17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 27, 2025

Rosemary's Blessing:

O God, we thank you for the fact that you have inspired men and women in all nations and in all cultures. We call you different names: some call you Allah; some call you Elohim; some call you Jehovah; some call you Brahma; some call you the Unmoved Mover. But we know that these are all names for one and the same God. Grant that we will follow you and become so committed to your way and your kingdom that we will be able to establish in our lives and in this world a brother and sisterhood, that we will be able to establish here a kingdom of understanding, where men and women will live together as brothers and sisters and respect the dignity and worth of every human being. In the name and spirit of Jesus. Amen.

 

Taken from The prayers of Martin Luther King Jr.  by John Dear appearing in the National Catholic Reporter, January 15, 2013

 

 

 

The Production Team.

 

Thanks to the Team

Music, Shonda & Ben

Readers, Rose & Patricia,  & Buddy, the candle blessing

Eucharistic Prayer & Gospel, John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers, Mike & Ben & Becky & Richard & Tom

Final Blessing, Rosemary

 

 

Almost time, 9:30

 

Readings:

Exodus, 34, 4-6, 8-9, The Lord, gracious and merciful, rich in kindness & fidelity. 

Daniel (Psalm) 3, Glory & Praise forever.

2 Corinthians  13, 11-13, The Grace of the Lord Jesus and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.

John 3, 16-18,  God so loved the world…

 

 

On air.

 

Please Remember these special people:

For Jim Esparza, the son of Frank & Mary, who just passed Saturday with sepsis;   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 Jim Esparza, the son of Frank & Mary;   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 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;  Virginia Mattingly

 

 

Becky & Tom.

 

Birthdays:  Shonda (last Week), Deacon Mike ordained '78, Bill Ekes, Alison DeGenova 

Anniversary:  The McClurgs, Diane & Kent, 48 years, & Diane's knee replacement this week.

 

 

 

On air with Ben.

 

This  week's Readings:

 

Download MASS 20 0607 Trinity Readings

 

 

Homily by John Stack

Here it is, folks, that line again, the one that says The Lord is gracious and merciful, never gets angry and abounding in love.  That summarizes for me who our God is.

I want to talk this morning about a black lady I knew when I was teaching at Jesuit '65-'68.  She was one of the first important black persons in my life who exemplified this description of God.  You ever heard of Juanita Craft?  A big lady with a big voice and a bigger heart.  She was elected to the Dallas City Council after I had departed Dallas.  She came to my '71 ordination in a police car at the old St. Rita.

Juanita taught me at least 3 lessons.   First she taught me how to take charge and get things done with grace.  This came about because she invited me to join her and about 25 young members of the Dallas NAACP on a greyhound type bus trip to the annual NAACP convention in Atlantic City.  I must admit that I gulped a time or two, then accepted her invitation.  I was the only white guy on that bus.  Juanita charged each of those kids to be the best  & clean that bus every time we got off that bus.

I was impressed as a fellow bus driver at Jesuit.  Never had I instructed my Jesuit kids on the bus to clean up.  I did that after.  Because of Juanita I realized I could organize a planting of 400 trees, put together a group of friends to visit Yosemite, and accept an invitation to work in East Africa.

Because Juanita was abounding in love, she taught me how to ask help from others.  Therefore I wrote to my Jesuit confreres at Georgetown and asked if they could shuttle two dozen black kids around D.C. for a day.  Not only did they supply about 5 cars and guides, they invited the whole bunch of us to dinner in the Jesuit dining room that evening.  The Jesuits were gracious and merciful

 

You will never guess what I did when I returned to Dallas from Atlantic City.   I accepted Juanita's invitation to move into her little house in South Dallas and help her with the NAACP youth group that summer.  I knew then, Black Lives Do Matter.

 

How do Black Lives matter to you?

 

Ben doing the Magic.

 

 

And a repeat:

Birthdays:  Shonda (last week), Bill Ekes, Alison, Deacon Mike ordained '78

Anniversaries:  McClurgs, 48 years & Diane has a knee replacement this week.

 

Communion for Mike.

 

Community Finances, June 7, 2020

Expenses: $825.00

Outreach:  $500.00  (often for Souls Harbor, Legacy, etc.)

This week we donated $1,500 to Soul's Harbor.

 

Thanks, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 

Readings:

Acts 13, 14, & 43-52,   Both Paul & Barnabas spoke out boldly.

Psalm 100,  We are his people, the sheep of his flock.

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

John 10, 27-30,  I know them, and they follow me.

 

 Acts observations & review:   

We have already covered this material.  What I have here is a quick reminder. 

Date:  sometime before the year 70.  Why?  No mention of the destruction of Jerusalem, which took place the year 70, a Big Date in Jewish history.  The Romans destroyed not only Jerusalem, but also the Temple, the only place where the priests offered sacrifices.  The temple has never been rebuilt and the priests have been replaced by rabbis, teachers formerly.  Today there is a holy mosque on the site of the former temple.

Who:  The same person who wrote the Gospel of Luke.  How do we know?  Similarities of style, language (Greek), and theological themes.

Subject:  The story of the expansion of the Jesus story in 3 areas, first, Jerusalem, then, Palestine or the Holy Land, and finally, into the Mediterranean and ultimately, Rome.  Stories about the early communities are a bit romanticized, like advertisements for Pleasant Valley Retirement Center.

Today’s Subject: noting that the chapter we are reading is 13, you can guess we are not reading about the first circle, Jerusalem.  Not even the second, but the third, the Mediteranian.

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

 

The Lord is Good

This morning I would like to talk about the first line of the third stanza of our Psalm 100, ‘The Lord is Good.’

Our week has been extraordinarily stressful.  First, the Boston Marathon bombs.  Then, West.  I actually was in West at the Czech bakery, the original, genuine bakery in town, about 4:00, Wednesday afternoon, just before the explosion.   I have fond memories of one really friendly lady at the bakery and hope she is okay. 

I would like to say, yes, the Lord is Good.  Also, people are good.  And, you are good.  Here is what I mean despite the stress of the week.

First, Rosemary & I had our routine appointments to give blood at Carter Blood at Preston & LBJ Wednesday & Thursday.  When I went in Thursday afternoon the place was more busy than I had ever seen it.  Even extra techs had been called in. 

 I asked why and they said it was because of, first, Boston, and then, secondly, West, which had just happened that morning.  The Lord is good.  People are good. 

 Secondly, remember last Saturday, which seems forever ago?  Love for the Kids picnic.  About a quarter of you volunteered to make that day special for handicapped kids and their families.  God is good.  People are good.  You were good.  This is typical. 

Thirdly, this past Wednesday, two days after Boston and the day of the West explosion, I went to Austin with a group of which I was humbled to be part of.  The Nuns on the Bus.

We departed Dallas at 5:30, 10 of us, 2 guys & myself, 7 women, 3 of whom are nuns.  We arrived at the capitol about 10:00 for a little rally on the steps of the capitol building.  I expected maybe 50 people.    300 were registered and another 100 joined, 400 all together from all over the state.

 My job was to visit my two representatives, Dan Branch & John Corona.  It was in Branch’s office that a remarkable event took place.

 The Nuns on the Bus, who had advocated throughout the Midwest in the summer before the presidential election, were requesting our government to not forget the poor, especially that the billion dollars of federal money be accepted for expansion of Medicaid this year.  25% of our population is uninsured, a million & a half. 

We are talking with the aide, basically just letting him know our case.  I have picked up about 6 people from San Antonio, 4 nice, Hispanic little nuns, and a young, nice looking guy.  He had a limp. 

Suddenly, the guy, John, tells the aide, “Let me tell you my story and why I am here.  I walk with a limp because I lost my left leg in Iraq.  I got this prosthesis because I was a vet, no question.  I could have even gotten one more expensive.  I am here because I have become aware that so many people don’t have that care that I had, people who are working full time and still don’t have enough, certainly not enough to buy insurance.” 

The reception office went dead silent.  Everyone was touched, including the nice kid who was the aide. 

God is good.  People are good.  You are good. 

What are you doing to continue to make it better? 

 

 Video:  The community blessing Chuck's health and his struggle with cancer (1/2 minute)        

 

Readings: Jeremiah 17, 5-8; Psalm 1, Blessed are They who hope in the Lord; 1 Corinthians 15, 12-20; Luke 6, 17-26.

Jeremiah:

Who: one of the Big 3 Prophets with Isaiah & Ezekiel, mostly because of the size of their works (52 chapters in Jeremiah).  Born 2-3 miles north of Jerusalem to a landed family where he had a happy childhood.  Despite this, Jeremiah is called the “Weeping Prophet,” because so much of his work is woeful & sad. 

