Reminder, 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 20, 2020

Readings:

Isaiah, 55, 6-9, As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways.

Psalm 1,  The Lord is near to all who call upon him.

Philippians  1, 24, 27,  Conduct yourselves in a way worthy

Matthew 20, 1-16,   The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner…

 

 

IMG_1924

 

Like glass, White Rock Lake looking south from the north bridge, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 7:30 A.M.

 

ROMEOS, Friday, September 18, 1:00,  as usual.    Welcome!

ROMEOs' Virtual Jason's Deli BYOB lunch
This is a recurring meeting, Friday, 1:00 pm
Link :
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85798571623?pwd=NmFSTW1ocVMzRGdIc0QzUGxKdHM3dz09

Meeting ID: 857 9857 1623
Password: saladbar

 

Aviana & Ro
 

All God's creatures.

 

 

Reminder for 25th Sunday Ordinary Time, September 20, 2020

Here are the links for Sunday:

For Zoom   ( the video conference, same as last week )
 
 
 
For Youtube    
 
 
1. in your browser, go to   youtube.com
2. search for "john stack ministries"
 
 

IMG_1925

 

Doggie Park and doggie swimming hole from the north bridge, usually a busy spot.  Must be too early.

 

What's up in Ye Old Catholic Church

1.  U. S. bishops should follow the sisters,  https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/editorial-bishops-should-follow-sisters-lead-dismantling-racism

 

Aviana 2

 

Sunday Homily from September 13 (Last Sunday.  Just forgot to add it to the blog.)

The Lord is gracious & merciful, never gets angry and is abounding in love.

Many people I know have their favorite scripture passage, one that supports feelings of consolation and inner peace.  It is also a resort when times are difficult.  This my verse.

Please excuse me while I reminisce through three periods of my adult & ordained life, my years in East Africa, my years working as a psycho-therapist and a celebrater of Sunday Masses at St. Marks, and finally the recent years, my blessed marriage with Rosemary and celebrating Masses with our special, marvelous community, each stage lasting 10-20 years.

I was living in Nairobi, Kenya when I was first struck by the incredible strength and consolation of this line.  I was looking for property on which I was to establish a spiritual center.  I had taken a break of a few days to get in touch with my spirit.  I had already been a Jesuit for about 15 years and had made many a retreat.  I had even guided a bunch of people through 8 to 30 day individual retreats.  Suddenly, sitting in the small chapel of the house of some American brothers it hit me.  How had I missed the strength of this line?

I went on to find a 38 acre plot with two houses owned by two elderly Brit ladies, mother & daughter.  (probably younger than I am now!).  The center is still active and under the direction of 2-5 East African Jesuits.  I named it Mwangaza House, which is Swahili for a sudden brightness.  I showed it to Rosemary & Mary Ellen some years ago when we were all 3 younger.

At a meeting of some of us Kenya Jesuits I volunteered to move south to Tanzania, a country more poor than Kenya & Uganda, with dirt roads, more simple living, and the home of The Great, my beloved Mt. Kilimanjaro. 

We knew that transportation was poor, so we decided to go mobile.  I was able to find 4 convents or centers with guest accommodations, one in each of the 4 corners of the country.  I bought a Honda 250 trail bike and found 3 others to form a team.  They were another young French Canadian Jesuit, a French Canadian White Father, and a delightful Dutch nun named Hanney.  In a cardboard box on the back of my trail bike I had my notes, extra clothing and running shoes.  It was a fascinating adventure.

The second big move I made was when I returned to the States around ’85-’86, got a degree & training as a psycho therapist, opened an office in the back of the Jesuit residence at the school here in Dallas, and shared time with people needing help.  I was quite busy.  At the same time Claude Smyth took me on at St. Marks where every Sunday I did the 9:00 and the 10:30 Masses.  I loved the people who made up those communities.

Guess what was the third big move in my life.  Cinco de Mayo, 2005, Rosemary & I got married.  That blessing was more than ever I expected!  But that was not the end of it. 

I blame Carol Eshelbrenner, Bernadette, and a few other trouble makers.  They said let’s continue to celebrate our Sunday Masses together.   Remember where we started and continued for many years?  Yep, Vines High School.  After a gazillion years at Vines, we were assigned to other schools because of Summer renovation.   Then we arrived in The Promised Land, Legacy Charter, Becky being our most gracious hostess.

