22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 28, 2022

Hi Everyone,

 

John and Rosemary finally got back home on Thursday night after having their flights cancelled 3 times.  We are looking forward to seeing everyone at the ArtCentre of Plano for Mass on Sunday.

 

 

Isaiah 63:  Yet, O Lord, you are our father; we are the clay and you are the potter; we are all the work of your hands.

1 Corinthians 1:  He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Mark 13:  Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, …

 

 

Are you guys laughing at me–again?  This is serious business, no?

 

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

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

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

The next two weeks The Blog will take a bit of a vacation.

 

 

Sez Mike, "John, Want to buy a used bike?"

 

Readings: 

Acts of the Apostles, 15, 22-29,  Unless you are circumcised, you cannot be saved.

Psalm 67,  O God, Let all the nations praise you. 

Revelation 21, 10-14, 22-23, The Angel took me in spirit to a great, high mountain. 

John 13, 31-35, Whoever loves me will keep my word..

 

 

 

Healing Touch.

 

Community Activities:  

ROMEO MEET: Friday, May 24, Jason's Deli, Collin Creek Mall, west side of Central, 1:00.  Welcome all wakos, you will fit right in.   

 

Juliettes, June, TBA

 

 

Healing touch for Bill.

 

TRUE?

Only a biker knows why a dog sticks his head out a car window.

 

 

 

Our Father.

 

 

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

2 steps forward & 1 step back won't cleanse the Catholic Church

http://corpus-blog.blogspot.com/2019/05/two-steps-forward-and-one-step-back.html

 

   

Our Father.

 

 

See you Sunday,

J.S., 214-783-0443

 

 

Peace, Everybody.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

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

Some of our Community members  are in need of special prayers:

 

Jan Keszler  is in Chicago with her Mom who will be 101 on 6/31.  Her Mom  is now in Hospice Care and Jan asks for prayers for her and the family.

 

John Cade's Mother-in-Law, Kaliope, who is 96, fell and broke 2 vertebrae and is in the hospital.

 

Tom and Teresa Quinn were on a  river cruise on the Danube and the second day Tom tested positive for Covid.  They are now in a hotel room in Vienna and Tom is quarantined for 5 days and can't leave the room.  Teresa just hopes she doesn't get it.

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

…and life is still a constant surprise to me.  We never know what will happen next, what we will see, and what  important person will come into our life, or what important person we will lose.  Life is change, constant change, and unless we are lucky enough to find comedy in it, change is nearly always drama, if not tragedy.  But after everything, and even when the skies turn scarlet and threatening, I still believe that if we are lucky enough to be alive, we must give thanks for the miracle of every moment of every day, no matter how flawed.  And we must have faith in God, and in the Universe, and in a better tomorrow even if that faith is not always deserved.

Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan

Rosemary missed our celebration this morning because Aviana had gotten sick overnight and Rosemary took her to our vet.  Both are okay now.

 

Thanks to the Team

Music, Shonda & Ben

Readers, Hue & Brent, Deacon Mike, & Buddy, the candle blessing

Eucharistic Prayer, John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers, Mike & Ben & Becky

Final Blessing, Rosemary

 

 

Community Finances, May 17, 2020

Expenses: $350.00

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

Thanks, Everybody.  Your generosity is humbling.

I am both humbled and proud to announce that we put together two of our monthly contributions to Souls Harbor, i.e., $2000 & $1500, and donated them on the Giving Tuesday recently.  Yes, the amount was matched.  Thanks again, Everybody.

 

A Special Gift:

The Ask Dr. B. Good radio show can be located on 1160 am at 8 am Sundays. Why should you listen? Everyone needs to understand what is happening in public education, especially right now during COVID. Public education must become something different than what it’s been for the last 100 years. Stay up and stay tuned to what’s happening in public education! 

 

 

 

Readings:

Acts of the Apostles, 8, 5-8, 14-17,  They laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 66, Let all earth cry out to God with joy.  (Beautiful Psalm)

1 Peter  3, 15-18, Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.

John 14, 15-21, I will  not leave you orphans. 

 

 

 

Reading 1

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles

         Going down to Samaritan city, Philip proclaimed the Message of the Messiah.  When the people heard what he had to say and saw the miracles, the clear signs of God’s action, they hung on his every word.  Many who could neither stand nor walk were healed that day.  The evil spirits protested loudly as they were sent on their way.  And what joy in the city!

        When the apostles in Jerusalem received the report that Samaria had accepted God’s Message, they sent Peter and John down to pray for them to receive the Holy Spirit.  Up to this point they had been baptized in the name of the Master Jesus; the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen on them.  Then the apostles laid their hands on them, and they did receive the Holy Spirit.

Our word for today.

 

 

The cheese factory.

 

 

Reading 2

A Reading from the First Letter of Peter     

Sisters and brothers: Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention before Christ, your Master.  Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks, why you’re living the way you are, and always do it with the utmost courtesy.  Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick.  They’ll end up realizing that they’re the ones who need a bath. It’s better to suffer for doing good, than to be punished for doing bad.  That’s what Christ did: he went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God.

Our word for today

 

 

 

The Lord be with you.       A Reading from the Gospel of John     

Jesus said to his disciples: “If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you.  I will talk to the Father, and he will provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you.  This Friend is the Spirit of Truth.  The godless world can’t take him in because it doesn’t have eyes to see him, doesn’t even know what to look for.  But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will be in you!  I will not leave you orphaned.  I’m coming back.  In just a little while the world will no longer see me, but you’re going to see me, because I am alive and you are about to come alive. At that moment you will know absolutely that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.    

The Good News of John

 

 

Please Remember these special people:

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;  ;  For Frank having hernia surgery this week;  For Joe Hogan with cancer,  For Loretta's aunt Alicia;   For Ryan, Rosemary's nephew, who had surgery; For Bill Hammond,    For Sydney;  & For Sir Charlie;  Shonda's mom;   For Gilberto:  for Michelle;  For a friend, a neighbor, & a doctor, Karen, with brain cancer; For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg; For Meredith, cancer free.;    For Hue;  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; 

 

Birthdays:  Sr. Mary Troy, 87, Rick Froebe, Debbie Ekes