   

Unlike Isaiah who embraced his call from God, Jeremiah resisted.  He did not want to say what he saw needed to be said.  Namely, the people’s behavior in Jerusalem was bad after ca. 400 years of not being invaded.  Because of his statements he was rejected by the people and the leaders, beaten, put in the stocks, thrown in a well to die, and ultimately put in prison by the Babylonians. 

  

They eventually released him and he went to Egypt and most likely died there.

 

  

Date: 600.  Easy to remember.  Jeremiah lived before & during the Babylonian captivity with Nebuchadnezzar, the leader.  The Captivity took place mostly 600-550 before Christ.

  

Message Today: classic line, “Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings.”  Instead you trust in God.

    

Sources: John Shelby Spong, Origins of the Bible, XIV; Wikipedia, Liturgy, St. Louis U.  

 

St. Valentine:

 

Time: ca. 250 C.E.  Actually 3 named Valentinius, 1 bishop, 1 priest, 1 who knows. All martyrs.  Note this is before Constantine officialized Christianity, 313.

 

2 Legends:

 

1.  Rome did not allow soldiers to marry because the authorities thought single soldiers fought better.  Valentinius criticized the policy.  He was put in jail & killed.

 

2.  He or another was killed because of being a Christian.  He or another fell in love with the jailer's daughter & before he died left her a note, "from your Valentine."

 

Note:  Feb. 15 was a pagan feast of fertility and and a celebration of the beginning of spring, Lupercalia.  Pope Galasius in 496 established a St. Valentine day one day earlier, i.e., Feb. 14 (as a way of moving attention away from the pagan feast?).

 

Custom about wedding rings?  Wearing a wedding ring on the 4th finger, left hand, dates back to Ancient Egypt.  It was believed that the vein of love ran from this finger directly to the heart. 

 

Sources: Huffinton Post & KHTS News, Jerome McDaniel, Santa Clarita, LA, CA.

 

St. Valentine Day Massacre:  1929, Lincoln Park section of Chicago.  Al Capone’s Southside Italian Gang vs. Bugsie Moran’s Northside Irish Gang, bootlegging during Prohibition.  Capone’s Italian gang lured 7 of the Irish Gang to a garage on the morning of Valentine’s Day and shot them with 70 rounds from 2 Thompson machine guns.   Source: Wikipedia

 

 

70 Years & Valentine's Day

On this Valentine’s Day I would like to talk about what it is like to be 70.  I am told by my seniors that once you hit these stratospheric age levels you start reflecting upon the past, and especially on what life would have been like if only. 

 

If only I had accepted that invitation to work in Brazil for a couple of years.  If only I had gotten my graduate degree.  If only I had not worked so hard so I could have played with my kids & family.  If I had taken care of my health.  And so on. 

 

 

So I have been reflecting on my past.  You all know me and I am always looking back focusing on the gifts and blessings of my day, my week, my years.  I am basically grateful for lots of elements in my life.  It has been and is an adventure.

 

   

I see one thing I wish I had done differently, but I see a handful of things that I would have been disappointed had I not chosen to do them.  I got four of them and you have probably heard me mention them.

   

I would really be disappointed had I not chosen to join the Jesuits in ’58 and become a priest.  This took place even though my parents were put out with my decision.  I was all booked in to going to Notre Dame.  I also was motivated a lot by fear of going to hell if I rejected God's invitation to be a priest.

 

I would likewise be disappointed if I had not accepted the Jesuit invitation in the 70’s to go work in East Africa.  I was lonely there on occasion, but it was an adventure that I would grieve over if I had missed it. 

  

My marriage with Rosemary is an event I cannot imagine myself doing without.  The transition was rocky when I got suspended by the diocese and kicked out of the Jesuits, but it has given my so much new life.  Moreover, I might have no life if I had not married Rosemary.

   

 

Finally, I do not know what I would have done if I had not responded to the request from you people to continue celebrating our Sunday Masses.  I remember thinking to myself before we finally took the step.  This could get rather confrontational.  And it hasn’t. 

  

The once thing I regret is something I learned while I was recuperating from recycling my left hip.  I was humbled by the care and affirmation of so many people.  I have not cared for and affirmed more positively the people whom I love.  I have not shown it.  On this Valentine’s Day I pledge to you folks that I will show this from now on.

 

And you?  What might you regret when you reach 70?

   

Picture 1:  Mass begins

  

Picture 2:  Our Father

  

Picture 3:  Maggie

   

Picture 4:  Rosemary with Cole (guess who was Jesus in the Nativity Drama)

 

Welcome in Jan & Bernadette & our favorite Studebaker salesman, Sir Charlie.

