Reminder for 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 27, 2024

 

 

Welcome in Everybody, and welcome to Advent.

 

Readings:  

Jeremiah  33, 14-16, “The days are coming”, says the Lord, “when I will fulfill the promise I made.”

Psalm 25,  To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

1 Thesssalonians 3,12-4,2, May the Lord make you increase and abound in love.

Like 21,  25-28, 34-36, There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars.  

 

 

 

Welcome from today's Offertory Team, Michelle & Gil, Carol & Rich

 

 

One Day on a Walker   

For a New Appreciation of People, Try a Walker

This morning I would like to talk about how I came to see again how genuinely good ordinary people can be.  Want a quickie answer to that?  Try lumbar stenosis which leads to lower back pain which leads to life on a walker.

 

 

Another Day on the walker.

 

Two examples.

Just after the doctor put me on a walker I had an 8:00 A.M. appointment with my skin doctor.  It was freezing dark, cold, windy, and I had to park in one of those ground level parking areas, like about ½ a mile from the double glass entrance doors. 

As I hobbled up to the doors, a guy and a woman jumped ahead of me and held the doors open for me.  I was most touched.

 

 

Leo the Candle Man in Action.

 

The same thing happened when I departed the buildings.

Other similar events happened all the time we were in Hilton Head.   But a special one took place at an Alabama highway welcome facility just departing Georgia. 

We stopped in the visitor space to visit the facilities.  As I approached the one story building I noticed that the host of the facility this particular morning was a black guy about 60.  He saw me and was immediately heading toward the entrance doors.

 

 

Buddy reading the Blessing of The Advent Candle.

 

We arrived about the same moment and I reached out to pull outward the right hand door.  Trouble was, I was coming at it from the left.  I was awkwardly pulling the door with my right hand when the guy opened the door and stepped out to help me. 

Lucky me, because I was planning on using the door handle with my right hand to balance.  Suddenly the door was open, the handle out of reach, and I am falling over—right into the arms of the welcoming station.  Yes, he caught me and graciously got me righted.

 

 

Yes, Harper, you look really pretty with your new shorter hair.

 

Then, even at the restroom door, truckers were holding it so I could enter and depart.

I have been most touched, folks, and feel privileged.

Any of you seen these people around lately? 

And the question I would ask normally, I don’t ask now because it is irrelevant.  You do this kind of activity every day.

 

 

Could it be that Leo's most favorite time of our Sunday Mass is the Cupcake of the Week time.

 

 

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                

 

 

No touch Our Father.  The flu.

 

 

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

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

Place: Sigler Elementary, 1400 Janwood Drive, Plano, TX 75075

 

 

 

 

Don't leave yet, Leo.  We are almost finished.

 

 

Readings:

Deuteronomy 18, 15-20,  Moses spoke to all the people.

Psalm 95,  Today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts

Corinthians 7, 32-35,   I should like you to be free of anxieties. 
A married man is anxious.

Mark 1, 21-28, Is not a man’s life on earth a drudgery?

 

 

 

 

What a team we got, Georgie, Buddy, Leo, David, Ben, Shonda (barely visible), and even Emma singing (just out of sight, Mike).

 

 

Community Activities:  

 

THIS SUNDAY: birthday brunch after Mass, Welcome!  Guess for whom.

 

 

 

Do I dare ask what you crazies are laughing at?  Like Me?? 

 

 

 

ROMEO MEET: Friday, January 26, 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),  February Luncheon,

 Hope everyone is keeping warm on this chilly January night. Many of you have suggested going to the Bavarian Grill for lunch in February.  We can enjoy authentic German cuisine in a warm, friendly and inviting atmosphere.

We will meet Friday, February 2 at 12:30.  The Bavarian Grill is located at 221 West Parker Rd., Plano.  It is in the same shopping plaza as Burlington Coat Factory.

Please let me know if you will be joining us.

Thanks,  Marilyn,    972-491-7068     

 

Dickenson Trip:  February 23- March 3

 

 

 

 

Elevation help.  Great when you got Parkenson's.

 

 

What is going on in Our Catholic World:

1    Why are young Catholics departing, National Catholic Reporter, January 22, 2018, 740 words,      Download YOUNG CATHOLICS DEPARTING 1-25-18    

 

 

 

 

Healing for Cheryl.

 

 

True?

 

 

To me, old age is always fifteen years older than I am.

 

Bernard M. Baruch, upon observing his eighty-fifth birthda.

 

 

 

 

 

Healing for David.

 

See you Sunday.

J.S., 214-783-0443

 

 

 

 

Special Community Blessing for Ray & Beth, who have surgery this week.  Part A, Rosemary shares her blessing.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Community Blessing, Part B, everybody.

 

Community Finances:   

  Expenses: $   590.00

  Outreach: $     150.00

 

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 

The Kiss of Peace

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

Glance at the sun. See the moon and the stars.
Gaze at the beauty of earth’s greenings.
Now, think.
What delight God gives to humankind
with all these things. . . .
All nature is at the disposal of humankind.
We are to work with it.

For without we cannot survive.

 

Hildegard of Bingen (September 16, 1098 – September 17, 1179)

 

Isaiah 42:  Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my spirit;
Acts of the Apostles 10: Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered
in the house of Cornelius, saying:  “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.
Matthew 3: After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

When we learn to see beyond what we have been told to see, we take our place among the world of adults. Then we are obliged to take responsibility for the consequences of our own actions.
The Monastic Way, Sister Joan Chittister

Another Reminder for The Baptism of the Lord, January 11, 2026
Here are the links for Sunday:

For Zoom   ( the video conference)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88528744737?pwd=Te3cub31Q6XpNvUfzutHMgQ8JGqd42.1
Meeting ID: 885 2874 4737
Passcode: 412993

 

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.

 

 

 

 

Says our dearest Harper, "Welcome in, Everybody. 

 

 

 

Readings:  

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.

1.  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.

 

1.  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. 
2.   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.

 

 

1.  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).
2.  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 26^th 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