6th Sunday of Easter, May 17, 2020

Readings: Sirach 35, 12-18; Psalm 34, The Lord hears the Cry of the Poor; 2 Timothy 4, 6-8, 16-18; Luke 18 9-14.

Introduction to the Readings 

A brief word about our first reading.  We have heard from Sirach eight weeks ago on the twenty second Sunday of Ordinary Time.  At that time I had told you that this book was written by Sirach, it is part of the Wisdom literature, and probably written around the year 180 BCE.  The writing is also known at Ecclesiasticus, because early in the life of the church it was one of the most used of the Old Testament books.  I love that contrast between the statement in the first two lines “The LORD is a God of justice, who knows no favorites” with what then follows, namely how God hears the cry of the poor, the widows, the orphans, the oppressed. 

 

Our second reading is the final one from Paul’s Letters to Timothy.  We have been reading from these two letters for the past six weeks.  The letter is perhaps the last one written by Paul from prison in Rome before he is executed.  The two letters to Timothy and the letter to Titus, form what is known as the Pastoral Letters.  The style is very different from Paul’s other letters.  He is writing to these two to encourage them as leaders in communities that Paul had set up.  Remember, Timothy, who is mentioned in Luke’s Acts Chapter 16, was a companion to Paul.  Our reading today is the conclusion of the second letter and sounds like Paul’s farewell.

 

 Homily

 Main Point – A simple parable, humility trumps pride, especially when we pray.  I could stop there but won’t because there is a second layer to this simple parable.  We need to understand the setting for the story.  The two men going into the temple were not like two men going into church here any afternoon. 

 First of all, they were going into the Temple in Jerusalem.  They were going into a “Prayer of Atonement” service held each afternoon in the Temple.  The Pharisee would have naturally joined with the other Pharisees at the front and the tax collector would have hung around inside the door.  In the eyes of the Law, or Torah, the Pharisee was a very good person, and what he declared went even beyond the Law. 

 Where he failed, was realizing that everything about his “holiness” was due to his own efforts and nothing came from God.  The tax collector on the other hand was all too well aware of his shortcomings and acknowledges that he is totally dependant on God and His mercy.

 

 Our catholic tradition has always given me the impression that if I was good, went to Mass every Sunday, obeyed the commandments, fasted at the appropriate time etc. then I was all set for heaven.  It would seem that God had very little to do in it.  And of course this was the whole crux that caused the Reformation. 

 One would think we could have learned from our mistakes.  At that time Martin Luther was appalled at the practice of selling indulgences, as if folks could purchase their way into heaven.  His position was: “Salvation by faith alone” and the church preferred to add that “good works” were also important. 

 But back to the two in the temple.  There are several interesting little hints given which tell us a whole lot more.  The Pharisee stands apart, he does not seem to belong to the gathered community.  When the tax collector prays “have mercy on me a sinner” the word he uses in the original Greek is not the common word “eleison” which we use when we say Lord have mercy, or Kyrie Eleison, but a very different word connecting to the liturgy which he was part of that afternoon. 

 In other words the tax collector saw himself as part of a community, and absolutely in need of God’s forgiveness, the Pharisee saw only himself!!  It was being part of a community and recognizing his total need for God, which allowed for him to go home justified. 

 
 

 The message:  we must be aware that even though we are here each Sunday, this should not lead us down the same path of the Pharisee. 

Picture 1:  Mass with Tony

Picture 2:  Tom, Lynda, & Nina packing up food for this Saturday at the Habitat House

Picture 3:  Maggie with her dad & granddad, Tom & Bob

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

 

 

Community Finances:   

  Expenses: $  755.00

  Outreach: $   310.00

 

  Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

                       

          Barbara gets a cookie for her birthday

 

YIPPEE, WE GOT THE INTERNET!

 

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

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

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

 

 

6107 Tulip Lane & helpers.  Early morning.

 

 

Readings:

2 Maccabees 7, 1-2, 9-14,   It happened that 7 brothers with their mother were arrested

Psalm 17,  Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.

