15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 13, 2025

Readings: 1 Samuel 3, 3-10 & 19, Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening; Psalm 40, Here am I, Lord, I come to do Your Will; 1 Corinthians 6, 13-15 & 17-20, Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit; John 1, 35-42, We have found the Messiah.

 

1 Samuel: This is book one of two books.  The series is 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings; the characters being Samuel, the last of the Judge leaders of Israel-Judah; Saul, the first king; and King David. 

Authors:  Traditionally it was thought that 3 people wrote the book, Samuel, Gad, & Nathan.  Samuel, chapters 1-25; Gad was King David's historian, & Nathan was an editor.  Contemporary biblical experts think this unlikely & say that the works were put together at least 50 years after the time of the events.

Time:  The events take place ca. 1100-1000 BCE.  The compilation & recording of the events takes place ca. 950 BCE. 

Today's Selection: Yahweh is calling Samuel in a dream.  This ties in with the Gospel where three future apostles are called.  Samuel's parents were Elkanah & Hannah, and Hannah is famous because of a touching story about how she came to have Samuel.  She had been barren for years and even Elkanah's other wife ridiculed her.  One day the prophet Eli heard her crying and praying in the temple.  At first he accused her of being drunk.  Then when he talked with her, he promised that she would have a son. 

Hannah had promised Yahweh that she would dedicate to the temple her son, if she got one.  Consequently, our selection finds Samuel residing in the temple with Eli the prophet.  He would be about 12 years old.

Be aware that while these marvelous stories are mythological, the writer is attempting to convey to a simple people lessons about trust in Yahweh.

 

Eli Who?

     When I was a young pup of a Jesuit I got to know an old blind Jesuit who was living in the old priests’ infirmary at Grand Coteau.  I can still remember a tall, skinny Fr. McLaughlin doing pull ups on a bar in back of the big, four story building we lived in.

     I got to know him especially well the first Christmas I spent at Grand Coteau, my first away from home.  I had acquired a really good case of poison ivy and could not do much.  I had gotten the poison ivy one recreation day when we were out in the Achafalaya swamp.  I used some Spanish moss after a pit stop in the woods. 

     Fr. McLaughlin received tons of Christmas cards and being blind he needed someone to write for him.  That was my job, which I did mostly standing that Christmas.

     In the Jesuits we had a strong custom of having spiritual directors.  Fr. McLaughlin was my first.  He was a great raconteur of stories, but also a kind listener.  He helped me through my homesickness.

     I talk about Fr. Mac because he was an Eli figure for me.  Fr. Mac & the priest Eli were both spiritual directors.  I would like to talk about spiritual direction and directors.  Two observations.

     First, I highly recommend this old Jesuit custom.  Get a spiritual director. 

     I have one.  Most of you know him, David McKeon, a married priest from the Rochester, NY diocese, a spiritual man and a licensed psychotherapist. 

     I usually visit him every other month, usually just recounting to him the many blessings of life with Rosemary, the life of our community, and my insights.

     Spiritual directors come in professional and semi-professional sizes.  Some are counselors.  Characteristics include:

          1.  The person is a good listener

          2.  They are affirmative

          3.  Like Eli, they reflect back what they are hearing. 

          4.  They do not tell a person what to do.  No “You shoulds,” a really difficult thing for lots of adults to refrain from.  Actually, teachers are trained to do this—with students.

         Secondly, besides recommending that you get a spiritual director, I would suggest that you all are spiritual directors, the semi-professional size.  For years I was a spiritual director for nuns, priests, young Jesuits, and people from various areas of life. 

     Spiritual directors helped me all through the Jesuits and David McKeon still does.  I invite you to consider yourselves spiritual directors.  It happens at meals, coffees, at Tom Thumb, at receptions.  Follow the four characteristics I mentioned, listen, affirm, reflect back, and don’t tell adults what they should do. 

 Furthermore, I invite you to get a spiritual director or counselor. 

 Who is the Eli in your life?

Picture 1:    Georgie & Elizabeth

Picture 2:    Ashley, Jean & Cliff's granddaughter       

Picture 3:    The Kerns, Ben, Candy, Michael, & Mike

Picture 4:    Cole

Picture 5:    Buddy with his granddad, Gilberto

Picture 6:    Leo comfortable in Jean's arms

 

Readings:

Mark 11, 1-10,  Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem, read as we process in

Isaiah 50,  4-7  I gave my back to those who beat me.

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

Philippians 2, 6-11,   God greatly exalted him.

