Sunday Homily 3-27-11, 3rd Lent

Readings: Isaiah 42, 1-7; Psalm 29; Acts 10, 34-38; Matthew 3, 13-17, The Baptism

Isaiah: After 6 weeks of marvelous visions of the future, the writers of Isaiah today present a contrary vision, actually a vision of suffering that will characterize the savior.  Instead of a conquering hero, we are given a Suffering Servant.  There are three or four of these Suffering Servant Songs in the book of Isaiah, and they certainly were not the common expectation of the people.

There are two parts to today’s selection.  The second part is a beautiful description of how Yahweh, despite suffering, will help us to open the eyes of the blind and free people imprisoned and living in darkness.

The Story of Cuernavaca

Last summer our community sent $2500 to two women, a mother & daughter, living in a garage in Cuernavaca.  The money was a grant & a loan to help them start a small pharmacy.  Over the Christmas holiday Rosemary & I had the privilege to see how far they have progressed.

If you remember, I requested the help for a number of reasons.  First of all and obviously, they have virtually nothing and I for-see the day when Maria Luisa, the mother will pass on.  She has already had three primary sources of cancer.  I could see Karina struggling to live some day, while dealing with the fact that her mobility is so limited because she is crippled from childhood polio.

Karina, Maria Luisa, & I had talked about the day when Karina would be alone.  Out of the conversations came the idea that Karina could open a small Mexican pharmacy, which is more like our small convenience stores.  She had already worked in her aunt’s store and knew the business.  Moreover, despite their lack of formal education, I pick up how intelligent & savvy Karina is.  I often tell her she has a gift for teaching if she could only get the education and certification.  She has not been able to do this, even if I supported her, because she has had to care for her sick mother over the past five or six years.

The state of their progress is this.  The women have opened a small shop in an arcade.  They are selling candles and tea and similar items.  Karina tells me that she was not able to get a license from the government to run a little non-prescription pharmacy.  I had thought that she would have had an advantage in getting a license with her disability.  But no.

A couple of observations.

First, I was impressed with their ingenuity and creativity.  Instead of getting discouraged and defeated, they moved in a slightly different direction.  They found a place that is about 20 minutes by bus from their neighborhood, saying that they did not want to pay the higher rent for a place closer to home.  They did some do diligence to find this place in the middle of a busy neighborhood with lots of shops. 

Secondly, initially I was not excited about selling candles.  Can you make a living off of candles & tea?  However, looking at how proud they were of their clean little shop I could not help but think they will make it.  Karina is too street smart to lose.  They spend a few pennies on the bus and they tell me they will be open seven days a week.  Really they don’t have much at home, so the shop may be like a home.

If they succeed with this venture, I have told them that we are giving them a loan. Pay back is not to us but to people they know who really need help in Cuernavaca. 

Finally, both Rosemary & I were humbled that we could be the bearers of such joy and optimism.   I am grateful to all of you who made this dream come true. 

AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2008-01-13.mp3

Jackie’s HOLLAND: Download welcome_to_holland.doc

Rosemary’s Blessing:

May you always have walls for the wind, a roof for the rain, tea by your fire,              laughter to cheer you, those you love near you, and all that you heart may desire.

 

Readings:  Wisdom 18, 6-9; Psalm 33, Blessed the People the Lord has chosen to be his own; Hebrews 11, 1 & 2, 8-19; Luke 12, 32-48. 

Wisdom of Solomon Explanation:

Author or composer: not Solomon, but a Jew living in Alexandria, Egypt who spoke and wrote excellent Greek.

Date: ca. 100-200 BCE.  How do we know these facts?  Because of text analysis.  For example, while the author wrote in Greek, he uses phrases and expressions that have a Hebrew flavor.  Also, he mentions rulers and places that reveal date and locale like Alexandria (Egypt). 

Subject matter: the book makes use of traditional Jewish material, as well as ideas borrowed from Greek philosophy, in order to teach that God rewards those who are faithful to him.

 

Special Note: Wisdom is one of the 12-15 books of the deutero-canonical books of the bible.  Not OT nor NT, but in between and the subject of controversy over the centuries.  Were they really part of the bible or not?  How do you know?  Catholic church accepts the books, since the Council of Trent in ca. 1550.

