22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 30, 2020

Readings: Acts 5, 12-16; Psalm 118; Revelations 1, 9-19; John 20, 19-31

Acts of the Apostles

This book is a continuation of Luke’s Gospel. It tells the story of the spread of Christianity after Christ’s death.

Revelations

This book consists of a series of revelations that were encouraging to the early Christians who were being persecuted at the time.

A Fishing Pole

There is a saying that while it is necessary occasionally to give a person a fish to keep them from starving, even better is it to give them a pole and teach them to fish. I think I have a fishing pole story.

Christmas two ago Rosemary & I visited Karina in Cuernavaca. It is to her and her mother that we have been giving money to help them get through the year, about $200 a month. Karina is about 35 and horribly crippled because of childhood polio.

On this occasion Karina mentioned to me that if I could help her, she could set up her own little pharmacy. When her mother, Maria Luisa, is not sick with cancer, Karina works in a small Mexican pharmacy about an hour’s journey from where they live. It is a difficult process for her to walk up & down the hills to catch the bus.

I have often encouraged Karina to look into further schooling, because I sense how intelligent she is. So far it has been impossible.

Consequently, when I heard Karina’ idea, you would think that I would have jumped at the opportunity to help her become more independent. However, ever since I have worked in East Africa, I have had an automatic reaction to people who hit me up for money. It used to happen in Tanzania so much that I become immediately resistant when I hear that tone of voice.

Until I mentioned it to Rosemary, who said, Why not check out the numbers at least. So this past Christmas, a year later, Karina told us that she could rent a small place near a bus station for $50 a month and that she needed $2500 to open up her own pharmacy.

This is not you local CVS type pharmacy. In Mexico the local pharmacies have just a few tubes of toothpaste, some aspirin, and various popular needs. No prescription medicines.

Folks, I have decided I would like to help this woman. We have been giving her the equivalent of fish every Christmas. Without it who knows where they would be. Now there is an opportunity to give her a fishing rod.

I have passed this by the board for approval. For the next month, until Mother’s Day, I will put out a special little basket for Karina. I want to give her $3000, the extra $500 for her first few months’ rent. This will be separate from our Expenses and Outreach baskets. I don’t want to interfere with them. This money will be a pass it on loan. Every month or whatever we agree upon, Karina can help another person in need whom she knows.

Because you talked me into going back to taking pictures, the next time we are there, I hope to take some digital pictures of Karina’s pharmacy.

Who is the Karina in your life?

Download the homily as an mp3.

Readings:

Acts  14, 21-27,  It is  is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom.

Psalm 145,  I will praise you name forever, my king and my God, plus the great line (8), The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. 

Revelation  21, 1-5, I, John, saw a new heaven and a new earth.

John 13, 31-33, 34-35,  My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me.   

Leo and his best buddy, John, say, "Hi, Everybody, Come in."

Acts, a couple of observations:

1. Remember the three rings of Acts, Jerusalem, Palestine, the World (Mediterranean & Rome)?   Since we are at Chapter 28 of 28, you can guess in what ring we are today, yes, the World.  Paul and Barnabas are in the region of Greece.
2. The author, the same as the Gospel of Luke.
3. The date again, before 70

Genevieve and her best Mommy also say, "Hi, Everybody."

Love one another

As you may remember, one of my most favorite lines in all the Bible is the first line in the first stanza of our Psalm 145 this morning, The Lord is gracious and merciful, never gets angry, and is abounding in love.   I read this and I add to it Jesus saying that, This is how they will know you, that you love one another. 

Is this real?   

Jan & Cindy have communion ready.  Choose wine or grape juice.

What is real is what I heard on the radio yesterday morning, really bad stuff.   Turns out that some professional bike riders were discovered to have developed motor enhanced bikes.  A small motor was inserted into the diagonal bar of the bike.  It was discovered in a race in Italy.

Now I know why these guys race past me at White Rock Lake.   Anybody know of anyone with a motor enhanced bike?  

More seriously, I look around and check out the news.  I read that towns all dear to me have been bombed by some really angry people, Paris, Brussels, Jerusalem.   People doing this think they are making the world a better place. 

Healing and Life for Angela.

Here at home we have what to me is a horrible political campaign going on.   

In our Catholic Church there is no shortage of hatred of fellow Catholics who disagree with policies or don’t conform to certain norms.   You all know that there are various Catholics who hate me for what I am doing.

Pope Francis is getting push back from Catholics who don’t approve of his ways and his message.  Francis took three refugee families into the Vatican and he got ridiculed.  His economic ideas are certainly meeting with hostility. 

Healing for Sandra.
 

So, they will know us by our love for one another?  The Lord is abounding in love?   

Is this just silly religious talk?  In my book, no, not completely. 

We have the examples of hate, which I would propose are often the result of hurt.  But we also have examples of love, respect, and care. 

Hue, our great sound man. 

