24th Sunday, Ordinary time, 9-12-2021

 

Isaiah 50, God opens my ear that I may hear

Psalm 116, I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

James 2,  What good is it if someone says he has faith but does not have works.

Mark 7,  Whoever wishes to come after me must  deny himself.

 

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Welcome from Ben.

 

Thanks……

Music,    Ben & Shonda

Readers, Denni & Tom, & Buddy, our candle blesser 

Gospel,     John Cade

Homily,   John Stack

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,     Richard & Hue & Mike

Final Blessing, Rosemary

For hosting us at Legacy for all these years & will miss you enormously, Becky

 

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The John & John Team

 

Homily by John Stack,  Download John Stack homily 9-12-2021

 

 

Remember these special people:

For John & Karen Anderlick's unborn grandson;   For Rosemary's great niece, Rylie;  For Richard's grand daughter, Madeleine;   For Esparza's new great grandson  & Frank;  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, and for Hue & Linda's daughter, Doctor Rosemary Beavers;   For Mary & Dave Hall's g-daughter Allison Keller working at St. Lukes, The Woodlands,   For Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody &  Leo & all of Shonda's dear family; For Ursuline Sr. Mary Troy,

  
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Peace, Everybody.

 

Jackie's mom, sister, & friend, Lynn;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg.; For Meredith, cancer free & John Schanot;    For John O'Donnell & Jean;   For Jean & Cliff Wright;  For Dee, and for her daughters, Lisa & Lauren  ;  For Anthony & Sabrina;    For a young man who is suffering from depression;  John Cade's mother in law, Kalliopi Piskiouli and Lambrini, plus John's daughter, Joey, with cancer; from Barbara, a little 12 month old baby boy named Ford recuperating from an operation; for David McKeon's brother, Hugh; For Beth's friends & brother;   for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

 

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Happy Anniversary, Dear Mike & Geri.

 

Birthdays:   Warren, Sandra

Anniversaries:  

Mike & Geri, 46th

Tom & Lynda, 39th

Beth & Rob, 37th

 

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Happy Birthday, Warren.

 

Community Finances,   September 12, 2021

Expenses: $375.00

Outreach: $150.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 


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Happy Birthday, Dear Shonda

 

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

 

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Rosemary reading her Irish Blessing.

 

JSM Mission-Faith Statement  

      Help create a Catholic Community that welcomes all God’s People, provides for & challenges spiritual & total growth.  

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

 
John Stack Ministries, 7017 Helsem Way, Dallas, Texas 75230

 

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Peace Richard & Everybody.

Similar Posts

  • 19th Sunday, Ordinary time, 8-8-2021

    1 Kings, Elijah went a day's journey into the desert.

    Psalm 34, Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

    Ephesians 4, Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another.

    John 6, I am the bread of life.

     

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    Connie reading from Kings.

     

    Thanks……

    Music,    Ben & Shonda

    Readers,  Connie, John, & Buddy, our candle blesser 

    Gospel,     John Cade

    Homily,   John Stack

    Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

    The Magic Zoom makers,     Richard, Hue, & Mike

    Final Blessing, Rosemary

    For hosting us at Legacy for all these years & will miss you enormously, Becky

     

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    John reading from Corinthians.

     

    Readings:

    Download Readings 19th Ordinary Time 8-8-21

     

    Homily by John Stack

    Download Homily by Stack 8-8-2021

     

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    The team.

     

    Kings:  a review–

    Subject: The kings of Israel.  The Big 3 kings were Saul, David, & his son Solomon.  The 2 Books of kings follows the 2 Books of Samuel, which describe the lives of the the kings up to the death of the Great King David, my favorite.  1 & 2 Kings takes up the life of Solomon, David's son, his building of the temple, his death, and the fate of the kingdom following his death, that is, it divides and is conquered. 

    Time Period:  from ca. 900 – 555 before Christ, or from Solomon to Nebuchadnezzar & Cyrus.

     Authors: a compilation of many sources that was put together at the end of the Babylonian Captivity, ca. 555 before Christ. 

    Our Selection: focus is on one man, the prophet Elijah.  The kingdom has already been split.  Our story takes place in the northern state, Israel.  Time of severe drought.  The king is Ahab; his queen, the famous Jezebel.  The prophet Elijah has scolded them for turning to false gods to end the drought.  

