Special Announcement about The Senior Citizen Angel Tree, December 17, 2023

 

 

 

Says our dearest Harper, "Welcome in, Everybody. 

 

 

 

Readings:  

Daniel 12, 1-3, In those day, I, Daniel, heard the word of the Lord

Psalm 16,  You are my inheritance, O Lord

1 Corinthians 1, 3-9, I give thanks  (selection from Thanksgiving Day)

Mark 13,  24-32,  Learn a lesson from the fig tree.

 

 

 

With Buddy reading the blessing of the candles, Emma lights the candles.

 

 

Thanksgiving History: Everyone knows about the first Thanksgiving in 1602 with the Pilgrims and the Indians eating together, the Mayflower, and Plymouth Rock.   Here are 5 facts that people do not hear about usually.

1.  When did Thanksgiving begin?  Our ancestors have celebrated end of harvest feasts of gratitude for centuries.  Lincoln first focused on a national feast; FDR established the national holiday in 1941.

 

 

 

Michelle with her dad, Gil.

 

1.  The pilgrims did not know they were pilgrims.  They called themselves saints, and non-saints were called strangers.  The word pilgrim came along in the 18 hundreds, 2 centuries later.  They were not even Puritans, but separatists.  They split off from the Church of England, old Henry VIII's church, and the Puritans did not split off. 
2.   The Separatists did not come to establish religious freedom.  They came for religious freedom for their religion and only their religion.  Like the Catholic Church, the Separatists demanded everyone belong to their program.  Failure to conform could result in execution, ala inquisition.

 

 

And the Father will Dance, One of our most favorite hymns led by Ben.

 

 

1.  The Mayflower returned to England, was torn apart, and its beams were used to build a barn in Buckinghamshire (just north of London & east of Oxford).
2.  How did the Indians & Separatists communicate?   The Indians were Algonquians & one of them, Squanto had actually lived in Briton some years.  He returned to his tribe and taught his friend, Samoset English.  It was Samoset who communicated with the Separatists, & the Indians taught them to raise corn, to fish, and to hunt.  In the first winter half of the 100 Separatists died before the Indians taught them how to survive.

 

 

 

Elevation time.

 

Thanksgiving

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, my most favorite celebration, I would like to talk about blessings.  Excuse me for the personal focus.  It is my annual assessment.  Rosemary & I do this together more toward the end of the year, but initially I put together my own list.

As an aside, this Tuesday we celebrate the 26^th anniversary of the 6 Jesuits killed in the patio of their residence of their university, UCA, University of Central America, El Salvador.

 

 

 

Offertory with Mike, John, and Connie.

 

Thanksgiving

Despite the fact that Rosemary says, when she hears that I want to give a Thanksgiving homily this Sunday, “Not another thanksgiving homily.”  I  promise her that  won’t repeat the Big 3 Blessings in my life.  Like entering the Jesuits, spending 10 years in East Africa, and marrying her. 

Instead, I have Ragbrai.  The ride across Iowa in July.  You have heard me talk about this event on numerous occasions.  To me this is an extraordinary event, some 30 thousand riders, 400-500 miles from the Missouri River to the Mississippi.

 

 

 

 Saturday night wedding with Christi and Steve.

 

 

 I have my favorite vendor, the Mennonite community, serving home made pie slices and a big bowl of vanilla ice cream.  One flavor of ice cream, a dozen flavors of pie, which the are baking right there on the edge of the road. Like in October we took an ocean cruise in the North Atlantic, starting in Bergen, Switzerland, and continuing through Amsterdam and Portsmouth, England through the Straights of Gibraltar to Barcelona, Spain.

One of the most moving experiences was taking a bus from Bruge, Belgium to the First World War battle lines at Ypres.  This was to be the war to end all wars.

 

 

 

Away they go on a new journey in life.

 

 

Thirdly, and this is the best year after year.  This community, you people.  Like what community could you find who would welcome with open arms a crazy woman who wants to tell us about her ancestors who came over on the Mayflower.  Moreover, we loved the presentation, complete with singing and a costume change.

These are just three of my blessings this year.  What are three of yours. 

 

 

 

 

Even big kids get to play with the toys, as long as the kids don't see them

Readings:

Wisdom, 6, 12-16, Resplendent and unfading is wisdom.

