24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, September17, 2023

Genesis 3:  I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.

2 Corinthians 4:  For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven.

Mark 3:  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

Aviana went to the Beauty Parlor today

 

John Cade's Homily for Corpus Christi Sunday  Download 06-02-24 Homily-Corpus Christi

 

 

Acts of the Apostles 14: They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith,…

Revelation 21:  He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God.

John 13:  I give you a new commandment: love one another.

 

 Sunset over Lake Lewisville

 

 

Thanks…

Music,    Ben & Shonda

Readers, Jackie & Brent

Gospel,   John Cade

Homily,  Aggie Stryker

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,      Hue & Richard & Kevin

Final Blessing, Rosemary

 

 

Readings:  Download 5-15-22 – Readings – 5th Easter

Homily:  

 

 

Sunrise over White Rock Lake

 

 

 

Remember these special people:

For John Stack having a hard time right now with a bad back;  For Sandra who has been diagnosed with Large B Cell Lymphoma;   For Lambrini, John Cade's wife who is dealing with cancer;  For Tom Good;  For a young man, 19 struggling with a brain tumor and cancer;    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 and for a friend Cadence still suffering from a serious medical condition;   For Sir Charlie & Jan;  All of Shonda's dear family;

                           

 

Sunset in Dallas

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.

 

 

Sunset in Alabama

                   

                  

Birthdays:   

Anniversaries:   

      

Community Finances:   

Expenses: $  560.00

Outreach: $  0.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

A rest after a busy day

                                    

Rosemary's Blessing:  

…and life is still a constant surprise to me.  We never know what will happen next, what we will see, and what important person will come into our life, or what important person we will lose.  Life is change, constant change, and unless we are lucky enough to find comedy in it, change is nearly always drama, if not tragedy.  But after everything, and even when the skies turn scarlet and threatening, I still believe that if we are lucky enough to be alive, we must give thanks for the miracle of every moment of every day, no matter how flawed.  And we must have faith in God, and in the Universe, and in a better tomorrow even if that faith is not always deserved.

 

Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan

Deuteronomy 26: Therefore, I have now brought you the first fruits of the products of the soil which you, O LORD, have given me.’

Romans 10: For the Scripture says,  No one who believes in him will be put to shame.

Luke 4: Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil.

 

Music,   Ben

Expenses: $   1,835.00

Outreach: $    450.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 

The Kiss of Peace

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

 

 

Readings:

2 Samuel 7, 1-5, 8-12, 14, & 16, The Lord tells the prophet Nathan that he will protect his lineage forever.

Psalm, 89, Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord

Romans 16, 25-27,  To the only wise God be glory forever

Luke 1, 26-38, The angel Gabriel was sent to a town called Nazareth

 

 

 

 

Thanks to the Team

Music,  Ben & Shonda, 

Readers,  Lynda & Tom & Buddy, the candle blesser

Gospel,  John Cade 

Homily,   John Stack

Eucharistic Prayer A & B, Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Mike 

Final Blessing, Rosemary

For hosting us at Legacy, Becky

 

Download Readings Week 4 Advent

 

Homily by John Stack:

Download Homily. 4th Advent 2020

 

Please Remember these special people:

For Cody, For Paul & Carrie recuperating, plus her ex, Larry;  For Alan Stryker;  For Joe Sullivan;    For Rosemary's great niece, Rylie ;  For Richard's grand daughter, Madeleine; For David Dinsmore's bad shoulder from a biking accident;  For Esparza's new great grandson baby, son of Monique;  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 & Ben & Leo & all of Shonda's dear family;  

 

 

Tranquility, Fall

 

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 a little 4 month old boy undergoing an operation, from Barbara;  For the students, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools

 

 

Birthdays: Jan Keszler, Meredith, & Ben 

 

 

A little crowded in the studio this morning.

 

Community Finances, December 20, 2020

Expenses: $1014.00

Outreach   $0  (often for Souls Harbor, Legacy, etc.)

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

Schedule for Christmas Eve, Thursday:

4:0o,  live & recorded Christmas music

4:30,  Christmas Eve Mass begins

 

 

Becky got a deal on all this classroom & office furniture at a local college closing down their classrooms and going on totally line.

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

The Christmas Story will always be the story of Emmanuel, of God-with-us, always and everywhere, in the everyday, in the chaos, in the flight into exile, in the love between a man and a woman and in the birth of a child. 

