectory.  I would go upstairs to take a 20 minute nap in an empty guest bedroom. 

    Then I would come down to the kitchen where Rita had made chocolate chip cookies big as dinner plates and homemade vanilla ice cream. Yes, you know it.  Wow!   I had a cookie and ice cream seated at the big dining room table where Duffy held court.  This continued even after he had his medical problems and did not say Masses.  He welcomed everybody.  It was like a train station in there.

     

    Music 1

     

    The Best Music, Shonda, Bethany, David, and, of course, Vivian.

     

    Before he got sick he totally turned on the people of St. Marks.  He welcomed.  He, also, had an amazing gift for the comic and camaraderie.   

    Remember the first communion Masses we used to have on Saturdays?  Remember the two special ones?

     

    Offertory

    Offertory, Mary & Frank, Grace and Cheryl.

     

     

    Duffy used to ask the kids who was Jesus’ mom, and his dad.  You got the answer, you got a dollar.  Then, who is the holiest priest in St. Marks for five dollars?   Who was it?  Duffy, of course.  No way.  Duffy calls a little girl.  She whispers, “Fr. Stack!   This, of course, brought down the house and Duffy, of course, put on a dance. 

    This happened two years in a row.  The second year I was concelebrating.  When another little girl said Fr. Stack and Duffy started dancing around, I came down from the altar platform and gave the girl $5. 

     

    Cade 1

     

    "Oh, No," sez John, "I forgot to pick up the coffee."

     

    Life at St. Marks with Duffy was so much fun, full of life, and always, “welcome, everybody!”   Duffy gave me life.  Duffy gave us life.  Duffy gave the people life. 

    Who has given you life?  Who gives you life?

    To whom do you give life and how? 

  • Sunday Homily 4-4-10, Easter

    Readings: Acts 10, 34-43; Psalm 118, This is the Day the Lord has Made, Lus Us Rejoice and be Glad; 1 Corinthians 5, 6-8; John 20, 1-9 

     

    The Readings:

     

    It is almost impossible for us today to understand how significant the story told in Chapter 10 of Acts was for the Jewish people at the time Luke wrote it.  Our first reading is part of that narrative.  The two main characters are Peter, who is in Caesarea, and Cornelius a Roman Centurion, in Jaffa, about 30 miles south on the Mediterranean coast. The scene is the home of Cornelius a centurion.

     

    Mass Beginning 4-4-10

     

     Remember up to this point the Jews had felt like they had a monopoly on God.  In this chapter 10 Luke uses two separate incidents taking place in different locations to set the stage for our reading.  We meet Cornelius having a vision of an angel who tells him to send for Peter.  Meantime Peter is sitting hungry on the roof in Caesarea and has a vision of all different kinds of animals and being told by God to eat. 

     

    Grand dad Tony 4-4-10

     

    There is the usual discussion about unclean and Peter is made to see that God only makes clean!  The folks from Jaffa arrive and summon Peter to go see Cornelius.  Peter heads off to Jaffa, worried about his dream and then when he hears about Cornelius’ dream he sees the connection and proceeds to baptize Cornelius and his household.  Our first reading today is what can best be described as a quick lesson from Peter about Jesus. 

     

    With Mom, Julie 4-4-10

       

    Our second reading is from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians.  I am going to take a certain amount of license in focusing only on the word yeast in the reading, as the full topic of this section of the Letter does not need to be brought up here.  Read it for yourselves!  Yeast is used in beer making and bread making and basically it converts sugars into bubbles.  So we are to be bubbles in society! Gas pockets!  But seriously, when I think about yeast, I think about the huge effect just a little has on the dough.  And for us in society as Christians, I believe that we too can have a huge effect on society.

     

    Easter Homily:

     

     

    I remember one Easter when I was studying in seminary.  We normally had to stay in the seminary until Easter Sunday morning before we could go home for Easter holidays.  This one year I skipped out and caught the boat from Dublin to England arriving at about 6AM.  I found a church and went to early morning Mass on Easter Sunday and then took the tube out to my cousin Eileen’s flat in Kensington.  She was married to Bill who was protestant,  Church of England.  Bill was going to church that morning and invited me to my first protestant Easter Service. 