Francis’ welcome of the 3 refugee families is for me an example.  The two picnics for The Love of Kids, another example.  We have been helping at those two picnics for years.  And there are hundreds of other people who contribute their time and even resources to help these under privileged and handicapped kids.

Look at Jim Maher who comes down here from St. Bonaventure with some students to help with the cleanup of the areas in Dallas that were his by the tornadoes.   They spend a week of their spring break here and they have been doing this for years.

Elevation.
 

Doug LeBlanc, Grace’s husband, together with other employees at Ericson, they all gathered on more than one occasion to help a fellow employee whose home had been wrecked by either a tornado or that hail. 

Did you read in the Dallas Morning News about the North Carolina judge who felt he had to sentence a vet with bad PTSD for repeatedly getting drunk.  He gave him 24 hours and then the judge spent the night in the cell with him.   Said he did not want to leave him alone with the PTSD. 

May I play that guitar, Daddy?  I think I can do it.

One final example of a person who inspired me by his grace in failure.  Jordon Spieth went from top of the leader board at the Masters to second.  He had a colossal melt down on the last day.  Nevertheless, he graciously congratulated the winner and helped present him with the winner’s sport coat.

This encourages me to know that there is lots of gracious caring in our world. 

Where do you see God showing his abundance of love?

Readings:  Revelation 11, 19; 12, 1-6; Psalm 45, The Queen stands at your Right Hand, arrayed in Gold; 1Corinthians 15, 20-27; Luke 1, 39-56. 

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Intro to Readings

The Book of Revelation or the Apocalypse is one of those books of the Bible, which really needs careful study.  Written probably around the year 90 CE, its purpose was to offer encouragement to the early Christians who were undergoing brutal persecution under the Roman emperor Domitian. 

The style of writing is highly symbolic.  We find beasts representing evil and in this case the Roman Empire. 

In today’s reading we have a description of a woman, not Mary, giving birth to a child and the dragon is waiting to devour the child.  Our tendency is to immediately think the woman is Mary, but there were mythical stories from India to Rome about a goddess who would bring forth a savior-king, and this woman would be pursued by a horrible monster, a personification of evil. 

Our second reading is from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians.  This is the longest of the letters in the New Testament, and in fact is one of the longest surviving letters in Greek from that period.  The letter addresses specific issues within the community, which we are told in Acts 18:4 Paul visited.  Today’s reading focuses on the contrast between Adam and Christ, and the fact that Christ’s mission is to return the kingdom to God the Father. 

Picture 1:   Mass begins with Kevin helping

Picture 2:   Wendy, Shonda, & Ray

Picture 3:   What happens when priests marry: granddaughter Eleanor with mom, Roshene, & grandparents, Gayle & Fr. Tony

Picture 4:   Sienna with her mom & dad, Erin & Payton

Readings: Deuteronomy 11, 18-32; Psalm 31; Romans 3, 21-25; Matthew 7, 21-27

Deuteronomy: Just a couple of reminders–

• Deuteronomy is the 5th & last book of the Pentateuch or Torah;
• Moses is reminding the people of how Yahweh has guided and protected them in the desert after escaping Egypt;
• The discourse takes place in the desert outside the promised land, the land where the Canaanites are living.
• Moses is dying and will not enter. Instead Joshua will lead the people.

Matthew & the Foundation of Your House

Because the Gospel of Matthew will be our Sunday gospel now through summer & fall until we begin Advent, which is the first Sunday after Thanksgiving, let me offer some data about Matthew.  I have five observations about Matthew's gospel and a thought about his selection today on foundations for your house.

• Who?  Matthew was not written by Matthew the Apostle. Instead, the writer seems to be an anonymous, non-eye witness Jewish Christian.
• When?  Around 80-85, i.e., about 50 years after Jesus
• Where?  He wrote in Antioch probably.  Rome, Alexandria in Egypt, and Antioch in Syria (today Turkey) were 3 big cities of the the Roman Empire. Antioch was defeated in the 13th Century and never revived, partly because ships could no longer come up river to the city. Sand had collected in the river bed.  Like Seville in Spain.
• What was he trying to do?  He was trying to convince Jew & Gentile that Jesus fulfilled the O.T. prophesies about a savior.  Consequently, he makes multiple references to the O.T.
• Synoptic Gospels?  3 of the N.T. gospels are called the Synoptic gospels, because they are all similar.  Matthew is one of them, along with Mark & Luke.  In fact, Matthew seems to have used Mark & maybe Luke, along with an oral source called Q, as his sources.  Matthew has over 1000 lines, almost 400 of which are identical to Mark.

   In today's selection from Matthew we are at the beginning of his chapters teaching about good living. His metaphor of the house built upon sand makes me think, "Welcome to Dallas!"  Is there a house in Dallas that does not have foundation problems?  If I lay a pen on my desk at home I have to position it correctly or it will roll away.

