5th Sunday of Lent, March 21, 2021

Readings:

Wisdom 11, 22-12, 2,   Before the Lord the whole universe is as a grain from a balance.

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

2 Thessalonians 1, 11-2, 2,  We always pray for you.

 Luke 19, 1-10,   Zacchaeus the tax collector in the tree.

 

Sez You Know Who, "Hi, Everybody, Thanks for coming to my party this morning."  
 

 

Wisdom (of Solomon) observations:

Author: Not Solomon, but a compilation by numerous people.

Date:  around 200 years before Christ.

 

 

Olivia, too, says, "Thanks for coming to my party."  The Old Geezer is really jealous of your beautiful hair, Olivia.  

 

Subject: Wise statements like

          "Righteous people are protected by God and will never suffer torment." 3, 1

          "Is it good to have riches in this life?  Nothing can make you richer than wisdom."  8, 5

Today:  Nice reading, especially for All Saints.  Note the beautiful line, “You love all things that are.” Line 24

 

 

Thanks, Harper, for such a beautiful welcome!
 

 

Zacchaeus, the tax collector

Couple of questions.  

For us today, listening to this delightful story, what does Jesus represent?

What does Zacchaeus represent?

I would propose that Jesus represents the person fully alive. 

 

 

Who is this Candle Lighter of The Week??

 

Zachaeus represents the person who wants to be fully alive and who is willing to do anything to get there, even to looking like a clown in the eyes of his neighbors. 

Zachaeus represents Everyman, or every person, all of us. 

This room, our community is full of Zachaeus persons.   John is a Zachaeus person.  Carol, Tom, Frank, Dee, all Zachaeus persons, all trying to live fully.

 

 

Welcome, Mary, to your lovely Granddaughter, Monique, and her boyfriend, Zach.

 

Last night Rosemary & I had the privilege and honor to celebrate a Zachaeus event.  John and Michelle Simari’s son, Scott  and Scott’s beautiful fiance’ publicly pronounced their vows to live and love together all the days of their lives.  They are fully alive as they are and they are reaching out to be even more fully alive. 

In a note that Scott and Deanna sent to us to thank us, Scott said something that really touched me. 

 

The Beginning, Ron escorting his daughter, Deana, down the aisle to a New Life.

 

When Scott was attending St. Marks with his family while I was there, he used to dream that someday he would have a fiance’ and get married.  He dreamed, moreover, that the old geezer would do the wedding. 

Last night on the fairway just below the 18th green at the Las Colinas Country Club, Scott’s dream came true.

 

Perfect Couple, Perfect Evening, Perfect Setting, Las Colinas Country Club, 18th Fairway leading 18th Green.

 

 

I have to  share one more Zachaeus story that came in late, like at the wedding last night.

After many years of not seeing her, last evening I met Dana, a person I had known for years during my time at St. Marks.   Dana introduced Rosemary & me to Norm, her husband of a few years.

Dana had been for years a flight attendant for Delta.  She worked for years the N.Y. to Rome flight.

 

Deana Howard vows to live forever with her love, Scott Simari. 

 

One night she met this guy while she was working first class.  At the end of the flight, he says, "Will you marry me?"  "No," she says of course.  

This guy was Norm and he was taking his mother back to the old country.  He says to Dana, "Meet us at the Piazza Navona tomorrow night."

 

 

The Sand Symbol of Unity.
 

 

Norm says he had been married 40 years before being widowed, and he never intended to marry again.  He is pretty pessimistic, but his mother says, "She will be there."  She was there, her first date since her divorce, as Dana says.  

Zachaeus was a guy doing everything he could to be fully alive. 

How are you like Zachaeus?

 

 

 

Welcome into your New Life, Deana and Scott.  You two are tremendous people.  

February 8, 2015, 5th Ordinary Time

Readings:

Job  7, 1-7,  Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery?

Psalm 147,    Praise the Lord, who heals the broken hearted.

