Readings: 2 Kings 5, 14-17; Psalm 98, The Lord has revealed to The Nations His Saving Power; 2 Timothy 2, 8-13; Luke 17, 11-19. 

                                                  

Twenty eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time- Intro to the readings.

 

Our first reading today is from the second book of Kings, and was written about the year 560BCE.  The Book of Kings was written at a time of great crisis.  In 587 the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzer and his armies had attacked the southern kingdom, Judah, and destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem, and taken the Jewish people back to Babylon as slaves. 

 

 The big question for the Jews was “where was their God in all of this?"  What about the promises he had made on Mount Sinai?  The 400 year rule of the Davidic line of kings has come to an end.  The purpose of the writer is to tell the people that it is not God who has been unfaithful, but the people.  He  encourages them to see that God is still faithful to his people. 

 

Our short story in today’s reading fits with the gospel in that someone saw that the gospel was about lepers and so find something about lepers in the Old Testament!  Recall that in those days most gods were seen as local, and so we find Naaman, who is a high ranking general from Damascus, where Paul was heading when he had his vision, asking Elisha if he can take two mule loads of the earth back with him.  He has been cured by Elisha’s god and wants that god to be with him when he returns home.  To get the full impact of this reading I want to read to you the piece which leads up to our reading today:

 

Naaman, the army commander of the king of Aram, was highly esteemed and respected by his master, for through him the LORD had brought victory to Aram. But valiant as he was, the man was a leper.  Now the Arameans had captured from the land of Israel in a raid a little girl, who became the servant of Naaman's wife.  "If only my master would present himself to the prophet in Samaria," she said to her mistress, "he would cure him of his leprosy." 

 

 Naaman went and told his lord just what the slave girl from the land of Israel had said.  "Go," said the king of Aram. "I will send along a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman set out, taking along ten silver talents, six thousand gold pieces, and ten festal garments.  To the king of Israel he brought the letter, which read: "With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you, that you may cure him of his leprosy." 

 

 When he read the letter, the king of Israel tore his garments and exclaimed: "Am I a god with power over life and death, that this man should send someone to me to be cured of leprosy? Take note! You can see he is only looking for a quarrel with me!"  When Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his garments, he sent word to the king: "Why have you torn your garments? Let him come to me and find out that there is a prophet in Israel."  Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house.  The prophet sent him the message: "Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean."

But Naaman went away angry, saying, "I thought that he would surely come out and stand there to invoke the LORD his God, and would move his hand over the spot, and thus cure the leprosy.  Are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be cleansed?" With this, he turned about in anger and left.

 

But his servants came up and reasoned with him. "My father," they said, "if the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary, would you not have done it? All the more now, since he said to you, 'Wash and be clean,' should you do as he said."

 

  

 

Twenty eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Homily

 

On the surface today’s gospel message seems simple enough, don’t forget to say, “Thank you”.  But because I have two weeks to reflect on the story, and also because a good friend of mine whom I was ordained with years ago told me about a great homily he had heard about the ten lepers, I had to pry deeper.  My friend now lives in England and after spending thirty minutes on the phone with him the other day, neither one of us could come up with what that original ‘great homily’ was all about!  I feel there is more to Luke’s account than a lesson in ‘good manners’.

 

The story itself is classical Luke.  Jesus is still heading towards Jerusalem, although the geographic clues, which Luke gives at the beginning of the story, tell us that Luke doesn’t have a clue of the geography of the area!  Ten lepers meet with Jesus and are sent off to be inspected and declared free of their leprosy.  Only one comes back to say thanks. 

 

 There are several things we need to keep in mind.  The one who came back was a Samaritan.  Luke seems to have a thing for Samaritans; we have the “good Samaritan, the Samaritan woman at the well, and now the Samaritan leper.  What we can easily forget is that the Samaritan would not be going to Jerusalem to be declared “cured’ by the Temple priests, he would have gone to Mount Gerizim, that was their place of worship. 

 

 When the nine Jewish lepers would have been declared clean, there is explicit instructions for a thanksgiving offering clearly spelt out in Leviticus chapter 13: “³⁰And he shall offer, of the turtle-doves or pigeons such as he can afford, ³¹one^* for a sin-offering and the other for a burnt-offering, along with a grain-offering; and the priest shall make atonement before the Lord on behalf of the one being cleansed. ³²This is the ritual for one who has a leprous^* disease, who cannot afford the offerings for his cleansing.”

