22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 30, 2020

Readings: Jeremiah 20, 7-9; Psalm 63, My soul is thirsting for You, O Lord, My God; Romans 12, 1-2; Matthew 16, 21-27

Jeremiah:

Some short observations–

    1.  One of the Big 3, Isaiah, Ezekiel, & Jeremiah, big because of the size of the work.

     2.  Follows the classic prophet profile: denounce the behavior of people, threaten God's vengeance, and finally, consolation for the reformed.

     3.  Who are prophetic people today?  Perhaps our 3 guest speakers.

Please catch today's homily recorded in the video. 

 
 
Picture 1:    Beginning of Mass with account of Hotter 'N Hell Hundred (as in miles & temp), a bike tour out of Wichita Falls

Picture 2:    Cole with his grandmother, Diane.

Picture 3:    Leo & Sophia, Ben's daughter

Picture 4:    Delgados back in their corner finally.                                
  

 Readings: Exodus 17, 8-13; Psalm 121, Our help is from the Lord, who made Heaven & Earth; 2 Timothy 3, 14-4, 2; Luke 18, 1-8 

Exodus

 Author: Not Moses.  3 sources identified by literary style, points of view, use of Yahweh or Elohim.

Date: the sources have different possible dates, but 700 & 800 BCE seem to have some foundation.  The Egyptian period itself is thought to be ca. 1250 BCE, during the time of Rameses II.

 Subject: Moses leads the Jewish people out of slavery in Egypt.  Remember how they got there?  The story of Isaac & his 12 sons, his youngest sold to camel drivers by the brothers, etc.

 Our Selection: scene, the desert; the event, the Amalekites attack the Jews.  Yahweh orders Joshua to mow them down with Moses’ supporting him with arms outstretched in blessing.   Not much connection with the Gospel.

 Sources: New Interpreter’s Bibl;, Good News Bibl;, Wikipedia; St. Louis U. Liturgy & Reginald Fuller.

Why do You Pray?

 There is a subdivision in North Dallas called Northwood Hills.  You go north from LBJ up Hillcrest to Belt Line and the subdivision is on both sides of Hillcrest.

 A few years before I departed the Jesuits some residents of Northwood Hills approached me about planting trees in their neighborhood.  I really did not want to go north of LBJ with my 800 gallon trailer.  They persisted and bit by bit, after a trip or two hosted by 2 or 3 couples, I finally agreed. 

We eventually planted ca. 400 trees along Hillcrest & Belt Line, in Fretz Park, and at a couple of elementary schools.  I watered those trees as often as twice a week for 2-3 years.  Ride by there now and the results are beautiful.  I am delighted I did it.

 Does this experience of mine and the parable of the gruff judge and the widow exemplify our relationship with God?   Who knows?  Each of us has our relationship and our expectations of the relationship.  For me, I have my doubts.  Three observations, one like and two dislikes.

 First, I like the lesson in asking for what we want, even from a judge at city hall.  The father of my best buddy when I was a kid used to tell me, “John, you can’t fight city hall.”  Maybe not, maybe so.  But you can certainly ask for what you want—in this life.

 Secondly, what I don’t like: the comparison of God with this grumpy judge who accedes to the widow’s request just so he won’t be bothered.  I have a different, more benevolent image.

Thirdly, what I don’t like: a false expectation contained in the parable that I can wear down God by my persistence.  I remember my mom’s 9 day novenas.  Probably to save me from hell.  Then I joined the Jesuits and left home and she probably told God that was not quite what she intended. 

 I find it helpful to make that infamous God distinction of mine, the macro-managing God and the micro-managing God.  I don’t see God doing the latter. 

 If God is a micro-manager, I don’t get it at all.  For every person apparently saved, how many thousands, millions have been lost, often with painful, agonizing deaths.  Take for example the Holocaust.  Did those people not beg Yahweh to be saved?  The slaves beaten to death.  Even here is Texas these days, the black men falsely accused and spending decades in prison until DNA proves their innocence.  My friend Tony works with maybe a dozen of these guys at Holy Trinity.

 So, why pray for people like we do?  Our people.  You know them. 