 

Today’s selection, chapter 18, the next to last chapter: rather quirky and opaque.  Why the editors choose these tiny, disconnected paragraphs, who knows.  Basically, the author is gloating over the fact that the Egyptian first born babies were all slaughtered by Yahweh when Pharoah would not let the Jewish people leave, the Passover.  I will read his vision, vv.14-19 of the same chapter.

 

Sources: Good News Bible, Wikipedia.

 

Do not be Afraid Any Longer

 

 

Your man Tony O’Donovan and I have established a delightful practice of having either lunch or coffee every week. This past week we had a coffee scheduled for the Starbucks near me at the corner of Preston & Royal.

 

 

 

When I arrived about 9:30, Tony was already seated at a table on the sidewalk.  So I went inside to get two coffees.  There was a line of 8-10 people.  No problem, it always goes quickly.

 

 

In front of me was a guy about my height, but, let’s say a little portly without much apparent muscle tone.  The line is moving forward and the kids behind the coffee machines are calling to the people waiting in line.

 

 

At one point a kid calls out to the guy in front of me, but the guy  is looking to my right away from the kid calling him.  So I touch him on his left shoulder and say, “The kid is calling you.”

 

 

He turns around to me and he says in this intense voice, “Don’t you touch me.  Don’t you ever touch me!” 

 

 

 

Thump.  I am stunned.  I have nothing to say.  I just stand there and I guess I shake my head.  He pays for whatever he wanted and then goes to the end of the counter to pick it up. 

 

 

Then, he returns to me still in line and says the same thing again, this time adding something like, “You don’t ever touch a person in public!” 

 

 

Well, folks, I almost unloaded on him.  I was ready to knock him down and stomp on him.  I could handle the first time he spoke.  But when he returned to lecture me,  I nearly lost it.  I do not know what held me back.  Even now as I retell the event I feel my stomach muscles clenching up. 

 

 

I go outside and narrate my adventure to Tony.  He says that I’m lucky I did not start a commotion that would bring the police.  He would have disowned me.  I was double lucky, too, because my next door neighbor lady was there, a girl I really love for all she did for me when I was home bound. 

 

 

So what are the lessons from this event in connection with our readings? 

 

First, I would suggest that you do not have coffee with Irish married priests.  Very bad karma. 

 

 

However, I see two other lessons, one negative, the other positive. 

 

 

First lesson, as it said in the very beginning of the Gospel, ‘Don’t be afraid any longer.’  I would suggest this means, don’t be afraid of people, future events, or God .

 

 

As you continue in the Gospel, it seems to me Luke denies the very statement he makes in the beginning.  God is presented as a demanding master & we are servants who better be vigilant or we will get caught and sent straight to hell.

 

 

Everyone has their personal view of what our God is like.  I can only say that for me God is at least benevolent, not a master who beats people if they behave in some negative way, like Mark is saying.  Moreover, I do not see us as servants, but rather friends and caretakers.

 

 

Second lesson.  The Gospel talks a lot about vigilance.  Watch out or you are going to get whacked.  No way.  I suggest, as I have done before, the vigilance is for the beauty, the beauty of life, the beauty of nature, the beauty of people.

 

 

So how handle the Starbuck wakos? 

 

 

First, I am not afraid any longer. 

Second, I am vigilant, I focus on the beauty. 

 

 

What is your number 1 beautiful gift?

 

 

Picture 1:     Ray & Shonda at their baby shower for Leo

 

Picture 2: Some of the McGraths, Lauren & her grandmother, Jackie, Tom, Jackie's son, Maggie, Tom's daughter, and Alex, Lauren's brother

 

Picture 3:    Patricia & Dee 

 

Picture 4:    Nancy's home from Avalon

 

Picture 5:   Nikki & her granddad, Frank  

 

 

 

Readings:  Isaiah 60, 1-6; Psalm 72; Ephesians 3, 2-6; Matthew 2, 1-12 

Isaiah 60: 3 observations–

1.  This is Isaiah III who seems to have lived around the time of the Babylonian Captivity, i.e., 575 BCE., not at the time of Isaiah I (chapters 1-39) who lived ca. 800.   (& Is. II, chapters 40-50)

2.  Therefore, our passage from chapter 60 is addressed to Jerusalem which is in total destruction.          

3.  Isaiah is saying that your day is coming, Jerusalem, when you will return to being the most splendid city of all.  See the double meaning?  Jerusalem is a city & also a symbol of the Jewish people.

