Something Extra

 

 

 

Thanks a ton, John, for officiating at our liturgies the 3 Sundays Rosemary & I have been absent.  You are a joy.

 

 

Readings:  

 Isaiah 53, 10-11,  The Lord was pleased to crush him in infirmity.

Psalm 33,  Lord, let your mercy be on us as we place our trust in you..

 Hebrews 4, 14-16, We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses.

 Mark 10, 35-45, What do you wish me to do for you?

 

 

 

Let the celebration begin: Emma prepares the Candles.

 

 

 Mark:  Greatness is being a servant to all

Homily:  The language used in this Gospel story could just as well be a story about the ‘kingdom of heaven’, ‘kingdom of God’, catch phrases Jesus used to describe his dream for the ideal world. The beatitudes (blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are the peacemakers…) are another description of Jesus’ dream of what could be. Today another phrase, “be a servant of all”.

 

 

 

 

The Best Team.

 

     The catch in all these phrases that capture Jesus’ vision for us, is that it’s not God bringing it about. Jesus places the responsibility for creating a better life on earth squarely on our shoulders. We are blessed with all the abilities and resources needed to accomplish Jesus’ vision for our life. We have the wherewithal to create the peace and blessings of ‘the kingdom of God’. The decision to do so rests with us.

     Being a ‘servant of all’ is the phrase today’s Gospel uses to describe who the followers of Jesus are.  The big ways we make ourselves servants are more easily seen: like the four women in Dallas who, about 10 years ago, founded an organization to help end sexual violence and to provide comprehensive services for all affected by sexual violence. I thought of a few smaller ways we can be a servant:

 

 

 

Welcome back Kathleen.  Good to see you & your buddy, Sandra.

 

 

First thought, my nephew Merik: last Sunday he and his wife Kathryn, hosted Lambrini and me and Kalliopi, and his mother and her father—our turn to meet baby Henri. Merik was so gracious and open in greeting us, and in allowing us access to Henri, to hold him, carry him, rock him, burp him after he was fed, and setting him in his remote controlled ‘rocking chair’. Knowing we were interested, he showed us around their home and yard, his landscaping and vegetable garden where he gave Kalliopi some mature okra for the seeds.

 

 

 

My Dear Luke, Welcome into The Community & congratulations on your Baptism

 

Second thought, you here: often you return Mass & song books to their boxes, for your people or people on your row; Eucharistic servers try to make sure everyone gets to share in our Eucharistic meal on both sides, before consuming what’s left over;

 

 

 

It must be Halloween and these kids know how to decorate.

Third thought, Freddie, my 7 year old grandson: last week my daughter Joey treated Freddie to his favorite dinner out, sushi, because his older brother, Leo, was at a sleepover.  On leaving the restaurant Freddie took a lollipop, and on the way home he told Joey he was saving it for Leo because Leo missed the sushi treat.  

 

How do you see others and yourself accepting Jesus’ challenge to make his dream come true by being a servant to all?

 

Download IMG_0592

 

 Watch Luke go.  This is what Baptism will do for you.  For the first time ever Luke started crawling.

Readings: Special All Saints Mass of Remembrance using Sunday’s first reading & Luke’s Gospel with 2 poems as the middle readings.  Therefore: Wisdom 11, 22-12, 2; poems see links below; Luke 19, 1-10 (Zacheus).

 

The Mass begins with a poem read by Jackie Ritter: Download poem_1.doc

How was I blessed by These People?

I have known a Zacheus.  Zacheus is Everyone, a limited person.  We are all limited people.  This Zacheus gifted me in a variety of special ways. 

First, like Zacheus, she shared her friendship with me.  I did not really get to know her until she had her last bout with cancer some years ago.  But every Thursday evening for the past few years we have talked and shared about so many things.  I looked forward to our Thursdays.  Through her friendship I came to know and love her, her husband and kids and even grandkids.  Two of her grandkids were in our Christmas drama last Christmas eve, the twin girls in the angel dresses.

Also like Zacheus, she was not very tall but full of energy and simple hospitality.  Zacheus’ height is symbolic of the shortness we all have.  My friend, too, was petite, but so full of vitality and cheer.  She was a joy to talk with for an hour. 

