21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 25, 2024

Readings:

Acts of the Apostles  8, 5-8, 14-17, There was gret joy in that city.

Psalm 66,  Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

1 Peter 3, 15-18, It is better to suffer for doing good, thank doing evil.

 John 14, 15-21,  If you love me you will keep my commandments.. 

 

 

 

Good Morning, Harper, and thanks for welcoming us all back.

 

Unconditional Love ?  Certainly !

Did you catch that Psalm 66 ?  Can you believe?!

Let all the earth cry out to God with joy!

Shout joyfully to God…, sing praise to the glory of his name,… proclaim his glorious praise.  Say to God, “How tremendous are your deeds!

I dream of Matterhorn Canyon, Yosemite, whenever I read or hear that last line.

 

 

She's back, Everybody, Sabrina, one of our most special people since she was a little girl.  Congratulations on graduation and double congratulations on the double magna cum laude.  Congratulations, also, to you two, John and Alison.

 

And while we are congratulating graduates, congratulations to Karen Anderlick on her graduation and especially with the summa cum laude.

 

This is a counter weight to the first line of John’s reading, If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

I want to talk about how I went from being a fear based Catholic, Christian, human being, to living without fear. 

It all started in my first two years as a Jesuit novice in Grand Coteau, 1958-1960, 60 years ago next year.   It is the novice master’s fault. 

 

 

 

Congratulations to you, too, Shonda, on the Air Force uniform.  All these years we have known  each other and this is the first time I see your uniform.  You look Quite Striking!

 

Tony Mangiaracina was the novice master, about 5’1”, ramrod straight, did not walk, but marched in his cassock.  He could look very rigid and uninviting.  But underneath the rigid exterior, which was mostly what we saw for months, was a softy, all heart.  How many times we saw him in tears at special events.  Christmas carols always got him.

In those days we, too, lived a really Spartan life, silence except for three nights a week when we could talk at dinner, Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.  These three days were also recreation days, like for touch football or handball games.  Other days we worked inside the building or on the farm, we studied, and we had periods of prayer.  A very monastic life.

 

 

The Best Music, Shonda, Bethany, and David.
 

 

My awakening took place one afternoon when I went to get permission from the master to drink water.  Yes, we had to get permission to drink water at the beginning of each month.   We were told this was to teach us obedience even in the smallest things. 

Now it so happened that around this time an edict came out from Jesuit headquarters in Rome that smoking was prohibited for all Jesuits.  This was no burden for us 50 or so novices because we could not smoke anyway. 

But, guess who did smoke.  Yes, Tony Mangiaracina.

 

The Best Teammates, Georgie and Buddy.

 

On this particular day I went in to Tony’s office, I must have gotten my permission to drink and then chatted a few extra moments.   He had two large windows behind his desk, which faced me and the door I entered.  Suddenly I see against the light and even smell, guess what, smoke coming out of his right hand desk drawer. 

I never said a thing, but I was amused and touched.  Tony had put his cigarette into the drawer when I knocked to come in. 

At that moment I began to let loose of the fear that I was a sure bet for hell.   Like, here was my saintly novice master breaking a commandment that came all the way from Jesuit headquarters in Rome. 

 

 

Buddies, Cody & Ben, Paul & Carrie.

 

15 or so years later when I returned to Grand Coteau to establish a spiritual center, Tony was one of my team members.  And guess what. He still smoked.  The ban had been lifted a year or so after Vat. II.

I am grateful today to Tony and his human nature.  I figured bit by bit that if Tony was still going to heaven after being disobedient, I had a  chance, too.  I began to see that God’s love was not conditional, but unconditional. 

So, where are you going, Heaven?

 

More Buddies, Zoe & Harper

Sirach 50:  May he grant you joy of heart and may peace abide among you.

1 Corinthians 1: God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Luke 17:  And one of them,  realizing he had been healed, returned glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.  He was a Samaritan.

 

John Cade and John Stack starting Mass

 

Thanks…     

Music,   Ben 

Readers,  Carrie & Paul

Homily,   John Stack

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Richard

Final Blessing, Rosemary

                                      

Carrie reading from Sirach

         

 

Christmas Collections:

We will be collecting sweatshirts and hoodies for Soul's Harbor  on Sunday, December 10, 2023.

We will also have an Angel Tree.  More details to follow.

