Sunday Homily, April 26, 4th 2015, Easter, B

Rosemary' Blessing

Loving God, through the gift of our fathers,

you reveal your wisdom, love and care.

Continue to bless and guide these holy men

you have given to us in our lives.

Support them in their call

to lead holy lives of faithfulness, respect and integrity.

May their witness of faith and love

shine from them and on their children and families

giving hope and encouragement to all.

Bless them for all the ways they lift their children to achieve their dreams.

Bless them for their sacrifice, their forgiveness and their guidance.

Bless grandfathers, uncles, brothers, cousins, teachers and coaches

who have shown us love and support.

For those fathers who have lost a child or spouse,

give them your loving touch of healing

consoling them with your gentle care.

For those fathers who have gone before us,

bring them to your eternal banquet of joy and peace;

bring them the fullness of union with you

and communion with us as we remember their love for us. Amen.

Sister Jean Amore CSJ, Sacred Heart Academy, Hempstead,N.Y.  Adapted from Fr. John Thomas Lane, SSS

Part of

The Cheese Team, Becky & Tom

Thanks to the Team

Music, Shonda & Ben

Readers, Rob & Beth & Buddy, the candle blesser

Gospel, Deacon Mike

Eucharistic Prayer, John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers, Mike & Ben & Becky & Tom

Final Blessing, Rosemary

The Music Team, Ben & Shonda

Please Remember these special people:

For Richard's dad who just passed;   For Carrie Bieda's brother, who also just passed the end of this week;  For Bill;  For Esparzas, Frank & Mary, who lost their son Jim to sepsis;   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;   For Joe Hogan with cancer;  For Loretta's aunt Alicia;    For Sydney;  & For Sir Charlie;  Shonda's mom;   for Michelle;  

For a friend, a neighbor, & a doctor, Karen, with brain cancer; For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg; For Meredith, cancer free.;    For Hue;  For John O'Donnell;    For Dee, and for her daughter, Lisa; For John Schanot's continued health;  For Anthony & Sabrina;    For a young man who is suffering from depression;  John Cade's mother in law, Kalliopi Piskiouli and Lambrini;  Virginia Mattingly

Where is everybody??

From last Weeks:

Birthdays:  Shonda (last Week), Deacon Mike ordained '78, Bill Ekes, Alison DeGenova;  Bernadette, Ben's wife, Camile, Harper 9 

Anniversaries:  Sandra  & Chuck,  59th,  Barb & Warren 41st,  Rick Urbanczik, 45th & Rick, 68 

Download Readings Week 12

The Master Technician, Mike.

Deacon Mike's Homily

There was a rich merchant who had three sons.  The two older ones cared only for themselves. The younger son, however, cared little about the things of the world; instead he cared for his father’s workers with kindness and wisdom.  One spring day, the merchant told his three sons to meet him at the wharf; it was time for them to take over his business. The two older sons immediately ran ahead and began fighting with each other for the newest of his father’s three boats.  

The youngest son had prepared himself for this day. He knew the ones who worked well with one another; and the ones he trusted to help him read the weather, the maps, and the stories about other kingdoms. They were ready; and after bringing barrels of food on board they set sail.

One of their maps showed that they would come upon some small islands four weeks out on the direction they had chosen. When they encountered them they stopped at one whose sand looked to be pure white. Stopping there they realized that it wasn’t sand at all. It was salt.  Having extra bags that could be used for ballast they decided to take some of it home with them. A month or so later they came upon a fairly large kingdom; and they were greeted by its king.  He wished them well and fed them; but he told them that he wasn’t interested in trading for his father’s goods.

Undaunted, the younger son, after having eaten their food, paid a visit to the king’s kitchens, where he discreetly sprinkled salt, to the meat, onto the soup, over the tomatoes and into the bland custard. That night the king was amazed at the flavor of his food. Calling his chefs before him, he excitedly asked about the new technique they were using. The response was that the young man from the boat had sprinkled something called salt onto the king’s food.  The next afternoon, the merchant’s youngest son set sail for home with his crew filled with joy.  The ship was now laden with one bag of gold for every sack of salt he had left for the king.

With humility, kindness and love we too are to become the Christ by sharing the salt and light of the gospel, the treasure of the Church, to as many as we can.

The Mass continues

Community Finances, June 21, 2020

Expenses: $290.00

Outreach:  $XXX  (often for Souls Harbor, Legacy, etc.)

Thanks, Folks, for doing what you can.

Readings:

Acts  12, 1-11,   The chains fell from his wrists.

Psalm 34,   The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.

2 Timothy  4, 6-8, 17-18,  The Lord stood by me and gave me strength.

John  21, 15-19,  Simon, son of John, do you love me.

Cowboy Cole and his mom, Erin, say, "Welcome, Everybody."

Acts, a quick review–

Luke wrote this and his gospel, around 65, covering the time after the resurrection and onto Rome.

Our selection describes Peter's imaginative escape from jail.

John: I want to use the gospel passage from the Vigil Mass, the story about Jesus asking Peter, "Do you love me?"  Watch how this story can be unpacked from something fairly simple to something  with more finesse.

Emma and her mom, Beth, say, "Come, Folks, it's fun here."

Do you love me?

I want to talk this morning about the little dialogue between Jesus and Peter.  It looks pretty simple and straight forward.  Jesus says, “Do you love me?”  Peter responds, “You know I love you.” 

You have probably heard the simple explication that it is a triple statement of love after a triple denial.  It ain’t so simple.  You may have heard me talk about this in the past, but it bears repeating. 

By way of an introduction, let me tell a little story.

Cupcakes of the Week to Cowboy Cole and Emma (for just being neat kids) and Candice on her birthday.

Last Monday I am at the “J” for the 6:00 A.M. spin class, the Jewish Community Center near our house.  There are about 20 people there, all ages, males and females, some in pretty good shape, some not.  The instructor or coach or whatever he is, is a tall slender, in shape black guy.  He knows everybody’s name, calls you out during the class, like, “Come on, John, you can do better than that,” when I am already putting out so much I am about to faint. 

Most of all he has the mouth, the language.  He’s beautiful.  He says a lot of crazy things to get us going, and if I was not going so flat out, I could enjoy him even more.  So, I love to tease him.  He asks everyone how they’re doing 5 minutes before the end of the session and after all the others have said they are doing great, I say I am dying and I say I know that makes him happy. 

Jack & Sophia, Candice and Ben's kids.

So after dying in Monday’s class and while I am cleaning up the stationary bike, I say to him, “Hey, Ben, if you really love me like you profess (he’s never told me he loves me, rather the contrary), in three weeks you would come with me to ride across Iowa in the Ragbrai bike tour.”

You can imagine what he says.  He does not deny that he loves me.  But he says that he is not the stud biker like I am.   Pretty slippery.  Of course, I make some smart response like, “So much for your love for me.”

This story exemplifies a bit how the dialogue between Jesus and Peter can be seen.

Barb, the bearer of Charm.

There is play on the word love here that is totally lost in the English.  Two Greek words are used for love, agapo and phileo.  Let’s say that agapo means love, but phileo means, say, care for.  Watch what happens with the 3 back and forths.

The first time, Jesus says, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these others do?”, he uses agapo, do you love me?  

Peter responds, “You know that I love you.”  Guess what.  He uses the word phileo.  I care for you.  Does that not make a significant difference?

The second time, Jesus only says, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”  Again he uses agapo.

Offertory, Kerry and Nina, fellow bikers.

Peter responds exactly the same, “You know that I love you.”  Guess which word he uses.  Phileo.  I care for you.

Third time, Jesus says, “Simon, son of John, do you care for me?”  Jesus switches word.  This time he uses phileo, care for.   

Peter responds, “Lord, you know everything.  You know that I care for you.”

So what is the author John trying to convey by crafting this little vignette?  Who knows really?  Apparently Peter has become a more humble, less braggadocio person.  Look at where it begins with Jesus asking about loving more than the others.  What would the old Peter have said?  And look at where it ends, Jesus lowering his expectations and Peter sticking to his first statement.  Beyond that, who can say? 

