Special Notice for this Sunday, December14,2014

Readings:  

 Isaiah, 35, 4-7,  The eyes of the blind will be opened

 Psalm 146,  Praise the Lord, My Soul

 James, 2, 1-5,  Did not God choose those who are poor?

 Mark, 7, 31-37,  Immediately, the man’s ears were opened.

  

  

A few words about today’s readings 

1^st reading from Book of the Prophet Isaiah, Ch. 35

You know well how the Old Testament prophets operated: telling the Jewish people, “You’ve done wrong”, then prophesying “Yehweh will punish you”, and then prophesying “there will come a time of repentance and blessing from Yahweh who is merciful”. In today’s reading Isaiah is prophesying a time of healing and blessing.

                                                                                                    

2^nd reading from the Letter of James,  Ch. 2

As Stack said last week, James was the administrator of the Jerusalem Christian community.  Paul refers to him as “ the brother of Jesus”. His letter was probably written around the year 50 AD which would make it the earliest writing in the New Testament, still over a generation after Jesus.  It was written to the “dispersion”, that is, to Jews who were followers of Jesus and were scattered outside Israel. The letter of James is one of 5 small books in the New Testament that were disputed in the early church, and were not accepted as inspired books of the Bible until the early 5^th century, The other 4 were the second and third letters of John, the second letter of Peter and the letter of Jude. The Letter of James acquired special significance at the time of the Reformation in the 16^th century when the priest Martin Luther said this letter’s emphasis on good works contradicts Paul’s doctrine that we are justified by faith.  Luther also disagreed with the Council of Trent that the Letter of James refers to the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. James Ch 5:14 reads, “Is there anyone sick among you? He should ask for the presbyters of the church. They in turn are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.”

 

3^rd reading from the Gospel according to  Mark,  Ch. 7

Mark’s Gospel was written with non-Jewish readers in mind. We know this because there are very few quotes from the Old Testament in Mark, he explains particular Jewish customs, and he translates any Aramaic expression into Greek, as in today’s reading where the Aramaic word “Ephphatha”, is translated into the Greek word for “Open” or “Be opened”.

                          

                                                                                                      

                                                                                            

Homily        

For over twelve years, John Cade, in addition to his private practice of counseling, has worked in an agency setting with victims of violence, including victims of sexual assault. Currently he serves on the board of the non-profit Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center or DARCC. Since the theme of our gathering today is healing, John invited Monica Urbaniak, a bi-lingual counselor at the Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center (or DARCC) to speak about the work of DARCC. Monica will talk about what DARCC is, what they do, and what they need from the community to maintain and enhance their services.

       

                                                                       

Isaiah 35:  Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing.

James 5:  Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is a hand.

Matthew 11:  Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you.

     

Christmas Eve Mass will be on Saturday, December 24th at 4:30 P.M.  There will not be a Mass on Christmas Day. 

 

 

Mary reading from Isaiah

 

 

Thanks…     

Music,    Ben & Shonda

Readers,  Mary and Tom

Gospel,   John Cade

Homily,  John Cade

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Richard & Kevin

Final Blessing, Rosemary

         

                         

Tom reading from James

 

               

                                                                  

Readings:  Download 12-11-22- Readings – 3rd Sunday of Advent

Homily:  

 

 

 

Sweatshirts and hoodies collected for the men at Soul's Harbor

 

 

 

Remember these special people:

For Jan;  For Tom  Quinn who is having back surgery on November 21st;  For Sandra who has been diagnosed with Large B Cell Lymphoma;   For Lambrini, John Cade's wife, who is dealing with cancer and Kaliope, John Cade's Mother-in-law;  For Madeleine, Richard Eshelbrenner's granddaughter;  For Hue; For Jackie;  For John's sister, Kathey recovering from a fall;    For Tom Good;  For a young man, 19 struggling with a brain tumor and cancer;     For Mary Hall's friend Cadence still suffering from a serious medical condition;   For Sir Charlie & Jan; 

       

Jackie's mom, 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 & friends, Annie, a mom of 3 kids and Michael ;    for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

 

 

Brent is ready to take the sweatshirts back to the men

 

 

Birthdays:  Loretta Williams (12/12), Tom Good (12/14), Allen Stryker (12/17)

Anniversaries:   

Community Finances:   

Expenses: $  685.00

Outreach: $   

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.

2 Chronicles 36: Whoever, therefore, among you belongs to any part of his people, let him go up, and may his God be with him!”

Ephesians 2: For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; . . .

John 3: For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

 

Mark 11, 1-10, Jesus enters Jerusalem

Isaiah 50, 4-7, I gave my back to those who beat me.

Psalm 22, My God, Why have you forsaken me.

Philippians 2, Christ did not not regard equality with God.    (Omitting this reading)

Mark 11, Passion

 

 

 

 

Romeos, Welcome!    Jason's Deli, 1:00, Friday, March 26.  Required: vaccines, mask for entrance & departure. 

 

Reminder for Sunday, March 28, 2021, Palm Sunday

Here are the links for Sunday:

Acts of the Apostles 4, He is the stone rejected by you

Psalm 118,   The stone rejected by the builders has become the corner stone

1 John 3, Beloved, We are God's children.

John 10, I am the good shepherd and I know mine.

 

Shonda & Ben sharing the Spirit

 

Romeos, Welcome!    Jason's Deli, 1:00, Friday. April 23.  Required: vaccines, mask for entrance & departure. 

 

All of you who attended Mass this past Sunday are welcomed this Sunday, circa 30 people.  Let me know if you cannot make it.

 

 

John sharing his spirit.

 

Another Reminder for Sunday, April 25, 2021.

Here are the links for Sunday: