32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, November 6, 2022

 Readings:

Deuternomy 26, 4-10,  He brought us out of Egypt.

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

Romans 10, 8-13, The same Lord is Lord of all.

Luke 4, 1-13, Jesus was led into the desert for 40 days.

 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.   

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 & When: Though about Moses, Deuteronomy is a compilation of numerous sources.  Guess when: post Babylonian Captivity, say 555.  Easy to remember.

Emma arrives.

Romans

Paul writes to the Romans that all people, Gentiles as well as Jews, are invited to be part of the Christ event.

Andrew and Danny arriving with Sir Charlie.

  Beware of Great Expectations: observations on a new pope

I must confess that Monday morning when I first heard of Benedict’s retirement, I was excited.  “We might get a new man who is progressive and less authoritarian,” I thought.  With a little reflection I have two observations I would like to share with you from my perspective and experience.  Both fall under the Beware of Great Expectations heading.

1. Beware of expecting a progressive pope.  The college of cardinals has been carefully screened to include only very conservative, corporate, follow the leader type men.  They will likely vote their kindred.
2. Beware of the idea that a 3^rd world man would be great.  Two Africans are mentioned, one I know, Cardinal Arinze from Nigeria.  I attended his "coronation" in ’76 or ’77. 

One observation about him and many Africans is that in being converted they really bought into traditional Catholicism.  I knew a Tanzanian bishop who prohibited drums at liturgies because he thought they were pagan. 

Moreover, the custom of the African tribe demands that a big man make a big impression, not the idea of being a servant or last.

Have a Happy Lent?

Looking forward to Lent this year?  I confess that I was not.  Maybe it has come too quickly after Christmas this year.  However, I know I mildly dreaded it until.  Until we had our Ash Wednesday Mass at Marlene’s house.  Something happened there, some grace of being at home.  I felt peaceful about it all.

Ryan arriving with his dad, Jim.

So what are we going to do about this Lent?  Three observations.

1.  As a community you all will be invited on several occasions.  We will have a food drive next Sunday and a general pick up by Soul’s Harbor’s truck another Sunday.  One Sunday we will have one of our penitential rites, probably the Sunday just before Palm Sunday. 

Georgie ready to suit up.

        2.    I am going to invite you most Sundays to have a happy Lent.  It is Spring Training time.  Instead of focusing on the negativity  and the bad, focus on getting back in shape, from taking a daily walk to riding your bike around The Lake, White Rock.  Pass out compliments, like I mentioned last week.

Zoe arriving with her brother and mom, Buddy and Michelle.

          3.  I am also going to kick off a special project.  For years before I moved out of Jesuit I had a men’s group in the evening maybe two Tuesday a month.  It was both fun and profound.  I did not have furniture enough for all who came.  So I would take all the furniture out and I lay cushions all along the walls of the small office I had.  Everybody sat on the floor. 

Our candidate for pope, Bernadette, wondering where all the kids went.

I want to start a new group, a lunch group.  All you guys here are invited.  Tentatively, it will be Fridays, 1:00, Jason’s Deli here at Collin Creek Mall on Central.  It won’t be every week usually, mostly when I can come.  I’ll send out a note to everyone.  2 guys, 20 guys, who knows? 

Mike, Jerry, Shirley, and Maureen.

Why am I doing this now?  Good Lenten Penance!  Lenten penance with Stack.  Get you to heaven quicker.  Actually, it is because I miss you guys.  I may see everybody Sundays, but I don’t get to find out how it is going.  It will be great fun.

You women can rejoice that the old guy is out of the house for a while each week.   

So, what are you going to do to have a happy Lent?

Rosemary reading her blessing.

Acts 2,  They were all in one place together.

Psalm 104, Lord, Send out your spirit and renew the face of the earth

1 Corinthians 12, There are different kinds of spiritual gifts

John 20, Jesus came and stood in their midst

Thanks……

Music,  Ben & Shonda

Readers, John & Mary Jane, & Buddy, our candle blesser

Gospel, Deacon Mike Carrell

Homily,  John Stack

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,    Richard and Mike and David

Final Blessing, Rosemary

For hosting us at Legacy, Becky

John Schanot reading the second reading, Corinthians.

Homily for Pentecost

Download Homily Pentecost 5-23-21

Communion.   First Sunday without masks but all with the vaccine.

Rosemary's Blessing

Let us approach the feast of the Holy Spirit with the confidence and conviction that the Spirit of God who has brought us this far is always ahead of us, calling us forward and offering us what we need.

Let us ask for the Spirit’s Gifts of:

Wonder and Amazement at God’s faithful, steady, unconditional love for us in all the planned and unplanned times in our lives

Compassion for those who are suffering, isolated, hungry or unemployed

Deep Peace and Calm when we are in the midst of anxiety, worry or loss

Courage in conflictual situations that call us to speak the truth with love

Trust and Confidence that God is with us as God beckons us forward in ways unknown.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill us with your Spirit that we may do our part in healing and transforming our world into the realm of God ~ A place of inclusive love, unity, reconciliation, justice and peace.

Adapted from a Prayer and Refection by Sister Jean Amore, CSJ, Sacred Heart Academy, Hempstead, New York

Brent, our Souls Harbor Man.

How did these two get by security!

Acts of the Apostles 11:  With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all.

1 John 5:  Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

John 20:  Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe."

Readings:

Isaiah, 35, 1-6, 10,  Then will the eyes of the blind be opened

 Psalm 146,  Lord, come and save us.

 James 5, 7-10,  Welcome one another as Christ welcomed you.

 Matthew 11, 2-11,   Are you the one who is to come?

Treat of The Week: Sabrina is home from college.  Welcome home, Sabrina.

