Genesis15: Abraham gave the name Isaac to this son of his whom Sarah bore him.
Hebrews 11: So it was that there came forth from one man, himself as good as dead, descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
Luke 2: When the day of circumcision arrived, the child was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived. Then when the days stipulated for purification were complete, they took him up to Jerusalem to offer him to God.
Thanks…
Music, Shonda & Ben
Readers, Mary & John
Homily, John Stack
Eucharistic Prayer A & B, John Stack & John Cade
The Magic Zoom makers, Hue & Kevin
Final Blessing, Rosemary
Remember these special people:
For John Stack; 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 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 Fleming 1/5
Anniversaries:
Community Finances:
Expenses: $ 350.00
Outreach: $
Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.
Rosemary's Blessing:
I, God, am in your midst.
Whoever knows me can never fall.
Not in the heights, nor the depths, nor in the breadths.
For I am love, which the vast expanses of evil can never still.
Hildegard of Bingen
John Stack Ministries meets on Sunday for Mass at 9:30 at The ArtCentre of Plano, 902 E. 16th St, Plano, Texas.
JSM Mission-Faith Statement
Help create a Catholic Community that welcomes all God’s People, provides for & challenges spiritual & total growth.
Reaches out to help people who are disadvantaged & make the world we live in a better place to live.
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.
Isaiah 56 is Isaiah 3, chapter 56-66, the end of the book of Isaiah.
Isaiah 3 is put together after the Babylonian Captivity, that is, around 555 before Christ.
The Israelites have returned to Jerusalem, a totally destroyed, depressed city.
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.'
Readings: Isaiah 40, 1-11; Psalm 104, O Bless the Lord, My Soul; Titus 2, 11-14, 3, 4-7; Luke 3, 1-22.
Baptism & Original Sin: traditional & contemporary theology
Traditional theology on baptism & original sin:
a. Original sin: the 1 sin of Eve & Adam, the eating of an apple, ruptured the relationship between God & Humans.
b. Why we baptized: purification & removal of that original sin inherited by all babies. A new born baby was a sinner & would go to Limbo forever if not baptized before dying.
Contemporary theology on baptism & original sin:
a. Original sin:
1. no original sin
2. Genesis story of the fall is allegory, not fact. No Garden of Eden and no Adam & Eve.
3. from Darwin's Origin of the Species the idea has developed that in our human infancy, we needed certain behaviors to survive. For instance, killing another person & stealing (like food). As our ancestors formed communities, norms of social behavior emerged, for example, the 10 commandments.
4. St. Augustine, ca. 400:
–A major, if not the major influence on Christian/Catholic theology of original sin and human nature from his time to today
–After conversion from a rather lusty life at 32, he had a pessimistic view of human nature, different from early Christianity
–St. John Chrysostom, bishop of Constantinople (Istanbul), Pelagius, a British monk, & Julian of Eclanum, Italy, a bishop, all found nature good and fought against Augustine
–Augustine used all means to vanquish his opponents with their positive view that nature was good, even to sending a gift of horses to the pope to influence his decision. Augustine won.
b. Why we baptize today: (using the contemporary theology)
1. To celebrate a new life
2. To ritually & formally welcome the new person into a family, a community, and to a God famous for love and acceptance.
3. To cleanse after the journey
Sources: Elaine Pagels, Adam, Eve, and the Serpent; John Shelby Spong; Wikipedia
We are Getting Better
I have one more Christmas story to celebrate this baptism today.
There are three people in the story. My good friend, her little daughter, and her niece, who is about 16 or 17. The story took place at Collin Creek Mall one or two days just after Christmas. Guess what they were doing. Bringing things back.
It happened that the niece had offered to take the daughter to the mall to have girl fun while her mother went to the mall to return various items. After they had been there a while, the niece phoned to say that it was getting to be time for her to leave. So could she return the daughter?
They agreed that the easiest way to arrange the swap was for the niece to take the girl in her car, drive over to where my friend's car was, and then transfer the daughter & her car seat. So they met in the parking lot, my friend's car in a parking place, the other car in the aisle behind the first car.
Mother goes into the niece's car, unbuckles her daughter, and places the girl in her car. Then she disconnects the car seat and reconnects it in her own car, securing her daughter in place. Somewhere in this process she set her purse down. Yep, you guessed it.
Who knows where she set it down. Maybe by her niece's car, maybe by her own. But apparently outside.
She gets into her car and drives off. Almost immediately she notices her purse is missing. She calls her niece and asks her to look in her car. No purse.
So they both return to where the car was parked. They drive around, ask people. No sign of the purse. The niece finally departs and mom goes home. She calls her mom, then she calls the mall security. Nothing had been reported or brought in. Security says to call the police. The police do not know what to do. Was it stolen? Or was it forgotten?
She thinks of her credit card, of getting a new license, she thinks of her phone. So, using her mom's phone, she starts calling her phone hoping someone will answer No one answers.
Time passes. A few hours later in the evening, her mom gets a phone call. It is young boy, a high school aged kid. He has the purse. He says he and his dad found it in the parking lot and simply used the phone's incoming calls to call the number identified as "Mom."
The mom who got the purse back was Bobbi Jo Whitley, mother of Dillon, Hunter, and Audry. Bobbi's mom is Jo Whitley, who read this morning. The purse came back. Nothing missing.
Are there not lots of good stories like this? Are we not evolving into a better people? Scott Burns said so in his column in the Dallas MorningNews a couple of weeks ago. A great Jesuit geologist and paleontologist, Teilhard de Chardin, thought so, saying that the human race is slowly becoming more mature, more sensitive, more peaceful. I think so, too. For lots of reasons.
