Readings: 

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

Psalm 146,  Praise the Lord, my sould.

1 Timothy 6, 11-16,  Pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love.

Luke 16, 19-31,  The rich man and Lazarus.

 

 

Amos observations :  (from last week's Mass)

What :  One of the 12 minor prophets, only 9 chapters.

Who: 
the book presents the thoughts and observations of Amos, who was a sheep herder
and a fig farmer.  He was born in the southern kingdom of Judah in a
little town south of Jerusalem, but he is condemning the people, especially the
rich, of the northern kingdom, Israel.

Time: 
Amos was active around 755 before Christ, but his words and message were
revised and edited down through the years, especially during the Babylonian
Captivity, around 555 before Christ.  He lives just before the Syrians
destroy the northern kingdom of Israel, around 700 before Christ.

Message: 
Prayer and sacrifice don’t make up for social injustice and oppression of the
poor by the rich. 

 Today: 
God will punish you rich and prosperous for your abuse of the poor.  Amos
may have seen the threat coming from the Syrians. 

Sources:  Good News Bible, New Interpreter’s Study
Bible, Wikipedia

 

 

Some of Francis’ points in his homily this morning:

1.  The first sin
   of the rich man is that he is blind.  He
   came and went every day and did not even see Lazarus at his doorstep.  Wealth can blind us, too.
2. The second sin of the rich man is that even in Hades
   he still thinks he is significant enough to tell Abraham to order Lazarus to
   warn his 5 brothers.  His self image is
   inflated and blinds him to this character flaw.  Entitlement?
3. The rich man is condemned not because of his wealth in
   itself, but that because of it he feels self righteous.  The trap of wealth, I am better than that one.
4. There may be a parallel in Luke’s mind between Lazarus
   and Jesus, which comes out in the talk between the rich man and Abraham.  Jesus was poor, died, and returned to
   life.  Were Lazarus to die and return to
   life, neither would he be believed, any more than Jesus was believed.
5. There is a play on words with Lazarus.  In ancient languages the name Lazarus could
   be equivalent to Abraham.  Therefore,
   Luke rubs it in: Lazarus may be a personification of Abraham himself, lying on the
   doorstep of the rich man who never sees him.

 The lesson: Who is the Lazarus, who is the poor
person at your own doorstep?

Source:   The Liberating Stories of Jesus, Francis Vanderwall

 

 

 Readings:  Isaiah 5, 1-7; Psalm 80, The Vineyard of the Lord is the House of Israel; Philippians 4, 6-9; Matthew 21, 33-43 

 

Isaiah:

• The biggest of the big 3 prophets not only because of the book's volume, 66 chapters, but because of the beauty of some passages.   The book is my favorite.
• Time written: before the Babylonian Captivity (ca. 590) chapters 1-39 seem to have been composed by the prophet.  After the Captivity (ca. 540) at least two followers seem to have composed chapters 40-66.
• Today's selection: talks about a vineyard worker who labors carefully to bring forth good grapes, but gets only weeds.  What does he do with the vines?  This story matches up with Matthew's parable.

 

The Crazy Landowner 

Picture 1:    Sacrament of the Sick

Picture 2:    Shonda, Bethany, & Ray

Readings: Genesis 14, 18-20; Psalm 110; 1 Corinthians 11, 23-26; Luke 9, 11-17.

The Miracle of Sharing

Years ago when I lived in Tanzania, East Africa, I suddenly one evening had to take the overnight train from the capital, Dar es Salaam (Harbor of Peace, on the Indian Ocean) to our Jesuit house near Kilimanjaro. Since I was late in getting a reservation, I had to simply pile into one of the 3rd class cars with lots of people, their kids, their luggage, and even chickens. I planned to sit up all night on my suitcase or on the floor. 

Suddenly about 1:00 in the morning the train stopped in the middle of a scrub nowhere and we were eventually told the train had broken down. We sat on that track until about 5:00 the next afternoon.  I even tried to sleep on the rocks of the train bed. Trouble was, thinking I would be home in the early morning, I had no food &, more importantly,  no water. This was just stupidity on my part. I had been around too long to neglect this. Breakdowns were common on train and buses. And there was nothing to buy anywhere.