My observation: I hope some cosmic kinetic energy flows out to make more gentle the life of the person I pray for.  2-3 praying together emanate hopefully more energy. 

The Northwood Hills folks pestered me until I granted their request, a lesson for all of us in our daily lives.  This may not be a model for our relationship with God. 

Why do you pray?  With what results? 

 Picture 1:  Leo welcoming the Community

 Picture 2:  Leo's Mom & Dad, Shonda & Ray

 Picture 3:  Anthony & his dad, John

 Picture 4:  The Coffee Shoppe, Bob & Judy

Readings:

Acts 2, 14, 22-33,  Peter stood up and proclaimed.

Psalm 16,  Lord, you will show us the path of life.

1 Peter  1, 17-21,  Conduct yourselves with reverence..

Luke  24, 13-35,  The disciples were going to a village called Emmaus.

Mike's Homily

There was a short story written by Steve Blow in the Dallas Morning News on Easter morning.  It was about a young man who belonged to one of the United Methodist churches, here in Plano.   He was out walking some time before Easter on the east side of the church property when he found an old wooden cross in some deep brush leaning against a tree.  It had become badly weathered, but he recognized it as the one the youth group used in its sunrise Easter services. Now, a decade or so later, after he had repaired, sanded and varnished the cross, it stood that Easter morning at the entrance of the church; later to be surrounded by a group of faith filled friends.

In the beginning of the reading from the John gospel of last Sunday, the eleven disciples had hidden together in an upper room; they had no faith in Christ.  The crucifixion and death of Jesus had filled them with fear.   

It is terribly important for us to be reminded of two things.  The first is that the gospel stories are written as parables; the second is that after Christ returned to the Father in glory, the Church was given the Holy Spirit and the responsibility to be Christ in the world.  Empowered by the gift of the Holy Spirit, it was the Church who extended to the disciples in the upper room Christ’s words, ‘Peace be with you;’ as the Father sent me, now I send you;’ ‘receive the Holy Spirit.’

In faith, they believed!  When Thomas returned he did not believe that Christ had come to them. He wanted proof! ‘Unless I place my hand into his side I will not believe.’  A week later, what the Church offered Thomas was not proof, but the opportunity to have faith. ‘Place your hand into my side to receive the treasure of the good news’. 

In the Mark and Matthew gospels the disciples are told in like manner by the Church to follow Christ in faith by going after him to Galilee; for the beginning of the Mark Gospel, occurs in Galilee with the words, ‘The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ the Son of God.’   

The end of today’s parable from the Luke gospel complements last weeks reading from the John gospel, by also addressing the eleven in the upper room.  It begins with two men who are being led by the Church as they attempt to come to understand God’s plan of salvation.  Christ, through the Church, tells them that he is truly present to them in the liturgy of the Word and Eucharist. 

Visualize the likes of Clare, Barb, Maureen, Mary Ellen, Bernadette, Dee and Marilyn, for example, at the tomb when the sun rises on that first Easter morning, only to find the tomb empty.  ‘Didn’t he say that he would rise?’ ‘Don’t you feel his Spirit welling up within you?  It would have been a faith experience for them, too. 

Together they would have been the vision of angels rejoicing as messengers and teachers of the Word. If they had actually seen a bunch of angels singing and praising God, there would have been no faith. Their freedom to have faith would have been taken from them.  It is faith that enables us to become Christ in the world.

So, we have gathered here today in faith, believing that it is by the power of the Spirit that the bread blessed and broken has become for us Christ; that the good news becomes for us Christ; that gathered in his name Christ is present in us, so that we can be Christ in the world.  

Macy Grattafiori & her dad, John.

Readings:

Isaiah 25, 1-6, 10, Then will the eyes of the blind be opened.

Psalm 146,  Lord, come and save us.

James 5, 7-10,  The coming of the Lord is at hand.

Matthew 11, 2-11,  The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.

Macy & Nick.

We have heard that people discover that the Blog has not been coming.  Typepad tends to drop people for no reason.  So if this happens to you, just sign up again by going to www.johnstackministries.com

Main Altar at the venue in Watercolor, Florida, part of Santa Rosa Island.  An excellent, rustic wedding venue.

