33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, November 13, 2022

Next Sunday we will have a service for Cody’s son, Caleb,  at 12:30 at the ArtCentre.  Family will be coming into town.  We would like to hep Cody and Shonda during this time by providing some food for the out of towners (15 – 20 persons) to share while here.  If you are able to bring some food to 3622 North Echo Trail, Plano TX 75023  on Saturday at 2:00, it would be appreciated.

Ideas for food:  cheese plates, small sandwiches, salads, pasta, deviled eggs, hors d’oeuvres, the usual luncheon things.

Cody’s Mom will bring dessert.

Thanks to all.

Acts of the Apostles 6:  The word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly, …

1 Peter 2:  You are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises" of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

John 14:  " … Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father."

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

Hello May

Isaiah 55, 1-11, All you who are thirsty, come to the water.  (Beautiful reading, one of Isaiah's best)

Psalm. Isaiah 22, You will draw water joyfully, from the springs of salvation.

1 John 5, 1-9, Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God

Mark 1, 7-11, One mightier than I is coming.

ROMEOS, Friday, January 8 1:00,  as usual.    Welcome!    

ROMEOs' Virtual Jason's Deli BYOB lunch
This is a recurring meeting, Friday, 1:00 pm
Link :
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85798571623?pwd=NmFSTW1ocVMzRGdIc0QzUGxKdHM3dz09

Meeting ID: 857 9857 1623
Password: saladbar

Reminder for Sunday, January 10, 2021

Here are the links for Sunday:

2. search for "john stack ministries"

 

 

 

Tranquility.

, 

 

 

What's up in Ye Olde Catholic Church

 

1.    Jesuit run Creighton U. on fossil fuels, Download Creighton 1-2020

 

2.  Biden as Catholic,  Download Catholic Biden 1-2021

 

3.  New bishop in D.C, Download New Cardinal 1-2021

 

Readings:

1 Kings 19, 9, 11-13, Go outside and stand on the mountain before the Lord.

Psalm 85,  Lord, let us see your kindness and grant us your salvation            

Romans  9, 1-5, They are Israelites.  

Matthew 14, 22-33,   Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.   

ROMEOS, Friday, August 7, 1:00,  as usual.    Welcome!

ROMEOs' Virtual Jason's Deli BYOB lunch
This is a recurring meeting, Friday, 1:00 pm
Link :
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85798571623?pwd=NmFSTW1ocVMzRGdIc0QzUGxKdHM3dz09

Meeting ID: 857 9857 1623
Password: saladbar

Palo Duro Canyon

Reminder for 19th Sunday Ordinary Time, August 9, 2020

Here are the links for Sunday:

2. search for "john stack ministries"

 

Sunset Palo Duro Canyon

 

 

 

 

What's up in Ye Old Catholic Church

1.  Moms' protest,  https://www.ncronline.org/news/justice/catholics-join-protests-and-wall-moms-portland-oregon

2.  A dancing priest inviting us back,  https://youtu.be/CFduNE4pXAQ

 3.  Catholic influence on Joe Biden, https://www.ncronline.org/news/people/how-joe-bidens-catholic-roots-have-shaped-his-public-life

Alaska

Community Finances, August 2, 2020

Expenses: $  980.00

Outreach   $  150.00  (often for Souls Harbor, Legacy, etc.)

Thanks, Folks, for doing what you can.

Cindy Cramer:  Here is the latest on Cindy from her daughter.

Good news! My mom is making great progress in rehab and they've given her a tentative discharge date of August 13! She's walking on a walker already, but they want her to have time to build up her strength some more before letting her out.

 

 

Also — there is no need to bring her food anymore. It turns out, the food at this place is really good — much better than the hospital food was! 

 

Thank you all again so much for all your cards, gifts, thoughts, and prayers! You are really helping to make her stay more tolerable, and she is fortunate to have such a strong support network!

Some of the hikers.  Rose, John, Paul, Carrie and Andy on the first high pass.

Readings:

Ezekiel  33, 7-9,    You have been appointed watchman for the house of Israel

Psalm 95,   If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts

Romans 13, 8-10,  Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another

Matthew 18, 15-20,  Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am.  

Ready to start.  Georgie, Buddy, John and Leo.

Homily:

Last week Stack spoke about Matthew’s saying, “take up your cross, and follow me.” Stack gave his take on this demand. He gave as an example a younger friend who had struggles with school, with getting into Jesuit, with getting into the Air Force, and how he did not let his personal struggles defeat him. This friend faced his struggles straight on (he took up his cross) loving himself enough to not let his struggles defeat him.

The musicians, Shonda and Ben.

 In the reading from Romans today, Paul summarizes God’s commandments in one saying, “Love one another as you love yourself.” This is where I focus my thoughts today.  

I have been moved by the many stories of people’s loving actions for those caught up in Hurricane Harvey, dramatic rescues in boats, grabbing a hand to keep someone afloat, donating supplies or giving financial assistance out of love. Our lead choir singer, Shonda, of Texas National Guard fame, spent a couple of weeks in southeast Texas helping with Hurricane Harvey rescue operations. She agreed to tell some of her story. [Shonda spoke of what she and others in her ‘pod’ did for victims of Harvey and what immense gratitude the survivors had.]

Thanks for your service Shonda.

The Offertory Procession. Mike, Geri, Carol and Richard.

Now I ask you to remember times you reached out in love to help—times you helped build a house with Habitat, or volunteered to help with the Love for Kids, or helped with the counting of the homeless, or helped tornado victims in Oklahoma, or supported organizations such as Soul’s Harbor or the food drive today, or DARCC, or loved Mother Earth by planting trees, or helped nurture this community’s children during Mass, or helped in so many ways to make our Mass a special time each Sunday. Add to this the many loving actions you perform for others in your family, in your neighborhood or in the community at large. You, in so many ways, are living out the greatest command: “Love one another.”

