Readings:
Acts 7, 55-60, They threw Stephen out of the city, and began to stone him.
Psalm 97, The Lord is king, the most high over all the earth
Revelation 22, 12-14, 16-17, 20, I, John, heard a voice.
John 17, 20-26, I pray that they all may be one.
Sorry no homily today.
Readings:
Genesis 2, 7-9; 3, 1-7, Eating the apple.
Psalm 51, Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned
Romans 5, 12-19 Then everyone will receive praise from God.
Matthew 4, 1-11, Temptation in the desert.
Say Ben & Cody, "Welcome in, everybody."
Introduction: In the creation story from Genesis, the serpent deceives Eve; and Adam brings sin into the world. In our gospel reading, Satan is also a deceiver. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, ‘We are all made righteous through Jesus Christ.
Let the celebration begin.
Homily:
Here is a Greek definition for the word ‘tempter.’ In Greek, it is dee-ah-bah-lahs. The tempter is diabolic, wicked. In today’s gospel reading it is the world that is arrogant and wicked. It wants from Jesus Christ, the Son of God, a miracle or two, or three. The world receives Jesus’ answer. ‘I am not of the world. I bring to you the Father’s love; for he has sent me to redeem the world.’
Cole, our Candle Lighter of The Week.
The Lord doesn’t have miracles on his agenda, for a faith based on miracles is no faith at all! I propose to you that the Scribes and Pharisees are the devil in this reading. They are the ones who say to Jesus, ‘give us a miracle, so that we might believe in you.’
Mike, our Homilist of The Week.
Recall that it is the diabolic Pharisees and Scribes who want to trap Jesus by bringing to him, while he was teaching at the entrance of the temple, a woman caught in the act of adultery. ‘Moses said that we should stone her; what do you say.’
The Team.
The spirit that flows forth from the legalistic way the Pharisees and Scribes teach and live the Law ignore love. Their spirit is unclean. They are the hypocrites that put fear in the minds of others, instead of love. They can be likened to a circus hustler, ‘Come see Jesus feed, with a loaf of bread and a few fish, the overflowing crowd in the Big Tent.’
Leo and Genevieve, that little girl is crazy about her big brother.
Their ignorance misleads the crowd, for the bread and fish of the Gospel are the Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of Eucharist. There is no miracle here, only love.
When Jesus spiritually heals the sick and unclean in the Gospel; these are not miracles. Those who come to him desire to be forgiven; they are seeking to change their lives by welcoming and living his life-giving words.
Could it get any better than this? Zoe & Harper.
God’s plan for us is not easy, therefore, ‘in everything we are to give thanks,’ Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ is alive to us, in good times and bad. When we pray together each Sunday for our brothers and sisters who are physically sick or ill, we are praying for their care givers, their doctors, their nurses, their children, their parents, their friends.
The Offertory Team, Ron, Ray, Bill, Bernadette, and Barbara.
We pray that they all become stronger in faith. The physical illnesses experienced by those dear to us are so much easier to accept knowing that the Lord journeys with us and in us and through us as the Body of Christ in the world. We give thanks to Fr. John for keeping them in our hearts each week.’
Play station with Victoria and Zoe.
Readings:
Exodus 32, 7-11, 13-14, I see how stiff necked this people is.
Psalm 51, I will rise and go to my father.
1 Timothy 1, 11-17, I am grateful to him who has strengthened me.
Luke 15, 1-32, The Prodigal Son (The Best).
Exodus observations :
What : a story, a long parable. It has 2 parts, the exodus or exit from Egypt
and the years wandering in the desert.
Who: the work is all about Moses, but he
did not compose it. Rather, it was put
together by a committee during the Babylonian Captivity, 555 before Christ.
Subject: it appears that the purpose of the
work was to encourage the people during the Babylonian Captivity. It is not history and borrows stories from
other cultures. For instance, the
parting of the Red Sea comes from a Mesopotamian creation myth and the 10
Commandments resemble the Code of Hammurabi.
Our Subject: The people have been bad, God is
mad at them, and Moses defends the people.
Sources: Good News Bible,
The New Interpreter’s Study Bible, Wikipedia
The Prodigal Son: A Work of Art
This story is my favorite parable of the whole Bible. Note one thing: this is story, not
history. The author carefully crafts
his work of art to show how much God loves us unconditionally. Let me give you three observations about the
son, three about the father, and an extra three to show you how astounding this
story is.
First, the younger son:
1. He has no right to ask for inheritance. None.
By asking he is saying he wishes the father and the older son dead. A symbolic murder. Father can kill him for this.
2. He works feeding pigs instead of asking for
help from the temple. This means he
rejects the religious tradition and is considered a traitor not only to the
family, but to the religion.
3. So, as a horrible failure as a son of the
family and a son of the religious tradition, he decides to return. He makes up his little speech and heads
home. He is hungry to the point of
dying. Do this or die. Many listening Jews would say, Die.
The Father: he actually commits as many crimes and sins as
the son.
1.
He runs down the road to
the son when he sees him coming. A very
undignified action. Outrageous. People who emphasize conditional love point
out that the son at least came back.
Despite this point, all the other elements of the parable point to a
father with unconditional love.
2. He embraced and kissed the son. Huge violation of Jewish religious custom and
law. By doing this the father positions
himself outside of the religious & cultural community. He is a reject like the son.
3. He cuts the son’s speech off before he can finish, eliminating the last sentence, “treat me as you would one of your
hired workers.” And to make it worse, he
orders the servants to bring the finest robe, ring, and sandals.
The robe, the ring, and the sandals:
1. The robe: restores the son’s dignity.
2. The ring: gives authority to the son, even
equal to the father and certainly more than before he left.
3. The sandals: gives the son freedom. Slaves were not given sandals so they would
not run away. The father is doubling the
message he gave when he cut the son’s speech off before he could say the third
part about being treated as a servant.
A word about the older son, because we so often identify
with him. Two additional and final
points.
1. That he tells his father how he feels. Great.
In those days, it meant the father can kill him. Today: communication.
2. What is his challenge: acceptance of his
brother, his father, and himself; focus on gratitude for all he has; move from
trying to be a good boy to loving? Any
one of these? Or all? All.
I apologize for so much data. There is even more. The point is that the story is a carefully
crafted literary work of art that attempts to describe how totally unconditionally
loving our God is.
How does this image of God reflect your image of God?
Source: The
Liberating Stories of Jesus, Francis Vanderwall (Dallas’ Open Window will
present Francis Saturday, September 28, for an all day seminar. Welcome.
More info below. Sunday he will
be with us at Vines. He is an ex-Jesuit
and one of my best old Jesuit buddies.)
Download Fall 2013 Conference 9-20-13
Readings:
Wisdom 9, 13-18, Who can know God’s counsel?
Psalm 90, In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Philemon 1, 9-10, 12-17, If you regard me as a partner, welcome Onesimus as you would me.
Luke 14, 25-33, If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, he cannot be my disciple. (Another awful Luke message. A good one maybe for teens. Wait for next week, a really good one.)
Harper says, "Hi, Everybody, Welcome in."
Observations on the book of Wisdom:
What: Exploration of the meaning and value of wisdom. The author is the first to express a hope for immortality, a Greek concept.
Who: A Greek Jew who wrote probably in Alexandria, Egypt.
Kevin, too, says, "Hi, Folks, Welcome."
Hate my Father and Mother?
I remember one Saturday morning in the summer of 1960. I was 20 years old and in my second year as a Jesuit intern-novice. I was also in a pirogue floating down the Calcasieu River in SW LA with one of my best fellow Jesuit novice buddies, Jerry McCaffery from New Orleans.
Every summer for the 4 years I spent at Grand Coteau we Jesuit interns got to spend 2 weeks at a river camp near the village of Kinder. For me it was paradise, swimming, boating, living in the two story screened in pavilion, beds on the second floor, dining room and activities on the first. We were about 50 plus guys.
Offertory with Bernadette, Richard, and Gil.
As Jerry & I floated down the river that Saturday morning, Jerry told me that at that very moment in New Orleans his brother was getting married. He could not go. That was policy.
We were instructed that when we entered the Jesuits we entered a new family and left behind our former family. So we never went back home, for anything, weddings, funerals, Christmas, Thanksgiving. The idea was that we were becoming companions of Jesus in a family devoted to that goal.
The Best Music Team, Shonda, Bethany, and Ray.
This was how the Jesuits put into practice the message today about hating one’s father and mother. We were not instructed to hate, just refocus our allegiance. Today I am embarrassed to admit that I bought this message. The Jesuit training has certainly mellowed since Vatican II. However, there are still rigid groups & religious orders that take this literally.
I would propose that this story exemplifies the negative approach to these ideas. Is there a positive? I would say ‘yes,’ if you make the father and mother symbols. Symbols of things that hold me back from being truly alive, truly healthy, and truly spiritual.
