Readings: Acts 2, 1-11; Psalm 104; 1 Corinthians 12, 3-13; John 20, 19-23

Breaking Out

We had been traveling all night and all the next day to reach Nairobi recently. I was dead, we were all dead when we got off the plane about nine in the evening.

This is the airport that witnessed a lion walk in one night and lie down right in the lobby. In the 80’s. The airport borders the Nairobi game park. It used to be wide open, but now is glassed into sections, probably for security, if not lions. 

I remember when I got off of the plane, I said to myself, "Okay, Stack, it is time to try your Swahili." So as I walked down a corridor I saw a cleaning lady, a little, middle aged Kenya woman, and I put together a simple question, "Where is the bathroom?"  (Choo kiko wapi?) Granted, I could even see the bathroom down the corridor a bit. But I wanted to break out. 

After I asked this simple question, the little lady looks at me and says, "WHAT??!!" in this loud impatient voice. Talk about being deflated! I was ready to chuck the whole language. I was embarrassed.  It was like no more Swahili for me. English. 

However, as I got beyond her and the comment, I remembered that Kenyans are not as good with Swahili as Tanzanians. I was using Tanzanian quality. Maybe she, too, was just tired and worn out with rich tourists. 

Whatever it was, I renewed my intention and started talking with the immigration & security people.  There I got a pretty good receptions. And then our driver from the Lutheran Guest House went crazy.  That was consoling. 

I talk about this because what I had with that little lady was a type of a pentecost experience. I was scared like those people in the room. Scared even before I talked with the lady.  Then I was more scared and discouraged. Fortunately, because I knew I used to have the language well enough, I broke out again and it worked. In fact, finally I realized it felt like getting back on a bicycle after 20 years.  I just took off. 

This pentecost experience pits risk vs fear. We are all like those fellows in the upper room. We can be scared of so many things. Even scared of standing up here and reading. Scared of speaking out, of leaving a job I don’t like, of taking a new job, or hundreds of other scares. Getting married!

Growth involves risking to break out of the trap of fear. When I break out, even if I fail, consolation results.

What risk are you afraid of today?

Download the homily as an mp3 file

Welcome to our marvelous community, Clare & Joe, from Hilton Head.   Clare is Rosemary's sister (but not her twin sister).  

Readings:                          

Zechariah   12,  10-11, 13, 1, I pour out on the house of David a spirit of grace.

Psalm 63,  My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

Galatians 3, 26-29,     Through faith you are all children of God

Luke 9, 18-24,  If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily.

Genevieve, too, not to be outdone in hospitality, says, "Hi, Joe & Clare.  Welcome.  And Welcome, Everybody."

Zecheria observations : 

Who:  
one of the 12 minor prophets.  Why?  Small work.  Only 14 little chapters.  Vs the Big 3, who have chapters numbering into the 60’s.  Zecharia is really the author of this work.

Time:  
post Babylonian Captivity, therefore, after 555 before Christ.  How do we know?  Reference is made to Darius, the king of the Persians.

Content:  
part 1 involves visions about the restoration of Jerusalem.  Part 2, our part, talks about future prosperity.  Maybe a slightly forgetable book.  I have not one line highlighted in my bible.

Sources: Good News Bible, Wikipedia

Kevin, also, says, "Welcome in, Joe & Clare, and Welcome, Everybody?

Deny Myself and Take up a Cross Daily

This morning I would like to talk about this notion of taking up my cross daily.   Every time I hear this it creeps me out.  It is so depressing and gloomy.  I have known people who have followed this scrupulously and they were not happy.  In fact, I could describe them as psychologically infirm.

I think there was some of this in my original decision to enter the Jesuits to be a priest in 1958.

Our Professional Candle Lighter of The Week, Brandon.

Certainly in those early years of Jesuit training, we practiced this.  We took up the cross daily.  We lived in silence most of the time, worked hard on the beautiful Jesuit farm at Grand Coteau, and we never went back to our original homes, even for Christmas or weddings.   A really regimented monastic life, up at 5:00, lights out at 10:00, every day, month after month, year after year.

