Trinity Sunday, June 12, 2022

Readings: Wisdom 18, 6-9; Psalm 33; Hebrews 11, 1-19; Luke 12, 32-48.

Wisdom: this book is one of the 12 special books only finally approved by the Catholic Church at the Council of Trent in 1546.  Martin Luther, for instance, did not think the 12 books were genuine.  Whatever the case, the 12 books are in a special section of our bible after the Old Testament.

The book we are reading from today contains traditional Jewish and Greek ideas about life, basically saying that God rewards those faithful to him & punishes you know whom.

What are You Afraid of?

When I was about sixteen, I came home from the old Jesuit High School one afternoon probably in the spring.  Nobody was home, not even my sister as far as I can remember. My dad was at work. My mom was at one of her afternoon bridge clubs and had gone with one of her friends because her baby blue Pontiac was in the garage. 

After hanging around a bit and getting bored, I decided I was going to go visit a friend and use my mom’s car. Mom, however, did not like me using her car, so I could not find her keys. Now in those days all of us kids knew how to run a car without keys. It was called hot wiring a car. You used tin foil on the back of the key slot under the dash. 

So I hot wired my mom’s big Pontiac, pulled out of the driveway onto Stanford, and turned toward Preston Road. Arriving at the corner the car stalls. For five minutes I am working on the key slot to start the car, all to no avail, when a car coming north on Preston turns into Stanford. A lady is driving.  I know that lady and sitting next to her, my mom.

The master had returned and the servant was unprepared. In fact, the servant was caught red handed.

I never got that car started and, in fact, had to pay my hard earned paper route money to get it towed and fixed. I had shorted out some wires. I don’t remember my mom ever saying anything, but I was humiliated. 

I remembered this incident when I read about the master & the servant. I have some observations about these readings.

First, I don’t see our God as a thief who is trying to catch us off guard. He is not a strict master who is looking to catch us red handed and beat us. 

Secondly, I don’t see us as servants. In fact, in John’s gospel Jesus says he does not call us servants, but friends. In today’s psalm it says, "Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.  We are his chosen.  So is everyone.

To see this parable in a positive light, I would go back to last week when we talked about life being a gift.  When it says that the Lord will come at an hour we do not expect, I propose that the gift comes at moments and in packages we do not expect.  Appreciation is the goal and the process. It involves being sensitive and reflective.

One of the best lines in the whole gospel today is the very first line where Jesus says, "Do not be afraid any longer." This means I do not have to be afraid of God, afraid of death, afraid of getting caught red handed, or afraid of missing the gifts of the moment. 

I’ll always remember how stupid I felt when my mom came around that corner and saw me in her car, broken down. She did not tear into me, and neither do we have a god who is a thief or master who will beat us. 

So what are you afraid of?

   

Hey, Buddy, it looks like you have a new admirer.  Would you like to teach Genevieve how to help us with the Mass?  Never too young to help out.  Maybe she also loves you new robes. 

 

 

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

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

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

 

 

That little girl can walk!  Leo is guiding her around to visit all her admirers.

 

 

Readings:                          

Zechariah   12,  10-11, 13, 1, I pour out on the house of David a spirit of grace.

Psalm 63,  My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

Galatians 3, 26-29,     Through faith you are all children of God

Luke 9, 18-24,  If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily.

 

 

Leo says, "At that rate we ain't getting there."

 

 

Community Activities:  

1. ROMEO MEET: Friday, June 17 , Jason's Deli, Collin Creek Mall, west side of Central, 1:00.   Welcome all wakos,  you will fit right in.
2. JULIET LUNCHEON, (aka.,just us ladies into eating together):  TBA

 

 

 

Healing for Maddie and Sandra.
 

 

 

What is going on in Our Catholic World

1.  2 Questions about new law concerning negligent bishops, National Catholic Reporter, June 10,   1400 words,      Download Questions on new law 6-16-16

 

 

Healing for Teresa and Tom.

 

True? 

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up 

like a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore —

And then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?

Or crust and sugar over–

Like a syrupy sweet?

 

Maybe it just sags

like a heavy load.

 

Or does it explode?

 Langston Hughes

 

 

Communion for All.

 

 

See you Sunday.

J.S., 214-783-0443

 

The Play Corner.

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.

See you Sunday.

