Trinity Sunday, June 15, 2025

Readings: 

Romans 1, 1-7,  Grace to you and peace.

Matthew  1, 18-24, She was found with child through the Holy Spirit.

Georgie arriving ready.

 Christmas observations:

1.  Celebration of Christmas was banned in Boston up until ca. 200 years ago.  The Puritan influence.  They had seen the corruption of Rome and the inquisition.  They feared and hated Rome and Catholics.
2. Rome had a feast of Saturnalia, which was connected with the Winter Solstice.  It was a feast of the harvest and of light, light returning in the northern hemisphere.  For centuries Roman Catholicism refused to honor the feast, but eventually adopted it as a date for Christ’s birth.
3. The winter solstice had been celebrated for 10,000 years, back when humans started farming.
4. Christmas Eve, Kinshasa, Zaire, 1977.  I was in Kinshasa, Zaire (now, The Congo), Christmas, 1977 and attended a Christmas Eve Mass that was marvelous, singing that went on forever and dancing on the part of the African priest in a very colorful set of vestments.  Having a good set of kidneys helps because the celebration goes on  2 ½ hours.  

Emma saying, "Welcome, Everybody."

Seen The Spirit Lately?

Ever get the feeling that the world is just getting worse every year, more wars, more killing, more kids being hurt, everything worse?  Where is the spirit of peace and caring?

I would like to propose the spirit is here.  Good things are taking place.  Let me give you 4 examples that have just taken place.

Buddy lighting the 4 Advent Candles.

The first I heard about took place during the ice storm the week after Thanksgiving.  I35 going north through Denton became a parking lot when 18 wheelers got stuck and blocked the highway.  This happened that Friday afternoon and the highway was probably down for the night. 

The pastor of some church in the area heard about the people on the highway.  He gathered a bunch of his community and out they went to the highway with food, hot drinks, and blankets for those who needed them.  Some people were even invited into people’s homes.

You folks would do this.

For all your work with the candles, Buddy, you get a cupcake of the week.

At the same time that afternoon our neighbors called to invite us to lunch on the grill because our electricity was off.  They had a gas grill.  The lady across the street offered to let us stay at her house.  She had electricity.  We were on the second of our two day return drive from Thanksgiving at Rosemary’s sister’s house in Hilton Head.

Secondly, you remember that I worked in Oklahoma after the tornado.  I heard of a lady who is making special Christmas ornaments for people who have lost all their precious ornaments.  I thought about those people whose houses I helped to clear out and thought what a nice idea.

Aiden arriving with hoodies for Soul's Harbor.

Thirdly, three celebs, two sports stars and one singer.

Ever hear of Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans, a wide receiver.  For the 7^th year in a row he took 12 underprivileged kids on a shopping trip at Kids R Us.  They had 80 seconds, his number, to grab what they wanted.  He even chipped in an Xbox 360 for each kid.  17 thousand bucks.  Sounds like Love for the Kids.

Leo baby sitting Claire.

Also, Damien Lillard, 23, a hot new player for Portland.  He took a whole bus load of kids on a shopping trip.

Then, the singer Beyonce went into a Wal-mart, bought 750 $50 gift cards for everyone that moment in the Wal-Mart. 

Cathy & Connie accepting Cupcakes of the Week for their birthdays.

Fourth.   Out of bad stuff, good stuff.  A grandmother was caring for 9 young kids somewhere here in Dallas.  She had bought their presents and had them hidden in her apartment.  Yes, you guessed it, they all go stolen.  The story got out and she received more presents than she could ever have afforded. 

Where are you seeing The Spirit of peace and caring this Christmas?  How are you contributing to it?

Can we trust this guy? Accepting Meredith's cupcake because she is sick.

 Readings:    

1 Kings  17, 10-16,   When we have eaten it, we shall die.

Psalm 146,   Praise the Lord, my soul.

Hebrews 9, 24-28,   He will bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.

Mark 12, 38-44,  A poor widow came and put in two small coins.

Emma & Mom

 Kings:

     Author & date of composition: the work is a compilation of numerous sources put together near the end of the Babylonian Captivity, ca. 550.

    Subject Matter: 1 Kings is part of a 4 book work that includes 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings.  The 3 kings are Saul, David, and his son, Solomon.

