18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 2, 2020

Readings:  Zephaniah 12, 10-11, 13, 1; Psalm 63, My Soul is Thirsting for You, O Lord my God; Galatians 3, 26-29; Luke 9, 18-24. 

Father's Day, A Brief History:

Mother’s Day background:

1.  In reaction to the Civil War horror, Julia Ward Howe proposed a Mother’s Day, ca. 1870.  It became a custom in some communities.

 2.  Picking up the idea later was Anna Jarvis who influenced President Wilson to declare it a national May holiday, 1912.

Father’s Day:

1.  As a compliment celebration, Sonora Smart Dodd in Spokane, WA began celebrating in June a Father’s Day. 

2.  Her history played a role here, because she had great affection for her dad, a Civil War Vet, who took care of the family as sole parent when his wife died giving birth to their 6^th child.  Sonora was 16 at the time.

3.  Sonora also influenced  President Wilson to establish a June Father’s Day national holiday.  He could not get it through Congress, who thought it was getting trivial.  In fact, while Mother’s Day was eagerly celebrated, at first Father’s Day was considered a joke.

4.  LBJ finally designated it to be celebrated the 3^rd Sunday of June.  55 other countries celebrate on the same day.

5.  President Nixon finally got it established as a national holiday.  Date 1972.

A Father’s Day Story

This event happened in mid-March.  I was out in the back yard on a Monday morning about 7:30.  I remember it was sunny, which was rare this past March. 

Do not tell my physical therapist that I was out in the yard walking around with my cane or walker.  I don’t remember which.  I know I was still home bound for another couple of weeks from the second hip replacement.   There was a fear I would fall down and dislocate the thing. 

I know it was Monday because we have our recycle material pick up and I was out putting stuff in the container in the alley.

At some point I am walking back to the porch and the back door, taking the long route to see how many pecan branches had fallen in the yard.  I’m out near the edge of our property where it touches the little north-south street, Camellia. 

Along comes an elderly guy I had seen once or twice earlier in the year (probably younger than I am).  He was headed to the Starbucks on Royal & Preston.  We have a fair amount of foot traffic from the neighborhood pass our corner headed to Starbucks for their morning fix.

He says to me, “You have a really nice yard here.”  Now when he says this, I’m thinking I did not hear him because our yard is a winter mess, lots of small branches still lying around from the first snow fall, everything ragged and unkempt. 

So I say, “Thanks, but the yard is really a mess right now and I cannot do anything about it for another month or so.”  And he responds, “Yes, but you really do keep a beautiful place here.” 

I thank him again and he continues on toward Starbucks. 

I was dumbstruck and touched.  I do attempt to maintain a pretty place.  It is like therapy for me.  Yet this is the first time a passing stranger has ever complimented me on it.  That compliment made my day and it stuck with me.  It even gave me this shot of energy which made me want to go out and clean the place up, but I couldn’t.

The power of a compliment or positive stroke!  They give life.  I have subsequently found out this guy’s name is Harold and he is both a dad and a grand dad.  He has a gift.  It is a gift we all have

When and to whom do you dads put the gift to use?

Picture 1:  Sienna helping with the beginning of Mass

Picture 2:  Special Blessing of Males by the Women, Sandra

Picture 3:  Kiddie Korner, Kayla & Cici

Picture 4:  Sam with his Momma, Pam

Readings: Deuteronomy 18, 15-20; Psalm 95; 1 Corinthians 7, 32-35; Mark 1, 21-28 

Deuteronomy:5th book of the Bible, the Torah, coming after Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, & Numbers.  The work is basically 3 lectures given supposedly by Moses to the Jewish people while they were still in the desert and preparing to enter the land of Canaan, where the Canaanite people lived. 

Author: For centuries people considered Moses to be the author, in fact, the author of the first 5 books of the Bible, the part called the Torah.  Today it is commonly held that Deuteronomy is a compilation by a number of authors.

Date: 7th Century BCE, with some parts coming from the period of the Babylonian Captivity, ca. 575.

Our selection: comes from the second lecture (chapters 5-26) which presents numerous dictates about how to behave in the new land.  For example, an every 7 years a jubilee year is prescribed when all debts are erased (chap. 15); if one's son is rebellious, take him to the city council, and stone him (chap. 21); and laws concerning slaves (chap. 23).  In our section from chap. 18 Moses is telling the people another prophet like himself will be raised up by Yahweh to lead them.  Guess why this prophet statement is chosen by the lectionary editor today?  Jesus is seen by people following Jesus' time as the prophet mentioned by Moses.