 Mark  14,  The Passion in 4 parts.

 

 

 

Sorry, Everybody.  Because of the length of the readings, especially the Passion, no homily this Sunday.  Next Sunday, Easter.

 

 

 

Readings:

 Isaiah 35, 4-7, The eyes of the blind will be opened.

Psalm 146,    Praise the Lord, my soul.

James 2, 1-5, 21-22, 27,  Show no partiality

Mark 7, 31-37, Jesus heals the deaf & mute man.

 

 

  

Homily:

 

Last Sunday Stack reminded us about how Moses told the people of Israel that they would have their own land promised by Yahweh.  And how after Moses’ death Joshua and others wiped out the Cannanite tribes who resided there, and just moved in. 

 

 

The theme today is that of healing.  During the week I was touched by two visuals of a lack of healing for people.  The first was the visual of a dead child lying on a beach in Turkey, whose family were trying to get from Syria to safety in Europe.  His family was one of thousands escaping from war torn Syria, escaping death by the King’s military, or by the rebel fighters, or by ISIS jihadists.  Newspeople often refer to them as ‘immigrants’–-yet their country is in civil war and there is hardly a safe place for anyone on any side.  They are refugees.  They leave everything behind.  They cross the Mediterranean in rubberized boats or rafts.  Many don’t even make it to the first stop in Turkey.  These thousands of refugees are leaving their homes, leaving their land, in search of a safe place for their families, for their children. 

 

 

The second visual that struck me this week was from a series of articles in the National Catholic Reporter on the ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ and its impact on people over centuries.  The ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ is found in papal bulls beginning in 1436; that’s almost 600 years ago.  One example is a papal bull from 1493, after Columbus’ ‘discovery’ of the Americas.  This papal bull gave Ferdinand and Isabella “full and free power, authority and jurisdiction of every kind” over almost all of the Americas, except for part of modern-day Brazil and a few islands.  Some say this was the beginning of international law as each succeeding papal bull would quote or reference those that came before.  When, in the late 1400’s discoverers were finding lands far away from Christian Europe, they found these lands occupied with non-Christian peoples, tribes and civilizations.  The papal bulls gave Christian discoverers full power and authority over all non-Christian peoples in these lands.  This meant the land could be claimed by the Christian discoverer (like for Spain or for France, etc.) and the non-Christian people could be enslaved, made to become Christian, even killed if they resisted.

 

 

Fast forward to 1823.  This Doctrine of Discovery was legitimized in a ruling by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall.  His ruling maintained that Native Americans had the right to ‘occupy’ land, but not have full ownership, and that tribes were dependent on the federal government.

 

 

So the two visuals that touched me this week were the thousands of refugees fleeing Syria, especially the little boy lying dead on the beach; and the millions of peoples in the Americas, Africa, the Pacific islands, etc., dispossessed of their lands, culture and religion, to a large extent due to a series of papal bulls and the Doctrine of Discovery. 

 

 

What would healing look like for the people of Syria fleeing war and devastation?  What would healing look like for the offspring of the indigenous peoples of North and South America? of Africa? of  the pacific islands?   

 

 

And how do I individually, or as a member of this Christian community, promote healing in my own world?

 

Readings:

Isaiah, 56, 1, 6-7,  My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples

Psalm 67,  Oh, God let all the nations praise you.

Romans  11, 13-15, 29-32,  The gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. 

Matthew 15, 21-28,   Woman, great is our faith!  Let it be done for you as you wish.

 

The Netherlands

 

Thanks to the Team

Music,  Ben & Shonda

Readers,  Hue & Georgie , & Buddy, the candle blesser

Gospel & Homily,  John Cade 

Eucharistic Prayer A & B, Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers, Mike (on vacation) & Richard, Tom, Ben & Hue 

Final Blessing, Rosemary

 

 

 

Please Remember these special people:

For our Bill & his family,   For Becky's dad discovered with the virus;  For Cindy recuperating at home, finally!;    For Esparzas, Frank & Mary,  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 Mary & Dave Hall's g-daughter Allison Keller working at St. Lukes, Woodlands,  For Joe Hogan with cancer;  For Loretta's aunt Alicia;    For Sydney;  & For Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody & Ben & all of Shonda's dear family;   for Michelle;  for Bill Ekes' longtime buddy, Bobby Duncan, who just passed to the other side.