Psalm 72: 3 observations–

1.  King David is considered the author or at least the editor of the psalms.

2.  When written and sung the Jewish people were asking Yahweh to endow and bless their current king, i.e., Saul or David or later kings.

3.  The image of king over the years becomes a symbol, a symbol of the savior.  The expectation of the Jews was that a mighty King David type was coming.  Post Jesus the attributes of the king in this psalm are applied to Jesus.

Epiphany, The Coming of the Wise Men on January 6:

   3 observations–

1.  The word means an enlightenment, a WOW moment.

2.  Celebrated since ca. 300 & Constantine on January 6, 12 days from the birth, the 12 Days of Christmas.

3.  Considered a second Christmas, to the Gentiles, personified by the Wise Men, who were not Jews, but Gentiles.

The Epiphany, a Cornucopia of Symbols

Where to begin, folks.  There is so much symbolism in this liturgy, in Matthew, for sure, and in the combination of Matthew with Isaiah and Psalm 72.  I'll touch five points & end with a story.         

1.  The Wise Men.  Matthew uses them to  symbolize every man's search for truth & meaning in life.  They were like astrologers, searching the skies for meaning.  The search theme permeates this whole presentation and is Matthew saying, "Go, and do the same search."  You can sense in this story Matthew's esteem for how the Gentiles search and discover the savior, unlike his fellow Jews.

The Wise Men have a double & triple significance because they are Gentiles and they come from the east.  Where does the sun rise?  Where do stars rise?  A new son has been born and like the sun in the east he will bring new light.  Remember Matthew speaks to two audiences, his fellow Israelites, whom he is chastising in this presentation, and the Gentiles. 

2.  The Jews are getting put down for their blindness.  Here in the city of David, Bethlehem, another symbol because this ties Jesus up with the lineage of King David, here in this special city the chosen people do not have a clue about what a monumental event is taking place.  Even in the great city, the city of pilgrimage, Jerusalem, the people are blind.

3.  The star.  It is mentioned as rising.  Where do stars rise?   Another symbol for the rising in the east. 

4.  The O.T. quote.  Even though the chief priests and scribes in Jerusalem knew their scripture, they don't go to Bethlehem.  They quote chapter 5 of the prophet Micah, a contemporary of Isaiah III, who says, "Bethlehem, a ruler is going to come from you."  Micah thought of a ruler who would lift the Jewish people out of bondage, but Matthew turns it around, the ruler coming from Bethlehem being Jesus, not a powerful king, but a servant.  This is one of Matthew's most common tools of convincing his listeners.  He quotes O.T. passages to say that the passage is being fulfilled by this man Jesus, or baby in this case.  He is like a debater or attorney carefully crafting arguments for his case. 

5.  The 3 gifts.  Gold is given because it signifies royalty.  Frankincense, or incense, signifies divinity.  And myrra signifies being human.  Myrra is medicinal.  It comes from a bush like tree that has a yellow, sticky sap on its bark.  The sap was good for skin infections and acne, asthma, colds, and flu, and even herpes.  It is found in Saudi Arabia & Somalia.

The story.  A week ago today Rosemary and I had the privilege to bring gifts to the mother & daughter we have been supporting since I first met them in '86, when I studied Spanish in Cuernavaca.  We did not bring gold, but about $450 to help them with their little shop. 

Carina, the daughter, proudly informed us that this March they have been open for business two years.  Their merchandise is candles of all types, colors, aromas, and decorations, most of which they provide themselves.  They sell incense and herbs for coughs and colds.  They are both so grateful to everyone who has helped them out. 

We took them out to a simple restaurant twice and it was probably last year with us the last time they went out to eat.  Carina rides the local buses an hour to work and is open from 8:00-6:00.  It is a strenuous trip for her because of her being crippled.  In fact, she fell in the street earlier this year and is saving up enough money to either fix or get a new apparatus for her leg.  The old one, which we gave her some years ago, broke in the fall.