Times have certainly changed since Vatican II and I have obviously changed.  I think there is a healthy way to understand taking up one's cross.  I have three positive comments.

Buddy, Is that a little mouse admiring you?

First, it can be a invitation or a challenge to  self-improvement.  I see a lot of this every morning I go to work out at the Jewish Community Center.  These people are healthy and not depressed.

Secondly, the self-improvement involves obvious things, like the big three:

          Healthy eating, that is, watch out for salt, sugar, and fat or butter, the major seducer ingredients of fast food places, like McDonald’s.

Hannah, who is that loving up on you?

          Exercise, that is, keep moving.  2 a days are coming for high school football players.  You want to see self discipline?  27 days from now I will join 15 thousand other wakos to ride across Iowa in a week, about 500 miles.  I’m exercising, getting in shape.  

I know a couple here who will remain nameless, who when the husband was discovered to have the beginning of Diabetes 2, he decided to eat healthy and exercise.  He did it, lost a good bit of extra weight, and controlled his diagnosis.   Following his example, his wife joined him and she, too, lost weight and got into shape.  

Folks, that seems to be Victoria who loves Hannah.

          Thirdly, taking breaks, days off, vacation periods.  A day off a week
or 3 once a month.   Contemplate and reflect during the breaks.  Contemplate what?  My blessings & gifts & joys.  Number one, number two, and on.

The final comment, the goal of all this discipline & self-improvement?     Be fully alive.  This is what it means to take up a cross in a healthy way. 

Where are you being invited by God to become more fully alive?

Sez Genevieve, "Is it not my turn to play that guitar?"

Readings: 

Malachi 3, 19-20, There will arise the sun of justice.

Psalm 98,  Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.

2 Thessalonians 3, 7-12,  Night and day we worked.

Luke  21, 5-19, Nation will rise against nation.

Emma says, "Welcome, Everybody."

 Introduction: 

Before the Exile the OT prophets warned the Israelites of the punishment they were about to receive for not being obedient to the Commandments.  After returning from their exile to find their temple, homes and fields in destruction they were exhorted by the OT prophets to restore and rebuild and purify themselves before God.

The written words of the very small book of the prophet Malachi anticipated the coming of a messenger to prepare their hearts to welcome and put into practice the life-giving and love-giving words and actions of the Messiah. 

Our reading from St. Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians continues this theme: the virtuous will be known by their words and actions.

Leo, also, says, "Welcome, Everybody."

Homily:

When our first reading begins with these words, ‘a day is coming,’ it is speaking of the Day of Judgment to separate those whose life and love giving words and actions have served God and neighbor from those who failed to do so.

The Prophet Malachi implies that those who have served God and neighbor have done so naturally because they have been purified [by the Spirit].  Indeed, Jesus’ words in the Matthew gospel to those who have shown mercy and justice invite them to enter the kingdom of God prepared for them from the foundation of the world.

Kevin getting ready to help.

They are told that they had clothed him when he was naked, given water and food when he was hungry and thirsty.  The just are perplexed; they ask him ‘when did we clothe you or visit you when you were sick or in prison?’ 

The Lord replies, ‘when you did it to the least of those around you, you did it to me and for me through the Spirit.’ 

And we begin…

In today’s gospel his disciples ask Jesus when this Day of Judgment was coming. The gospels tell us that only the Father knows the day when his Son, the bridegroom, will come for his bride; but Jesus replies that those who have endured persecution and have chosen to be led by the Holy Spirit will recognize the signs in the heaven. Then they are to raise their heads knowing that their redemption is at hand.

Mike homilizing.

Ten years ago I spent some time examining some early Christian writings that were not included in the NT.  I came across a writing that was done by a 22 year old, well educated, young woman named Perpetua living in the north African city of Carthage in the year 203 AD.

 She was writing about herself during the last days of her life. She had just finished the final stage of the catechumenate when she had been arrested for being a Christian.  [The Romans in Carthage needed some Christians to throw to the Lions on the Emperor’s Birthday.]

Georgie also getting ready to help.

