4th Sunday of Advent, December 20, 2020

Guess who has arrived, Everybody!   Welcome into Our World, Vivian Grace.  You are beautiful and perfect.  Tell your mommy & daddy, "Congratulations."  Arrival was Tuesday, 8 lbs.

Welcome: Catholic Mass with coffee and juice and pastries, both bought and home-made, after Mass.

Time: 9:30; Celebrate with the Community & Stack and Mike homilizing.

Place: Vines High School, Plano, 15th between Custer & Independence.

Genevieve, too, says, "Hi, Vivian, Welcome.  But, guess what, I got more hair than you."

Readings:

Ruth 1,  15—17, 20-26,  The story of Naomi and Ruth

Psalm 104,    Lord, send out our Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

1 Corinthians 12, 3-13,   There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same spirit.

 John 15, 26-27 & 16, 12-15, When he comes, he will guide you to all truth.

 And Annabelle says, "Hey, don't forget me.  And I am older than you two.  A little respect, please."

Community Activities:        

1.      ROMEO MEET: Friday, May, The Twenty Second, Jason's Deli, Collin Creek Mall, west side of Central, 1:00.   We also welcome the Working Classes, especially if you pick up the tab for the Old Guys.

 2.      LADIES' LUNCHEON,  June 4, Thursday, Papadeaux, 725 S. Center (East side, the side the sun comes up), 1:00.  It was heard that Cathy is covering set ups. 

Everyone, please forward to anyone you think would be interested.  If you let me know I will add their email to the list. 

Carol 

It won't be long, you little girls, until you will be joining at the play station these big kids, Buddy, Emma, Zoe, and Victoria.

What is going on in our Catholic World:

1.       Get rid of megaparishes,  National Catholic Reporter,  Mat 13,  727 words,       Download Megaparishes 5-21-15

2.     Francis and Bishop Romero of El Salvador,  National Catholic Reporter, May 19, 1555 words,    Download Francis & Bishop Romero 5-21-15    

                   Eshelbrenner Clan with Richard leading the parade.

 True?  

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.

Steve Jobs (Who?)

                         Welcome Back, Kim and Travis

See you Sunday, May 24, 2015, Pentecost,  Cycle B

J.S., 214-783-0443

 Offertory with Mary Ellen (just moved back to Dallas from CT), Grace, Alison and John.

 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.

 May you be blessed, too, along with Annabelle, Oscar, Gloria, and Eric.

1 Samuel 3: When Samuel went to sleep in his place, the Lord came and revealed his presence, calling out as before. "Samuel, Samuel!" Samuel answered, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

1 Corinthians 6:  Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?  But whoever is joined to the Lord becomes one Spirit with him.

John 1:  Then he brought him to Jesus.  Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas" –which is translated Peter.

Job 38:  Thus far shall you come but no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stilled!

2 Corinthians 5:  So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.

Mark 4:They were filled with great awe and said to one another,  “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”

John Cade's Homily from last Sunday:   Download 06-16-24 Homily – The 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings:  January 18, 2015

1 Samuel 3,  3-19,  Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”

Psalm 40,    Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will.

1 Corinthians 6, 13-15, 17-20,   Your body is a temple of the Spirit within you.

John 1, 35-42,   What are you looking for?

Buddy says, "Wow, Look what I got at the Stuff Swap."

1 Samuel observations:

What: 4 books about 4 big leaders of the People, Samuel & Saul, David & Solomon.  1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings.

Who: Samuel is the first big leader of the people.  He is a judge and the last.  The following 3 are kings of the people, Saul, David, and Solomon. 

Time:  The events take place ca. 1100-1000 before Christ.  The compilation & recording of the events takes place ca. 555 before Christ.  Sound familiar?  Babylonian Captivity

Who is that with a new, slightly used skooter?

Today's Selection: Yahweh is calling Samuel in a dream.  This ties in with the Gospel where three future apostles are called.  Samuel's mother was Hannah, and she is famous because of a touching story about how she came to have Samuel.  

I had the story of King David read the Sunday before Christmas and I talked about Samuel.

Hannah, Samuel's mother,  had promised Yahweh that she would dedicate to the temple her son, if she got one.  Consequently, our selection finds Samuel residing in the temple with Eli the prophet.  He would be about 12 years old.

Be aware that while these marvelous stories are mythological, the writer is attempting to convey to a simple people lessons in trust in Yahweh.

The Samuel reading, the Psalm, and the Gospel are all about call.  I would like to talk about this at homily.   As the Psalm says, "I come to do your will."  What is that?  What if it is just being  peaceful? 

Wow, I think that is our Beautiful Zoe.

 Big Calls and Little Calls

Like I mentioned, I would like to talk about calls this morning.  I would observe that there are big calls and little calls.  A big call would be like my call to go work in Tanzania and East Africa.  A little call could be like this.  Our story of the week.

