Sunday Homily, June 7, 2015, Corpus Christi, B

Readings: Acts 5, 12-16; Psalm 118; Revelations 1, 9-19; John 20, 19-31

Acts of the Apostles

This book is a continuation of Luke’s Gospel. It tells the story of the spread of Christianity after Christ’s death.

Revelations

This book consists of a series of revelations that were encouraging to the early Christians who were being persecuted at the time.

A Fishing Pole

There is a saying that while it is necessary occasionally to give a person a fish to keep them from starving, even better is it to give them a pole and teach them to fish. I think I have a fishing pole story.

Christmas two ago Rosemary & I visited Karina in Cuernavaca. It is to her and her mother that we have been giving money to help them get through the year, about $200 a month. Karina is about 35 and horribly crippled because of childhood polio.

On this occasion Karina mentioned to me that if I could help her, she could set up her own little pharmacy. When her mother, Maria Luisa, is not sick with cancer, Karina works in a small Mexican pharmacy about an hour’s journey from where they live. It is a difficult process for her to walk up & down the hills to catch the bus.

I have often encouraged Karina to look into further schooling, because I sense how intelligent she is. So far it has been impossible.

Consequently, when I heard Karina’ idea, you would think that I would have jumped at the opportunity to help her become more independent. However, ever since I have worked in East Africa, I have had an automatic reaction to people who hit me up for money. It used to happen in Tanzania so much that I become immediately resistant when I hear that tone of voice.

Until I mentioned it to Rosemary, who said, Why not check out the numbers at least. So this past Christmas, a year later, Karina told us that she could rent a small place near a bus station for $50 a month and that she needed $2500 to open up her own pharmacy.

This is not you local CVS type pharmacy. In Mexico the local pharmacies have just a few tubes of toothpaste, some aspirin, and various popular needs. No prescription medicines.

Folks, I have decided I would like to help this woman. We have been giving her the equivalent of fish every Christmas. Without it who knows where they would be. Now there is an opportunity to give her a fishing rod.

I have passed this by the board for approval. For the next month, until Mother’s Day, I will put out a special little basket for Karina. I want to give her $3000, the extra $500 for her first few months’ rent. This will be separate from our Expenses and Outreach baskets. I don’t want to interfere with them. This money will be a pass it on loan. Every month or whatever we agree upon, Karina can help another person in need whom she knows.

Because you talked me into going back to taking pictures, the next time we are there, I hope to take some digital pictures of Karina’s pharmacy.

Who is the Karina in your life?

Download the homily as an mp3.

Readings:

Isaiah  42, 1-4, 6-7  I have formed you to open the eyes of the blind.

Psalm 29,  The Lord will bless his people with peace.

Acts  10, 34-38,  God shows no partiality.

Matthew 3, 13-17, After Jesus was baptised, he came up from the water.

Bailey says, "Hi, Everybody, welcome."

Isaiah reminders—

 Author: This is Isaiah #2, the composer of chapters 40-55.  Isaiah is my favorite book and Isaiah 2 I love the most.  As John Cade pointed out a while back, Isaiah 2 is used by Handel in his work, The Messiah, another of my favorites.

 Date:  Ca. 555 before Christ.  The Jewish people of Jerusalem are in the Babylonian Captivity.

Delaney, Bailey's big sister, says, "Yes, welcome to a fun community."

 Today’s Message: Hope and promise of a better time with emphasis on 1. being chosen, and 2. being chosen to bring light to the other nations, sight to the blind, and freedom to prisoners, very consoling and moving even today. 

Isaiah 2 is aiming his remarks at the Jewish tribe.  Later, after Jesus has come and died, the gospel writers applied the message to Jesus, saying God had chosen him  to do all the things the Prophet mentioned. Handel takes this approach.

Brady and Cameron ready to celebrate their 6th Birthday

Open the Eyes of the Blind?  Me?  I’m blind myself.

This morning, Folks, I would like to talk about the beautiful lines from Isaiah II, where he tells the people that they are chosen for good things.

In particular, they are chosen to give sight to the blind and freedom to prisoners.  This is what we are baptized to.

