Sunday Homily, November 4, 2012, 31st Ordinary Time B, & All Saints/All Souls

Readings: Acts 10, 34-43; Psalm 118 (This the Day the Lord had made; let us Rejoice and be Glad); Colossians 3, 1-4; Mark 16, 1-7 (from Saturday night readings)

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.

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.

Our selection takes up just after Peter arrives are 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 Easter Event Today

I think it was last Tuesday morning.  I had come out into the yard in front of our house to let Aviana do her business.  Suddenly around the corner comes a little black Prius which I recognize.  The window comes down and one of Aviana's favorite neighbors stops to give her a little loving. 

The neighbor who is so friendly asks how we are all doing and was I getting the spring weddings going.  I said that, yes, we had weddings for all the weekends of May except one and that one weekend we had two weddings.  I also mentioned that I was looking forward to a fun Easter Sunday with an Easter egg hunt for the kids.

She then mentions that Lent has passed by in a flash and that she has paid no attention to it and really did nothing special.  Am I hearing maybe some minor Catholic guilt?  I'm also thinking to myself that this woman is just terrific as she is.  She does not need to do anything special for Lent.  I mean she loves Aviana and she is friendly to me.  That in itself is extraordinary.  But she also goes back & forth in front of our house it must be a dozen times a day ferrying her 4 kids to numerous events.  On top of that, she teaches at SMU. 

I thought about this friendly lady as I started looking around in my daily life for a recent Easter event.  You know what I think an Easter event is.  It is something or someone which gives me greater peace and life. 

Initially as I looked back over the past six weeks since we started Lent, I thought of the week I spent in Galveston with the 50 kids from St. Bonaventure U. in Buffalo, NY.  That was a dramatic Easter event for me. 

Way back I had talked about making Lent a time of service and greater sensitivity.  I hit the jackpot with the Galveston trip.   The generosity and desire of those kids to donate their spring break to service gave me a ton of peace and life.  I still feel the effect of them in my life.

I am aware that I lucked out with the Galveston trip.  Just to be able to get away for the week.  Like Rosemary who is working now in downtown Dallas, the majority of you cannot walk away from your job for a week.  However, if Lent has passed you by quickly and you look back with any guilt, I would say, "Get rid of it." 

The sensitivity begins now. 

What is the Easter event in your life today?

AUDIO:  ttp://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2009-04-12.mp3

Picture 1:  Easter Mass with Noah helping

Picture 2:  Guess Who Made it!

Picture 3:  Second time ever!

Picture 4:  Good Friday Stations

Picture 5:  Good Friday Stations at the Robinson's house

Our Dear Chloe says, "Happy Easter, Everybody."

Readings:

Acts 10,  34, 37-43  You know what has happened all over Judea.

Psalm 18,    This is the 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, 11-18,  Mary Magdalene

Charlotte, too, Chloe's sister, says, "Welcome, Everybody, and Happy Easter."

Acts observations:

This book with 28 chapters basically tells the story of what happened to and in the Christian community after Jesus died.  

Keven, also, says, "Welcome in Folks."

Resurrection

Want to know what Resurrection looks like?  Let me give you a couple of pictures. 

As you heard me mention at the beginning of our celebration this morning, I went to the Circle R Ranch in Flower Mound Saturday morning for a picnic titled, For the Love of the Kids.  There are two of these picnics a year.  One takes place around Thanksgiving when busloads of kids come for a picnic with horse rides, hay rides, bounce houses, face painting, dancing on a stage, and visits from Superman, Batman, Santa, and others.  It is enormous, a couple of thousand kids.

Zoe lighting the Easter Candle with the help of her sister, Georgie.

In April the picnic is for handicapped kids.  They come with their families, maybe a hundred or more yesterday.  It is wheelchair friendly.  I have my favorite job.  I stand at the entrance, usually with Beth, and welcome everybody.  I am always touched by something special, some resurrection moment.

So here I am yesterday registering an hour before the kids arrive.  I walk into the big pavilion and unexpectedly the first resurrection moment hits me.  You will never guess what it is.  It is The Community.  I’ve already seen Kevin, Kerry, and Joe at the registration desk.  But when I enter the pavilion I see brown shirts of Bona Responds everywhere.  The first Resurrection moment.  I was so proud to be part of this community.

