Sunday Homily 7-11-10, 15th Ordinary Time

Readings:   Acts 10, 34, 37-43, This man God raised; Psalm 118, This 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, 1-9, Mary of Magdal came to the tomb early.

Leo lighting the Easter Candle with his mom, Shonda

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 at 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 Resurection Today

Last Satuday there was a picnic.  This was not your ordinary picnic.  It took place in Flower Mound on the west side of town, the Circle R Ranch.  It went from about 10:30 to 2:30 on one of our recent beautiful days.

The picnic was for kids handicapped in some way. 

 

There was another picnic before Christmas, this one for underprivileged kids.  3,000 younger kids poured in and ran all over the place for about 5 hours. 

This past picnic the kids were not running around.  Many of them came in wheel chairs or prams.  They were often physically misshapen.  They frequently could not speak.  But they could smile and they did.

I volunteered to work at the photo area.  This was really well run by two black guys with their camera, lap top, and printer, as well as another guy who arranged the families, and two girls who provided decoration.  The families could choose their decorations or get ups from 4 themes represented in pictures, like Easter, cowboy, fireman, and so forth.   They hardly needed me for crowd control like the December picnic I worked. 

What I did mostly was watch and touch, and be touched.  I was close to tears with so many of these kids and with their families.  I shared this with some of the team and they, too, said they were likewise moved.  I wanted to hug the kids and hug the parents.

Because I was not greatly needed I moved to the welcome post.  Here I was touched again.  People were trickling in, so I began talking with a lady who was also welcoming kids and families.  It was her first time to volunteer.  Eventually she talked about her son, about 40 years old and slightly handicapped.   He had been shot a month or so ago at the downtown Dart train stop. 

I did not know what to say.  She was in tears and I too, especially because of her attitude.  She was grateful.  She was thankful for the long life her impaired son had had. 

I talk about these simple events because for me they are Easter events, Resurrection events.  The characteristics of this type of an event: more life, more peace, and gratitude. 

The kids were not so unusual.  The talk with the lady, Terry, was pretty routine in the beginning.  Similar things happen all the time.  I went to touch these people.  But I was touched.   I came away with more life, more peace, and so much more gratitude for so much. 

What is the Easter event in your life today?

 

 

Isaiah 50, God opens my ear that I may hear

Psalm 116, I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

James 2,  What good is it if someone says he has faith but does not have works.

Mark 7,  Whoever wishes to come after me must  deny himself.

 

 

Welcome from Ben.

 

Thanks……

Music,    Ben & Shonda

Readers, Denni & Tom, & Buddy, our candle blesser 

Gospel,     John Cade

Homily,   John Stack

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,     Richard & Hue & Mike

Final Blessing, Rosemary

For hosting us at Legacy for all these years & will miss you enormously, Becky

 

 

The John & John Team

 

Homily by John Stack,  Download John Stack homily 9-12-2021

 

 

Remember these special people:

For John & Karen Anderlick's unborn grandson;   For Rosemary's great niece, Rylie;  For Richard's grand daughter, Madeleine;   For Esparza's new great grandson  & Frank;  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 Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody &  Leo & all of Shonda's dear family; For Ursuline Sr. Mary Troy,

  

Peace, Everybody.

 

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 daughters, Lisa & Lauren  ;  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 12 month old baby boy named Ford recuperating from an operation; for David McKeon's brother, Hugh; For Beth's friends & brother;   for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

 

 

Happy Anniversary, Dear Mike & Geri.

 

Birthdays:   Warren, Sandra

Anniversaries:  

Mike & Geri, 46th

Tom & Lynda, 39th

Beth & Rob, 37th

 

 

Happy Birthday, Warren.

 

Community Finances,   September 12, 2021

Expenses: $375.00

Outreach: $150.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

Happy Birthday, Dear Shonda

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

May those that love us, love us.

And those that don't love us, may God turn their hearts.

And if He doesn't turn their hearts, may He turn their ankles, so we will know them by their limping.

An Irish Blessing

 

 

Rosemary reading her Irish Blessing.

 

 

 

Peace Richard & Everybody.

Readings:  Isaiah 66, 10-14; Psalm 66, Let All the Earth Cry Out to God with Joy; Galatians 6, 14-18, Luke 10, 1-12, 17-20

 

4th of July: some notes–

1.  Celebrates the composition & signing of the Declaration of Independence from the British on July 4, 1776.  2 days ealier a declaration was made. 

2.  Composed by a committee of 5, including the greats, Jefferson, John Adams, and Ben Franklin.

3.  Jefferson & Adams, long time friends and collaborators, both died the same day.  Guess the day: July 4.  Exactly on the 50th anniversary of the first July 4. 