 

What I would like to read into today’s story is the following.  The nine lepers who went to the temple in Jerusalem were doing exactly what the Law of Moses told them to do.  Of course they were thankful, and did what the Law prescribed.

 

Whenever Jesus seems to run afoul of the Jewish leaders it is because they are trying to enforce the Law and he is ignoring it!  His laws are fairly simple, “Love God and Love your neighbor”.  Too often we have been raised to “follow the rules”.  As I have said recently, we have become slaves to the rules.  Vatican II has invited us to act responsibly and be accountable for our own actions.  Too often people need the security of “following the rules”.  I came across the following story from Margaret Silf in the current issue of the magazine “America”.

                                                                                                                     

 

A bewildered traveler was once walking in a strange country. Feeling fearful, without map or compass, he came to the junction of three trails. There was no signpost to indicate where any of them might lead. As he sat on a rock, contemplating the problem, a young boy came by and wished him a bright “Good Morning!” The traveler replied, “And a very good morning to you, son. Can you help me, please? I’m not from these parts, and I’m lost. Where does that trail over there lead?” “Sorry, sir, I don’t know” said the boy.    “Well, what about that second trail there?”  “Sorry, sir,” replied the boy, “I don’t know.” By now the traveler was getting impatient. “O.K., where does this third trail go?”  “Sorry sir, I don’t know,” came the cheerful reply.  Now seriously frustrated, the traveler snapped back, “For goodness sake, boy, what do you know?”  “I know I’m not lost, sir,” came the confident rejoinder, as the boy went on his way. 

                                                                                                                                

 

It is that ability to be comfortable with not knowing, with being able to be your own person, make your own decisions after reflection that come to me as the point in the story today.  The Samaritan leper was not bound by the urgency to get to his priest to be declared clean, but decided to go back to Jesus to say thank you.  He would then still need to go the temple at Mount Gerizim.  It was his ability to act for himself and not be determined by the rules, which saved him.

                                                                                                                 

 

 

St Ambrose, the third century theologian uses a very simple analogy which I think might have value for us today in the rather turbulent times we live in.  He says we need to look at the little fish in the big ocean and try to be like that.  The fish has learned to swim in calm waters and when the sea is raging.  Neither sea bothers the fish, it is happy in its environment.  Most of us would rather the sea be calm, but it isn’t right now, not on any front.  All the rules are being challenged, all our solid truths are being questioned and it feels like the traveler at the intersection of three roads. 

                                                                                                                   

Remember the lovely story of the apostles in the boat during the stormy sea.  Why were you afraid, did you not know I am with you! 

This is the message I get from today’s simple story.

 

 

Readings:   Wisdom 12, 13-19; Psalm 86, Lord, You are good and forgiving; Romans 8, 26-27; Matthew 13, 24-43

Wisdom:

• Author: not Solomon, but an unknown Jew from Alexandria
• Original Language: Greek
• Time: 1-2 centuries B.C.
• Message: Yahweh rewards those faithful to him.
• Means: Greek Philosophy common in Alexandria (Platonism & Stoicism) and Jewish traditional  teachings (wisdom of Solomon).
• Uniqueness: one of the ca. 11 deutero-canonical books (not originally part of the Jewish bible).
• Today's reading from chapter 12 emphasizes a God who cares for all, is merciful, and kind, perhaps as a balance to the parable of the wheat & weeds in Matthew

 

How We Help Each Other Along the Way

    Last Friday morning Rosemary & I, Gilberto & Bernadette were riding around White Rock Lake.  It was about 7:00.  We had started at Royal Lane and had passed through the marvelously dense forest along the White Rock Creek Trail.  We had crossed Mockingbird & Northwest Hwy, and were going around the stunningly beautiful lake in a clockwise direction.  We had split up, each going at their comfortable speed until we meet up at the boat house on the south end of the lake near the dam, the half way point.

     
 

    I’m ahead and see a lady on the left side of the road with her bike down.  I ask if she needs help, hoping, I confess, that she will say no.  She says yes.  Ugh, oh.  So I slow down, turn around, and get off next to her.  Shortly after that Gilberto rides up.