      There has been a contest in chapter 18: Elijah vs the 450 prophets of Baal, ultimately to see which side would be more effective in bringing rain.  2 bulls were slaughtered.  Naturally, Elijah wins when Yahweh answers his prayer, sends down fire, and consumes the bull Elijah has slaughtered.  When he wins, he slaughters the 450 prophets of Baal.   

    We enter at a point where Jezebel is furious with Elijah for killing her favorite prophets and aims to kill Elijah.  He is going to run away all depressed.   

     

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    Peace, Everybody.

     

    Remember these special people:

    For John & Karen Anderlick's unborn grandson;  For Alan Stryker;   For Candice Taht, friend of Mary Hall;   For Rosemary's great niece, Rylie ;  For Richard's grand daughter, Madeleine;   For Esparza's new great grandson baby, son of Monique, & Frank with shingles;  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, and for Hue & Linda's daughter, Doctor Rosemary Beavers;   For Mary & Dave Hall's g-daughter Allison Keller working at St. Lukes, The Woodlands,   For Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody &  Leo & all of Shonda's dear family; For Ursuline Sr. Mary Troy,   for John Simari

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    Peace for you, Marsha.

     

    Jackie's mom, sister, & friend, Lynn;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg.; For Meredith, cancer free & John Schanot;    For John O'Donnell & Jean;   For Jean & Cliff Wright;  For Dee, and for her daughters, Lisa & Lauren  ;  For Anthony & Sabrina;    For a young man who is suffering from depression;  John Cade's mother in law, Kalliopi Piskiouli and Lambrini, plus John's daughter, Joey, with cancer; from Barbara, a little 10 month old baby boy named Ford recuperating from an operation; for David McKeon's brother, Hugh; For Beth's friends & brother;   for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

     

    Birthdays: Linda Beavers & Rose Banzhaf & Carrie Bieda.

    Anniversaries:  Souls Harbor (1956),

    Hugh & Linda, 46, 

    Mike & Judy, 57

    Mary Hall & Dave

     

    Community Finances,   August 8, 2021

    Expenses: $1615.00

    Outreach: $325

    Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

     

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    Rosemary & her Blessing of the Week.

     

     

    Rosemary's Blessing:

    Come, O Dancing God,

    Spirit of Life and Love,

    of Beauty and Diversity,

    stir up my soul,

    bathe me in your light,

    and unleash my own spirit

    that I may dance with you

    and be light for those around me

    and reflect your love to all that I meet this week.

     

    Edited and adapted from a blessing by Fr. Andrew M. Greeley

     

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    Richard with communion for Cathy.

     

    JSM Mission-Faith Statement  

          Help create a Catholic Community that welcomes all God’s People, provides for & challenges spiritual & total growth.  

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

     
    John Stack Ministries, 7017 Helsem Way, Dallas, Texas 75230

     

     

  • Sunday Homily, June 12, 2016, 11th Sunday Ordinary Time

    Readings:                          

    2 Samuel   12,  7-10, 13, David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

    Psalm 32,  Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.

    Galatians 2, 16, 19-21     A person is not justified by work or the law

    Luke 7, 36-8, 3,  The woman who bathed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair.

     

    Everet 2

     

    Welcome into our beautiful world, Everet.  You are marvelous.

     

     

    2 Samuel observations: (Following upon last week)

    What :  2 Samuel is the second book in a 4 book semi-history of the early tribe of Israelites.  The books, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings.  The story goes from Samuel, the last of the judges, to Saul, the first of the kings, to King David (with Goliath, Jonathan, Mikah and dancing, Bathsheba & Solomon).

    The two books of Samuel focus on Saul & David and their difficult relationship.

     

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    Victoria says, "Hi, Everybody, Welcome in.

     

     

    When composed:   during the Babylonian Captivity, ca. 555 before Christ.  Why at this time?  Same reason why so much was composed at this time, to explain why the Captivity, to keep the tribal identity, and to provide hope for a brighter future.

    Who composed:   Tradition said Jeremiah the prophet, but contemporary studies show at least 3 writers.

    Today's selection:  the prophet Nathan is chastising King David because he has been really bad.  See the homily, a Bible story today.

