3rd Sunday in Lent, March 3, 2024

Readings: Isaiah 7 10-14; Psalm 24, Let the Lord enter, He is King of Glory; Romans 1, 1-7; Matthew 1, 18-24 

Isaiah, a quick review:

Author: remember there are 3 contributors.  This is Isaiah I, composer of chapters 1-39.

Date: ca. 700 before Christ and before the Persians blotted out the northern kingdom, Israel. 

 
 

Today's material: as a sign to the unfaithful people, Isaiah predicts a virgin will conceive, will bear a son, and he shall be named Emmanuel.  Isaiah I is speaking to the Israelites who are going to get annihilated shortly by the Persians.  Matthew uses this passage to authenticate Jesus, saying it refers to him.  The virgin conceiving a god person goes way back in history, at least to the time of the Pharaohs in Egypt.

 

 

Home 

 The afternoon of the second or third day Rosemary & I spent in Hilton Head with her sister & brother in law I was finally rested out.  I decided I got to get some exercise. 

 So I grabbed my favorite bike in the garage, an old American style bike with no gears and a big white wall tires.  It is a sight, but it is great conditioning and much easier to ride than I expected. 

 I took off at about 4:30 knowing that I needed to be home by 5:30 when it would be dark.  And on Hilton Head Island, folks, it is dark at night.  No street lights.  Know why.  Turtle habitat.  Turtles use the beaches to hatch their young and the lights get them disoriented.  Therefore, you can easily see the stars at night, but perhaps not your hand in front of your face when there is no moon. 

 

 The circle ride I make takes about 40 minutes, probably 8-10 miles.  I had gone 15 minutes when I had that sensation.  Something was squishy.  Yes, I had a flat on my rear tire. 

 So I decided to walk it in, instead of calling home for a lift.  I had passed already the more open part of the trail, and had ahead of me the more forested part.  No problem, I know the trail well and light from the houses would guide me.

 Consequently, I’m walking along this long path through the woods and on both sides of me are the forested back yards of houses.  It was chilly, but comfortable.  As I walk along I can see into the kitchens and dens of all these houses, warm, inviting, and homey.

 

 Suddenly I am reminded of other nights walking along behind other houses that were warm, inviting, and homey.  Certainly in Tanzania & Kenya when I lived there.  But also, when I studied the four years in Toronto. 

 At the college in Toronto we had a half mile meandering drive to the main road.  On the right or north of the drive a line of nice middle class homes backed up.  I would walk there in the snow often and long to have a similar house, warm, inviting, and homey.  However, I thought it was not for me as a priest.

 Walking along that path in Hilton Head, I realized I am not lonely or homesick any more.  I am grateful that I do have what I was longing for, thanks to Rosemary and our marriage.  I went home and told her, again.

 

 As we approach one of the more home focused celebrations of our year, we might find that we are more homesick or we might be grateful that we have a place that is warm, inviting, and homey. 

 Where is home for you this Christmas season?

 What do you do to create a home that is warm, inviting, and homey?

 Picture 1:   Ryan lighting the Advent Candle

 Picture 2:   Done!

 Picture 3:   Communion preparation

 Picture 4:    Communion helpers

 Picture 5:    Margarita & Ashley

 

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"

 

I am sorry everyone but Rosemary forgot to put the battery back in the camera so we have no pictures today.

 

Thanks…     

Music,    Shonda &  Ben

Readers,  Linda & John

Gospel,   John Cade

Homily,   John Stack

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Kevin

Final Blessing, Rosemary

       

 

 

Readings:  Download 03-19-23 Readings – 4th Lent

Homily:   

 

                                                                                                                                                                    

 

 

There will be a Celebration of Life for Ron Senter on April 1, 2023 at Restland  at 2:00 in the afternoon. 

 

 

Remember these special people:

For the family of Ron Senter;  For Frank Esparza;  For Jan;  For Tom  Quinn who had back surgery on November 21st;  For Sandra who has been diagnosed with Large B Cell Lymphoma;   For Lambrini, John Cade's wife, who is dealing with cancer ;  For Madeleine, Richard Eshelbrenner's granddaughter;  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:  

Anniversaries:

 

 

Community Finances:   

Expenses: $  435.00

Outreach: $  0.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

       

 

 

 

Some of the hikers.  Rose, John, Paul, Carrie and Andy on the first high pass.

 

Readings:

Ezekiel  33, 7-9,    You have been appointed watchman for the house of Israel

Psalm 95,   If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts

Romans 13, 8-10,  Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another

Matthew 18, 15-20,  Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am.  

 

Ready to start.  Georgie, Buddy, John and Leo.

 

Homily:

Last week Stack spoke about Matthew’s saying, “take up your cross, and follow me.” Stack gave his take on this demand. He gave as an example a younger friend who had struggles with school, with getting into Jesuit, with getting into the Air Force, and how he did not let his personal struggles defeat him. This friend faced his struggles straight on (he took up his cross) loving himself enough to not let his struggles defeat him.

 

The musicians, Shonda and Ben.

