Christmas, December 25, 2023

Isaiah 35:  Springs of water will burst out in the wilderness, streams flow in the desert.   Hot sands will become a cool oasis, thirsty ground a splashing fountain. 

James 2: Listen, dear friends. Isn't it clear by now that God operates quite differently? He chose the world's down-and-out as the kingdom's first citizens, with full rights and privileges. This kingdom is promised to anyone who loves God.

Mark 7:  He took the man off by himself, put his fingers in the man's ears and some spit on the man's tongue.  Then Jesus looked up in prayer, groaned mightily, and commanded, "Ephphatha! – Open up!" And it happened. The man's hearing was clear and his speech plain – just like that.

 

 

Another Reminder for 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 8, 2024

Malachi 3:  But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays.

2 Thessalonians 3:  Rather, w wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us.

Luke 21:  Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.

     

John and Rosemary will be taking a vacation from 11/16 – 12/1.  John Cade will have Mass on Zoom,  Sunday, 11/20 and Sunday, 11/27.

 

 

Beth reading from Malachi

 

 

Thanks…     

Music,    Ben & Shonda

Readers,  Beth & Rob

Gospel,   John Cade

Homily,  John Stack

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Richard & Kevin

Final Blessing, Rosemary

         

                             

Rob reading from Paul's letter to the Thessalonians

 

               

                                                                  

Readings:  Download 11-13-22- Readings – 33rd Sunday Ord

Homily:  

 

 

Brent receives a check for 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; 

                                                                    

 

The Kiss of Peace

 

 

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.

 

 

Lynda and Izzy

 

   

 

Birthdays:   John Anderlick 11/14, Diane McMahon Bergan 11/17, Frank Esparza 11/18, Cody Mashburn 11/19,  Ron Ackerman 11/22,  John Cade 11/24, 

Anniversaries:   John & Connie Bresson  11/14,  Barb & Ron Senter 11/25, Frank & Mary Esparza 11/28, John & Michelle Simari 11/29

      

Community Finances:   

Expenses: $   2,210.00

Outreach: $   135.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

                 

Barb & Ron get a cookie for their anniversary

 

 

Rosemary's Blessing:  

O God, when I have food,
help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work,
help me to remember the jobless;
When I have a home,
help me to remember those who have no home at all;
When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer,
And remembering,
help me to destroy my complacency;
bestir my compassion,
and be concerned enough to help;
By word and deed,
those who cry out for what we take for granted.
Amen.

 Samuel F. Pugh

 

Due to the upcoming storm due this weekend, Mass on Sunday will be on ZOOM.  There will NOT be a Mass at the ArtCentre.

Here is the link to get to the ZOOM:

Another Reminder for The 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, January 25, 2026
Here are the links for Sunday:

For Zoom   ( the video conference)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88528744737?pwd=Te3cub31Q6XpNvUfzutHMgQ8JGqd42.1
Meeting ID: 885 2874 4737
Passcode: 412993

Any questions, please contact Rosemary: 214-914-0258

Mass:  Plus coffee & donuts & specials on the house.  Welcome!

 

Place: Vines High School, Plano, 15th between Custer & Independence, west of Central Expressway.

Time: 9:30

 

Readings: Isaiah 60, 1-6; Psalm 72, Lord, Every Nation on Earth will adore You; Ephesians 3, 2-6; Matthew 2, 1-12

Santa visited the Christmas Eve Community:

 

Community Bulletin Board: 

Heritage Farm renovation:  On hold for a while

   

 

True?

One kind word can warm three winter months.
— Japanese Proverb 
 
 

 Picture 1:  Santa arrives

Picture 2:  Vivian's brother

Picture 3:  Vivian's sister

Picture 4:  Wendy, Shonda, Ray, & Celeste

   
   

  

  HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

     

See you Sunday, January 3  

 J.S.   (214-783-0443) 

 

 

THE CUPCAKE!!   Here I thought I would get to raz John & Connie for eating the cupcake I entrusted to them to take on the plane to visit Bill Hammond in Pagosa Springs.   I knew they would waste no time in eating it.  Wrong.  I got snookered!

 

 

Readings:

Deuteronomy  30, 10-14, If  only you would heed the voice of the Lord.

Psalm 69,  Turn to the Lord in your need and you will live

Colossians 1, 15-20,  Christ is the first born of all creation.

Luke 10, 27-37, What must I do to inherit eternal life

 

Welcome home from teaching in Beirut, Lebanon, Our Dearest Celeste.   Nice to have your daughter home, Filipita.

 

 

The Good Samaritan

This morning I would like to talk about two subjects, being a good Samaritan and and an old Red Sox fan who thought he was going to hell.

When Rosemary & I return to Northwood Park from riding the White Rock Creek trail, we get on west bound Royal Lane and usually catch the red light at Central.  Almost always, summer or winter, at the base of the light is a guy & sometimes a woman, frequently young, holding a sign asking for help.  I find this uncomfortable, especially is they come over to my window, me in air conditioned comfort.

 

 

They are home, Folks, Buddy, Tori, Zoe, and Georgie.  It is so much more fun when you all are here.

 

 

The problem is that I know they can get aid, food, and shelter at numerous places in downtown Dallas, especially like The Bridge.  In the company of a girl from Hockaday, a next door neighbor I have served dinner at the Bridge numerous times.   And you know what I am told often?  Don’t give handouts to those begging at stop lights.  I know, the word is that some don’t like sleeping in dormitories.