Question this week: how do you deal with the mystery that is this bible?

Wendy and Ben charming the community.

Readings: Exodus 17, 8-13; Psalm 121; 2 Timothy 3, 14-4, 2; Luke 18, 1-8

Exodus: to understand this book it helps to review what came before in Genesis.  Namely, creation, Cain & Abel, the flood, the tower of Babylon, and then the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob.  Remember that Jacob had 12 sons, the last of which, Joseph, was sold by his brothers to a camel caravan which got him to Egypt. 

Joseph thrived in Egypt, becoming the favorite of Pharaoh, while drought & famine afflicted the land of Joseph’s brothers & his father, Jacob.  At one point Jacob sends his sons to Pharaoh to get food & help.  That is how eventually the Israelites ended up in Egypt, to live. 

Exodus is the story of their escape from Egypt, Moses, his birth and call, and how he gets the people away from Pharaoh.

In our selection the people are in the desert fighting for their lives.  Three characters make up the story, Moses, Joshua, the leader of the Israelite army, and Amalek, the leader of the army attacking the people. Moses is blessing his people by holding his staff over the army as a blessing, like praying for success.  See what happens.  This sets up the Luke story about the widow petitioning the judge for a victory.

What We Ask For

A few years ago I had three elderly people from the subdivision of Northwood Hills contact me about planting trees in their neighborhood.  Two were a couple and there was a third guy, all probably about my age right now.  I really did not want to do this project because they were north of LBJ and I thought it was too far to drag the water trailer full of water from Jesuit, where I was living then.

So I put them off.  Maybe even for a year.  Eventually, however, because of their persistence I went to see their project, which consisted of Fretz Park, Hillcrest from LBJ to Beltline, Beltline from Preston to Coit, and a neighborhood elementary school, about 350 plus trees.

Despite not being eager to tackle the distance, two things pulled down my resistance.  First, they were willing to kick in a good portion of the cost of the trees.  Secondly, they were so gracious and eager to improve their own neighborhood.  I could not tell them no after all they were willing to put out, and all their pleading. 

You know the rest.  We planted one of our bigger projects and the trees are thriving.  In fact, I did not even water that project once this summer.  You may not know it, but they gave me a recognition of gratitude at one of their large community meetings.

When I hear Luke’s story about the widow & the judge I always think about Northwood Hills.  With gratitude. 

With confusion also, because I have difficulty with the main point of the story.  Namely, that God will answer persistent prayer, without even being slow about it, as Luke says.  Do you believe that God answers our prayers, and even more swiftly if we are persistent as the widow?  My mom thought that a nine day novena with special prayers got her every request, though my memory tells me otherwise.

I need to make a distinction and an observation to make sense of this for me.  I have talked about it before, so I remind you.  The distinction is between a macro-managing God and a micro-managing God.

The macro-managing God I can handle.  This god is behind the big stuff, the sky, creation, the stars, life, the balance of the universe.  I see this god as like a person bowling.  He gets the ball going and it travels on its own.

The micro-managing god, however, is in the small stuff, responsible for my sickness, for instance.  He makes good things happen & bad things.  He can change each.  If I pester this god enough he will find my lost wedding ring or car keys.  He will cure the sick, make me rich, fix the lottery so I win it, and so forth.  This god I don’t see in my experience.

Then why do I pray for people?  Like at our prayers of the faithful.  This is the observation. I pray first because I think, I hope, our God hears and is personal.  Secondly, I pray because I imagine that my spirit sends forth some kind of emotional energy to that God that says, "Please take special care of this person I love."  When we do this as a group, the emotional energy has a little more punch. 

A by product of praying for others is it sensitizes me to the suffering & difficulty other people are experiencing.

So where does this leave us?  Don’t pray for people?  Don’t pray persistently like the little widow or the people from Northwood Hills?  No. It may mean I lower my expectations. Maybe it helps to make the distinction about the macro vs micro-managing god.  I still remember people in prayer. 

Ultimately, what is your belief about praying for special intentions?

AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2007-10-21.mp3

Readings:   Terrific readings today–

Isaiah   55, 1-3,  Come, drink wine and milk.

 Psalm 145,   The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.  Also, That Line, The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love, Stanza 2.

Romans 8, 35, 37-39,  What will separate us from the love of  God?

Matthew  14, 13-21,  The feeding of the multitude.

Says Emma, "Hi, Everybody, Welcome."

Observations on the readings:

 1.  Isaiah 55: 3 beautiful invitations, come, come, come, come–4 times.  This is the very last chapter of Isaiah 2 trying to encourage the Israelites in the Babylonian period, ca. 550 B.C.

 2.  Psalm 145 & Romans 8.  That special line again, The Lord is gracious & merciful, does not get angry and is abounding in love.  

Paul is winding up Romans and is almost poetic, claiming that even cosmic events cannot separate us from God’s love.

CC, too, says, "Come on in, Folks, it's fun."

 3.  Feeding the 10 thousand.  This story is repeated in all 4 gospel stories.  In fact, it is told 6 times.

I have suggested for years that the real miracle here is that Jesus created enough trust and conviviality in the group that they shared the food that they would have most probably carried with them when they set out to listen to this man.  They knew there were no fast food places along the road. 

I saw this in East Africa.  People did not leave home without provisions stashed away.

I saw this trust and conviviality along the way in Iowa a week ago and would like to talk about it during the homily.

Amish Country. Just one of the gloriously beautiful Amish farms we saw along the Iowa roads.

It is not the destination, Folks.  It is the journey.

For over 40 years I have talked about how I see this story of the feeding of the multitude.  That the real miracle is that Jesus enabled these country people to trust each other enough to share their hidden stashes.  I really saw this in East Africa.

In light of my recent experience in Iowa, I would like to take a different slant this time.  In particular, I would suggest these folks were on a journey in their life, stopped to hear this man, and were greatly touched.  They were reminded that God is gracious and merciful, never gets angry, and is abounding in love. 

Buddy and Tori ready for anything.

Three little vignettes from Iowa.

Probably on the third day of Ragbrai (Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride across Iowa), I am riding along and see a sign for Iowa Conservation Assoc.  I stop because I know these people give out great bananas. There are probably 100 people at the concession and more than 100 across the highway at another concession. 

I am eating a banana when suddenly on my side I hear somebody playing Taps.  I think it is a pretty girl I have seen other years playing a trumpet.  Instead it is a guy.  His buddy has an American flag.  Both of them could be my age. 

Georgie ready to share her beautiful warmth with everybody.

At one point he starts playing the National Anthem.  The response was profound and electric.  Everybody stopped dead.  We all faced the man and the flag.  I was moved actually to tears, even remembering my years in East Africa when I was consoled just to see the flag blowing in front of the local American Embassy. 

After he finished and everybody returned to what they were doing, I crossed to the area where the two guys were and in a choking voice I told him how much I appreciated what he did.  He hardly even spoke a word.  Just gave me a hug.   A beautiful slice of Americana at a concession on the side of a road in Iowa.

Thanks to God every day for Wendy.

Later that same day, I am riding along again when I hear from the edge of the road at a concession, pop, pop, pop.  It is the sound of the Amish pie & ice cream concession. Yippee.  I had been looking for them.  We are in beautiful Amish country, especially during the last two days. 

The concession is on the right side of the highway and I am on the left.  It was too dangerous to stop with so many bikers, so I missed them that third day.  However, the last four days I stopped every day.  I even got to know their names and they would say when they saw me, “Here he is again.”  Their rhubarb-strawberry pie, their blueberry pie, and their churned on the spot vanilla ice cream were from another planet. Another experience of consoling Americana on the edge of the road.

Cupcakes of The Week for Harper's parents' 9th anniversary, Dawson, Cindy for herself and for her dad , Curtis at 85, and Linda and Hue.

Finally, there was the Marines’ chin-up bar.  We had pass through towns and overnight towns.  In the overnight town there was always a big expo with vendors of all types, lots of food, and the Marines’ chin-up bar.