 The work begins with Samuel, the last great judge, continues through the lives of the 3 kings, and finally shows how Solomon’s sons’ squabbles led to the division of the Jewish nation into two states, north & south, Israel & Judah.  Both states were defeated and the people of Judah taken into the Babylonian Captivity.  It ends on a high note when Cyrus of Persia defeats Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon, and allows the Jews to return to Jerusalem.

Leo & truck

    The Theme: you be good, good things happen to you; you be bad, bad things happen to you.

    Our selection: 2 great prophets lived when the kingdom divided, Elijah & Elisha.  They criticized the bad ways of the sons.  In this selection, Elijah tells the king he is going to send a drought to the king's land.  Then Elijah goes away & meets a poor, starving widow with a son.  Watch what happens.  This is setting us up for a little widow in the gospel.

Celebrating Verans' Day

   Contribute all I have, my whole livelihood?

I want to talk about a marvelous event I saw take place on a Southwest airplane.  

Last week Rosemary & I went to Chicago to visit a friend of mine since all the way back to our days at Christ the King grade school.  My friend, Pete, he and I parted after high school and we saw each other maybe half a dozen times all these years up until recently.

Bernadette leading The Creed

When I entered the Jesuits in Louisiana, he entered the F.B.I. and worked his whole life in and out of Chicago.  He was always athletic and last year told me he ran the Chicago Marathon 10 times.

So we fly Southwest to Chicago on Tuesday and return Wednesday.  The visit goes fine and we prepare to return home.  When we boarded in Chicago we were a bit nervous because the plane homeward bound was booked solid and we were on standby.  We make it okay.

Torri and her Mom, Michelle

Before arriving at Love Field we make a quick stop in Kansas City.  Half the plane empties, and refills just short of full.  Rather quickly all the new passengers are seated.  The overhead bins are stuffed full and closed.

Rosemary and I are seated two thirds of the way back, together this time.  Everything is copasetic and ready for departure.

Connie

 At this point down the aisle comes a slightly heavy lady.  She is pulling a roll on, max size. 

When she gets to us she sees a flight attendant approaching from the back.   “Where can I place my bag?” she asks. 

Bill Hammond updating us on Bona Responds and accepting our $2,000 check for their relief work in NYC

“I think all the bins are full, Ma’am.  Would you like to check your bag?”

“No,” responds the woman somewhat bluntly. 

Meanwhile the flight attendant is patiently opening and trying to find space, but this lady’s roll on is not small.  And her posture says she is not backing down.  The flight attendant is pleasant but starting to get a bit frustrated.

Amanda being escorted by her mom, Linda

We are at crisis point, I think to myself. 

Then, the most amazing thing happens.  The woman in the aisle seat right across from me and Rosemary says to the flight attendant, “You may check my bag that is overhead and put her bag in my place.” 

I could not believe. 

The Wedding Saturday night

The woman then mentions that she has $20,000 worth of equipment in her bag and she cannot stow it.   It would have helped to know this from the start.  However, the bag in the bin went underneath and the late arriving bag went in the bin.

I talk about this because the woman who offered her bag resembled the two women in the stories.  Both women gave a lot of themselves.

Three observations.

Luciano and Amanda beginning a new life

First, I bet a lot of parishioners are hearing how they should be donating to their parish like this little lady in Mark.   It is a set up.  And it is a really narrow approach to the story.

Secondly, watch out for Mark’s use of infinite demand.  Am I supposed to likewise contribute all I have, my whole livelihood?  Not quite, which leads to my next point.

Thirdly, we are called to help and to contribute, not just money, but so much else, my roll on, my time, my positive strokes of others, my efforts to help people recover from a hurricane, like the St. Bonaventure kids and staff are doing. 

Of course, when leaving that plane I complimented the lady on her offering her roll on to be stowed and I asked the flight attendant her name so I could send in a compliment to corporate, which I did.  That was my small offering to the event.

Owen Gordon's Memorial at Sunset Point on White Rock Lake, Sunday afternoon

Whom are you helping today?

A new community member?  Almost like former times.

Readings:

Isaiah 7, 10-14, Ask for a sign from the Lord.

Psalm 24,  Let the  Lord enter, he is king of glory

Romans 1, 1-7,  Grace to you and peace.

Matthew 1, 18-24,  This how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.

Buddy reading The Candle Blessing for the 4th Sunday.