 

Readings: 

Acts of the Apostles, 13, 21-27, They appointed elders.

Psalm 145,  I will praise your name forever, my king and my God (excellent first stanza, one of my favorites.  The Lord is Gracious & Merciful, Never gets angry, and is Abounding with Love.)

Revelation 21, 1-5,  Then, I, John saw a new heaven & a new earth.

John 13, 31-35,  This how you will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

 

 

Juliettes on the loose, Mary, Sydney, & Geri.

 

 

The Lord is Gracious and Merciful, Never gets angry, and is Abounding in Love.

Eddie Aguilar is a 64 year old Viet Nam vet who enlisted in the Navy at 17, so he could get a good education, which he could not get with his family in Santa Barbara.  They did not have the resources. 

After basic training he was posted to the USS Oklahoma City, the flagship of the 7^th Fleet off the Viet Nam coast.  Being an intelligent kid he was assigned to a 5 person team in the radio shack.

 

 

How many girls does it take to light up our Easter Candles?  At Least, 3, Zoe, Tori, and Georgie, to not mention Buddy who is reading The Blessing.

 

Eddie says that the guys saw and heard a lot of highly secret crypto material.  They could not talk about any of it—ever.  Eddie and the team was together for 2 years off the coast,’73-’75.  They all became good friends and buddies, which helped because they lived in really tight quarters.

On getting released from the Navy in ’75, they continued to stay close and even put together some reunions, all except one, the Little Texan.  They had lived through Viet Nam in a unique position, the radio shack.  They could not talk about it, but it helped to be with the team that  experienced  the same horror of the war.

 

 

I'm jealous!  John & Connie just returned from biking from Pittsburg to D.C., crossing the eastern Continental Divide, all in one week.

 

Music don't get no better than with Ben & David.

 

The years passed and Eddie continued to search for the ‘good ole boy from Texas.’  Eddie says T.J  was a sweetheart of a guy, a salt of the earth guy.

As the years passed Eddie continued to search on and off all to no avail, until this year, their 45^th reunion at Las Vegas.  Eddie now lives in San Antonio and remembered recently that he thought he heard T.J. mention he came from a town called Garland in Texas. 

 

 

Communion Team ready.

 

Knowing that Garland was a suburb of Dallas, Eddie contacted The Dallas Morning News and Sharon Grigsby took up the search.  Using her search tools it did not take her long to find a name she was looking for.  She left a message and lo and behold TJ called her back.  Success yes, but TJ confessed he was just not ready yet to reunite with his former buddies.

I would bet that Eddie will continue to welcome TJ back into the group whenever he is ready.

 

 

Worn out!!

 

For me Eddie is a personification of a Shepherd-God who is Gracious and Merciful.

Where & when do you find this Gracious and Merciful God who Never gets angry and is Abounding in love.

Ref. Dallas Morning News, Metro, 5-14-19

 

 

 

The Best Teamwork.

 

Says Rick, "You missed my birthday party yesterday, but I am still celebrating today.  Welcome in, Everybody."

 

Readings: 

Jeremiah 1, 4- 5, 17-19,   Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.

Psalm 71,  I will sing of your salvation.

1 Corinthians 12, 31-13 4-13,  As the body is one.

Luke 4,  21-30,  Today this passage is fulfilled in your hearing.

 

 This morning we will read the Gospel first, then Jeremiah, and finally Corinthians.  I want to highlight Corinthians, it is so special.   The homily will come after the first paragraph, before the special treatise on Love.

 

 

Good as it gets!

 

Jeremiah observations:

Who:  One of the Big 3 and my second favorite behind Isaiah, whom we will hear from next Sunday.  Why a favorite: because he shares his feelings with gusto. 

When:  you can guess it, before and during the Babylonian Captivity.  Notice how much prophetic energy is concentrated around this one event?  Shows how big it was in Jewish history.  Keep 555 before Christ as the beacon date. 

 

 

Suit up time.

 

What: you can guess this, too.  Criticism of behavior, warning of punishment from God, and eventually a better day.

What today: Jeremiah’s call by God to be his man, really Everyperson’s call to be God’s special.  This call theme carries through our next 2 readings, especially the next one, The Big One.

 

 

Can there be a better welcome than this from Cindy & Dee!

 

A Special Reading, 1 Corinthians

Years ago when I used to do a  lot of weddings, like at St Marks,  I would hear this treatise on Love and I would groan, ‘Not again.’