     She says her rear tire is real low, she has an air pump, but she has never used it, and cannot get it to work.  The problem was she had her pump set for one type of inner tube valve and she had the other.   For bikers, she had a schraeder valve, and her pump was set for presta, the skinny tire..

     So we showed her the problem, helped her pump up her tire, and she took off with a hundred thank you’s.  

 

     Meanwhile, my phone is ringing non-stop.  I usually do not answer when riding.  An 18 year old riding with us once fell down when he answered a call from his mom.  

     On the phone is Rosemary.  You guessed it, she has a front flat.  She is behind us at the Bath House.  So I return and we start a pump and run strategy to help her get back to a good pick up point, which turned out to be the Dart station on Northwest. Hwy.  

 

     Twice as we return we encounter the lady.  The first time she even says to Rosemary, “You are a lucky lady!”   Yahoo!   The second time she is taking a break at the same place Rosemary has stopped to pump up her tire again.  

     After Rosemary departed on her run, she says again how grateful she is and she adds, “I really learned something special about myself this morning.  I normally hate to ask for help and when I did it today it was okay.  From now on I will always ask others on the side of the road if they need help.  But I will also let myself ask for help.” 

     We have here a metaphor for community, folks.  We are not alone.  We help and accept help.  It is how I would like to handle the three parables, one of which could scare you.  Actually, it was intended by Matthew to scare his young Christian community, because he thought some members were not always doing good. 

     I see two community symbols in what happened on the shore of White Rock Lake. First, what we did.  Secondly, what took place in the lady.

     The first thing, normal for community, we stopped to help someone.  Simple.  What about people who are unemployed or sick?  We help them, too.  What about fear?  You hear the parable of the wheat & weeds and immediately see yourself heading for the furnace.  

     Naturally, we all see the weeds in ourselves.  Everybody does because we all see our weeds.  In a caring community we hear that we are both, not either/or, wheat or weeds.  You might even hear that one old priest doubts that there is a furnace.  After all, it has been admitted that limbo was imaginary.  What about purgatory?  Enough with fear of me going to hell.

 

     Secondly, what happened inside the lady is symbolic.  One little community event has touched her into new sensitivity and acceptance.  Even deeper peace.  Can you see the mustard seed growing, the yeast expanding in her spirit?  

     Can you give me one way you are richer because of community and one way you make community richer for another?

 Picture 1:   Mass

 Picture 2:   Georgie with Buddy & her dad, Randolph

 Picture 3:   Zoe with her mom, Michelle

 Picture 4:   Hugh & Sydney Bivona

 Picture 5:   The Girls, Gayle, Jackie, & Mary Ellen 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who is this Mystery Presenter?  A Pilgrim, a religious, a stranger?  Maybe all?  No!   Cathy in period dress, nothing less than the Best, tells the story of the Mayflower on which she had some ancestors, both a 'stranger' & a 'religious.'    Thanks, Cathy, for an excellent & fun presentation.

 

 

Readings:  

 1 Kings 17, 10-16,  The jar of flour shall not go empty

Psalm 146,  Praise the Lord, my soul.

 Hebrews 7, 23-28,  Once for all he has now appeared

 Mark 12, 38-44,  This poor widow put in more than all the others.

 

 

 

While Buddy reads The Blessing of The Candles, Harper lights the candles.  Good work, both of you, Harper & Buddy.  And thanks, Georgie, for helping Buddy to read.

 

 

Kings:

     Author & date of composition: the work is a compilation of numerous sources put together near the end of the Babylonian Captivity, ca. 555.

    Subject Matter: 1 Kings is part of a 4 book work that includes 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings.  The 3 kings are Saul, David, and his son, Solomon.

 The work begins with Samuel, the last great judge, continues through the lives of the 3 kings, and finally shows how Solomon’s sons’ squabbles led to the division of the Jewish nation into two states, north & south, Israel & Judah.  Both states were defeated and the people of both were taken into captivity as slaves. 

The people of Israel never returned from Syria.  The people of Judah taken into the Babylonian Captivity maintained their tribal identify and came back to Jerusalem, which had been wrecked.   The Babylonian Captivity ended on a high note when Cyrus of Persia defeats Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon, and allows the Jews to return to Jerusalem.