2 Thessalonians 2, 16-3, 5  May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God

Luke 20, 27-38,  If someone's brother dies leaving a wife but no child…

 

 

Activities:  

ROMEO MEET: Friday, November 8, Jason's Deli, Collin Creek Mall, west side of Central, 1:00.  Welcome all wakos, you will fit right in.   

 

JULIETS,  November 8, 12;30,  Amoretto's Italian, Suite 734, 101 W. Spring Creek Pkwy, (& Central). 

Reserve with Marilyn, 972-809-6049

 

 

Meyerson Christmas show, December 6, Friday, 7:30.  Let Rosemary know if you want to join the gang.  $35 per ticket.

 

 

 

True?

 

An appeaser  is one who feeds the crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.

Winston Churchill

 

 

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

Catholic Money https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/editorial-money-shapes-us-catholic-narrative!, NCR, 

 

 

Like a war zone.

 

See you Sunday, J.S.

214-783-0443

 

 

 

 

Tom, Mike, & John, our community to the rescue

 

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.

 

 

 

 

Mike, the tree surgeon.

 

Mike Carrell's Homily.

 

Readings: Our first reading from Sirach includes the social doctrine of the Church; however, it is yet to be put into practice: ‘The Lord is a God of justice who has no favorites!’   In our reading from Second Timothy Paul gives glory to God for allowing him to bring Christ to the Gentiles.

 

Homily: Our Mass began today with the lighting of the candles by Tori and Zoe [maybe Leo, too]. It was accompanied with a reading given by Buddy from Matthew, who reminds each of us to become a Light of the World; like a city built on a hill top.

 

We then joined together, in a penitential rite, following the example of the humble man in the gospel who asks the Lord to shown him mercy.

 

Recall that the Liturgy of the Word today placed us in a synagogue with two men; the one who was arrogant spent his time bragging to God about how holy he was. This Pharisee journeyed home empty.

 

The humble tax collector chose to open his heart to receive the power of the Holy Spirit; he left the synagogue filled with grace.

 

As we begin our Liturgy of the Eucharist, we celebrate another tradition.  It is an anointing with blessed oil for the sick and the elderly and for those, filled with grace, who prayerfully, journey with them.

 

 

John's brief description of The Sunday Night.

 

It started at 15 minutes before 10:00 P.M. Sunday night.  Aviana & I were already asleep.  Ro woke us up, saying a big storm was coming , and,  in fact, that the wind had already smashed in the bay window in the living room.

We put on our bike helmets, Ro & Aviana scooted into the hall closet.  I was standing with my right hand on the closet door handle, planning to squeeze in, when suddenly CRASH!  Then, quiet.

 

 

Neighboring House.

 

People began coming out of their houses & checking on their neighbors.  Rosemary especially went yelling for Joyce Scott, our 91 year old neighbor just across the street.  Her daughter from San Antonio was in the house with her, along with the daughter’s husband, just out of the hospital.

Joyce’s house was almost demolished and no response was coming out.  The cops were all over, so she told one.  He found them alive and shaken in their hall closet.   They could not get out, so the cop got them out.

 

 

It began to pour, a neighbor couple begged a place to spend the night, and we all went to sleep after putting out about 20 containers to catch ceiling drips.

Then began one of the most touching & humbling days I’ve had in a while.

 

Our friend Chris Phipps was walking Tulip Lane toward our house when two young dads about 35, plus their 3 sons each yelled to Chris, “Know anybody who really needs help?”  “Yes, that house on the corner,” said Chris.

Those dads & their sons, along with others who just walked up, pitched in and worked like beavers. Into the afternoon.  All our trophy trees were stripped of their branches.   They ended up  piled all around the house.

About 9:00 John Bresson & Doug LeBlanc with two of his buddies all showed up with a chain saw.  And did they go to work!  Slowly the branches got pulled away from the house, cut up, and piled on the edge of the property. 

