Reminder for Sunday, March 5, 2017, 1st Lent

 Readings:

Deuternomy 26, 4-10,  He brought us out of Egypt.

Psalm 91,  Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.

Romans 10, 8-13, The same Lord is Lord of all.

Luke 4, 1-13, Jesus was led into the desert for 40 days.

 Deuteronomy 

The scene: The Israelites have escaped from Egypt and have been wandering in the desert for years.  They are just about to enter The Land.  They are assembled.  Moses is addressing them and reminding them of all Yahweh has done for them over the years of wandering.   

In our chapter he is telling them that when they have settled in their new land, where he will not accompany them, they must take a basket full of a portion of their first harvest, present it to the rabbi, and offer it as a sacrifice of thanksgiving.   

Who & When: Though about Moses, Deuteronomy is a compilation of numerous sources.  Guess when: post Babylonian Captivity, say 555.  Easy to remember.

Emma arrives.

Romans

Paul writes to the Romans that all people, Gentiles as well as Jews, are invited to be part of the Christ event.

Andrew and Danny arriving with Sir Charlie.

  Beware of Great Expectations: observations on a new pope

I must confess that Monday morning when I first heard of Benedict’s retirement, I was excited.  “We might get a new man who is progressive and less authoritarian,” I thought.  With a little reflection I have two observations I would like to share with you from my perspective and experience.  Both fall under the Beware of Great Expectations heading.

1. Beware of expecting a progressive pope.  The college of cardinals has been carefully screened to include only very conservative, corporate, follow the leader type men.  They will likely vote their kindred.
2. Beware of the idea that a 3^rd world man would be great.  Two Africans are mentioned, one I know, Cardinal Arinze from Nigeria.  I attended his "coronation" in ’76 or ’77. 

One observation about him and many Africans is that in being converted they really bought into traditional Catholicism.  I knew a Tanzanian bishop who prohibited drums at liturgies because he thought they were pagan. 

Moreover, the custom of the African tribe demands that a big man make a big impression, not the idea of being a servant or last.

Have a Happy Lent?

Looking forward to Lent this year?  I confess that I was not.  Maybe it has come too quickly after Christmas this year.  However, I know I mildly dreaded it until.  Until we had our Ash Wednesday Mass at Marlene’s house.  Something happened there, some grace of being at home.  I felt peaceful about it all.

Ryan arriving with his dad, Jim.

So what are we going to do about this Lent?  Three observations.

1.  As a community you all will be invited on several occasions.  We will have a food drive next Sunday and a general pick up by Soul’s Harbor’s truck another Sunday.  One Sunday we will have one of our penitential rites, probably the Sunday just before Palm Sunday. 

Georgie ready to suit up.

        2.    I am going to invite you most Sundays to have a happy Lent.  It is Spring Training time.  Instead of focusing on the negativity  and the bad, focus on getting back in shape, from taking a daily walk to riding your bike around The Lake, White Rock.  Pass out compliments, like I mentioned last week.

Zoe arriving with her brother and mom, Buddy and Michelle.

          3.  I am also going to kick off a special project.  For years before I moved out of Jesuit I had a men’s group in the evening maybe two Tuesday a month.  It was both fun and profound.  I did not have furniture enough for all who came.  So I would take all the furniture out and I lay cushions all along the walls of the small office I had.  Everybody sat on the floor. 

Our candidate for pope, Bernadette, wondering where all the kids went.

I want to start a new group, a lunch group.  All you guys here are invited.  Tentatively, it will be Fridays, 1:00, Jason’s Deli here at Collin Creek Mall on Central.  It won’t be every week usually, mostly when I can come.  I’ll send out a note to everyone.  2 guys, 20 guys, who knows? 

Mike, Jerry, Shirley, and Maureen.

Why am I doing this now?  Good Lenten Penance!  Lenten penance with Stack.  Get you to heaven quicker.  Actually, it is because I miss you guys.  I may see everybody Sundays, but I don’t get to find out how it is going.  It will be great fun.

You women can rejoice that the old guy is out of the house for a while each week.   

So, what are you going to do to have a happy Lent?

Rosemary reading her blessing.

1 Samuel 3: When Samuel went to sleep in his place, the Lord came and revealed his presence, calling out as before. "Samuel, Samuel!" Samuel answered, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

1 Corinthians 6:  Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?  But whoever is joined to the Lord becomes one Spirit with him.

John 1:  Then he brought him to Jesus.  Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas" –which is translated Peter.

