7th Sunday in Ordinary Time, February 19, 2023

 

 

Says Cindy, "Welcome in, Everybody."

 

Readings:

Isaiah , 49, 3, 5-6,  I will make you a light to the nations.

       (This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine.)

Psalm 40,  Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will.

1 Corinthians 1, 1-3,  Paul, called to be an apostle

John 1, 29-34, I saw the spirit come down

 

 

And never to be left behind, Ben, too, says, "Come in, Everybody.  It is delightful here."

 

 

I will make you a light to the nations

Have you people ever heard of a woman named Samantha Elandary?  No?  Never heard of her?  You must be living under a rock. 

No.  Actually I had never heard of her until I saw her at choral presentation last fall at Richardson High School.  All singers were Parkinson persons.  She  is my choice for being a light to the nations.  Certainly she is a light for me.  Why?

 

 

The Candle Girls in action.

 

 

Samantha, a graduate of UNT with a degree in speech pathology, established in 2005 a non- profit program called Parkinson Voice Project. 

One of the delightful little surprises of Parkinson is that the person slowly loses voice strength, eventually becoming almost mute and faced with whispering to communicate.  I personally have noticed that I am developing a little bit of this.  Ask my buddies at our Friday Romeo’s luncheons.  Maybe even Rosemary would love me more if I would reach this stage.

 

 

 

Buddy reading the Candle Blessing.

 

Samantha’s program at Parkinson Voice Project has two levels.

1. Individual speech therapy one on one with a professional therapist.  I am on this level.  I started in January a 4 week program of 3 sessions a week, 2 sessions with my therapist,  & a third session with a group of people on this beginner ‘s level.

 

 

The communion team.

 

I have a workbook with phrases I am instructed to read and speak with intent.  Speaking with intent is the key.

2. The second level takes place at the end of my month and involves group sessions where I am challenged to speak with intent loudly.  I’ll tell you more about this in February, when I graduate into the group therapy sessions.

 

 

I'm jealous, Ben!

 

I cannot tell you how consoled I felt the one time I was in the group session.  All of us had the same problem and I felt a sense of strength & of being among kindred spirits.

There are today over 400 participants in the Parkinson Voice Project .   It is also training therapists from other corners of the U.S.  The program started by Samantha, meeting such a great need, is the only one in the world. 

 

 

Welcome in.

 

The program operates on a pay it forward arrangement.  I have not been asked for a nickel.  Participants are obviously chipping in. 

In fact, at the fall choral presentation we were told about a financial challenge Samantha was given.  Collect 1 million dollars and a benefactor would donate $500 thousand.  Samantha & her team succeeded. 

 

 

 

The Best Team.

 

Samantha Elandary is my Light to the Nations, a person who makes God’s touch reach to all the corners of the earth.

Who is your Samantha?  How are you a Light?

 

 

You are The Best Salesgirl for Girl Scout cookies, Dearest Harper.

 

 

Lynda reading from the Book of Genesis

 

 

Thanks…     

Music,   Ben

 

Community Finances:   

  Expenses: $    530.00

  Outreach: $    110.00 

 

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 

Izzy gets a cookie

 

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

 

The Kiss of Peace

 

Thanks…     

Music,   Ben & Shonda

 

Shonda gets Leo's cookie for his birthday 2 weeks ago

 

 

Community Finances:   

  Expenses: $    850.00

  Outreach: $   260.00 

 

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 

 

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

May you be blessed with the gift of humility

To know who you are,

To appreciate your strengths and talents,

To be aware of your shortcomings and limitations,

And most especially…

To be grateful each day for life

Author Unknown

 

 

 

"Welcome in, Everybody," say Hue & Linda.
 

 

 

Welcome: Catholic Mass with coffee & juice, and pastries, some bought, some home-made.  

Time: 9:30; Celebrate with the Community & Stack

Place: Sigler Elementary, 1400 Janwood Drive, Plano, TX 75075

 

 

 

 

What are these two up to??

 

 

Readings:

Genesis 9, 8-15,  Never again shall all creatures be destroyed by the waters of a flood.

Psalm 147,  Your ways, Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.

 1 Peter 3, 18-22,  God patiently waited in the days of Noah.

Mark 1, 12-15, The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert.

 

 

 

Just judging by appearances, I would suspect that whoever is seated in front of John is in danger.  Why else would be Connie so amused??

 

 

Community Activities:  

ROMEO MEET: Friday, February 16, Jason's Deli, Collin Creek Mall, west side of Central, 1:00.  Welcome all wakos, you will fit right in.  