    SourcesNew Jerusalem Bible, Wikipedia

     

     

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    The Team

     

    A Bible Story

    This morning I would like to tell a bible story.  It is about the great Jewish hero, King David.  I tell the story because it is background to today’s first reading from 2 Samuel.  More than likely you have not a clue about where today’s passage is coming from.

    Here we go.  This is the way the composers put it together, not necessarily how it was.

     

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    Anybody notice?  Buddy has his own robe.  Congratulations, Buddy.

     

     

    There was a man named Jesse who had 8 sons.  Samuel, the last of the judges is sent by Yahweh to find a successor to Saul, the present king who is misbehaving and Yahweh has decided to reject him. 

    Read about Saul and you can’t help but see bipolar symptoms.

     

    Music 1

     

    The Best Music.

     

    So Samuel goes to Bethlehem to the house of Jesse, who has 8 of sons.  The first 7 pass by and Yahweh tells Samuel, "Not this one."   Eventually number 8 comes in, Little David.   When Samuel sees him, Yahweh tells him, “That’s the one.”

    So, David is especially chosen by Yahweh, a hero quality.

    David goes to Saul’s court and becomes a favorite.  Then in a fight with the Philistines, little David kills the giant Goliath.  Another hero quality.

     

    Play Time 1

    The Play Center.

     

    Time goes on, Saul gets jealous because David is so popular and he decides to kill him.  The second part of 1 Samuel details all the struggles between Saul and David.  David even has a chance to kill a sleeping Saul in a cave, but he simply cuts off a piece of his cloak to show Saul later.  Saul cries, swears he will stop trying to kill David, but then continues.  David’s mercy, another hero quality.

    Time goes on, Saul actually commits suicide, and David becomes the popular king of the Jewish nation.  His army is defeating all their enemies.

     

     

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    Sandra with her granddaughter, Maddie, from Nebraska who now goes to TCU.

     

    One morning our hero king is strolling on the roof of his palace.  While walking he spies a beautiful woman on another roof taking a bath.  He invites her over for dinner and, behold, she becomes pregnant.  David is already married to Saul’s daughter, Michal, but Yahweh has rejected her because she mocked David for dancing before the people in a victory parade.  The woman, Bathsheba. 

    So David decides to invite Bathsheba’s husband to dinner.  Her husband, Uriah, is with the army in the field.   David gets him drunk and tells him to go home to his wife.  Then Uriah will assume that Bashsheba’s baby is his. 

     

     

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    Leo the Candle Lighter of The Week.

     

    However, Uriah tells David he won’t sleep under a roof while his men are sleeping in the field.  So that plan won’t work. 

    Then David tells his commander to put Uriah on the front line, get into a battle, then pull the other men back, leaving Uriah.  So Uriah is killed.

     So David, our hero king, invites Bathsheba to join his household. 

    At this point the prophet Nathan of our story is told by Yahweh to visit David.   Nathan tells David a little story.

     

    Gen 1

     

    Guess who now walks.  Beware.  "Good Morning, Genevieve."
     

     

    There were two men, a rich man who had everything, large flocks and every convenience.  The second man, a neighbor had nothing more than a little lamb which he had bought.  The man loved the lamb and even slept with it.

    Two visitors come to the rich man’s house.  Instead of preparing a meal from one of his own lambs, the rich man takes the poor man’s lamb for his meal.  Nathan asks David what should happen to that rich man.  David says he should be severely punished. 

     Nathan says, “You are that rich man!”   David is stunned and goes into penance and mourning.  This is where our story comes in.  All this happened before our little reading.

     

     

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    Collin Classic Bike Rally.

     

    A lesson?   Even the hero, the chosen of Yahweh, fails and commits sin.  We are all King Davids.   

    Lesson 2: Yahweh forgives and accepts.  This theme is exemplified by our gospel, the woman bathing Jesus’ feet with her tears.  Forgiveness and acceptance.

    I would suggest it also involves self forgiveness and self acceptance when we fail to be what we would like ourselves to be.

     

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    Crossing the dam at Lake Lavon. 

     

    David was accepted by Yahweh and Bathsheba, although she loses her first child with David, goes on to have another son, who is considered the ancestor of Jesus.

