1st Sunday of Lent, February 21, 2021

 

 

The Living Nativity.  

 

Readings:

Isaiah 9, 1-6,    The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shown.  (Wow!  Beautiful)

Psalm, 96,  Today is born our savior, Christ the Lord.

Titus 2, 10-11,  The grace of God has appeared.

Luke 2, 1-14,   The Nativity story.   (Lovely)

 

 

 

 

What do we have here?  A donkey, a giraffe, an Addie?  

 

 

Isaiah observations:

 

This is Isaiah 1, a beautiful, hope filled piece.

 

 

 

Ever see a prettier Mary?  Hi, CC.

 

 

The Daily Nativities bringing Peace, Joy, & Gratitude

I would like to talk a few minutes this evening about celebrating the Nativity.  We do this once a year.  I propose that we can celebrate the Nativity, not once a year, but everyday.  The Nativity is an event that gives me peace and joy and a sense of gratitude.  These nativities happen daily. 

 

 

 

Hey, who let this character in?  Got a gift for me Santa?

 

Two examples.

There is a little widow lady named Joyce who lives right across the street from Rosemary & me.  She is on the southeast corner of Tulip Lane & Camellia.  We are on the northeast corner.

Joyce is 89 years old and Aviana & I visit her every morning.  In fact, we give her our newspaper after we have read it.

 

 

 

Has Santa run out of presents?  No way!

 

 

A week ago Joyce walked over to The Tom Thumb on the corner of Preston & Royal, a ten minute walk from our corner.  After buying bread and crossing over Preston at the light, Joyce was crossing Royal at Camellia.  As she walks to the median, she steps into a pile of leaves thinking it was flat.  

Nope, it was the curb and Joyce falls face down on the cement of the median.  She gets right up and is bleeding all over herself from where her sunglasses had cut around her left eye.  Not the eye itself, but her face.

 

 

 

Thanks, Emma, for doing your Candle Magic again.

 

 

At this point Joyce says all these people literally stopped their cars and ran to her.  Some wanted to call an ambulance for her.  Others offered to drive her home.  “No,” she said, “I am okay and only live right there,” and she points to her house.

One guy, however, puts his arm around her waist and offers to walk her home.  She accepts and gets home.

 

 

 

"All I want for Christmas?  Yes," says Vivian, my front tooth."  And Viki, her mom agrees

 

 

Want to know what really touched her?  Yes, all the people who ran to help her, leaving their cars right there on extremely busy Royal Lane. 

Those people were a Nativity event for Joyce.  And guess what.  She has  great peace, joy, and gratitude.

 

 

 

The Team, Georgie & Buddy, Leo & Mike.

 

 

The second example of a nativity happened to me Thursday.  I went to the main Dallas recycle dump on Harry Hines & Webb Chapel.  I get on the ramp and start unloading empty paint cans, old phones, and stuff that had accumulated for a year or more.

Coming up and helping me was a tall, old black guy, probably older even than I am.   I’m thinking this guy should be retired and at home with his grandkids.  I take the stuff out of the van, he takes  it and puts it in the correct container.  I am most touched.

 

 

 

And the Rest of The Team.

 

 

I wish him Happy Christmas and I start to get into the van.  “He deserves a tip,” I think and look into my bill fold.  5 bucks, maybe.  No luck.  No fives, no tens even.  Only a 20.  “Rosemary is going to kill me,”  So I walk over and shake his hand, the 20 in the shake. 

He, of course, tells me how I do not need to do this a bunch of times.  But finally he is all gratitude.  I get into the van quickly so he won’t see my tears.

 

 

 

 

Jack & his sister Sophia, who dances, like to all the music their dad (Ben) is playing.

 

 

A daily nativity event.  I gave him a 20.  I took from him peace, joy, and gratitude.

Where is the Nativity Event in your life this season?

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas, Carrie.  Merry Christmas, Paul.

 

 

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

 

 

Thanks…     

Music,   Shonda & Ben

Community Finances:   

  Expenses: $    1,005.00

  Outreach: $     350.00

 

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 

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

 

 

 

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

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

Place: Sigler Elementary, 1400 Janwood Drive, Plano, TX 75075 

 

Our Community Welcome Team

 

Readings:

Isaiah, 2, 1-5,  They shall beat their swords into plow shares. (a beautiful reading)

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

 Romans 13, 11-14,  Our salvation is nearer now.

 Matthew 24, 37-44,   Stay awake, for you do not know on  which day your Lord will come.

 

Our Special Blessing, Bethany.

 

Community Activities:  

ROMEO MEET: Friday, December 2, Jason's Deli, Collin Creek Mall, west side of Central, 1:00.  Welcome all wakos,  you will fit right in.  

JULIET LUNCHEON, (aka.,just us ladies into eating together), December 9; 12:30

ADVENT PLANS:   Download Advent 2016

 

Wake up, Leo, Look at what you are missing.                      

 

Christmas at the Dallas Symphony

This year we are going to the Meyerson on Friday, December 16th at 7:30 pm.   We will have seats in the Orchestra section at approximately $45.00 per person.  Please let Rosemary (rosemary.mcginn@sbcglobal.net) know as soon as possible if you are interested in going.  

