Sunday Homily, March 3, 2013, 3rd Lent C

Readings:  (special for Fred)

Isaiah 43, 1-5,  Do not be afraid, you are mine

Psalm 32,    I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.

1 Corinthians 13, 1-3,   If I have no love, I am nothing.

 John 15, 10-11,   As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you.  Live in my love.  I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and you joy may be complete.

Maureen and Fred Macchio.

Today's readings, observation:

I have chosen all of these readings with the spirit of Fred Macchio  and the family in mind.

The Macchio Clan.

Fred Macchio

I would like to talk about our dear old friend, Fred.  I have two small vignettes and, then, I would like to tell my most favorite Fred story, the pickup story.

First, we have a group of guys who meet every Friday at 1:00 at Jason’s Deli at Collin Creek.  The group was christened “Romeo’s” by Mike Moran, though I have gathered this is not an original.  Like, try T.I. and Poor Richard’s.  Nevertheless, Fred was always with us every week.

When we got together there were two things.  First, every time I had to be absent, Fred would tell me that the numbers jumped to a dozen or more.

Thanks to all from Maureen and the Macchios.

Secondly, Fred would always find in the Thursday blog I sent out a mistake or two or more.  Like, “Hey, you forgot to change the date.”  Or “Hey, you misspelled this or that word.”  It really became a game for me and I enlisted Rosemary to get rid of mistakes.  However, even with her help Fred always caught something.  I got better, though, and was ready to wager him.   No mistakes, he buys my lunch.  A mistake, I buy his lunch.   So, you know how he handled that, he checked out on me.

Second, a little fact you all may not know about Fred.  He donated his body to Southwestern Medical.  I was so impressed that I have started the screening process for myself.

And now the pickup story.

The scene with pictures and hats.

In 1990 I was driving an old Chevy pickup that was a castoff from Jesuit.  Trouble was, it was dying.  I needed a new ¾ ton to continue my tree planting hobby.  I was pulling an 800 gallon water tank to water all summer the new trees.

So I approached my Jesuit community, the other priests, and asked for a new truck.   “Sure,” they said, but I had to find the money myself. 

Like, where am I going to find some thousands of bucks to buy a new truck?  I was, at that time, celebrating a 9:00 and a 10:30 Sunday Mass every week at St. Marks.  I had a bunch of friends there.

Cupcake of the Week to Maureen for just being Maureen and for inviting us all to share in this special memorial.

So, I called the pastor one day and asked if I may contact some of the parishioners who are my special friends.  “Yes,” he said somewhat reluctantly if I remember correctly.  “But, never, never, never mention this at the Mass or anywhere at any church function where I am the celebrant.”  Okay by me.  I felt grateful that I got what I got.

So I contact some of these dear friends of mine.  And guess who one of these people was.  Yes, my buddy Fred. 

A week passed.  Then another week.  On, perhaps the third Sunday after making my calls, I am walking from the main church to the cafetorium, where we had the 10:30 Mass.  Suddenly, a woman comes up and gives me a page.  I think it might have been Marcia Kolar.  I look at it and it says, “Help Stack get his pickup.” 

Cupcake of the Week for being Danny's wife.

I go in the cafetorium and I find these empty gallon jars that had contained mustard or ketchup.  Pasted on the jars, “Help Stack get his pickup.”  Jim Herman, who died a few years ago, was the reader that Sunday and he is up at the podium saying the same thing.  Wow, I was really getting nervous.  We could be in deep doo doo.

I see Fred and ask what does he know about all this.  He says cryptically, I will always remember, “It is easier sometimes to apologize after it is done, than to request permission ahead of time.”  

More of those marvelous Macchios.

Suddenly at that moment, like a clap of thunder in comes the pastor, yelling, “Who did this?”  He goes for me and yells that he had told me never.  He is yelling and running around trying to take back from people those little pages with “Help Stack get his truck.”  It was quite a scene.

He kept yelling and finally I gave a nod to Teresa, she started the music, and I just simply walked away and up the aisle.

The Girls.

After the Mass he was back, saying, “I know who did this,” and yelling at Fred and even Maureen, saying that Fred was going to pay for this. 

Sometime later, Fred says to me, “In all my years here, I’ve never seen him go nuclear like that.”  Before Christmas that year I was handed enough to pay $15,000 in cash for that truck. 

Fred, I never thanked you enough.

The Guys.

January 25, 2015, 3rd Ordinary Time B

Readings:

Jonah  3, 1-10,  The word of the Lord came to Jonah, saying…..

Psalm 25,    Teach me your ways, O Lord.

1 Corinthians 7, 29-31,   Let those having wives act as not having them.

Mark 1, 14-20,   Come after me and I will make you fishers of people.