Just take a guess. Yep, our beloved Gerwer gang at 7, believe it or not.

Later, Beth, I, and another lady named Lindi are at the welcome lane into the pavilion.  Families are starting to come in, many pushing wheel chairs, but all with kids handicapped in some way.  Along comes a family with a little blond girl about 5 or 6.  I am saying hello and welcome to everyone.  The little girl comes right over to me and holds up her arms.  I gulp, pick her up, and hold her.  I did not want to ever let her go.  Another Resurrection moment.

A little later a Hispanic mother comes up pushing her son in a wheel chair.  We chat and I look closely at the boy, who is about 12 years old and very nice. What I see is that he has a white sweat shirt that says “Jesuit.” 

Some of The Community Team at the Circle R Ranch Love for the Kids picnic, Saturday.

 Well, of course, that starts a conversation, while I hold the boy’s left hand in my left hand.  I’m on his left.  He is tuned in but not speaking, just watching me sort of fondly.  Finally, I reach over with my right hand and caress his soft cheek.  He gives me the most beatific, gentle smile that I was almost in tears as we parted.  A third Resurrection moment. 

I left Circle R in a zone of greater peace, gratitude, humility, and awe. 

Your most recent Resurrection moment?

Who let that Wild Rabbit in here?

Trouble on the back bench!

Readings:

Sirach 3, 2-6, 12-14,   My son, take care of your father when he is old

Psalm 128,  Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways  (fear the Lord?)

Colossians 3, 12-21, Put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness , and patience.

Matthew 1, 18-24,  This how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.

Meeting of the board.  

A second Christmas Homily

This morning I have another Christmas story.

For many years I have had a really good friend who is an Ursuline nun.   Just thinking about Sr. Mary gives me fond memories of celebrating the early morning community Mass in the sisters' quiet chapel in the residence.

Ben & David with David's daughter, Darbi Anna.

It also reminds me that I have a rare special relationship with the Ursulines.  I went to Christ the King grade school when the Ursulines staffed it.   I am educated by the Ursulines. 

Today there are no sisters living in the old convent with the beautiful little chapel.  Sr. Mary says she now lives along with 5 or 6 other Ursuline sisters at a retirement home that was popularly known at Tremont.  It is located on Harvest Hill Drive just across the Dallas Tollway from Jesuit and St. Rita's' Catholic Church.

The Girls' candle lighting team with Zoe, Tori, and big sister, Georgie.

I know it well because my mom lived there and died there.  She passed through all the 3 levels, individual apartment, partial care, and full care.  

There is sister who still works at Ursuline Academy, you guessed it, Sr. Mary.  Every morning she gets up, spends the day at her school office.  Then drives back to Tremont. 

Buddy reading the Blessing of the candles.  He has  not memorized the blessing on this the first day.

Last summer she decided it was time for her to give up driving and sell her little car.  A difficult decision.  She would use Huber.  

One morning around Labor Day she could not get Huber. So she decided to use the app. Lyft.   A guy came, picked her up at Tremont and took her to Ursuline.  During the trip she probably explained to the driver what she did at the school.  

The Whole Team.

She exits his car, asks how much, and is told "No Charge."  She explains that she will still need a ride home in the afternoon.  Plus, she will make the trip every weekday.  

"How much?"   "No Charge!"  

The offertory team with Bill, Tom, & Denni

The man, a Nigerian, has come every work day, September, through December, No Charge. 

Who is the Sr. Mary in your life? 

Communion Helpers, Lynda, Tom and Claire.

Readings:

Acts 13, 14, & 43-52,   Both Paul & Barnabas spoke out boldly.

Psalm 100,  We are his people, the sheep of his flock.

Revelation  7, 14-17,  I, John, had a vision of a great multitude.

John 10, 27-30,  I know them, and they follow me.

The team is ready.

 Acts observations & review:   

We have already covered this material.  What I have here is a quick reminder. 

Date:  sometime before the year 70.  Why?  No mention of the destruction of Jerusalem, which took place the year 70, a Big Date in Jewish history.  The Romans destroyed not only Jerusalem, but also the Temple, the only place where the priests offered sacrifices.  The temple has never been rebuilt and the priests have been replaced by rabbis, teachers formerly.  Today there is a holy mosque on the site of the former temple.