    

 

 

 

John reading from 1 Kings.

 

 

The Theme: you be good, good things happen to you; you be bad, bad things happen to you.

    Our selection: 2 great prophets lived when the kingdom divided, Elijah & Elisha.  They criticized the bad ways of the sons of King Solomon.  In this selection, Elijah tells the king he is going to send a drought to the king's land.  Then Elijah goes away & meets a poor, starving widow with a son.  Watch what happens.  This is setting us up for the Widow's Mite story in the gospel.

 

 

 

 

 

 Readings: (4th Advent)

Micah 5, 1-4, He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock.

Psalm 80, Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

Hebrews 10, 5-10, My prayer, that your love may increase ever more.

Luke 1, 39-45, When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb.

 

Micah: author, date, subject, our selection–

Author: one of the minor prophets (because of length,7 chapters), Micah is considered to be the author of these words.

Date: probably around 700-690 BCE, a contemporary of Isaiah, living in Judah.  He had witnessed the destruction of the northern half of the kingdom, Israel, by the Assyrians, ca. 720 BCE.  He watched Judah pay tribute to Assyria.  He forsaw the Babylonian disaster in 590.

Subject: like all prophets, he predicts doom and destruction for Judah because of the injustice of the people, especially the rich over the poor.  Micah learned from Israel's destruction by Assyria, which he attributed to God's anger with those people. 

Then, of course, in the prophet tradition, he predicts a return to peace and prosperity after the people are purified.  He speaks to Bethlehem as if to a person and says that a new ruler will come from the town and the good ruler will shepherd the people.  Why Bethlehem?  Because David was born there and the new David was supposed to come from the same royal village. 

Asked what God wants of us (like penance, sacrifices of animals, goods, even children), Micah states one of the great lines in scripture: "What God requires of us is: 1. act justly, 2. love tenderly, and 3. walk humbly with our God." (6, 8)  You people do that. 

Our Selection: God promises a good ruler will be born in Bethlehem, the place where King David was born, a royal village.

Sources: Good News Bible, John Shelby Spong, Wikipedia

 

A Christmas Story

This morning I want to tell you a Christmas story.  It took place in Tanzania the Christmas of my sixth, seventh, or eighth year living in the country.

First it is good to mention that Tanzania does not celebrate Christmas like we do here.  First of all, it is summer, being just south of the equator.  So, warm.   Moreover, people do not decorate with lights like we do here.  It is not the custom, nor do folks have the money.

I was usually pretty homesick at Christmas.  So this year I decided I would throw a Christmas day party American style, especially with a turkey. 

To get the turkey I had to not only go beyond the little town of Moshi, where the Jesuits had a house and where I was based.  I, in fact, had to travel to Nairobi, Kenya, the country immediately to the north. 

Despite the fact that most of the time I was away from Moshi on the road giving seminars and retreats, I still knew some people from the times I was in town.  So I invited a number of families. 

In particular, I invited the family who lived next door to us, a husband and wife with their two little girls, for whom I had a great affection.  The family was all Muslim and the father was a police chief.  It is always helpful to have a police chief as a friend in certain countries.  I assure you.

To invite the family I followed the more formal African protocol.  I invited the husband to come over to our house.  I had two rocking chairs ready in my office/bedroom.  We sat down and I offered him coffee or tea. 

Then I said, “Mohammed, I would like to invite you and your family to a special celebration of the Christian Christmas.  It will be the evening of December 25, beginning around 5:00.”  Then, I explained what was Christian Christmas.

Finally, I added, “We both know, Mohammed, that you have a problem with alcohol.  I request that you show up sober.  If you show up drunk, I will have to ask you to leave.”  Mohammed said he was grateful for the invitation for him and his family.  He would not arrive drunk and if he did I should invite him out.

Want to guess what happened?   You guessed it.

About 1:00 Christmas day Mohammed and his buddy arrived a bit early.  Yes, they were both drunk out of their minds.  We talked, I told him I was sorry, but he could not come to the party.  He, too, said he was sorry, he left, and I did not see him again that day.

Later, however, about 5:00, his wife and girls arrived with a surprise.  In the African tradition of hospitality, she had invited all her extended family and they all showed up together, about 15 of them. 