 

 In the reading from Romans today, Paul summarizes God’s commandments in one saying, “Love one another as you love yourself.” This is where I focus my thoughts today.  

I have been moved by the many stories of people’s loving actions for those caught up in Hurricane Harvey, dramatic rescues in boats, grabbing a hand to keep someone afloat, donating supplies or giving financial assistance out of love. Our lead choir singer, Shonda, of Texas National Guard fame, spent a couple of weeks in southeast Texas helping with Hurricane Harvey rescue operations. She agreed to tell some of her story. [Shonda spoke of what she and others in her ‘pod’ did for victims of Harvey and what immense gratitude the survivors had.]

Thanks for your service Shonda.

 

The Offertory Procession. Mike, Geri, Carol and Richard.

 

Now I ask you to remember times you reached out in love to help—times you helped build a house with Habitat, or volunteered to help with the Love for Kids, or helped with the counting of the homeless, or helped tornado victims in Oklahoma, or supported organizations such as Soul’s Harbor or the food drive today, or DARCC, or loved Mother Earth by planting trees, or helped nurture this community’s children during Mass, or helped in so many ways to make our Mass a special time each Sunday. Add to this the many loving actions you perform for others in your family, in your neighborhood or in the community at large. You, in so many ways, are living out the greatest command: “Love one another.”

 

Just beginning the Mass.  Hue checking the sound and Leo, John, Georgie and Buddy at the altar.

 

One question is: Where does our impulse and ability to love come from? Richard Rohr, a great Catholic spiritual guide, gives one answer to that question in his book The Divine Dance:

    “Love is not just something you do; love is someone you are. Love is where you came from and love is where you’re going. It’s     not something you can buy or attain. It is the presence of God within you, called the Holy Spirit.

    You can’t make God love you one ounce more than God already loves you right now. You can’t. You can go to church every     day for the rest of your life. God isn’t going to love you any more than God loves you right now.

    You cannot make God love you any less, either—not an ounce less. Do the most terrible thing and God wouldn’t love you less.     The flow of God’s love is constant and total.

    You have nothing to be afraid of. God is on your side, honestly more than you are on your own. We cannot diminish God’s     love. What we can do, is learn how to believe it, receive it, trust it, allow it, and celebrate it.”

 

Ben and his Dad, Cody.

 

This love is what we gather here to remember and to celebrate. Think about it. This is the Good News. God’s all-accepting love is in us and flows outward, accepting and loving others.

 

Zoe, Michelle, Tori and Harper in an important discussion.

Genesis  22, 1-2, 10-13, 15-19, God put Abraham to the test

Psalm 16, I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living

1Romans 8, 31-34, If God is with us, who can be against us.

Mark  9, 2-10, He was transfigured.  

 

Dreaming….

 

 

Weather looks like it's going to be fine on Sunday Morning.  We'll see you at the ArtCentre at 9:30.

 

 

 

 

 

Baruch 5,  Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery; put on the splendor of glory from God forever;

Psalm 126, The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy

Ephesians 13, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…

Luke 1, The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,

 

Japanese Maple

 

Thanks……

Music,    Ben & Shonda

Readers,    Mary & Frank, & Buddy, our candle blesser 

Gospel,     John Cade

Homily,  John Cade

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,      Hue, Richard & Mike 

Final Blessing, Rosemary

 

Women's Christmas Lunch

 

Readings:  Download 12-05-21 – Readings – Advent2

 

Homily:  Download 12-05-21 Homily – Advent 2

 

 

Autumn

 

Remember these special people:

For John Stack having a hard time right now with a bad back;  For Laura Chollick;  For Sandra who has been diagnosed with Large B Cell Lymphoma;   For Rosemary's great niece, Rylie;  For Richard's grand daughter, Madeleine;   For Esparza's new great grandson  & Frank;  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 Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody &  Leo & all of Shonda's dear family; For Ursuline Sr. Mary Troy,

Frank reading Baruch

 

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

Mary reading Ephesians

 

Birthdays:  Pat Jansky stopped smoking, her husband, Fred's birthday

Anniversaries:  Zurchins

                                                        

 

Community Finances,   

Expenses: $  4,855.00

Outreach: $  435.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

Vitruvian Park

 

Rosemary's Blessing:  

Sometimes readings in Advent focus mainly on repentance and on waiting for the Savior and Messiah to redeem us from our sins.  Yet, the Jewish people of the Hebrew Scriptures and the early Christians had much broader expectations.  The Savior is the one who comforts and heals us, rescues and unbinds us, enlightens us and lifts us up as well as wipes away our sins.  The earthly life of Jesus was filled with his healing and compassionate acts; his treating outcasts and women with inclusivity, dignity and love; his breaking down cultural, religious and social walls that separate people; and his not only forgiving sinners, but also eating with them.   This is what Jesus wants to do for us.  Advent is a time of becoming more whole, a time of becoming all we want to be and all God wants us to be.

 

Taken from an  Advent Reflection by S. Jean Amore, CSJ,  Sacred Heart Academy, Hempstead, N.Y.