     

    Quads 1 4-4-10
     

      

    I can remember being amazed by the fact that most of the service was all about Easter eggs.  The whole sanctuary of the church was full of them.  I had never associated the Resurrection with eggs before then.  Yes, we always got chocolate Easter eggs, but I put them in the same category as toys at Christmas, nothing to do with the Birth of Jesus, just a very happy coincidence! 

     

     

     

    Right now in our front garden at home there is a dove, patiently sitting on some eggs in a nest in one of the trees.  Our next-door neighbor has a duck doing the same thing in their front garden in some bushes.  The Church, by some happy coincidence chose spring as the time of year to celebrate the Resurrection and I think this gives us our first clue in how we should view the Resurrection.  We can’t understand it, it is a mystery, but analogies can help us part of the way.  The Resurrection requires an act of Faith, end of story.  Don’t try to understand it.  It is outside our human capability.

     

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    And it was outside the expectations of the apostles and also of Mary of Magdala in our Gospel reading today.  She was heading to the tomb to properly bury Jesus.  As you will recall, when Jesus was arrested it was abandon ship, everyone fled, Peter didn’t hesitate to deny that he even knew Jesus.  We know that the apostles went back to their old trades, Peter, James and John to being fishermen. 

     

     

    The event we are celebrating today was not what any of the people who had walked with Jesus before his death had expected.  And it is not an easy event to describe and understand.  So the accounts in the New Testament are all over the map on what exactly happened, but one thing was certain in the minds of the early church; God had raised Jesus from the grave and that made all the difference in their lives. 

    If we look back at the different gospels readings we have listened to during this lent we will recall the Temptation of Jesus, were Jesus is tempted and so can understand when we are tempted. 

     

      Holy Thursday 4-4-10

     

    The story of the Transfiguration, when Peter attempted to capture the impossible moment by putting up tents, again a perfectly human reaction to being faced with the Divine, the second chance being given to the useless fig tree and then the two very powerful stories of forgiveness with the Prodigal Son and the Woman caught in adultery. 

     

     

     

    The strong message of forgiveness from these stories has to give us hope and encouragement.   We can always start anew with God his love is constant.  And the message of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus is that an indication of how unreserved that love is.  Armed with the knowledge of God’s love and forgiveness, we can be like yeast to the lives of those we meet in the world.  Lets not worry about how big a difference we will make, let’s just be sure we make a difference. 

    The message, the victory of Easter, is that mankind’s biggest fear, death is finally laid to rest. 

     

     Good Friday Stations 4-4-10
     

     

    We have a God who not only loves us unconditionally, but who wants us to be in His presence forever.  Not something which we can prove or even understand, except thru faith.  The presence of the Holy Spirit helped the early Christians believe, and that same Spirit can help us today too.  We too have a new life.  Happy Easter. 

     

     

    Picture 1:  Mass beginning

     

    Picture 2:  Want to know what happens to priests who marry?  They become grand dads.  Fr. Tony with Emma.

     

    Picture 3:  And with mom, Julie

     

    Picture 4:  Quads with mom & dad

     

    Picture 5:  Quads  with grandmother & aunt

     

    Picture 6:   Holy Thursday, Washing of Hands, at the Robinsons

     

    Picture 7:  Good Friday Stations at the Robinsons

     

  • Sunday Homily 7-26-09; 17th Ordinary Time

    Readings: 2 Kings 4, 42-44; Psalm 145, The Hand of the Lord feeds Us; He answers all Our Needs; Ephesians 4, 1-6; John 6, 1-15 

    Mass 7-26-09  

    Kings: 4 observations–

    Subject Matter: The Kings, naturally.  Especially Solomon after the death of his father, David.  But also treated:

        1.  The temple.  Solomon builds it.

        2.  The death of Solomon who held the nation together.

        3.  Division: Israel in the north breaks away from Judah in the south.

        4.  Israel destroyed completely by the Assyrians, ca. 720.

        5.  Fall of Jerusalem & destruction of the Temple; Nebuchadnezzar & the Babylonian Captivity, ca. 585 BCE.

        6.  Cyrus of Persia releases the Jews to return to Jerusalem after defeating the Babylonians (remember Babylon was near present day Bagdhad).