Despite all this, we had a fun American style Christmas, most of it, in fact, on the roof.  We had an Arabian style house with a flat roof.  A great place for parties and watching the sun set glow on Kilimanjaro nearby.

Why talk about this today?

First, to show you how Christmas is celebrated in other countries.

Secondly, to show just how we are so fortunate to celebrate with such fan fare and warmth.   I am grateful to be here.

What has been your best Christmas ever? 

How are you celebrating this year?

 

 

 

 

Says Emma, Hi, Folks, Welcome in.  

 

Readings:

Malachi 1, 14-2, 2, 8-10,   A great king am I, says the Lord

Psalm 131,  In you, O Lord, I have found my Peace

Thessalonians 2, 7-9, 13 ,  We were gentle with you.

Matthew 23, 1-12,  Do not be like the Pharisees.

 

 

Likewise, Zoe, says, "Good Morning, Everybody, Come in."

 

 

Observations on Malachi:

 Interesting notes, a review:

                   1.  This is the last book of the Old Testament.    

                   2.  A little book, only 4 chapters.

                   3.  Last of the 12 minor prophets ( minor because of their small content )

 

 Author: Malachi means “my messenger.”  The writer’s real name is unknown.

 

 

 

Offertory with Sydney & Hugh, Nina & Kerry.

 

 

 Date:   555 years before Christ.  This is deduced from the emphasis on the temple and the priesthood, and the word “governor” used one time.  Governors ruled after the Babylonian Exile, ca. 590-550, kings before.    

 The temple was rebuilt ca. 520 after the Israelites came back ca. 550 from the Babylonian Exile.  The Persian ruler Cyrus let them return & rebuild the old walls & temple. 

 Message:  Beware, you priests and people, because you are lax, corrupt, and cheating God of his rightful offerings.   Again, the prophet act: 1. condemn behavior, 2. promise punishment, 3. offer consolation after reform.

 

 

 

Sophia, our Candle Lighter of The Week, in action.

 

 

Today’s Message:

                   1.  Yahweh is speaking, actually to the priests, though in the official reading this reference is edited out.   

                   2.  You priests, I will curse you if you do not honor my name.

                    3.  I have made you contemptable because you don't follow my ways.  Again, note the Prophet's message: 1. condemn behavior, 2. promise punishment, 3. consolation after the conversion.

                   Sources:  Good News Bible; New Interpreter’s Study Bible; The Minor Prophets by Al Maxey (on line); & Wikipedia

 

 

 

So, Georgie, how is it being 16?   Know you are The Best.

 

Gratitude for Blessings 2017-11-04

Rosemary & I have an end of year exercise we go through, what are the Blessings of the Year.  We write them down.  It is a process of numerous days, beginning with Thanksgiving and ending only around New Years. 

So, when I told Rosemary I wanted to give a Thanksgiving homily this Sunday, she says, “Okay, but don’t get off on your Big 3.  People have heard them often enough.”  “But people forget,” I say to little avail.  So I won’t, with nothing more than their mention.  Namely, 1. My years as a Jesuit.   2. My years in East Africa.  3.  My years with Rosemary.

 

 

 

Study Hall for Tori & Zoe. 

 

The following are five 2017 gifts or blessings.

1. The Jewish Community Center.  I know only a small slice of the Community’s day, from about 5:30 to 7:00 every weekday morning, always in the spin class room or in the gym. 

The peopIe I have come to know and love are so normal and loving.  Plus they all work at keeping themselves in some kind of good shape.  I look at these good people and I think that it is my religion, Catholicism and Christianity that has caused this community to be hounded, hunted, persecuted, and killed for centuries, ever since Matthew wrote the Blood Curse, Let his blood be upon us and our children.”   Matthew 27.   I am humbled they accept me.

 

 

 

All Our Saints for All Saints.
 

 

2. Rob, Beth, Rosemary, & I rode the 20 mile Dallas Bikes rally yesterday and it was glorious. It was a blessing and reminded me of two other special summer blessings look forward to and I take part in every year, Ragbrai (ride across Iowa for a week, 500 miles) and the Matterhorn Canyon back packing trip. 

 

 

 

All Saints Prep with Karen and Denni.