 

 

Remember these special people:

For the family of Ron Senter;   For Meredith  whose cancer has come back;  For Tom Good;  For Tom  Quinn who had back surgery on November 21st; For Lambrini, John Cade's wife, who is dealing with cancer ;  For Allen Stryker;   For Mike and Judy Carrell ; For Madeleine, Richard Eshelbrenner's granddaughter;  For Hue; For Jackie;  For John's sister, Kathey recovering from a fall;   For Tom Good;   For Mary Hall's friend Cadence still suffering from a serious medical condition;   For Sir Charlie;  For Ron ;  For Teresa Quinn's niece, Maddie who has a brain tumor;

                                                                                                 

 

Jackie's sister, & friend, Lynn;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg.;   For Jean & Cliff Wright;  For Dee, and for her daughters, Lisa & Lauren;  For a young man who is suffering from depression;  John Cade's daughter, Joey, with cancer; from Barbara, a little baby boy named Ford recuperating from an operation & the families of Annie and Michael ;    for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

 

 

 

Paul reading from Paul's Letter to the Corinthians

                                          

Birthdays:   Cody Mashburn 11/19, Ron Ackerman 11/22, John Cade 11/25

Anniversaries:  John Cade – stop smoking

                 

Community Finances:   

Expenses: $  3,455.64

Outreach: $  

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

                                        John Cade gets a cupcake for his birthday

Rosemary's Blessing:

 

Let us walk softly on the earth

With all living beings, great and small,

Remembering as we go,

That one God, kind and wise, created all.

 

Author Unknown

Sent to me by Sandra Pratt

 

 

 

 

John reading from Acts of the Apostles

 

 

Thanks to these special people:

•    For  the Readings:   John & Hue
•    For The Team:    Buddy  & Georgie
•    For the Communion Bread:   Alison
•    For the Special Communion Cups:  Jan
•    For the Pictures:   Rick  &  Becky  &  Beth   
•    For the coffee and extras: Tom & Becky & Jackie
•    For the altar & sound:  Jackie & Hue
•    For the Music:     Ben  & Shonda
•    For all who helped with Communion

 

 

 

 

Hue reading from 1 John

 

 

Birthdays:   Claire (Tuesday), Darbianna (22, Tuesday)

 

Anniversary:

 

John & Connie Doherty

 

 

 

 

Rosemary reading her Blessing of The Week.

 

 

Remember these special people

For Beth & John O'Donnell & Mary Ellen;   For Carol's recuperation;   For Dee and her daughter, Lisa; For John Schanot's continued recuperation;   For a young man who is suffering from depression;  For Cliff & Jean, plus Jean's brother Terry;   For Rosemary's niece, Beth and her partner, Sarah with cancer;   For Laura's sister Claudia;   For Dawn;    For Anthony & Sabrina;   For John & Jean's son John Louis;   For our good friend Kay in Ontario;   For Rose's daughter in law Jamie; For a  young father of two & married, Paul Day, struggling with a heart problem.

 

 

 

 

Thanks, Sophia, for lighting our candles this morning.

 

For Rosemary's sister, Patty and her husband, Lou;   For Mary Jane Stevenson's son Philip, 34, sick & don't know why;   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 Frank’s brother with advanced Parkinsons;      For Steve Barrett, Rose, & Katie;

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday, Claire.

 

 

Dick Thompson's daughter, Teri Jill, and Judy's aging parents;  Barb & Warren's grandbabies, Leighton Elizabeth and Warren Phillip and Ethan Michel, & their friend Chris, plus Barb's  Annie & Kaitlen; Tom and Teresa Quinn's niece, Chawna, with cancer, their granddaughter, Mikayla;   plus Neva Flynn, Angel, and Diane Kreeitzer;   Connie Doherty's mom and her sister, plus Kevin's cousin, Peter; 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.

 

 

 

 

Remember, Ray, that cupcake is for Hammond.  Do you think it will arrive at the Hammond household, Everybody?

 

 

Your Finances, April 15, 2018

Expenses:    $700.00

Outreach:    $265.00

Thanks for your Generosity, Everybody.

 

 

 

 

Brent, it is an honor to be able to donate to your Souls Harbor $2000 every month.

 

Have a Great Week, J.S.

(214-783-0443)

 

 

 

Lo and Behold, what do we have hiding here?  Two little mice?

 

 

NOTE:  There will be no Sunday blogs for the next 2 Sundays.  The editors will be in France.

 

 

 

 

 

Special Community Blessing for Barbara & her health.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

"Welcome back next week, Everybody," says Emma.

Zephaniah 3,   Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!  Sing joyfully, O Israel!

Isaiah 12,  Cry out with joy and gladness;

Philippians 4,   …Rejoice in the Lord always.

Luke 3,   I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming.

