27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 4, 2020

Readings: 

Isaiah 2, 1-5, They shall beat their swords into plow shares.

Psalm 122,  Let us go rejoicing to house of the Lord.

Romans 13, 11-14,  It is the hour now for you to awake from sleep.

Matthew  24, 37-44, Stay awake.

 

Sorry, no homily this week. 

 

 

Readings: 1 Kings 3, 5-12; Psalm 119; Romans 8, 28-30; Matthew 13, 44-52 (beautiful section)

1 Kings:

• Author & date of composition: a compiler who seems to have lived ca. 550, during the Babylonian captivity.
• Subject Matter: King Solomon, David’s son. 1 Kings was once considered part 3 of a 4 part series, 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings, all of which was called the Book of the Kingdom because the books all talk about the kings of the Hebrews after the rule of the judges.
• Sources of the Compiler: many, but in particular The Court History of David and The Acts of Solomon.
• Time Span of Kings: 450 years, from 9th century to 5th century B.C., King Solomon & the Temple to Nebuchadnezzar & the Babylonian Captivity, one of the great Hebrew catastrophes along with the Holocaust.
• Today’s selection shows Solomon is so wise, as he is given a choice by Yahweh.

A Man Who was a Treasure: Tom Collerain

Last Sunday, you may remember, we had a touching Mass and a fun brunch.  And seated right up there behind Ken & Cindy, Kim & Lance was Tom Collerain for the first time in about a month.  Rosemary & I had missed him, wondered how he was doing, and called him the week before.  He said he and Alice had just returned from a cruise on the Rhine, which was why we had not seen him, and that he was looking forward to Sunday and seeing everyone again.  As usual, Tom was there with his warm, marvelous smile.

That evening he had dinner at 6:00 with Alice, was cleaning up, and went out with the garbage.  Alice wondered what was taking him so long.  She went out and found him lying in the flower bed.  He had gone to the other side. 

Again this Sunday we hear more humble metaphors of what the kingdom is like, like a fishing net, like a pearl, like a treasure.  Folks, Tom Collerain was a treasure.  For at least three reasons.

First, because he was fully alive.  He received the gift or treasure of life and fully experienced it.  On the Myers-Briggs personality indicator, he probably was a judging or type A personality.  He lived with order, working out every day at 9:00, eating at 12:00 & 6:00, nap at 1:00, and probably on time for everything.  That was his gift. 

He also celebrated life, for example traveling with Alice after his retirement.  In fact, they had just returned from the Rhine.  To celebrate even more, he had the joker in him.  For example, he could have given me the one about the couple who were 60 years old and celebrating their 40th anniversary.  They were in a nice restaurant.  Suddenly a little fairy appears on their table and says that because they were such a good & loving couple, they could each have one wish.  Like Solomon.

The wife, with the wisdom of Solomon when she had a choice, asked that she and her darling husband be given a cruise trip around the world.  The fairy said yes, and, poof, two cruise tickets appeared on the table. 

When the fairy asked the husband, he said that he had a wish which was not intended to hurt his wife, but he would like a new wife 30 years younger.  The fairy & the wife look and each other, roll their eyes, the fairy says, “Okay,” and, poof, the husband becomes 90 years old. 

Secondly, Tom was a treasure because he was, as Alice describes him, a gentle man.  He was a gentle man because he was at peace, at peace with his numerous friends, so many of which showed their appreciation of him Wednesday at his funeral service.  He was at peace with his terrific family, with himself, and with his God.  He was likewise at peace with animals, so many of which he welcomed under his roof.  His favorite golden retriever, Rowdy, even reflected his peace.  When a litter of abandoned baby kittens from the neighborhood were brought in, it was Rowdy who would pick the little kittens up in his mouth and carry them around. 

Thirdly, Tom was a treasure because he considered himself a roof keeper.  He took care, he watched over.  In fact, once he retired he developed a talent for cooking he had put on the shelf when he was working.  It is amusing to note that Tom gave Alice one of her first cooking lessons.

