Sunday Homily, August 17, 2014, 20th Ordinary Time

Readings:

Isaiah 62, 1-5,  The Lord delights in you.

Psalm 96,  Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.

1 Corinthians 12, 4-11, There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit.

John 2, 1-11, There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee.

The Team ready to begin our Mass.

 For those who don’t have a decent Bible or a book of the readings, here are two links that I use, The Bible at Your Fingertips (http://st-luke-church.org/bible-at-finger-tips.php) and USCCB, The New American Bible (http://www.usccb.org/).  

The difference?  The first is Protestant more or less, and the second is officially Catholic and has the 12 little books in between the O.T. & N.T., called Deuterocanonical or Apocrypha. 

Both are good translations.     

Zurchin Offertory, Matthew, Claire, Chloe, Denni, and Tom

 Homily for January 20

 One of the three summer canoe trips that I used to organize each year at St. Mark was for the 13 and 14 year old children.  It was a three-day trip where we put in the Brazos River just south of Cleburne off highway 67 below the Boy Scout camp.

Emma arrives.

On the third day all the adult team was aware of a stop we would make an hour or so before we would board the bus for home.  The young people would be tired and hot as they approached some water gently pouring over some limestone at probably 5 or 10 gallons a minute like a miniature waterfall. 

They got terribly excited when they were told that it was a natural spring, cold and drinkable. The kids would take turns standing under it with their mouths open. 

Queen Zoe and Georgie arriving.

2000 years ago a traveling Jesus and his disciples would have loved such water.  They would have used it drink and to dilute the wine that they had with them.  Travelers usually didn’t drink water unless it was living, flowing from a spring or recent rain.  They drank diluted wine.

The OT Stories were written around things like living waters, wine and vineyards.  Since the gospels fulfilled the expectation of the OT for the coming of the Messiah, within them these symbols took on a deeper spiritual meaning. The vine became the symbol of Christ, living waters the symbol for the good news.

Kara arriving.

Since the word, wine, is present in most, if not all, of the books in the OT, we should expect that the wine in today’s gospel would be a symbol for something terribly important…and it is.

In the Mark gospel we are presented with this metaphor.  You don’t pour new wine into an old wineskin.  Anyone who ever left a wet handball or golf glove in the sun knows why.  You would find it stiff and hardened.  If you tried to pour new wine into them, the cracks in the leather would become revealed.  The wine would be lost; the leather also would be of no value.

Buddy arriving.

Therefore, Place new wine into new wineskins!  In the Story where you find that metaphor, you are introduced to the hardened hearts of the Pharisees and scribes who had rejected the good news and therefore the Holy Spirit that flowed forth from those living waters.

Remember the Holy Spirit and the unclean spirits cannot coexist within a heart.  A new wineskin is the heart of someone who has repented and welcomed the new wine, the Holy Spirit.

Sisters, Brooklyn and Sienna

So, now you pretty much know the meaning of the parable about the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee.  The old wine gave out because God sent to us his only begotten Son with new wine. The empty jars used in the purification rite within Judaism that had been empty, barren, now would be fulfilled by living waters, to the brim…from which would pour forth the Holy Spirit. 

Cupcakes of The Week (2 of 5), Kevin (17) and Claire and Ray (42nd).

What one thing would I like for you to take away from the gospel today?  

The Greek word for the servants who assisted Jesus in today’s gospel is used for male or female, diakonia. We are to understand that they were manifesting the Holy Spirit to those at the wedding feast of Cana by their words and actions. 

Toy Land with Hannah and Beth, Zoe, Torri, and Emma.

You might have felt distanced by Nancy’s 2^nd reading if you were wondering who those people are in our assembly.  We are those people!   Those who proclaimed the Word; those who serve at the table, those who distribute from the table; those who wash and fill the cups; those who bake the bread; those who set the table with gifts; those who lead us in song; those who give and distribute our gifts to those in need; those who visit the sick; those who extend the sign of peace to one another.

We are his body, blessed and broken for each other.

Tom presenting 4th quarter financials.

Readings:

Sirach 35, 12-14, 16-18,   The Lord hears the cry of the oppressed.