"Hi, Folks," says Charlotte, "Welcome."

Jonah: This little book of 4 chapters is a gem and tells a delightful short story.   It is so good I would like to read it all, but will read only chapter 1 and most of chapter 3. 

Background: Jonah has been asked by Yahweh to go to Nineveh in Assyria to tell the people & leaders that they are evil and will be punished shortly by Yahweh.  Trouble is, Nineveh is the enemy, like me going to Houston or Philadelphia. 

So he runs away, catches a boat headed for Spain, is blamed by the sailors for causing a big storm on the sea, and is dumped overboard.  The whale swallows him and for three days Jonah is constrained to reflect on what he is doing.  When, after 3 days, the whale dumps him on shore, Jonah is more willing to listen.  We arrive at this point and I will have most of chapter 3 read.

Chloe, too, with her sister, says, "Welcome, Everybody.

Author: For centuries, while people took this story as factual, Jonah was considered author of his own story.  Once it was seen as a fable or allegory, it is accepted that the story probably has some unknown ancient as the author.

Date of composition: no one really knows, but educated guesses put it ca. 800 before Christ.

Note: the story of Jonah and the story of Jesus' interaction with his future apostles are both about The Call.   1 Corinthians is really bad.  Just like last week.  Who in Rome chooses these readings?

And Emma, too, "Hi, Everybody."

Reminiscing at 75

This morning I would like to reminisce on the theme of call at 75.  I propose that calls can be blessings or gifts.  For example. 

I see three big calls in my 75 years.  The first came when I was in high school at the old Jesuit on Oak Lawn.  I felt drawn to be a Jesuit & a priest. 

Kevin arriving ready to cover anything, Georgie, his partner, participating in a swim meet.

I admit there was a lot of scare in this decision, scare that I was going to hell because of my sinful ways and the guys I hung around with.  I remember clearly one of the sermons commonly used with us guys.  You go out with your girl friend, you neck a little bit, you head home, you are hit by a train, and killed instantly.  You go straight to hell. 

I remember the pastor at Christ the King telling the people that where you go will depend upon the people you hang out with.  Good people, you go to heaven.  Bad people, you know where.  I looked around and thought to myself, ‘I know where I’m going.’  I look around now and see some of my best friends, one a lawyer, another a banker, and my friend in Chicago, FBI.  On second thought, I still don’t know where we all might be going.

Leo and Brandon, buddies.

Trouble is, now I don’t think there is a hell thanks to my Jesuit training. I grew up in the Jesuits.  We simply had to.  I used to look at some of my classmates in the military and thought they were lucky.  We entered the Jesuits in those days and never went home for anything, weddings, special events, maybe funerals of parents.

With all this, my decision to follow this inner call to be a Jesuit was an enormous blessing.

Cupcake of The Week to Doug for entering a new decade.

It led me to a second momentous blessing in my life, my years in East Africa, especially Tanzania.  I really had to learn how to adapt.  I learned Swahili and in the process discovered I have a gift for languages.

A high moment for me during maybe my 8th year came one afternoon when I went to a market in a big shed at my base near Kilimanjaro.  I had an old Tanzanian who was a buddy.  He sold fruits and veggies.  I always chatted with him when I was in town.  One day after we had chatted, a little old lady asked him, while I was to the side picking fruit, was I one of them, their people. 

Cupcake, really a power bar of the week to Sir Charlie in another decade.

I used Swahili so good she thought I was an ndugu, which means something like a brother, something I would never had used for myself.  The old guy told me and I was floored.

Then I was somewhat unpleasantly invited to go back to the States, which led to the third most incredible call and blessing, Rosemary and marriage.

Emma and Cole signing a birthday card.

  Looking back I returned to the States with a loneliness that I picked up in Tanzania and a much different perspective on marriage that I also picked up from the people, the priests, and even the bishops and a particular cardinal.  Tanzanians deep inside think not getting married is contrary to the laws of the universe.  I came home with this and I now could not be a happier person.

Finally, a side effect call and gift: you people, our community, the gift and the fun I receive from you every week.

Calls can be marvelous gifts and blessings.  I have had three and a half marvelous ones. 

And you?

Peace is Emma with Aviana.

Readings: Isaiah 9, 1-6, The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Psalm 96, Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord; Titus, 1, 11-14, The Grace of God has appeared; Luke 2, 1-14, In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled.  Terrific Readings!

Isaiah, a quick review. 

This beautiful passage is just one of many reasons why I love the Work of Isaiah.  

 Yes, this is Isaiah I, who composed before the Babylonian Captivity around 600 before Christ.  In fact, he wrote even before Assyria destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel, around 750 before Christ.  He saw it coming.

