11th Sunday in Ordinary Time, June 18, 2023

Here are the links for Sunday:

 

 

 

Note: we are now meeting at Legacy Academy.  We will continue to post this map until after Christmas Eve. 

 

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

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

Place: Legacy Charter School, Accent Drive, Plano, TX 75075

 

 Readings:  

 

Jeremiah 33:14-16,  The days are surely coming, says the LORD

Psalm 25:1-10,  To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13,  How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you?

Luke 21:25-36,  Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees . . .

 

 Readings:

 Deuteronomy  30, 10-14,  If only you would heed the voice of the Lord.

Psalm 69,  Turn to the Lord in your need and you will live.

Colossians 1, 15-20,  He is before all things.

Luke 10, 25-37,  A Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight.

 

 Deuteronomy observations:

 

The Scene: the desert outside the promised land.  Moses is talking to the people about all that has happened to them since he led them out of Israel and through the desert for many years.  Now, as they prepare to enter, Moses is dying.  He is simply exhorting them to love Yahweh and obey his laws. 

The Author:  not Moses.  A compilation put into three discourses.

Date:  guess when?  Yes, after the Babylonian Captivity, ca. 555 before Christ.

Subject today:  Moses talks about a command, but never mentions exactly what it is.  Watch for the answer in today's gospel.  The Great Command.

 

 

The Good Samaritan

I would like to talk a bit about the Good Samaritan parable this morning.

There may have been two meanings.  Initially this parable looks like simply an encouragement to help others, which it is.
 

However, there is a second meaning, perhaps more profound, especially for the Jews who are listening. It has to do with prejudice.

 

The setting. A Jewish lawyer is asking a question about his justification. Where does one draw the line in helping a person? Who is my neighbor? Some observations.

First, the road from Jerusalem to Jericho was notoriously dangerous and plagued with thieves. That this man was alone is significant.  People would travel in groups for safety. Was he an outcast?  Friendless?  Not too
intelligent or not so innocent?

Second, the man was stripped. For the lawyer this would signify that the man was without identity, of no identifiable class. In other words, he might not be anything, not even a Jew. He was Every Person.  A human being.

 

Thirdly, the priest & the Levite (a priestly class). The lawyer would know why they did not stop to help. The Law. They would have been on the way to the temple and they could not cause themselves to be ritually impure or dirty.  In the temple they had to be pure, no contact with dirty people or they could not offer their sacrifice.   Organized religion still follows this practice? 

 

Then, fourth, along comes the Samaritan. To the Jewish lawyer & the Jewish listeners Samaritans were considered scum.  Samaritans were Jews from Israel thought to have intermarried with pagans, i.e., people who did not recognize Yahweh as the name of their God, probably Assyrians after 700.    They did not get swept up in the Babylonian Captivity. They would defile the temple just by entering. In sum, they were vile and dirty, certainly not capable of performing an act of love.

 

But, to the surprise of the lawyer & the audience, it is the Samaritan who performs the act of love.  He even risks his own life by rescuing the man. Jesus further twists the knife by showing how the Samaritan goes beyond the call by setting the man up in an inn and promising to cover all his expenses.

The composer of the parable goes further and plays with two elements used in the temple sacrifice: oil and water.  The Samaritan employs these elements to clean (purify?) the victim.  The author knows what he is suggesting in using these items.

Jesus is responding to the lawyer's question, "Who is my neighbor," by saying "Everybody."  No prejudice.

 

Know anybody like that Samaritan?  How about you?     

Sources, Francis Vanderwall, Jesus, The Parable of God (Francis will speak here September 28-29)

 

                                                                                                                                                     

 

Wisdom 6:  Resplendent and unfading is wisdom, and she is readily perceived by those who love her, and found by those who seek her.

1 Thessalonians 4:  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through  Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

Matthew 25:  At midnight, there was a cry, "Behold, the bridegroom!  Come out to meet him!" Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.

 

 

2 Kings 4:  Elisha said, "Pass it around to the people to eat."  His servant said, "For a hundred men? There's not nearly enough!" Elisha said, "Just go ahead and do it. God says there's plenty."   And sure enough, there was. He passed around what he had – they not only ate, but had leftovers.

Ephesians 4:  You have one Master, one faith, one baptism,  one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.

John 6:  When the people had eaten their fill, he said to his disciples, "Gather the leftovers so nothing is wasted."  They went to work and filled twelve large baskets with leftovers from the five barley loaves.

 

 

 

Acts of the Apostles 2: Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them.

Corinthians 12:  To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.

John 20:  Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent me, so I send you."

Beth reading from the Acts of the Apostles
 

 

Thanks…

Music,    Shonda & David

Readers, Beth & Rob

Gospel,   John Cade

Homily,  John Cade

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,      Hue & Richard & Kevin

Final Blessing, Rosemary

 

Rob reading from Corinthians

 

 

 

Readings:  Download 6-04-22 – Readings – Pentecost

Homily:  Download 6-04-22 – Homily – Pentecost

 

 

 

Our musicians, Shonda and David

 

 

Remember these special people:

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, with 2 broken vertebrae;  For John's sister, Kathey in the hospital after a fall;  For Jan Keszler's Mom in hospice, who will be 101 on 5/31;  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; 

                           

 

It's Mabel's birthday

 

Jackie's mom, sister, & friend, Lynn;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg.; For Meredith, cancer free & John Schanot;    For John O'Donnell & Jean;   For Jean & Cliff Wright;  For Dee, and for her daughters, Lisa & Lauren;     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; 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.

 

 

Ray, you finally got your cupcake
                   

                  

Birthdays:   Mabel Ekes 6/8, Brent Burmaster 6/6, Bill Ekes 6/11

Anniversaries:   

      

Community Finances:   

Expenses: $ 725.00

Outreach: $  750.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

                               

Rosemary's Blessing:  

May the sun shine bright on your joyous days

And the rain refresh you through peaceful nights

May summer show God’s wondrous ways

And prepare you for heaven’s great delights

And till we meet there

May the God of summertime

Hold you in the palm of her hand

 

Andrew N Greeley   A Book of Irish American Blessings and Prayers