    Date: from 900 – ca. 550 BCE, or from Solomon to Nebuchadnezzar & Cyrus

    Authors: a compilation of many sources that was put together at the end of the Babylonian Captivity, ca. 550 BCE.

    Our Selection: There are 2 significant prophets, Elijah & Elisha, his son.  In this piece, Elisha it telling a man with 20 loaves of bread to feed a crowd.  This is a lead into the Gospel of John about feeding the multitude. 

    Sources: Encyclopedia of Judaism, Wikipedia

    Carey & Kovatis 7-26-09

    The Miracle of Sharing My Food

    I hate to do this to you folks, but every time I read this story about 5 loaves and 2 fish feeding a crowd of 5,000 men (to say nothing of the women), I am reminded of my days in Tanzania, East Africa.  You who have heard these stories, please forgive me.  They just clarify so much.  Here we go.

    I was on an overnight train.  I was traveling from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the capitol, to Moshi, a town near Kilimanjaro, where the Jesuits had a small one to three person house, which I used as a base when I was not traveling around Tanzania, Kenya, & Uganda giving seminars and retreats.

    I had arrived in Dar es Salaam late for some reason and could not make an advance reservation for a first class cabin, which was the only way to go.  You shared a little compartment with another guy.  Because I was without reservation, I had to buy a coach ticket.  These trains are marvelous old antiques from the colonial age, but travel by coach is mayhem.  They are packed.  Don't dream of getting a seat.  Just be grateful that you can get inside.  Which I did, sitting on my one small suitcase, expecting to be awake all night listening to the kids, chickens, ducks, and snores of the few who had a seat and the ability to sleep through it all. 

    You board this train for a 7:00 P.M. departure.  You expect to arrive Moshi around 5:00 A.M.   This particular night the train came to a halt at about 1:00 in the middle of nowhere.  Naturally, nobody knew why we stopped and for how long.  We stayed in that spot all the rest of the night and all the following day until about 6:00 P.M. 

    Everyone on that train had food & water hidden away, except one gringo, who tried to sleep on the rocks on the edge of the roadbed, knowing he would hear the train move and could get up and get back in.

    I was actually rescued from dying of thirst in the heat of the day by a young German couple in the first class compartments, the only other white folks on the whole train.  I was afraid to drink the water of the Tanzanians because they often did not purify it. 

    Ron & CCAC 7-26-09

    I tell this story because the Tanzanian people on the train I suspect would be similar to the Jews listening to Jesus in that crowd of 5,000 men.  People like these do not go away from their base unprepared.  Not only do they carry food & water, they hide it so as to not have to share with someone too stupid to bring his own.  The women, especially, can hide in their robes lots of things.  Hoarding in the cultures we are talking about is no sign of inferiority.  It is survival. 

    What Jesus did that was confounding is that he got these country folks to share their cache.  He takes some of the bread & fish and passes it on.  The person who receives it takes some, but feels uncomfortable only taking.  So the person puts a portion of his or her own in the basket.  What do they end up with?  Twelve wicker baskets of leftover food.

    This interpretation of the 5 loaves & 2 fishes is as old as when I got ordained back in 1971, and before that.  I find it fascinating because we can go and do likewise.  You & I cannot multiply bread & fish, but we can share treasures.  We can share and we can invite others to feel secure enough to share. 

    I finally arrived home to Moshi in the middle of the next night.  I even caught a thief with his hand in my right pocket at a little kiosk lit with a kerosene lamp.  The train had stopped at some tiny station and a lady was selling little pieces of rice bread or something.  I pulled that man's hand out of my pocket, grabbed him by the shirt, and threw him back.  If I had yelled "thief!", he might have been killed on the spot.  I knew the custom and the language, and he knew I knew.  He ran. 

    I also got to know the German couple, even climbing Kilimanjaro with them one of my 5 times.  So, folks, sorry for repeating a favorite story of mine.  The question, too, is the same.

    How am I overcoming my temptation to hoard & sharing my food?

    Barb & Evie 7-26-09

    Picture 1:  Mass with T.J.