4.  Just so you know: Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, Coney Island, NY, began July 4, 1916.

 

 

Isaiah 66: 2 notes–

1.  This is the last chapter of the whole great book.  Therefore, the author is author #3, written just at the end of or after the Babylonian Captivity, ca. 550 BCE.  It is also part of the Book of Consolation and the reading today is total consolation.

2.  Jerusalem is mentioned a lot.  What about making Jerusalem symbolic, not just the place?  What kind of symbol?  Don't know.  But, all of us have our Jerusalem place.

Sources: Wikipedia; David McCullough, John Adams (excellent work)

 

 

The Harvest is Abundant, but the Laborers are Few?

 

 

Last weekend John Cade, Tony, and I went to a convention-seminar at the AA Training Center south of DFW airport.  The meeting was sponsored by and for Corpus, a national organization of over 600 married priests.

About 80 plus people were there, and, folks, I was impressed.   Humbled, even.   About half the guys came with their wives.  These people are the best. 

 

 

I would look at these men and think to myself, ‘These are the kind of men this church needs.’  They are healthy spiritually and psychologically, they love to serve, and they are rejected because they married.  The Catholic Church reminds me of the mad wolf who eats her young.  Every one of these men should be active and would be active if they could.

 

 

Let me tell you briefly about just two men who moved me.

 

 

First is a man named Anthony Padovano.   You may have heard about him or read him.  Incredibly talented and accomplished, he’s written over 25 books, has lectured at 25 colleges & universities.  He has doctorates in theology and literature.  He presents at the U.N. and at The Hague.  He’s a playwright and, in fact, for the second year in a row we got to see one of his plays, one on Thomas Merton.  Last year was Martin Luther.

 

 

Equally outstanding about Tony Padovano, however, is his optimism in the face of lots of criticism and his personal warmth.  He presented a talk on the profoundly positive impact the Second Vatican Council has had on Catholicism, an impact that cannot be reversed despite the reversal efforts going on.  When the article is printed, I will attach it to the blog.

 

 

 

The second person who humbled me was a married priest from Louisville, Kentucky.  A simple, easy going guy, I only know his first name, Tony.  I called him Louisville Tony.

 

 

I got to know Louisville Tony Friday afternoon before the seminar began and after we both had checked in.  We ended up sitting on a porch overlooking the beautiful campus. 

 

 

He told me that when he married about 25 years ago, he had no idea what he was going to do to support himself & wife.  He had decided to go into teaching, when he saw an ad by Hospice asking for chaplains.  He applied, was accepted, and has worked as a Hospice chaplain in Louisville now for decades.

 

 

He told me he loves what he does.  He is prevented from being a priest officially, but he said that with the exception of doing Masses he is working full time as a priest anyway.  He wanted to know all about you folks and how and when our community got started.  A number of guys, in fact, wanted to know this.  He said he might explore starting a small group in Louisville.

 

 

In the gospel this morning we hear about the harvest being abundant, but the laborers are few.  I would say, “Whoa!”  I know of an organization that has 600 laborers, Corpus, who signed up to be workers, but did not just want to live alone.  I find that the ones I’ve come to know through Corpus are still laborers, just not officially. 

 

 

 

In fact, they are like all of us, because we are all called to be like Louisville Tony, even like Anthony Padovano, in our own way.  In this community you help with CCAC, with Habitat, with Heritage Farm, with the Life Net food serving at Thanksgiving, with food drives, and on and on.

 

 

What are you doing today? 

 

 

Picture 1:   Mass Begins, Wendy & Ben

 

Picture 2:   Sienna with grandmother, Robyn, and mom, Erin

 

Picture 3:   Sacrament of the Sick, John Cade

 

Picture 4:   Sisters, Cindy & Marlene

 

 

 

Readings:

Acts 5, 27-32 & 40-41,   We must obey God rather than men

Psalm 30,  I will praise you Lord, for you have rescued me.

Revelation  5, 11-14,  Blessing and honor, glory and might forever and ever.

John 21, 1-19,  Put your finger here and see my hands.

 

Homily by Mike

I have an app that makes me aware on my iPhone when there is an important news event. This happened some weeks ago when white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel.   After I looked at it, I turned my sound to off.

What was going though my mind was, ‘How did the conclave decide so quickly.’  I was apprehensive, and didn’t want to know who had been chosen. 

When I did turn it back on later that day, I had a number of phone calls to return.  All but one came from friends who were not Catholic [however, who are one with us through the power of the Holy Spirit].  