 Psalm 34,  The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

2 Timothy  4, 6-8, 16-18, I have finished the race.

 Luke 18, 9-14,   The Pharisee and the tax collector.

Says Liam, "Welcome in, Everybody.  Thanks for coming to my party."

Sirach observations:

What: Again we take up one of the books of the Apocrypha, the 12 books written in Greek and not originally considered part of the Bible.  This book is basically a collection of Jewish wisdom statements and teachings, like, "A father who loves his son will whip him often, so that he can be proud of him later." 30, 1

Who:  Joshua, who was translated from Hebrew into Greek by his grandson.

Date:  ca. 200 years before Christ.

Our selection in chapter 35 talks about the nature of god and what happens to the person who serves god.  It sets up Luke's parable about the pharisee & the tax collector in the temple.

Kevin, too, says, "Hi, Folks, Come in."

Casey’s Convenience Store

In Iowa there is a chain of convenience stores.  Everywhere in the towns.  These little stores are like our 7-11’s, but they don’t sell gas.   They are called Casey's.

It took me my first year riding RAGBRAI to discover how helpful these little places could be.  I found out, for instance, that for $1.10  I could get a large coffee in the morning.  Plus, they had all the typical foods that convenience stores carry.

So, one morning on this past summer’s week long ride, I woke up right around dawn, put my wet tent in a plastic bag, rolled up my sleeping bag and thermarest air mattress, stuffed them in my foot locker, and placed the locker next to our bus. 

Cole, our semi-pro Candle Lighter, at work.

The other 25 members of our group were just getting up when I pulled away from the curb and headed to the nearby Casey’s for my coffee.  I pulled in and was surprised that only a few bikers were outside drinking their coffee.  Usually these little places are mobbed for coffee.  But our campsite was 4 miles from the center of this little town.  It was the third morning, I think.

I walk in and, feeling terrific about the fun of the day ahead, I said “Good Morning” to the young girl at the cash register.  She barely looked up and perhaps only grunted a response. 

Welcome back, Diane & Norm.  So good to see you two.

I am sort of disappointed because I myself feel so great.  I am feeling, also, somewhat negative toward the girl.  To further turn me off of her was that I noticed she had tattoos on her arms.  Sorry, folks, this is a weakness of mine.  But, at that moment, I felt pretty critical.

I get my coffee and approach the girl to check out. We are the only two in the store.  I decide to take one more shot, so I ask her, “How you doing?” 

She starts crying!

Kevin & Georgie, you got to let Buddy know that he needs to look like he is at least fascinated by whatever nonsense that old guy is saying.

Suddenly, I am no longer in my superior, critical mode.  I begin to listen.  Turns out her mother is home dying of cancer, she had a tough night, and the girl has to work to keep making money to live on.  She had even tried to get a substitute for a couple of hours.  No one was available. 

Know that, after being so critical of that girl, I was ready to volunteer to work at that Casey’s for a couple of hours to let her go home, plus give her the hourly wage.  I probably would not have done it, but I mentioned it to her and she said I would have to be a registered employee.

Welcome to Lindsay, Ontario and to the  spectacular fall color display from last week.  

So, after relating to the girl like that pharisee in the parable, I left quite humbled and disappointed in myself.  Next time, please don’t be so arrogant.

With whom do you relate as did the Pharisee? 

Last Tuesday we had this color display.  Wednesday & Thursday, rain.  

Readings:   Acts 10, 34, 37-43, This man God raised; Psalm 118, This day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad; 1 Corinthians 5, 6-8, A little yeast leavens all the dough; John 20, 1-9, Mary of Magdal came to the tomb early.

Leo lighting the Easter Candle with his mom, Shonda

Acts: 

Author: Most likely Luke, who wrote the Gospel with his name and who followed and copied some of Mark's material. 

Date: ca. 70-100 A.D., therefore ca. 40 years after the death of Jesus. 

Subject: the ministry of Paul & the 12 Apostles after the death of Jesus.

        Chapters 1-8 deal with the Resurrection, Ascension, & Pentecost (Holy Spirit)

        Chapters 8- 28 deal with Paul's conversion & ministry.

The DeGenovas, Alison, Sabrina, & John

Today's selection: Two visions/dreams have just occurred:

        1. Cornelius, a captain in the Roman army and a Gentile, has a vision in which he is instructed to go to a town called Joppa and talk with a man named Peter.