1 Corinthians 9, 16-25,   I have made myself a slave to all.

 Mark 1, 29-39,   They brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.

 

 

 

Job 0bservations:

What: A comment on The Universe.  No book in the OT or NT has less known about it.  Called the most profound book of the OT.    It deals with the problem of evil, personal justification, and why bad things happen to good people.   Job himself could be historical, a literary creation, or a combination of the first two.

Author: Unknown. 

 

 

Date: It is guessed to be before the time of Moses and Egypt, i.e., earlier than 1300 before Christ.

Structure: 3 poetic dialogues preceded by a prose introduction and ending with a prose conclusion, an epilogue judged to have been added sometime later by another person or group of persons.

 

 

The Story of Job

I would like to tell you this morning the story of Job.

Once upon a time there was a good man named Job who lived in the land of Uz.  He had 7 sons and 3 daughters, a sign that he was especially blessed.  He not only had sons, but he had the special number of 7.

 

 

One day Yahweh was walking around heaven talking with his buddies when he ran into the devil.  "What have you been doing?" he asked.  "I have been walking around here and there," the devil responded. 

"Have you noticed how good my man Job is?"  "Yes,' says the devil, "but I bet he will curse you to your face if you stop protecting him and take away all his goodies."  "It's a bet," says Yahweh, "Just don't hurt him."

 

 

So a few days later while all of Job's 7 sons and 3 daughters where having a feast with their families, a storm blew up killed them all.  A messenger runs to tell Job of the horrible news. 

Shortly after that, another messenger races in and says lightening has just killed all his sheep and the shepherds.   Other messengers then run in saying Job's livestock have been rustled by robbers who killed all the farm hands.

Job is devastated, of course, but responds with the famous statement: "I was born with nothing, and I will die with nothing.  The Lord gave, and now he has taken away.  May his name be praised." 

 

 

So Yahweh wins his bet.  But, when Yahweh and the devil meet up to settle their bet, the devil raises the stakes by saying that he bets Job will curse Yahweh if the devil is allowed to hurt his body.  Not death, just hurt.  "Bet," says Yahweh.

The next day Job comes down with sores all over his body, like leprosy, and he has to go outside of town where the lepers go.  He sits in the town dump.  His wife now comes and his friends.  They all grieve. They also encourage Job to see what he has done bad.  Has he cursed Yahweh?  Confess and repent.  Job proclaims his innocence.  But he is depressed and discouraged. 

(In East Africa I used to celebrate Mass for a small community of lepers.)

 

 

 

Finally, while not cursing Yahweh, he cries out his anguish saying (chapter 3): 

"Oh, God, put a curse on the day I was born; put a curse on the night when I was conceived!  Turn that day into darkness, God." (verses  2-4) 

"I wish I had died in my mother's womb or died the moment I was born.  Why did my mother hold me on her knees?" (verses 11-12) 

"Why let men go on living in misery?  Why give light to men in grief?" (verse 20) 

 

 

 

"Everything I fear and dread comes true.  I have no peace, no rest, and my troubles never end." (verses 25-26)

After some time in this situation, Yahweh comes along and speaks with him:

"Who are you to question my wisdom with your ignorant, empty words?  Stand up now like a man and answer the questions I ask you.  Were you there when I made the world?" (verses 2-3)

"Job, have you ever in all you life commanded a day to dawn?" (verse 12)

"Have you been to the springs in the depths of the sea?  Have you walked on the floor of the ocean? "(verse 16)

 

 

 

"Have you been to the place where the sun comes up or the place where the east wind blows?" (verse 24)

After hearing all the numerous ways Yahweh reminds him of how insignificant he is, Job apologizes to Yahweh and promises to be a good boy from now on. 

In an epilogue, which is considered a late addition, Yahweh restores his wealth and gives him 7 more sons and 3 more beautiful daughters.  He lives another 140 years a prosperous and happy man.

Ever feel like Job?  How do you handle the feeling?