Harper is ready, too.

Who:  The same person who wrote the Gospel of Luke.  How do we know?  Similarities of style, language (Greek), and theological themes.

Subject:  The story of the expansion of the Jesus story in 3 areas, first, Jerusalem, then, Palestine or the Holy Land, and finally, into the Mediterranean and ultimately, Rome.  Stories about the early communities are a bit romanticized, like advertisements for Pleasant Valley Retirement Center.

Harper's grandmother, Cathy, just having too much fun in life.

Today’s Subject: noting that the chapter we are reading is 13, you can guess we are not reading about the first circle, Jerusalem.  Not even the second, but the third, the Mediteranian.

Sources: Good News Bible, The New Interpreter’s Study Bible, Wikipedia

Emma and her friend.

The Lord is Good

This morning I would like to talk about the first line of the third stanza of our Psalm 100, ‘The Lord is Good.’

Our week has been extraordinarily stressful.  First, the Boston Marathon bombs.  Then, West.  I actually was in West at the Czech bakery, the original, genuine bakery in town, about 4:00, Wednesday afternoon, just before the explosion.   I have fond memories of one really friendly lady at the bakery and hope she is okay. 

Emma's mom, Beth, on the chase.

I would like to say, yes, the Lord is Good.  Also, people are good.  And, you are good.  Here is what I mean despite the stress of the week.

First, Rosemary & I had our routine appointments to give blood at Carter Blood at Preston & LBJ Wednesday & Thursday.  When I went in Thursday afternoon the place was more busy than I had ever seen it.  Even extra techs had been called in. 

 Meredith and Brent with Meredith's dad, Joe.

 I asked why and they said it was because of, first, Boston, and then, secondly, West, which had just happened that morning.  The Lord is good.  People are good. 

John Botts, Iraq vet with left leg prothesis, at the capitol building in Austin.

 Secondly, remember last Saturday, which seems forever ago?  Love for the Kids picnic.  About a quarter of you volunteered to make that day special for handicapped kids and their families.  God is good.  People are good.  You were good.  This is typical. 

Thirdly, this past Wednesday, two days after Boston and the day of the West explosion, I went to Austin with a group of which I was humbled to be part of.  The Nuns on the Bus.

Nuns on the Bus rally on the capitol steps in Austin. John Botts is back left.

We departed Dallas at 5:30, 10 of us, 2 guys & myself, 7 women, 3 of whom are nuns.  We arrived at the capitol about 10:00 for a little rally on the steps of the capitol building.  I expected maybe 50 people.    300 were registered and another 100 joined, 400 all together from all over the state.

Daniel Fleming and Stephanie at their wedding.

 My job was to visit my two representatives, Dan Branch & John Corona.  It was in Branch’s office that a remarkable event took place.

Tom and Lynda processing.

 The Nuns on the Bus, who had advocated throughout the Midwest in the summer before the presidential election, were requesting our government to not forget the poor, especially that the billion dollars of federal money be accepted for expansion of Medicaid this year.  25% of our population is uninsured, a million & a half. 

Rob and Casey celebrating 10 years (and 4 kiddoes).

We are talking with the aide, basically just letting him know our case.  I have picked up about 6 people from San Antonio, 4 nice, Hispanic little nuns, and a young, nice looking guy.  He had a limp. 

Rob and Casey renewing their vows and signing up for another 10 years.

Suddenly, the guy, John, tells the aide, “Let me tell you my story and why I am here.  I walk with a limp because I lost my left leg in Iraq.  I got this prosthesis because I was a vet, no question.  I could have even gotten one more expensive.  I am here because I have become aware that so many people don’t have that care that I had, people who are working full time and still don’t have enough, certainly not enough to buy insurance.” 

The whole gang. The kids now are 5 years old.

The reception office went dead silent.  Everyone was touched, including the nice kid who was the aide. 

God is good.  People are good.  You are good. 

What are you doing to continue to make it better? 

 Video:  The community blessing Chuck's health and his struggle with cancer (1/2 minute)        

February 8, 2015, 5th Ordinary Time

Readings:

Job  7, 1-7,  Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery?