The Tanzanians all seemed to have come prepared and I would have been given at least a drink by various people, because I could speak with them. They had little stores of food and drink tucked into the folds of their robes or in baskets. But, I did not want to drink their water. It was possibly not purified. Of course all the time I am thinking the train will start any moment.

Late in the morning I noticed an young white couple in the forward part of the train.  We got talking and they shared with me their water.They were Germans and later I was going to climb Kilimajaro with them on one of my 5 trips.

Later that afternoon I was really able to help them out because the guy, a real big guy in the German army, took a picture of a baby lying near us under a shade tree. Someone saw him, told the mother on the train, who told the husband, who told the whole train. They circled him and us and wanted to take him to the police, wherever that might have been. 

Instead I was able to get everyone to sit down and talk. Finally the family agreed to let the German cut off the piece of film. Naturally he just clipped the lead and gave it to them.

I talk about this because I often think about this event when I hear the story about Jesus passing around the bread & fish.  I propose an alternative miracle to the more obvious. I base it on my experience with people who would not likely go out for the day without taking provisions. There were no McDonald’s.  Moreover, normally the people would hide their food and hoard it. Who knows when they might need it? 

What Jesus does it take the 5 loaves & fishes and share them with the nearest people. Picture the scene.The first person gets the food, takes a little, feels guilty because he or she has more hidden away, then pulls out of a hiding place a bit of bread, and passes it on. The process continues all over the huge crowd and at the end there is food left over.

The miracle is sharing. 

I also read recently that strict observance Jews would have been among the crowd and they did not believe in eating with unclean people.  Morever, they would eat only ritually cleaned food.  According to the story, everyone ate.

When I was on that dead train I would have been helped by the Africans. They respect white folks, especially when they speak the language, and many were probably Catholics.  Fortunately, I did not need their generosity because the Germans had purified water (this was before the bottled water fad). They had no trouble sharing and I still remember how good their water tasted. 

How are you being challenged to share more?

 

Download homily as an mp3 file

Readings: Isaiah 6, 1-8; Psalm 138 (a favorite); 1 Corinthians 15, 1-11; Luke 5, 1-11 (Call Themes). 

Isaiah – Last week we heard the story of the prophet Jeremiah’s call by Yahweh.  This week we have Isaiah’s call.  These are the two biggest O.T. prophets. 

1 Corinthians 15 – In last week’s Corinthians’ reading Paul described his vision of love.  Today he continues talking to the people of his church in Corinth, focusing on how he was called by God.

My Call

Today I have a story just for you kids.  Parents and old folks can take a nap.

Ever hear of the story of Miss Rumphius?  Miss Alice Rumphius? 

A long time ago in the age of sailing ships, little Alice Rumphius used to visit her grandfather at his cottage in a village near the sea.  He was an artist and a carver who created figures to place on the prows of the sailing ships.

Alice loved to visit her grandfather because she got to help him carve the figures, some of which she later saw in front of cigar shops in the village.  Also she loved to hear her grandfather tell of the many adventures he had experienced in lands all over the world. 

One evening, Alice told her grandfather that what she wanted when she grew up was to be like her grandfather, sailing to far off exotic lands and to have a home near the sea. 

Her grandfather congratulated her and told her he was flattered that she wanted to be like him.  There was one more thing important to him that she might consider if she truly wanted to follow him. 

“I’ve always tried to make the world more beautiful.”

Alice liked this principle and promised her grandfather she would truly make her world more beautiful.

Soon her Grandfather passed away, Alice grew up, and she began to travel.  She roamed the world experiencing marvelous adventures. 

At one place, Egypt, I think it was, Alice hurt her back and had to return to the house she had built near the sea.  She had accomplished her first two goals.  Her third goal, the call her grandfather held most important, she had really forgotten in her adventures.

Until one spring day when she was gazing out of her kitchen window.  There she saw some flowers.  Beautiful, she thought, realizing she had done nothing to make the world more beautiful. 

Consequently, she walked to the nursery, bought some seeds she was told would grow next spring if she planted them now, and returned scattering seeds along the way.  This she did all over the hills and roadsides of the region. 