One thing each of them spoke about with joy was the name our new Pope had chosen, Francis.  The name had been immediately identified to the universal prayer of St. Francis, which seeks to have us become sowers of the good news.  It helps us to recognize that all of us are part of the papacy of Francis! Together we are one body; our name has become Francis, too. 

 

For the last decade I have spent a great deal of time studying the structure spiritual writings: all of which have been composed with some type of structure.  

Look at the copy that I have made for you. The bold print is a mini summary of the Gospel, where we are to be sowers of the good news!  What is not in bold print in the first section are those who have not received or not allowed the seed to take root, to whom we seek to console, understand,  and love. Notice that we address God in both the bold and un-bold

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. 

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon. 

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sadness, joy.

 

O Divine Master,

Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

And it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

 Today’s gospel reading begins after the Lord has witnessed his Peter, a good man, being the buffoon: going fishing for gentiles in darkness, without casting out the net [composed of his good news] to the gentile side of the lake.   

Our Lord had chosen a motley group of sinners, and had led them to forgiveness. Today he comes to Peter, whom he had chosen to lead the church, to reinforce within Peter his responsibility to feed his flock!  How? In the light of day in this celebration of Word and Sacred Meal.  The New Covenant meal fulfills not only all of the Jewish feasts; but their Sabbath Scripture study as well.

Recently I saw a film that made me think about Peter, our first pope. It was entitled, An Afternoon with Marguerite.   

It is about a man about 5o who meets Marguerite, 95, in a park. She is a holy, and very educated woman, never married, whose mission has been to serve those in need. She currently resides in an assisted living facility. 

 He is a large man. He had been severely abused as a child by his mother, whatever man was living with her, and by his teacher at school.  He never went back.  He had lived all these years essentially illiterate tending his garden and doing odd jobs.  He meets Marguerite. He reaches in his pocket and sows some seed to the 19 pigeons that he knows by name.  He is known by some as a good man, by others as a buffoon. 

She sees the goodness within him and begins to sow words.  She always has a book with her, and asks if she can read to him aloud. A friendship has begun. She reads and asks him questions, day after day; and her words enlighten him. She leaves a book with him, later a dictionary.   

At first he is frustrated; later, for she is going blind, he reads to her.  Her nephew sensing that she has a very short time to live, stops paying her monthly rent and sends her to a public facility to spend the rest if her life.   

[       ] searches for her, finds her, and steals her away from her dismal surroundings.  The film ends with him driving her to his home where he will take care of her.  

These are some of the words we hear coming forth from his heart as they drive away laughing, talking to one another and sharing a sandwich: ‘This is not a typical love affair; but love and tenderness are there. Named after a daisy she lives among the words surrounded by adjectives in green fields of verbs. 

Not always are love stories just made of love, sometimes love is not named, but it is love all the same. Don’t die now; just wait, it’s not the hour, my little flower. Not always are love stories made of love; love is not named, but it is love all the same. 

Tape this prayer of St. Francis on your bathroom mirror at home.    Try to become aware of those who seek to be consoled, understood or loved…for it is giving that we receive; it is in pardoning….

 

 

 

 Readings:  

 Ezekiel, 2, 2-5, Hard of face and obstinate of heart are they to whom I am sending you.

Psalm 123, Our eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his mercy.

2 Corinthians 12, 7-10 A thorn in the flesh was given to me to beat me, to keep me from being too elated.

Mark 5, 21-43, A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.

 

More Observations on Ezekiel (June 17 we also had Ezekiel)

Who:  Ezekiel is one of the Big 3 prophets.  Why?  48 chapters.  The other 2: Isaiah & Jeremiah.  These 3 have lots of chapters & material.

Ezekiel was born into the priest class.  He later was considered a prophet.  He got The Call from God.  When he was about 25 he was swept up in the Babylonian captivity, around 590. 

When: It covers the period of the Captivity, 600-550 before Christ, which Ezekiel lived personally.  But the work is composed toward the end of the Captivity, around 550.  This is Ezekiel’s material, but it has been saved and edited by his fellow priests.

Message:

1. Ezekiel criticizes the people and warns them that their bad ways will be punished, for example, by being defeated and led into slavery and the Captivity.
2. He promises comfort and a brighter future for the captive people, especially envisioning a restored temple (which then lasted until when?  The year 70, when the Romans finally destroyed the temple & the priestly cast ceased to function, to this day).
3. An amusing vision: The Dry Bones, chapter 37.

  Today’s selection:   Ezekiel gets The Call or invitation from God to go tell the Israelite people that God sees what is going on.  Which means, tell them they are behaving horribly and they will pay dearly for their misbehavior. 