It is the story of God who heals, empowers and loves us just as we are – in our greatness and our foolishness. 

As we anticipate the joy, the love and the peace that are God's Christmas gifts to us, let us receive them with gratitude and be sure to unfold them and share them especially where they need to be more visible.

Sister Jean Amore, CSJ, Principal, Sacred Heart Academy, Hempstead, N.Y.

 

Says Ben, "Welcome in, Everybody."
 

 

Readings:

Isaiah 56, 1, 6-7,   A house of prayer for all peoples.

Psalm 67,   Oh God, let all the nations praise you.

Roman s 11, 13-15, 29-32,  I am speaking to you Gentiles

Matthew 15, 21-28,  My daughter is tormented by a demon.  

 

 

 

Likewise, Sydney & Hugh say, "Come right in, Folks."

 

 

Isaiah 56 observations:

As soon as you see Isaiah, chapter 56, you know some things, if you are into the study of the Bible and especially  of Isaiah, my favorite.

1. Isaiah 56 is Isaiah 3, chapter 56-66, the end of the book of Isaiah.
2. Isaiah 3 is put together after the Babylonian Captivity, that is, around 555 before Christ.
3. The Israelites have returned to Jerusalem, a totally destroyed, depressed city.
4. Therefore, it is plausible to expect Isaiah 3 to be trying to lift up the spirits of the people.  This he does, consoling the people with promises of a better time.   Note: the better days are conditional on good behavior.  Ever think of how our whole redemption story is conditional? Not much unconditional love.   In other words, if you want my love and favor, behave.

 

 

 

Sez Leo, "I am ready, let's go!"

 

 

Goofy Myths

This morning I would like to talk about myths, wako beliefs, and superstitions.   Myths are human efforts to explain the unexplainable, like what happens to me after death, how did the world begin, and when or how is the world going to end.

There could be no better time to talk about myths, because guess what we have tomorrow.  An eclipse of the sun.  Today we understand what is happening because we have telescopes and an understanding of how objects are moving in space.

 

 

 

 

It don't get better than this.   The Gerwers are here.  Brady, Cameron, Casey, Trey, and Reid.

 

 

However, long ago the Greeks, to take one example, believed the myth that the eclipse was a sign that the gods were mad and that disaster was about to take place, even the end.  The ancient myths held that the eclipse was demon caused and that the eclipse was an evil omen. 

Today it still may be believed that the eclipse is a danger to an unborn child and even to the mother.  The wisdom, therefore, says ‘don’t get pregnant before an eclipse. 

 

 

Long time Best Buddies, John & Leo.

 

The truth in all these myths is that the eclipse is not caused by angry gods, is not a bad omen, disaster is not about to take place, and there is no effect on an unborn child or the mother. 

The only truth is that the sun, even a sliver of it, will burn your eyes if you look at it and you will go blind.

 

 

 

 

Our Candle Man of The Week, Ben.

 

 

There are food myths, too, folks.  For example, raw carrots are better for you than cooked carrots.  Vitamin C wards off colds.  Coconut oil is good for your health.   Not so to all.

And, of course,  the great myth that regular consumption of Blue Bell will cause weight gain.  Oops, come to think about it, maybe it is true.  Just wishful thinking.

 

 

 

Two more long time Best Buddies, Zoe with her grandfather, Gil

 

All of this I mention as a way of setting up what I would finally like to touch, the subject of Matthew’s story, the little girl possessed by a demon.  For centuries there has been the myth that people, adults and even children, have been possessed by demons.  The belief still lives.  Despite the movie The Exorcist, this is not true.  People are not possessed by demons. 

There is a psychological explanation for a person showing these symptoms.   There are two ways to explain the situation, disassociation and multiple personality.  I have only worked with adults who present symptoms which are really odd behaviors.   This is because the person, who has been severely abused as a child presents multiple personalities.  One personality may present like a demon, another as a 10 year old child, another as  a talented corporate executive.  

 

 

 

 

Two more long time Best Buddies, Mary & Mike.

 

 

Apparently I have the ability when I am being hurt to go to an out of body place where I am not hurt.  This can lock itself in place.  

