Sunday Homily, May 11, 08, Pentecost & Mothers’ Day
Readings: Acts 2, 1-11; Psalm 104; 1 Corinthians 12, 3-13, John 20,19-23, Pentecost.
Mothers’ Day Notes:
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The idea originated, ca. 1870, with 3 women who had worked in hospitals during the Civil War.
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Julia Ward Howe (Battle Hymn), Anna Maria Reeves Jarvis, & her daughter, Anna Jarvis wanted a Mothers’ Day of Peace because of the horrors they had seen in the military hospitals.
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Woodrow Wilson, 1914, established the national holiday.
Pentecost Notes:
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The word signifies 50, in this case, 50 days (or 7 weeks).
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O.T.: the Hebrews celebrated the 50th day after the Passover (Egypt, first born sons killed by angel, Jewish sons spared, to threaten Pharaoh into letting the Hebrews depart Egypt). The celebration eventually focused on agriculture & thanksgiving for the first fruits of the spring, and finally Thanksgiving for the Torah.
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N.T.: Christians tied this occasion to the spiritual fruits of redemption, the Spirit, 50 days (or 7 Sundays/weeks) after the Resurrection.
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Question: a 1 time only event or repeatable (e.g., Pentecostals)?
Mothers’ Day
In Thursday’s USA Today there is an article by Paul Aronsohn about two women, his mother & his sister, Margot & Patti.
When Patti was ca. 25 years old she was diagnosed with a rare disease that eventually would take her life, a disease that resembles M.S., but which does not seem to have a name or be very common. This happened in ’89, almost 20 years ago.
As the years have passed Patti slowly went down. Originally active athletically & intellectually, she first had to walk with a cane. Then she took up a walker, then moved into a wheel chair. Finally, a few years ago, she became bed ridden. To eat she has to use a feeding tube, into which something like Ensure is poured, yuk.
During the years her three sibling and friends have helped her. But the person who has helped her the most was her mother who was herself about 50 when the diagnosis was given.
Today Patti is about 45, totally bed bound, fed through a tube, can talk a bit, is conscious, and is awaiting the end. Her mother, Margot, is mid-70’s, takes care of Patti full time in Florida where they moved because of the milder weather than New Jersey. During the day Margot has help, but at night she sleeps beside Patti’s bed in case Patti needs anything.
What kind of love is this!! Remember Jackie Ritter’s story about landing in Holland instead of Italy?
Whom do you love this much?
AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2008-05-11.mp3