Before they got married and were living in Houston, Tom brought Alice a gift of fresh corn on the cob.  She put it away.  A while later Tom returned, saw the corn, and suggested that she cook it up.  “I don’t know how,” she responded.  Tom taught her how to boil corn on the cob. 

It also seemed so symbolic to me that Tom’s last act was taking the garbage out.  How symbolic of how he spent time making his world a better place in which to live. 

I can see Tom this morning walking beside his favorite dog Rowdy, like he did so many times.  Rowdy is introducing him to all the new neighbors, for whom the gentle man Tom will act as a roof keeper. 

We have only so much time, folks.   How are you appreciating the treasure?

AUDIO:   http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2008-07-27.mp3

Exodus 12:  The Lord said to Moses, "Go down at once to your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, for they have become depraved".

1 Timothy 1:  Indeed the grace of our Lord has been abundant, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

Luke 15:  My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours.  But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.

 

 

Ormand Beach, Florida

 

 

Music,    Ben & Shonda

Readers,  Connie & John 

Gospel,   John Cade

Homily,  John Stack

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,      Hue & Richard & Kevin

Final Blessing, Rosemary

         

Starting Sunday, September 18th, we will be meeting at:

Art Centre of Plano

902 E. 16th St, Plano

             

 Please use the Haggard Park side entrance.

 

 

 

Ormand Beach, Florida
                 

                

Readings:  Download 09-11-22- Readings – 24th Sunday Ord

Notes for the Homily:  Download 09-11-22- Notes- 24th Sunday Ord

   

 

 

 

Remember these special people:

For Jan; For Sandra who has been diagnosed with Large B Cell Lymphoma;   For Lambrini, John Cade's wife, who is dealing with cancer and Kaliope, John Cade's Mother-in-law;  For Donna and the Dinsmore Family after her brother, Dennis died  from pancreatic cancer;   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; 

 

                           

Mediterranean Sea

 

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.

 

 

Mediterranean Sea

   

Birthdays:   Warren Wittek 9/12

Anniversaries:   Mike & Geri Moran 9/12

      

Community Finances:   

Expenses: $   

Outreach: $   

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

                 

Mediterranean Sea

 

 

Rosemary's Blessing:  

May those that love us, love us. And those that don't love us,

May God turn their hearts.  And if He doesn't turn their hearts,

May He turn their ankles, so we will know them by their limping.

 

An Irish Blessing

 

 

Weather looks like it's going to be fine on Sunday Morning.  We'll see you at the ArtCentre at 9:30.

 

 

 

 

 

Emma lighting the candles.

 

Readings:  

 Jeremiah 23, 1-6,  Woe to the shepherds who mislead the flock.

 Psalm 23,   The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.   (a good one!)

 Ephesians 2, 13-18, He is our peace.

Mark 6, 30-34,  They were like sheep without a shepherd.

 

The Offertory with Cindy, Bill and Marlene.

 

 

Homily:

 

I was asked by my older brother’s extended family to lead them in a Memorial Service at the National Cemetery in Keokuk, Iowa this past week.   It was special; binding us together from coast to coast.

                                                                          

John at the Consecration.

 

In last Sunday’s gospel reading, when Jesus gave his apostles power over unclean spirits, he sent them forth. They were to stay with those who welcomed the Good News, preaching to them to repent and receive the Holy Spirit.  Those who chose to be led by the Holy Spirit were anointed with oil receiving forgiveness from their transgressions.

 

The Eucharistic Ministers, Patricia, Jan, Claire, Lynda, Tom and Geri.

 

Recall that the twelve were told to take nothing with them on their journey, except for one thing. Do you remember what it was? I propose to you that it was obviously a tradition of the Early Church which still exists. For example, if our Bishop Edward Burns would have come to our community, this morning, his purpose would have been made known to us by the fact that he carried a staff on his journey here; It signified that he came as the Good Shepherd, who would spread this table before us, with the fish and bread, the Liturgy of Word and Eucharist.  