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;
Kevin learning the whole Zoom operation
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.
Buddy, reading the prayer for the lighting of the candles
Birthdays: David Dinsmore 4/27, John Simari 4/30
Anniversaries: Randolph & Michelle Brown 4/25
Community Finances:
Expenses: $ 600.00
Outreach: $ 150.00
Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.
Ben, leading the singing
Rosemary's Blessing:
We are called to be co-partners and co-workers in the unfolding of God’s vision. Our faith brings us to a deep truth: we are made in the image and likeness of a God who is unconditional and unfathomable love. Jesus lives and teaches this idea of God that surpasses all other concepts of God. Our God is intimately close to us and in love with us. We abide in God.
Taken from Our Easter Faith – Making a Difference to Our God by Sister Jean Amore CSJ, Ed.D., Principal, Sacred Heart Academy, Hempstead, NY
JSM Mission-Faith Statement
Help create a Catholic Community that welcomes all God’s People, provides for & challenges spiritual & total growth.
Reaches out to help people who are disadvantaged & make the world we live in a better place to live.
John Stack Ministries, 7017 Helsem Way, Dallas, Texas 75230
Daniel 12, 1-3, In those day, I, Daniel, heard the word of the Lord
Psalm 16, You are my inheritance, O Lord
1 Corinthians 1, 3-9, I give thanks (selection from Thanksgiving Day)
Mark 13, 24-32, Learn a lesson from the fig tree.
With Buddy reading the blessing of the candles, Emma lights the candles.
Thanksgiving History: Everyone knows about the first Thanksgiving in 1602 with the Pilgrims and the Indians eating together, the Mayflower, and Plymouth Rock. Here are 5 facts that people do not hear about usually.
When did Thanksgiving begin? Our ancestors have celebrated end of harvest feasts of gratitude for centuries. Lincoln first focused on a national feast; FDR established the national holiday in 1941.
Michelle with her dad, Gil.
The pilgrims did not know they were pilgrims. They called themselves saints, and non-saints were called strangers. The word pilgrim came along in the 18 hundreds, 2 centuries later. They were not even Puritans, but separatists. They split off from the Church of England, old Henry VIII's church, and the Puritans did not split off.
The Separatists did not come to establish religious freedom. They came for religious freedom for their religion and only their religion. Like the Catholic Church, the Separatists demanded everyone belong to their program. Failure to conform could result in execution, ala inquisition.
And the Father will Dance, One of our most favorite hymns led by Ben.
The Mayflower returned to England, was torn apart, and its beams were used to build a barn in Buckinghamshire (just north of London & east of Oxford).
How did the Indians & Separatists communicate? The Indians were Algonquians & one of them, Squanto had actually lived in Briton some years. He returned to his tribe and taught his friend, Samoset English. It was Samoset who communicated with the Separatists, & the Indians taught them to raise corn, to fish, and to hunt. In the first winter half of the 100 Separatists died before the Indians taught them how to survive.
Elevation time.
Thanksgiving
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, my most favorite celebration, I would like to talk about blessings. Excuse me for the personal focus. It is my annual assessment. Rosemary & I do this together more toward the end of the year, but initially I put together my own list.
As an aside, this Tuesday we celebrate the 26th anniversary of the 6 Jesuits killed in the patio of their residence of their university, UCA, University of Central America, El Salvador.
Offertory with Mike, John, and Connie.
Thanksgiving
Despite the fact that Rosemary says, when she hears that I want to give a Thanksgiving homily this Sunday, “Not another thanksgiving homily.” I promise her that won’t repeat the Big 3 Blessings in my life. Like entering the Jesuits, spending 10 years in East Africa, and marrying her.
Instead, I have Ragbrai. The ride across Iowa in July. You have heard me talk about this event on numerous occasions. To me this is an extraordinary event, some 30 thousand riders, 400-500 miles from the Missouri River to the Mississippi.
Saturday night wedding with Christi and Steve.
I have my favorite vendor, the Mennonite community, serving home made pie slices and a big bowl of vanilla ice cream. One flavor of ice cream, a dozen flavors of pie, which the are baking right there on the edge of the road. Like in October we took an ocean cruise in the North Atlantic, starting in Bergen, Switzerland, and continuing through Amsterdam and Portsmouth, England through the Straights of Gibraltar to Barcelona, Spain.
One of the most moving experiences was taking a bus from Bruge, Belgium to the First World War battle lines at Ypres. This was to be the war to end all wars.
Away they go on a new journey in life.
Thirdly, and this is the best year after year. This community, you people. Like what community could you find who would welcome with open arms a crazy woman who wants to tell us about her ancestors who came over on the Mayflower. Moreover, we loved the presentation, complete with singing and a costume change.
These are just three of my blessings this year. What are three of yours.
Even big kids get to play with the toys, as long as the kids don't see them
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.
Bailey sharing her marvelous smile.
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.
Ray and Bethany with her marvelous smile.
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.
Beginning with Georgie (and Kevin).
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?
Can you believe it, rain. Chris and Nancy, Chris my riding partner next week in Iowa, 7 days, ca. 500 miles.
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?
Brandon and Leo.
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.
Renee accepting our $1000 for our Habitat group, where she is working as a summer intern before returning to K State in the fall.
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.
The Cupcake of The Week to Beth for her birthday. 2 weeks in a row for a cupcake.
Know anybody like that Samaritan? How about you?
Sources, Francis Vanderwall, Jesus, The Parable of God (Francis will speak here September 28-29)