Especially, however, I was touched by her because she was a brat.  One night when I went to see her with Rosemary, I told her I had been learning how to do the salsa.  I showed her my classy steps.  Her response was, "Man, you dance like a gringo.  You don’t move your hips."

Another evening when it looked like she was getting ready to cross the threshold perhaps a year ago, I told her that when she met The Man she should tell him hello for me.  In fact, I told her if she ran into any trouble, just to say that Stack sent her.  Her response was, "Maybe I might be better off if I don’t tell him I know you."   She knew how to play.

My good friend Ofelia Lopez crossed the threshold this morning about 3:00 A.M..

She and all these people pictured on the stage have touched and gifted us into new life.

How?  What is The Gift you received?

AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2007-11-04.mp3

After Communion a poem is read by Joanne Languell: Download poem_2.doc

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Rosemary's Blessing

Let us approach the feast of the Holy Spirit with the confidence and conviction that the Spirit of God who has brought us this far is always ahead of us, calling us forward and offering us what we need.

 

Let us ask for the Spirit’s Gifts of:

Wonder and Amazement at God’s faithful, steady, unconditional love for us in all the planned and unplanned times in our lives

Compassion for those who are suffering, isolated, hungry or unemployed

Deep Peace and Calm when we are in the midst of anxiety, worry or loss

Courage in conflictual situations that call us to speak the truth with love

Trust and Confidence that God is with us as God beckons us forward in ways unknown.

 

Come, Holy Spirit, fill us with your Spirit that we may do our part in healing and transforming our world into the realm of God ~ A place of inclusive love, unity, reconciliation, justice and peace.

 

Adapted from a Prayer and Refection by Sister Jean Amore, CSJ, Sacred Heart Academy, Hempstead, New York

 

 

Thanks to the Team

Music, Shonda & Ben

Readers, Tom & Denni,  & Buddy, the candle blessing

Eucharistic Prayer & Gospel, John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers, Mike & Ben & Becky 

Final Blessing for last day of May, Rosemary

 

 

Readings:

Acts of the Apostles, 2, 1-11, They were all together in one place.

Psalm 104, Lord, send out your spirit and renew the face of the earth

1 Corinthians  12, 3-7, 12-13, There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same spirit

John 20, 19-23, Jesus said to them, "Peace be with you." 

 

Please Remember these special people:

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;   For Joe Hogan with cancer;  For Loretta's aunt Alicia;   For Ryan, Rosemary's nephew, who had surgery; For Bill Hammond,    For Sydney;  & For Sir Charlie;  Shonda's mom;   For Gilberto:  for Michelle;  For a friend, a neighbor, & a doctor, Karen, with brain cancer; For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg; For Meredith, cancer free.;    For Hue;  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;  Virginia Mattingly

 

SPECIAL NEWS:  I have a good friend who has joined us at Romeos a couple of times over the years.    His dad is 93 years old.  His dad was diagnosed with The Virus.  He was hospitalized.   Recently he was discharged and declared healthy!  Amen!

 

 

Birthdays: Ray (80), Christi Occhipinti (45), Zaile Ekes, Shonda, Brent (13, AA), & Mabel (88!)

 

 

Community Finances, May 31, 2020

Expenses: $2000.00

Outreach:  $150.00  (often for Souls Harbor, Legacy, etc.)

Thanks, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

Reading 1

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

        When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.  Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—and no one could tell where it came from.  It filled the whole building.  Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them. 

There were many Jews staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world.  When they heard the sound, they came on the run.  Then when they heard, their own mother tongues being spoken, they were thunderstruck.  They couldn’t for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying, “Aren’t these all Galileans?  How come we’re hearing them talk in our various mother tongues? 

        “Parthians, Medes, and Elamites;

        Visitors from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia,

        Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,

        Egypt and parts of Libya;

        Immigrants from Rome, both Jews and proselytes;

        Even Cretans and Arabs!

“They’re speaking our languages, describing God’s mighty works.”

Our word for today.

 

 

Reading 2

 A Reading from the first Letter of Paul to the Corinthians

        Sisters and brothers:  No one would say “Jesus is Master!” without the insight of the Holy Spirit.  God’s various gifts are given out everywhere, and are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit.  God’s various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God is behind it all.  Each person is given something to do that shows who God is:  Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. 

