13th Sunday, Ordinary time, 6-27-2021

 Welcome back, Everybody, to our Community Blog.  We are back in business.

Thanks, John Cade, for covering so beautifully for the two weeks Rosemary & I were in France.

Hi, Zoe, so nice to see you after two long weeks of us being away

Readings:  

 Acts of the Apostles 10, 25-26, 34-35, 48-48,  God shows no partiality

Psalm 98,  The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.  

 1 John 4, 7- 10,  God is love.

John  15, 9-17,     If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love.

 Note how conditional the love of God is presented.  Truly?

Hi, Harper, so nice to see you, too.

Sing to the Lord a New Song

Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds, Ps. 98

I want to talk this morning about singing a new song to the Lord, because I am a richer person than the last time we were together.

I am richer because of our trip to south west France.  I am richer because of traveling with Rosemary and Mike & Judy.  I am a richer person because of a couple with whom we had dinner probably the 4^th night of our river cruise.

Emma, our super candle lighter, doing her magic, while Georgie reads the Blessing For Candles.

The couple, Leon & Karen, are retired and live in California.  Listen to Leon for a sentence or two and you know he does not come from Texas, not even the States.  He had the beautiful Brit accent.

Karen I could not place.  She was, in fact, German.  They both had been long gone from the countries of origin.  In fact, they met in Switzerland and had been married, I think, around 40 years.  

Two new community members in their doggie carrier?   Are we not an inclusive community or not!
 

As I listened to Karen I became more curious.  She was not only German.  I began to suspect we were very close in age.  In fact, we shared the same age, 78.  Knowing we were the same age and she was German, oh, no.   The Question immediately came up in me.  I hesitated.  I did not want to disturb Karen with a heavy, personal question when everything had been light and social.

Finally, sensing an inner peace in Karen, I asked, How were you affected by WW2?

And the excellent music plays on.

Calmly & without hesitating she responded with 4 experiences.

1. She remembers ’44.  She was 4 years old.
2. She lived in a town that was getting heavily bombed.
3. The family ran to the mountains of Bavaria.
4.  After the war her father returned from being captured and imprisoned by the British.  He was never the same.

The elevation with Buddy & Georgie helping.

As she tells me this, I am so moved I am in tears.  I am humbled.  How old was I in’44?  4 years old.  How come I was so blessed?  While Karen is running from bombs and enduring the reconstruction, little John is living peacefully and without a care in the world in the safe little village of University Park.  His next door neighbor is Sam Berger, a good friend of my dad and a Jew.

I have never met a person like Karen, a person who lived through the War in Germany.  And who was so peaceful.

I went to ask her permission to talk about her.  Of course, I got teared up just asking.  Without hesitation she said, “Sure.”

I am sorry we have no cupcake for you, Brent, but I am so proud that  our community can give you $2,000 a month for Souls Harbor.

I come back from this trip, humbled, touched, and singing  to the Lord a new song.

What is your song this morning?

Juliettes eating out.  Jason's Deli?

Daniel 7: …The  one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship; all peoples, nations, and languages serve him.

2 Peter:  …"This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

Matthew 17:  And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.

Claire reading from the Book of Daniel

Thanks…     

Music,    Shonda & Ben 

Readers,  Claire & Warren

Homily,   John Cade

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Kevin

Final Blessing, Rosemary

           Warren reading from the Second  Letter of Peter         

Readings: Download 08-06-23 Readings -Transfiguration

Homily:  Download 08-06-23 Homily -Transfiguration

John Cade sharing his homily

Remember these special people:

For Jan Keszler's Family; For Sandra Pratt's family;  For Cindy Cramer's family;  For the family of Ron Senter;   For Meredith  whose cancer has come back;  For Tom Good;  For Tom  Quinn who had back surgery on November 21st; For Lambrini, John Cade's wife, who is dealing with cancer ;  For Madeleine, Richard Eshelbrenner's granddaughter;  For Hue; For Jackie;  For John's sister, Kathey recovering from a fall;   For Tom Good;   For Mary Hall's friend Cadence still suffering from a serious medical condition;   For Sir Charlie;  For Ron ;  For Teresa Quinn's niece, Maddie who has a brain tumor;