Genesis 15:  To your descendants I give this land,  from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates.

Philippians 3:   Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 9:  This is my chosen Son, listen to him.

Thanks…Music,    Ben 

Readers,  Jackie & Brent

Gospel,     John Cade

Homily,  John Cade

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,      Mike & Hue & Richard

Final Blessing, Rosemary

Sunset in Norway

Readings: Download 03-13-22 – Readings – 2nd Lent

Homily: Download 03-13-22 – Homily – 2nd Lent

Sod roofed homes at the Norwegian Nature Center

Remember these special people:

For John Stack having a hard time right now with a bad back;  For Sandra who has been diagnosed with Large B Cell Lymphoma;   For Rosemary's brother-in-law, Joe who is having a procedure on March 14th;  For Richard's grand daughter, Madeleine;    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 and for a friend Cadence still suffering from a serious medical condition;   For Sir Charlie & Jan;  All of Shonda's dear family;

Norwegian Fiord

            
              
                                                      

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.

Picturesque Norwegian town

Birthdays:   John O'Donnell 3/14, Ken Cramer 3/19

Anniversaries:   

Community Finances:   

Expenses: $ 1,020.00

Outreach: $  400.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

                                    


Stavanger, Norway

Rosemary's Blessing:  

May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others.

May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.

May you be content with yourself just the way you are.

Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.

It is there for each and every one of us.

St. Terese of Liseaux

Readings:  Isaiah 55, 6-9; Psalm 145, The Lord is near to all who call upon Him; Philippians 1, 20-27; Matthew 20, 1-16.

Brief teaching on Liturgy of Word before first reading:

The disciples of Jesus were not only Jews, they continued to be Jews after Jesus Christ ascended into heaven by their presence in the temple and synagogue.  After attending the Sabbath service in the synagogue, on the first day of the week they would gather at someone’s home to celebrate the Lord’s Supper where they shared memories of His teachings and sayings.  But the early Church having no gospels did not have a Liturgy of the Word. The Jews, who believed that the Messiah had come-the Christ, were most likely not concerned that they didn’t have a Liturgy of the Word.  Why? They had the synagogue prayer and Scripture service on the Sabbath that continually catechized the Jewish communities.  It wouldn’t be until after the Jewish believers of Christ were being excluded from the synagogue and temple, thrown out and persecuted, that they realized how much they needed the gospels to be written for a Christian Liturgy of the Word to catechize new converts Sunday after Sunday. 

When the Matthew and Luke gospels were written, which were also meant to address the needs, tensions and concerns of the gentile and Jewish Christian communities, there should have been in one of them an acknowledgement of a Christian Liturgy of the Word that was being used prior to celebrating the Lord’s Supper.  There is, even though the Church has failed to recognize its presence during the past 19 centuries!  (Read the account in Luke chapter 4 when Jesus comes into the synagogue in his home town of Nazareth on the Sabbath to stand and give the reading, then sit to give the teaching. He was required to give a teaching on the words of Isaiah; but instead said that He had fulfilled the reading from Isaiah.  By doing so, the inspired writers are telling us that the words of Christ fulfill the reading from Isaiah as well as the synagogue service itself! What could it possibly mean to fulfill the Jewish ‘Liturgy of the Word?’ The inspired writers are presenting the Liturgy of the Word of the early Christian Church!  It fulfilled the Jewish Sabbath synagogue service but it didn’t abandon it! 

Therefore the Christian Liturgy of the Word would include a first reading from either the Law and the Prophets as well as the singing of the Psalm…all of which are the expectation for the coming of the words of Christ and their teaching…then the words of Christ and their teaching which would fulfill the expectation of the first testament and psalm.  Therefore there would be a harmony between the testaments, and the Jewish Christians, intimately familiar with their Sabbath synagogue service, had the catechetical method of weekly evangelizing the converts to Christianity—besides telling us how the whole four gospels were written (the words of Christ will fulfill the expectation of his coming within the Law, Prophets, Psalms, Judaism and its feasts as well).

Homily:

The parable beginning Matthew 20 on the landowner who goes to the marketplace to hire laborers for his vineyard can be readily understood if you understand the following symbolism (In doing so the words of Christ will fulfill the expectation of His coming from the prophet Isaiah who tells us that the Lord is generous, and that his ways are not our ways).