 

 

Patricia, too, says Welcome Home!

 

So how do I handle m discomfort?  First, I can help at The Bridge and I was donating platelets at Carter Blood once a month until I got rejected for low iron.  But equally important for me is the support I give and our community gives to the Food Pantry and, the best of all, Souls Harbor.  Brent & his team are doing it, not just with food and shelter, but also with guidance, education, and AA programs.  Souls Harbor is a harbor for me & my guilt.

 

Thanks, Connie, for your pix.

 

The summer of 69 or 70 I spent 3 months working as an intern priest chaplain.  I loved it.  One afternoon I walked into a room of a Red Sox fan.  Despite that he was a really good guy,probably younger than I am now, like in his early 70”s.  He had the Boston lingo.  And I teased him about it.

After a visit or two the old guy let me know that he knew he was dying,  it was coming fairly soon, and he was okay about it.  Kids?  None.  Wife?  Yep.  Still alive?  Nope.   Next, I do not know how it happened.  Maybe I said, “Well you will see your wife pretty soon.”   His response was that he was going to hell. 

What??  I almost croaked.

 

Says Sir Charlie, "John, see this note?  It is a special message, John, from the Pope to you.

 

Turns out he married once when he was like 19.  It lasted a while, then they separated.  A few years later he met his second wife and they had a happy 40 or more years together, until she died fairly recently.

You know what doubly blew me away.  He was peaceful about his imagined fate.  He loved his real wife.

 

 

Leo, you are growing up to be one great Kid.

 

Well, you know what I said to him.  Even 30 or more years ago I knew that there was no hell.  It was a concept created by the Jewish elders to keep the troops in line.  And we inherited it.

Can you believe it?   There is no hell, no conditional love.

 

 

The Best Music with Shonda, Ben, & David.

 

 

 Readings:

Samuel 16, 1, 6-7, 10-13. Samuel chooses and anoints David.

 Psalm 23,  The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.

 Ephesians 5,  8-14,   You were once in darkness, but now you are light.

 John 9, 1-41,    The beggar given sight.

 

She is back, Everybody, with a new little baby boy, Caleb.   Congratulations, Bethany.

 

Observations on 1 Samuel:

What: The is the first book of a 4 book series tracing the history of the Israelites,  1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings.  Samuel, Saul, and the great David are the main characters.

When composed:   800 & 700 years before Christ the work was being put together.  Mostly finalized, guess when, Babylonian time, ca. 555 years before Christ.

Today's selection: How Yahweh guided Samuel in selecting David.

 

 

Stuart.

 

Psalm 23, The Lord is my Shepherd.   One of my favorites, very comforting.  Is it true? 

 

Stuart with Julian.

 

The Lord is My Shepherd

I would like to talk this morning about that Psalm 23, which is one of my favorites, The Lord is My Shepherd. 

I would like to tie it in with a guy named Stuart, whose funeral I just did in Toronto Friday at 11:00.  I did Stu’s wedding 25 years ago to one of the Reddick sisters, Renee Reddick, of the family whom I had gotten close to when I studied in Toronto from ’68-’72.  Renee & Stewart had separated a couple of years ago, but they were still peaceful with each other. 

 

Stuart with Julian and Ethan.

 

Stuart had one extraordinary quality that I envied and used as a model for my own life.  He had a Stuart spirit that created life, energy, friendship, and community around him.  With a megawatt smile and laughter, he invited people to have fun and friendship with gobs of adventures, meals, and get togethers.

You will never guess how many of his friends and admirers gathered together Friday morning at 11:00 in St. John’s Catholic Church to celebrate a Catholic Mass.  We estimated at least 200 people.  The church was full.  Even the two viewings the night before were packed with people and energy.

 

Stuart and Renee.

 

A second point.  Stu had a number of hobbies, one of which was playing ice hockey.  After all, he was Canadian.  All Canadians are born wearing skates.  Stu was a big, robust, good looking blond.  If I was playing hockey and saw him barreling down the ice grinning with the excitement of taking me out, I would have jumped over the railing. 

Among all his buddies his hockey team mates seemed to be extra special.  After the funeral Mass a reception was held at a big club on the shore of Lake Ontario right in the middle of Toronto.  His team mates told Renee they were covering the bill.  It was food and open bar for everybody and the party lasted from about 1:00 to 6:00. 

 

Stuart & his buddy after one hour of bad hockey, looking forward to the next 2 hours.

 

Stu has a refrain which I used at the Mass to invite everyone to the reception, “1 hour of bad hockey, 2 hours of good drinking.  Let’s begin!”  I think Stuart was playing hockey up to the last year or so of his life.

The third point about Stewart, he helped to nurture and raise two fine sons, one in college, the other in high school.  They are both beautiful kids.

 

Our Candle Man of The Week, Brandon.

 

Stuart died of cancer just last week.  The cancer was first discovered this past November, around the time of American Thanksgiving.  Stuart was a Good Shepherd to lots of people.  Was the The Lord a Shepherd to him?  Dying of cancer after 4 months?  There is nothing I shall want?

For me it is the question of unconditional love.  Even though I will die, the love and acceptance is there.

How does the Lord Shepherd you?

For whom are you a Shepherd?

 

 

Hi, Genevieve, are you trying out for the choir with that mike, which I know you love?