    Picture 2:  Bill Carey & Ron Kovatis

    Picture 3:  Ron donating $2000 to CCAC with Claire & Ray, Jackie & Cathy

    Picture 4:  Barb & her sister Evie from Germany

     

  • Sunday Homily, May 13, 2007 – 6th Sunday of Easter – Mothers’ Day & First Communion

    Readings: Acts 15, 1-29; Psalm 67; Revelation 21, 10-23; John 14, 23-29

    Mother’s Gift

    Mothers_day_blessing_2 Some years ago after I had returned to Dallas in the 80’s and my mother was still alive, she had to go to the hospital for some procedure. The hospital was the one on LBJ near Webb Chapel, called Deadman in those days.

    She was going to stay for at least a night, so we packed up some of her stuff. It was afternoon. I was driving her west on LBJ and we were talking. Suddenly she patted me on my right thigh and said, "I’m proud of you."

    Now at that time I am probably 47 or 48, but her little compliment moved me. It was especially touching because she had never wanted me to go off to the Jesuits and she had gotten so mad I went to Africa that she did not speak to any local Jesuit for some years.

    I talk about this on Mothers’ Day because of two reasons.

    First, it shows how at whatever age we are, our mother’s compliments and affirmations remain powerful. My mom’s simple compliment touched my spirit. I can still remember it as if it were yesterday.

    Secondly, it shows how you mothers have the touch. You can ignite people’s spirits into new life with just a movement or a word. It may seem so simple that it is of little value. This event with my mom exemplifies just the contrary, how valuable it is.

    Whom do you touch into new life?

    Download the homily as an mp3 file.

    First_communion

  • Sunday Homily, August 3, 2014, 18th Ordinary Time, A

    Readings:   Terrific readings today–

    Isaiah   55, 1-3,  Come, drink wine and milk.

     Psalm 145,   The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.  Also, That Line, The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love, Stanza 2.

    Romans 8, 35, 37-39,  What will separate us from the love of  God?

    Matthew  14, 13-21,  The feeding of the multitude.

     

    Emma

    Says Emma, "Hi, Everybody, Welcome."

     

    Observations on the readings:

     1.  Isaiah 55: 3 beautiful invitations, come, come, come, come–4 times.  This is the very last chapter of Isaiah 2 trying to encourage the Israelites in the Babylonian period, ca. 550 B.C.

     2.  Psalm 145 & Romans 8.  That special line again, The Lord is gracious & merciful, does not get angry and is abounding in love.  

    Paul is winding up Romans and is almost poetic, claiming that even cosmic events cannot separate us from God’s love.

     

    CC

    CC, too, says, "Come on in, Folks, it's fun."

     

     3.  Feeding the 10 thousand.  This story is repeated in all 4 gospel stories.  In fact, it is told 6 times.

    I have suggested for years that the real miracle here is that Jesus created enough trust and conviviality in the group that they shared the food that they would have most probably carried with them when they set out to listen to this man.  They knew there were no fast food places along the road. 

    I saw this in East Africa.  People did not leave home without provisions stashed away.

    I saw this trust and conviviality along the way in Iowa a week ago and would like to talk about it during the homily.

     

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    Amish Country. Just one of the gloriously beautiful Amish farms we saw along the Iowa roads.

     

     

    It is not the destination, Folks.  It is the journey.

    For over 40 years I have talked about how I see this story of the feeding of the multitude.  That the real miracle is that Jesus enabled these country people to trust each other enough to share their hidden stashes.  I really saw this in East Africa.

    In light of my recent experience in Iowa, I would like to take a different slant this time.  In particular, I would suggest these folks were on a journey in their life, stopped to hear this man, and were greatly touched.  They were reminded that God is gracious and merciful, never gets angry, and is abounding in love. 

     

    Buddy & Tori

    Buddy and Tori ready for anything.

     

    Three little vignettes from Iowa.

    Probably on the third day of Ragbrai (Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride across Iowa), I am riding along and see a sign for Iowa Conservation Assoc.  I stop because I know these people give out great bananas. There are probably 100 people at the concession and more than 100 across the highway at another concession. 

    I am eating a banana when suddenly on my side I hear somebody playing Taps.  I think it is a pretty girl I have seen other years playing a trumpet.  Instead it is a guy.  His buddy has an American flag.  Both of them could be my age. 