        You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body.  Your body has many parts—limbs, organs, cells—but no matter how many parts you can name, you’re still one body.  It’s exactly the same with Christ.       By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives.  We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say.  Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain—his Spirit—where we all come to drink.  The old labels we once used to identify ourselves—labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free—are no longer useful.

Our word for today.

 

 

 

The Lord be with you.       A Reading from the Gospel of John

          Later on that first day of the week, the disciples had gathered together. Fearful of the Jews, they had locked all the doors in the house.  Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.”  Then he showed them his hands and side. 

The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were exuberant.  Jesus repeated his greeting: “Peace to you.  Just as the Father sent me, I send you.”

        Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them.  “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he said.  “If you forgive someone’s sins, they are gone for good.  If you don’t forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?”

The Good News of John.

 

 

Pentecost Homily by Stack

We are celebrating The Spirit this Sunday and I have a question.  When was the last time you saw The Spirit?  Knowing you folks as well as I do, I would surmise that you have seen The Spirit often, but you may not recognize what you are looking at.  Let me tell you about 3 visits of The Spirit that I have seen.  See what you think.

First, say you are a girl about 10 years old.  May is your birthday month and with your mom’s help you always have had a party.  This year??  Your mom gets inspired.  All the girls you want to get invited will get invited to an afternoon party.  Each girl will come in the family car with her mom or dad or both.   Park on both sides of the street in front of the house.  

 

 

A street birthday for an eleven year old girl.

 

Instead  of coming into the house, each girl will sit in the car window or lean out of the sun roof or sit on the roof.  The birthday girl will walk up and down the lane talking with the girls on their perches.

I saw it, folks, really, while walking Aviana with Rosemary one afternoon.  For real.  There must have been 10-12 girls perched on their family cars and the birthday girl was walking up and down the lane.  I felt privileged to walk that lane.  Since then I have heard about other street parties in our Preston Hollow neighborhood.   Recognize The Spirit?

 

 

The Spirit also surprised me one other morning when I was walking Aviana.  I noticed that some yellow yard signs with red script  had sprung up. 

For instance.

Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.  (yes, that's Aviana blessing the property)

 

 

I can complain because rose bushes have thorns or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.

 

 

 

I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars.

 

Catch the spirit?

 

 

My third example of the presence of The Spirit.  My parents have lived in this house in this Preston Hollow neighborhood since ’75.  Rosemary & I have lived here since 2005.  Never in this time have I seen so many families walking with dogs and little kids.  I’ve seen lots of little kids practicing to ride their learning wheel loaded bikes.  Rosemary knew personally most of the people who walk their dogs.   Now days, after the tornado destruction and the Virus, there are so many new dogs & dog walkers that we are overwhelmed.  Overwhelmed with delight!

Where is The Spirit in your life?

 

 

 

 

A Note from Becky: Song books will be available in the front office of the school in case anyone would like to come by and pick one up so they can sing along.

 

 

Readings:

Luke 19, 28-40, Jesus enters Jerusalem (for the procession)

Isaiah 50, 4-7, I gave my back to those who beat me (one of the Suffering Servant songs)

Psalm 22,  My God, My God, why have you abandoned me. 

Philippians 2, 6-11,  He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave.

Luke 22, 14-23, 56  The Passion

Note: No homily this Sunday because of the volume of readings.

Video:  Entrance Procession for Palm Sunday.  Curtis consented to play the role of Jesus entering Jerusalem.  (2 minutes)

 

 

Genesis 14:    "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, the creator of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who delivered your foes into your hand."

Corinthians   11:  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

Luke 9:  They all ate and were satisfied.  And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets.

Mary reads from St. Paul's Letter to the Corinthians

 

 

Thanks…     

Music,   Ben & Shonda

Janice & Mike get a cookie for their anniversary

 

Outreach: $   50.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

Readings:

Acts 1, 12-14,   All these devoted themselves to prayer, together with some women.

Psalm 27,  I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.  (good verse for homily)

1 Peter  4, 13-16,  If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you.

John  17, 1-11,  I pray for them.