I am so humbled by this young woman's responsibility, her cleanliness in the little shop, her do diligence with the humble products she is selling.  While we were with her & Maria Luisa in the shop one afternoon, I saw how Carina graciously welcomed and chatted with a half dozen customers she had. Among other things, I watched her sell 4 three foot long white bees wax candles that she had decorated with a brown ribbon & bow & some decorations embedded in the wax.  She sold each for ca. $5.00. 

She had to take out two loans of about $500 each to buy up her merchandise and she is diligently paying it back step by step.  The $450 we brought will help with either the loans or her leg apparatus.  Her mother is her buyer and they bring in the candles from the region around Acapulco. 

In a quiet moment I asked Carina how has she planned for when Maria Luisa dies.  She has already had three cases of cancer & is 66.  Carina told me she is more vulnerable than she looks and is sick often.  She also told me she has no special plans for when her mother dies.  She can continue to live in the garage they live in now.  And she can maintain herself with the candle shop.  Thanks to you all.  It may be impossible to save the world, but you have helped two people to survive.

What will we do next?

AUDIO:   http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2009-01-04.mp3

Picture 1:  Birthdays & Anniversaries–Tom Fleming, Rich & Carol Eshelbrenner, and Roy Strom

Picture 2:  Carina & Rosemary & Maria Luisa in Cuernavaca, Mexico

Picture 3:  Carina's Candle & Herb Shop

Picture 4:  Carina & John & Maria Luisa

 

 

 

Sir Charlie, you are supposed to be welcoming everybody.  Looks like you are scaring everyone away, like me.

 

Readings: 

Isaiah 60, 1-6, Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem. (good one)

Psalm 72, Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.  

Ephesians 3, 2-3, 5-6,  The Gentiles are co-heir, members of the same body.  

Matthew 2, 1-12, The Epiphany or opening to the Gentiles.

 

 

John ready in case I forget.

 

An Epiphany Day

This morning I would like to talk about an Epiphany Day, meaning a special day or a wonder day or event or even a person.  December 28 was an epiphany day for me.  Anybody guess why?  Yes, the date of my back surgery, an event I was totally looking forward to.

 

 

Emma sharing her candle lighting gift with the rest of us.

 

The operation was scheduled for 10:00.  We had to be there at 8:00.  Rosemary & I were there at 7:30.  Somewhere around 8:15 they checked me in and gave me the special operation gown.  I was invited to get on my own special stretcher with 4 wheels. One guy wheeled me around and into a 14 cubicle pre-op room.   Along the way we picked up Rosemary and a good old friend.

 

 

Buddy reading our Blessing of the Christmas Candles.

 

I did not know it at the time, but I was going to spend 4 hours waiting in that room.   My doctor got delayed was all I was told.  Rosemary had to leave.  I got to know the names of the pre-op room staff, Matt and Deborah. 

 

 

Cody, tell Ben that he cannot go to  sleep until I start talking.

 

I teased some of the pre-op patients.  Like one lady was begging to have a coffee.  I welcomed back some from surgery.  I had to ask to use the restroom.  I napped.  All these 4 hours my buddy stayed with me.  He read the newspaper when I dozed.

 

 

To join this exalted team, it is required that you are named John and that your are old enough to forget your age.

 

Finally about 2:00 I was wheeled into the operating room, cold as usual.  An hour or so later I was awake, Rosemary was there, and my good friend was there. 

Looking back, the day was an Epiphany Day and the operation an epiphany event.  You know what was another epiphany event?   My good friend.  He came and stayed about six hours, from the time I was supposed to have the operation, through the delay, and up to and past the operation time.  The pre-op room staff even told the poor guy we looked like brothers.

 

 

Bill and his special mom, Mabel.

 

Know who that special friend is?  Mike Carrell, an Epiphany Event.   Thanks, Mike.

 

 

 

Hi, Tom & Joe & Marsha

 

 

 

 

The Best Teammates

 

 

 

 

Elevation Time

 

 

 

The Healing Touch with John.

 

 

 

Mike, an Epiphany Friend

 

 

 

 

Readings: Isaiah 49, 14-15; Psalm 62, Rest in God alone, my Soul; 1 Corinthians 4, 1-5; Matthew 6, 24-34.

