4th Sunday of Advent, December 22, 2024

Isaiah 50:The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced;

Philippians 2: Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance,  he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

 

 

Music,   Ben & Shonda

 

Expenses: $   470.00

Outreach: $    110.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

The grass never sleeps.

Or the roses.

Nor does the lily have a secret eye that shuts until morning.

Jesus said, wait with me. But the disciples slept.

The cricket has such splendid fringe on its feet,

and it sings, have you noticed, with its whole body,

and heaven knows if it ever sleeps.

Jesus said, wait with me.

And maybe the stars did, maybe the wind wound itself into a silver tree, and didn't move,

maybe the lake far away, where once he walked as on a blue pavement, lay still and waited, wild awake.

Oh the dear bodies, slumped and eye-shut, that could not

keep that vigil, how they must have wept,

so utterly human, knowing this too

must be a part of the story.

Gethsemane  by Mary Oliver 

 

Exodus 19:  Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob; tell the Israelites: You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians and how I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself.

Romans 5:  Not only that, but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Matthew 9:  Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.

           

Last Sunday's Homily: Download 06-11-23 Homily – Corpus Christi

 

 

John Stack Ministries now meets at:  The ArtCentre of Plano, 902 E. 16th St, Plano

 

 

 

 

Zoe says, "Welcome in, Everybody."

 

 

Readings:  

 

Exodus 16, 2-4, 12-15,   The whole community grumbled against Moses & Aaron

 

Psalm 78,   The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

 

Ephesians 4: 17, 20-24, You must no longer live as the Gentiles do.

 

John 6: 24-35,  It was not Moses who gave them the bread from heaven

 Ragbrai (honest, no bragging) report this Sunday.  Prepare yourself.

 

 

 

 

 

Important Board of Directors Meeting.

 

Exodus observations:

What:

 Exodus is a fun book and a good read.  It comes after Genesis & it has three main sections.

 One – the struggle between stubborn old Pharoah vs Moses & Yahweh.  Pharoah loses.  You can imagine the Passover had a significant impact. 

 

 

 

Every year the USAF comes to Ragbrai not just to ride, but to help, with dropped chains like me, flat tires, injuries.

 

Two – the time of wandering in the Sinai desert and the covenant, that is, the 10 Commandments

Three – the coming into the Promised Land. 

This all took around 40 years, and so we have stories in-between.  Today’s is one of these, showing Yahweh feeding his grumbling people 

 

 

 

 

USAF in action, bandaging up an injured female rider.

 

 

When written:

Toward the end of the Babylonian Captivity, around 550 before Christ

Who wrote it:

Not Moses, but people who lived centuries after this mythical character.  How much of this is historical is a question.  The story greatly encouraged the Jewish people enslaved in Babylon. 

 

 

 

 

At the final town of the week's ride, Davenport, this year the USAF riders enter in formation, as they told me.   145 strong this year, the most ever.  I remember 9-10 years ago they came with 45 riders.  I would be most moved to watch them enter 'in formation.'

 

 

Our selection:

An amusing account of the Jewish people grumbling against Moses.  They say they would prefer to be back in Egypt than in this infernal desert where they are wandering in the heat & sand.  We can sympathize with them in these days of 100’s.  They did not have a/c.   So Yahweh feeds them.  See how.

 

                             

 

After entering in formation, they take a group foto.

 

 

Want to get a people jolt, see their craziness, see their goodness?  Ride Ragbrai

For those of you not familiar with the Ragbrai event, it is a Sunday to Saturday bike ride across Iowa from west to east, from the Missouri River to the Mississippi, a distance of ca. 500 miles.  15 thousand are registered, another 15 thousand ride unregistered.  So it is crowded everywhere.

 

 

 

 

The little Iowa villages have the most beautiful, shady central squares/parks.  Ideal for a nap, a snack, a mid-day break

 

 

Three highlights for me. 

First of all, a lot of families ride together.  Sometimes they have dad pulling two attached bikes.  One time I ride up behind this woman who has a carrier on her front wheel.  I suspect from behind that she probably has a little kid in the carrier.  As I come up beside her I greet her and ask her if she has room for one more in her carrier.  I look at the carrier again and cannot believe my eyes.  She has 3 little kids in the carrier and they are having a fun time playing and talking to people like me. 

Later in the afternoon I ride up on her again.  She and the kids probably passed me walking through one of the achingly pretty little Iowa towns, maybe while I was taking a nap under one of the huge shade trees.  This time the kids are all asleep on each other.

 

 

 

 

Every need is catered to.

 

 

Another thing I found touching and amusing was the presence of dogs in the ride.  For instance, one guy had a medium sized, black maybe shepherd-lab mix.  He pulled a little cart with one rear wheel.  The dog, which was well trained, sat on the cart and accepted homage from everybody.  Later I saw the guy climbing a high hill and the dog was trotting along side.