Observation & Homily from John

Love for Kids: A few words about Love for Kids yesterday. Bill Hammond signed up a John Stack Ministries team for it. I met up with three others from our community—Rich, Cheryl, and Mike Carrell. We were assigned to help prepare lunches and manage the lunch line for about 900 kids and their adult guardians. Our team totaled ten volunteers plus the head honcho from Love for Kids. Some in our team were college students looking for a volunteer experience and they proved they were there to work. The team worked without a break for over two hours, and collaborated as a real team.                       

John preparing to share his homily ideas.

   Many of the kids expressed their gratitude. It was cute seeing their eyes scan the lunch boats for any differences, like some differences in cookie selection. Some kids said, “I don’t want chips; I want Cheetos” or “Where’s the drinks?” etc. I checked with our volunteers, and we all were highly honored to represent John Stack Ministries, loved our gig, and were happy to be able to stand strong for Bill.

Who is that man with the crazy hat?

Homily:

There are umpteen healing stories in the Bible (Old and New Testaments). Healing and forgiveness stories are at the core of the Gospel message. They’re mostly connected to forgiveness and reconciliation. They teach us to ‘watch’ for the blessings that come our way daily; how different this is from that Christmas song, you better ‘watch out’ cause Santa knows if you’re good or bad.

The sister act on candles, Georgie, Tori, & Zoe.

The Good News invites us to watch carefully for life-changing blessings, rather than watch fearfully for threat and punishment.

Recently I shared my family’s struggles over forgiving a family member for past mistakes. We suffer in a relationship of brokenness and distance.

Buddy reading & speaking from the heart the Candle Blessing of the Week

Another example from about 20 years ago gives me hope. It was when two of my sisters and I ganged up on another sister whom we thought needed to change how she related to the nursing home staff where our disabled older sister lived—basically to force her to do things our way.

Happy Birthday, Tom.

My sin was not being sensitive to how each of us is different, and so ‘gives’ in different ways. My blessing was to see on the long drive home how wrong I was in judging rather than accepting and forgiving. I returned the next weekend and asked forgiveness. In spite of her children’s advice to say no, she forgave me. Her gift of forgiveness and reconciliation was and is a great blessing in my life.

Happy 3rd Anniversary, Cody & Shonda.

Question: How are you sometimes not sensitive to how other’s differences can lead to you judging others and distancing yourselves? I invite you to participate in our forgiveness and reconciliation rite today.     

Amen.

Thanks, David & Caroline for driving Rosemary & me all over Santa Rosa Island for the wedding.

Jeremiah 23, The days are coming when I will raise up a shoot.

Psalm 23, The Lord is my Shepherd

Ephesians 2, He is our peace

Mark 6, Come away and rest a while.

Welcome Home, Ben, so good to see you & to hear you.

Thanks……

Music,    Ben

Readers,  Warren & Brent, & Buddy, our candle blesser 

Gospel,     John Cade

Homily,   John Cade

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,     Richard, Hue, & Mike

Final Blessing, Rosemary

For hosting us at Legacy for all these years & will miss you enormously, Becky

Warren reading.

Readings:

Download Readings 16th Ordinary Time 7-18-21

Homily by John Cade

Download Homily John Cade 07-18-21 Good Shepherd

Brent reading.

Remember these special people:

For John & Karen Anderlick's unborn grandson;  For Alan Stryker;   For Candice Taht, friend of Mary Hall;   For Rosemary's great niece, Rylie ;  For Richard's grand daughter, Madeleine;   For Esparza's new great grandson baby, son of Monique, & Frank with shingles;  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,   For Loretta's aunt Alicia;  For Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody &  Leo & all of Shonda's dear family; For Ursuline Sr. Mary Troy, 

Today's team John & John

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 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; from Barbara, a little 4 month old baby boy named Ford recuperating from an operation; for David McKeon's brother, Hugh; For Beth's friends & brother;   for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

Birthdays:    Beth (Monday)

Anniversaries: 

Applause from Meredith.  Community applause for you, Meredith.