Observations on Isaiah 35

What:  The passage is another from Isaiah 1, (Chapters 1-39)

Our selection:  Another beautiful passage about a bright future.

Sez Tori, "Yes, Welcome Home, Sabrina."

Then the Eyes of the Blind will be opened

I would like to talk this morning about how once in a while, of course, only once in a while, I can be so blind to other people.  This is an old story, but it is right on.

One mild afternoon afternoon I was sitting on a bench in front of Baskin & Robbins on the corner of Preston & Royal, just near our house.   In front of me were two handicapped parking spots, both empty.

"Welcome home from me, too, Sabrina."
 

Suddenly a guy in, say, his early 20’s pulls into one of the parking spots, gets out of his car, and walks into Baskin & Robbins.  I am thinking, ‘Hey, this guys is cheating. There is nothing wrong with him and he has no handicapped sticker in his car window.’  I’m thinking, ‘Why did I not give him my opinion while he walked by me?  I will give it to him whenever he comes out.’

I wait probably about five minute, when suddenly the door opens.  The man emerges holding the right arm of a little old lady who was barely able to walk.

Is that really you, Leo?

Thank God ‘the eyes of the blind will be opened’ before something stupid is said.  Classic judging the book by the cover, one of my favorite activities.

Want to know of another place where my eyes are opened every year?  The Love for the Kids picnic in Flower Mound.

Love for the Kids picnic, entertainers

Again this year we had about 20 volunteers from our home community.  1000 kids with their teachers and sponsors.  There was all the usual activity, horseback riding, bounce units, face painting, people dressed as super heroes. 

When the kids walk in they are given a bag of goodies.  When they return to their school busses, they find a special gift in their seat.

Bill, the horse whisperer and the kid whisperer, helping the kids ride the horses.

They get lunch, put together by a bunch of our people.  People are floating around with bags of popcorn in baskets to give to the kids.  Kids who needed or wanted a coat, they could get one.  Bike helmets were being given away, good helmets.

I go to give the gift of my time to these kids, but the kids gift me even more.  But it is the great number of volunteers that touch my spirit.

So, the question obviously is: who is cuter, the white guy or the pink pig?  

That guy outside of Baskin & Robbins, the kids, and the volunteers open my eyes to the good around me.

How are you blind & how are your eyes opened?

Hey, John & Connie, I think those cookies are supposed to be for the kids' lunches, not you guys.

Not only were the kids given jackets & coats if they were needed, but bike helmets were given and fitted to the kids' heads.  These were good helmets, like Specialized.

Rosemary’s Blessing    

Come, O Dancing God,

Spirit of Life and Love,

of Beauty and Diversity,

stir up my soul,

bathe me in your light,

and unleash my own spirit

that I may dance with you

and be light for those around me

and reflect your love to all that I meet this week.

Edited and adapted from a blessing by Fr. Andrew M. Greeley

Erin reading Isaiah 56.

Our Special Thanks:

•    For Reading:   Erin & Chuck
•    For The Team:  Georgie & Kevin
•    For the Communion Bread:  Alison
•    For the Wine & Cups: Jean & Cliff
•    For the Pictures & Video:  Connie & John & Rick
•    For the coffee and pastries:   Beth D. & Jackie
•    For the altar & sound: Jackie & Hue
•    For the Music:  Ray & Shonda & Bethany

Chuck reading Romans.

 Anniversaries: 

Bernadette and Gilberto (49^th, Thursday)

Cupcake of The Week to Gil & Bernadette, 49 years.

 Please Remember these special people:

For Morgan Froebe home from teaching English in Equador for the summer;   Marilyn Ackerman with a bad bang on her leg;   Mike & Dee Miller's daughter, Lisa, not doing well;  For Tom Quinn's continued recuperation from shoulder surgery;    for Nina Tucker's dad;   Jackie Urbanczyk's continued recovery;    for a special girl named Missy Ackerman; Judy Thompson's dad in the hospital;  John Cade's mother in law, Kalliopi Piskiouli;  Charlie's brother in law with cancer;  Beth Dugan's dad struggling with prostate cancer;  from Rob, the brother of his business associate who has cancer;   For Diane Drescher with a bad back;  

Cupcake of The Week to Tim for being an old friend.

Frank’s sister, Grace Campos, 84, with stage one;  Margie McKeon’s brother, Bill, with lung cancer;  Jackie's sister, Shellie;  Diane McClurg's mom having a hard time making the transition to assisted living;   Dee's friend, Don Fox, with cancer;   Dick Thompson's daughter, Teri Jill & her cousin Terri.  Barb & Warren's grandbabies, Leighton Elizabeth and Warren Phillip;   Judy Carrell's friend, Matt Larson;  Rita; 

Caution, work site, Emma, Cowboy Cole, and Victoria.

 Bernadette Delgado's mom; Gilberto's mom and brother; Tom and Teresa Quinn's niece, Chawna, with cancer, plus Neva Flynn, Angel, and Diane Kreeitzer; Connie Doherty's mom and her sister, plus Kevin's cousin, Peter; Mary Ellen's Christopher, Margaret and Jim; our friends, sons, and daughters in the military, including Cole Carey, Ryan McClurg, and Chebino; cure for autism from Laura Chollick; for our President that he have great success and someday hold his grandchildren in his lap.

Rosemary doing her last blessing.

Your Finances, August 17, 2014

Expenses:   $760.00  

Outreach:   $415.00

We Donated this week:  

Nothing special this week.

 Video: Entrance hymn, Gather the People,  2:00 min.

Thanks for your Generosity.

Important Notice of the Week: We got 2" of rain in Preston Hollow from Saturday evening until today, Sunday.

Have a Good Week, J.S

(214-783-0443)

Harper says, "Goodbye, Everybody, see you next week."

 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.