Homily for December 22 by Mike

The Matthew and Luke gospels begin with what Biblical scholars call infancy narratives because the child Jesus is in both of them. You might remember from earlier homilies that the shepherds, who lived in the fields and who took turns watching over their flocks during the night, were a metaphor for the Lord’s apostles. The angel of the Lord, Mary, the manger, the flocks, the swaddling clothes, the birth place of Bethlehem, all these and many others are metaphors.

Our Sister Act lighting the 4 candles for the 4th week of Advent

It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that Mary has given birth in both the Matthew and Luke gospels; but not to a child. She has given birth to the written Good News of Jesus Christ. It is there that Mary’s wildest dreams are fulfilled…and ours, too.

Mike sharing his homily ideas.

The Prophet Isaiah has been in anticipation of the written Good news all through Advent. Today he identifies Christ as Emmanuel,  “God is with us.”  Recall that in the Luke gospel Isaiah identifies the Lord’s journey with us this way:  The spirit of the Lord has anointed us to take the Good News to the poor, to proclaim liberty to the captive, to give sight to the blind, to set the downtrodden free, and to proclaim this year to be the Lord’s year of favor.

Thanks to all of you.

"Welcome in, Everybody," say Sydney & Hugh.

Readings: 

Isaiah 43, 16-21,  See, I am doing something new.

Psalm 126,  The Lord has done great things for us, we are filled with joy.

Philippians 3, 8-14, I consider everything as a loss.

John 8, 1-11,   Let the one who among you is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.

And likewise from Jackie, "Welcome in, Folks, we have a reconciliation service this morning before the Our Father."

 Isaiah Observations:

The scene: the Jewish people are captives in Babylon ca. 555 years before Christ.  Isaiah No.1  had warned the people that their bad ways were going to lead to this.   

In this chapter 43, which is Isaiah No. 2, Isaiah has Yahweh reminding them of how much he has done for them in the past and lets them know that they are still his people.  Their lives will get better.  

Candle service with Tori lighting and her brother, Buddy,  reading The Blessing of the Candles.

The first 5 verses of this chapter are some of my favorites in the whole Bible.  Isaiah No.2 is telling the people to not be afraid because he is with them. It goes— 

Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you.  I have called you by your name.  You are mine.  When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you…  When you pass through fire, you will not suffer.   I regard you as precious, honored, and I love you.  

I will give up whole nations to save your life, because you are precious to me & because I love you and give you honor.  Do not be afraid, I am with you.

Bernadette says, "Hey, those are my grandkids.

Philippians Observations:

Philippi was a town in Macedonia, now called Greece.  Philippi was the first church Paul set up on European soil.  He is in prison.  He is basically saying that for him nothing has any importance beyond his relationship with Jesus.

Psalm 126 ( a good one), 

The Lord has done great things for us.  We are filled with joy.

Spring Fever: Juliets out on the town.

Punishment or Compassion

I would like to talk this morning about the woman in the gospel, the one about to be stoned to death for being caught in adultery.   An example of punishment vs compassion.   The Law vs Jesus.  The brutality and the injustice of it smacks me in the face.  It is, also, so contemporary.

It reminds me of a very uncomfortable situation I found myself in when I was learning Swahili in Tanzania.   This would have been about ’77 or ’78, when I was just getting into the language. 

The Best with Shonda & Ben.

I was at an outstation church from an outstation church maintained by our Jesuit parish in a town called Tabora, smack in the middle of Tanzania, on the east-west train track.   This is the place where I later fell into the grave of a little lady I was burying and the place where I spent Advent and Christmas one year with two young Jesuit interns from the Island of Malta just off the Mediterranean tip of Italy.

On this occasion I was being shown around by the 4-5 men of this tiny village with a small, mud walled church.  I could not have been saying much because the language was still quite difficult for me.

The Minor Elevation.

It was afternoon of a pleasant day.  We are way out in the bush and I remember the land was fairly green.  It was probably the period of the small rains, meaning, say, February or March.   The long rains come in our summer.  This is south of the equator.

At one point the men and I are wandering up a slope on top of which was a fairly large corrugated metal building, probably built by the government to help the villagers store their produce.

Communion Service table with John and Alison.

As we get closer I can hear voices from inside the building and a thud or two.  Maybe the guys escorting me had explained what was going on and I did not understand.

Whatever the case, we are maybe twenty yards from a door at the corner of the building when, all of a sudden, the door opens and a few guys come out and with them staggers a man who has been beaten.  He is dressed in nothing more than something like a towel or a skirt.  He has bruises on his shoulders and legs.  Because he is black I can’t see discoloring, but I see wounds. 