The dilemma of the parable is the reply made by the laborers to the landowner at 5:00 PM, an hour before sunset: ‘No one has given us the words that satisfy our spiritual hunger.’  (omitted the rationale from ‘no one has given us the words that satisfy our hunger’ to spiritual hunger) The landowner sends them into the vineyard where Christ is the vine. His words will satisfy their spiritual hunger.  The landowner is like a hound who has continually gone to the marketplace to bring back laborers who long to hear the words that will satisfy their spiritual hunger…so the landowner is the vine, the Christ.  The wage is that which is ‘righteous’, therefore what God would pay his laborers. 

Christ is an advocate for his laborers by going to the ‘manager’ (his Father) asking him to give each laborer the wage of salvation beginning with the last and going to the first.  The wisdom of the parable come from the words of Christ, ‘I choose to give to the last the same as I give to you (the first)’. The first do not understand that the ways and thoughts of God are generosity and mercy.  Jesus tells them to ‘go,’ which in Greek is to leave without noise or fanfare… to rather come to their senses and rejoice with the angels over these last who have repented….

Why is this parable placed where it is within the Matthew gospel?  Immediately following are the words of Christ on who is the greatest in the kingdom of God (the one who shows mercy and generosity by reaching out to the least by making them the first)

Why is this parable placed within the Matthew gospel instead of the Luke gospel? The Jewish Christians are to reach out the gentiles (who are the last) with the inspired Liturgy of the Word to welcome them as the first!

Picture 1:    Mass Begins   

Picture 2:    The Team

Picture 3:    The Guys, Jerry, Bill, Mike, & Tony

Pciture 4:    Leo with Rosemary

Picture 5:    Claire with her fiance & dad, Andrew & Tom

Picture 6:    John & Sandra

Readings:

 Isaiah 66, 18-21,   I come to gather nations of ever language.

Psalm 117,  Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

Hebrews 12, 5-7, 11-13,  Whom the lord loves he disciplines.

Luke 13, 22-30, Depart from me, you evil doers.

Mass Begins. The Winner's medal and red ribbon from HHH.

 Isaiah 66 observations:

Author: Isaiah III.  The book of Isaiah is one of my favorites.  Some beautiful passages.  Remember, 3 primary authors are responsible for the 66 chapters, and we are reading the very last.  Isaiah 1 covers chapters 1-39.  This book is one of the Big 3 O.T. prophets, along with Jeremiah and Ezekiel.  This is because the works are the longest.  There are 12 minor prophets.

Time: ca. 700, before the Assyrians annihilate the northern Jewish kingdom, called Israel, vs the southern kingdom called Judah, where Jerusalem is.  10 tribes were lost in this destruction, the 10 Lost Tribes of Israel. 

Remember, there were 12 tribes.  Why?  Because of the 12 sons of Jacob, who was one of the 3 great patriarchs or founders of the tribe, Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob, who was also called Israel. 

Marsha awaiting The Cupcake for her birthday.

 Message of Isaiah III: Mostly consolation after the catastrophe.   What is the basic activity of a prophet?  1.  criticism, 2. prediction of dire payment, 3. consolation.

Today’s message: this being the last chapter of the whole work, you might guess.  Yes, consolation and future unity.

Hebrews observation:

 The best thing about today's selection: we have to read Hebrews only one more week.  Awful reading today.

Our dear Harper.

Will only a
few be saved?

I would like to speak today about this idea that only a few will be
saved.  In the past few weeks we have
been hearing this from Luke.  Basically,
the message is the same, yes, only a few will be saved.  In fact, you got to be on guard all the time
or the master will return, catch you napping, and off to hell you go.

I would propose that these metaphors about life are all pretty fear
based.  Today I think we are moving from
a fear based life metaphor to a peace based metaphor.   My metaphor is the Hotter ‘N Hell
Hundred.  Three points.  It is a journey, it is characterized by
mutual help, and a final point.

Teresa awaiting The Cupcake for her birthday.

Yesterday as I rode along I thought about these readings and how life is
like a 100 mile bike ride.  First of all
there are people.  The other riders.  But, also, people like Bill who introduced me
to this marvelous ride.  Other friends,
like Doug & Grace, John & Connie make the ride more fun.  And there is the marvelous beauty of the day,
the surroundings, and simple joy of the ability to ride. 

Other riders whom I don’t know are fun. 
I tie a little beanie baby dog to the top of my bike helmet.  I started this at Ragbrai in Iowa, just for
fun and because I see a lot of such décor there.  The dog gets lots of comments, from, “Hey, do
you know you got a dog on your helmet?” to “I love the cute dog on your helmet.”  I tell people that I cannot leave my little
dog at home and she loves to ride.