The people I worked with who had this diagnosis, if they had been told they were demon possessed, awful.  And maybe some uneducated priest tried to do an exorcism. This did not help them at all.  In fact, they were sure they were condemned.  Victimized again.   

 

 

 

 

From Best Buddies to The Best Music, Shonda, Ben, & David.

 

 

Therefore, my position is that there is no possession by devils.  In fact, there are no devils.

Rosemary says to me, "Why do you want to talk about this subject?  My answer, 'To take away or lessen fear.'

We have a God of unconditional love.  Believe it?

 

 

 

The Elevation.

Readings:

Jeremiah  1, 4-5, 17-19,   Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. (The Call)

Psalm 71, I will sing of your salvation.

 1 Corinthians 12, 31 – 13, 4-13,  If I do not have love, I am nothing. (Excellent)

Luke 4, 21-30,   They wanted to throw him over the cliff.

 

                                   

Leo says, "Welcome in, Everybody.  It's fun here."

 

 Jeremiah observations:

Who:  One of the Big 3 and my second favorite behind Isaiah, whom we will hear from next Sunday.  Why a favorite: because he shares his feelings with gusto. 

When:  you can guess it, before and during the Babylonian Captivity.  Notice how much prophetic energy is concentrated around this one event?  Shows how big it was in Jewish history.  Keep 555 before Christ as the beacon date. 

 

                                    

Harper, also, says, "Hi, Folks, Come in."

 

What: you can guess this, too.  Criticism of behavior, warning of punishment from God, and eventually a better day.

What today: Jeremiah’s call by God to be his man, really Everyperson’s call to be God’s special.  This call theme carries through our next 2 readings, especially the next one, The Big One.

 

                                        

Candle Lighters of The Week, Buddy & Tori.

 

Love is patient, Love is kind

I confess, I used to get 1 Corinthians 13 fatigue, I heard it so often at weddings.  Lately, however, I have changed.  Now as I listen I feel it calling me to step up.  I want to be more patient and more kind.  I hear Francis inviting me to be a peacemaker.

One small example.

A few months ago Rosemary and I were heading out one Sunday morning to celebrate Mass at Vines.  It must have been 8:30, the time we usually depart.  The streets were practically deserted. 

 

               

The Candle Lighters at work.

 

We were going east on Royal Lane.  We got to Central and stopped for the light.  When it changed we moved forward and planned to take a left to go up the ramp to north bound Central.  

I noticed behind me at the light was a silver Mercedes.  As I moved forward it was practically touching the back of our van.  I turned left and started up the ramp.  It stayed right behind us.

 

 

                                                               

Happy Birthday, Mary. 

 

As I got onto Central and moved into the first lane on the left, this person, a guy, floored his Mercedes, leaned on the horn, and raced by us on the right showering us with nice little hand gestures.

Rosemary says I drive too slowly some times, but this was Sunday morning, folks.  Almost no other cars but this guy and us. 

 

Happy Birthday, Rick (the man behind many of the pictures you see)

 

So what would you do?  Well, I did nothing, of course.  I can recognize serious road rage and I was just hoping the guy would not stick a gun out his window and start blasting away.  Let him go away, which he did.

However, does being patient and kind apply here?  Yep, I think so. 

 

 

Candle Lighters deserve their rewards.  How did you get in there, Zoe?

 

As a priest and psychotherapist for years I have heard the life stories of people who have done pretty bad things.  I get to know them and I find out what was behind their actions.  Who knows about this guy on an early Sunday morning.  Maybe he was heading to a hospital.  His wife or child was dying.  Maybe his wife just divorced him.  Maybe on Friday he was fired for his anger.  There is always a story and a reason.

So when I hear Corinthians on patience and kindness, I think, ‘Stack, cool off.’ 

 

Happy Birthday, Gil.  It looks like you have someone eager to help you with that cupcake.

 

And Cornthians has a reverse value.  Say I had reacted to his anger.  Then later I would feel guilty and ashamed.  The patience and kindness is for me, too.  I usually don’t have road rage fortunately, but I can get mad, I can criticize, I can get passive aggressive, and then get remorseful.  Can’t we all?

Any of you all drive a silver Mercedes?  Do you have road rage?  Are you patient and kind?

How are you going to be a more loving and peace-making person after hearing this passage this morning?

 

 

Does Music get any better than this, Shonda & Bethany, Ray & David.