The next spring Miss Rumphius’ village and its environs were a riot of colorful flowers.  All the people were delighted.  Miss Rumphius, too, was delighted.  She had responded finally to her third and most important call to be like her beloved grandfather.

How come we talk about this?

Today we are focused on personal calls.  Miss Rumphius got one, and so did Isaiah, Paul, and the apostles on the lake. There are calls to help make the world more beautiful and calls to help make people more beautiful. 

What is your call? (Please feel free to post your call.)

Click here to download the homily as an mp3.

Readings:

Isaiah 40, 1-5, 9-11, Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God (one of the most beautiful readings.)    This marvelous selection from Isaiah will be dramatized by Handel's Messiah, sections 1-4

Psalm 85, Lord, let us see your kindness and grant us our salvation.

2 Peter 3, 8-14,   Beloved, be eager to be found without spot or blemish.

Mark 1, 1-8, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.

 

 

Have a Blessed & Happy Advent.

 

Thanks to the Team

Music,  Ben & Shonda, 

Readers,  Connie & John Bresson  & Buddy, the candle blesser

Gospel,  Mike Carrell 

Homily,   Deacon Mike Carrell

Eucharistic Prayer A & B, Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Mike & Richard

Final Blessing, Rosemary

For hosting us at Legacy, Becky

 

 

 

Our beloved Deacon Mike Carrell.

 

 

Download Reading Week 2 Advent

 

Download Mike's Homily 12-6-2020

 

 

Please Remember these special people:

For Paul & Carrie recuperating, plus her ex, Larry;  For Alan Stryker;  For Joe Sullivan;    For Rosemary's great niece, Rylie ;  For Richard's grand daughter, Madeleine; For David Dinsmore's bad shoulder from a biking accident;  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 & Ben & Leo & all of Shonda's dear family;  

 

 

Tranquility.

 

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 a little 4 month old boy undergoing an operation, from Barbara;  For the students, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

 

 

Making Magic, Hue & Rich.

 

 

Birthdays:  Fred Jansky 73 & Patricia 20 years smoke free, Noah Thompson 24, TC Fleming, & Loretta

Anniversaries:

Tom & Denni, 45th

 

Mike at prayer!

 

 

Becky's List: View this photo
 

 

Community Finances, December 6, 2020

Expenses: $1300.00

Outreach   $225.00  (often for Souls Harbor, Legacy, etc.)

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

When this is over, may we never again take for granted

A handshake with a stranger

Full shelves at the store

Conversations with neighbors

A crowded theatre

Friday night out

The taste of communion

A routine checkup

The school rush each morning

Coffee with a friend

The stadium roaring

Each deep breath

A boring Tuesday

Life itself.

When this ends, may we find that we have become more like the people

We wanted to be

We were called to be

We hoped to be

And may we stay that way – better for each other because of the worst.

 

Laura Kelly Fanucci

Given to me by Pat Jansky

 

 

Readings: Numbers 11, 25-29; Psalm 19, The Precepts of the Lord give Joy to the Heart; James 5, 1-6; Mark 9, 38-43.

The Book of Numbers

 

The fourth book of the Pentateuch.  It leaves us with the impression of a carefully structured and organized religious society moving through history under the sustaining and guiding hand of God.  It is a very complex collection of historical, legal and liturgical traditions spanning a period of about a thousand years!  

An outline would identify three broad divisions of the book: The sojourn at Sinai, chapter 1-10 covers the last 19 days the Israelites spent at Sinai. 

 

The second section deals with the journey from Sinai to Moab, chapter 10-22 and covers a span of about 38 years.  The third section, chapters 22-36, covers events in Moab over a period of 5 months.  Today's reading is from the beginning of the

second section, when the people are just starting out on their journey.  Moses is getting concerned with the responsibility of all of the people, so God shares the spirit, which is on Moses among 70 elders, even two who were not part of the group gathered around the Tent.

The Letter of Saint James

 

This is the final Sunday for the second reading to come from Letter of St. James, which we have listened to for the past five weeks.  In the reading today the mood is very stark!  “Your wealth has rotted away”.  The audience for this letter is the communities outside of Jerusalem.