Ever since that day in Nairobi and all through the years I have found peace and strength in The Line, The Lord is gracious and merciful, never gets angry, and is abounding in love.

What scripture line touches your heart?

 

Similar Posts

  • 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time, February 19, 2023

    Leviticus 19:  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

    Corinthians 3:  Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

    Matthew 5:  You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.  But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, …

     

     

    IMG_7005

    Connie reading from Leviticus

     

     

    Thanks…     

    Music,    Ben and Shonda

    Readers,  John & Connie

    Gospel,   John Cade

    Homily,   John Stack

    Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

    The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Kevin

    Final Blessing, Rosemary

           

     

    IMG_7009

    John reading from Paul's letter to the Corinthians

     

    Readings:  Download 02-19-23 Readings – 7th Ordinary

    Homily:   

     

     

     

    Remember these special people:

    For the family of Ron Senter;  For Frank Esparza;  For Jan;  For John Simari's mother who is not feeling well;  For Tom  Quinn who had back surgery on November 21st;  For Sandra who has been diagnosed with Large B Cell Lymphoma;   For Lambrini, John Cade's wife, who is dealing with cancer ;  For Madeleine, Richard Eshelbrenner's granddaughter;  For Hue; For Jackie;  For John's sister, Kathey recovering from a fall;   For Tom Good;  For a young man, 19 struggling with a brain tumor and cancer;     For Mary Hall's friend Cadence still suffering from a serious medical condition;   For Sir Charlie & Jan; 

           

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

     

     

    IMG_7030

    Brent and Meredith

     

     

    Birthdays:  

    Anniversaries:  

    Community Finances:   

    Expenses: 135.00

    Outreach: $ 

    Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

     

            IMG_7033 (2)

    Shonda and Ben

     

     

    Rosemary's Blessing: 

    Let us pray to our God      

    To the God of Mary and Joseph,

    To the God of Abraham and Sarah.

    May our spirit fill the world with beauty and wonder.

    May our mind seek truth with humility and openness.

    May our hearts forgive without limit.

    May our love for friend, enemy and outcast be without measure.

    May our needs be few and my living simple.

     

    Taken and adapted from a prayer by Mary Lou Kownacki, OSB for Pax Christi USA in commemoration of the United Nations International Decade for the Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World.

     
     

     

     

    JSM Mission-Faith Statement  

          Help create a Catholic Community that welcomes all God’s People, provides for & challenges spiritual & total growth.  

          Reaches out to help people who are disadvantaged & make the world we live in a better place to live.

  • 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 8, 2024

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

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

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

     
     
    IMG_1543
    Mary reading from Isaiah

     

     

    John Cade's Homily:  Download 09-08-24 Homily- The 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

     

     

    Thanks…     

    Music,   Shonda & Ben

    Readers,   Mary & John

    Homily,   John Cade

    Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

    The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Kevin

    Final Blessing,  Rosemary

     

                                                                                                               

    IMG_1549

    John reading from the Letter 0f James

     

     

     

    Remember these special people:

    For John Stack;  For Shonda's Grandmother;    For Meredith ;   For Tom  Quinn;   For Frank Esparza; For Lambrini, John Cade's wife, who is dealing with cancer ;  For Allen Stryker;   For Mike and Judy Carrell ; For Madeleine, Richard Eshelbrenner's granddaughter;  For Hue; For Jackie;  For John's sister, Kathey recovering from a fall;   For Mary Hall's friend Cadence still suffering from a serious medical condition;   For Sir Charlie;  For Ron ;  For Teresa Quinn's niece, Maddie who has a brain tumor;  

                                           

     

    Jackie's sister, & friend, Lynn;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg.;   For Jean & Cliff Wright;  For Dee, and for her daughters, Lisa & Lauren;  For a young man who is suffering from depression;  John Cade's daughter, Joey, with cancer; from Barbara, a little baby boy named Ford recuperating from an operation,  the families of Annie and Michael and her neighbor, Marie and the family;    for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

     

     

    IMG_1551
    Shonda and Ben, the musicians

    Birthdays:    Aggie Stryker 9/8, Warren Wittek 9/12

    Anniversaries:   Aggie & Allen Stryker 9/9, Mike & Geri Moran 9/12

     

    Community Finances:   

      Expenses:   1,005.00

      Outreach: $     350.00

     

    Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

     

     

    IMG_1558

    The Kiss of Peace

     

     

    Rosemary's Blessing:

     

    Loving God…

    Give us hearts
    where all may enter in,
    ears to hear your call,
    hands to do your will,
    voices to sing your praise
    and soul enough
    to recognize You
    in everything we do.