So I go to the J this past Friday morning, the Jewish Community Center.  You know I go there Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for a 6 o’clock spin class.  The room has 25 stationary bikes and often the majority are occupied. 

And then there is our Beautiful Victoria cruising the stuff swap.

I had not been to the spin class since the Monday 10-12 days before.  I had a low grade, almost cold during the cold cloudy period and I just could not get it to go away.  One of the things I do to get ahead of a cold, beside heat and hydration, is rest.  I do no exercise and I force myself to lie down for an hour in the morning and in the afternoon. 

I knew what it was going to take and it did.  The sun came out Thursday, the temperature moderated, and, voila, the cold disappeared.  I could not wait for Friday morning.

Cupcakes of The Week for Ray & Claire at 44 and Kevin at 18.

So I get there, say, ten minutes early.  I walk in, say hi to the lady who gives me a locker key for the change room and a towel.  I walk into the change room and say hi to two other old geezers I like to joke with.  

All this time I am expecting that someone, at least the lady at the entrance, might say, “Where you been?  I’ve missed you.”  No, nothing, not even the two old geezers.

Happiness is a Cupcake of The week at 18.

So I walk down the hall and enter the spin room about 5:50.  Perhaps 8 people are there, including a lady who always rides on the bike immediately to my left. 

She is doing pre-ride exercises on the floor.  I say hi to her and talk with two guys I like, younger guys.  Yep, you guessed it.  No word about me being gone.  I was deflated.  I like the spin classes, but I equally like the people and I know pretty nearly everyone by name.  In fact, when I first started coming, people would just walk in, get on a bike, and start riding without a word to anybody.  Now I greet everyone and it seems like people are talking more. 

Jeanie & Jack with a welcome back cupcake, checking on their daughter, Wendy.

Eventually I just told people I had been gone almost two weeks because of a faint cold.  Then I had a couple of people say they had noticed I had not been around. 

The temptation?   Baloney on those people.  I have liked them, greeted them, and told them that I missed them when I noted that they had been gone, even for one class.  It is easy for me to notice, because the majority use the same bike each class.   I know some of them were flattered when I noticed.

Anad guess who, Wendy and Bethany with Vivian on the way.

That’s the temptation.  What’s the call?  Even a little call.  I think the call to me, at least, is to continue to greet these folks, to chat them up, and, yes, to tell them I missed them when they are gone for a class or two.  People are worth more than my deflation.

So, be sure to tell Rosemary and me how much you missed us the next time we are away for a week.  Only so much deflation I can handle, and you know Rosemary.

How do you handle being deflated like this?

Our great Communion helpers.

Readings:

Ezekiel  34, 11-12, 15-17, I will look after and tend my sheep.

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

1 Corinthians  15,  20-26. 28, Christ has been raised from the dead

Matthew 25, 31-46, He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

From Becky Good:  Our Special Thanksgiving Goal

Would it be possible for you to put in the blog the fact that we are having a food drive at Legacy for our neediest families?

We’re actually doing a giveaway Sunday the 22nd so if people wanted to drop off food between now and Friday the 20th we’d appreciate it. It could be anything from a turkey to peanut butter to apples. I think apples keep for a while don’t they? 

Thank you for this consideration. See you Sunday online!

John Cade, our homilist this Sunday.

ROMEOS, Friday, November 20, 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

Reminder for 33rd Sunday Ordinary Time, November 15, 2020

Here are the links for Sunday:

2. search for "john stack ministries"

 

 

 

 

 

Tranquility.

 

 

 

What's up in Ye Olde Catholic Church

 

1.  Pope Francis congratulates Joe Biden,  https://www.ncronline.org/news/politics/pope-francis-congratulates-biden-election-win

 

 

Isaiah 45:  I am the Lord and there is no other, there is no God besides me.

1 Thessalonians 1: For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.

Matthew 22:  Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.

John getting ready to start Mass

Thanks…     

Music,    Shonda & Ben 

Readers,  Mary & Frank

Homily,   John Stack

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Kevin

Final Blessing, Rosemary

Hue aand Kevin, the magic Zoom makers

Remember these special people:

For the family of Ron Senter;   For Meredith  whose cancer has come back;  For Tom Good;  For Tom  Quinn who had back surgery on November 21st; 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 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 ;    for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

Bernadette gets a cookie for grand daughter, Zoe's birthday

Birthdays:   Zoe 10/25

Anniversaries:  Ed & Christine Kless 10/22, Mary Jane Stevenson  & John Schanot 10/26

Richard gets a cookie for his birthday last week

Community Finances:   

Expenses:  10/1 – 10/21  $ 2,145.00

                  10/22             $  765.00

Outreach: 10/1 – 10/21  $  60.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

Ben gets a cookie for his anniversary last week