Isaiah reminders—

 Author: This is Isaiah #2, the composer of chapters 40-55.  January 6 we had a first reading from this same chapter 49, verses 4-5, talking about Yahweh’s people being a servant and light to the nations.  I talked about the taxi driver whose son had been killed for his pickup truck in Cuernavaca.

 Date:  Ca. 575 before Christ.  The Jewish people of Jerusalem are defeated, crushed, & in the Babylonian Captivity.  Isaiah #3, chapters 56-66, is writing after the Babylonian Captivity.

 Today’s Message: Even though life is bad, Yahweh says he will never forget his people, somewhat similar to the reading from January 6.

Sources: Good News Bible

 

Don’ Worry About Tomorrow? 

 Yesterday afternoon I did a funeral celebration for a lady named Rebecca Sides.  It took place at Turrentine Funeral Home on Ridgeview.  She died of cancer at 58. 

 I did not ever know Rebecca personally.   I knew her through Jean Atwood’s son Sean, who married one of Rebecca’s three daughters, Terra.  Rebecca was the payroll supervisor for the city of Plano, so there were numerous Plano City people there, including her supervisor and an assistance police chief, both of whom gave excellent talks. 

 Of all the things I heard about Rebecca the quality that struck me the most was the way she had her priorities in order.  Her number one priority was her family.  She seemed like the family matriarch, a magnetic force that brought members together, especially her 4 grand kids. 

 

 I talk about her because she exemplified what Matthew’s two lessons are trying to teach us today and what he has been trying to teach us all during this sermon on the mount.  Namely, getting our priorities in order.

 I want to say a word about each of Matthew’s points, serving two masters and not worrying about tomorrow.  One preliminary reminder.

 Matthew is again using exaggeration, hyperbole, and infinite demand to convey his message.  Do you not want to say, ‘Are you nuts, are you crazy?’  There is another half, infinite acceptance, like the line, “The Lord is gracious and merciful, never gets angry, and is abounding in love.”  Psalm 103 & other places. 

 

 First, ‘Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, your body, what you will wear.  All these things will be given to you.’  Everyone can see this is like crazy.  And this is the negative aspect.  So it all gets dismissed. 

 The positive is the word  ‘worry’ repeated four times and the reference to the birds and flowers.  We can have our priorities and goals without worry.  We can emulate the birds and flowers to a point.  Worry leads to anxiety, to high blood pressure, and to strokes. 

 Secondly, the idea that we cannot serve two masters.  The negative part of this lesson is that it is either/or, black or white, God or mammon.  More exaggeration. 

 More positively, do we not serve a number of masters in our life?  God may be an ultimate master.  Do we not have numerous sub-masters?  Could it be possible I am my own master?  I wonder.

 
 

 All these lessons seem to be telling us to get our priorities in order.  From what I heard, Rebecca had hers in order.

 What are your 3 biggest priorities in life?

 Picture 1:   Leo with his baby sitter, Lynda  

 Picture 2:   Marlene & Cindy

 Picture 3:   Penny

 Picture 4:   Zoe

  

 

Readings:

 Deuteronomy 4, 1-2, 6-8, The commandments to Moses

Psalm 15,    The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

James 1, 17-18, 21-22, 27,  Every perfect gift is from above.

Mark 7, 1-8, 14-15, 21-23,  All these evils come from within.

 

 

                        Zoe says, "Welcome in, Everybody."

 

Observations on Deuteronomy

What is it about: Moses is addressing the people just before they are to enter into the Promised Land, the land of the Canaanites.  They have escaped from Egypt and have been wandering around in the desert for about 40 years.  Moses is dying and knows he will not go into Canaan.

The theme of the staged talk is that God has saved and blessed his beloved people.  To help them live better he has given them the 10 commandments and a whole bunch of other laws.  This is a book on the laws.

 

             Buddy says, "Last day here?  Dunno, I like it here."

 

This is the 5^th book of the original bible and the fifth of the Big 5, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy

Authors:  Inferring from the work, it is obvious that the judges and teachers of the people compiled the material.

Time composed: as with so much else, after the Babylonian Captivity, around 500 before Christ.

 

               "Hi, Tori, Want to see how you like Sigler?"

 

Observations on James

1.   We have James for 5 Sundays
2.   James was not an apostle, but head of the community after Jesus.    He gets stoned in 62.