    How good is your self acceptance?

     

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    Rest stop # 3 on the shore of The Lake.

     

     

     

     

  • Sunday Homily, October 22, 2017, 29th Ordinary Time

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    Says Our Dearest Emma, "Welcome in, Everybody."

     

    Readings:

    Isaiah 45, 1, 4-6,  I am the Lord, there is no other.

    Psalm 96,  Give the Lord glory & honor.

    Thessalonians 1, 1-5,  We give thanks to God for all of you

    Alleluia,   Shine like lights in the world   (Great line)

    uMatthew 22, 15-21,  Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?

     

     

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    Welcome in Denni, Charlotte, and Chloe, and Tom & Nora.  So good to see you all.

     

    Isaiah observations :

    Who : Can you guess which Isaiah this is in chapter 45?  1, 2, or 3?  A little more difficult than the last two Sundays.  This is Isaiah 2, going from chapter 40 to 55.

    Today’s selection:  this is not Isaiah 2 at his best.  I like the line, I have called you by your name.  Otherwise, the passage is mildly comforting to the people who are living in Babylonian slavery, around 555 before Christ.

     

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    Welcome in to you, too, Dearest Zoe.  Just you wait.  We got something for you.  I have not forgotten.   Get ready,

     

    Cyrus: So, who is Cyrus?          

     Cyrus the Great of Persia, modern Iran, built the first great empire, which extended as far as Athens in Greece.   He was a benevolent emperor of his people and the people he conquered, for instance, the Israelites.

    Isaiah 2 is championing Cyrus because he hears of Cyrus coming and hopes Cyrus will defeat the Babylonians and set the Israelites free to return to Jerusalem.  This is exactly what Cyrus does.  Where is Babylon?  Try 50 miles south of Baghdad on the Euphrates River.  What is left?  Rubble. 

     

    Note: Watch out for the alleluia verse.  A good one & I want to talk about it.

     

     

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    Hi, Diane, and welcome back.  Want to learn how to dance?   Diane is one of the best.

     

    Shine like Lights in the World

    This morning I would like to talk about the Alleluia verse, Shine like lights in the world.  The final questions are obvious, Who is a light for me, and For whom am I a light in the world.

    I have lots of people who answer the first question.  You people, for instance.  What I would like to talk about, however, is two ladies, two black ladies, one of whom has died some years ago.

     

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    Our Candle Lighter of the Week in action.

     

    First, ever hear of Juanita Craft?  In the ‘60’s & 70’s Juanita was the Dallas leader of the NAACP and a prominent activist.  She lived in South Dallas west of Fair Park. 

    I was a Jesuit intern from ’65 to’68 at the high school.  The summer of probably ’67 I was looking at doing something different.  I talked with Juanita.  The next thing I know I am the only white guy on a Greyhound bus full of NAACP young people and their chaperons.  We were going to D.C. and then to the NAACP national convention in Atlantic City.  Remember this was another tense interracial time.  Sound familiar.  Martin Luther King was assassinated in May, 1968.   This was ’67.

     

     

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    The Best, Shonda, Ben, & David.

     

     

    I learned two things from Juanita.   First, she was tireless in advocating for her people.  She used the media to help and she eventually was elected to the Dallas City Council.  Believe it or not, she was one of the inspirations for me gathering crowds for those years of planting trees.   Juanita was long dead by then and I had spent 10 years in East Africa.  It was like I would ask myself, ‘What would Juanita do with this dream?’

    Secondly, a small thing.  Every time we got off that bus, Juanita would tell everybody to clean up every scrap of trash.  I was a bus driver for Jesuit, mostly sports teams.  I never thought of telling the kids to clean it up.  After the example of that old lady, I did.

    To round out that summer I even spent the rest of it living in her little house in South Dallas and being active in the NAACP.

     

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    The Balloon Girls at work, Zoe & Tori.

     

     

    The second black lady is named Sondra.  I see her once or twice a week when I go to our corner supermarket to buy bananas & milk & occasionally flowers.  She is the early morning cashier, is probably mid-‘60’s and should be retired,  She is very friendly and knows my name, Mr. John, and, get this, gets up ca. 2 A.M. to catch two or three buses from South Dallas to open up the store at 6:00. 