Psalm 147,    Praise the Lord, who heals the broken hearted.

1 Corinthians 9, 16-25,   I have made myself a slave to all.

 Mark 1, 29-39,   They brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.

Leo says, "Hi, Folks, welcome in, we got cupcakes."

Job 0bservations:

What: A comment on The Universe.  No book in the OT or NT has less known about it.  Called the most profound book of the OT.    It deals with the problem of evil, personal justification, and why bad things happen to good people.   Job himself could be historical, a literary creation, or a combination of the first two.

Author: Unknown. 

Vivian says, "Hi, Folks, and thanks for the cupcake. Even though I am not quite here yet, I already love cupcakes." Ask her mom, Bethany.

Date: It is guessed to be before the time of Moses and Egypt, i.e., earlier than 1300 before Christ.

Structure: 3 poetic dialogues preceded by a prose introduction and ending with a prose conclusion, an epilogue judged to have been added sometime later by another person or group of persons.

Happiness is… Poor Job should have had a cupcake of the week.

The Story of Job

I would like to tell you this morning the story of Job.

Once upon a time there was a good man named Job who lived in the land of Uz.  He had 7 sons and 3 daughters, a sign that he was especially blessed.  He not only had sons, but he had the special number of 7.

John with Mary, Jean, and Jan.

One day Yahweh was walking around heaven talking with his buddies when he ran into the devil.  "What have you been doing?" he asked.  "I have been walking around here and there," the devil responded. 

"Have you noticed how good my man Job is?"  "Yes,' says the devil, "but I bet he will curse you to your face if you stop protecting him and take away all his goodies."  "It's a bet," says Yahweh, "Just don't hurt him."

Cupcakes of The Week to Geri, Mike, and Randolf with some little mice suddenly appearing.

So a few days later while all of Job's 7 sons and 3 daughters where having a feast with their families, a storm blew up killed them all.  A messenger runs to tell Job of the horrible news. 

Shortly after that, another messenger races in and says lightening has just killed all his sheep and the shepherds.   Other messengers then run in saying Job's livestock have been rustled by robbers who killed all the farm hands.

Job is devastated, of course, but responds with the famous statement: "I was born with nothing, and I will die with nothing.  The Lord gave, and now he has taken away.  May his name be praised." 

Even these characters get Cupcakes, John, Hue, Scott, and Tom.

So Yahweh wins his bet.  But, when Yahweh and the devil meet up to settle their bet, the devil raises the stakes by saying that he bets Job will curse Yahweh if the devil is allowed to hurt his body.  Not death, just hurt.  "Bet," says Yahweh.

The next day Job comes down with sores all over his body, like leprosy, and he has to go outside of town where the lepers go.  He sits in the town dump.  His wife now comes and his friends.  They all grieve. They also encourage Job to see what he has done bad.  Has he cursed Yahweh?  Confess and repent.  Job proclaims his innocence.  But he is depressed and discouraged. 

(In East Africa I used to celebrate Mass for a small community of lepers.)

Ye Olde Coffee Shoppe with Class, thanks to Mike and Geri. Poncik moving in.

Finally, while not cursing Yahweh, he cries out his anguish saying (chapter 3): 

"Oh, God, put a curse on the day I was born; put a curse on the night when I was conceived!  Turn that day into darkness, God." (verses  2-4) 

"I wish I had died in my mother's womb or died the moment I was born.  Why did my mother hold me on her knees?" (verses 11-12) 

"Why let men go on living in misery?  Why give light to men in grief?" (verse 20) 

Harper says, "If you love me, you will give me a Cupcake. Right?"

"Everything I fear and dread comes true.  I have no peace, no rest, and my troubles never end." (verses 25-26)

After some time in this situation, Yahweh comes along and speaks with him:

"Who are you to question my wisdom with your ignorant, empty words?  Stand up now like a man and answer the questions I ask you.  Were you there when I made the world?" (verses 2-3)

"Job, have you ever in all you life commanded a day to dawn?" (verse 12)

"Have you been to the springs in the depths of the sea?  Have you walked on the floor of the ocean? "(verse 16)

"Yes, I love you, Harper. Happy Cupcake."