Something new and special this year.  We will meet before the 7:30 concert at the condo of Beth & Rob at 2111 Marilla on the corner with S. Pearl across the street from the Dallas Farmers’ Market.   

You may come by car or by DART.  More on this later.

 

 

 

Buddy taking care  of the flowers.

 

What is going on in Our Catholic World

1. Nothing this week

 

Georgie taking care of Buddy.

 

True? 

Men who have pierced ears are better prepared for marriage. They’ve experienced pain and bought jewelry.

Rita Rudner, Comedian

 

The Team at work. 

 

See you Sunday.

J.S., 214-783-0443

 

 

Peace and Happy Thanksgiving.

 

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.

 

Isaiah 62:  No more will anyone call you Rejected, and your country will no more be called Ruined. You'll be called Hephzibah (My Delight), and your land Beulah (Married), Because God delights in you and your land will be like a wedding celebration.

1 Corinthians 12:  All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God. He decides who gets what, and when.

John 2:  This act in Cana of Galilee was the first sign Jesus gave, the first glimpse of his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

 

 

Music,   Ben 

Cathy gets a cookie for her new knee

 

Expenses: $   310.00

Outreach: $    30.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 

The Kiss of Peace

 

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

Thank you Lord for giving me

The brand new year ahead

Help me live the way I should

As each new day I tread.

 

Give me gentle wisdom

That I might help a friend

Give me strength and courage

So a shoulder I may lend.

 

The year ahead is empty

Help me fill it with good things

Each new day filled with joy

And the happiness it brings.

 

Please give the leaders of our world

A courage born of peace

That they might lead us gently

And all the fighting cease.

 

Please give to all upon this earth

A heart that’s filled with love

A gentle happy way to live

With your blessings from above.

 

New Years Prayer  by Charlotte Anselmo

 

 

Readings:

Deuteronomy 26, 4-10     You shall bow down in his presence.

Psalm 91,  Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.

Romans 10, 8–13,   The word is near you.

Luke 4, 1-13,   Jesus was led into the desert to be tempted by the devil.

 

 

Says Genevieve, "Welcome in, Folks.  Happy Valentine"s Day.

 

Deuteronomy 

The scene: The Israelites have escaped from Egypt and have been wandering in the desert for years.  They are just about to enter The Land.  They are assembled.  Moses is addressing them and reminding them of all Yahweh has done for them over the years of wandering.   

 

              

Cole, also, with Erin & Diane his mom & Grandmom, says, "Hi, Everybody, Come on in". 

 

In our chapter he is telling them that when they have settled in their new land, where he will not accompany them, they must take a basket full of a portion of their first harvest, present it to the rabbi, and offer it as a sacrifice of thanksgiving.   

Who: Though about Moses, Deuteronomy is a compilation of numerous sources. 

Guess when: post Babylonian Captivity, say 555.  Easy to remember.

 

Bethany, Can we trust you to get that cupcake to Vivian!

 

Having a happy, healthy, positive Lent?

Last week I talked with you about having a happy, healthy, and positive Lent.  How’s it going?   I have an example that may expand your possibilities. 

I have already mentioned a little bit of this story last week, but would like to get more into it.

 

David, Happy Birthday to Drew.

 

At the Jewish Community Center, where I arrive at 5:30 for a spin class, there is a guy named Michael at the entrance counter.  He is from Nigeria and new since the beginning of the year.  There was a lady on the counter for years, but she retired.  Nice, but nothing special.  Michael is special.

First off, he seems to have memorized every person’s name and usually what they want when they check in.  We introduced ourselves my first time to see him.  The second time he knew my name, knew I wanted only one large towel instead of two, and that I like a locker around the number 30.  He had it all.  There are hundreds of people who check in at this counter every morning.  I hear him call them by name.

 

Happy 22nd Anniversary, John, to you and Lambrini.

 

We chat a bit both when I come in and when I leave.  So, as I mentioned last week, I told him that our Friday spin teacher was having a birthday, that I was going to get the class to sing, and that I was going to give her a Cliff Bar (instead of a cupcake.  Good figure). 

So, Friday morning I mention to him I am going to celebrate Jennifer, and he says he will do something.  What I don’t know.  Like I said last week, what he does is he runs in as we are singing at the beginning of the class and sticks a big sheet of poster paper on the glass wall. The poster says, “Happy Birthday, Jennifer.”  I was surprised and delighted.

 

Happy Birthday, Dick.

 

Then at the end of the 45 minute class, Michael rushes in with a basket of 20 or so cold rolled face towels.   Again I was surprised, totally, and delighted.  Never before had any staff person done this. 

Michael is special.  He has a pretty insignificant job in the Center and he has used it as a platform to make a marvelous, positive difference.  He helps us all to start off the day with delight.  He makes it a joy to walk in the door, even on a cold morning in the dark.

 

Thanks, Cole for being a super candle lighter.

 

Do this and you make for a happy, healthy, and positive Lent.

So, how are you doing?

 

 

 Rosemary reading her Blessing of The Week.

                                               

We will celebrate the Mass for  Ash Wednesday on Sunday.

 

Joel 2:  For gracious and merciful is he, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment.

2 Corinthians 5:  We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us.

Matthew 6:  But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

 

Another Reminder for the 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time, March 2, 2025