Reid and Trey say, "Guess whose 6th birthday is Thursday."

The message of this passage has motivated me as a Jesuit, as a priest, as a psychotherapist, and in my decision to go to East Africa.  I think to myself, ‘Maybe I can bring a little light and a little freedom to someone.’   Physically not so much as psychologically and spiritually. 

Trouble is, I constantly discover that I am the blind one or the one more in prison.  I can give you the most recent example. 

As the newest member of our community and a new jewel in our world, Charlotte gets a Cupcake of The Week along with Chloe, Andrew, and Claire.

Rosemary & I have returned to dancing, as some of you probably know. Every Monday night we go to the Senior Center where they specialize in dancing for old geezers.  All types of dancing, ballroom, country western, line, swing, and so on.  And can some of those geezers dance.

We have met some neat people and we have noticed some special couples.  One couple looks like they are out on their first date.  They always dance close and slowly.

Emma at the beauty parlor, "who is next?"

We saw another couple that had us curious.  The guy was a nice looking elderly guy, slender, and a good dancer.  He looked a little like Colonel Sanders, but without the beard.

With him and always with him was an attractive young girl, really young like in her late 20’s or 30’s, long black hair and slender figure.  While Rosemary & I will dance 2 or 3 dances and then sit one out, this couple never sits out and they always stay close together. 

Kiera says, "Where has this community been all my life?"

Guess what.  My curiosity and speculation level was really high with this couple.  I asked a lady we know one evening and she responds that, yes, the couple is a curiosity for everyone.  All are wondering.  This lady tells us that there is an age minimum to get in, like 50, and she is quite a bit younger than 50.  She should not be there and is only there because he brings her and dances every dance with her.

They seem quite congenial, dance well together, and pretty much keep to themselves.   Naturally, I am surmising the guy has a young, trophy bride.

Makela, Kiera's big sister, arriving full of charm.

Until I happen to ask another lady we know if she knows the couple.  And the story is.  The young girl has recently gotten divorced, is still hurting, and does not want to get married again or even date.  But likes to dance, and knows the guy from somewhere else.

He, on the other hand, is married, but his wife is not doing well health wise.  He loves to dance and they have all 3 agreed that the husband and the girl go dancing at Farmers’ Branch.  The wife totally supports it. 

How can I bring sight to the blind when I am so blind myself?  Talk about creating a whole fabric out of superficials.

To whom are you blind?   How do we get rid of this blindness.

The family, Georgie, Zoe, and Tori.

Readings: 1 Kings 19, 4-8; Psalm 34, Taste and See the Goodness of the Lord; Ephesians 4, 30-5, 2; John 6, 41-51

Kings:  a review–

Subject: The kings of Israel.  The Big 3 were Saul, David, & his son Solomon.  The Book of kings follows the Book of Samuel, which describes the lives of the the kings up to the death of David.  Kings takes up the life of Solomon, his building of the temple, his death, and the fate of the kingdom following his death, i.e., it divides and is conquered. 

Time Period: : from ca. 900 – 550 BCE, or from Solomon to Nebuchadnezzar & Cyrus of Persia (Iran).

Authors: a compilation of many sources that was put together at the end of the Babylonian Captivity, ca. 550 BCE.

Our Selection: focus is on one man, the prophet Elijah.  The kingdom has already been split.  Our story takes place in the northern state, Israel.  Time of severe drought.  The king is Ahab; his queen, the famous Jezebel.  The prophet Elijah has scolded them for turning to false gods to end the drought.

There has been a contest: Elijah vs the 450 prophets of Baal, ultimately to see which side would be more effective in bringing rain.  2 bulls were slaughtered.  Naturally, Elijah wins when Yahweh answers his prayer, sends down fire, and consumes the bull Elijah has slaughtered.  When he wins, he slaughters the 450 prophets of Baal. 

We enter at a point where Jezebel is furious with Elijah for killing her favorite prophets and aims to kill Elijah.  He is going to run away all depressed. 

We will read an expanded chapter 19, from 1-13.