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

                                 Bonjour et Bienvenu, Mes Amis.

 

Readings:

 Baruch  5, 1-9,  Jerusalem, put on the splendor of glory.

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

Advent special: Pope Francis,' Laudato Si (Praise to you).

 

                    Leighton, too, says, "Welcome, Everybody."

 

A Reading from Pope Francis’ Letter on the Environment:

In some countries there are positive examples of environmental improvement: rivers, polluted for decades, have been cleaned up; native woodlands have been restored; advances have been made in the production of non-polluting energy and in the improvement of public transportation. These achievements show that men and women are capable of intervening positively.

At the same time we can note the rise of a false or superficial ecology which bolsters complacency and a cheerful recklessness.  In periods of deep crisis requiring bold decisions, we are tempted to think that what is happening is not entirely clear.  Superficially, apart from a few obvious signs of pollution and deterioration, things do not look that serious, and the planet could continue as it is for some time.  

Such evasiveness serves as a license to carry on with our present lifestyles and models of production and consumption. This is the way humans contrive to feed self-destructive habits: trying not to see reality, trying not to acknowledge reality, delaying important decisions and pretending that nothing will happen.

The word of Pope Francis.

Luke,  3,  1-6,  Prepare the way of the Lord.

 

                             Warren says, "What's going on around here?"

Baruch:

    What: One of the little books (only 5 chapters) of what I'll call The Odd Books.  That is, it is not one of the big 3, nor one of the 12 little prophetic books, nor part of the N.T.  It is part of a dozen small books in between.  Most Protestant churches  don't recognize the legitimacy The Odd Books.

     Author:  Baruch was Jeremiah's secretary. Maybe he wrote some of the material, but it was not put together.  Remember, he & Jeremiah lived before & during the Babylonian Captivity.  There are 4 small discourses.  Compilation of the total work seems to have taken place later,  Most likely some anonymous person or persons a few centuries after Jeremiah. 

 

                     Who let these two characters in?  

 

Date of composition: maybe during the  Maccabees' revolt ca. 100 before Christ.   If so,  the little book intends to strengthen resistance of the Jews during the Macabeean Revolt, using the Babylonian model to encourage the people.

      Our passage: a message of optimism, hope, peace, and a victorious new day.  The passage reflects 2nd Isaiah's message (chapter 40), which is likewise quoted in Luke's gospel for today.  The famous 2nd Isaiah: Luke uses this source to build his nativity narrative.  See also the lyrics of Handel's Messiah.

Sources:  Good New Bible.

 

                                          2nd Sunday of Advent, two candles.

 

It’s Coming, It’s Coming, It’s Here!

I would like to talk this morning about the fact that it is coming, it is coming, it is here.  That is, Christmas.  I would propose that there is a richness, a joy, and a peace in the time leading up to Christmas, as well as Christmas itself.

A little story.

When Rosemary & I were with her sister and brother in law in Hilton Head, we spent an evening watching a comedy film called Christmas with the Kranks.  At first I thought this was just going to be a goofy movie, which it was.  But it had a message inside the comedy. It goes like this.

 

         Guess who lit those candles, Buddy, Victoria, and Zoe.

 

A couple in probably their 40’s had a daughter who was going to Peru to work as a Peace Corp volunteer.   They were both depressed.  At that point, Luther, the husband decided to buy tickets on a Christmas Caribbean cruise.   That got them both excited. 

Luther also decided that they would simply skip Christmas at their home, no decorations and no holiday socializing when they normally had a big Christmas Eve party.

 

                                 The Team, Georgie & Kevin

 

First thing that happens, the Scouts come with Luther’s annual Christmas tree, the kids’ annual fundraiser.  Luther says, “No Christmas tree this year.”  This causes quite a commotion & pushback.  Scrooge gets mentioned.

Then the police come selling their annual calendar.  They get turned away and are not happy.  Then the neighborhood wants Luther to put up his plastic snowman on the roof.  “Not this year,” says Luther. 