     

    Georgie

    Georgie ready to share her beautiful warmth with everybody.

     

    At one point he starts playing the National Anthem.  The response was profound and electric.  Everybody stopped dead.  We all faced the man and the flag.  I was moved actually to tears, even remembering my years in East Africa when I was consoled just to see the flag blowing in front of the local American Embassy. 

    After he finished and everybody returned to what they were doing, I crossed to the area where the two guys were and in a choking voice I told him how much I appreciated what he did.  He hardly even spoke a word.  Just gave me a hug.   A beautiful slice of Americana at a concession on the side of a road in Iowa.

     

    Wendy

    Thanks to God every day for Wendy.

     

    Later that same day, I am riding along again when I hear from the edge of the road at a concession, pop, pop, pop.  It is the sound of the Amish pie & ice cream concession. Yippee.  I had been looking for them.  We are in beautiful Amish country, especially during the last two days. 

    The concession is on the right side of the highway and I am on the left.  It was too dangerous to stop with so many bikers, so I missed them that third day.  However, the last four days I stopped every day.  I even got to know their names and they would say when they saw me, “Here he is again.”  Their rhubarb-strawberry pie, their blueberry pie, and their churned on the spot vanilla ice cream were from another planet. Another experience of consoling Americana on the edge of the road.

     

    Cupcakes

    Cupcakes of The Week for Harper's parents' 9th anniversary, Dawson, Cindy for herself and for her dad , Curtis at 85, and Linda and Hue.

     

    Finally, there was the Marines’ chin-up bar.  We had pass through towns and overnight towns.  In the overnight town there was always a big expo with vendors of all types, lots of food, and the Marines’ chin-up bar.

    I would see a cheering crowd and an amazing number of people who would step up and do pull-ups.  I saw a young maybe Philippino do 34 pull-ups.   Everybody was cheering him on, counting each pull-up. 

     

    Offertory

    Offertory, Donna, Carol, David, Dawson, and Dana.

     

    For me the most touching was a young girl, maybe 7 years old, shy and maybe Hispanic with olive skin and pretty black hair in a pony tail.  I don’t think she and her family were bikers, maybe residents.   I watched that little girl do 14 pull-ups.  I went over and told her what a marvel she was and that I could hardly do 1 pull-up.  Another touching slice of Americana right there in a little town in northern Iowa. 

    As much as I was moved by the hospitality of the people who hosted us in the overnight towns, I was even more appreciative of the slices of Americana I witnessed all along the ride.  I was constantly being shown that the Lord is gracious and merciful, never gets angry, and is abounding in love.

     

    Cindy

    An ecstatic two cupcake Cindy, one for her birthday last week and one for Curtis, her dad, at 85.

     

    It is not just the destination, Folks.  It is the ride.

    How is your ride?

     

     

  • 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 11, 2020

    Readings:

    Isaiah 25, 6-10, On this mountain the Lord will provide for all peoples a feast

    Psalm 23, I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my  life.

    Philippians  4, 6-9, I can do all things in him who strengthens me

    Matthew 22, 1-14, The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast.

     


    Revenge  human nature

    Thanks to the Team

    Music,  Ben & Shonda 

    Readers,  Tom & Mary  & Buddy, the candle blesser

    Gospel,  Deacon Mike 

    Homily,  Stack 

    Eucharistic Prayer A & B, Stack & John Cade

    The Magic Zoom makers, Mike, Ben, Richard, & Welcome Back, Hue 

    Final Blessing, Rosemary

    For hosting us at Legacy, Becky

     

     

     

    Wedding

     

    Remember?  3 years ago, South Rim, Grand Canyon.

     

    Isaiah observations:

    Who:  Any idea which Isaiah this is, 1, 2, or 3?   We had Isaiah 1 last week talking about the vineyard.  That was chapter 5.  Pretty easy to guess, Isaiah 1.  But, this is chapter 25.

    It seems out of character for Isaiah 1, who criticizes the people.  More like Isaiah 2, which John Cade loves and which we will read this Advent. 

    Remember Isaiah 1 is pre-Babylonian Captivity, around 555 before Christ.  This selection is a marvelous vision of peace and sensual satisfaction, one of my favorites.

    Yep, it is still Isaiah 1, all the way to chapter 39.  Basically he is saying that a great day will come, after you people have paid for your sinful, selfish ways. 

     

    Old pix 7

     

    Remembering…..

     

    Download Readings Week 28
     

     

    Homily:

    As a boy, Jesse was a chicken plucker.

    He stood on a line in a factory and spent his days

    pulling the feathers off dead chickens so the rest of us

    wouldn't have to.

    It wasn't much of a job, but at the time

    Jesse didn't think he was much of a person.

    His father was a brute of a man

    thought to be mentally ill,

    and treated Jesse roughly all his life.

    Jesse's older brother wasn't much better.

    He was always picking on Jesse and beating him up.

    Yes, Jesse grew up in a very rough home in

    West Virginia.  Life was anything but easy,

    and he thought life didn't hold much hope for him.

    That's why he was standing in this chicken line

    doing a job that few people wanted.

    Jesse was always sick.

    Sometimes it was real physical illness,

    but often it was all in his head.

    He was a small child, skinny and meek.

    That didn't help the situation.

     

    Old px 2

     

    Remembering….


    When he started to school he was the object of every

    bully on the playground.

    He was a hypochondriac of the first order.

    For Jesse, tomorrow was not always something he

    looked forward to.

     

     


    But he had a dream. He wanted to be a ventriloquist.

    He found books on ventriloquism. He practiced with

    sock puppets and saved his hard-earned dollars until

    he could get a real ventriloquist dummy.

    When he got old enough, he joined the military,

    and even though many of his hypochondriac symptoms

    persisted, the military recognized his talents and

    put him in the entertainment corps.

    That was when his world changed.

    He gained confidence.

     

    Wizard 1

     

    The Wizards Hue & Rich.


    He found that he had a talent for making people laugh,

    and laugh so hard they often had tears in their eyes.

    Yes, little Jesse had found himself.


    You know, the history books are full of people

    who overcame a handicap to go on and make a success

    of themselves, but Jesse is one of the few I know of

    who didn't overcome it. Instead he used his paranoia

    to make a million dollars and become one of

    the best-loved characters of all time doing it!

    That little paranoid hypochondriac, who transferred

    his nervousness into a successful career, still holds the

    record for the most Emmys given in a single category.

    The wonderful, talented, nervous comedian

    who brought us


    Barney Fife (The Andy Griffith Show)

    was

    Jesse Don Knotts.

    (July 21, 1924 – February 24, 2006)

    There is a street named for him and his statue in

    Morgantown, West Virginia, his home town.

    At this stress filled time in our lives, how are you reaching out  to peace & beauty?

     

    Old pix 3

     

    Remembering….

     

    Please Remember these special people:

    For Alan Stryker;  For John Doherty with back pain; For Becky's dad who has moved to the other side;  For Cindy is recuperated!!;    For David Dismore's bad shoulder from a biking accident;  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;   For Mary & Dave Hall's g-daughter Allison Keller working at St. Lukes, Woodlands,  For Joe Hogan with cancer;  For Loretta's aunt Alicia;   For Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody & Ben & Leo & all of Shonda's dear family;   for all the students and teachers and coaches returning to school, for Geri's sister with heart & circulation problems, 


    Mass 3

    Richard & Mike Zooming. 

     

    For Jackie's mom, sister, & friend, Lynn;  For both Jean & Cliff Wright;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg; For Meredith, cancer free;    For Hue;  For John O'Donnell;   For Dee, and for her daughter, Lisa; For John Schanot's continued health;  For Anthony & Sabrina;    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,  For the students, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

     

     

    Birthdays: Bill Hammond, Celeste Colmanero, Rich Eschelbrenner

     

     

    Old pix 1

     

    Hammond, you are so missed around here!

     

    Community Finances, October 11, 2020

    Expenses: $710.00 

    Outreach   $180.00    (often for Souls Harbor, Legacy, etc.)

    Thanks, Folks, for doing what you can.

    Rosemary's Blessing:

     

     

    New House Address

    Just in case you missed our new address, 7017 Helsem Way  75230.   (notice the same Zip Code as Tulip Lane?)