    These two women shine like lights in my world.

    Who are the lights in your world?

    For whom are you a light?

     

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    Offertory ready with Carrie & Paul, Aggie & Allen.

  • Sunday Homily, July 16, 2017, 15th Ordinary Time

    Readings:

    Isaiah 55, 10-12,   Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down…

     Psalm 65,   The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

    Romans 8,  18-23,  The sufferings of this present time are as nothing…

    Matthew 13, 1-23,  The parable of the sower.

     

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    Emma and her mom, Beth, say, "Welcome in, Everybody."

     

    Isaiah, The Great One, observations

    Who:  One of the Big 3 prophets, the greatest in my estimation.  Jeremiah and Ezekiel are the other two.  Actually, the book includes the work of 3 prophets.   Our selection is the last chapter written by Isaiah 2.

    Time:  Isaiah 2 was living during the Babylonian Captivity, ca. 555.  Isaiah 1 writes before the Captivity, maybe 150 years.  Isaiah 3 writes after the return to Jerusalem. 

    Subject today: better times will come.  I am expanding today’s passage by a third line, because it is so good.

    Isaiah 2 has some of the most beautiful passages, many of which are seen as foretelling the coming of the Savior.  His readings are used all through the Advent & Christmas readings, as well as in Lent.  Handel uses Isaiah 2 in his marvelous work, The Messiah.

    Both the Isaiah reading and Psalm 65 are beautiful.

     

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    David and Donna, our hearts and our complete condolences go out to you on the loss of your 1 year old little Yorkie, Dixie Belle.  On a sunny morning this past week in the Canyon Creek neighborhood, David was taking his coffee on the patio of their fenced in back yard and Dixie was playing, when a bobcat climbed over the fence,  grabbed Dixie by the neck, and climbed back over the fence with her.   David, yelling, climbed over the fence in pursuit.  With the help of a neighbor Dixie was rescued.  But it was too late.  She died later that day.  A year ago February the same thing happened to another of their little Yorkies.  So sorry!

     

    And My Seed Landed Where?

    This morning I would like to talk about how Jesus is said to describe how the farmer’s seed is scattered on four different types of ground, the path, the rocks, the thorns, and the fertile.  Where did your seed fall?  Where did my seed fall?  I’m sure a lot of volunteers would be happy to let me know where my seed fell.

    If you are a sinful gambler poker player you would look at this explanation and notice the bad odds, one out of four.  I would propose, however, that we all landed on fertile soil.  Let me offer some examples.

     

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    Hi, Tori.

     

    I’ve shared this example once before, so you might remember it, but probably not.  

    When I was a little kid about 5 years old, I was playing in the driveway of our house in University Park.  There were no fences and the drive went from the street, through the space between our house and the neighbor’s, and to the back up against the alley. 

    The neighbor was Sam Berger, who owned a hat store in downtown Dallas.  He was Jewish and lived next to us all during the Holocaust.  I was oblivious to it all.  He & his wife had a big black lady who not only worked in the house, but lived in the back in an apartment attached to the garage, the servant quarters.  This black lady was not nice to me. 

     

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    Our Candle Lighter of The Week at work.

     

    So this day as I am playing in the driveway, the lady steps out of the kitchen door & stands on the steps.  Without thinking, I say, “You are a big fat elephant.”

    To the lady’s credit, she marches right across the drive and tells my mom.  My mom comes out of the house, drags me in, and spanks me.  Thinking back, I am impressed that my mom respected the lady.  The spanking, however, and her treatment of me confirmed my suspicions that my seed had fallen at least on the path or rocks, if not right on the thorns.   I definitely grew up with the belief that I was a bad kid. 

     

     

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    Best buddies, Mary, Judy, and Mike.

     

    Despite the fact that you folks might agree with that assessment, I would propose that I was just a normal little boy doing silly things. 

    This habit of doing silly, not bad things, can continue into adult years.  I know a guy who gets on his bike and rides off for an hour leaving the driver’s door of his car wide upon. 

     

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    The Best, Shonda and Ben

     

    I know a lady who last week let her Lincoln run out of gas in rush hour traffic.  Her husband, a bit nettled, brought gas, but then could not start the car.  It had to be towed.

