15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 16, 2023

 

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?   

 

 

 

Acts of the Apostles 4, the community of believers was of one heart and mind.

Psalm 118,   Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.

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

John 20, 19-31, Jesus came and stood in their midst.

 

 

Easter Sunday Mass.

 

Romeos, Welcome!    Jason's Deli, 1:00, Friday. April 9.  Required: vaccines, mask for entrance & departure. 

 

Notice the spacing at Sunday's Easter celebration.

 

A reminder for those of you who would like to join this Sunday at Legacy, please let me so we don't overcrowd.   Please also wear a mask (along with your vaccination).   All of you who attended this past Sunday are counted for this Sunday.  Let me know if you cannot make it.

I would like to welcome 10 more community members this Sunday, making a total of 30 people.  Let me know if you want to join.

 

 

Sandra reading the Mary Magdalen story.

 

Another Reminder for Sunday, April 11, 2021.

Here are the links for Sunday:

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Morning, My Dearest Izzy, and welcome to our community.  We gather here this morning to baptize you into the the Catholic Community.  Thanks for coming. 

 

 

Readings:

Amos 6, 1, 4-7, Woe to the complacent

Psalm 146,  Praise the Lord, my soul.

1 Timothy 6, 11-16,    Pursue righteousness, love, and gentleness

Luke 16, 19-31,   The Rich Man & Lazarus.

 

Today's Homily will  be the baptism ceremony of Isaura Barbara Fleming,(Izzy), Daughter of Megan & TC Fleming.

 

 

 

This Baptism says that you belong to a community which loves you and believes in a God who loves you now and will love you forever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: we are now meeting at Legacy Academy.

 

 

 

 

 

Happy 4th of July, let the parade begin.

 

 

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

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

Happy 4th to you, Beth & Emma, and welcome in.

 

 

Readings:  

 

 Ezekiel 2, 2-5,  Son of Man, I am sending you to the Israelites, rebels.

 Psalm 123,   Our eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his mercy

 2 Corinthians 12, 7-10, A thorn in the flesh was given to me.

Mark 6, 1-6, A prophet is not without honor except in his native place 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome, Atlas, to your first ever 4th of July Celebration.   Your daddy, Brandon, will tell you all  about it.

 

 

Community Activities:  

 

ROMEO MEET: Friday, June 6, Jason's Deli, Collin Creek Mall, west side of Central, 1:00.  Welcome all wakos, you will fit right in. 

JULIET LUNCHEON, (aka.,just us ladies into eating together), July, TBA

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations again, Wendy & Brandon.   What a wonderful little boy.

 

 

What is going on in Our Catholic World:

1.  5 things you can do to help the immigrants,  America,  , 7-5-18,     Download FIVE THINGS 7-5-18
2. Soul searching in a difficult time, National Catholic Reporter,  7-5-18,   Download SOUL-SEAECHING 7-5-18

 

 

 

 

 

Could this be a case of child kidnapping???

 

 

True?

 

Just before the funeral services, the undertaker came up to the very elderly widow and asked,

"How old was your husband?"

"98," she replied: "Two years older than me"

"So you're 96," the undertaker commented.

She responded, "Hardly worth going home, is it?"

 

 

 

 

I think so!  Is that a funny man, Atlas?

 

 

See you Sunday.

J.S., 214-783-0443

 

 

 

 

The Healing Touch.

 

 

JSM Mission-Faith Statement: 

 Help create a Catholic Community that welcomes all God’s People, provides for and challenges spiritual and total growth.

Reaches out to help people who are disadvantaged and make the world we live in a better place to live.

 

 

Our Father.

 

 

Peace, Everybody.

Ezekiel 2, As the Lord spoke to me, the spirit entered into me and set me on my feet.

Psalm 123, Our eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his mercy. 

2 Corinthians 12, a thorn in the flesh was given me.

Mark 6, a prophet is not without honor except in his native place.

 

 

Let this show begin…

 

Thanks……

Music,    Shonda broadcasting from Houston.

Readers,  Mary & Frank, & Buddy, our candle blesser (no candle blessing today)

Gospel,     John Cade

Homily,  John Cade

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,    Mike and Hue and Richard

Final Blessing, Rosemary

For hosting us at Legacy, Becky

 

Mary reading from Ezekiel.  

 

Readings:

Download Readings 14th Ordinary Time 7-4-21

 

Homily by John Cade

Download Homily John Cade 7-04-21

 

 

Frank reading from 2 Corinthians.

 

Remember these special people:

For John & Karen Anderlick's unborn grandson;  For Alan Stryker;   For Candice Taht, friend of Mary Hall;   For Rosemary's great niece, Rylie ;  For Richard's grand daughter, Madeleine;   For Esparza's new great grandson baby, son of Monique, & Frank with shingles;  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, and for Hue & Linda's daughter, Doctor Rosemary Beavers;   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 &  Leo & all of Shonda's dear family; For Ursuline Sr. Mary Troy, 

 

John sharing his excellent slants on today's readings.

 

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 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; from Barbara, a little 4 month old baby boy named Ford recuperating from an operation; for David McKeon's brother, Hugh; For Beth's friends & brother;   for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

 

 

Happy Birthday, Paul!

 

Birthdays:   Brent, 65; Kim Crossk; Paul Bieda, 60; Cindy Cramer. 83.

Anniversaries:   Jan & Sir Charlie, 60 

 

 

And Happy Birthday to you, Brent, and also a check for your Soul's Harbor.   Moreover, congratulations on Soul's Harbor being especially written up in today's Dallas Morning News.

 

Community Finances,   July 4, 2021

Expenses: $750.00  

Outreach: $235.00  

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 
                                                                                                                                Rosemary sharing her July 4 Blessing.                                                                                                                                       

Rosemary's Blessing:

Lord

May we never take our freedom for granted

and help us to strive so that this same freedom

may be experienced by everyone in our country,

especially the poor and the oppressed,

and eventually by all humankind.

 

Andrew Greeley A Book of Irish American Blessings and Prayers