Reminder for Palm Sunday, April 1, 2023

Community Finances:   

  Expenses: $   1,230.00

  Outreach: $   300.00

 

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 

Brent gets a cookie for his birthday

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

Readings:  

 Isaiah, 35, 4-7,  The eyes of the blind will be opened

 Psalm 146,  Praise the Lord, My Soul

 James, 2, 1-5,  Did not God choose those who are poor?

 Mark, 7, 31-37,  Immediately, the man’s ears were opened.

  

  

A few words about today’s readings 

1^st reading from Book of the Prophet Isaiah, Ch. 35

You know well how the Old Testament prophets operated: telling the Jewish people, “You’ve done wrong”, then prophesying “Yehweh will punish you”, and then prophesying “there will come a time of repentance and blessing from Yahweh who is merciful”. In today’s reading Isaiah is prophesying a time of healing and blessing.

                                                                                                    

2^nd reading from the Letter of James,  Ch. 2

As Stack said last week, James was the administrator of the Jerusalem Christian community.  Paul refers to him as “ the brother of Jesus”. His letter was probably written around the year 50 AD which would make it the earliest writing in the New Testament, still over a generation after Jesus.  It was written to the “dispersion”, that is, to Jews who were followers of Jesus and were scattered outside Israel. The letter of James is one of 5 small books in the New Testament that were disputed in the early church, and were not accepted as inspired books of the Bible until the early 5^th century, The other 4 were the second and third letters of John, the second letter of Peter and the letter of Jude. The Letter of James acquired special significance at the time of the Reformation in the 16^th century when the priest Martin Luther said this letter’s emphasis on good works contradicts Paul’s doctrine that we are justified by faith.  Luther also disagreed with the Council of Trent that the Letter of James refers to the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. James Ch 5:14 reads, “Is there anyone sick among you? He should ask for the presbyters of the church. They in turn are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.”

 

3^rd reading from the Gospel according to  Mark,  Ch. 7

Mark’s Gospel was written with non-Jewish readers in mind. We know this because there are very few quotes from the Old Testament in Mark, he explains particular Jewish customs, and he translates any Aramaic expression into Greek, as in today’s reading where the Aramaic word “Ephphatha”, is translated into the Greek word for “Open” or “Be opened”.

                          

                                                                                                      

                                                                                            

Homily        

For over twelve years, John Cade, in addition to his private practice of counseling, has worked in an agency setting with victims of violence, including victims of sexual assault. Currently he serves on the board of the non-profit Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center or DARCC. Since the theme of our gathering today is healing, John invited Monica Urbaniak, a bi-lingual counselor at the Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center (or DARCC) to speak about the work of DARCC. Monica will talk about what DARCC is, what they do, and what they need from the community to maintain and enhance their services.

       

                                                                       

Community Finances:   

  Expenses: $  925.00

  Outreach: $   170.00

 

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 

Sorry Folks. This is late and there are no pictures, but the writer is sick.

 

Isaiah 40:  Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care.

2 Peter 3:  But according to his promise we await new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Mark 1:  Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way.  A voice of one crying out in the desert: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths."

 

 

 

Thanks…     

Music,   Shonda & Ben 

Readers,  Mary & Frank

Homily,   John Cade

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Richard

Final Blessing, Rosemary

                                      

 

 

 

Christmas Collections:

We will be collecting sweatshirts and hoodies for Soul's Harbor  on Sunday, December 10, 2023.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remember these special people:

For the family of Ron Senter;   For Meredith  whose cancer has come back;  For Tom Good;  For Tom  Quinn who had back surgery on November 21st; For Lambrini, John Cade's wife, who is dealing with cancer ;  For Allen Stryker;   For Mike and Judy Carrell ; For Madeleine, Richard Eshelbrenner's granddaughter;  For Hue; For Jackie;  For John's sister, Kathey recovering from a fall;   For Tom Good;   For Mary Hall's friend Cadence still suffering from a serious medical condition;   For Sir Charlie;  For Ron ;  For Teresa Quinn's niece, Maddie who has a brain tumor;

                                                                                                 

 

Jackie's 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 & the families of Annie and Michael ;    for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

                                      

 

Birthdays: Tom Good 12/14

     

 

Community Finances:   

Expenses: $  1,531.00

Outreach: $   

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

                                 

Readings:

Wisdom, 6, 12-16, Resplendent and unfading is wisdom.

Psalm 6, my soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

1 Thessalonians  4, 13-18, We shall always be with the Lord

Matthew 25, 1-13, The kingdom of heaven will be like 10 virgins, 5 wise, 5 foolish.  Stay awake (not for fear of being kicked out, but to catch the blessing.  No one is kicked out!)

 

 

 

 

Thanks to the Team

Music,  Ben & Shonda's  

Readers,  Beth & Rob & Buddy, the candle blesser

Gospel,  Deacon Mike 

Homily,  John Cade 

Eucharistic Prayer A & B, Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,  Richard & Hue & Mike

Final Blessing, Rosemary

For hosting us at Legacy, Becky

 

 

Download Readings Week 32

 

 (A personal comment on the acclamation and the Matthew reading on the 10 virgins, 5 wise, 5 foolish.

I really hate fear based spirituality.  This is a fear focused story about girls being girls.   Are we all not foolish in our lives, maybe even daily?  Is God waiting to catch us so that we all end up in hell?  On the contrary, Our God loves and treasures each of us.  Could the Jewish leaders & rabbis been attempting to scare the people into conforming & behaving.)

 

Homily by John Stack

Well, Folks, I think that because of the stress this week it is time for a Stack homily light.   I know.  I can hear Hammond saying, “What do you mean, John, all your homilies are light homilies.”  See, Folks, I can get away with this because Bill is not here to defend himself.   Yes, I know.  You just watch.  I’ll get an ear ache before I finish.  Hang on, here we go.