While still at St. Marks, all of a sudden at another wedding, I tuned in to the reading.  Love is patient.  Love is kind.  That applies to me.  I could be more patient and more kind.  I could be more loving.  (Don’t ask Rosemary)

 

 

Equally welcoming is Dear Jan who arranges communion for everybody.

 

Right around this time there was an instruction from the diocese or Fr. Smythe, ‘Don’t touch the kids.’  I thought about this and realized that I was not hugged enough when I was a little boy.  For one thing my mom was sick a lot and even had some operations.  I remember being taken in by some family friends and being homesick big time when I was a little guy, maybe pre-school.

 

 

Elevation Time.

 

So, once ordained & home from East Africa, I remember one Sunday standing in the entrance to the cafetorium ready to begin the 10:30 Mass.  I decided right then that I will continue to hug all these kids to show them they are loveable and good stuff.  Maybe they will think God really loves them.  A lot of those kids thought I was God once I suited up, so their parents said.

 

 

Having a  nice vision, Hue?

 

To send this message is also why I used to give kids, and, in fact everybody, two or three Hershey kisses whenever they came to me for reconciliation, especially for first confessions. 

The side effect of this, of course, was that my line went on forever and poor Deacon Mike had to stay late to shut down the church.  Everybody else was long gone.  I just wanted to say, ‘Kid you are not bad.  God thinks you are good and a neat kid.’  

 

 

Buddy reading our Blessing of The Winter Candles.

 

 

 

 

Emma lighting The Winter Candles.

 

I  have a handful of very special, positive Scripture passages.  They are like compasses.  This Corinthians passage helps me to continue to be patient & kind and to remind all of you that you are lovable.  (Well, maybe not Sir Charlie)

 

 

 

Teamwork!

Readings:

Acts 14, 21-27,   From there they sailed to Antioch.

Psalm 145,  I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.

Revelation  21, 1-5,  He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them.  I, John, had a vision of a great multitude.

John 13, 31-35,  A new commandment, love one another.

 

 

Acts, a couple of observations:

1.  Remember the three rings of Acts, Jerusalem, Palestine, the World (Mediterranean & Rome)?   Since we are at Chapter 28 of 28, you can guess in what ring we are today, yes, the World.  Paul and Barnabas are in the region of Greece.
2. The author, the same as the Gospel of Luke.
3. The date again, before 70

 

A New Commandment, Love One Another

I want to talk this morning about the new commandment, love one another. 

It has been a couple of rough weeks, folks. 

First there was the Boston Marathon.  I have been at those finish lines, like running the Mexico City Marathon.   I know both the exhilaration and the fatigue, like after the Hotter N’ Hell 100 mile bike ride in Wichita Falls the end of August.

Then, West.  I just happened to be in West the afternoon of the evening of the explosion.  I wonder about the delightful ladies at the famous Czech bakery, where we had stopped for kolaches

Then a story that has been gnawing at me, the 10 year old boy starved to death by his father and step mother.  At times I cannot get this nightmare out of my mind.

See enough of this and I could get pessimistic and lose perspective on people.  Which is why I don’t normally listen to local news.  Which is why I want to tell you 3 antidote stories of loving one another.

The first is about a Plano boy Rex Burkhead, who has just graduated from Nebraska.  I found this article Friday in the Dallas Morning News.  Anyone know him?  The article does not say which high school he attended.

In 2011, Rex had lunch with the Hoffman family of Plano as part of his Nebraska football team’s outreach program.  Why the Hoffmans?  They have a 7 year old son, Jack, who has had brain cancer for 2 years.

As a result of the lunch, Rex and Jack have become buddies.  Even the parents of both families have become good friends. 3 weeks ago the Nebraska football team staged its spring intersquad game.  Little Jack, wearing Rex’s 22 on a small jersey, lined up in Rex’s position in the backfield, was handed the ball on a play, and he ran 70 yards for a touchdown.  Everyone cheered Jack and Rex’s video of Jack’s run became an Internet sensation

Rex Burkhead exemplifies loving one another.

This even happens in our very own community in so many ways.

For instance, I know one anonymous person who cleans houses once in a while.  One elderly family, in particular, she visits once a week.  It takes her at most an hour to clean the house.  But she always plans to stay with the couple about 3 more hours to talk with them and do little helps. 

I know, also, of a couple of women from our community who visit Rita once or twice a week to help her and especially to change her pressure sox, which she cannot do herself. 

This is living it out, loving one another.

Give me one way you love another.

Reference: Dallas Morning News, Sports section, Friday, April 26, 2013