Offertory team with Lynda & Tom, Teresa & Tom.

He has been caught cattle rustling.  He took one cow that he found out in the countryside near the village and attempted to get away.  He is a skinny older guy and probably not too smart.  They caught him easily. 

After teaching him a lesson, they are planning to walk him to the police station about 40 miles away in Tabora, the larger town I came from.  Along the way they will pass a few small villages where the inhabitants will also beat him.  If he makes it, jail will look pretty good.  And he does make it, I heard later.

Reconciliation service, "Please forgive me," "I forgive you."

When this old guy sees me, he sees a savior and comes toward me with a begging gesture. 

I am ready to throw up and I want to tell the people to stop beating the man.   But I don’t know the language and I feel very awkward because these people are hosting me.  I feel paralyzed.

What do I do?   I did nothing.  And I was haunted by my doing nothing for years.  I had to forgive myself somewhere along the years.

Everyone is offered the opportunity to ask for and to give forgiveness, plus a peace hug.  Most moving.

Readings:

Jeremiah 33, 14-16, In those days Jerusalem shall dwell secure.

Psalm 25, To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

1 Thessalonians 3, 12- 4, 2, May the Lord make you increase and abound in love.

Luke 21, 25-28, 34-36, Be vigilant at all times.

Wendy is Back! At least for this Sunday, and her buddy, Leo

Jeremiah observations:

Who:            One of the Big 3 prophets, 52, chapters.  Called the sorrowful prophet because he did not want to condemn his people.  He had to and as a result was beaten, put in stocks, thrown in a cistern, threatened with death, and imprisoned.  In fact, Nebuchadnezzar released him and admired him.  He also wrote Lamentation, Jeremiah grieving over the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, and the slavery of the people.

When:  as a convenient date, use 600 before Christ.  Jeremiah knew how the Assyrians had destroyed the northern province of Israel and taken off the 10 tribes living there.  Jeremiah saw the badness of the Jews in Judah and he saw the Babylonians threatening.  He finally saw what he foretold, the Babylonian Captivity.

Alison coordinating communion.

Subject: like all prophets, condemn behavior, foretell punishment, envision recovery and peace.  Jeremiah does it all.

Today:  parallelism.  This is the key.  It ties Jeremiah’s vision of release to Luke’s of redemption.  God saves his people from slavery; Gods saves us, his people, from slavery. 

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

Georgie making her debut as an Altar helper, with Kevin

 Vigilance!

I want to talk today about the advice to be vigilant.  To lead into the topic I have another biking story.

This took place recently in, I think, the Greenville bike rally.  I was at a rest stop.  I usually stop every 10 miles and drink a lot of liquid so that I am ready to visit the portapotty at the next 10 mile stop.  The stop was not my first, maybe my 3^rd or 4^th. 

The Cupcake of The Week going to Emma, 3 years old yesterday, Saturday.

I had just eaten a banana and was talking with people around me.  I threw the banana peel at a trash can and missed.  So I went over, picked it up along with a few other things, and threw them into the can.

Mabel and Curtis with Marlene

 A lady behind me says, “Hey, thanks, I really appreciate you picking up.”  She was one of the volunteers running the rest stop.  I thanked her in return and said I appreciated her mentioning it.  I talked with her a few more minutes, then rode on.

Zoe, believe it or not, with Buddy

As I rode I reflected back on the event and how touched I had been by her simple thanks.  Which leads me to our subject, vigilance.

First, I want to say the real vigilance is not watching out that something bad is about to happen.  I am not about to be caught in a trap.  There is no cosmic assault.

Meredith

Rather, especially at this time of year of Advent, I am looking for the small ways God taps me on the shoulder.  He/she is saying, “Thanks, you are okay, peace.” 

The flip of this is true, also.  I look for the ways I can touch someone, complimenting them, even just saying thanks. 

Meredith and her dad, Joe

So, I would propose that vigilance during this waiting period for Christmas means being aware of all the many, many ways I am blessed & touched by God each day, just as we mention at the beginning of all our Masses. 

Meredith and Brent sharing vows.

 The lady in Greenville probably has no idea she was God’s touch to me.  Moreover, she has no idea we are talking about her.  A simple blessing.

So, go be vigilant!

January 25, 2015, 3rd Ordinary Time B

Readings:

Jonah  3, 1-10,  The word of the Lord came to Jonah, saying…..