 

                                                  Hi, Harper.

 

By now Luther and Nora have everyone mad at them, the Scouts, the Police, and all the neighbors.  One old neighbor across the street gives it to Luther.  His wife has cancer.

The couple are counting days to departure when on Christmas Eve morning their daughter, Blair, calls to say that she has decided to do Christmas with them, is in like Miami and will arrive home in the afternoon, and is bringing with her a Peruvian guy she wants them to meet.  She plans to wed him.  Plus she is so looking forward to all their annual decorations, the big Christmas Eve party, and snow. 

 

                         Victoria and her favorite Mommy.

 

Luther and Nora are delighted, speechless, and aghast.  What to do?  They reverse field and start racing around to decorate and set up the Christmas Eve party.  Luther even borrows a decorated Christmas tree from a neighbor who will be away for Christmas.   Some of the Scouts help him take it to his house.

It all gets done, the over the top decorations, the party to which the neighbors come, and the daughter with her new fiance’ gets her snow. 

 

                                      Some of today's food drive.

 

The coup de grace comes when Luther slips away from the party and crosses the street to the grumpy neighbor and his wife with the cancer.  Luther gives the couple their cruise tickets. 

The lesson from the movie?   The value of community, of friends, and of family.

 

               Genevieve says, "I think it is time for me to start moving around."

 

This is what we try to build here on Sundays, what Rosemary & I try to build at Hilton Head, our Romeos & ladies’ luncheons, and next Saturday, the marvelous Love for Kids picnic.

How are you sharing The Spirit?

 

                Our friendly gorilla says he appreciates all hugs.

 

 

 

Readings: Acts 5, 27-41; Psalm 30; Revelation 5, 11-14; John 21, 1-19

Acts of the Apostles

This book continues Luke’s gospel, this time describing the early Christian community.

Revelations

More revelations about end times and heavenly events.

Do You Love Me X 3

How many here love chocolate chip cookies?

How many here love their dog or cat?

How many here love Rosemary?

Notice the different meanings of the same word "love." In the early language in which this section of John was written two words are used for "love." You can see that in English we often use "love" when we really mean "like." I like chocolate chip cookies, but I love Rosemary.

Watch how the meaning changes and becomes much more subtle when you distinguish the word. In the early language the word for "love" was "agapo." A second word was "phileo," and it meant "care for" or "hold you very special."

Here we go. First, Jesus says, "Do you love me more than these." He uses "agapo." Peter responds, "You know that I love you." Guess which word Peter uses. Not "agapo," meaning "love," but phileo, meaning "hold you special" or "care for."

Secondly, Jesus asks again, "Do you love me," and uses "agapo." Note he does not repeat "more than these." Peter repeats his first statement, "You know that I love you." Again he uses the word "phileo," I "care for you."

Now the third time takes place, and in English Jesus simply asks "Do you love me," but guess what. He uses "phileo" this time, "Do you care for me?" What does Peter respond? Same as the first two times, "I care for you," though this is not distinguished in the English translation.

Big difference, no? A fascinating play on words English totally misses. What is going on? A simplistic idea is that Peter denied Jesus three times. So here he is challenged to affirm Jesus three times. However, why the play on the word love?

1. Can Peter be showing a new side, a more humble side?
2. Is Jesus showing that he accepts Peter just as he is, saint as well as sinner?
3. Could this be consoling for us who fall like Peter?
4. How are we like Peter?

Click here to download the audio.

Readings: Baruch 5, 1-9; Psalm 126, The Lord has done Great Things for Us; We are filled with Joy; Philippians 1, 4-11; Luke 3, 1-6

 

Baruch:

  

Author: probably not Baruch, who was Jeremiah's secretary.  More likely some anonymous person or persons a few centuries after Jeremiah. 

  

Date of composition: during the Babylonian Captivity, ca. 550, or during the Maccabees' revolt ca. 100 BCE.  More likely the latter.  If so, like Daniel, the little book intends to strengthen resistance of the Jews during the Macabeean Revolt, using the Babylonian time to encourage the people.