        2.  Peter has a vision in which a sheet held by its 4 corners comes down and is full of all kinds of animals.  A voice says, "Eat."  Peter refuses because of the law of ritual impurity, i.e., some animals are ritually impure and it is prohibited to eat them.  But the voice insists.  At this point three of Cornelius' people arrive and invite him to come to Cornelius' house.  This vision symbolizes that even Gentiles who are ritually impure are invited to the new Christian community.

Becky & Lily

Our selection takes up just after Peter arrives at Cornelius' house, finds a group of Cornelius' friends, is invited to speak to them, and he begins.  The following is what he says to the group of Gentiles gathered in Cornelius' house.

Meaning of the Word Easter: the origin of the use of Easter seems lost in history.  Probably not from Latin, which uses pasqua.  Probably not coming from a German goddess of spring, which some have suggested.  May have emerged from early Celtic converts (British Isles), who wanted to use their own words for Christian feasts, rather than Latin words.

The Quads are growing!

The Resurection Today

Last Satuday there was a picnic.  This was not your ordinary picnic.  It took place in Flower Mound on the west side of town, the Circle R Ranch.  It went from about 10:30 to 2:30 on one of our recent beautiful days.

The picnic was for kids handicapped in some way. 

Love for the Kids Picnic

There was another picnic before Christmas, this one for underprivileged kids.  3,000 younger kids poured in and ran all over the place for about 5 hours. 

This past picnic the kids were not running around.  Many of them came in wheel chairs or prams.  They were often physically misshapen.  They frequently could not speak.  But they could smile and they did.

I volunteered to work at the photo area.  This was really well run by two black guys with their camera, lap top, and printer, as well as another guy who arranged the families, and two girls who provided decoration.  The families could choose their decorations or get ups from 4 themes represented in pictures, like Easter, cowboy, fireman, and so forth.   They hardly needed me for crowd control like the December picnic I worked. 

Love for the Kids Picnic, Photo Shop

What I did mostly was watch and touch, and be touched.  I was close to tears with so many of these kids and with their families.  I shared this with some of the team and they, too, said they were likewise moved.  I wanted to hug the kids and hug the parents.

Because I was not greatly needed I moved to the welcome post.  Here I was touched again.  People were trickling in, so I began talking with a lady who was also welcoming kids and families.  It was her first time to volunteer.  Eventually she talked about her son, about 40 years old and slightly handicapped.   He had been shot a month or so ago at the downtown Dart train stop. 

Emmit Cronin, 2 weeks old

I did not know what to say.  She was in tears and I too, especially because of her attitude.  She was grateful.  She was thankful for the long life her impaired son had had. 

I talk about these simple events because for me they are Easter events, Resurrection events.  The characteristics of this type of an event: more life, more peace, and gratitude. 

The kids were not so unusual.  The talk with the lady, Terry, was pretty routine in the beginning.  Similar things happen all the time.  I went to touch these people.  But I was touched.   I came away with more life, more peace, and so much more gratitude for so much. 

The Cronins, Amanda, Ben, & Emmit, an Easter Event

What is the Easter event in your life today?

Welcome in!

Rosemary's Blessing:

A Summer Blessing

May you walk with God
This summer
In whatever you do
Wherever you go

Walking with God means…
Walking with honesty
And with courage,
Walking with love
And respect
And concern for the feelings of others

May you talk to God
This summer
And every day and
In every situation

Talking with God means…
Praying words of praise
For the beauty of creation
Saying prayers of thanks
For friends and good times,
Asking God's help
In all your decisions
Expressing sorrow
When you have failed

May you talk with God
Every day. Amen.

www.jesuitresource.org  Author unknown

Mike doing his magic.

Readings:

Wisdom 12, 13, 16-19, There is no God besides you.

Psalm 86,  Lord, you are good and forgiving.

Romans  8, 26-27,  The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness.

Matthew 13, 24-43,   A sower went out to sow.  Three agricultural parables.