2 Corinthians observations -(2)

1.  This second letter to Corinth is often called the severe or tearful letter.  Paul was upset with the Corinth, Greece community because of what he thought were false prophets undermining his authority.  These people could have simply been people who disagreed with him.  At points you can almost hear Paul playing his violin & singing 'Poor Paul.'

2.  He talks here about a thorn in his flesh.  So, what is that?  People have speculated for centuries.  Could it have been he was OCD (obsessive compulsive), bi-polar (mood swings from manic & dramatic to depressed), a sexual addiction, epilepsy, or something else?  Is there evidence in his writing for any of this?  Maybe. No way to really diagnose.  The patient has been dead for a few years.

Sources: Good News Bible, New Interpreter’s Study Bible, St. Louis U. Liturgy Studies, Wikipedia

 

Jack & Sophia

Ever seen a Prophet?

Friday I received a call from an old friend in Baton Rouge.  Since my class reunion with my S.J. buddies, I have been longing to reconnect with other old friends especially in the New Orleans area where I lived and worked in the early 70’s. 

My friend’s name is Lucy and she is a St. Joseph sister.  I knew her and her community really well when I was director of a spiritual center at Grand Coteau, near Opelousas, a couple of hours up the river from New Orleans. 

In those days Lucy and the St. Joseph sisters were spiritually and psychologically healthy nuns working to make the Catholic community even better along the lines set up by Vatican II. 

I lost track of them when I went to Tanzania & Kenya, only finally making contact again with Lucy on Friday.  I had to search all around for her phone number, and then when I called she was out of town. 

I found out that their headquarters on Mirabeau Ave. in N.O., where I gave some retreats & said Masses was wiped out by Katrina and they have relocated in Baton Rouge.  I was stunned.



I thought about Lucy & her sisters when I was looking at these readings about Ezekiel & Jesus’ roles as prophets.  I would like to talk about 3 nuns who were & are prophet like people for me. 

I have become aware in the past couple of weeks how rich has been my experience with so many women of this caliber.

Remember, first, prophets do 3 things.  They criticize the evils of their times, they promise God will punish, and they offer consolation for reform.  A side effect of their criticism is the hatred of the people they are criticizing. 



I consider this pretty Old Testament.  New Testament prophets don’t promise God will punish.  Most of us don’t believe that any more.  Katrina was not a punishment from God.

First, there is a sister Marian.  A doctor, from around Denver, a Medical Missionary of Mary.  We are about the age.   She had been working in Tanzania since before I first came in contact with her around 1980.   She is there this morning.

Marian & her community not only work in Tanzania, a poor country, but she normally works in the most remote places you can reach.  No tourists visit.  One of her specialties since I departed Tanzania is AIDS & HIV patients. 

Another sister about my age working in Tanzania is Anita, a Maryknoll.  She & her sisters work to empower the females of the villages.  Do not imagine the men of the village always like this.  These sisters, too, live in remote places and in utter simplicity, like the Medical Missionaries of Mary.  The simplicity of their living often shamed me as a Jesuit.



Then, there was one special nun who worked on my spiritual renewal team, a Sister of Africa.  Hanny was her name.  She was not American, but Dutch & lived in Holland during the Nazi occupation.

She was about 10-11 years old during the occupation. Her family lived on a small farm & they successfully hid a Jewish family during the war.  Hanny used to courier messages on her bike, holding them in her mouth. 

One time she rode up to a German check point with her German shepherd dog.  The guard came out and shot her dog dead.  When I knew Hanny she had accepted this and was marvelously peaceful. 

I talk about these nuns today for two reasons.  First, they have been models of courage, service, and prophetic vision for me.  I am blessed by their presence in my life.

Secondly, the American nuns, as you probably know, are enduring a lot of criticism from the Vatican.  Their leadership team here in the States is getting what prophetic voices get, rejection.  Rome ought to be ashamed of themselves. 

Finally, if you want to see something touching, Google Nuns on the Bus.  This was a June bus tour by nuns appealing Congress for more rather than less support for the poorest of the poor.

These are just a few of the heroic religious women I have known in my life.  I am in touch with Marian, out of touch with Anita, and Rosemary & I visited Hanny a few years ago in Holland, where she now lives in retirement.  Lucy has opened a door for me to reconnect with a number of the sisters I knew and have lost contact with in Louisiana.   I even suggested that we might have a reunion and she was all for it. 

Wonder where the prophetic people are today?  Check out the religious sisters as a starter.

Who is the prophet person in your life?