    I know a dear friend who drove into her garage with a canoe strapped to the top of her car. 

     

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    Wake up, Buddy, we are almost through. 
     

     

    You do this stuff and you begin to believe the bad news, ‘I am a loser, I am bad, my seed obviously landed in the ditch.” 

    And then there are the malicious acts.  You know where I come in on this.  Kids hurt and abused grow up to hurt and abuse.  They are not bad.  They are damaged. 

    So, who landed on fertile soil?  All of us.  God don’t make bad seed.

    So, what do you think about all this?

     

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    Beware Angela!  Cathy may be treating you all nice, but she's probably trying to sell you that mint condition Edsel that her husband brought home.  I bet she told you Bill, your son in law would love it.

     

  • Christmas Eve Homily, December 24, 2018

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    Grace reading from the Great Prophet, Isaiah.

     

    Readings:

    Isaiah 9, 1-6,    The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shown.  (Wow!  Beautiful)

    Psalm, 96,  Today is born our savior, Christ the Lord.

    Reading 2: The Road Less Taken

    Luke 2, 1-14,   The Nativity story.   (Lovely)

     

     

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    John reading The Road not Taken, one of The Greats.

     

    Frost, Robert: The Road Not Taken  ( Reading #2)

    Two roads diverged in a yellow wood

            And sorry I could not travel both   

    And be one traveler.       Long I stood

             and looked down one as far as I could,

             to where it bent in the undergrowth,

    Then took the other, as just as fair,       

             And having perhaps the better claim,

             Because it was grassy and wanted wear.

             Though as for that the passing there

             Had worn them really about the same.

    And both that morning equally lay

             In leaves no step had trodden black.

             Oh, I kept the first for another day!

             But knowing how way leads onto way,

             I doubted if I should ever come back.

    I shall be telling this with a sigh

             Somewhere ages and ages hence:

             Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–

             I took the one less traveled by,

             And that has made all the difference.

     

     

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    Claire reading the Nativity Narrative from Luke.

     

    Homily, 12/24/18

    Since November when this crazy lumbar stenosis smacked  me, I have had more doctor appointments than ever in my life, including  getting my two nice titanium hips.

    On one occasion I was going to Presby’s office building 4, on the south east corner of Walnut Hill & Greenville.  This was my second visit to this building.  Parking is all on the ground level, with the 5 or 6 story building over the parking. 

     

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    The Nativity story with Leo as Joseph and Zoe as Mary.

     

    This morning Rosemary drove me over, dropped me fairly near the big glass doors, two sets of them.  It is freezing, darkish, and windy like being in a wind tunnel.

    As I approach the first set of doors, though still 30 yards away, this tall,  strong looking black lady in a security uniform comes running from the inside, opens one of the doors wide and says cheerily, Good Morning and Welcome In.

     

    IMG_3087

     

    Who dat??  That is the Baby Jesus, otherwise known as Betsy!

     

    I laugh despite being in a world of pain from the pinched nerve.  I thank her.  And as I pass in front of her at the door, I tell her, “I am finding it hard to have people opening doors for me.  I ain’t used to this.”

    So I go upstairs, check with my doctor, and return to the lobby in maybe an hour.  I sit on a marble ledge, call Rosemary, and wait.

     

     

    IMG_3091

     

    Sez Luke, "Hey, I'm an Angel!

     

    Suddenly coming in through the doors from the outside, my black security lady appears.  I wave at her and she walks toward me.  She says, “You remember what you said to me that it is hard to let others hold the door for you.  Well, I look at you and I know you.  I know that you have opened a lot of doors for other people to walk through.   For me it is an honor to be able to pay it back just a little and hold the door for you.”

     

    IMG_3093

     

    Does it get better than this ??!!

     

    I was stunned, I was touched, I was in tears.

    Are people not good!

    Have a wonderful Christmas.

     

    IMG_3076

     

    The Best Team!