 

For Jackie's mom;  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, plus John's daughter, Joey

 

 

 

Look carefully, you may see Mike.  Buena Vista, Cascade Falls

 

 

Download Readings Week 8-16

 

 

Homily 08/16/20,    20^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Two things:

First, Readings 1 and 2 speak the same truth, that, whether you are an insider or an outsider, you are welcome as God’s people.                  Second, in the Gospel story, even if you are an outsider, you and your sorrow, your pain, are fully understood.  

The first two readings speak about insiders and outsiders.  First reading is from Isaiah Ch 56.  [Recall what

John Stack has said about the 3 authors of Isaiah Ch 1-39, 40-55, 56-64.]  Here Isaiah says, whether you are one of the chosen Jewish people (an insider), or a non-Jewish foreigner (an outsider), is not the point; it’s what you do, how you live your life, that identifies you as God’s people, “for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”

 

 

 

 

In Romans, Paul says: Neither the non-Jewish Gentiles converting to Christianity (outsiders), nor the Jewish people, including Jewish followers of Jesus (insiders)—neither had an advantage over the other.  God welcomes all.  It’s not where you come from but what you do, how you live your life, that identifies you as God’s people.

The second amazing Good News is in Matthew’s story of Jesus and the Canaanite woman (Canaanite, yep, that would make her an outsider).   It wasn’t so much what Matthew said about the disciples being such unhelpful dorks…is Matthew using sarcasm here? (See Gospel language).  This story is embedded in a whole string of stories about Jesus caring for people in need, in pain.  E.g. in the same Chapter Matthew says Jesus “was very deeply moved by the sick among them”, that he saw the hungry and fed them, that he saw the disciples’ fear in a storm and calmed them.

 

 

And immediately after today’s story of the Canaanite woman, Matthew tells how the crowds brought the lame, the blind, the mute; and Jesus said, “My heart goes out to them.”  Matthew strings all these stories together as one, to say God gets it, God gets you and me, understands our needs and pain. God’s Spirit is with us in our fear, our sorrow, our pain. 

Recently, I experienced some of what the Canaanite woman was going through.  We have a daughter, Joey (age 46), who gave her consent to speak about it.  She told us this past week that she has breast cancer and the initial treatment will be major surgery.  My family and I are in shock and pain.  I know from today’s readings that my part is not to be strong or aloof, but to be accepting, understanding and caring; most of all, to be present. 

 

 

Remember ……

 

All three Bible stories today have similar messages:  First, whoever we are and wherever we come from, we are God’s people—totally accepted, come-on-in accepted. 

And second, whoever we are and wherever we come from, we are understood, cared for and loved unconditionally.  God is present with us.  Every one of us.

 

My question: When did you last see and know that you are accepted, understood, loved unconditionally?  And when did you last accept, understand, love another unconditionally?                                       

 

 

 

A note from John Cade:

In the summer of 1956, when still in the seminary, I spent a week at the Trappist monastery north of Atlanta, outside Conyers Georgia.  I got to experience how Trappist monks end every single day, expressing their devotion to Mary, Jesus’ mother—a hundred men standing together and chanting in Latin, Salve Regina, Hail Holy Queen.  August 15^th is one of the days we have traditionally honored Mary.  I will chant this hymn in her honor at the end of Sunday Mass.

 

 

Birthdays:    Last Week,  Carrie Bieda, 62;   Stephen Farmer, 30; Marlene; Richard has a new grandbaby, Madeline, & Mom is Cary

This Week. Haya from the JCC , 6:00 A.M. Spin Class, 82, Rose Banzhaf

 

Anniversaries: 

Last Week.  Mary Hall & Dave, 60 years;   John & Jean O'Donnell, 62nd;  Ryan McClurg & Grace, 7th, 

This Week:  Bernadette & Gilbert  

 

 

From mountain stream to desert rock.

 

 

Community Finances, August 16, 2020

Expenses: $600.00  

Outreach   $100.00    (often for Souls Harbor, Legacy, etc.)

Thanks, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 

 

 

As of September 1, Rosemary & I will have a new address,   7017 Helsem Way, Dallas 75230.   This enclave has TREES, unlike our poor, dear, tornado battered Preston Hollow neighborhood.

 

 

 

Cindy Cramer is home!  Hooray!

On Thursday, August 13, 2020, 12:52:06 PM CDT, Cathy Cramer <catcramer@gmail.com> wrote:

Great news, everyone — my mom is home!

She's tired and still has some recovery ahead of her. She asked that you hold phone calls for a few days until she gets back into some semblance of a routine.