Again remember the letter is a collection of moral observations and instructions, and in today’s reading James’ does not have much that is positive to say about the rich.  The bigger context is to encourage the Christians who are suffering at the hands of the powerful.  James reminds his audience that Jesus is coming again very soon!  Immediately following today’s reading he says “Be patient brothers until the Lord’s coming”.

Notes on the Gospel 

 

9:42 "it is better for him rather if the millstone of a donkey had been set around his neck and he had been thrown into the sea." The force of the two verbs indicate it would have been better that the person died before causing the scandal.

 

9:43 "It is better (that) you go into (eternal) life deformed . . . " Compare this statement with Leviticus 21:17-24, where only the undeformed could lead worship. Only the physically intact high priest could enter the Holy of Holies, the place the populace believed Yahweh definitely dwelt. In addition, self-inflicted wounds were forbidden in the Torah.

 

Now Mark stated the self-deformed could enter the kingdom. Ignore, for a moment, the fact that Mark used this extreme language symbolically. The weight of the statement was simple. Not only the sinners (the "deformed") could enter the Kingdom, the righteous (those with "two hands") could suffer eternal punishment! In addition, sometimes needed to "deform themselves" (i.e., leave the community of the "righteous" for the community of "sinners") to be saved

               

"unquenchable" in Greek is "asbeston," the root word for "asbestos."

                    

9:43, 45, 47 "Gehenna" The valley of Hinnom, south and west of ancient Jerusalem. This valley became infamous as the "high place" for idol worship among Judah's monarchs (including an oven for human sacrifice). Because of it reputation, "Gehenna" became metaphor for eternal damnation in the time of Jesus.

                                  

9:44, 46 "where the worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched" Both verses are the same. Most scholars do not believe these verses are part of the original text, so they are deleted from most modern translations.

               

9:48 "where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched." Unlike 9:44 and 9:46, this verse is original. This verse was an adaptation of Isaiah 66:24

                          

Homily for Sunday September 27^th 

 

If ever there was a gospel passage which begs for the topic of the Pedophile Disaster it is today’s, but I am not going there!!  Instead I thought about getting some hacksaws and pliers and making them available for use here today!!  If you eye causes sin – pluck it out.  Chop off your hand or your leg!!!! What is this all about? 

           

For me, this is a classic example of why it is not too smart to take the bible literally!  No, God does not want us to be inflicting severe bodily harm to ourselves.  So what is going on in this reading?

        

The three readings today are a brilliant example of why we have readings at mass.  The Word of God is speaking to us thru the readings each Sunday.  Here is what I am hearing from today’s readings.

            

In the OT reading from Numbers, we are at the beginning of the journey, the people have just been given the Covenant with God…. But already they are starting to have a really bad attitude about the whole thing, and poor Moses is feeling overwhelmed.  I guess life does get to be overwhelming at times.  Too many things too little time.  In the reading, God helps Moses first by sharing the spirit with others, can I share whatever it is that overwhelms me with others… a problem shared is a problem halved.  Then God in the very next sentence after our reading has quail blown in from the sea to feed the people.  When I am open to allowing God to help me, he invariably does. 

            

The Second reading from James reminds me to keep things in perspective.  Not to get too attached to material things.  The real riches are for me found within family, within community.

            

The Gospel passage from Mark for me says that what we here in this community are doing is the right thing!!  “Whoever is not against us, is for us”.  If ever there was an example of not seeing eye to eye with the established religion, it was Jesus.  It was ultimately what set him up for crucifixion.  The established religious were too threatened by what he was saying and doing.

           

 

But back to what I said at the beginning, what are we to make of the chopping of limbs etc.?  It is a classical example of why it is important to fully understand the context of the scriptures.  Today’s readings ask me to take stock of my priorities.                      

          

Let's take a few moments of quiet to begin that process.

                 

You may be the only Bible someone reads, will they be able to find God?

 

Picture 1:  Tony celebrating with Kevin helping

 

Picture 2:  Altar helpers

 

Picture 3:  Mike Miller presents CCAC with $2000, Cathy, Ray, & Claire accepting

 

Picture 4:  The Froebes, Richard, Morgan, Alexandra (O.U. junior), & Monica