 

 

Thanks……

Music,    Ben 

Readers,    Mike & Geri, & Buddy, our candle blesser 

Gospel,     John Cade

Homily,  John Cade

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,      Hue, Richard & Mike 

Final Blessing, Rosemary

Norwegian Fiord

 

Readings:  Download 12-12-21 – Readings – Advent 3

Homily:  Download 12-12-21 – Homily – Advent 3

 

Gdansk

 

Remember these special people:

For John Stack having a hard time right now with a bad back;  For Laura Chollick;  For Sandra who has been diagnosed with Large B Cell Lymphoma;   For Rosemary's great niece, Rylie;  For Richard's grand daughter, Madeleine;   For Esparza's new great grandson  & Frank;  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,   For Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody &  Leo & all of Shonda's dear family; For Ursuline Sr. Mary Troy,

 

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 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, with cancer; from Barbara, a little baby boy named Ford recuperating from an operation & a nephew; for David McKeon's brother, Hugh; For Beth's friends & brother;   for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

 

Sunset in the Baltics

 

 

 

Birthdays:  Loretta Williams 12/12,  Tom Good 12/14,  Allen Stryker 12/17, Ben Porter 12/18

Anniversaries:  

                                                        

Dubrovnik

 

Community Finances,   

Expenses: $  430.00

Outreach: $  325.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

Rosemary's Blessing:  

May an abundance of gratitude burst forth in our minds and hearts as we remember all the blessings in our life

May we slow our hurried pace these days so we can be aware of, and enjoy, what we can too easily take for granted

May we always be open, willing and ready to share our blessings with others and never forget the God who loves us lavishly and unconditionally

And  may we remember that our thanksgiving is incomplete until we pay it forward by doing for others what they cannot do for themselves

Amen.

 

From a prayer by Sr. Jean Amore CSJ,  Sacred Heart Academy,  Hempstead, N.Y.

 

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:                          

1 Kings   19,  16, 19-21,  Please, let me kiss my father & mother goodbye.

Psalm 16,  You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Galatians 5, 1, 13-18,     You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Luke 9, 51-62,  I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family.

 

 

 

Says Donna, "Welcome in, Everybody."

 

Introduction

[first reading] In our reading from 1 Kings, Elisha realizes that he has received a call from God to first be Elijah’s servant, then his successor.

[second reading] The gospel sets us free from the Law! For the whole Law is fulfilled by these words of Christ, ‘Love one another as I have loved you.’  We are led by the Spirit to be love, and this love is active in works.

 

 

Mabel and Marlene also say, "Hi, Folks, Come on in."

 

Homily by Mike:

How do we become the Lord’s disciples? Discipleship is a choice, through grace, to be led by the Holy Spirit to live the gospel by treating others with goodness and justice, with tenderness and compassion.  ‘For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying to self that we are born to eternal live!’ 

 

 

 

Cole, our Candle Lighter, at work.

 

As Jesus walked along the road to Jerusalem with his aspiring disciples in today’s gospel, others joined to walk along with him.  And a man said to Jesus, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus turned to him, ‘Foxes have holes, birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no where to lay his head.’  The journey to Jerusalem is the structural backbone of the Gospel for it is there that Jesus literally dies to himself for humankind.   He is telling this man that if he wants to follow him he must die to self.   Everyone’s Jerusalem is different; but the journey is the same. The inspired writers tell Jesus’ aspiring disciples to return to Galilee, in the written gospel. It is there that the Holy Spirit will lead them, and us, to their Jerusalem.

 

 

Happy Birthday, Alison.

 

Jesus said to another man who had begun to walk along beside him, ‘Follow me!’  The man replied, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ Obviously he wouldn’t have been walking along with Jesus that day if his father had just died.  The man’s answer to Jesus was that he wasn’t going to make a decision until he received his  inheritance when his father died. So Jesus said to him. ‘Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead, but you I have asked to be spiritually alive, to proclaim by word and deed the kingdom of heaven.

 

 

Offertory, John & Alison, Carrie & Paul.  Thanks.

 

Still another said to Jesus, ‘I will follow you Lord, but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.  Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit to serve in the kingdom of God.’   Those who are looking back over their shoulder literally do not know where they are going; they are likely to fall.  Jesus is saying to him, ‘put the past behind; look forward, follow me.’ 

 

 

Special Good Wishes to you, John, on the big Wednesday Operation.

 

 

This past Sunday my younger brother and I were visiting our older brother in Florida.  I took a short walk that afternoon to a park not far from his house.  There, on Father’s Day, I began to enjoy watching a woman and her twenty-something son celebrating a picnic lunch together.  Later, after joining them, I learned that her husband, the young man’s father, had recently passed unexpectedly.  It had been difficult for them, but members of their church community had supported them with help and encouragement.  She had gone back to work, was making good friends, and he had returned to college.  Each of us has a cross to bear on our journey in the kingdom of heaven; but, we are called to assist one another, to press forward, our burden light.

 

 

Mike sharing his thoughts on today's readings.