5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, February 6, 2022

Deuteronomy 4:  Yes. What other great nation has gods that are intimate with them the way God, our God, is with us, always ready to listen to us?

James 1:  Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.

Mark 7:  Jesus called the crowd together again and said, "Listen now, all of you – take this to heart.   It's not what you swallow that pollutes your life; it's what you vomit – that's the real pollution."

 

Another Reminder for 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 1, 2024

Music,   Ben 

Expenses: $   1,525.00

Outreach: $    80.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

The Kiss of Peace

 

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and
the affection of children;
To earn the approbation of honest critics and endure
the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To give of one's self;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To have played and laughed with enthusiasm and
sung with exultation;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived –
This is to have succeeded.

 

What Is Success  by Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Genesis  22, 1-2, 10-13, 15-19, God put Abraham to the test

Psalm 16, I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living

1Romans 8, 31-34, If God is with us, who can be against us.

Mark  9, 2-10, He was transfigured.  

 

Dreaming….

 

 

Mass:  Plus coffee & donuts & specials on the house.  Welcome!

 

Place: Vines High School, Plano, 15th between Custer & Independence, west of Central Expressway.

Time: 9:30

 

Readings: Isaiah 60, 1-6; Psalm 72, Lord, Every Nation on Earth will adore You; Ephesians 3, 2-6; Matthew 2, 1-12

Santa visited the Christmas Eve Community:

 

Community Bulletin Board: 

Heritage Farm renovation:  On hold for a while

   

 

True?

One kind word can warm three winter months.
— Japanese Proverb 
 
 

 Picture 1:  Santa arrives

Picture 2:  Vivian's brother

Picture 3:  Vivian's sister

Picture 4:  Wendy, Shonda, Ray, & Celeste

   
   

  

  HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

     

See you Sunday, January 3  

 J.S.   (214-783-0443) 

 

 

 

Says, Tori, "Welcome in, Everybody.

 

 

Readings:

Isaiah 60, 1-6,   Upon you the Lord shines

Psalm 72,  Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Ephesians 3, 2-3, 5-6,  You have heard of the stewardship.

Matthew, 2 , 1-12  The Epiphany (the Magi)

 

 

 

Shonda, Ben & David doing it.

 

 

Isaiah 60:  observations–

1.  Who:  Can you guess which Isaiah this is, 1, 2, or 3?  Yes, this is Isaiah III who seems to have lived after the Babylonian Captivity, that is, 555 Before Christ
2. Today’s passage: chapter 60 is addressed to Jerusalem as a symbol, which is in total  destruction.  Isaiah  is trying to lift the spirits of the people who are depressed at seeing the mess that is Jerusalem.   He is saying that your day is coming, Jerusalem, when you will return to being the most splendid city of all, and by extension, the tribe.

Isaiah 3 should get a commission from the Jerusalem chamber of commerce.  

 

 

 

 

One of our Best Helpers, Leo.

 

 

The Epiphany, a Cornucopia of Symbols:

2 observations & 2 postscripts–

Where to begin, folks.  There is so much symbolism in this liturgy, in Matthew, for sure, and in the combination of Matthew with Isaiah and Psalm 72.  I'll touch 2 points, each with 3 subdivisions.. 

1. The Wise Men

1. The Wise Men have a double & triple significance because they are Gentiles
2. They come from the east, considered the source of wisdom in the world of that time.  Where does the sun rise?  Where do stars rise?  A new son has been born and like the sun in the east or a star, he will bring new light. 
3. They are searchers & symbolize every person’s search for meaning in life.    Remember Matthew speaks to two audiences, his fellow Israelites, whom he is chastising for not searching, and the Gentiles. 

 

 

Emma, our Candle Lighter of the Week, in action.

 

 

2. The 3 gifts. 

1. Gold is given because it signifies royalty. 
2. Frankincense, or incense, signifies divinity. 
3. Myrra signifies medicine.  Myrra is for human health.  It comes from a bush like tree that has a yellow, sticky sap on its bark.  The sap was good for skin infections and acne, asthma, colds, and flu, and even herpes.  It is found in Saudi Arabia & Somalia.

 

 

Suit up time.

 

 

 A post script.  People in Europe used to write an inscription over their doors, e.g. 20+C+M+B+18.  The numbers are our year.  The letters are Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar.   Christians made it say, “Christ Bless our house or Maison the year listed.