Psalm 25,    Teach me your ways, O Lord.

1 Corinthians 7, 29-31,   Let those having wives act as not having them.

Mark 1, 14-20,   Come after me and I will make you fishers of people.

"Hi, Folks," says Charlotte, "Welcome."

Jonah: This little book of 4 chapters is a gem and tells a delightful short story.   It is so good I would like to read it all, but will read only chapter 1 and most of chapter 3. 

Background: Jonah has been asked by Yahweh to go to Nineveh in Assyria to tell the people & leaders that they are evil and will be punished shortly by Yahweh.  Trouble is, Nineveh is the enemy, like me going to Houston or Philadelphia. 

So he runs away, catches a boat headed for Spain, is blamed by the sailors for causing a big storm on the sea, and is dumped overboard.  The whale swallows him and for three days Jonah is constrained to reflect on what he is doing.  When, after 3 days, the whale dumps him on shore, Jonah is more willing to listen.  We arrive at this point and I will have most of chapter 3 read.

Chloe, too, with her sister, says, "Welcome, Everybody.

Author: For centuries, while people took this story as factual, Jonah was considered author of his own story.  Once it was seen as a fable or allegory, it is accepted that the story probably has some unknown ancient as the author.

Date of composition: no one really knows, but educated guesses put it ca. 800 before Christ.

Note: the story of Jonah and the story of Jesus' interaction with his future apostles are both about The Call.   1 Corinthians is really bad.  Just like last week.  Who in Rome chooses these readings?

And Emma, too, "Hi, Everybody."

Reminiscing at 75

This morning I would like to reminisce on the theme of call at 75.  I propose that calls can be blessings or gifts.  For example. 

I see three big calls in my 75 years.  The first came when I was in high school at the old Jesuit on Oak Lawn.  I felt drawn to be a Jesuit & a priest. 

Kevin arriving ready to cover anything, Georgie, his partner, participating in a swim meet.

I admit there was a lot of scare in this decision, scare that I was going to hell because of my sinful ways and the guys I hung around with.  I remember clearly one of the sermons commonly used with us guys.  You go out with your girl friend, you neck a little bit, you head home, you are hit by a train, and killed instantly.  You go straight to hell. 

I remember the pastor at Christ the King telling the people that where you go will depend upon the people you hang out with.  Good people, you go to heaven.  Bad people, you know where.  I looked around and thought to myself, ‘I know where I’m going.’  I look around now and see some of my best friends, one a lawyer, another a banker, and my friend in Chicago, FBI.  On second thought, I still don’t know where we all might be going.

Leo and Brandon, buddies.

Trouble is, now I don’t think there is a hell thanks to my Jesuit training. I grew up in the Jesuits.  We simply had to.  I used to look at some of my classmates in the military and thought they were lucky.  We entered the Jesuits in those days and never went home for anything, weddings, special events, maybe funerals of parents.

With all this, my decision to follow this inner call to be a Jesuit was an enormous blessing.

Cupcake of The Week to Doug for entering a new decade.

It led me to a second momentous blessing in my life, my years in East Africa, especially Tanzania.  I really had to learn how to adapt.  I learned Swahili and in the process discovered I have a gift for languages.

A high moment for me during maybe my 8th year came one afternoon when I went to a market in a big shed at my base near Kilimanjaro.  I had an old Tanzanian who was a buddy.  He sold fruits and veggies.  I always chatted with him when I was in town.  One day after we had chatted, a little old lady asked him, while I was to the side picking fruit, was I one of them, their people. 

Cupcake, really a power bar of the week to Sir Charlie in another decade.

I used Swahili so good she thought I was an ndugu, which means something like a brother, something I would never had used for myself.  The old guy told me and I was floored.

Then I was somewhat unpleasantly invited to go back to the States, which led to the third most incredible call and blessing, Rosemary and marriage.

Emma and Cole signing a birthday card.

  Looking back I returned to the States with a loneliness that I picked up in Tanzania and a much different perspective on marriage that I also picked up from the people, the priests, and even the bishops and a particular cardinal.  Tanzanians deep inside think not getting married is contrary to the laws of the universe.  I came home with this and I now could not be a happier person.

Finally, a side effect call and gift: you people, our community, the gift and the fun I receive from you every week.

Calls can be marvelous gifts and blessings.  I have had three and a half marvelous ones. 

And you?

Peace is Emma with Aviana.