Thanks to the Team

Music,  Ben & Shonda

Readers,    John & Connie & Buddy, the candle blesser

Gospel & Homily,  John Cade & Stack

Eucharistic Prayer, John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers, Mike & Richard & Ben

Final Blessing, Rosemary

Download Readings Week 7-19

Please Remember these special people:

For Cindy recuperating from a procedure 3 Mondays ago;   For our Bill;  For Carrie Bieda's son;   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 & Jan;  Shonda's mom;   for Michelle;  

For Jackie's mom;  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;  for Virginia Mattingly.

Birthdays:  Reth Robonson

Community Finances, July 19, 2020

Expenses: $  360.00

Outreach   $  100.00   (often for Souls Harbor, Legacy, etc.)

Thanks, Folks, for doing what you can.

The Hidden Blessings & Graces of COVID-19

I would like to talk this morning about the hidden blessings & graces available to us in this time of the COVID-19.  There are special gifts for us.  There are always opportunities for us to grow and be richer in body, mind, & spirit.  Today we have  extraordinary opportunities to grow into even better and richer people.

For example, take body.  What are you doing today to exercise, to get in better shape and to do it leisurely.  Jackie Johnson just got an airedyne bike for her house.  Rosemary & I have an airedyne  we bought when the J & the gyms were all closed.  I felt bereft when I could not go to work out with my friends at the J at 5:00 in the morning. 

Ben working his magic with Shonda sharing from home.

We also have been riding our bikes weekday mornings from Northwood Park at Royal Lane to White Rock Lake on the W. R. Creek Trail.  Granted, it was the way I was mounting my bike that injured the soft tissue around my left recycled hip.  I have learned. 

Did you know there has been a run on bikes & some bike stores were sold out?  In our neighborhood lots of families, parents and kids, ride by every day.  Biking, great exercise.  To say nothing about the people whom we have never seen walking by.  Some come by probably just to witness the devastation of our Tulip Lane corner.  So, what are you doing to improve or maintain your health? 

Richard consulting from a distance.

What about the mental component?  I remember that when I was laid up 10 years ago getting new hips I took up learning French.  Learn Spanish.  Rosemary & I are reading some really good books.  Across our street, Joyce Scott at 90 years & who did not read nor study Spanish, she loves the massive jigsaw puzzles.  Her house was one of the houses totally demolished that famous October 20 night.  But she loved her puzzles and she was mentally totally sharp.

And finally, the spirit.  What are you grateful for?  What is the blessing of today?  Make a list.  I’ve mentioned this before: Rosemary & I before we go to bed mention two or three special gifts of our day.

And you?  How are you growing in body, mind, and spirit during this unique time in our lives?

We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.

Winston Churchill

Readings: Isaiah 43, 16-21; Psalm 126; Philippians 3, 8-14; John 8, 1-11.

Isaiah – The scene: the Jewish people are captives in Babylon ca. 550 years before Christ. Isaiah the great prophet had warned the people that their bad ways were going to lead to this.

In this chapter 43 Yahweh reminds them of how much he has done for them in the past and lets them know that they are still his people. Their lives will get better.

The first 5 verses of this chapter are some of the best in the Bible, telling the people to not be afraid because he is with them.

Philippians – Philippi was the first church Paul set up on European soil. He is in prison. He is basically saying that for him nothing has any importance beyond his relationship with Jesus.

Judging

Our recent trip to East Africa was divided into two parts. The first half we spent in Tanzania visiting some of the world’s most marvelous game parks, like Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.

The second half we spent time at place called Elsamere on the southern shore of a lake called Naivasha in the bottom of the Great Rift Valley. The place is somewhat famous because it was here that Joy & George Adamson made their home and where they raised a baby lioness named Elsa. Joy & George eventually let Elsa return to the wild, but while together they were the subject of the famous film Born Free, the story of Elsa.

The place is delightful, accepting at most 16 guests with three cottages spread out from the main house which is used as a dining room. It is here at Elsamere where we could not leave our cottage at night because hippos are grazing, one night right outside our window.

When we arrived, there were already 8 visitors, all Brits, 6 women in a group and a couple. Since they had already been eating meals together for a couple of days, we ended up seated at the second table with one of the Kenyan assistant managers.

