7th Sunday in Ordinary Time, February 19, 2023

1 Kings 19: Then the Lord said to him, "Go outside and stand on the mountain before the Lord, the Lord will be passing by."

Romans 9:  …and from them, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is over all, God blessed forever.

Matthew 14:  Peter said to him in reply, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."

    

John on his early morning walk

Ezekiel 37:  …O my people!  I will put my spirit in you that you may live, and I will settle you upon your land;

Romans 8:  But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness.

John 11:  The sisters of Lazarus sent word to Jesus, saying, “Master, the one you love is ill.”

 

There will be a Celebration of Life for Ron Senter on April 1st at 2:00 PM at Restland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

John Stack Ministries now meets at:  The ArtCentre of Plano, 902 E. 16th St, Plano

 

 

 

 

Healing Touch for Emma.

 

 

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

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

Place: Legacy Charter School,  601 Accent Drive, Plano, TX 75075

 

 

Healing Touch #2.

 

Readings: 

Acts of the Apostles, 13, 14, 43-52, The Gentiles were delighted.

Psalm 100,  We are his people, the sheep of his flock. (excellent stanzas)

Revelation 7, 9, 14-17,  I, John, had a vision of a great multitude.

John 10, 27-30, My sheep; hear my voice.

 

 

With this three some Everyone wants to Sing!

 

Community Activities:  

ROMEO MEET: Friday, May 10, Jason's Deli, Collin Creek Mall, west side of Central, 1:00.  Welcome all wakos, you will fit right in.   

 

Juliettes, June, TBA

 

A Summit Meeting.

 

TRUE?

 

Slow down and everything you are chasing will come around and catch you.

John De Paola

 

 

Wake Up, Rick!

 

What's up in Ye Old Catholic Church?  Like…

1.    Bannon's anti-Francis movement threatens church unity,  https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/bannons-emerging-anti-francis-movement-threatens-church-unity

 

 

Hooray, the Coffee Shoppe is open.

 

See you Sunday,  

J.S., 214-783-0443

 

 

Guess what Beth & Bill are talking about…  Pagosa Springs.

 

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.

 

 

If it is Cinco de Mayo, it must be Anniversary Time, like 14.

 

Welcome: Catholic Mass with coffee and juice and pastries, both bought and home-made, after Mass.

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

Place: Vines High School, Plano, 15th between Custer & Independence.

 

Emma figures she will help her mom just in case Beth needs her.  What a gift, how at home she feels.

 

Readings:

 Amos 7, 12-15  I was no prophet.  I was a shepherd.

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

Ephesians 1, 3-14, In love he destined us for adoption

 Mark  6, 7-13, Take nothing for the journey but a walking stick

 

                                  The Sacrament of Healing

 

Community Activities:  

1.        ROMEO MEET: Friday, July 10, Jason's Deli, Collin Creek Mall, west side of Central, 1:00.   Welcome back,  CO Campers.

 2.      LADIES' LUNCHEON,  August 6, Thursday, 1:00 P.M.,  Steve Fields Steak & Lobster Lounge, 503 West Park Blvd.

Everyone, please forward to anyone you think would be interested.  If you let me know I will add their email to the list. 

Carol 

 

                    Offertory, Mary, Louis, Mary Jane, and John

 

What is going on in our Catholic World:

1.       Catholicism & gay marriages, America, June 26, 850 words,     Download Catholicism & Gay Marriage 7-9-15

 2.      Francis in Ecuador, National Catholic Reporter, July 5, 900 words,      Download Francis in Ecuador 7-9-15

3.      Chilean bishop rejected by the people, National Catholic Reporter, July 7, 1000 words,    Download Controversial Chilean bishop 7-9-15

 

 

               The Gang, Denni, Connie, John, Tom, & Rosemary

 

True?  

 “Hatred is love frustrated.”