Incarnations 

    Folks, it happened two weeks ago, that beautiful Saturday, December 10.  Rosemary & I were volunteers at a picnic in Flower Mound for underprivileged kids.  We were specifically employed at crowd control in front of a photo shop in a large pavilion where all kinds of things were going on, lunches, dances on a stage, face paintings, and so on.  Horses for riding were outside.    

    Then there were tons of kids, about 3000 according to one count.  60 school buses, 850 volunteers, and 4500 hot dogs which were totally gone in a nano-second.  We had about 35 members of our own little community.  

    A whole bunch of events touched me, but three stand out. 

    The first person who touched me was Joey, a cute little black girl about 6 years old.  I chatted up everyone in the line, but seemed to spend more time with Joey, which is how I came to know her name.  She just told me. 

    At one point in our conversations she handed me a small trinket she had glued onto her blouse.  She said, “That’s yours.  I made it.”  I was so touched.  Then she got her picture taken and was gone, happy as could be. 

    Another time I was watching a black woman chaperon or bus driver.  She was rounding up her kids and had them all sitting on the cement floor just beyond my line for the photo shop.  When I talked with her she was up to 45 in counting her kids and had more to go.   Her care for all those kids knocked me over. 

    Then there was a little black girl who was afraid.  She, too, was about 6 and was with about five other girls a bit older and an adult lady.  In the line ahead of her was a black man who was totally dressed as a clown, face painted white, and everything. 

    I’m standing next to her and she whispers to me, “I’m scared of him.”  I was touched that she told me.  So we talked.  Eventually I moved into her sight line so she could not see him, because it was like she was obsessing about the guy.  

    She told the others and they scoffed at her.  However, I was able to let her know that fear was okay and that here she was safe.  I would not let the clown hurt her.  That seemed to calm her; she got her picture, and went happily on her way. 

    These were incarnation events for me, the spirit of God right there in this crowd of kids on a picnic.  I suggest that these sightings take place daily, in people like the ones I mention, in people who make up my daily life, and in events, to say nothing about nature.

    What was your last incarnation event?

Picture 1:    The Team 

Picture 2:    Emma as angel 

Picture 3:    The Nativity Drama   

Picture 4:    The Nativity Drama 

Picture 5:    The Nativity Drama 

      Video:     The Nativity 

Joshua 24, 1-18; Psalm 34, Taste and See the Goodness of the Lord; Ephesians 5, 21-32 ; John 6, 60-69.

Joshua:

Who is Joshua and what is this booklet about:  Joshua was Moses' assistant, his lieutenant when the the Israelites wandered in the desert.  The booklet is the story of the Israelite invasion of Canaan under Joshua's leadership. 

Author: somewhat amusingly, the fundamentalists say that Joshua wrote most of the booklet.  More scientific scholars say the work is a compilation of a number of sources.

Date of composition: again fundamentalists state that the booklet was composed 1400-1370, i.e., while Joshua lived.  Scholars of a broader vision suggest that even if a Joshua existed the work was put together 800-700 BCE. 

The work combines a number of traditions about battles & destruction of cities to create a nationalistic narrative that justifies the Israelites' taking another peoples' land for their own.  Like kids say, 'He made me do it.'  Here the Israelites are saying, 'Yahweh made me do it.'

Ethical Question: genocide.  This is a bloody book.  Yahweh commands that the Israelites exterminate every breathing thing, including women & children & livestock. 

The battle of Jericho is characteristic.  For 6 days the Israelites marched around the city, blowing horns and menacing the people.  On day 7 they marched around 7 times and the walls came tumbling down, as in the spiritual.  Then every person except one woman & her family were slaughtered.  Lots of debate and rationalization over these events.

Our Selection: The last chapter of the booklet.  Joshua, who is dying, calls the people together at a place called Sechem and puts it to them.  Stick with Yahweh who has done all these things for you (which are mentioned in the text but are long & tedious) or choose another path of your own.

Sources: Good News Bible, Got Questions.org, Wikipedia

Ephesians:  Got to say a word about this selection because it involves some pretty amusing observations from Paul.  For instance, the famous statements, "Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord."  "The husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church."

Some years ago while I was waiting in a line to ride the roller coaster at 6 Flags I overheard a husband telling his wife to obey him because of this passage.  I almost dropped my teeth.

Some perspective: Traditionally there are three types of relationships.

    1.  Matriarchal: the woman/wife is the head of the family.  Culturally this has been established.

    2.  Patriarchal: the husband is the head. 

    3.  Equality: both are partners, husband and wife. 

Paul's place: guess which paradigm Paul comes from?  Paul lives in a culture which considered women & children little more than domestic animals.  In Tanzania I found the same paradigm among the ordinary people.  Even though today Paul can sound wako & chauvanistic, what he says about husbands loving their wives as they love their own bodies, this was pretty radical.