I think my favorite dog was a little white dog that looked like Aviana, all white, but was a little smaller.   This little doggie belonged to a young woman.   Where did she have the dog?  On her back, front paws almost up to her shoulders, back paws splayed out on her lower back. She was wearing like a small back pack with holes in the bottom.  This little dog let you know it was there.  I was barking constantly, first to the left, then to the right.

 

 

 

 

 

University of Iowa campus, Iowa City, the yard of the medical students' fraternity house.  We covered their yard.  We were 55 in our group and ca. 30 tents.  My tent, the green one with the towel on top.

 

 

 

The final story has to do with me dropping my bike chain one afternoon.   I was entering a small town and had to climb over a trestle.  At the top my chain jumped off when I down shifted.   Trestles seem to target me.  The only other time I remember having this problem was a few years ago coming in to Wichita Falls from the Hotter N Hell.

So I turn my bike over and start to replace the chain.  Almost immediately two guys ride up and offer to help.

The goodness of people.  These are two special guys in beautiful blue & white bike uniforms, USAF. 

 

 

 

 

All this luggage came out of that bus.  It is located at Davenport, the final town and will return some of this luggage and cover the roof with standing bikes.  On our way home to Ames.

 

 

There were 145 USAF riders this summer, up from 45 a few years ago, guys, girls, black, white, Hispanic. They come not just to ride, but to help riders whose chains have fallen off, who have flat tires, or who have gone down & injured themselves.  They are there on Air Force time to help.  I saw them everywhere and was always moved and proud.

 

 

 

 

How did I get in here?  How do I get out??

 

 

So, who wants to sign up for next year?  David and Dana are going.  Unfortunately, I cannot accompany you.  I don’t have the stamina I had even last summer.   It is time for me to hang up my Ragbrai medallion.

 

 

 

 

Good Morning to Iowa.

1 Kings 3: Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong

Romans 8:  Brothers and sisters: We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

Matthew 13:  Jesus said to his  disciples: "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, …

 

 

Frank reading from I Kings

 

Thanks…     

Music,    Shonda & Ben 

Readers,  Mary & Frank

Homily,   John Stack

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Kevin

Final Blessing, Rosemary

                                 

Mary reading from Paul's Letter to the Romans

 

                      

 

Readings: Download 07-30-23 Readings -17th Ordinary

Homily:  

 

 

 

The Opening Hymn

                                                                                     

 

Remember these special people:

For Jan Keszler's Family; For Sandra Pratt's family;  For Cindy Cramer's family;  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 Madeleine, Richard Eshelbrenner's granddaughter;  For Hue; For Jackie;  For John's sister, Kathey recovering from a fall;   For Tom Good;   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 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 & the families of Annie and Michael ;    for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

 

John reading from the Gospel of Matthew

                                          

Birthdays: Cindy Ekes 7/31, Linda Beavers 8/4, Birth of Soul's Harbor 1956 8/2

Anniversaries:  

 

                         

The Kiss of Peace

 

         

Community Finances:   

Expenses: $  885.00

Outreach: $  

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

       

Daniel 12: Men and women who have lived wisely and well will shine brilliantly, like the cloudless, star-strewn night skies. And those who put others on the right path to life will glow like stars forever.

Hebrews 10: It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people.

Mark 13: He'll dispatch the angels; they will pull in the chosen from the four winds, from pole to pole.

 

 

 

Another Reminder for 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, November 17, 2024

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.

 

 

 

 

Thanks……

Music,  Ben & Shonda

Readers, Patricia & Fred, & Buddy, the candle blesser

Gospel, Deacon Mike Carrell

Homily,  John Stack

Eucharistic Prayer A & B, Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Richard 

Final Blessing, Rosemary

For hosting us at Legacy, Becky

 

 

 

New Life in the Community.  30-40 people this Sunday.

 

 

It Really is Easter!

Readings for Sunday, April 11, 2021

Download Reading 2nd Easter 4-11-2021

 

John Stack Homily

Download Homily Resurrection 4-11-2021

 

 

 

The Team is ready (along with Aviana)

 

Remember these special people:

For Alan Stryker;  For Joe Sullivan;    For Rosemary's great niece, Rylie ;  For Richard's grand daughter, Madeleine;   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 &  Leo & all of Shonda's dear family; For Ursuline Sr. Mary Troy 

 

 

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 daughter, Lisa;  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 boy undergoing an operation; for David McKeon's brother, Hugh; For Beth's friends;   for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

 

 

 

Birthdays:   Tom Zurchin, Claire Occipinti, & Darbiana

Anniversaries:    Curtis & Mabel

 

 

Community Finances,   April 11, 2021

Expenses: $1035.00

Outreach: $150.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 

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