"Have you been to the place where the sun comes up or the place where the east wind blows?" (verse 24)

After hearing all the numerous ways Yahweh reminds him of how insignificant he is, Job apologizes to Yahweh and promises to be a good boy from now on. 

In an epilogue, which is considered a late addition, Yahweh restores his wealth and gives him 7 more sons and 3 more beautiful daughters.  He lives another 140 years a prosperous and happy man.

Ever feel like Job?  How do you handle the feeling?

Readings:  2 Special Readings plus Psalm 145 (from Aug. 3) &  John 15, 9.  The readings:

                 Download remembrance_readings_1102.doc

Celebrating All Souls

I want to dedicate our Mass & homily this morning to two little twin girls, Samantha & Zoe.They were  born Tuesday in Plano Presbyterian to Michelle & Randolf Brown.  Michelle is the daughter of Bernadette & Gilberto Delgado.  Michelle was with us last Sunday or at most two Sundays ago.  Zoe was born healthy & happy.  Samantha died at birth.

I visited Zoe & Samantha Tuesday evening.  I baptized, blessed, & prayed for Samantha who was being held by her dad while Zoe nursed.  Both little girls were beautiful and I had a hard time registering that Samantha had moved on already to the next world.  She is one of our most recent souls whom we honor today, All Souls Day. 

Let me give you a bit of history and the thinking behind this All Souls' Day.  Five observations: the theology, purgatory-limbo, a legend, pre-Christian practices, and today.

1.  The Theology.  All Souls' Day is part of a package with All Saints.  The idea is: on All Saints' Day we honor all those who are enjoying the beatific vision, that is, heaven, the saints.  On All Souls' Day we honor those who have died but have not reached heaven because they have penance to do. 

We are talking mortal & venial sin here.  If the person died with mortal sin, they are you know where. Those with venial sins have to go through purification and purging, which brings us to All Souls' Day and purgatory.

2.  Purgatory & Limbo.  People ended up in purgatory to purify themselves with suffering, before being allowed into heaven.  Limbo was for whom?  It was for people, especially children, who died without being baptized.  They remained there how long?  Forever.  Can you imagine Samantha there or even in the old purgatory?

At least the Catholic Church this year or last acknowledged that the limbo idea was bogus.  Rome has said it does not exist and never did.  Though many consider purgatory to be in the same class, it still exists in the minds of some.    Indulgences are for the souls in purgatory or the living.  It speeds up the process for those in purgatory.  There are partial & total indulgences.  We can win them for these souls and get them out or we can win them for ourselves. 

For instance, on the last feast of Peter & Paul Rome offered an indulgence if you visited a church named after one or both of these two, and you recited a prescribed menu of prayers.  All Souls' Day used to be aimed at winning lots of indulgences for the souls in purgatory.

3.  The legend.   It happened around 1000 A.D. that a monk, St. Idolo, from the French monastery of Cluny was shipwrecked on a desolate island as he returned from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, i.e., Israel.  On the island he met a poor hermit.  The hermit told him that among the rocks was a crevice from which came the anguished voices of the many suffering in purgatory.  Likewise, listening carefully you could hear the devils cursing that living people were speeding up the sufferings of these souls by praying and doing penance for them. 

Some time after this, i.e., 1000 A.D., the Cluny Monastery established an All Souls' Day.  Ca. 1300 Rome followed suit.  

4.  Pre-Christian times.  There is evidence that at least in Mexico numerous tribes had a day or period when the departed ancestors were honored.  The purpose was to honor them, remember their example, and to communicate with them.  In Europe food & drink was put out over night.  Today in Mexico & in Hispanic families here in the States the Day of the Dead is still celebrated.  This custom has been celebrated for 3,000 years.

5.  Today.  Limbo has been discarded by Rome and many scholars consider purgatory a dinosaur idea from antiquity.  All these ideas are man made, not God made.  Consequently, today All Souls' Day celebrates Samantha, my mom & dad, Rosemary's mom & dad, and all our loved ones pictured on the stage.  All Saints' Day still focuses on the canonized.  

Who among these people has touched your heart the most? 

AUDIO:  http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2008-11-02.mp3

Picture 1: All Souls' Mass & Sabrina

Picture 2: All Souls' Mass & Choir

Picture 3: Hunter & Audry