    Taken from The Prayer for Those Who Dwell In A Monastery of the Heart by Joan Chittister

     

     

     

     
    John Stack Ministries meets on Sunday for Mass at 9:30 at The ArtCentre of Plano, 902 E. 16th St, Plano, Texas.
     

     

    JSM Mission-Faith Statement  

     Help create a Catholic Community that welcomes all God’s People, provides for & challenges spiritual & total growth.   Reaches out to help people who are disadvantaged & make the world we live in a better place to live.

  • Reminder for 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, June 30, 2024

    Wisdom 1For God formed man to be imperishable; the image of his own nature he made him.

    2 Corinthians 8:  You are familiar with the generosity of our Master, Jesus Christ. Rich as he was, he gave it all away for us – in one stroke he became poor and we became rich.

    Mark 5:   He clasped the girl's hand and said, "Talitha koum," which means, "Little girl, get up."   At that, she was up and walking around! This girl was twelve years of age. They, of course, were all beside themselves with joy.

     

     

    June 3

     

     

    Another Reminder for 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, June 30, 2024
     

    Here are the links for Sunday:

    For Zoom   ( the video conference, same as last week )
     
     
     
     
     
    John Stack Ministries meets on Sunday for Mass at 9:30 at The ArtCentre of Plano, 902 E. 16th St, Plano, Texas.
     
     

    JSM Mission-Faith Statement  

          Help create a Catholic Community that welcomes all God’s People, provides for & challenges spiritual & total growth.  

     Reaches out to help people who are disadvantaged & make the world we

    live in a better place to live.
  • Sunday Homily, November 13, 2016, 33rd Ordinary Time

    Readings:

    Malachi  3, 19-20,  There will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays.

     Psalm 98,  The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.

     2 Thessalonians 3, 7-12,  See what love the father has bestowed on us.

     Luke, 21, 5-19,   When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified.

    Some Sundays the selection of readings are beautiful and touching. Some Sundays they are not.  Such are our readings today as we come to the end of the church readings for this year.

     

    CIMG6410

    Who is this little girl in John's arms welcoming everybody?

     

    Observations on Malachi:

    What:  The very last book of the O.T.  A little book, only 4 short chapters.  

    When:  After the return of the Israelites from the Babylonian Captivity, therefore, the 5th century before Christ, i.e., ca 499 and before.

    Message: because of laxity and corruption Malachi is warning the people that they will get punished again.  Such is our reading today. 

     

    CIMG6420

     

    Getting ready: you put your left arm in, Buddy, you put your right arm down, and you shake it all around.

     

     

    Thanksgiving I

    With the approach of Thanksgiving, my favorite feast of all, I would like to talk about what I am grateful for on two occasions, this Sunday and next Sunday. 

    I want to talk today about what I am grateful for because it has been a rough, almost depressing week for me.  Tuesday night, of course, was where it began.  As the evening progressed I began to tell which way the wind was blowing. 

     

    CIMG6433

     

    Got it, show time.

     

    As you know, by 9:00 I was ready to go to bed, but I was also tempted to stay up.  Temptation.  So as not to get wound up, I told Rosemary I was going to be as normal and would check in the morning.  I went to bed consciously focusing on my blessings, and in the morning, despite the news, I continued.  This focus really helped me to maintain perspective and hope for the future. 

    Want to know what the blessings were?  Here are the big four.

     

    CIMG6440

     

    Our Candle Man of The week, Buddy.

     

    First, I was grateful for the relationship Rosemary & I have.  Rosemary does not come to bed with me at 9:00, but she and Aviana are all snuggled in when I get up at 4:00.  The gift of their presence on a cold morning is almost enough to make me change my mind about getting up. 