A note on Paul's comments in 1 Corinthians: jokesters like to say that maybe Paul was not happy in his marriage.  This is why he puts marriage in second place behind non-marriage.  It could, also, be because he was influenced by the dualistic philosophy of his time, flesh-spirit.   Spirit was good, flesh less good.  For the spirit to thrive the flesh needed disciplining.

Judging the Book by the Cover Again

There was a kid who was working as a stocker at a Home Depot.  One afternoon he heard a new female voice over the store intercom asking for help with packing at the check out.  Sort of reluctantly he stops his break and goes to help.  As he searches for the person asking for help he sees a beautiful woman who stuns him.  He had never seen her before.  He helps her out, then hangs around the time clock to see what her name is when she checks out. 

When she checks out, he watches where her card goes and takes a look at the name.  Brenda.  Then, as he walks to his car he sees her walking up the street toward home he guesses.  The next day he waits around just right and as she departs he asks if she would like a ride.  She accepts, figuring he can't be too bad since he works where she does.

He does the same thing another day and as she is leaving the car he asks if she would like to have dinner the next Saturday night.  She says she can't.  He continues to invite her and she admits that she cannot come because she has two little kids and cannot afford the baby sitter.   He offers to pay for the sitter and asks her to think about it.  Finally, another day she accepts, despite the fact that he is 22 and she is 26.

When he arrives at the door that evening, she says again she cannot go.   The sitter canceled.  He says, "So, let's take the kids."  She says it would be very difficult.  So, he asks to meet the kids and she grudgingly lets him in.  First to come in is a daughter about 8 who he thinks is cute as can be.  Then Brenda goes to the back and returns pushing  a wheel chair with a young boy.  A little child born a paraplegic with Down Syndrome.

"This is why I cannot go out," She explains.  "No problem," he says, "We can still take them with us."  Now it is Brenda's turn to be astounded.  Most men she knew would not come near her just because of having two children.  But one that is a paraplegic with Down Syndrome.  Adios!  But she accepts, they all go to eat, and then to a movie. 

When the kids need anything the guy is ready to help, even helping when the little boy needs to go to the potty.  Brenda continues to be astounded at the guy's helpfulness and consideration.

If you have not heard this story already, the guy's name is Kurt and you can see him on TV this evening playing quarterback for the Cardinals at age 37.  The story has a marvelous ending, because about a year later they married and have had at least two more kids.  Be fun to see Brenda on TV.

I talk about Kurt Warner because before I read this story I have not liked him for a little while.  He plays for a team whose owner I do not like.  But also, the maybe one time I have ever seen him on TV was when he played the last game against Carolina, he never seemed to be excited or animated, never congratulated anybody, or cheered on his team mates.  At least that was what I saw.  Then I get this story from Larry Thompson and think, "There I go, did it again."  Judged a book by the cover.  In fact, judged negatively.

I would like to apply this lesson to the Mark story about the man with the unclean spirit.  Traditionally when people were considered to have an unclean spirit they were considered possessed by a devil.  Do you believe in devils?  In this tradition we have all the melodrama connected with exorcisms.  Want to read about how this can go wako?  Read Heretic's Daughter  by a Dallas author, Kent. It talks about the Salem, MA witch hunts around 1690.

Today, with our much deeper psychological understanding of people's behaviors, their thinking and feeling, we would consider the man with the unclean spirit to most likely have a mental disorder or sickness.  It could even be an addiction.  You only have to visit psych wards in hospitals to run into what could be called people with unclean spirits.  You meet a homeless person on the street and you might be tempted to think that person is demonic. 

What did Jesus do?  I propose he first of all was not scared away by the man.  Secondly, he accepted him peacefully. 

The lesson for us?  Maybe two.

First, regarding the Bible, what is your belief system?  Believe in devils, in evil spirits, in demonic possession, in exorcisms?

Secondly, how many times a week do you judge the book by the cover? 

