23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 4, 2022

1 Samuel 16:  There – anoint him, for this is the one!  Then Samuel , with the horn of oil in his hand, anointed David in the presence of his brothers;

Ephesians 5:  Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.

John 4:  As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth.  He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him, "Go wash in the Pool of Siloam"

 

There will be a Celebration of Life for Ron Senter on April 1st at 2:00 PM at Restland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

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?   

 

 

 

Mary commenting on the homily

Community Finances:   

  Expenses: $  330.00

  Outreach: $   

 

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

John and Connie

 

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

Loving God, through the gift of our fathers,

you reveal your wisdom, love and care.

 

Continue to bless and guide these holy men

you have given to us in our lives.

 

Support them in their call

to lead holy lives of faithfulness, respect and integrity.

 

May their witness of faith and love

shine from them and on their children and families

giving hope and encouragement to all.

 

Bless them for all the ways they lift their children to achieve their dreams.

Bless them for their sacrifice, their forgiveness and their guidance.

 

Bless grandfathers, uncles, brothers, cousins, teachers and coaches

who have shown us love and support.

 

For those fathers who have lost a child or spouse,

give them your loving touch of healing

consoling them with your gentle care.

 

For those fathers who have gone before us,

bring them to your eternal banquet of joy and peace;

bring them the fullness of union with you

and communion with us as we remember their love for us. Amen.

 

(Adapted from Fr. John Thomas Lane, SSS)

 

 

Happy Father’s Day

Amos 8:  The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Never will I forget a thing they have done!

1 Timothy 2:  For there is one God.  There is also one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as ransom for all. 

Luke 16:  The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; 

 

 

Very exciting first Sunday at the ArtCentre.  We were welcomed by the Fire Department.  It seems Richard and Hue got stuck in the elevator  and they had to call the Fire Department to get them out

 

 

Music,    Ben & Shonda

Readers,  Pat & Fred 

Gospel,   John Cade

Homily,  John Cade

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,      Hue & Richard 

Final Blessing, Rosemary

         

 

John starts Mass at our new home

 

Readings:  Download 09-18-22- Readings – 25th Sunday Ord

Homily:    Download 09-18-22- Homily – 25th Sunday Ord

 

 

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; 

 

                           

Buddy reads the prayer for the lighting of the candles

 

 

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.

 

 

The  Kiss of Peace

   

Birthdays:   Sandra Pratt 9/18,  Mary Jane Stevenson 9/20

Anniversaries:   Lynda & Tom Fleming 9/18

      

Community Finances:   

Expenses: $  1,195.00 

Outreach: $  60.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

                 

The Kiss of Peace

 

 

Rosemary's Blessing:  

… May God bless you with enough foolishness
to believe that you can make a difference
in this world, in your neighborhood,
so that you will courageously try
what you don't think you can do, but,
in Jesus Christ you'll have all the strength necessary.

"Troubadour: A Missionary Magazine," published by the Franciscan Missionary Society

 

 

 

"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 2:  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

1 Corinthians 12:  There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there  are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.

John 20:  Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent me, so I send you.

           

                 

 

 

Thanks…     

Music,    Shonda & Ben 

Readers,  Denni & Tom

Homily,   John Cade

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Kevin

Final Blessing, Rosemary

                                                                              

 

Denni reading from The Acts of the Apostles

 

 

Readings:  Download 05-28-23 Readings – Pentecost

Homily:  Download 05-28-23 Homily – Pentecost

 

 

 

Tom  reading from Paul's Letter to the Corinthians

 

Remember these special people:

For Sandra Pratt's family;  For Cindy Cramer's family;  For the family of Ron Senter;   For Meredith  whose cancer has come back;  For Jan;  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 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; 

                                                                                                   

       

 

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.

 

Shonda gets a cookie for her birthday

 

 

                                          

Birthdays:  Shonda Mashburn

Anniversaries:  

                                                              

Community Finances:   

Expenses: $  1,130.00

Outreach: $  

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.