  • Sunday Homily 6-21-09, 12th Ordinary Time

    Readings Job 38, 1-11; Psalm 107, Give Thanks to the Lord, his Love is Everlasting; 2 Corinthians 5, 14-17; Mark 4, 35-41 

    Dads 1  

    Job:  

    Today: You see the story in the papers about Jake Fleming?  20 year old UCLA student & tennis player, in town to visit best friend at SMU, part of group going to a concert at Fair Park, after the concert another group of white kids argue & one kid sucker punches Jake, he falls & hits his head on the street, is in an induced coma now because of bleeding inside his skull.  This kid bad?  He was planning on teaching little kids tennis during the summer.  Why do bad things happen?  Why suffering?  This is why the story of Job got put together.

    The Story: Job is a good man, pious, married, affluent, 7 boys, 3 girls, obeys the Lord & his laws.  Satan makes a bet with Yahweh: you take away Job's goodies, he will curse you.  "Deal," says Yahweh.

    Shortly after that, one day servants come to tell Job: 1. rustlers have taken his cattle & killed his servants; 2. lightning has killed his sheep & shepherds; 3. more rustlers took his camels & killed their caretakers; 4.  a storm has killed his 10 kids.  Job does not curse.  In fact, he makes the famous statement: "Naked I entered the world, naked I leave.  Blessed be the name of the Lord."

    Satan then proposes another bet with Yahweh: let me afflict him bodily, he will curse you.  "Deal," says Yahweh.  Job is struck with leprosy and is expelled to the trash heap outside the town.    Job does not curse Yahweh, but he does say, "God, put a curse on the day I was born."

    Then Job's wife and three friends all attack him, basically telling him to just die, because he is obviously a bad man.  Job says, "No, I've done nothing wrong."  Eventually he is rewarded by Yahweh, lives 140 more years and has 7 more sons and 3 daughters, plus more wealth.  

    How many questions do you have?  How does a person's badness or goodness effect the bad things in his life?  Bad things don't happen to good folks?  That is the main proposition of Job, they do.  How about Yahweh making bets with Satan?  What about a Satan?

    Dads 2 6-21-09

    Author: not Moses.  A compilation of sources. 

    Structure: a central poetic section with  a prose entry and a prose exit.  Perhaps the happy ending was also added.  Again, a parable, a fable, a myth, not history.

    Date:  the present form was probably put together after the famous Babylonian Exile, i.e., ca. 550 BCE.

    Our Selection: after Job complains, Yahweh responds rather critically, saying, "Who do you think you are," and, "Do you forget who I am?"   

    Sources: Fr. William Most on line, Good News Bible, Wikipedia          

    Dads 6-21-09

    All Pro Dad

    Being dads' day I have one story about my dad and 3 ideas about how to be an all pro dad. 

    I do not know how we all survive adolescence, folks.  When I was a bratty teen-ager, my dad knew that anything he would say I would discount.  One of my best friends was pretty much the same way, my friend Pete, who was at the wedding, the FBI guy.

    So my dad and Pete's dad made an arrangement where the four of us went out to eat at a restaurant once in a while.  I would talk with his dad while Pete would talk with my dad.

    I admired his dad because he had worked in the FBI and was an exec at the local Chance Vought Air Plane company.  I still remember him telling me, "You can't fight city hall, John."  I guess I was, at school and in the neighborhood. 

        Suggestion 1: take the kid out for the special meal, just the two of you or with his/her pal & dad.  How often?  Maybe seasonally.  Then ask normal questions, how you doing, how is school, how is life at home?  What do you like best, your best friend?  Listen & converse.

        Suggestion 2: family meal, ideally 6-7 days a week, at least 3-4.  Again, ask normal questions, listen & converse.

        Suggestion 3: be a fun person by creating fun things to do, go camping, go to the beach, go canoing (down the Trinity), do a late night Baskin Robbins trip, bike (around White Rock or the Dallas & Plano trails), cook (like my dad used to make a cake every Saturday afternoon & he saved the bowls for me to lick clean).

    Kites Anniversary 6-21-09  

    So, how are you going to be an all pro dad?  All Pro Person?

    Source (which I edited considerably): All Pro Dad (a helpful weekly service for dads), http://www.allprodad.com/playbook/viewarticle.php?art=5

    AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2009-06-21.mp3

    Picture 1: Dads Tony & Jerry, plus other suspects

    Picture 2: Dads Mike, Tom, & Ray

    Picture 3: Dads Charlie, Ray, & Tom

    Picture 4: Julie & Doug at 23 years