AUDIO:  sorry, missed connection

Picture 1:  Mass with T.J., Lorynne, & Lacee

Picture 2:  Birthday of John & Geri

Picture 3:  Jim & Dorothy

Picture 4:  Birthday of Gilberto

References:

• The Carmelite web site

• Christ in the Desert web site

• St. Raymond Catholic Parish, Dublin, CA web site

• Bishop John Shelby Spong, various works and articles in Mirabile Dictu, edited by David          Gawlik

Readings:

 2 Samuel 29.

Psalm 23,    The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want. (a beautiful psalm)

Ephesians 2, 13-18, He is our peace.

 Mark  6, 30-34, Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while. 

Mass begins.

Background on Samuel and Ephesians:

The Old Testament, like the New Testament, is written in parable-like stories.  Very seldom does our liturgical calendar present to us a complete story.  The intention of our OT reading today is to make us aware that the words and deeds of the Messiah would fulfill the words and deeds of King David.  So, I’ve chosen for you from the OT a very short but complete story about King David’s words and deeds.   

Mike giving us the background on 2 Samuel.

A few  words on David: he was the youngest of the eight sons of Jesse, yet God directed the prophet Samuel to anoint him as the king of Israel to replace a conceited and jealous King Saul.  Almost immediately David accepts the challenge given by the giant Philistine soldier Goliath for an Israelite soldier to face him in man-to-man combat—winner take all.  With a sling in his hand David embedded a stone in the forehead of the Philistine.  King Saul begins to fear David’s popularity; but Jonathan, the king’s oldest son, makes a sacred covenant with David to protect one another that extends to their descendants. Our OT reading happened 10 or 12 years later.   

In Ephesus, Paul reminds the Jews who have become Christians that God is rich in mercy.  God has brought them life through the words and deeds of Jesus Christ. It is by grace that they have been saved. 

The Offertory. Ron, Barbara, Ray, Lynda, Tom, and Claire.

Homily:

The dilemma in the parable of the first reading is that the crippled son of Jonathan in fear and shame has ended up in Lo Debar, a spiritual slum.  He is a forgotten person with seemingly no way out and no place to go.  The wisdom of the this parable is that Jonathan’s son responds to the goodness and kindness that flows forth from the covenant Jonathan had made with David, ‘He now eats at the table of King David, like one of the king’s sons.’  The parable ends by telling us that being crippled in both feet no longer brings shame to him; but rather it is now how and why Jonathan’s son was able to accept the wisdom of the parable.  King David gave him a way out of Lo Debar, and a place to go to be refreshed.

In today’s Gospel reading, Christ is the Good Shepherd; all who come to him to receive his Spirit filled words are spiritually healed, for he has made a covenant with God to last for all eternity. A forgiven humanity are always invited to eat at the Lord’s table.  Christ fulfills King David’s words and actions! He has embraced us with the Holy Spirit so that we can be Christ to others.   

So, take the opportunity to welcome this coming week someone who is lonely, or forgotten; someone who is spiritually crippled or afraid, for ‘the Spirit of the Lord is upon you to take the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to the captives, to give sight to the blind, to set the downtrodden free, to proclaim this year as the Lord’s year of favor.’  

Ready to ride! Getting the bus from Ames to Sioux City.

Shonda, Bethany, and Ray.

The Brain Trust.

Readings:

Habakkuk,  1, 2-3, 2,2-4, I cry for help, but you do not listen

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

2 Timothy 1, 6-8, 13-14, Stir into flame the gift  of God.

Luke 17, 5-10,   We are unprofitable servants.

You see this Buddy!  He has the whole Blessing of The Candles memorized!

Where is the spirit these days?

I never know from where or why suddenly something or someone will really touch me.

On floor #1 on board the Viking Sea there is a grouping of 2 small & one larger room with workout equipment.  6 to 7 every morning I used to work out.  Get this, even Rosemary joined me.  Then at 7:00 we would head down to the atrium on the same floor where there is a small bar that serves the best lattes on the ship.

The Candle Lighting Girls, Tori & Zoe.

About the third morning out I am working out on a stand up elliptical when I hear the clear and friendly voice of a guy on a treadmill behind me.  It seems like he enjoys talking with everyone. 

The room has three elliptical & 4 stationary bikes in one line and a second line of maybe 6-7 treadmills, all facing the big windows outside of which the sea is going wild.

The Offertory Team, Bill, Fred, and Martha.

I chat up the guy when he finishes and we are both drying off.  This goes on maybe 4 more days when one morning we all 3 get talking at the water fountain in the corner.  In answer to his question, whatever it was, Rosemary & I share the story of our marriage.  He goes crazy.  I tell him he is welcome to share it with others and he does.