                                                                Ashley Montagu 

 

                  Communion, Cindy receiving the bread she baked

 

See you Sunday, July 12, 2015, 15^th Ordinary Time

J.S., 214-783-0443

 

                           Communion for All, Emma receives

 

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, Everyone 

 

 

 

 

 Readings:

 Deuteronomy  30, 10-14,  If only you would heed the voice of the Lord.

Psalm 69,  Turn to the Lord in your need and you will live.

Colossians 1, 15-20,  He is before all things.

Luke 10, 25-37,  A Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight.

 

 Deuteronomy observations:

 

The Scene: the desert outside the promised land.  Moses is talking to the people about all that has happened to them since he led them out of Israel and through the desert for many years.  Now, as they prepare to enter, Moses is dying.  He is simply exhorting them to love Yahweh and obey his laws. 

The Author:  not Moses.  A compilation put into three discourses.

Date:  guess when?  Yes, after the Babylonian Captivity, ca. 555 before Christ.

Subject today:  Moses talks about a command, but never mentions exactly what it is.  Watch for the answer in today's gospel.  The Great Command.

 

 

The Good Samaritan

I would like to talk a bit about the Good Samaritan parable this morning.

There may have been two meanings.  Initially this parable looks like simply an encouragement to help others, which it is.
 

However, there is a second meaning, perhaps more profound, especially for the Jews who are listening. It has to do with prejudice.

 

The setting. A Jewish lawyer is asking a question about his justification. Where does one draw the line in helping a person? Who is my neighbor? Some observations.

First, the road from Jerusalem to Jericho was notoriously dangerous and plagued with thieves. That this man was alone is significant.  People would travel in groups for safety. Was he an outcast?  Friendless?  Not too
intelligent or not so innocent?

Second, the man was stripped. For the lawyer this would signify that the man was without identity, of no identifiable class. In other words, he might not be anything, not even a Jew. He was Every Person.  A human being.

 

Thirdly, the priest & the Levite (a priestly class). The lawyer would know why they did not stop to help. The Law. They would have been on the way to the temple and they could not cause themselves to be ritually impure or dirty.  In the temple they had to be pure, no contact with dirty people or they could not offer their sacrifice.   Organized religion still follows this practice? 

 

Then, fourth, along comes the Samaritan. To the Jewish lawyer & the Jewish listeners Samaritans were considered scum.  Samaritans were Jews from Israel thought to have intermarried with pagans, i.e., people who did not recognize Yahweh as the name of their God, probably Assyrians after 700.    They did not get swept up in the Babylonian Captivity. They would defile the temple just by entering. In sum, they were vile and dirty, certainly not capable of performing an act of love.

 

But, to the surprise of the lawyer & the audience, it is the Samaritan who performs the act of love.  He even risks his own life by rescuing the man. Jesus further twists the knife by showing how the Samaritan goes beyond the call by setting the man up in an inn and promising to cover all his expenses.

The composer of the parable goes further and plays with two elements used in the temple sacrifice: oil and water.  The Samaritan employs these elements to clean (purify?) the victim.  The author knows what he is suggesting in using these items.

Jesus is responding to the lawyer's question, "Who is my neighbor," by saying "Everybody."  No prejudice.

 

Know anybody like that Samaritan?  How about you?     

Sources, Francis Vanderwall, Jesus, The Parable of God (Francis will speak here September 28-29)

 

                                                                                                                                                     

 

Mark 11, 1-10, Jesus enters Jerusalem

Isaiah 50, 4-7, I gave my back to those who beat me.

Psalm 22, My God, Why have you forsaken me.

Philippians 2, Christ did not not regard equality with God.    (Omitting this reading)

Mark 11, Passion

 

 

 

 

Romeos, Welcome!    Jason's Deli, 1:00, Friday, March 26.  Required: vaccines, mask for entrance & departure. 

 

Reminder for Sunday, March 28, 2021, Palm Sunday

Here are the links for Sunday: