24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 11, 2022

 

Thanks to Cindy Cramer for noting an omission in yesterday's Reminder for Sunday.  Sorry about that.  

The Reminder: Brunch this Sunday celebrating our 9th Anniversary as a Community and the coming of The Nativity.  

 

Thanks…     

Music,   Ben 

 

  Expenses: $   375.00

  Outreach: $       0.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 

Izzy gets a cookie

 

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

O God of Quiet, come!

Whisper in our waiting hearts what you ask of us. … Come!

Help us listen. Help us be quiet.

May God’s small, still whisper reach our waiting, listening hearts.

 

Sr. Delores Dolezai

 

Donna give us an update on the sweatshirt collection

Ezekiel 34: Thus says the Lord God: From now on, I myself am the shepherd.  As shepherds go after their flocks when they get scattered, I’m going after my sheep.   I’ll rescue them from all the places they’ve been scattered. 

James:  You can no more show me your works apart from your faith, than I can show you my faith apart from my works.  Faith and works, works and faith—they fit together hand in glove.

Luke 17: Whenever you did one of these things to the least of my sisters and brothers—that was me.  You did it to me.

 

 

Mary Jane reading from Ezekiel

 

Thanks…     

Music,   Shonda & Ben 

Readers,  Mary Jane & John

Homily,   John Cade

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Richard

Final Blessing, Rosemary

                                      

         John reading from James

 

 

Christmas Collections:

We will be collecting sweatshirts and hoodies for Soul's Harbor  on Sunday, December 10, 2023.

We will also have an Angel Tree.  More details to follow.

 

 

Homily:  Download 11-26-23 Homily – Christ the King

 

 

 

John gets a cookie for his anniversary

 

 

Remember these special people:

For the family of Ron Senter;   For Meredith  whose cancer has come back;  For Tom Good;  For Tom  Quinn who had back surgery on November 21st; For Lambrini, John Cade's wife, who is dealing with cancer ;  For Allen Stryker;   For Mike and Judy Carrell ; For Madeleine, Richard Eshelbrenner's granddaughter;  For Hue; For Jackie;  For John's sister, Kathey recovering from a fall;   For Tom Good;   For Mary Hall's friend Cadence still suffering from a serious medical condition;   For Sir Charlie;  For Ron ;  For Teresa Quinn's niece, Maddie who has a brain tumor;

                                                                                                 

 

Jackie's 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 & the families of Annie and Michael ;    for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

 

Cody gets a cookie for his birthday last week

 

                                      

Birthdays:   Mike Moran 12/2

Anniversaries:  Frank & Mary Esparza 11/26, John &  Michelle Simari 11/29, Brent & Meredith Burmaster 12/1

                 

Community Finances:   

Expenses: $  330.00

Outreach: $  

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

Gilbert gets a cookie

                                    

 

 

 

Hi, Tori, Welcome back, you look beautiful.

 

 

Readings:  

 Proverbs 9, 1-6,  Wisdom ha built her house.  

Psalm 34,   Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.  (Wow, 2^nd week in a row, terrific)

Ephesians 5, 15-20,  Watch carefully how you live. 

John 6: 51-58,  I am the living bread.

 

 

 

Hi, Leo, Welcome back to you, too.   You also look beautiful.

 

Proverbs:

What are they: a collection of moral & religious teachings in the form of pithy sayings.  For example: "Better to eat a dry crust of bread with peace of mind than to have a banquet in a house full of trouble" (17, 1); "Being cheerful always keeps you healthy" (17, 22).

Some a bit tough: "Don't hesitate to discipline a child.  A good beating won't kill him" (23, 12).

Some amusing: "A nagging wife is like water going drip-drip-drip" (27, 15); "Better to live on the roof than to share the house with a nagging wife" (25, 24). 

Author: Maybe Solomon is behind chapters 1-29.  Most likely a compilation.

Date: Ca. 300 BCE is considered a possibility with material coming from as far back as 900, during the time of Solomon.

                                                                 

 

 

 

Great job, Zoe.  You, too, are a Super Candle Lighter.

 

 

Taste & See the Goodness of the Lord, part 2, or

Pet Delights, the inspirational column of Steve Blow, which I shared in the blog Thursday

 

Sorry, Folks, but I am going to do it again, namely, push the belief that we can taste and see the goodness of the Lord, every day.

This week for me it has been the White Rock Creek trail running from Royal & Greenville to White Rock Lake.  It had rained last weekend, so the whole creek edge was a beautiful green.  The lawn mower guys were out and where they had passed the rows & patterns made it super special.

 

 

 

 

Georgie reads our Blessing of the Candles.  I hope you know, Dearest Georgie, how terrific I think you are.

 

 

We  tunnel under 5 or six bridges on this trail.  One for me is breath taking.  Going north I come out of the Skillman tunnel, cross over a quaint steel & wooden bridge, look ahead for about ½ a mile, and see the trail meandering along often with other bikers, see a blue sky framed by a V of large green trees, and take in wilderness on my right and left. This cannot be Dallas.  It takes my breath away.

Taste & See the Goodness of the Lord.

Another biking blessing came this week Friday, when I actually had enough stamina to keep up with Rosemary, who this year leaves me in the dust.  It should be humiliating.  I’m actually quite proud of her, remembering that Sunday when she crashed and ended up with 9 screws in her left elbow.  As I tell her, the good professor is the one who sees his student do better than the old professor.

 

 

 

 

Sisters act, Jessica and Renee.  Welcome home, Jessica, from Boston, and congratulations, Renee, upon becoming an officially licensed architect.

 

 

Then there is Jim Mahar, the professor at St. Bonaventure who set up Bona Responds.  A great person always, but especially when he phones me about a story that touched him.

The scene: Sierra Leone.  Jim has worked there and has organized a bit.  One of his local teams was planning a talent show for kids to earn money.  They had prizes for the winners.  Until they were all stolen.

The police catch a guy.  Jim’s man, who has been even accused of stealing the awards, goes to see the guy and explains what all the gifts are for.  Jim even talks with the guy by phone.   He finally admits that he stole the awards and wants to give them all back.

The charges are all dropped and the guy even asks if he can join the group which is trying to help others with this talent show.

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Dallas, My Dear Paul.  The last time we met up was at your wedding with Lori in Ashville, NC.  Wish Lori had come with you.

 

 

When did you last Taste and See the Goodness of the Lord?

 

 

Communion with Jan on bread and Lynda on grape juice.

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

Readings:

Isaiah, 35, 1-6, 10,  Then will the eyes of the blind be opened

 Psalm 146,  Lord, come and save us.

 James 5, 7-10,  Welcome one another as Christ welcomed you.

 Matthew 11, 2-11,   Are you the one who is to come?

 

 

Treat of The Week: Sabrina is home from college.  Welcome home, Sabrina.

 

Observations on Isaiah 35

What:  The passage is another from Isaiah 1, (Chapters 1-39)

Our selection:  Another beautiful passage about a bright future.

 

 

Sez Tori, "Yes, Welcome Home, Sabrina."

 

Then the Eyes of the Blind will be opened

I would like to talk this morning about how once in a while, of course, only once in a while, I can be so blind to other people.  This is an old story, but it is right on.

One mild afternoon afternoon I was sitting on a bench in front of Baskin & Robbins on the corner of Preston & Royal, just near our house.   In front of me were two handicapped parking spots, both empty.

 

 

"Welcome home from me, too, Sabrina."
 

 

Suddenly a guy in, say, his early 20’s pulls into one of the parking spots, gets out of his car, and walks into Baskin & Robbins.  I am thinking, ‘Hey, this guys is cheating. There is nothing wrong with him and he has no handicapped sticker in his car window.’  I’m thinking, ‘Why did I not give him my opinion while he walked by me?  I will give it to him whenever he comes out.’

I wait probably about five minute, when suddenly the door opens.  The man emerges holding the right arm of a little old lady who was barely able to walk.

 

 

Is that really you, Leo?

 

Thank God ‘the eyes of the blind will be opened’ before something stupid is said.  Classic judging the book by the cover, one of my favorite activities.

Want to know of another place where my eyes are opened every year?  The Love for the Kids picnic in Flower Mound.

 

 

Love for the Kids picnic, entertainers

 

Again this year we had about 20 volunteers from our home community.  1000 kids with their teachers and sponsors.  There was all the usual activity, horseback riding, bounce units, face painting, people dressed as super heroes. 

When the kids walk in they are given a bag of goodies.  When they return to their school busses, they find a special gift in their seat.

 

 

Bill, the horse whisperer and the kid whisperer, helping the kids ride the horses.

 

They get lunch, put together by a bunch of our people.  People are floating around with bags of popcorn in baskets to give to the kids.  Kids who needed or wanted a coat, they could get one.  Bike helmets were being given away, good helmets.

I go to give the gift of my time to these kids, but the kids gift me even more.  But it is the great number of volunteers that touch my spirit.

 

 

So, the question obviously is: who is cuter, the white guy or the pink pig?  

 

That guy outside of Baskin & Robbins, the kids, and the volunteers open my eyes to the good around me.

How are you blind & how are your eyes opened?

 

Hey, John & Connie, I think those cookies are supposed to be for the kids' lunches, not you guys.

 

Not only were the kids given jackets & coats if they were needed, but bike helmets were given and fitted to the kids' heads.  These were good helmets, like Specialized.