Maybe 2-3 days later I realize the guy is working out twice a day.  I am impressed and see why he looks to be in such good shape, being in his late 50’ or 60’s.

Tara, where did you get that megawatt smile??!!

We go on for another 2-3 days until we arrive at L’Ance au Meadow in Newfoundland, a fairly recently discovered area where a Viking village existed some hundreds of year ago.  To get from the village where the ship moored to the former Viking village Viking Cruises had to requisition 10 or more buses, school buses no less.

Lo and behold, at the Viking village we meet up with our new friend and get talking.  It was a delightful sunny day, mild temperature.  We asked him more about his life.  We already knew he was a university professor.

Fred & Martha, So good to see you both in town and with us.

Turns out he had to watch both of his parents slowly deteriorate one from Alzheimer's & one from Parkinson's.  Because of this he tries to stay in the best shape possible.  This news really stunned me.  Just that he shared it meant a lot.  No wonder he works out so faithfully, something I certainly appreciate and emulate. 

When was the last time your spirit was touched?

(What about Izzi’s baptism last Sunday!)

The Best Music with Shonda, Ben, & David

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, I saw the spirit come down. Like a dove.

Cowboy Cole and his mom, Erin, say, "Hi, Everybody, Welcome in."

Isaiah reminders, again—

 Author: This is still Isaiah #2, the composer of chapters 40-55.  Isaiah is my favorite book and Isaiah 2 I love the most.  As John Cade pointed out a while back, Isaiah 2 is used by Handel in his work, The Messiah, another of my favorites.

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

Subject:  A great day will come for you Jews in this slavery.  You will be a beacon to others, glorious, and a light to nations everywhere.

Charlotte says, "When do I get my Cupcake?"

A Light to the Nations?  Get Serious.

Here it is again, folks, that line that has motivated me for decades, “I will make you a light to the nations.”  Last week Isaiah 2 mentioned giving sight to the blind.  It is the same idea and motivator for me.

So, this week, while I am reflecting on the readings and my favorite line, Tuesday comes with the news that 75 people have been killed by bombs in Bagdad, Iraq.  Me, a light to the nations?  Get serious.

Sienna says, "You got my Cupcake?"

Next I hear & read news about 20 plus killed in Kabul, Afghanistan, including 2 Americans.  Both of these places ware special to us Americans.  A light to the nations?

On top of this, I am reflecting on an anniversary, a sad one.  This week is the one year anniversary of Kate Banzhaf who died in a car wreck near Colorado Springs.  The person driving Kate was drunk, and she survived.  This was only months after I had celebrated Kate’s wedding.  A light to the nations? 

And Brooklyn says, "Even though it's not my birthday, aren't I a good girl?"

If I let myself, I can get truly discouraged by focusing on all this and so much more.   Two things help me.

First, ever hear of the Christopher movement?  This was big probably in the 40’s when I was a little kid.  The slogan is, “Better to light one candle than curse the darkness.”  I have a vivid memory of being in the Cotton Bowl as a little boy with my dad.  It was a Christopher rally.  At one point all the lights were turned out and everyone lighted the candle they had been given.  I was very impressed by this metaphor.

Jean, Lily, and Bob Cardenas.

Secondly, I look around me at some of the many good things going on.

For instance, I read about Brian DiCarlo, a 23 year old Oregon State student who is walking through a parking lot when he finds an envelope.  He opens it and finds thousands of dollars, like 40 thousand. 

He does not even think twice.  He goes right to the police.  In fact, a 71 year old lady, Sharon Davis, had been on her way to pay on a new house and dropped the money accidentally.  He wanted no reward, but she gave him $300.  He may get much more from readers.  Someone will set up one of those contribution sites.

Emma says, "I'm here, Everybody."

Likewise, Bernadette & some others sent me news of Cardinal O’Malley of Boston, a Franciscan.  He is at an ecumenical service at a Methodist church.  On his way out a minister steps up and asks the Cardinal’s blessing. 

Picture & article on Cardinal O'Malley:   Download Cardinal O'Malley 1-23-14

Behind this man is another minister, a woman.  She asks for O’Malley’s blessing and when he does it, he looks right at her and asks for her blessing.  She gives it.  Incredible. 

Cupcakes of The Week to Sienna, Kevin, and Chloe.  