Cupcakes of the Week for 48 years, Bernadette and Gilberto.

A second point to this life metaphor. 
Lots of people help me along the ride. 
There are what are called sag wagons. 
These are roving pickups with trailers who collect gassed riders, broken
down riders, and riders with minor injuries. 
There is first aid everywhere. 

And then there are the marvelous rest stops.  These volunteers meet you with pitchers of
cold water and Gatorade, with cold & wet towels, and with tables loaded
with fruit.  But, my favorite rest stop
comes at mile 30. 

Leo.

 A bunch of elderly women volunteers, many probably younger than I am,
they make cookies, boxes of them, about 5-6 varieties.  Every year I look forward to seeing them and
chatting them up.  I confess I ate 6 of
their cooking this year, a bit much considering the 70 miles I still had ahead
of me.

Finally, the third reason why the HHH is a life metaphor for me: everyone
who arrives at the end gets a medal. 
Everyone is a winner.  And, if you
fell out this year, you can cross the finish line next year.  No fear, peace.

In this life metaphor the ride is a marvel, the supporters are numerous
and beautiful, and everyone wins the medal. 

What is your life metaphor, peaceful or fearful?  Are
you saved?  Are you a winner?

Brent accepting check for Souls' Harbor.

Rosemary's Blessing of  The Week: next week

Special Thanks to these special people:

•    For  the Readings:  
•    For hosting us Thursday & Friday, Marlene  
•    For The Team:   Buddy & Georgie & Kevin
•    For the Communion Bread:   Alison
•    For the Special Communion Cups:  Jan
•    For the Pictures:   Rick & Connie, Mike & Beth
•    For the coffee and extras:   next week 
•    For the altar & sound:  Jackie & Hue
•    For the Music:   Ray and David and Shonda
•    For all who helped with Communion 

Birthdays:   David Dinsmore (Thursday)

Anniversaries:

 John & Alison (23^rd, Sunday, today)

Randolf & Michelle (20^th Tuesday)

Please Remember these special people:

 For Connie Bresson's mom;  For Rose Banzhaf who broke some bones in a skiing accident;  For Ron Ackerman with cellulitis;   For Carol's recuperation;   For Tom Good;     For Dee and her daughter, Lisa;    For John Schanot's continued recuperation;   For Nadia's recuperation;   For a young man who is suffering from depression;    For Claire's mom;   For Grace's mom and brother in Alberta ;       For Cliff & Jean;    For Laura's sister Claudia;   For Dawn;   John Simari’s friend, Ron;    For Anthony;   For John & Jean's son John Louis;   For our good friend Kay in Ontario;    For Jackie Urbanzyk's continued recovery; Connie Bresson's mom & friend struggling with cancer;

For Rosemary's sister, Patty and her husband, Lou;  For Cathy's uncle, Jim Wright at 92;   For Connie's nephew, Fred; For Mary Jane Stevenson's son Philip, 34, sick & don't know why;    The Quinn’s granddaughter, Mikayla;   For Maureen’s daughter, Kathleen, with cancer;      For Jackie's friend, Barbara, plus Angela & her mom;    For Sr. Patricia Otillio, a nun I worked with for years in Grand Coteau;   John Cade's mother in law, Kalliopi Piskiouli;    for Franks brother with advanced Parkinsons;     Diane McClurg's mom in Fort Dodge;   For Steve Barrett, Rose, & Katie;

Dick Thompson's daughter, Teri Jill, and Judy's aging parents & daughter of her best friend, Mekala plus her baby, and Stephanie, and Barbara;  Barb & Warren's grandbabies, Leighton Elizabeth and Warren Phillip and Ethan Michel, & their friend Chris, plus Barb's dad & niece & Annie & Kyler & Kaitlen;

Tom and Teresa Quinn's niece, Chawna, with cancer, plus Neva Flynn, Angel, and Diane Kreeitzer;   Connie Doherty's mom and her sister, plus Kevin's cousin, Peter; for Mary Ellen & her Margaret, Jim, & Christopher;  For a number of David McKeon's family who are having a rough time with health issues; for our friends, sons, and daughters in the military, including Ryan McClurg and Chebino; cure for autism from Laura Chollick; for our President.

Your Finances, April 23, 2017

Expenses:   $ two Sundays from now.

Outreach:   $

Thanks for your Generosity, Everybody.

Have a Great Week, J.S

(214-783-0443)

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.