Taste and See the Goodness of Life

The psalm today says to "taste and see the goodness of the Lord."  I would like to suggest that we taste and see the goodness of life.  I have a Yosemite story that exemplifies this.

The scene.  It is day 5 of our 9 day trip in the park.  We are at about 9,000 feet.  Our last campsite has been at a beautiful high altitude lake called Miller Lake.  No one else was around it but our group of 10.  It has rained every afternoon since we entered Yosemite, more rain than I have ever seen in all the years I have come to Yosemite.  

We have to descend from the lake, reach the bottom of Matterhorn Canyon, then climb up the canyon as far as we can go & still have shelter from trees.  I've told the guys in the lead to look for just the right spot to camp in overnight before we go over our third pass of the trip, the third of four, all above 10,000 feet, the first one above 11,000.  

When I arrive in the campsite the guys have chosen, it is close to the time for the rain to begin.  Everyone has set up their tent except me and one or two others.  I notice we are not in compliance with camping rules, but who am I to suggest that everyone move their tent 100 feet away from the trail and the mountain stream.  

So I set up my own tent in a wooded area with lots of vines & bushes, take a quick dip in the mountain stream to clean up, and climb into my dry tent for a brief snooze before the rain passes and we get out for dinner around 5:00.  

Just before 4:00 while the rain comes down a ranger lady arrives at the lower level of our camp.  She asks to see our permit, like happened on our second night with no problem.  This is the first time in years I see rangers again in the park.  Everyone tells her that Stack has the papers.  She arrives at my tent.  I open up she informs me there in the rain at 4:00 P.M. that we have to move our campsite.  We are too close to the trail, too close to the stream, we have built a small, illegal fire ring, and we even had a shower rigged up in a tree over the trail.  She could give us a dozen citations, even fine us, really me as the coordinator of the group.

No discussion would budge her.  Not the rain, not the hour, nothing.  She left saying she would go up canyon, then return later to see our progress.  I felt horrible.  I remember sitting in my tent thinking, "What next?"  I figured at least we could wait until 4:30 to see if the rain would stop. 

Meanwhile, on the lower level of the campsite, Rob & Ray spring into action, rain or no rain.  They head up canyon, at least we would be getting closer to the pass, and search out a campsite, across the river, which the ranger had suggested.  We had already waded 3 times the same mountain stream and each time had to put on sandals because the water was higher than our boots.  There was a little bit of resistance, with hope to find something on our side of the stream.

In the end we chose the site across the stream, everyone packed up wet rain flies, crossed the river, and set up on the broad grassy slope.  The campsite ended up being terrific when it stopped raining.

In many ways this experience could have turned our trip into a trip from hell.  As a matter of fact, looking back, there was a special beauty, a special good.  First, I did not have to initiate the change of camp.  Everyone pitched in with acceptance & without complaint.  Then we found an even more beautiful campsite which was a half mile closer to the pass than I have ever camped before.  And finally, after packing up wet the next morning, we climbed over Burro Pass and found my most favorite and the most beautiful campsite that I have ever enjoyed.  We dried out quickly and stayed here two delightful nights.

I could taste & see the goodness of life on this trip.

In your life, what are 2 places or ways you taste & see the goodness?

Picture 1:  Mass with Kevin & T.J.

Picture 2:  Alexandra & her dad, David

Picture 3:  Cara & her mom, Christine

Picture 4:  Shelby & her mom, Debbie

Readings:  Isaiah 63, 16-19 & 64, 2-7; Psalm 80; 1 Corinthians 1, 3-9; Mark 13, 33-37

Isaiah: One of the big 3 Prophets, mostly because of the size of the book.  At least 3 writers put this book together and this is number 3.

Thanksgiving History: Everyone knows about the first Thanksgiving in 1602 with the Pilgrims and the Indians eating together, the Mayflower, and Plymouth Rock.   Here are 5 facts that people do not hear about usually.

1.  When did Thanksgiving begin?  Our ancestors have celebrated end of harvest feasts of gratitude for centuries.  Lincoln first focused on a national feast; FDR established the national holiday in 1941.