 Sources: The New Interpreter’s Bible Study; The Good News Bible

        3.    Ever hear the story of Santiago de Compostella?    There is a large, ancient basilica in the Spanish province of Galicia, which, even up to today, has been a pilgrimage site for centuries, one of the big 3 sites in the world.  The other 2? Jerusalem & Rome.

The tale?  Briefly.  

 

 

        Genevieve says, "Well, it is all new to me.  Let's try it."

 

The Apostle James supposedly went from Jerusalem to the North West province of Galicia in Spain to convert the people.  He baptized with a sea shell which is his symbol on the pilgrimage route.

He went back to Jerusalem, was killed, and buried.  The angels transported his body to Galicia and buried it there.

One day a little shepherd boy was in the fields and a light shone from heaven on a spot.  A voice told him to tell the bishop to dig there for St. James' bones.  He did, the bishop dug up the bones, and he built a chapel over the site.  

 

        Leo says, "I like this place and I'll have fun at Sigler, too."

 

This was about the year 700, just after the time the Moors had crossed into Spain from Africa and swept all the way up into France.  From this time until 1492 when Queen Isabella finally kicked them back to Africa, the Moors lived a lifestyle and culture that was far superior to Spain and Europe in those times.

Meanwhile, James became the patron of the effort to remove the Moor. He was called the Matamoros, killer of the moors.

Over the years the chapel gave way to bigger and bigger until this large basilica was built.  It was a great economic boon, because thousands of pilgrims came.  Cures were apparently taking place.

 

           After 32 years working at TI, John is retiring.  Give that                       man a cupcake.

 

The basilica is famous for its huge thurible, which is swung at the end of most Masses from side to side in the apse, not the nave.  This was supposedly to lessen the aroma of the unwashed pilgrims who were allowed to shelter in the balconies around the basilica.

Rosemary & I & even Mary Ellen have visited Santiago de Compostella. Moreover, a former Jesuit classmate of mine from Washington State is this day making the pilgrimage which goes from Europe, like from Paris, over the Pyrenees, and along the northern part of Spain to Galicia.

 

 

            Harper says, "What is that man talking about now?" 

 

Grateful Reminiscing

Seeing that this morning we are doing our last regular Mass in our old home, I would like to do a little grateful reminiscing.  This started out pretty simple, then it got overwhelming, and finally I have narrowed it down to 4 main points.

First, remember the first time we celebrated Mass here, Thanksgiving weekend 10 years ago?  I can remember it clearly.  It had been about 5 months since I had seen most of you and certainly all those people who poured in that Sunday.  I was at the entrance greeting everybody with tears rolling down my cheeks.

 

                               Leo the Candle Lighter.

 

There used to be a middle aisle here.  Remember?  That Sunday I walked down the aisle, turned around, and then could not say anything for probably half an hour. 

That was one of the special events in this room and one of the special events in my life.

Secondly, three special events. 

1.  Christmas Eve celebrations with the little kids presenting the nativity.  Remember some of those days when we had a whole bunch of baby Jesus, both boys & girls?

 

                 Offertory, John & Jean, Louis, Judy & Mike

 

    Connected with that is the way the community has welcomed the kids     each Sunday, and the babies, like Genevieve and last week, Vivian.      Those kids give me so much spirit to my life.

1. Another special event was Fred’s memorial.  One of our best buddies. 
2. Then there is our music, with Ray and Shonda pulling it all together.   I get so high on what we sing I can dance all week.
3. After all this, thirdly, I have been touched by three special people who give me life, Mike, John, and Tony O’Donovan.

 

 

 

                           The Best, Shonda, Bethany, & Ray.

 

I remember that it was at Sigler one Sunday when his son Paul brought Mike to the community. 

Without John & his open spirit, I would really feel tied down.  You two help keep the community together.

With regard to Tony, do you realize that we would have been in a bind if he had not stepped forward before I was out some months with my new hips?

The final event I am grateful for is you folks, you people.  I am both touched that you keep coming back, week after week, and because of your presence I begin the week on a high, full of joy and sacred memories. 

Thanks for the 10 years of marvelous memories.

 

             Genevieve says, "Wake me up, please, when he is finished                   talking.