Community Finances,   July 18, 2021

Expenses: $535.00

Outreach: $320.00 

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

Thanks for the Blessing, Rosemary.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Rosemary's Blessing:

A Summer Blessing

May you walk with God
This summer
In whatever you do
Wherever you go

Walking with God means…
Walking with honesty
And with courage,
Walking with love
And respect
And concern for the feelings of others

May you talk to God
This summer
And every day and
In every situation

Talking with God means…
Praying words of praise
For the beauty of creation
Saying prayers of thanks
For friends and good times,
Asking God's help
In all your decisions
Expressing sorrow
When you have failed

May you talk with God
Every day. Amen.

Author unknown

Found on https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/summer-prayers

Happy Mother's Day, Cathy, and Happy Grandmother's Day, too.

Readings: 

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

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

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

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

It's a Family Affair, Zoe & Tori lighting our Easter candles with the help of their big sister Georgie.  And Buddy reading the Easter Blessing of the Candles.

Observations on Acts

Date: Sometime before the year 70.  Why?  No mention of the destruction of Jerusalem, which took place the year 70, an enormous date in Jewish history.

Who: The same person who wrote the Gospel of Luke.  How do we know.  Similarities of style, language (Greek), and theological themes.

Subject: the story of the expansion of the Jesus story in 3 areas, first, Jerusalem, then, Palestine or the Holy Land, and finally, into the Mediterranean and, ultimately, Rome. 

Sources, Good News Bible, The New Interpreter's Study Bible, Wikipedia

Another Family Affair for the Offertory, John & Connie & Kevin.

Mother's Day History:

1905-08: Anna Jarvis of West Virginia began this celebration for her mother, Ann, who cared for wounded Civil War soldiers of both sides.  She campaigned to make it a national day and in 

1914:  Woodrow Wilson made it national.

The spelling: always singular, according to Anna. 

Hallmark Cards: Anna hated them because she felt you know what.  

The Communion Team,  Lynda & Tom, Claire & Denni.

The Lord is Good, Psalm 100, Today’s second stanza

In honor of Mother’s Day, I would like to share two stories about my mom and our relationship.  Or why she was probably glad to see me get on that train taking me to the Jesuit Novitiate in Grand Coteau. LA.

Both events took place in the delightful Spring of 1957.  I was 17 and a junior at Jesuit.  Both involve my mom’s car, a light blue, low slung probably ’55 Pontiac sedan. 

Sez Buddy, "I'm worn out, Georgie."

So I came home from school one afternoon, wanted to go for a ride, and found that my mom had taken her car keys, which meant she did not want me driving around in her car.  I was allowed to drive my dad’s Chevy when it was home.

In those days a person could hot wire a car’s ignition and drive off.  Guess what I did.  I got all the way on my street, Stanford, to the corner with Preston, a block & a half.  Then the tin foil fell off of the ignition and the car died.

While I am trying to rectify this operation, a car turns off of Preston onto Stanford.  Guess who was in it.  Yep, my mom with one of her bridge buddies.   I gave up the idea of going for a ride and returned home to a chilly reception.

The Special Mother's Day Blessing.

The second time I had been given the keys to mom’s car and I went to hang out at a cleaners shop on Preston just south of NWST Highway.  A buddy, Jerry, worked there afternoons providing curb service to customers.  

Shortly after I arrived a University Police car pulled up next to me and asked me to come with them to the station to be questioned about another of our friends who stole neighborhood  cars.  I got into the squad car and the other cop brought my mom’s car.

Mother's Day Blessing.

I was questioned about what I knew about my friend joy riding in stolen cars.  That was not as scary as it sounds.  University Park in those days was a small, middle class village on the northern edge of Dallas.  Since grade school we had known the cops by name and they knew us by name occasionally.

The thing that really steamed my mom was that the police had come to the door to ask where I was.  She happened to be hosting the afternoon bridge club, the other ladies mostly being moms of my buddies.  She was so embarrassed and ashamed.  Moreover, what she was mad about was the fact that the cop drove her car to the station.

The Blessing.

I never found out what happened to my car thief buddy.  He was with us at Christ the King grade school, but did not go on to Jesuit.  I do know he is still alive, living outside of Dallas. Want to know why I thought I was surely going to hell?  By  your friends shall you be known.  But, God is good.

Where are you going?

Bona Responds again, Tom & Bill & Richard, Michelle & Georgie & Bernadette.