In fact, a few years ago we invited some foundation companies to give us an estimate on leveling our pier & beam house.  One major company said, "Sorry, folks.  We won't touch this house."  Consequently, we live in a tear down hoping it won't fall down before we are ready to sell and move.

The house obviously is a metaphor for you and me.  We are being instructed to build our lives on spiritual health, especially obedience, which the Deuteronomy reading adds.  Again in these readings, we are presented with a choice.  Deuteronomy calls it a choice between blessing & curse.  I would suggest it is a choice between a path of fear and a path of trust. 

Just like in Dallas, we all attempt to build our lives on a solid foundation.  We would not be gathering here if that were not moving us.  The up side of the metaphor of the house is that we are encouraged again to continue to improve our lives.  The down side is the reality that, like in Dallas, despite our best efforts, we have shaky foundations.  Therefore, are we cursed forever?

I think an answer lies in the readings.  Again we have both positions represented.  We can choose.  The Psalm writer says, "In you, Oh Lord, I take refuge; You are my rock; Take courage and be stout hearted, all you who hope in the Lord."

Consequently, instead of the path of fear, I have chosen the path of trust.  How about you?

AUDIO:  http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2008-06-01.mp3

Exodus 24, 3-8, Moses came to the people.

Psalm 116, I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord

Hebrews 9, 11-15, He is mediator of a new covenant.

Mark 14, Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?

Snoopy

Thanks……

Music,  Ben & Shonda

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

Gospel, Deacon Mike Carrell

Homily,  Mike Carrell

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,    Mike and Hue and David

Final Blessing, Rosemary

For hosting us at Legacy, Becky

Look at who is out and about!  Good work, Marilyn!

Readings for Trinity Sunday

Download 06-06-21 Readings Corpus Christi

Can we trust these ladies out!

Remember these special people:

For Alan Stryker;    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 Loretta's aunt Alicia;  For Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody &  Leo & all of Shonda's dear family; For Ursuline Sr. Mary Troy, 

Happy 89th, Dearest Mabel!   And for Billy, too (playing golf!).

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 daughter, Lisa;  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 4 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.

A special welcome Diane!

Birthdays:   Brent, Bill Ekes, 65, Allison DeGenova, Mary Esparza

Anniversaries:     Mike Carrell's ordination, 1978

Community Finances,   June 6, 2021

Expenses: $650.00

Outreach: $

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

Rosemary sharing her Blessing of the Week.

Rosemary's Blessing

Glance at the sun. See the moon and the stars.
Gaze at the beauty of earth’s greenings.
Now, think.
What delight God gives to humankind
with all these things. . . .
All nature is at the disposal of humankind.
We are to work with it.

For without we cannot survive.

Hildegard of Bingen (September 16, 1098 – September 17, 1179)

Peace, Everybody!

Readings:

Isaiah 9, 1-6,  The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.

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

 Titus 2, 11-14,  The grace of God has appeared.

 Luke 2, 1-14,   In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus.

Christmas Eve, 2016, Welcome.

Isaiah observations:

What:  This is again Isaiah I (one of three).  Isaiah 1 criticizes the people for their sinful ways and forecasts doom, which will come in the form of the Babylonian Captivity.

When: Isaiah was warning the people ahead of the Captivity, ca. 555 before Christ.  It was during the Captivity when the book of three authors was put together.

Today's selection: One of the all time beautiful passages promising light to people who have walked (or lived) in darkness.  

All of today's readings are consoling and dear.

Cody with his kids Ben and Olivia.

A Christmas Story

Despite the fact that I have told this story previously, I like it so much and it is so relevant, I would like to repeat it.  

I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that.”

Jennifer and her beautiful little one say, "Merry Christmas."

My  Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight up with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her "world-famous" cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true.

Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus?" she snorted…."Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and let's go." 

The Beautiful Claire and her beautiful daughter, Chloe.

"Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second world- famous cinnamon bun. "Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's. 

Carrie and Paul with her granddaughter, her daughter and husband.

I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping.

For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and whom on earth to buy it for. I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church. 

Hi to the Great Gerwer Clan.

I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class. Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter.

His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn't have a cough; he didn't have a good coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat! 

Sir Charlie helping his grandson light up the candles.
 

I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that.

"Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. "Yes, ma'am," I replied shyly. "It's for Bobby." 

The Nativity Scene.

The nice lady smiled at me as I told her about how Bobby really needed a good winter coat. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas.

That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, "To Bobby, From Santa Claus" on it.

The music team of Shonda, Ray, and David with a special welcome back to Wendy.

Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa's helpers.

Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going."

John reading the second half of the Eucharistic prayer.

I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma.

Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby. 

The Team, Georgie, Kevin, Mike, and John

Sixty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were — ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and Grandma and I were the proof.

I still have Grandma’s Bible with the coat tag still tucked inside: $19.95.”

And The Angels.