Today: all three of the paradigms are valid.  Among most educated people, however, equality between husband & wife, men & women is the most healthy for all involved.

Peter McGinn, 1948-2009

It was mid February when Rosemary first got word that Peter her brother was infected with amiloidosis, a rare and virulent infection that strikes mostly men 60-65.  Peter was 60. 

It was mid March, after enduring a menu of chemo for a month, that Peter & his wife Marilyn decided to go recuperate at their house in Hilton Head, in a plantation near to Joe & Clare, Rosemary's sister & brother in law.  We decided at the last minute to fly over there to see Peter, it being easier than to visit him in Binghamton, NY.  This was the last time we would see him. 

He died this past Monday morning after finding out that the amiloidosis had begun to attack his lungs, that he could not endure a heart transplant, and that he was simply being kept alive by meds & machines.  After visiting with his two adult daughters & Marilyn Saturday evening and Sunday morning, Peter chose to cease all meds and machine aids that Sunday afternoon.  About 15 hours later he died peacefully. 

I wanted to speak about him because of at least three reasons I admired him and felt quite a kinship, not just of family, but of spirit. 

First, his love of psychology & intelligent spirituality.  He got his doctorate in psych at Johns Hopkins and used it in creative ways.  He was the CEO of United Health Services.  He was the kind of CEO who would eat in the hospital cafeteria, asking random groups, like the nursing staff or the maintenance staff if he might join them for lunch.

As a psychologist he was a teacher & a systems man.  In fact, I used to laugh.  He would send me articles each month.  And he asked me to review his latest book.  I would read a title like 'Ways to facilitate communication with your board.'  I open the article and he had 23 points.  I would send him a note saying, "Too much."  As you know, I lean toward systems myself, but after 3 or 4 I am exhausted. 

Secondly, I loved Peter because he was a biker.  A bicycle rider.  In fact, we had planned a bike ride in Hilton Head which he could not manage because he was too weak.  This was only symptomatic of his dedication to being a well rounded man, a renaissance man like we used to try to model ourselves in the Jesuits.  He was intellectually & physically, psychologically & spiritual balanced.  I see it as the basis for his peace and acceptance of his ultimate path.

Thirdly, he taught a platinum rule.  Not just the golden rule, which says, 'treat others as you would have them treat you.'  The platinum rule is, 'Treat others as they would like to be treated."  He had 23 reason why this was more effective. 

Significantly, according to what I'm told, he practiced the platinum rule even in the hours after he had ceased life support.  As doctors & staff stopped by his room, he thanked each one, mentioning how they had touched him. 

Tomorrow morning, Monday, Rosemary & I will attend a family only memorial in Binghamton.  A month from now a large open to all his friends memorial will be scheduled and we will attend. 

Who is the Peter McGinn in your life?

Picture 1:  Mass with Kevin & T.J.

Picture 2:  Choir, Wendy, Ray, & Celeste

Picture 3:  Peter McGinn

Picture 4:  Peter McGinn–

The two charities that Dad favored in lieu of flowers are Seva and the Food Bank of the Southern Tier.  They are both online, Seva.org, and foodbankst.org.  Rosemary T. McGinn

Check out a review of Peter:

Readings:  Isaiah 61, 1-2, 10-11, He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the broken hearted; Psalm, The Magnificat, My soul rejoices in my God; 1 Thessalonians 5, 16-24, Rejoice always; John 1, 6-8, 19-28, John the Baptist, I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the lord. (John the Baptist was using the words from Isaiah 40, 3, last week's Isaiah reading put to music by Handel in his Messiah, which we heard)  Beautiful readings. 

Isaiah, a reminder.

This is Isaiah III speaking to the Jewish people after their return from the Babylonian Captivity, around 550 before Christ.  A beautiful reading full of consolation.

To catch today's homily, please click on the video (17 min.).  Jamie Rose describes her work with CASA:

Picture 1:    Candle Lighting with Sienna & Brian & Erin

Picture 2:    Jamie talking about CASA

Picture 3:    Noah

Picture 4:    Offertory with Kathy & Bill

Picture 5:    Leo walking up the ramp

Picture 6:    He makes it, first time ever

Leviticus 13, 1-2, 44-46, If the man is leprous and unclean…

Psalm 32, I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble.

1 Corinthians 10, 31-11, 1, Do everything for the glory of God.

Mark  1, 40-45,  A leper came to Jesus.

Spring Dreaming….