 

2. A third blessing this year has been, don’t laugh, you ladies, Romeos!  I look forward to this get together with the guys all week and it is always fun. 
3. For a number of years a classmate and good friend of mine from the days we spent together at Jesuit has made a significant financial monthly donation to our community. It, together with everybody else’s generosity, enables us to help so many deserving people.
4. Finally and most obvious to me so often, the unbelievable blessing of you, our Sunday community. It is a clear sign you all must be crazy.

 

 

 

 

All Saints prep with Geri and Sandra.
 

 

What are your Blessings of The Year 2017?

 

 

 

Our Saints. 

Sunday, 12-26-10, Holy Family: Sirach 3, 2-14; Psalm 128, Blessed are Those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways; Colossians 3, 12-21; Matthew 2, 13-23.

 

Intro to readings

 We could easily believe that political correctness is a recent development, but I want to show you how it existed in the first century of the Church. 

 Our second reading today from the letter to the Colossians is a great example of “spin”.  Lets take a moment to consider the setting. 

 There are 13 letters which have Paul’s name associated with them.  Modern scripture scholarship has determined that seven are indeed written by Paul, there are three, which he definitely did not write, and there are three where there is doubt about his authorship. 

 

 Understand that when Paul wrote for instance to the Romans, he was writing to a small Christian community within Rome, something not unlike our little community here.  Society in the Roman Empire at that time was strongly patriarchal, namely it all centered on the man! Women, children and slaves were considered similar to possessions, namely they had no rights! 

 Now the extraordinary thing about Paul’s preaching was that he saw all people, by virtue of their baptism being equal, all belonging to the body of Christ.  Recall one of his familiar lines: “in Christ all are equal, there is no male or female, no slave or free”.  

 

 In the first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 7 we meet the “radicalism of Christianity”, – just as Jesus shocked the authorities by dining with sinners, Paul sees all as God’s children and equal.  So in his letter to the Corinthians he says husbands and wives are equal.  He is very careful to make sure that both have the same rights – they are equal! 

 Now take a look at the extended section of today’s second reading and we will see the spin put there by someone after Paul’s death.  In an attempt to make Christianity “fit” better into Roman society we have the phrase ‘wives be submissive to your husbands’.  Paul would have never said such a thing!  Yet he gets the blame for it today!! 

 

Feast of the Holy Family – Homily

 Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family, that of Joseph and Mary and the child Jesus, whose birth we celebrated yesterday.  I would like to reflect a little on the images we have of the Holy Family and how we are part of that family by our Baptism. 

 In the gospel we read today, this family experienced what many families today have to go through, namely living in a strange land.  Matthew doesn’t tell us how things were for them in Egypt, but at least they stayed there a few years, they were not killed.  When they returned, it was to settle in a different region, to Nazareth.

 

 Thanks to a global economy, unlawful governments, wars, or the plague of drugs, many people today are forced to move, either within their own country or to foreign lands.  They come as strangers into our midst.  But we don’t have to be from somewhere else to feel like a stranger.  Sometimes due to misunderstandings, or fear or hurts we can just as easily feel like a stranger in our own family.

 The Feast of the Holy Family gives us time to reflect on our actions.  By our baptism we are part of that Holy Family.  Jesus is our brother. 

 The challenge, which the gospel puts before us today as Christians, is how well do we welcome our brothers and sisters.  Remember the words of Jesus, when I was hungry, or lonely or sick, you did it to me.  Out of fear we too quickly can build walls to keep others out, either out of our country, or out of our lives.

 

 At St Vines, we do reach out.  Over the past year we certainly have helped the sick, through our participation both by volunteering and financial aid to the CCAC.  We have served meals at Thanksgiving; we have helped build the houses with Habitat for Humanity, given toys to kids who might otherwise not have them, and food to the Food Pantry.  These are great things and we need to continue to do them.  But we can too easily miss opportunities to tear down walls within our own family.

 As we begin a New Year, a time when we make all kinds of resolutions to do better, lets not forget to see how we may become more conscious of the Family of God and those who are lonely, from another place, struggling. 

Picture 1:    Jack

Picture 2:    Ryan with cookie

Picture 3:    The Reads, Teresa, Taylor, Doug, & Zack

Picture 4:    Emma, one of the 5 Bambini

 Picture 5:    Santa arrives

Picture 6:    All the Good Kids awaiting Santa