2.  The pilgrims did not know they were pilgrims.  They called themselves saints, and non-saints were called strangers.  The word pilgrim came along in the 18 hundreds, 2 centuries later.  They were not even Puritans, but separatists.  They split off from the Church of England, old Henry VIII's church, and the Puritans did not split off.

3.  The Separatists did not come to establish religious freedom.  They came for religious freedom for their religion and only their religion.  The Separatists demanded everyone belong to their program.  Failure to conform could result in execution, ala inquisition.

4.  The Mayflower returned to England, was torn apart, and its beams were used ot build a barn in Buckinghamshire (just north of London & east of Oxford).

5.  How did the Indians & Separatists communicate?   The Indians were Algonquins & one of them, Squanto had actually lived in Briton some years.  He returned to his tribe and taught his friend Samoset English.  It was Samoset who communicated with the Separatists, & the Indians taught them to raise corn, to fish, and to hunt.  In the first winter half of the 100 Separatists died before the Indians taught them how to survive. 

How to Prepare for a Marvelous Christmas

For the first ten years of my life as a Jesuit and the ten years I was in East Africa I think every Christmas I was homesick.  This was true despite my efforts to make the event a lot of fun.  One year when I was in Tanzania I brought a frozen turkey down from Nairobi, Kenya, across the border into Tanzania, and threw a party Christmas day on the roof of our house, inviting friends and neighbors, many of whom were Muslim. 

Because of this and because we are just beginning the season of Advent, the season of preparation for Christmas, I would like to review some ways to prepare ourselves for a marvelous Christmas.  I have 5 observations.

1.  First, beware of fear and depression.  You read Mark's story about the man traveling abroad and you get spooked into thinking God is going to grab me when I'm not looking.  Nonsense.

Depression seems to surface more during the Christmas season, because of at least one reason.  Expectations.  We expect more out of the Christmas season, peace, love, warm relationships, gifts.  When the reality comes in below the expectation I have, I get disappointed and maybe depressed.  Memories of disappointing Christmases past can also depress me. 

2.  Unlike Mark's warning about sleeping, I would propose that we need more rest at this darker time of the year.  Our ancestors used to sleep when it went dark.  Today we force ourselves to stay awake and lights keep us awake.  Doctors are saying we need more sleep in the dark days of winter and are recommending, get this, 9 hours.  Maybe try an extra hour.  How about a nap?

3.  Along with more sleep, exercise.  My internist tells me that he wants me to exercise every day.  I do.  Walk through the neighborhood.  Ride a bike.  Along the way look at the colors of the red oaks and Bradford Pear trees. 

4.  Have you got anything special you do every year for Christmas, during Advent?  Something to get you into a Christmas spirit?  If not, what about finding something?  Two things I have got to do every year: take in a performance of Handel's Messiah and take in the Dallas Symphony Christmas concert.  I may get in an extra one or two of these, but I find this so touches my spirit.

I know a few families who tour Christmas lights.  Here in Plano is Deerfield.  Among the best is Highland Park, Beverly Drive and Armstrong Parkway, both east and west of Preston.   In Deerfield, you may walk around.  In Highland Park there are horse drawn carriages. 

5.  Finally, in line with Mark's gospel, watch, watch for the daily miracles and blessings.  Review your year for the biggest blessings, like I mentioned before Thanksgiving.  Write a blessing on one of the pieces of paper by the blessing tree.  I will include one or two in each Sunday's blog.  Your blessing will be a gift to someone who cannot get here to Vines for Mass and has to pick up our celebration via the blog.

I thank God each year now that I am no longer homesick at Christmas.  I am home.

How are you putting together a Marvelous Christmas?

Picture 1.  17 years old, Renee Bresson, plus T.J. & Lorynne & Lacee serving

Picture 2.  Barb & Ron, Diane, Mary & Frank, Anniversaries & Birthdays

Picture 3.  45th Anniversary: Mary & Frank Esparza

AUDIO:  http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2008-11-30.mp3

  Blessings under the Tree:

1.  My biggest blessing of the year was my mom's recovery & being able able to be there for her.

2.  One of my blessings is to turn 70 years of age and have my mother call at 8 A.M. and sing Happy Birthday to me.

3.  A special blessing is my daughter.  She has adjusted to college life so well, emotionally, physically, adademically, and much more.