As time went on, despite our efforts to get to know the Brits, nothing developed and I began to feel the ladies were ignoring us Americans. A couple of the ladies I had greeted seemed pretty disinterested in chatting. We had a good time with the couple. However, I was, as they say, put off by these women.

I know what it was that put me off. They never initiated a greeting and in the evening before dinner when we arrived with our guard from the cottage, they were all seated around the fire place. No welcome. In fact, they seemed totally involved in their own conversations.

Until the last night. Thirty minutes before dinner, snacks were served and we all made a big circle in front of the fireplace. All were departing the next morning. We three were split up around the circle.

Now they talked with us, especially a couple of them who had hilarious personalities. It was in this circle that we heard the story of the calendar (the women all belonged to the same organization that put out the famous calendar that was the subject of the movie "Calendar Girls"). We spent the time in hysterics.

The next morning I told them that my only disappointment at Elsamere was not having the opportunity to get to know them better.

I came close to judging and condemning these 6 Brit women, of judging the book by the cover.

Who is the Brit that you are condemning?

Download the homily for March 25, 2007 as an mp3 file.

 Readings: (for Christmas Eve, 4:00, Midnight Mass readings)

Isaiah 9, 1-6, The People who have walked in darkness have seen a great light.

Psalm 96, Today is born our savior, Christ the Lord.

Titus 2, 11-14, The grace of God has appeared.

Luke 2, 1-14, In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus….

Our Bambino, Emmit

 Isaiah: author, date, subject, today’s selection–

   Author: This is probably my most favorite book in the Old Testament.  Isaiah is one of the Big Three OT prophets along with Jeremiah & Ezekiel.  This is because of the size of the work, 66 chapters, but even more so because Isaiah is so beautiful and influential in the Christian story. 

There are really three Isaiahs, chapters 1-39, 40-55, & 56-66.  How do we know?  Simple.  Different styles of writing, different vocabularies, different slants to the message.

   Date: 1 Isaiah, our selection is put together ca. 700 BCE.  2  Isaiah, ca. 500 BCE; 3 Isaiah, ca. 400 BCE.

Cole lighting 5 candles with his parents, Chuck and Erin

 Subject: As always, there have been predictions of doom & destruction because of the badness of the people. 

Today’s selection: This passage, however, is the flip of this.  Listen for words like rejoicing, making merry, joy, peace, a God-hero Child is born.

Source:  Good News Bible, Bishop John Shelby Spong

The Gerwer gang making their stage debut.

A Christmas Story

I have a Christmas story I would like to tell you this Christmas Eve afternoon. 

It seems that a short while back there was a young man named Hayden.  He is about 25 years old, married, and a father of a couple of kids.

Cupcake of The Week to Rosemary Beavers, 20 today.

He is driving along one day and gets stopped by a cop.  The cop says that his inspection sticker is out of date. 

Hayden says he has no excuse why he has not taken care of it.  He had to make a decision recently.  It was get the car inspection or pay his due bills and in particular feed his family.  His salary did not cover everything this month. 

More Cupcakes of The Week to Ashley and Jeremy Ekes, 25 the 23rd, Sunday

The cop said he still had to give him a ticket.  He wrote it out, folded it,  gave it to Hayden, and drove away. 

Sadly Hayden took the ticket, put it on the seat, and then opened it.

Santa and his Elf appear.

Inside was a hundred dollar bill.

Hayden broke down and cried. 

Santa and his kids.

A couple of observations.

First, the cop was Plano Police, one from our very own Plano, our very back yard. 

Jake with his granddad, Jack.

Secondly, he also wants no publicity.  Hayden’s grandfather told the police department about their caring officer, so they knew.  The officer, however, wanted no pictures and no name. Apparently he has done this before.

Soul's Harbor, Dicers and dish dryers with Barry, The Dish Washer

Thirdly, I found the story in the editorial section of The Dallas Morning News Friday morning, December 14.  Know what else happened that day?  Newtown, CT. 

There may be tragedy in our world.  Still God visits us in special ways.

I could  ask you now how have you been visited recently or this year.  A good question.   However, I want to ask this:

When did you last give someone $100?

When will you do it next?

Jim and other volunteers prepared to serve Christmas dinner to the 50 plus men residing at Soul's Harbor.

Source: The Dallas Morning, News, December 14, 2012