Jackie's mom, sister, & friend, Lynn;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg.;   For Jean & Cliff Wright;  For Dee, and for her daughters, Lisa & Lauren;  For a young man who is suffering from depression;  John Cade's daughter, Joey, with cancer; from Barbara, a little baby boy named Ford recuperating from an operation & the families of Annie and Michael ;    for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

The musicians, Shonda and Ben

Birthdays: Lynda Fleming 8/8, Carrie Bieda 8/10

Anniversaries:  Hue & Linda Beavers 8/8

Carrie gets a cookie for her birthday         

Community Finances:   

Expenses: $  880.00

Outreach: $  260.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

The Beavers get a treat for their anniversary

1 Kings 19:  Exhausted, he fell asleep under the lone broom bush. Suddenly an angel shook him awake and said, "Get up and eat!"

Ephesians 4:  Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.

John 6:  I am the Bread of Life.  Your ancestors ate the manna bread in the desert and died.   But now here is Bread that truly comes down out of heaven. Anyone eating this Bread will not die, ever.

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

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

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

Please pardon the Blog's absence.  We took a break and got away for 10 days.

Readings: 

Joshua 5, 9-12,  The Lord said to Joshua, "Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you."

Psalm 34,  Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.  (Excellent!)

2 Corinthians 5, 17-21, Whoever is in Christ is a new creation.

Luke 15, 1-32, The Great story of the Prodigal Son.

Community Activities:  

ROMEO MEET: Friday, March 29, Jason's Deli, Collin Creek Mall, west side of Central, 1:00.  Welcome all wakos, you will fit right in.   The Old Ex will attend.

JULIETTE LUNCHEON:  April   -  Hi Everyone,

Can’t believe April is almost here.  We will be meeting Friday, April 5^th at 12:30 at Red Lobster.  It is Lent and most of us won’t be eating meat on Friday. Please let me know who will be joining us.  It is always fun and a special day to look forward to. Everyone is welcome.

Red Lobster

3501 Central Expressway (West side of the highway) Spring Creek and Central Expressway

Marilyn

972-491-7068

TRUE?

Cherish yesterday, Dream tomorrow, Live like crazy today.

Unknown

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

1.     6 Years of Pope Francis,  

See you Sunday,  

J.S., 214-783-0443

JSM Mission-Faith Statement: 

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

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

2 Maccabees 7:  It is my choice to die at the hands of men with the hope God gives of being raised up by him;…

2 Thessalonians 2:  May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the endurance of Christ.

Luke 20:  They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise.

Mary reading from Maccabees

Thanks…     

Music,    Ben & Shonda

Readers,  Mary and Warren

Gospel,   John Cade

Homily,  John Stack

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Richard & Kevin

Final Blessing, Rosemary

Warren reading from Paul's letter to the Thessalonians

Readings:  Download 11-03-22- Readings – 32nd Sunday Ord

Homily:  

Grace and Aviana

Remember these special people:

For Jan; For Sandra who has been diagnosed with Large B Cell Lymphoma;   For Lambrini, John Cade's wife, who is dealing with cancer and Kaliope, John Cade's Mother-in-law;  For Madeleine, Richard Eshelbrenner's granddaughter;  For Donna and the Dinsmore Family after her brother, Dennis died  from pancreatic cancer;   For Hue; For Jackie;  For John's sister, Kathey recovering from a fall;    For Tom Good;  For a young man, 19 struggling with a brain tumor and cancer;     For Mary Hall's friend Cadence still suffering from a serious medical condition;   For Sir Charlie & Jan; 

Richard reminding us about the Love For Kids Party in December    

Jackie's mom, sister, & friend, Lynn;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg.;   For Jean & Cliff Wright;  For Dee, and for her daughters, Lisa & Lauren;     For a young man who is suffering from depression;  John Cade's daughter, Joey, with cancer; from Barbara, a little baby boy named Ford recuperating from an operation & friends, Annie, a mom of 3 kids and Michael ;    for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

John, Brent and Tom

Birthdays:   

Anniversaries:   

Community Finances:   

Expenses: $   1,210.00

Outreach: $   360.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

John and Connie

Rosemary's Blessing:  

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead: Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved: and now we lie
In Flanders fields!