Welcome back, John and Mary Jane, so good to see you with us.
Also the word hate may be taken as hyperbole or exaggeration.
Therefore, what about these symbols standing for unhealthy eating, excessive drinking, over work, being lazy, or materialism?
Certainly, if I had listened to my high school buddies, and even my mom, I confess, I would never have joined the Jesuits.
The Wedding of Lynn and Roger begins.
Likewise, I got a lot of push back about going to East Africa.
And certainly when it came to getting married, did I not get a lot of push back and even condemnation from my dear Jesuits and from the Catholic Church?
Look at the sports page on Saturday morning. What takes up many of the pages? High school boys playing football. How many of these kids had to fight back against their natural tendency to stay in bed and skip practice in the heat?
I, Roger, take you, Lynn, in marriage
So, there can be healthy ways to listen to today’s readings. No need to take ‘hate’ literally. No need to take father & mother literally.
How do you push back against those voices that encourage you to live ultimately less healthily, less spiritually, & less psychologically alive?
Unity Candle. The wedding took place Saturday at the Little Chapel in The Woods at TWU, Texas Womens' University in Denton. A delightful and hospitable venue for weddings.
Readings:
Genesis 18, 1-10, Sara will then have a son.
Psalm 15, He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
Colossians 1, 24-28, It is He whom we proclaim.
Luke 10, 38-42, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.”
Introduction
As Abraham gives, showing hospitality to the strangers in our first reading from the Book of Genesis, Abraham receives. In like manner, Paul addresses the Colossians in our second reading to show mercy, kindness and pardon to others for they are Christ in the World.
Homily
When I would go on retreats with young people wanting to celebrate the Church’s sacrament of Confirmation they would receive a booklet with songs, prayers but also some blank pages. I would say to them, ‘You will always receive the desire of your heart,’ and I would ask them what they thought this meant.
It was not unusual to get a response like this, ‘The desire of my heart is to win the lottery; but since the odds of me doing that are slim to none, I do not believe that statement is true.’ ‘Before I give you an answer,’ I would say, ‘I want all of you to write down in your booklet what you would do if you actually won a lottery… say, a 100 million dollars.’
They were to take their time and not share with others what they had written. ‘What’s in your notebook is yours and yours alone today.’ When I perceived that they had all written enough, I would say, ‘What you have just written down is the desire of your heart! Wanting to win a lottery is not a desire of your heart, rather it is a desire of the flesh. I hope that all of you shared your desire to show goodness and justice; tenderness and compassion to those less fortunate than yourselves.’
To the degree we desire to give from our heart will be the degree to which we do give and receive. Life-giving relationships are precious! To the degree that we are in relationship with one another, we are in relationship with God. Those who welcomed the stranger and visited the sick are those who inherited the kingdom of God.
Often we informally invite others over to our home; other times we have a birthday or anniversary gathering. We have family and friends over for Thanksgiving, Easter or Christmas. But sometimes we might find ourselves getting caught up in all the details, decorations, and preparations, so much so that sometimes, when we don’t even expect it, you might hear or even say, ‘I’m glad that’s over and I won’t have to do that for another year.’
When that happens our priorities weren’t in the proper order. We forgot listening to, affirming, enjoying, and making friends. It happened to Martha in our reading from Luke today. Picture Jesus saying to her softly and in private, ‘Martha, Martha, you worry about many things, Mary has chosen the better portion and it shall not be taken from her.’
It wasn’t that Mary hadn’t been helping her. She had. But when Jesus came through the door that day, Mary made him the priority of her life. It was time to begin a lasting and loving relationship.
Martha’s priorities had been which tablecloth should she use, should we
eat at the table inside or outside, should I sweep the floor again, should I
put all of the food out at once. Would Jesus recognize that the vegetables were fresh?
These things had become more important to her than Jesus’ presence. Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to his words that he wanted equally to share with Martha. We have come to sit at table with God and each other.
How have you been building relationships with one another since you entered here this morning. Take a moment to welcome someone near you
that you didn’t acknowledge and embrace when you arrived.
Readings: Wisdom 6, 12-16, Resplendent and unfading is wisdom; Psalm 63, My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord My God; 1 Thessalonians 4, 13-18, Console one another; Matthew 25, 1-13, The 10 virgins at the wedding.
The first reading (Wisdom 6:12-16) informs us that when we lovingly yearn for and seek God’s wisdom we will not be disappointed. This reading is an expectation for the good news of Jesus Christ that we will receive today.
(prior to reading the gospel)
Picture the following plausible scenario: A father and mother determined two years earlier that their first son was in need of a wife, and they have been following closely the daughters that have come of age in their extended family when they gather in Jerusalem for the feasts each year. Together they have chosen one. The father sends a warm message to the girl’s father, who he knows relatively well, and asks the price he has in mind for his daughter. They agree on one and set a date for the betrothal.
The father and his son arrive and are greeted warmly by her father. In front of the young couple, who have probably never had a conversation with each other, the fathers play their game of coming to the previously agree price—ten cows and a barrel of good wine, some of which the two fathers are now drinking.
Once the contract is signed they hand the groom a cup of wine taken specifically from the bottom of the wine the fathers have been drinking. It contains the particles that have settled…from the bitter skin of the grape. The groom takes a drink from the top of the cup and hands the cup to the young woman. She has practiced what she now does. She downs the rest of the cup as a sign that she agrees to be his wife in good times and in bitter times.
The groom now returns to prepare a place for her. Meanwhile the girl’s bridesmaids prepare her to be ready for his coming. When they hear the cry that he is coming, they go out to meet him with the bride and her belongings and are led to his father’s house.
(the gospel reading from Matthew 25:1-3)
Chapter 25 is formed from three parables. This is the first. Their purpose is to give meaning to a teaching that ends Chapter 24 where Christ is teaching that his servants that he has put over other servants have the responsibility to remain wise (righteous) by always being alert to his words. Each of the three parables gives a different facet of what this means. Since we are told again in this parable that Christ is the bridegroom. We are the bride, for which he paid a great price. His servants have the responsibility to prepare us for Christ’s coming by word and example.
The dilemma of this parable is that only the wise have taken oil for their lamps. The wisdom of the parable is that only those who are prepared for Christ’s coming have entered the wedding banquet. Very briefly, why does the Lord say that he does not know the foolish (unrighteous) bridesmaids who have arrived to the wedding banquet after the door was closed? In the third parable we are told that the Lord has divided humanity into two groups, the lambs and the goats, the foolish and the wise, those who have lived Christ’s words and those who haven’t.
The lambs (those who hear his words and follow them) are the wise who are prepared for his coming. He says to them, ‘I was hungry and thirsty, and you gave me food and drink. I was alone, sick and in prison and you came to visit me.’ And the wise will say, ‘When did we see you hungry and thirsty and fed you, or alone, sick and in prison and visited you.’ The Lord said to them, ‘Whenever you did this to the least among you, you did it to me.’
Of course he says to the foolish, ‘Whenever you did not care for the least among you, you did not care for me.’ (Symbolically: ‘You don’t know me, so how can I know you?’) The oil possessed by the wise symbolizes the presence of the Spirit that enlightens the wise, ‘to love one another as Christ loves them.’
So today, appropriately, we will be anointing the child of Erin and Payton twice during the baptism ritual with the oils of the Church praying that the Spirit always abides with her. And I now invite them to bring this child forward with Godparents and other family to stand before the community with their request.
Mike:
Erin and Payton, what name have you given to this Child? (Brooklyn)
What do you ask this community for Brooklyn? (To have her baptized)
You have asked to have your child baptized. In doing so you are accepting the responsibility to bring her up by word and example to live the perfect commandment, ‘To love one another as Christ loves us.’ Therefore, will you accept the responsibility to be one of the wise bridesmaids in today’s gospel reading. (Yes)
Likewise, (Godparents) __________ and __________, will you by word and example give witness to your faith in Christ? (Yes)
Brooklyn, the Christian community welcomes you with great joy. In its name I claim you for Christ our Lord by the sign of the cross. (+) I now trace this cross on Brooklyn’s forehead and invite the parents and Godparents to do the same.
John:
Brooklyn, we anoint you with the oil of salvation in the name of Christ our Savior, may he strengthen you with his power, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. (+ with oil on the bare chest)
(+ bless the water) We ask you Father, with your Son, to send the Holy Spirit upon this water. As you are buried with Christ in the death of baptism, rise also with him to newness of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
(address the community) Let us stand and join with the parents and Godparents in the profession of faith of the Apostles Creed on page 81 of the missal.)
Erin and Payton, is it your will that Brooklyn be baptized in the faith of the Church which we have professed with you? (yes)
(baptize the child) Brooklyn, I baptize you….