J.S., 214-783-0443

 

Claire, want to know how to scare away the bears in Yosemite?  Having learned last year with us, Nicole is ready to share her profound knowledge.  Who knows, Claire, maybe you could us this method with your tribe of grand kids, especially the twins.

Denni reading from 1 Samuel

Music,   Ben & Shonda

The Kiss of Peace

Expenses: $   550.00

Outreach: $    110.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

Dear Lord, please give me

 A few friends who understand me and remain my friends;

A work to do which has real value,
     without which the world would be the poorer;

A mind unafraid to travel, even though the trail be not blazed; 

A sense of humor;

Time for quiet, silent meditation;

The patience to wait for the coming of these things,

Amen.

Anonymous

 

 

 

"Welcome in, Everybody," from Carol Ann & Doug, David & Caroline.

 

 

 Readings:

Jonah 3, 1-5, 10,  The word of the Lord came to Jonah (a fun story)

Psalm 25,  Teach me your ways, O Lord

Corinthians 7, 29-31,   The time is running out.

Mark 1, 14-20, Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.  

 

 

 

Mother & Daughter, Connie & Jessica.  Welcome home, Jessica.

 

 

In our first reading, the word of the Lord came to Jonah; he was to call the people of Nineveh to turn from their evil ways.

 

Our second reading from 1 Corinthians is reminding us what is really important;

be Christ in the world.

 

 

 

Hi, Leo. 

 

 

Homily:  Mike  

 

The first words in our reading from the Mark gospel were a call given by Jesus of Nazareth to follow him to Jerusalem, ‘The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand, repent, and welcome and live the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Jesus then calls Peter and Andrew and James and John, to leave their nets and follow him, to become fishers of men.   It is important to realize that the inspired writers of all four gospels began each gospel with a summary of the important teachings that they had presented within their gospels. 

 

 

 

 

Leo??  Anybody seen Leo around?

 

 

Today’s reading is about the enhancement that the early Church made to the sabbath synagogue service of Judaism to form the Christian Liturgy of the Word.

During the Babylonian captivity the sabbath synagogue service began to come into existence, for the Jews were in exile, the temple was a long way off, and it had been destroyed.  This service of worship and instruction was implemented and Judaism did survive; its worship and its religious instruction that had been handed down to each following generation had become the glue that held the Jews together.

 

 

 

Welcome to the Choir, Emma.  You sing beautifully.

 

At the time of Jesus of Nazareth, it was a service each sabbath with Psalms to be sung to worship God, a readings that was an expectation from the Law and Prophets for the coming of the Messiah, and a teaching on that same reading given by an elder or scribe, if possible.

With that in mind, listen how our early Church chose to enhance the sabbath synagogue service for the Church’s Liturgy of the Word and show, at the same time, the sacred relationship that would always exist between Judaism and Christianity:

 

 

 

Our Candle Man of The Week, Ben, at work.

 

 

In today’s reading, Jesus entered the synagogue and taught, and we are told that by the power and authority of the Holy Spirit he astounded those at the service for his teaching of the Good News was unlike those given by the scribes. The scribe could only give a teaching on the  expectation of the passage; Jesus’ words gave a fulfillment of the expectation.  

This fulfillment was followed by a spiritual instruction given on the fulfillment [like the one you are reading].   The inspired writers of a complementary parable Story about this enhancement, given in the Luke gospel, put the fulfillment of an expectation on the coming of the Messiah from Isaiah this way:  Jesus stood up after the reading from Isaiah in the synagogue service saying, ‘This day these words are being fulfilled in your hearing.’  

 

 

 

The Team, Leo, Georgie, Buddy, and Deacon Mike, waiting to share his homily.

 

Something to think about:   Yesterday’s Sabbath Synagogue Service, at one location, began with Hymns and Blessings, and a reading from the Torah from a calendar of readings that stretches over one complete lunar year.

 

 

 

Mike, scoping out the landscape.

Acts of the Apostles 3:  The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses.

1 John 2:  But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him.

Luke 24:  . . . he asked them, "Have you anything here to eat?"  They gave him a piece of baked fish;  he took it and ate it in front of them".

 

Jeremiah 33: That's when Judah will be secure and Jerusalem live in safety.

1 Thessalonians 3:  And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you.

Luke 21:  And then – then! – they'll see the Son of Man welcomed in grand style – a glorious welcome!

 

 

 

Another Reminder for the 1st Sunday of Advent, December 1, 2024