Taken from IN FLANDERS FIELDS
By Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae

Composed at the battlefront on May 3, 1915 
during the second battle of Ypres, Belgium

Readings:

Numbers 67, 22-27,  The Lord bless you and keep you.

 Psalm 67,  May God bless us in his mercy

 Galatians 4, 4-7,  God sent the spirit of his son into our hearts.

Luke 2, 16-21,   The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God.

Genevieve, are you the little girl in the red dress who stole the whole show at our Christmas Eve celebration??

First reading: God blesses people in countless ways.  Today’s reading from the Book of Numbers is a priestly blessing given first to Moses by words that come to him from the Lord.

Second reading, Galatians 4:4-7: God sent his Son to redeem us so that we can become God’s adopted sons.

Brandon says, "Welcome in, Everybody.  Yep, she is the girl in the red dress."

Gospel reading, Matthew 25: 31-46:

John gave me permission to switch gospel readings. What you are missing is a small part of a metaphorical story about Mary, an angel, shepherds and the baby Jesus.

You might recall 15 or 20 years ago that the Liturgy of the Word, for each of the A, B, and C cycles on New Year’s Day, had as its gospel Matthew’s parable of The Last Judgment.  I imagine that its purpose was to encourage parishioners to incorporate some of its teaching into their New Year’s resolutions.

Alison, you know that the kids all love your home made communion bread and want more than one.

But I want you for a moment to think about where we live.  When we go shopping, to work, or to a movie or local restaurant, to Whole Foods or Target, it isn’t really clear to us if there is, for example, an orphan or a widow in our midst who needs our help.  

Simply put, we choose to support with taxes and contributions, governmental agencies and nonprofits, to provide food and drink to the hungry and thirsty and stranger twenty miles south of us. The fact is, whether we realize it or not, we distance ourselves from the needy.

Clear the way, Folks, here come Mike the Coffee Man.  

The meaning to today’s parable is this: When we distance ourselves from the needy, we distance ourselves from God.

I placed myself in the following scenario: I was in one of the poorer parts of South Dallas, around seven in the evening, in front of a drug store where I had gone to pick up some cough medicine.

Aiden with his grandparents, John & Jean O'Donnell.

When I got out of the car and pushed the button to lock all of its doors, I immediately noticed, about two yards from the entrance of the store a stranger, at least to me. He was homeless, for he was wearing too many clothes, unshaven, had dark hair and complexion, and he was finishing the last drink of water that he would get from a small plastic bottle.

Learning:  Big brother teaching little sister how to work a water fountain.

He was looking right at me, and I at him. As I approached him he addressed me in a language I did not know or understand.  Searching his face I sought his eyes and noticed a bit of a smile as he ran his fingers through his hair.  He reached to open the door for me.  What should I do? 

Mike ready to share his ideas in his homily.

In a split second I heard the question from the unrighteous in today’s parable, ‘When was it that we saw you a stranger and did not welcome you?’

Offertory, Cheryl, Carrie, & Paul.

Would I have responded with a joyful smile?  Would I have embraced him with his perfume of sweat?  Would I have kissed him on his forehead, taking hold of his arm to have him enter with me?  Would I have asked the people in the store if anyone knew his language so that I could find out why he was there and what he needed?  Would I have invited him to my home, offered him the opportunity to take a shower, laid out something for him to wear as I washed his clothes and prepared something for him to eat?   

Brandon, our Candle Lighter of The Week.

Jesus, an itinerant preacher, had a dark complexion and nowhere to rest his head.  Was he present to me here and now? The Lord in our parable was hungry, thirsty, a stranger longing for a visit.   Yes, every encounter we have with another is meant to be a holy encounter.  

Our School gorilla (know any other school with a pet gorilla at the door to the cafeteria?) says he is happy to see us back in the cafeteria after being in the gym for Christmas Eve.

When we name the other person God, we name ourselves.  We verify our name, the body of Christ in the world.