(Lead the community in applause)
Mike: Have parents and Godparents return to their seats
After the Great Amen
Mike: I want to invite the parents to bring the newly baptized Brooklyn before us before we say the Lord’s prayer together.
Brooklyn, you are now anointed with the chrism of salvation (+ crown of the head) to be priest, prophet and king.
(have a Godparent place the garment over her) You have clothed yourself in Christ. See in this white garment the sign of your Christian dignity. With family, Godparents, and friends bring that dignity unstained to everlasting life.
(have a God parent light the candle from the candle lit on the altar) Brooklyn, receive the light of Christ. Parents and Godparents, this candle is entrusted to you to keep burning brightly. See to it by word and example that she walks always as a child of the light.
John: Invite them to join hands and join with the community in the Lord’s Prayer.
Mike: Send them back to their seats during the Sign of Peace
Picture 1: Leo with his momma, Shonda, Bethany, & Ben
Picture 2: Mike offering the homily
Picture 3: Brooklyn
Picture 4: Baptism of Brooklyn
Picture 5: Baptism with Mike
Picture 6: Sienna with Brian
Readings:
Genesis 11, 1-9, The whole world spoke the same language.
Psalm 104, Lord, send out your spirit and renew the face of the earth.
Romans 8, 22-27, The spirit comes to the aid of our weakness.
Note: the Genesis and Romans readings are from the vigil Mass readings.
John 14, 15-16, 23-26 If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Genesis observations
What: First book of the Bible. It presents Adam & Eve, Cain & Abel, Noah and the flood, and the Tower of Babel, our subject today in Chapter 11.
The book also presents the Great Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (also called Israel, because he is seen as the father of the tribe) , and Jacob’s 12 sons (12 tribes of Israel), including Joseph, the beloved, youngest son, who is sold to the camel driving caravan, which takes him to Egypt. Which leads us to the book Exodus, and you know what that is
about.
Good reading. Not history. Myth.
Subject: The word Genesis means origins, and that is what it is about.
When: compiled around the end of you know what, the Babylonian Captivity, say, 555 years before Christ.
Our subject: The Tower of Babel. The story is an example of great spin. There were the languages of many tribes in those days. Someone attributes this to the sinfulness of the people. This is like the preacher who said the New Orleans hurricane was sent by God to punish the people.
A Pentecost Story
I have a Pentecost story for you this morning. I am considering Pentecost to be a time when we get hit by a new or special spirit.
This is what happened.
Last Saturday we started building the 73rd Habitat house, many of which are in the Douglas subdivision of East Plano.
We all gathered about 7:30, probably 30 or more people. It was fun to see our community team and to see other people from previous builds.
After a while I begin to know some of these people.
At one point I see an elderly lady I had known from our last build, the next door house. I remember this lady quite well. She had really bummed me off one Saturday at the last house.
I had arrived a bit late this Saturday. Most everyone was putting up and sealing siding. I had done this the Saturday before, so I was comfortable pitching in again. It was muddy because it had rained. I had on my Keene sandals. I noticed this year in the preliminary Habitat notice that they prefer strong shoes with heels and toes. My mistake.
So I see this group of about 3 working on the west side of the house. I go up and ask if they need help. This lady, who is one of the supervisors I
discovered, looks at me and kind of snorts.
My memory tells me that she proceeds to tell me that they don’t need any help, that I am late, and that I don’t even have on correct shoes.
Can you imagine that I was really steamed? So I went around to the east side of the house and worked there for the rest of the morning, avoiding that woman.
Last Saturday morning I see her. I say to myself, “Stay away from her.”
I start helping to build the exterior walls, situating studs, and hammering. Since there are an abundance of people on the exterior walls, I decide to go work on the interior walls where fewer people were working.
You guessed it. The woman is one of the mid-level supervisors of the interior wall project. Pretty soon I am aware of her standing near me watching my hammering. And she says, “Good job.” Then she asks me to help her on some special corner. When I get it just perfect, she
again compliments me and thanks me for coming out.
For the rest of the morning, I work with her, like her assistant, even redoing some of the hammering work the younger people did a little less than exactly. All the time she is most gracious and I find her spirit charming to work with.
I had one of those experiences, folks. Because of one negative experience with this lady, I wrote her out of my will. Last Saturday I had a complete new look. A Pentecost event.
I propose that these Pentecost events can happen with people, with a sunrise or sunset, a piece of music, a meal, a birthday or anniversary, a graduation, a wedding, a birth, or even a death.
What is your last Pentecost event?