Finally, I don’t have to go farther than this community.  You people have and do bring light to the nations, nations like Soul’s Harbor, Habitat, a crippled lady almost homeless in Cuernavaca, Mexico,  families in our own community stressed out by emergencies, Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center, our local food bank, and numerous other nations. 

I am consoled to be part of you people.

Georgie suited up.

It is a challenge to stay away from the discouragement that comes from reading & hearing about the tragic stuff.  Instead of cursing that darkness, each of us can still light one candle.  A whole dark stadium can be illuminated.

Whose candle illuminates your life and with whom do you share your candle light?

Does it get better than this? Claire with Chloe and Charlotte.

Readings: Zephaniah 2, 3-3, 12-13; Psalm 146, Blessed are the Poor in Spirit; the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs; 1 Corinthians 1, 26-31; Matthew 5, 1-12 

Zephaniah observations:

 The 3 chapters of the little book of Zephaniah were compose about 600 years before Christ.  Therefore, he is writing shortly before the Babylonian defeat of Jerusalem and the Captivity.  Because of the book’s shortness Zephaniah is considered one of the 12 minor prophets. 

His theme is the prophetic line:

            1. You people are bad.

            2.  You people will be punished by Yahweh.

            3.  You people, after being punished, will return to a happy place.

Today’s selection focuses more on how the humble of spirit will pasture their flocks with no one to disturb them. 

 The psalm & Matthew today both focus on how the poor in spirit will be happy, receiving the kingdom of heaven.

 I am struck that in the readings there is a quality of wishful thinking.  For example, in the psalm,  the lord sets captives free, secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry, and raises up the bowed down. 

 I can see someone skeptically asking me, “Stack, are you crazy.  You believe this really happens?  Look at history.”  I would like to talk about this in the homily.

Poor in Spirit?  Get Real!

 You remember last Thanksgiving when about 35 of us went to help feed the homeless for LifeNet?  Well, while I was helping out, I liked to go around and chat up the people at different tables.

 At one table during the second or third seating over by the windows opposite the side door I ran into 3 elderly white, nicely dressed little ladies.  Folks, they absolutely reminded me of my mother, who would have been mortified to have been eating there. 

The ladies were quite friendly, obviously educated, and lived in Richardson.  Were they homeless?  Were they without money, social security, family?  I only knew that they would not have been there had not LifeNet vetted them as being authentically in need. 

 My heart went out to these ladies and I mention them this morning as a lead into the notion that blessed are the poor in spirit, the kingdom of heaven is theirs.  This statement strikes me as really precarious.

 I would propose that there is a healthy and an unhealthy poverty of spirit.  The poverty of these 3 ladies is unhealthy, spirit killing, depressing.  Unemployment, homelessness, all kill the spirit.

 The same is true of Larry Sims, the 60 year old black man exonerated Friday of a crime for which he has spent 25 years in jail.  DNA proof.  Can you imagine being put in jail for 25 years of your life for something you did not do?  I think I would be mad, bitter.  The amazing reality is that these men are all accepting, forgiving, and grateful.  They humble & amaze me. 

 The same was true of the 3 little ladies.

 Mr. Sims is number 35 exonerated in Dallas according to my buddy & old classmate Tony Levatino who helps these men adjust to their new life through Holy Trinity Parish down on Oak Lawn.

 This unhealthy poverty of spirit has been so common down through our history as humans.  Suffering has characterized so many lives.  Slavery, holocausts, genocides, wars.

 I have spent my life attempting to raise up people in this poverty.  We are doing it in this community. 

 What then is healthy poverty of spirit?  From my perspective it is two things: acceptance and gratitude.  This brings about peace of spirit.

 I am astounded, but Mr. Sims and the 3 ladies seemed to have acceptance and gratitude.  I do know others who were dying of depression or discouragement.

 Can a person work through the unhealthy poverty of spirit to the peace of acceptance & gratitude?  Apparently so. 

 On a scale of 1-10, where is your poverty of spirit, your acceptance and gratitude?

Picture 1:   Mass with Kevin helping

Picture 2:   Emma walking

Picture 3:   Georgie & her sister Zoe

Picture 4:   Zoe with her dad, Randolph & grandmom, Bernadette

Picture 5:   Michelle, the mother of Georgie & Zoe, with Torri & Buddy, the twins, and Gilberto, Michelle's dad