The Transfiguration of the Lord, August 6, 2023

Readings: Nehemiah 8, 2-10; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 12, 12-30; Luke 1, 1-21

Nehemiah – The book of Nehemiah takes place during the Babylonian captivity. Three main characters play roles, though the first two are not mentioned in today’s reading. Cyrus is the benevolent ruler of Babylon. Nehemiah is the Jew Cyrus puts in charge of restoring the city of Jerusalem and the temple. Ezra, the central character of today’s reading, is a priest & law scholar.

We arrive on the scene after Nehemiah has established Jerusalem. The people have assembled in the town center and asked Ezra to read to them the law that orders their new lives. We hear part of the reading, a part that emphasizes rejoicing.

1 Corinthinians – During the time of Paul the Greek city of Corinth was almost as significant as Athens. Paul had established a community there and in his letter he is offering his advice to the people.

Chapter 13 is Paul’s famous letter about love being kind & patient. Chapter 12, our reading today, offers an almost amusing analogy of the community to a body. We are parts of the body and consequently we are important, making our unique contributions.

Liberty to Captives and Sight to the Blind – It was 21 years ago that the Jesuit superior in Nairobi told me in a letter that I should go back to the States for good. I was shocked and downcast by the news. It took me some years to get over it.

This spring Rosemary, Mary Ellen, & I will return for my first visit. Something I had hoped I would do, but never knew for sure.

In my 10 years there, I did two basic things. First, I helped establish a spiritual center-retreat house on the edge of Nairobi, Kenya. We bought 39 acres with two houses on the edge of a stream across from the Nairobi game park. In fact one night coming in late, another Jesuit & I (Louie Lambert) saw a giraffe crossing our front lawn.

The second thing I did was to help create spiritual growth & human maturity seminars, which we gave to priests, nuns, and bishops in Tanzania, the country just south of Kenya. I coordinated a mobile team of 2-3 priests and a Dutch nun.

These seminars were residential and lasted 1, 2, or 4 weeks. They were marvelous events with all races and men & women. We even gave a number of the seminars in Uganda during the days of Idi Amin.

All during my time in Kenya & Tanzania, I used to reflect upon what I was doing over there. I did not want to be considered a missionary, because I saw the negative effects of the cultural imperialism that came with the missionaries. For instance, drums were forbidden at Masses some places because they were considered pagan.

What did motivate me was the line in today’s gospel, "I come to give sight to the blind and liberty to captives." This still motivates me. I take the line metaphorically, not literally. For instance, this is why I talk often about the fundamental option instead of mortal-venial sin. I know my spirituality has moved from blindness to better sight, from prison to greater liberty. Otherwise, I would not have had the courage to get married.

I suggest that we, too, are challenged to help others see better. We do it with little kids. We do it with senior citizens. What a gift to help a person see that they are good and not bad.

This is what Jesus says in the gospel that he is doing. It is what I hoped I was doing in Kenya & Tanzania. It is what we are all challenged to do today.

Name one person you can touch into better sight, greater liberty.

Download the homily as an mp3 file (8751.1K).

Special Thanks:
For reading, Alexandra & Mary Ellen
For the Altar Bread, Linda Fleming
For Serving, Carmen & Ashley
For the Altar & cake, Margie Dugan & David & Alexandra
For the Books & Communion Cups, Roy & Carol Strom, Beth  & Rob Robinson
For ushering & all sorts of jobs, Cliff Wright
For the music, Ray & Wendy & Hue

 

Jeremiah,  … he shall do what is right and just in the land.

Psalm 25, To you , O Lord, I lift up my soul

1 Thessalonians 3, May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all,

Luke 21, There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, …

Port of Marseille

Thanks……

Music,    Ben & Shonda

Readers,    John & Connie, & Buddy, our candle blesser 

Gospel,     John Cade

Homily,  John Cade

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,      Mike 

Final Blessing, Rosemary

Cote d'Azur

 

 

Readings:  Download 11-28-21 – 1st Advent Readings

Homily:  Download 11-28-21 1st Advent Homily

 

The Readers, John and Connie 

 

Remember these special people:

For John Stack having a hard time right now with a bad back;  For Laura Chollick;  For John & Karen Anderlick's grandson, Cooper John who lived only a few hours with his parents;   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,

Mike's Birthday

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

 

Cathy's Birthday

 

Birthdays:  Mike Moran 12/2,  Grace LeBlanc 12/4,  Cathy Bambanek 12/4

Anniversaries: Frank & Mary Esparza 11/28,  John and Michelle Simari 11/29,  Brent & Meredith 12/1,  Shonda & Cody 12/3

                                                        

Cody and Shonda's Anniversary

 

Community Finances,   

Expenses: $  830.00

Outreach: $  

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

Eze

 

Rosemary's Blessing:  

 

Prayer for Good Humor
by St. Thomas More

Grant me, O Lord, good digestion, and also something to digest.
Grant me a healthy body, and the necessary good humor to maintain it.
Grant me a simple soul that knows to treasure all that is good
and that doesn’t frighten easily at the sight of evil,
but rather finds the means to put things back in their place.
Give me a soul that knows not boredom, grumblings, sighs and laments,
nor excess of stress, because of that obstructing thing called “I.”
Grant me, O Lord, a sense of good humor.
Allow me the grace to be able to take a joke to discover in life a bit of joy,
and to be able to share it with others.

 

Community Finances:   

  Expenses: $  710.00

  Outreach: $   50.00

 

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 

Brent gets a check for Soul's Harbor

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

Acts of the Apostles 10:  To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.

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

John 20:  They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don't know where they put him.

 

 

 

Thanks…     

Music,    Ben

Readers,  Mary, Frank and Mary

Gospel,   

Homily,   John Stack

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Kevin

Final Blessing, Rosemary

 

       

Frank reading from the Acts of the Apostles

 

Readings:  Download 04-09-23 Readings – Easter Sunday

Homily: 

 

                                                                                                                                                                    

Mary reading from Paul's Letter to the Colossians

 

 

There will be a Funeral Service  for Cindy Cramer on April 15, 2023 at Restland (Wildwood Chapel) at 10:00 in the morning

 

 

Remember these special people:

For Cindy Cramer's family;  For the family of Ron Senter;  For Frank Esparza;  For Jan;  For Tom  Quinn who had 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 ;  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; 

       

Hue, our Number 1 Zoom Man

 

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.

 

 

Kevin, our Number 2 Zoom Man

                                          

Birthdays:  Tom Zurchin 4/11

Anniversaries:

 

Community Finances:   

Expenses: $  1,100.00

Outreach: $  50.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

       

Buddy gets a cookie for his reading of the Prayer for the Lighting of the Candles

Baruch 5:  Wrapped in the mantle of justice from God, place on your head the diadem of the glory of the Eternal One.

Philippians 1: So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well.

Luke 3:  … John, Zachariah's son, out in the desert at the time, received a message from God.

John Cade's Homily from last Sunday:  Download 12-01-24 Homily- 1st Sunday of Advent

 

 

Mike celebrating his birthday at the Crab Shack with a tin foil crab on his head

 

 

Another Reminder for the 2nd Sunday of Advent, December 8, 2024

 

A Reminder:  Daylight Saving Time begins this weekend.