This will be my last email to y'all. Thanks again so much for all your love, support, and prayers!

Love,

Cathy

 

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty;

To find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier because you lived.

This is to have succeeded.

 

Success – Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Readings:

Leviticus  19, 1-2, 17-18,   You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Psalm 103,  One of the best lines in the Bible, 3^rd stanza, The Lord is gracious and merciful, never gets angry and is abounding in love.

1 Corinthians 2,  6-10,  The spirit of God dwells in you.

Matthew  5, 38-48, When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well.

 

 

Observations on Leviticus

What :  the 3rd book of the Bible and one of the 5 books of the Torah.

Who:  a compilation of sayings accumulated over centuries, not Moses, as was thought for some years.

Date: sometime after the Exile in Babylon, ca. 555 before Christ.

Subject:  rules about how to live, how to worship, and the penalties for transgressing.  This is based upon 2 beliefs:

1. The world has been created good, but is vulnerable to sin.
2. Enactment of proper ritual makes God present and ignoring proper ritual compromises the harmony between God & people.

 

 

Some unique rules:

1. Cursing, death.   24.14
2. Unkempt hair, God will smite you.  10.1
3. Tatoos.  19.28
4. Trimming your beard.  19.27
5. Cutting the hair on the sides of your head.  19.27

Today’s Subject:  the best line in the whole work, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”   19.18

Sources:  Good News Bible, Wikipedia

 

I want to help people.  That’s what I’m for.

Ever hear of a guy named Clarence Griffith?  I read about him in the Dallas Morning News this past week.  Three things are unique about him.

1. He was born in 1913.  Know anybody that old?  101 years.
2. When he was 94 he received triple heart bypass at Baylor, Dallas.
3. Ever since his recuperation he regularly goes to console and help people in the Baylor cardiac waiting room.  He gets them coffee, food, and offers them support, praying with them or just letting them talk.  He says,  “That’s what I’m for.  I want to help people.”

 

 

For me, Clarence Griffith has accepted that, “The Lord is gracious and merciful, never gets angry and is abounding in love.”  Moreover, he is making himself live that image.

Last week we looked at infinite demand that was followed up with promises of hell.  A fear based program.

 

 

This week we look at a different infinite demand equally challenging.  The demand is to get rid of fear in our relationship with God using that description, and to help others to do so.

This is one of the biggest reasons I have been and am a priest, and even a psychotherapist, to help others get rid of fear in our relationship with God.

Which leads me to three demands presented by Matthew.  If you reflect upon it, these three are a result of knowing that our God is gracious and merciful, never gets angry and is abounding in love.

 

 

First, Matthew says, using his favorite little figure of speech, ‘You have heard it said, but I say to you…’, when someone hits the left side of your face, offer the right and don’t resist the person who is evil. 

Is this insanity or what?  Has it ever been tried?  Yes, you say, by dead people.   Impossible.  This is the message of the pacifist, a person mostly ridiculed by the rest of us.  Know any?  Sure, John Dear, once a Jesuit, Roy Bourgeois, once a Maryknoll. 

 

 

I wonder what would happen if we really did this.  I confess I have not been able to get there. 

Secondly, give to the person who asks from you.  Another tough one.  How do you feel passing the men & women begging at stop lights?  I, for one, feel horrible, even though I know they have a number of shelters, like The Bridge and Austin St. Shelter.   I can work in those places and know that we as a community help them, but I still feel horrible passing those people on the corner.

 

 

Thirdly, love my enemy.  I really don’t have any serious enemies that I know of, even though I have come to know that some hate me for what I am doing with this community.  For that matter, some of these people hated me at St. Marks.   

Despite failure to live up to these demands, which are infinite, our God is still infinitely accepting, specifically gracious and merciful, never get angry and is abounding in love.   Moreover, relevant to our weakness, he says in the following line, “Not according to our sins does he deal with us.”

 

 

101 year old Clarence Griffith is showing people this image of God in the Baylor hospital waiting room.

Who shows this image to you?

To whom do you show the image?

 

 

Readings:

Acts of the Apostles 2, 14, 22-33.  You who are Jews, listen to my words.

Psalm 16,  Lord, you will show us the path of life.  

1 Peter 1, 17-21,   Conduct yourselves with reverence.

 Luke 24,  13-35,   Two men on the road to Emmaus.   

 

 

 

"Hi, Everybody, Welcome in," say Buddy, Tori, and Harper.

 And who let in these clowns?  John, Tom, Denni, & Jim.