Readings: Hosea, 6, 3-6; Psalm 50; Romans 4, 18-25; Matthew 9,9-13; plus a good Alleluia verse, Luke 4, 18, about which I would like to speak.

Hosea: as with most of the prophets, Hosea is disturbed by the infidelity & behavior of the Hebrews.  He tells them how bad they are and warns them that their bad ways will have consequences.  Yahweh will punish them.  He lives about 700 years B.C. & worked the area of the north, called Israel or Galilee.

Me Bring Glad Tidings to the Poor?

Many of you, I am sure, have your favorite auto mechanic.  And if you don't, you probably wish you did.  Rosemary & I have an Italian Catholic family, the Lucidos, who run One Stop.  Trouble with it is that it is a little distance, near 35 & Royal. 

In Richardson there is another of these reliable mechanics.  I don't know the man, but he has a reputation of being reliable, dependable, reasonable with his prices, and a curmudgeon.  A grump, a no patience, no compliments, non-smiler. 

A family I know who has lived in Richardson forever has believed in this mechanic.  The family has raised three kids who are now grown up and at least into their 20's.  As is the case in so many families, one of the kids, the oldest boy, has had his troubles migrating from adolescence into adulthood.  In and out of school, not able to find what he wanted to do, hanging with friends who likewise could not find their way. 

In the past couple of years, this boy finally married, had some kids, and actually graduated from college.  I think this was his first year to teach in special ed.  It looked like the kid was really putting his life together and going somewhere.

In the spring the boy had car trouble and naturally he took his trouble to the family mechanic.  All went well and the car was fixed for a reasonable price. 

A few days later the father got a call from the curmudgeon mechanic.  What do you think he was calling to say? 

"I am calling," he said, "to compliment you on your son."  The mechanic who never gives compliments and who had known and followed the son through his growing pains, said the boy had turned out marvelously, courteous, friendly, saying "Yes, sir," & "No, sir," and was really a pleasure to be around. 

I think dad just about fainted dead on the phone.

I tell this story because it exemplifies one approach to "The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor."  A marvelous line.  For three reasons.

     We are all the poor and need to hear glad tidings.  We are less than we want to be, we hurt others, we fail in business and in sports, we fail as spouses, as parents, as priests.   Then along comes glad tidings: "I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.  Pretty good news for us sinners.

   The Lord sends Me to bring glad tidings, good news, compliments.  The Richardson curmudgeon mechanic brought happy tidings to a father who could have felt rather poverty stricken over the years as a parent.  This is one of the main motivations I work as a priest & therapist.

   The result of the glad tidings is greater inner peace–for the person who receives the gift and for the person who brings it.  Certainly the father felt greater peace and probably the mechanic felt a peace.

With whom do you share glad tidings & how?

AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2008-06-08.mp3

Readings: Acts of the Apostles  2, 1-11; Psalm 104, Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the Face of the Earth; 1 Corinthians 12, 3-13; John 20, 19-23

Intro to the readings

 I would just like to draw your attention to the reading we have today from Acts of the Apostles.  Luke is very clever in the way the scene is described and unless we are aware, much of what he is doing can easily be missed.  We will be told that there were “pious Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem”.  Even though this Feast of Weeks, Pentecost, was one of the three major Jewish pilgrimage feasts when the Jews would have traveled to Jerusalem, these Jews that Luke mentions are actually “living” in Jerusalem, not just visiting.  And he goes on to list what is most likely all of the places that the Jews would have been scattered to over the many invasions they have experienced, in other words this is the “Diaspora” the scattered Jews. 