 

 

Reminders on Acts:

What : The second half of Luke’s work, the first part being his gospel.  Acts starts after the Resurrection.  We will read Acts all through May and read the last selection June 1, then June 7, Pentecost.  The work focuses on the spread of the early church with special attention given to Peter and Paul and their conflicts over who was to be a Christian, and Jewish laws, like circumcision.  The conversion of Paul is described.  

Who: Luke, an educated and civilized Jew who wrote in Greek.

Date:  around the year 65, or about 30 years after Jesus’ death.

Our Selection: Activities in the community after the Ascension.

Watch for two words in Psalm 27, gaze and contemplate, see the response above.

 

 

 Gaze and Contemplate

I want to talk about two words that come from Psalm 27, gaze and contemplate.

This past week a great black lady died at 86, Maya Angelou  I wish I had known her better.  I memorized one of her poems once, but did not look her up. 

One aspect of her life stuns me.  She went silent for 5 years, from the age 7 to 12, more or less.  Why?  She had been abused by her mother’s boy friend, she told her brother, and a day or so later the boy friend was discovered beaten to death.  Maya was sure her words had caused his death and she was mortified into silence.

 

 It was her mother telling her that she was a special person that eventually convinced Maya to begin talking again.  Yes, I wish I had known her.

I was fortunate, however, to know my own Maya, a black lady named Juanita Craft, who lived in south Dallas, near Fair Park, and was a leader in the NAACP in the ‘50’s & ‘60s.  I got to know her really well because of three events.

 

 

One, the summer of ’66 or ’67 I was looking for something special to do.  I was in the middle of a three year delightful internship teaching at Jesuit as part of my 13 year formation program to be a priest, a Jesuit priest. 

Somehow, I got to meet Juanita and next thing I know I am the only whitey on a Greyhound bus to the National NAACP annual convention in Atlantic City with stopovers in D.C. 

 

 

I was probably too dumb to know I was in some danger on the trip.  We had a large number of teenaged kids.  If the bus was headed toward Birmingham or Selma in those days, I may have taken a pass. 

One of the highlights of the trip was how the Jesuit community of Georgetown went all out in their hospitality to our group, even having us all into the community dining room for dinner and providing a bunch of cars and drivers to tour everyone around the city.

 

 

Secondly, when I returned from the trip, I moved into Juanita’s little two bedroom, white frame house in South Dallas, and stayed for the rest of the summer.  I worked with her at her NAACP meetings, understudied her ways, and helped with kids in the neighborhood.  She called me her “white boy.”  I was ca. 26.

My poor mom was mortified by all this.  One evening when they had invited a number of their friends in for dinner, and I was asked to help out, she asked me if I would not tell people what I was doing and where I was living.  A few days later she asked me to forgive her.   I had to laugh.  My dad did not seem to be bothered.

 

 

Thirdly, I learned how a simple person can make a difference.  As head of the Dallas NAACP, she helped integrate UNT, UT Law School, the State Fair, as well as other places like restaurants, theaters, and public buses.  I saw how she got the city to focus on the roads in her neighborhood and how she loved the kids.  She had none of her own and, in fact, I don’t think she ever married.  Juanita was elected to two terms on the Dallas City Council in the ‘80’s.   There is a Dallas park and a rec center named for her. She came to my ordination in '71 at St. Rita's in a squad car.  Impressed all the neighborhood kids.

How she affected me? 

She got me to gaze around and contemplate the neighborhood, see what needed to be done, and do it.  This eventually led me to the tree project.  The interest in tree planting came from Boy Scouts; the mental foundation came from Juanita.

Secondly, Juanita’s jovial personality got me to gaze at and contemplate the beauty and the loveliness of the Lord in people and nature, as Psalm 27 says it. 

 

 

I learned how to pray in public from Juanita and those people.  I was usually in clerics and they called on me often for a prayer, something I was not used to.  I think I wore clerics then and on that bus to avoid being killed.  Likewise in East Africa, especially when crossing the borders, like between Tanzania and Uganda.  Otherwise, no clerics.

Today we are called to gaze and contemplate the beauty around us, White Rock Lake, Tom Woodward Park (which I have yet to see), our kids here, our community, Romeos (Maybe not!), and our families.  Jesuit spirituality got me started on this.  Juanita Craft helped me put it into action.

Who is the Juanita Craft in your life who helps you to gaze and contemplate? 

For whom are you the Juanita Craft?