Last Sunday we celebrated the Feast of All Saints, one of my favorite feasts.  Remember how we used to put together a picture gallery of family saints, mothers, fathers, grand mothers, grand fathers, and special friends?  May we do it again next year.

 

The Brain Trust

 

Mike, in his homily had one line that struck me.  “The feast of All Saints teaches that holiness comes in all sizes and shapes.”  Almost immediately I began to think of numerous people who teach me or have taught me to be more whole, more appreciative, and more accepting of peoples’ uniqueness.   That does not apply to you, Ben (our dear guitar player).  Want to guess my top five 2020 winners?  Here they are.

Yep, Hammond is numero uno, the guy who introduced me to biking after I had to get new hips because of all the running I did, like especially the years in East Africa.  I think Bill tried to kill me because I first got on a bike (his son’s bike) to ride the Hotter ‘N Hell 100, like in 100 miles and 100 degree temp.   I think Bill almost fainted when I crossed that finish line.   We went on to do so much more together, biking, camping, charity & relief work.  So it is Saint Bill for me.

 

Shonda & Ben, The Best!

 

During the last 30 days, more or less, there has been call for an enormous number of volunteers to man a gazillion voting stations.  These places were open 7 to 7.  Rosemary & I ran into a bunch of these volunteers at our Fretz Park voting station.  They were so charming and so efficient.  For me our volunteer is now called Saint Richard.  Carol, your man did great work.

Folks, we also have in our midst almost every Sunday another saint in my estimation, Saint Becky.  Becky not only guides this marvelous charter school with all of its creativity. But she also guides another even larger school east of Dallas.  She has been broadcasting on Sunday mornings a program on education in this time of corona.  On top of all that, St. Becky hosts every Sunday morning our delightful community.

Yesterday Rosemary & I got invited to a birthday by Jackie Turner.  It was my first since the beginning of the covid.  I wanted to go just to see some of our good friends from the community.  But, I was also scared.  I asked Jackie how she was going to keep us all safe and germ free, and knowing Jackie she had everything well arranged.  For example, only about 7 of us would come together and we would all be spread out in the front yard, 6 feet apart, the whole business.   St. Jackie did a great job and it was delightful to see friends we have not seen in months.

 

The Birthday Party.

 

Finally, there was a quote in the newspaper that said, “Hey, kids have only so many years when they can appreciate the magic of Halloween.  It is too sad to make them miss one of these special years.”   I agree and am touched at how this resonated with me and how the person managed to have Halloween at her house.   It involved a length of pvc tubing.  I guess the candy was slipped into the tube at the top of the steps into the house.  It then came out below to the waiting little hands of the kids.  I also miss St. Cathy’s dramatic Sunday arrivals in costume bringing along her grandkids, Harper & Betsy.

 

 

The Great Halloween Tube

 

Those are my 5 special people who give me life.  Who are the special people in your life?

 

 

 

Please Remember these special people:

For Alan Stryker;  For John Doherty recuperating from an operation for his back pain;   For David Dinsmore's bad shoulder from a biking accident;  For all the medical personnel struggling to treat the tsunami of sick people, in particular, locally, Cindy's staff at Presby, Dallas, and at Frisco Presby, the mother of Harper and Betsy, Kendle, working in labor & delivery;   For Mary & Dave Hall's g-daughter Allison Keller working at St. Lukes, The Woodlands,   For Loretta's aunt Alicia;  For Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody & Ben & Leo & all of Shonda's dear family;  

For Jackie's mom, sister, & friend, Lynn;  For both Jean & Cliff Wright;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg; For Meredith, cancer free;    For John O'Donnell;   For Dee, and for her daughter, Lisa; For John Schanot's continued health;  For Anthony & Sabrina;    For a young man who is suffering from depression;  John Cade's mother in law, Kalliopi Piskiouli and Lambrini, plus John's daughter, Joey, with cancer,  For the students, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

 

 

Birthdays: David McKeon & Rosemary 

Anniversary:   John & Connie Bresson

  

 

Community Finances, November 8, 2020

Expenses: $2360.00

Outreach   $180.00    (often for Souls Harbor, Legacy, etc.)

Thanks, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

One more marvelous baby of the Braun family to baptize.

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead: Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved: and now we lie
In Flanders fields!

 

Taken from IN FLANDERS FIELDS
By Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae

Composed at the battlefront on May 3, 1915 
during the second battle of Ypres, Belgium

Isaiah 66:   They shall bring all your brothers and sisters from all the nations as an offering to the Lord …

Hebrews 12:  So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees.  Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be disjointed but healed.

Luke 13:  For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.

 

 

Music,    Ben & Shonda

Readers,  Geri & Mike

Gospel,   John Cade

Homily,  John Stack

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,      Hue & Richard & Kevin

Final Blessing, Rosemary

 

         

This is our last Sunday at Legacy Preparatory Charter Academy.

Starting Sunday, August 4th, we will be meeting at:

Art Centre of Plano

902 E. 16th St, Plano

             

 Please use the Haggard Park side entrance.

                 

                

Readings:  Download 08-28-22- Readings – 22nd Sunday Ord

Homily:  

 

   

 

 

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 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.

 

   

Birthdays:   Teresa Quinn 8/29

Anniversaries:   

      

Community Finances:   

Expenses: $   400.00

Outreach: $   

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

                 

 

 

 

Rosemary's Blessing:  

Always pray to have eyes that see the best in people,

A heart that forgives the worst,

A mind that forgets the bad,

And a soul that never loses faith in God.

Unknown