Another post script.  In New Orleans Epiphany starts Carnival season, which leads up to Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.  The parades are starting, folks.  Let's go.

 Sources: Reginal Fuller, St. Louis U. Liturgy; Biblical & Theological Resources, the Voice Institute, on line; Wikipedia; and other sources.

 

 

 

 

Suit up time continues.
 

 

 

An Epiphany Event

I would like to define epiphany as a giving & receiving of good news.  To exemplify this I have a story about a Christmas dinner I hosted one Christmas afternoon in the Jesuit house I used as a base in Tanzania.  I had been in East Africa at this time for about 7 or 8 years.  Because Christmas had often been lonely & sort of a downer, I decided this year to throw a dinner.

Since there were no turkeys available where I lived, I had to travel a day up north to Nairobi, Kenya.  I got a frozen turkey, returned and had to explain to the customs on both sides of the border.  Since, as a white guy who spoke Swahili pretty fluently, they passed me through probably thinking I was a bit crazy, like most wazungu, dizzy white guys in Swahili.

 

 

 

 

The Team, all suited up.

 

 

Next step.  Invite the neighbors on both sides of our house.  So I went to the father on the east side and invited him to come to my office.  He was a police chief, a very important person to have as a friend.

So, I said to him, “Mohammad, I want to invite you & the family to a special dinner on what we Christians call Christmas day.  On one condition: you get drunk, you may not come.”  “Oh, yes, yes, asante sana, (thanks, thanks),” he responded.

 

 

 

 

Offertory with Ray & Claire (whose mom just died today in New Orleans), Barb & Ron.

 

 

Christmas Eve I celebrate a late night Mass at the Capuchin sisters complex about 900’ up the south slope of Kilimajaro.  I almost live here because the sisters have a guest house with about 15 rooms.  I run 10 to 30 day seminars and retreats at their guest house.

Christmas day I travel the 2 hours down from the mountain.  It is summer time.  I pull into our dirt driveway and park under the canopy.  Behind me pulls in an old battered Land Rover.  Two guys get out and stagger toward me all buddy, buddy.  Yep, one of them is Mohammed. 

 

 

 

 

Welcome back Georgie.  So nice to see you again.

 

 

I am so disappointed and tell him, “Mohammed, you cannot come, Bwana.  We had a deal.”  This could have been a tough moment for me if he refused.  But, no, he apologized and the two guys drove off in their old Land Rover. 

I was a  little anxious about him coming anyway, but at 4:00 everybody started coming.  I expected maybe 10, but along with his wife and their two delightful little girls, extended family members showed up, a very common East Africa custom.

 

 

 

 

The minor elevation.

 

 

All this took place on our roof, from which you could see Kilimanjaro.  We had a partial Arab style house with a flat roof with cinder block railing.

The Epiphany is a giving & receiving good news.  The roof top dinner we had was a giving & receiving good news.

What are your epiphanies?

 

 

 

 

Guess what is coming!

 

 Mass:  Coffee & Donuts, Juice & Home Made Muffins on the house.

                          

Place:  Vines High School on 15th between Custer & Independence.  Time: 9:30

Readings: Acts 1, 15-26; Psalm 103, the Lord has set his Throne in Heaven; 1John 4, 11-16; John 17, 11-19.

                   

Community Bulletin Board: 

 This Saturday, 7:00 — The Annual Anniversary Celebration:   Fairview Farms, Parker & Central, same corner as Costco; covered dish (R to Z please bring deserts; A to Q hors d'oeurves)  Welcome!!  About 12 couples will renew their wedding vows. 

Information on Rosemary's trip to the hospital Sunday-Wednesday: Rosemary just got out of the hospital today, Wednesday where she went Sunday with an old problem with rapid heart beat, called SVT, supra ventricular tachycardia, a pulse (180) that won't come back down.  She had a procedure yesterday that will stop this.  She is home now ready to celebrate Saturday night at our anniversary party.  J.S.

    

 

True?    To be alive, to be able to see, to walk, to have houses, music, paintings–it's all a miracle.  I have adopted the technique of living life from miracle to miracle.

Aurthur Rubinstein

Picture 1:  Daddy Ed Kless with Cara

Picture 2:  Georgie with her grand parents, Bernadette & Gilberto

Picture 3:  Marianne & George Elwell

Picture 4:  Dorothy & Jim Wedding

Picture 5:  Alesia & Gary Wedding

          

 See you Sunday, May 24

 J.S.   (214-783-0443)