Perpetua was baptized as she waited to be put into prison. Her father came to visit her, begging that she tell the judge that she was not a Christian.  She pointed to a pot near her asking him to tell her what it was.  Then she said to him that in like manner she could not be anything other than what she was, ‘a Christian.’ 

With her head raised high, she identified herself as Christian before the judge.  She described prison as a dark hole, but she prayed for endurance with three others who were catechumen; including her maid, Felicity, who was expecting a child.  

Cowboy Cole almost ready to ride in on his horse.

On the night before they were taken to the arena to be thrown to the wild animals during the festivities these martyrs were given their last meal.  These four Christians called it their love feast; they were receiving the Bread blessed and broken.   By no other name did they want to be called.    Let us cherish the Christian name to which each of us has been called.

The Girls plus one, Emma, Zoe, Torri, and Buddy

Readings: Joshua 5, 9-12; Psalm 34, Taste and see the goodness of the Lord; 2 Corinthians 5, 17-21; Luke 15, 1-32

The Fourth Sunday in Lent – Reflection on the Readings

The first reading today is from the Book of Joshua.  Just to put this book in the context of the Old Testament, it comes immediately after the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament.  It is the account of how the Israelites took possession of the “Promised Land”.  It would be similar I suppose to the landings of the early pilgrims and how we celebrate that event with Thanksgiving.

The book has been edited by the same folks who worked on the Pentateuch, namely those folks whom we know as J, E, P and D.  Our reading today comes just before the famous battle to take Jericho.  The Israelites are making their transition from being feed with Manna to harvesting food from the land.  One continuing concern, which comes up time and again, is the influence of the Canaanites on the relationship of the Israelites with their God. 

On the second reading from Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians we have that amazing phrase which Paul uses to say we are “ambassadors for Christ”.  Remember that an ambassador represents the one who has sent them.  Christ’s focus was always on the underprivileged, the poor and the outcasts of society. 

Picture 1:  The Mass begins at Wilson Middle School

Picture 2:  Bob & John, Marilyn and her guest from Germany, Richard

Picture 3:  The patio at Wilson with Loretta & Gayle

Picture 4:  The Donut Shoppe, Rosemary & Ray

Macy Grattafiori & her dad, John.

Readings:

Isaiah 25, 1-6, 10, Then will the eyes of the blind be opened.

Psalm 146,  Lord, come and save us.

James 5, 7-10,  The coming of the Lord is at hand.

Matthew 11, 2-11,  The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.

Macy & Nick.

We have heard that people discover that the Blog has not been coming.  Typepad tends to drop people for no reason.  So if this happens to you, just sign up again by going to www.johnstackministries.com

Main Altar at the venue in Watercolor, Florida, part of Santa Rosa Island.  An excellent, rustic wedding venue.

Observation & Homily from John

Love for Kids: A few words about Love for Kids yesterday. Bill Hammond signed up a John Stack Ministries team for it. I met up with three others from our community—Rich, Cheryl, and Mike Carrell. We were assigned to help prepare lunches and manage the lunch line for about 900 kids and their adult guardians. Our team totaled ten volunteers plus the head honcho from Love for Kids. Some in our team were college students looking for a volunteer experience and they proved they were there to work. The team worked without a break for over two hours, and collaborated as a real team.                       

John preparing to share his homily ideas.

   Many of the kids expressed their gratitude. It was cute seeing their eyes scan the lunch boats for any differences, like some differences in cookie selection. Some kids said, “I don’t want chips; I want Cheetos” or “Where’s the drinks?” etc. I checked with our volunteers, and we all were highly honored to represent John Stack Ministries, loved our gig, and were happy to be able to stand strong for Bill.

Who is that man with the crazy hat?

Homily:

There are umpteen healing stories in the Bible (Old and New Testaments). Healing and forgiveness stories are at the core of the Gospel message. They’re mostly connected to forgiveness and reconciliation. They teach us to ‘watch’ for the blessings that come our way daily; how different this is from that Christmas song, you better ‘watch out’ cause Santa knows if you’re good or bad.

The sister act on candles, Georgie, Tori, & Zoe.

The Good News invites us to watch carefully for life-changing blessings, rather than watch fearfully for threat and punishment.