 It has dawned on me that to really understand a lot of the subtleties in the New Testament it would help to be Jewish!  Today is Pentecost Sunday.  The word pente means fifty.  And so we are counting backwards and I always thought it was back to the resurrection, but in Luke’s mind it was counting back to the Feast of Passover.  Passover for the Jew was “the moment” when Yahweh freed his people from slavery in Egypt.  For the Christian, it is Jesus’ death and resurrection, laid right on top of this feast of Passover.  Now for the counting bit, and the Jews did in fact count the days from the Passover to the next most important event, described in the Book of Exodus chapter 19 v 16ff, namely the time Moses receives the Torah, the Ten Commandments!  How was that event described, we are told of the sound of thunder and God descending in the form of fire, this was the Old Covenant between God and His People.  Now it is quite common in the bible to have the sound of thunder or wind used when God appears, but nowhere else do both this sound and fire appear together except at Mount Sinai and today in the room with the disciples!

 Speaking about Moses, for Luke, Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise.  When Jesus is baptized and receives the Holy Spirit, Luke immediately gives us this long genealogy of Jesus and Luke takes it all the way back not just to Abraham, but to Adam!  Now we look in the other direction and Luke has Jews from every nation present for the gift of the Spirit.

Pentecost Sunday – Homily

 If today’s gospel sounds familiar, it should, because it is a shorter version of our gospel reading from the Second Sunday of Easter.  It is a similar description of the gift of the Holy Spirit, which we also have in the reading from the Acts of the Apostles.  Today we celebrate the birthday of the Church.  It is the day the church officially recognizes the coming of the Holy Spirit on the apostles from today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles. 

 The Holy Spirit is third person in the Trinity.  That is about as much as can be said without wandering into heresy of some sort!  But what we can do is talk about the effects of the Holy Spirit.  We see in today’s readings that it totally transformed the disciples from fear to faith!  But if we look around other places we find the Spirit descending on Jesus at his baptism and then He begins his public ministry.  The big discussion in John’s gospel was that until Jesus left the Holy Spirit could not come.

 If we think about Luke’s description from our first reading, he takes only four verses to describe the descent of the Holy Spirit, very brief. He is mostly interested in describing the results brought about in the disciples by that event.  And I think it makes sense for us to do the same.  We have been promised the Holy Spirit, we receive the Holy Spirit and so the question is – so what now, what happens, how are we different?

 There was an interesting little event described in the Old Testament Book of Numbers chapter 20.  The folks have been wandering in the desert for a few months, and they have arrived at a place where there is no water.  God tells Moses to take a branch and strike a rock.  Unfortunately Moses kind of thought it was up to him, and so when he hit the rock the first time, nothing happens, so he hits it again.  He got in trouble, because it seems he was thinking that the miracle was going to happen by his efforts.  For me this is a powerful lesson about God and each one of us.  Remember, the gift of relationship with God is a freely given gift, and our response is really and truly free.  We have many great stories from the Old Testament of how many times the people strayed from their covenant with God, and each time when they got into trouble they came crawling back.  They are not too different from us. We can too easily forget that God is in charge.  When we do that, forget who is in charge, we get into all kinds of trouble and fear.  Then we start to worry about stuff that we have no control over.  I believe that is where the disciples were in our readings today, in fear, forgetting that Jesus had told them he would be with them.

 Sometimes when I look at the church today, I see the same thing happening.  The church authorities seem to have forgotten about the presence of the Spirit and instead try to keep the folk in line with rules and threats.  The problem is that threats only work with little kids and only for a short while.  Adults will ignore threats. 

I believe that the Spirit is very much present in each one of us.  But He can only be present when we acknowledge that He is in charge.  When we try to run things, then the messes happen!  We tend to forget that Jesus did tell us he would be with us.  And when we do forget, it seems that then we are in charge.  It was when Paul became helpless by blindness that he was able to listen.  And we know how effective he became once he allowed the spirit to work in and thru him.  This weekend, as we celebrate the birthday of the church, we might we ask ourselves, who is in charge!

Picture 1:   Mass Begins

Picture 2:   The Team

Picture 3:   Communion Volunteers, Joanne, Jackie, Mike, Nancy, Jan, Don, John, & Patricia

Picture 4:   Communion with Nancy & Tony, Richard & Bernadette

Picture 5:   The Kites, Doug & Julie & Emily on their 25th Anniversary