Third Sunday of Advent, December 12, 2021

Habakkuk 12:  The rash one has no integrity; but the just one, because of his faith, shall live.

2 Timothy 1:  Guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.

Luke 17:  If you have faith the  size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

 

 

 

John reading from Habakkuk

                                                  

 

Thanks…      

Music,    Ben & Shonda

Readers,  John & Connie

Gospel,   John Cade

Homily,  John Cade

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,      Hue & Richard & Kevin

Final Blessing, Rosemary

         

                                                             

Connie reading from Paul's letter to Timothy

                                                                  

Readings:  Download 10-02-22- Readings – 27th Sunday Ord

Homily:   

 

 

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; 

                                                                     

       

Tori and Buddy getting a cookie for their birthday

                                                 

 

 

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.

 

 

Jackie gets a cookie for her birthday

    

Birthdays:   Jackie Turner 10/2, Tori Brown 10/2, Buddy Brown 10/2, Georgie Brown 10/5

Anniversaries:   Pat Jansky & Fred 10/2, Paul & Carrie Bieda 10/6

      

Community Finances:   

Expenses: $   510.00

Outreach: $  110.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

                 

 

 

 

Rosemary's Blessing:  

 

I thank you God for this most amazing day:

for the leaping greenly spirits of trees and

for a blue true dream of sky; and

for everything which is natural

which is infinite

which is yes.

e.e.cummings

 

               

 

Will somebody please go and sit with Jim & John.

 

Readings: 

Joshua 5, 9-12,  The Lord said to Joshua, "Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you."

Psalm 34,  Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.  (Excellent!)

2 Corinthians 5, 17-21, Whoever is in Christ is a new creation.

Luke 15, 1-32, The Great story of the Prodigal Son.

 

 

 

Zoe doing her candle magic.

 

Joshua

The scene: Moses has died just as the Jewish people are getting ready to enter their new land.  Joshua takes the leadership.  This book describes the defeat of the Canaanite people, and the division of the land. 

In our chapter the Israelite people are camped outside Jericho before attacking the town.  Yahweh is saying that he has removed the shame of the people for being slaves in Egypt.  They are feasting.

2 Corinthians

This section of Corinthians informs the people that in Christ they are new people, a new creation.

 

 

"Welcome in," say Ken & Cindy.

 

The Prodigal Son: A Work of Art

 This story is my favorite of the whole Bible.  Note one thing: this is story, not history.   The author carefully crafts his work of art to show how much God loves us.  Let me give you three observations about the son, three about the father, and an extra three to show you how astounding this story is. 

 

You are having too much fun, Patricia.

 

First, the younger son:

 

1. He has no right to ask for inheritance.  None.  By asking he is saying he wishes the father and the older son dead.  A symbolic murder.  Father can kill him for this.

 

2. He works feeding pigs instead of asking for help from the temple.  This means he rejects the religious tradition and is considered a traitor not only to the family, but to the religion. 

 

3. So as a horrible failure as a son of the family and a son of the religious tradition, he decides to return. He makes up his little speech and heads home.  He is hungry to the point of dying.  Do this or die.  Many listening Jews would say, Die. 

 

Suit up time, John.

 

The Father: he actually commits as many crimes and sins as the son.

 

1. He runs down the road to the son when he sees him coming.  A very undignified action.  Outrageous.

 

2. He embraced and kissed the son.  Huge violation of Jewish religious custom and law.  By doing this the father positions himself outside of the religious & cultural community.  He is a reject like the son. 

 

3. He cuts the son’s speech off before he can say finish, eliminating the last sentence, “treat me as you would one of your hired workers.”  And to make it worse, he orders the servants to bring the finest robe, ring, and sandals. 

 

"Help, Hue, I can't get this on by myself."

 

The robe, the ring, and the sandals:

 

1. The robe: restores the son’s dignity.

 

2. The ring: gives authority to the son, even equal to the father and certainly more than before he left.

 

3. The sandals: gives the son freedom.  Slaves were not given sandals so they would not run away.  The father is doubling the message he gave when he cut the son’s speech off before he could say the third part about being treated as a servant. 

 

A board Meet? 

 

A word about the older son, because we so often identify with him. 

 

1. That he tells his father how he feels.  Great.  In those days, it meant the father can kill him.  Today: communication.

 

2. What is his challenge: acceptance of his brother, his father, and himself; focus on gratitude for all he has; move from trying to be a good boy to loving?  Any one of these?  Or all?  All. 

 

I apologize for so much data.  There is even more.  The point is that the story is a carefully crafted work of art attempting to describe how totally loving our God is, toward us.

 

Communion ready?

 

Is your vision of God's love for you conditional or unconditional?  How does this image of an unconditionally loving God reflect your image of God?   

 

 

 

Deuteronomy 18: I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin, and will put my words into his mouth; he shall tell them all that I  command him.

Mark 1:  The people were astonished at his teaching,  for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.

 

Exodus 34:  Thus the LORD passed before him and cried out, “The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.”
2 Corinthians 13:  Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.
John 3:  God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.

 

Pope John XXIII modeled love and kindness for all the world to see. “See everything,” he said, “overlook a great deal; correct a little.”
The Monastic Way, Sister Joan Chittister

 

Rickey Turner
Please click on the link below for more information on Rick’s fund for ongoing treatment and medications for a kidney transplant. As Rick is now back on track for the transplant, we are helping to cover the medications necessary following the transplant.
Rick Turner Blog Post

Another Reminder for Trinity Sunday, May 31, 2026
Here are the links for Sunday:

For Zoom   ( the video conference)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88528744737?pwd=Te3cub31Q6XpNvUfzutHMgQ8JGqd42.1
Meeting ID: 885 2874 4737
Passcode: 412993

 

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.

 

 

Isaiah 9: For a child is born to us, a son is given us; …

Titus 2:   Beloved: the grace of God has appeared, ..

Luke 2:  … the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son, …

 

Thanks……

Music,    Ben & Shonda

Readers,    John & Mary Jane & Claire

Gospel,     John Cade

Homily,  John Stack

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,      Hue, Richard & Mike 

Final Blessing, Rosemary

Guess Who

 

 

Readings:  Download 12-24-21 – Readings – Christmas Eve

Homily:    Download Christmas Homily

 

 

 

Remember these special people:

For John Stack having a hard time right now with a bad back;  For Laura Chollick;  For Sandra who has been diagnosed with Large B Cell Lymphoma;   For Richard's grand daughter, Madeleine;   For Esparza's new great grandson  & Frank;  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 Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody &  Leo & all of Shonda's dear family; For Ursuline Sr. Mary Troy,

Amsterdam

 

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

Camellias

 

 

Birthdays:   

Anniversaries:   

                                                        

Barcelona

 

Community Finances,   

Expenses: $ 

Outreach: $  

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

The Mercado, Barcelona

 

Rosemary's Blessing:  

Loving Father, help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world.

Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.

Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children, and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake.

Amen.

Robert Louis Stevenson

Isaiah 55: …my word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.

Romans 8:  Brothers and sisters: I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.

Matthew 13:  But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.

    

 

John Stack Ministries now meets at:  The ArtCentre of Plano, 902 E. 16th St, Plano

 

John Cade's homily from last Sunday: Download 07-09-23 Homily -14th Ordinary

 

Information on Jan Keszler's internment and reception: https://ariacremation.com/obituary/janet-lee-keszler/