JULIET LUNCHEON, (aka.,just us ladies into eating together),  March Luncheon, TBA

 

 

 

Cindy & Ken, Joe & Geri (twins?)

 

Dickenson Trip:  February 23- March 3

 

 

 

Bill Hammond putting the touch on Bill Ekes to join us in Dickinson, TX to help those folks after the hurricane. 

 

 

What is going on in Our Catholic World:

1   For a good article on why an excellent NY Jesuit was disinvited to a NJ parish, go to 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/03/opinion/sunday/scariest-catholic-james-martin.html

 

 

 

 

Say Nina and Kerry, "Who let in this old geezer in with that red cap?"

 

 

True?

– 100 years ago everyone owned a horse and only the rich had cars. Today everyone has cars and only the rich own horses.

 

 

 

 

Healing for Grace.

 

 

See you Sunday.

J.S., 214-783-0443

 

 

 

 

Healing for Jan.

 

 

JSM Mission-Faith Statement:  Help create a Catholic Community that welcomes all God’s People, provides for and challenges spiritual and total growth.

Reaches out to help people who are disadvantaged and make the world we live in a better place to live.

 

 

 

Peace, Everybody.

 

Due to the ice on the driveways and roads, we will not have Mass on Sunday, December 8, 2013.

The collection for the Samaritain Inn will take place next Sunday, December 15, 2013 along with the collection for the Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center.

Also next Sunday, we will have a Penitential Service and Christmas Brunch.                                  

We are looking forward to seeing you on Sunday, December 15, 2013.

 Welcome back, Everybody, to our Community Blog.  We are back in business.

 

Thanks, John Cade, for covering so beautifully for the two weeks Rosemary & I were in France.

 

 

 

Hi, Zoe, so nice to see you after two long weeks of us being away

 

 

Readings:  

 Acts of the Apostles 10, 25-26, 34-35, 48-48,  God shows no partiality

Psalm 98,  The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.  

 1 John 4, 7- 10,  God is love.

John  15, 9-17,     If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love.

 Note how conditional the love of God is presented.  Truly?

 

 

 

Hi, Harper, so nice to see you, too.

 

 

Sing to the Lord a New Song

 

Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds, Ps. 98

I want to talk this morning about singing a new song to the Lord, because I am a richer person than the last time we were together.

I am richer because of our trip to south west France.  I am richer because of traveling with Rosemary and Mike & Judy.  I am a richer person because of a couple with whom we had dinner probably the 4^th night of our river cruise.

 

 

 

Emma, our super candle lighter, doing her magic, while Georgie reads the Blessing For Candles.

 

 

The couple, Leon & Karen, are retired and live in California.  Listen to Leon for a sentence or two and you know he does not come from Texas, not even the States.  He had the beautiful Brit accent.

Karen I could not place.  She was, in fact, German.  They both had been long gone from the countries of origin.  In fact, they met in Switzerland and had been married, I think, around 40 years.  

 

 

 

Two new community members in their doggie carrier?   Are we not an inclusive community or not!
 

 

 

As I listened to Karen I became more curious.  She was not only German.  I began to suspect we were very close in age.  In fact, we shared the same age, 78.  Knowing we were the same age and she was German, oh, no.   The Question immediately came up in me.  I hesitated.  I did not want to disturb Karen with a heavy, personal question when everything had been light and social.

Finally, sensing an inner peace in Karen, I asked, How were you affected by WW2?

 

 

 

And the excellent music plays on.

 

Calmly & without hesitating she responded with 4 experiences.

1. She remembers ’44.  She was 4 years old.
2. She lived in a town that was getting heavily bombed.
3. The family ran to the mountains of Bavaria.
4.  After the war her father returned from being captured and imprisoned by the British.  He was never the same.

 

 

 

 

The elevation with Buddy & Georgie helping.

 

 

As she tells me this, I am so moved I am in tears.  I am humbled.  How old was I in’44?  4 years old.  How come I was so blessed?  While Karen is running from bombs and enduring the reconstruction, little John is living peacefully and without a care in the world in the safe little village of University Park.  His next door neighbor is Sam Berger, a good friend of my dad and a Jew.

I have never met a person like Karen, a person who lived through the War in Germany.  And who was so peaceful.

I went to ask her permission to talk about her.  Of course, I got teared up just asking.  Without hesitation she said, “Sure.”

 

 

 

I am sorry we have no cupcake for you, Brent, but I am so proud that  our community can give you $2,000 a month for Souls Harbor.

 

I come back from this trip, humbled, touched, and singing  to the Lord a new song.

What is your song this morning?

 

 

 

Juliettes eating out.  Jason's Deli?