Recently I shared my family’s struggles over forgiving a family member for past mistakes. We suffer in a relationship of brokenness and distance.

Buddy reading & speaking from the heart the Candle Blessing of the Week

Another example from about 20 years ago gives me hope. It was when two of my sisters and I ganged up on another sister whom we thought needed to change how she related to the nursing home staff where our disabled older sister lived—basically to force her to do things our way.

Happy Birthday, Tom.

My sin was not being sensitive to how each of us is different, and so ‘gives’ in different ways. My blessing was to see on the long drive home how wrong I was in judging rather than accepting and forgiving. I returned the next weekend and asked forgiveness. In spite of her children’s advice to say no, she forgave me. Her gift of forgiveness and reconciliation was and is a great blessing in my life.

Happy 3rd Anniversary, Cody & Shonda.

Question: How are you sometimes not sensitive to how other’s differences can lead to you judging others and distancing yourselves? I invite you to participate in our forgiveness and reconciliation rite today.     

Amen.

Thanks, David & Caroline for driving Rosemary & me all over Santa Rosa Island for the wedding.

Readings:  Genesis 18, 20-32; Psalm 138, Lord, on the Day I called for Help, You answered Me; Colossians 2, 12-14; Luke 11, 1-13

Seventeenth Sunday – Reading Notes

The first reading continues from last week’s with the Book of Genesis and shows us a rather interesting twist on the old adage of collective responsibility for a crime, and therefore collective punishment.  This was an accepted principal in early Israel. 

Today’s reading views this principal from the other side.  Can a few good people save the entire community?  We have a wonderful example of a type of prayer, a bargaining prayer.  It reads like a great story and we are left wondering what did happen!  I hope you know what happened!  Remember, Lot’s wife had to look back!

Our second reading continues our readings from Paul’s Letter to the Colossians.  The focus of today’s reading is the contrast between the effectiveness of circumcision and that of baptism, because of Christ’s death on the cross.  Everything is forgiven by that death.

Seventeenth Sunday – Homily

The main focus in our Gospel reading today is the Our Father.  Remember, in Luke’s gospel, Jesus is on his Journey to Jerusalem.  Luke gives us this section about Jesus praying and his apostles ask him to teach them to pray, just as John taught his followers to pray, and just as any great prophet would be expected to do. 

This prayer is the simplest version we have of the Our Father.  The version in Matthew’s gospel is a little longer, and there is a very early church document called the Didache, which means the Teachings, which has the version used today by most Protestants with the ending “for thine is the power and the glory for ever and ever.”  Luke’s version has two addresses to the Father, May your name be holy, and may your kingdom come,  and three about us; provisions, forgiveness and don’t test us.  The opening section is very similar to the Jewish prayer the Kiddish!

Growing up, most of us learned prayers by heart, or rote.  I still find myself using those prayers and they give me a sense of calm.  But if my prayer life stops there then my relationship with God will probably be very childlike. 

I came across a very helpful interview with Sister Joan Chittister on Prayer.  I have included the link to the site at the end of these notes.  She talks about prayer bringing her to a greater awareness of God’s presence around us.  If we look at the actions of Jesus, he was incredibly sensitive to those around him and their needs.  His level of prayer enabled him to know who was suffering and to bring relief to them, whether it was the pain of sins past or of current illness. 

As a community I think that we do show awareness to the pains of those around us in our Outreach Ministry.  But the question that should always be asked is, who else needs comforting.  Who around me, either in my home life or work, or in the marketplace could benefit from God’s love, which can only come through one of us. 

Last week John mentioned our desire to be a more welcoming and outreaching community to those who have felt rejected by the “official church” for whatever reason.  Those folks are out there, hurting for want of a loving healing community.  As you continue to pray, to get in touch with the all present God, keep an eye out for those ‘lost or rejected sheep”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/janet-haag/what-is-prayer-a-conversa_b_603667.html

Picture 1:   Mass with Tony & 2 servers

Picture 2:   Tom handing over our monthly donations

Picture 3:   Alison & Anthony running the celebration from the entrance

Picture 4:   The Sisters, Marlene & Cindy bringing up the bread & wine