  

 

Our passage: a message of optimism, hope, peace, and a new day.  The passage reflects 2nd Isaiah's message (chapter 40), which is likewise quoted in Luke's gospel for today.  The famous 2nd Isaiah: Luke uses this source to build his nativity narrative.  See also the lyrics of Handel's Messiah.

  

The Advent Wreath:

  

Date:

a.  Pre-christian Germans used wreaths at the darkest, coldest time of winter to signify resistance to the season and optimism that warmth and light would return.

b.  ca. 1500 German Lutherans emphasized the wreath and eventually it spread throughout Catholic & Protestant groups.

   

 

Symbolism: 

a.  green boughs indicate continuous life even in the winter. 

b.  the circle signifies both immortality and the past, present, and future focus of Advent.

c.  the lit candles symbolize the light & warmth coming in the person of Christ.

 

Purification: self purification before entering the temple
was common long before the time of Christ.  He did it.  Fasting & penance (hair shirts) were intended to purify me before I celebrated the birth of Jesus (the past), the presence of Jesus (the present), and the hope of being together with him (future).  This goes way back to the time of the earliest Christians in the first couple of centuries after Jesus' death.  For example, in Saragossa, Spain, 380 CE, a church council decreed 3 weeks of fasting & penance as self purification for the celebration of Christmas.

 

Our Fifth Anniversary Today, the Past, the Present, the Future

 

The year is 2004.  There were two special months that year, August and December. 

  

It was August when the first step took place.  I got suspended by the bishop because someone sent in an anonymous letter saying Stack wanted to get married.  This was amusing because I had been saying this for years.  What was different was that in 5/5/05 we were planning to do it.

    

So, rather than have the opportunity to say good bye to folks, I said, “Yes, okay.  I am out.”  And I moved out of Jesuit.

 

The second step.  The first Sunday of December, this Sunday five years ago, we went public with our celebrations.  I remember being rather anxious that Sunday and then utterly humbled and touched at seeing so many of you and so many others whom I had not see for four months, all come pouring into the cafetorium.  I was all choked, first seeing everyone, then trying to start the celebration after walking down that passageway that no longer exists.

 

 

 

This Mass came about because of the number of people who kept asking, “Where are you saying Sunday Masses and can we come?”  I had been using peoples’ living rooms and patios, but we had room for no more that about 25 people. 

Bernadette was especially influential in the process.  We even came close to using the club house at their subdivision, Spring Park.  It would have been beautiful and one third the cost (they wanted us to pay only $100 per Sunday).  Trouble was, 100 people was the maximum. 

 

When we decided to go public I had three hopes in mind.  One, that we would celebrate, all that we have and all that we are.  Secondly, that we would emphasize healthy spirituality on a basic Catholic/Christian foundation.  A spirituality of acceptance.  And thirdly, that we would be a helping community while not focusing on money, which is why I decided to do away with passing the hat at the collection time.  

  

People occasionally ask me, “Where are you going with this community?  What about the future?  Do you want to expand?”   Other than what we are doing, I have no idea about the future or where we are going.  I don’t have a need to expand.  I love our size which enables people to know one another.   

 

An extraordinary blessing of this 5^th anniversary year that affects our future is the

gift that Tony and Gayle bring.  I have asked at least a dozen married priests in the greater Dallas area to help us out and none of them felt comfortable doing so.  And then along comes Tony. 

   

Consequently, in the spirit of Advent we treasure the gifts of the past, we confidently leave the future in God’s hands, and we celebrate the gifts of the present.

 

How?

  

Picture 1:  Mass with Kevin helping

Picture 2:  Mass beginning

  

Picture 3:  Mass Helpers

 

Picture 4:  Cathy on her birthday, Mike & Geri

 

Picutre 5:  The Brunch, Marilyn, Marlene, Theresa, and Tom