I would see a cheering crowd and an amazing number of people who would step up and do pull-ups.  I saw a young maybe Philippino do 34 pull-ups.   Everybody was cheering him on, counting each pull-up. 

Offertory, Donna, Carol, David, Dawson, and Dana.

For me the most touching was a young girl, maybe 7 years old, shy and maybe Hispanic with olive skin and pretty black hair in a pony tail.  I don’t think she and her family were bikers, maybe residents.   I watched that little girl do 14 pull-ups.  I went over and told her what a marvel she was and that I could hardly do 1 pull-up.  Another touching slice of Americana right there in a little town in northern Iowa. 

As much as I was moved by the hospitality of the people who hosted us in the overnight towns, I was even more appreciative of the slices of Americana I witnessed all along the ride.  I was constantly being shown that the Lord is gracious and merciful, never gets angry, and is abounding in love.

An ecstatic two cupcake Cindy, one for her birthday last week and one for Curtis, her dad, at 85.

It is not just the destination, Folks.  It is the ride.

How is your ride?

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:

Ecclesiastes   1 2; 2, 21-23, Vanity of vanities, all things are vanit.

Psalm 90,  If today you hear his voice, harden not  your hearts.

Colossians 3, 1-5, 9-11,   Put to death the parts of you that are earthly

Luke 11, 1-13,  The rich man who hoarded all his wealth in bigger barns, then died.

 

The Consecration

INTRODUCTION:  

After the Jews received the commandments and oral law, they received from God the Judges; the last of whom was Samuel. During this period of time the following wisdom was practiced: Jews were to follow the example of the Judges. They were to use their free will to determine what was right or wrong using the oral law and the Commandments as their guide.

When the people asked for a king, Samuel said, ‘No!’  Why?  A king would take the best of everything from you; your sons and daughters, your land, your vineyards. He will become rich and you will become poor.  Do not put your faith in a king instead of God. 

Fast forward through King Saul and King David, to our first reading from Ecclesiastes.  The one who labored in our first reading was King David.   His son Solomon, did not labor for, but was the beneficiary of all of his possessions.  Solomon was worldly wise and clever; but not spiritually wise. He certainly did not use the oral law or the commandment to guide his decisions, nor did he suggest to others to do so until the very end of Ecclesiastes.  Our second reading continues the teaching we are receiving from Colossians.  We are to humble ourselves to be the hands and eyes and heart of Christ in the world by showing compassion and generosity to others.  To put on Christ infers that we have died to the greed that is idolatry,

 

The Offertory. Bill, Marlene, and Cindy

HOMILY:  Samuel’s reasons for not having a king where fulfilled by Solomon.  He abandoned his father David’s advice to him, and he lavished himself with expensive gifts.  He lusted after women, taking 700 wives and 300 concubines.  He had 4000 stalls filled with expensive horses.  In a dream Solomon asked for wisdom to rule God’s people with justice.  Remember the parable I shared with you some time ago about Solomon and the two prostitutes?  He asked his servants for a sword, saying that he would cut the living child in two, giving half to one and half to the other.  He used fear not wisdom to identify the real mother.  He was clever; but not spiritually wise.

 

Genevieve, a happy little girl

In the New Testament Letter of James, the rich are reminded of the wisdom that comes to us from above. It is the good news of Jesus Christ. Those who seek him receive the Holy Spirit so that their labor is pure and gentle, and filled with compassion.  The wisdom, of course, is that we are to put on Christ.

The inspired writer of the Luke gospel used the word rich to describe the man in today’s parable.  This Greek word suggests that the man had more than ample property to make willingly, with gratitude, a generous gift. But he didn’t; his wisdom was foolishness.  The parable is to be understood this way:  The Lord’s judgment, ‘you fool,’ is how he gave answer to the rich man’s greed that was idolatry.

Generosity is always a gift of gratitude toward God.  Giving of our time and talent is just as important as giving material wealth.  In everything give thanks for that is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus.  The wisdom that comes from above is meant to be contagious, those served with love are given the opportunity to do the same for others.