                                                                                                                            

Mike sharing his Homily with us.

 

At the end of the celebration, he would have also anointed each of us with oil, to become Christ in the world, to be the Anointed One, who not only receives; but bestows spiritual healing, to those in need. The spiritual health we grant to one another with the anointing at the end of Mass engenders a faith to be healed not only spiritually but physically, too.

                                                                                                                   

Communion.

 

I encourage you to take a few minutes to read and think about the very short story between last week’s reading from the Mark Gospel and this week’s reading.  The story gives an example of the worldly power that made John the Baptist collateral damage.

                                                                                                                                       

 

 

 

The Our Father.

Readings:                          

Proverbs  8,  22-31, When the Lord established the heavens I was there.

Psalm 8,  Lord, Our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth

Romans 5,1-5,    We have been justified by faith.

John 16, 12-15,  I have much more to tall you

 

John's Homily

The fruits or signs of the Spirit, what you see when a person lives in the Spirit of Jesus, are the behaviors that descrobe love, joy, peace, patience or tolerance, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness or self-control.

I have shared with you in the past my having sisters who no longer speak with one another and the pain this signifies.  Well, this whole past week I have experienced the signs of the Spirit.  Lambrini’s older brother George had never been to Dallas in the 22 years since Lambrini and I were married.

 On the occasion of his mother, Kalliopi’s, 90^th birthday, George agreed to come.  I already knew George as a man of love and joy and peace.  He lives with his wife, on their farm in Pelaponesia near a town called Crimidi.  In addition to love, joy and peace, George demonstrates amazing patience. 

 

 

Guess who lit candles today.

 

 

I’m able to practice patience in some aspects of life, but fall down, especially in the areas of mechanics and technology.  I lose patience with machines that I want to do something they won’t do.  E.g., my lawn mower ‘died’ last year at the beginning of mowing season.  I found someone who would cut my yard for a reasonable cost and didn’t buy a new machine.  This year I took it in and the shop guy said it wasn’t worth fixing, and he could sell me a new one for $300.  When George got here, he little by little found out what was wrong with it, and then fixed each problem, one by one. 

I was amazed.  George reminded me of what Scott Peck said in his classic book, The Road Less Traveled’.  He said that he, like many others, said “I can’t do this or that.”  Peck said what we mean is “I won’t spend the time learning how to do that.”  Anyone graced with normal intelligence can learn to do anything, if we exercise the patience required to learn how.

Then yesterday my family got together to welcome George to Dallas and to celebrate Kalliopi’s and Lambrini’s birthdays.  Lambrini’s sister-in-law Debbie, and her daughter Leah with her one year old son, flew in to be with George and the family.  Our two daughters and grandson Freddie also came.

 

Viking Sea docked at Stockholm, Sweden last night, a Spirit Event.

 

 

I experienced their love and peace and kindness with one another all day long.  Everyone showed their love for Leah’s 1-year old CJ, and Joey’s 5-year old Freddie—total acceptance and joy.  I saw Patience, which includes tolerance, in how the 5 carnivores and 3 vegetarians respected one another and showed great tolerance for our different life choices.  Faithfulness includes self-control, and I experienced this sign of the Spirit in their total lack of judgement in sharing personal stories with each other.  What a day of blessing.

I also experience this ‘Spirit event’ each week when we gather here to celebrate together.  Remember Stack talking about the ‘Christmas event’ and the ‘Easter or Resurrection event’.  At Pentecost time we celebrate the ‘Spirit event’.  Be on the watch for Spirit events; they are happening all the time.   

How do you experience ‘Spirit events’, in yourself and with others?

 

Sunset around 9:00 P.M. Saturday night, Stockholm.  The Ending. 

 

 Yes, we have just returned to Dallas, Ro & Jo