Just beginning the Mass.  Hue checking the sound and Leo, John, Georgie and Buddy at the altar.

One question is: Where does our impulse and ability to love come from? Richard Rohr, a great Catholic spiritual guide, gives one answer to that question in his book The Divine Dance:

    “Love is not just something you do; love is someone you are. Love is where you came from and love is where you’re going. It’s     not something you can buy or attain. It is the presence of God within you, called the Holy Spirit.

    You can’t make God love you one ounce more than God already loves you right now. You can’t. You can go to church every     day for the rest of your life. God isn’t going to love you any more than God loves you right now.

    You cannot make God love you any less, either—not an ounce less. Do the most terrible thing and God wouldn’t love you less.     The flow of God’s love is constant and total.

    You have nothing to be afraid of. God is on your side, honestly more than you are on your own. We cannot diminish God’s     love. What we can do, is learn how to believe it, receive it, trust it, allow it, and celebrate it.”

Ben and his Dad, Cody.

This love is what we gather here to remember and to celebrate. Think about it. This is the Good News. God’s all-accepting love is in us and flows outward, accepting and loving others.

Zoe, Michelle, Tori and Harper in an important discussion.

Readings:

 Isaiah 66, 18-21,   I come to gather nations of ever language.

Psalm 117,  Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

Hebrews 12, 5-7, 11-13,  Whom the lord loves he disciplines.

Luke 13, 22-30, Depart from me, you evil doers.

Mass Begins. The Winner's medal and red ribbon from HHH.

 Isaiah 66 observations:

Author: Isaiah III.  The book of Isaiah is one of my favorites.  Some beautiful passages.  Remember, 3 primary authors are responsible for the 66 chapters, and we are reading the very last.  Isaiah 1 covers chapters 1-39.  This book is one of the Big 3 O.T. prophets, along with Jeremiah and Ezekiel.  This is because the works are the longest.  There are 12 minor prophets.

Time: ca. 700, before the Assyrians annihilate the northern Jewish kingdom, called Israel, vs the southern kingdom called Judah, where Jerusalem is.  10 tribes were lost in this destruction, the 10 Lost Tribes of Israel. 

Remember, there were 12 tribes.  Why?  Because of the 12 sons of Jacob, who was one of the 3 great patriarchs or founders of the tribe, Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob, who was also called Israel. 

Marsha awaiting The Cupcake for her birthday.

 Message of Isaiah III: Mostly consolation after the catastrophe.   What is the basic activity of a prophet?  1.  criticism, 2. prediction of dire payment, 3. consolation.

Today’s message: this being the last chapter of the whole work, you might guess.  Yes, consolation and future unity.

Hebrews observation:

 The best thing about today's selection: we have to read Hebrews only one more week.  Awful reading today.

Our dear Harper.

Will only a
few be saved?

I would like to speak today about this idea that only a few will be
saved.  In the past few weeks we have
been hearing this from Luke.  Basically,
the message is the same, yes, only a few will be saved.  In fact, you got to be on guard all the time
or the master will return, catch you napping, and off to hell you go.

I would propose that these metaphors about life are all pretty fear
based.  Today I think we are moving from
a fear based life metaphor to a peace based metaphor.   My metaphor is the Hotter ‘N Hell
Hundred.  Three points.  It is a journey, it is characterized by
mutual help, and a final point.

Teresa awaiting The Cupcake for her birthday.

Yesterday as I rode along I thought about these readings and how life is
like a 100 mile bike ride.  First of all
there are people.  The other riders.  But, also, people like Bill who introduced me
to this marvelous ride.  Other friends,
like Doug & Grace, John & Connie make the ride more fun.  And there is the marvelous beauty of the day,
the surroundings, and simple joy of the ability to ride. 

Other riders whom I don’t know are fun. 
I tie a little beanie baby dog to the top of my bike helmet.  I started this at Ragbrai in Iowa, just for
fun and because I see a lot of such décor there.  The dog gets lots of comments, from, “Hey, do
you know you got a dog on your helmet?” to “I love the cute dog on your helmet.”  I tell people that I cannot leave my little
dog at home and she loves to ride.

Cupcakes of the Week for 48 years, Bernadette and Gilberto.

A second point to this life metaphor. 
Lots of people help me along the ride. 
There are what are called sag wagons. 
These are roving pickups with trailers who collect gassed riders, broken
down riders, and riders with minor injuries. 
There is first aid everywhere. 

And then there are the marvelous rest stops.  These volunteers meet you with pitchers of
cold water and Gatorade, with cold & wet towels, and with tables loaded
with fruit.  But, my favorite rest stop
comes at mile 30. 

Leo.

 A bunch of elderly women volunteers, many probably younger than I am,
they make cookies, boxes of them, about 5-6 varieties.  Every year I look forward to seeing them and
chatting them up.  I confess I ate 6 of
their cooking this year, a bit much considering the 70 miles I still had ahead
of me.

Finally, the third reason why the HHH is a life metaphor for me: everyone
who arrives at the end gets a medal. 
Everyone is a winner.  And, if you
fell out this year, you can cross the finish line next year.  No fear, peace.

In this life metaphor the ride is a marvel, the supporters are numerous
and beautiful, and everyone wins the medal. 

What is your life metaphor, peaceful or fearful?  Are
you saved?  Are you a winner?

Brent accepting check for Souls' Harbor.