 

 

 

 

 

Readings:  Exodus 24, 3-8; Psalm 116, I will take the cup of Salvation, and call on the Name of the Lord; Hebrews 9, 11-15; Mark 14, 12-26

Exodus: 8 points on the readings, including Exodus–(2 on Exodus, 4 on points from the other readings, 2 more on Exodus

    1.  This is the 2nd book of the Torah/Pentateuch, the first section of the Old Testament.  Deuteronomy, which we visited last week, is the 5th & last book.

    2.  Story: This is a fabulous and edifying fable that tells how the Israelites got out of slavery in Egypt with the leadership of Moses. 

    3.  Passover: the night the angel passed over the first born male children of the Jews because they had smeared lamb blood on their door posts.  But the angel killed all the Egyptian first born sons to make Pharaoh let the people go.  Remember, this is not history, rather like a fable, like Aesop's Fables.  The Last Supper was a Passover meal.  

    4.  Covenant vs Contract: in a contract two parties agree to do something.  If one fails, the contract is often null.  In a covenant two people agree, and even if one party fails, the other party honors the covenant.  The Covenant between Yahweh & the People:  the people will honor Yahweh as their only god; Yahweh will protect and care for them as his chosen, and bring them into a new land.

    5.  Sacrifice & holocaust: ancient tribal belief that I must offer to my god (s) things precious to me to appease the god's anger or win his favor, for example, animals, prisoners, and the most beautiful girl in the community.  Jesus was seen as this sacrifice to appease the god, and also as the high priest who usually performed the sacrifice.  Thus the emphasis on blood & death.

    6.  12 tribes: the 12 sons of the patriarch Jacob (or Israel; the 3 patiarchs were Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob-Israel).

    7.  Author & Date of Exodus: not Moses.  Rather a compilation of material from different centuries, that was mostly put together after the Babylonian Captivity, e.g., ca. 550 BCE.

    8.  Our Selection from Exodus: the people have been wandering in the desert and are now being given laws and customs they must observe.  The Covenant is being sealed.

The Special Meal

As usual, last Thursday & Friday I am preparing thoughts and ideas for our homily today.  I tell Rosemary that I want to talk about the theme of special meals in connection with Eucharist and that I am going to take a big risk and put it together after the Collin County Classic Bike Rally.  Why?  Because I am anticipating that the meal they serve to the riders after the ride will be special, a meal from heaven. 

After the race yesterday, however, I totally was not hungry.  My stomach is not sick, just tight from so much exercise.    In fact, if I want anything it is  half of a cold watermellon.  I even pass up some tremendous food at the Eshelbrenners where they were celebrating Gloria's visit from Seattle.  She is getting married this Labor Day and guess who is doing it. 

So I head home and tell Rosemary please get the watermellon ready.  She opens it and, ugh, it is over ripe.  So I go to Tom Thumb and finally about 3:30 I have the first bite of watermellon.  Folks, it was watermellon from heaven.   I did not have a big feast, but I had a special meal of watermellon & a salad.

What is your special meal?  Your favorite?  Your favorite restaurant?  Favorite meal of the year?  Thanksgiving?  I talk about this because special meals are the form on which the Eucharist was originally built.  I see 3 characteristics about a special meal that are common with good Eucharistic celebration.

    First, camaraderie and conviviality.  I expected that we would have a bunch of our people at the McKinney North High School dining room for lunch.  It would have been an electric ambiance with everyone just finished the run.  It did not turn out that way.  Thanksgiving can have this characteristic.  Our Vines celebrations have it.

    Second, quality food and drink and often special food.  Thanksgiving we have turkey, birthdays have ice cream & cake with candles, weddings have special cakes.  In Tanzania a goat was roasted over a spit to celebrate a wedding.  It lasted all day long.  Which brings up time.  Special meals take an hour or more when it is really working.  We at Vines spend an hour, maybe a little more.  We have good wine and good bread, home made bread. 

    Thirdly, rituals.  At Thanksgiving we often say a prayer of thanks.  At weddings, cake cuttings.  At special events, blessings can be mentioned.  At Vines we have our rituals, the sign of peace, the music, the readings and great homilies.  Next week we have a special blessing for the old dads.

I would propose that special meals are the foundation for Eucharistic celebration.

What meals are special to you?  How do you initiate them?

AUDIO:  http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2009-06-14.mp3

Picture 1:  Cole Ryan Webster welcoming the community with Kevin & T.J.

Picture 2:  Cole's baptism with his mom Erin & dad Chuck, Lisa & Brandon

Picture 3:  Lynda with Kayla

Picture 4:  Peyton & Madison with their mommy Ashley