Psalm 6, my soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

1 Thessalonians  4, 13-18, We shall always be with the Lord

Matthew 25, 1-13, The kingdom of heaven will be like 10 virgins, 5 wise, 5 foolish.  Stay awake (not for fear of being kicked out, but to catch the blessing.  No one is kicked out!)

 

 

 

 

Thanks to the Team

Music,  Ben & Shonda's  

Readers,  Beth & Rob & Buddy, the candle blesser

Gospel,  Deacon Mike 

Homily,  John Cade 

Eucharistic Prayer A & B, Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,  Richard & Hue & Mike

Final Blessing, Rosemary

For hosting us at Legacy, Becky

 

 

Download Readings Week 32

 

 (A personal comment on the acclamation and the Matthew reading on the 10 virgins, 5 wise, 5 foolish.

I really hate fear based spirituality.  This is a fear focused story about girls being girls.   Are we all not foolish in our lives, maybe even daily?  Is God waiting to catch us so that we all end up in hell?  On the contrary, Our God loves and treasures each of us.  Could the Jewish leaders & rabbis been attempting to scare the people into conforming & behaving.)

 

Homily by John Stack

Well, Folks, I think that because of the stress this week it is time for a Stack homily light.   I know.  I can hear Hammond saying, “What do you mean, John, all your homilies are light homilies.”  See, Folks, I can get away with this because Bill is not here to defend himself.   Yes, I know.  You just watch.  I’ll get an ear ache before I finish.  Hang on, here we go.

Last Sunday we celebrated the Feast of All Saints, one of my favorite feasts.  Remember how we used to put together a picture gallery of family saints, mothers, fathers, grand mothers, grand fathers, and special friends?  May we do it again next year.

 

The Brain Trust

 

Mike, in his homily had one line that struck me.  “The feast of All Saints teaches that holiness comes in all sizes and shapes.”  Almost immediately I began to think of numerous people who teach me or have taught me to be more whole, more appreciative, and more accepting of peoples’ uniqueness.   That does not apply to you, Ben (our dear guitar player).  Want to guess my top five 2020 winners?  Here they are.

Yep, Hammond is numero uno, the guy who introduced me to biking after I had to get new hips because of all the running I did, like especially the years in East Africa.  I think Bill tried to kill me because I first got on a bike (his son’s bike) to ride the Hotter ‘N Hell 100, like in 100 miles and 100 degree temp.   I think Bill almost fainted when I crossed that finish line.   We went on to do so much more together, biking, camping, charity & relief work.  So it is Saint Bill for me.

 

Shonda & Ben, The Best!

 

During the last 30 days, more or less, there has been call for an enormous number of volunteers to man a gazillion voting stations.  These places were open 7 to 7.  Rosemary & I ran into a bunch of these volunteers at our Fretz Park voting station.  They were so charming and so efficient.  For me our volunteer is now called Saint Richard.  Carol, your man did great work.

Folks, we also have in our midst almost every Sunday another saint in my estimation, Saint Becky.  Becky not only guides this marvelous charter school with all of its creativity. But she also guides another even larger school east of Dallas.  She has been broadcasting on Sunday mornings a program on education in this time of corona.  On top of all that, St. Becky hosts every Sunday morning our delightful community.

Yesterday Rosemary & I got invited to a birthday by Jackie Turner.  It was my first since the beginning of the covid.  I wanted to go just to see some of our good friends from the community.  But, I was also scared.  I asked Jackie how she was going to keep us all safe and germ free, and knowing Jackie she had everything well arranged.  For example, only about 7 of us would come together and we would all be spread out in the front yard, 6 feet apart, the whole business.   St. Jackie did a great job and it was delightful to see friends we have not seen in months.

 

The Birthday Party.

 

Finally, there was a quote in the newspaper that said, “Hey, kids have only so many years when they can appreciate the magic of Halloween.  It is too sad to make them miss one of these special years.”   I agree and am touched at how this resonated with me and how the person managed to have Halloween at her house.   It involved a length of pvc tubing.  I guess the candy was slipped into the tube at the top of the steps into the house.  It then came out below to the waiting little hands of the kids.  I also miss St. Cathy’s dramatic Sunday arrivals in costume bringing along her grandkids, Harper & Betsy.

 

 

The Great Halloween Tube

 

Those are my 5 special people who give me life.  Who are the special people in your life?