 

Gym, St. Mark's Boys School

 

All of our trophies have been stripped of their branches and look naked.  They will all have to come down.  The house now is covered with a few enormous blue tarps held down with 1 by 4’s nailed down.

People continue to come looking to help.  Kids walk the streets handing out water, sandwiches, and cookies.  Central Market, which got hammered, has supplied free breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for all workers and home owners from food wagons. 

The goodness & generosity of people has again touched my spirit. 

 

 

 

Tons of branches, trees, & refuse created tunnels.

 

 

 

Senior Citizen Angel Tree:

Readings:

Isaiah 5, 1-7, My friend had a vineyard on a fertile hillside.

Psalm 80, The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

Philippians  4, 6-9, Have no anxiety at all.

Matthew 21, 33-43, There was a landowner who planted a vineyard

 

 

Thanks to the Team

Music,  Ben & Shonda 

Readers,  Jackie & John Simari  & Buddy, the candle blesser

Gospel,  Deacon Mike 

Homily,  Deacon Mike 

Eucharistic Prayer A & B, Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers, Mike, Ben, Richard 

Final Blessing, Rosemary

For hosting us at Legacy, Becky

 

 

Download MASS Reading week 27

 

 

 

 

 

Does it get any better??

 

Homily

Recall how the gospel ended last Sunday: Jesus told the chief priests and the other religious leaders that evil men and prostitutes were going to enter the Kingdom before they did. Visualize this: The angels in heaven have begun to rejoice for those who have repented and turned to God.  So Jesus said to the lawyers who have rejected him, “Have you not read the Law and the Prophets; where The Father’s servant, Isaiah, taught you how to bear fruit; we are to love one another with goodness and kindness, with tenderness and compassion.  In the John gospel Jesus addresses us this way: “I’ve chosen you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last. “I am the vine; you are the branches.

 

Richard monitoring  the Zoom program.

 

 

Please Remember these special people:

For Alan Stryker;  For John Doherty with back pain; For Becky's dad who has moved to the other side;  For Cindy recuperating at home;    For David Dismore's bad shoulder from a biking accident; For Esparzas, Frank & Mary,  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;   For Mary & Dave Hall's g-daughter Allison Keller working at St. Lukes, Woodlands,  For Joe Hogan with cancer;  For Loretta's aunt Alicia;    For Sydney, who just passed to the other side;  & For Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody & Ben & all of Shonda's dear family;   for all the students and teachers and coaches returning to school, for Geri's sister with heart & circulation problems, 

Richard & Mike Zooming. 

 

For Jackie's mom, sister, & friend, Lynn;  For both Jean & Cliff Wright;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg; For Meredith, cancer free;    For Hue;  For John O'Donnell;   For Dee, and for her daughter, Lisa; For John Schanot's continued health;  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,  For the students, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

 

Birthdays:  Georgie, 19, Erin MClurg, Nancy Kovatis, Sabrina DeGenova, 25

Anniversaries: Paul & Carrie Bieda, 3rd

 

 

Spring color in fall.
                                                

                 

Community Finances, October 4, 2020

Expenses: $450.00  

Outreach   $100.00    (often for Souls Harbor, Legacy, etc.)

Thanks, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

 

I thank you God for this most amazing day:

for the leaping greenly spirits of trees and

for a blue true dream of sky; and

for everything which is natural

which is infinite

which is yes.

e.e.cummings

 

 

Just in case you missed our new address, 7017 Helsem Way  75230.   (notice the same Zip Code as Tulip Lane?)

Music,   Ben 

Expenses: $   1,525.00

Outreach: $    80.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

The Kiss of Peace

 

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and
the affection of children;
To earn the approbation of honest critics and endure
the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To give of one's self;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To have played and laughed with enthusiasm and
sung with exultation;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived –
This is to have succeeded.

 

What Is Success  by Ralph Waldo Emerson