    The second blessing takes place when I get up.  After doing some pushups and crunches at home, I head to the Jewish Community Center where I join 10 – 20 others doing spin class and then I work out in the gym for 15 minutes.  In the winter I take a  shower.   I love the exercise and I love the congeniality.  I know a bunch of  people by name and even know a bunch of birthdays in my spin class.  Guess what I do on their birthdays. 

     

    CIMG6412

     

    Congratulations to Cody and our dear Shonda (marriage).

     

    Connected with the exercise at the J, I love the gift of White Rock Lake and my ability to be able to ride around it.  Thursday or Friday The Lake was flat as glass, just beautiful.   

    Third blessing, you people, our community.  Every Sunday I head home with Rosemary and sometimes Aviana on a high.  The high continues through the afternoon when I am sorting through all the pictures for about 30 that I plug into the blog.

     

    CIMG6415

     

    Hey, Leo, I am jealous of your glasses.

     

     Fourth blessing.  Thursday morning I was privileged to visit a guy’s mother who was just on the edge of moving to the other side.   She was in one of the retirement homes on Plano Parkway.  I went in.  She was lying on her back in bed.  Her eyes were open but she was oblivious.  Occasionally she had like muscle spasms where she would kind of ball up. 

    I blessed her and then leaned down and caressed her cheek.  I put my left hand under her hair and talked quietly to her.  I heard the word mama once, so I started telling her her mama was coming for her.

     

    CIMG6418

     

    The Best, Shonda & Ray

     

    This went on for, say, 10-15 minutes.  I had worn my white alb to give her peace.  Then it happened.  She focused and looked right into my eye.  We looked consciously at each other maybe a foot apart.  I continued to reassure her.  Then she was gone again.

    These are the daily blessings I focused on to maintain my normal inner peace.

     

    CIMG6421

     

    Welcome Home, Norm, good to see you.

     

    If you needed to, what did you do?

     

    CIMG6442

    Welcome home, Kim and Dave, good having you in.

     

     

  • Reminder for Sunday, June 17, 2018, 11th Ordinary Time, B cycle

    Map

     

     

    Note: we are now meeting at Legacy Academy.

     

     

     

    Welcome: Catholic Mass with coffee & juice, and pastries, some bought, some home-made.  

    Time: 9:30; Celebrate with the Community & John Cade 

    Place: Legacy Charter School, Accent Drive, Plano, TX 75075

     

     

    IMG_3656

     

     

    Suit up time.

     

     

    Readings:  

     Ezekiel   17, 22-24,   All the trees of the field will know…

     Psalm 130,   Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.

     2 Corinthians 5, 6-10,  We are always courageous

     Mark 4, 26-34,   This is how  it is with the kingdom of God.   

     

     

    IMG_3645

     

     

    Thanks, Dearest CC, for being our Candle Lighter of The Week.

     

     

    Community Activities:  

    ROMEO MEET: Friday, June 22, Jason's Deli, Collin Creek Mall, west side of Central, 1:00.  Welcome all wakos, you will fit right in.  Note: let’s skip this Friday.  We are all out of town.

    JULIET LUNCHEON, (aka.,just us ladies into eating together), July, TBA

     

     

    IMG_3646

     

     

    CC's best helper and sister, Kayla.

     

     

    What is going on in Our Catholic World:

     5 Loves of Francis,  National Catholic Reporter via Corpus, 6-6-18,   Download FRANCIS' FIVE LOVES 9-14-18     


     

    IMG_3647

     

     

    Happy Birthday, My Dearest Alison.

     

     

    True?

     

    How to survive a knife attack (very seriously helpful!)
     

      Download 2018-04-12-VIDEO-00000008

     

     

    IMG_3648

     

    Happy 40th Anniversary of you being ordained a deacon, Dearest Mike.

     

     

    See you Sunday.

    J.S., 214-783-0443

     

      IMG_3649

     

     

    John, this will give you a little something solid to go along with that rumored gin & tonic in your cast.   Congratulations on getting it done.

     

     

    JSM Mission-Faith Statement: 

     Help create a Catholic Community that welcomes all God’s People, provides for and challenges spiritual and total growth.

    Reaches out to help people who are disadvantaged and make the world we live in a better place to live.

     

     

    IMG_3650

     

     

    Dana this is medicine guaranteed to help recuperation from a bike fall.