 

 

 

Please Remember these special people:

For Alan Stryker;  For John Doherty recuperating from an operation for his back pain;   For David Dinsmore's bad shoulder from a biking accident;  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 Mary & Dave Hall's g-daughter Allison Keller working at St. Lukes, The Woodlands,   For Loretta's aunt Alicia;  For Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody & Ben & Leo & all of Shonda's dear family;  

For Jackie's mom, sister, & friend, Lynn;  For both Jean & Cliff Wright;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg; For Meredith, cancer free;    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, plus John's daughter, Joey, with cancer,  For the students, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

 

 

Birthdays: David McKeon & Rosemary 

Anniversary:   John & Connie Bresson

  

 

Community Finances, November 8, 2020

Expenses: $2360.00

Outreach   $180.00    (often for Souls Harbor, Legacy, etc.)

Thanks, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

One more marvelous baby of the Braun family to baptize.

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead: Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved: and now we lie
In Flanders fields!

 

Taken from IN FLANDERS FIELDS
By Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae

Composed at the battlefront on May 3, 1915 
during the second battle of Ypres, Belgium

Acts of the Apostles 10: You know what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power.  He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

Colossians 3:  When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.

John 20:  Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed.   For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.

 

 

 

Good Morning, My Dearest Izzy, and welcome to our community.  We gather here this morning to baptize you into the the Catholic Community.  Thanks for coming. 

 

 

Readings:

Amos 6, 1, 4-7, Woe to the complacent

Psalm 146,  Praise the Lord, my soul.

1 Timothy 6, 11-16,    Pursue righteousness, love, and gentleness

Luke 16, 19-31,   The Rich Man & Lazarus.

 

Today's Homily will  be the baptism ceremony of Isaura Barbara Fleming,(Izzy), Daughter of Megan & TC Fleming.

 

 

 

This Baptism says that you belong to a community which loves you and believes in a God who loves you now and will love you forever.

 

 

Acts of the Apostles 3, God has brought to fulfillment what he announced.

Psalm 4,   Lord, let your face shine on us.

1 John 2, We have an advocate with the father.

Luke 24, While they were still speaking he stood in their midst.

 

 

Thanks……

Music,  Ben & Shonda

Readers, Frank & Mary Esparza, & Buddy, the candle blesser

Gospel, Deacon Mike Carrell

Homily,  John Cade

Eucharistic Prayer A & B, Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Richard 

Final Blessing, Rosemary

For hosting us at Legacy, Becky

 

 

Frank reads from Acts.

 

Readings for Sunday, April 18, 2021

Download Reading 3rd Easter 4-18-2021

 

John Cade Homily

Download Cade Homily 4-18-21

 

 

 

Mary reads from 1 John.

 

Remember these special people:

For Alan Stryker;  For Joe Sullivan;    For Rosemary's great niece, Rylie ;  For Richard's grand daughter, Madeleine;   For Esparza's new great grandson baby, son of Monique;  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, and for Hue & Linda's daughter, Doctor Rosemary Beavers;   For Mary & Dave Hall's g-daughter Allison Keller working at St. Lukes, The Woodlands,   For Loretta's aunt Alicia;  For Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody &  Leo & all of Shonda's dear family; For Ursuline Sr. Mary Troy 

The Team

 

Jackie's mom, sister, & friend, Lynn;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg; For Meredith, cancer free & John Schanot;    For John O'Donnell & Jean;   For Jean & Cliff Wright;  For Dee, and for her daughter, Lisa;  For Anthony & Sabrina;    For a young man who is suffering from depression;  John Cade's mother in law, Kalliopi Piskiouli and Lambrini, plus John's daughter, Joey, with cancer; from Barbara, a little 4 month old baby girl named Ford undergoing an operation; for David McKeon's brother, Hugh; For Beth's friends;   for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

 

 

John presenting another excellent homily.

 

Birthdays:    

Anniversaries:    John & Alyson DeGenova, 26th

 

Community Finances,   April 18, 2021

Expenses: $775.00

Outreach: $300.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 

Rosemary & Her Blessing:

 

May the graces of Easter help us to close the distance between God’s vision for a world of love, unity, reconciliation, justice and peace and the way we live our daily lives. Let us rejoice that by the grace of God, in so many ways, we make a difference to God, not perfectly, but with love and fidelity. Indeed, this is what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

May your lives continue to partner with God and bless the world.

Taken from Our Easter Faith – Making a Difference to Our God by Sister Jean Amore CSJ, Ed.D., Principal, Sacred Heart Academy, Hempstead, NY