Readings: Genesis 1, 9-31;  Responsorial Psalm 136, Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. Acts 2, 42-47.  Matthew 18, 1-4.  Special for Reconciliation Service.

 

The Third Sunday in Lent.

 Today’s liturgy will be a bit different from our normal Sunday Liturgy.  I had mentioned several weeks ago, when we were discussing the Sacrament of Penance or Confession that I wanted to have us do a Communal Penance Service during Lent.  The more I thought about it and planned it the less sense it made to me.  And so today’s liturgy.

 
 

I want to begin with an acknowledgement that each one of us has our own personal relationship with God, and I want to respect that as much as possible. So the ideas, which I am sharing with you today, take them or leave them, they certainly are not “official teaching” but they are the result of much thought and prayer on my part.

 There is an interesting story about the substitute teacher who was called to fill in for most of the year for one of the teachers who would be out for an extended time.  On her first day in class the substitute was given a list of the pupils in her class.  She worked hard with the class all year and at year end with the exam results came out the principal was amazed with results.  When she told the substitute of her surprise, the substitute was surprised.  But they were a very bright class with high IQ.  I saw that the first day on the class roster you gave me, she responded.  That class was our worst class in the school, she was told, and those numbers were their locker numbers!!

 

There is a whole lot of truth for me in that story and I want to build on that in today’s Liturgy.  Traditionally we have been told that we are a sinful people.  Born with original sin, and we have hardly stopped sinning since.  Most of our prayers reconfirm this approach..  I would like our Liturgy today to be one where we try to reconcile ourselves to a different point of view.  And it is going to feel perhaps strange at first, but I would ask that we give it a try.

 So instead of a Penitential Rite where normally we reflect on our sins, I would like to invite you to reflect on maybe occasions over the past week when we missed opportunities to do good for someone.

 
 

Opening Prayer:

 I arise today

In the name of Silence, Womb of the Word,

In the name of Stillness, home of Belonging,

In the name of Solitude, of the Soul and the Earth

 

I arise today

Blessed by all things, wings of breath,

Delight of eyes, wonder of whisper,

Intimacy of touch, Eternity of Soul,

Urgency of thought,

Miracle of health, Embrace of God.

 

May we live this day

Compassionate of heart

Clear in word, Gracious in awareness,

Courageous in thought, Generous in love.

 

                                      To Bless the Space Between Us

                                                John O’Donohue

 

 Intro to the Readings.

 The readings today I have chosen because they give us reason to pause, at this time in Lent, and reflect on our goodness, our innocence and not on our sinfulness.

Homily

 I mostly want you to spend a little quiet time reflecting in a way on whether we are better off being told we are good, or whether we are better off being told we are not good, namely sinful.  For most of us, we grew up being told we were born with Original Sin, and that we from about the age of seven needed to go to confession all the time, because we were sinful.  Like the kids in the school, if someone believes we are smart, we will be smart, likewise if we can believe we are good, then goodness will follow.  I would like us to recapture our childhood innocence. How else are we to become like little children? 

 
 

Prayer after Communion

 Humble God, risen with us now in the fragile miracles of human life.  We glimpse your glory now, in the love, laughter and beauty we share with one another, in the depth of humanity, as we respond to the needs and sufferings of our world.

 Final Blessing.

Picture 1:   Tony Beginning Mass

Picture 2:   Sacrament of the sick

Picture 3:   Offertory with Cliff & John

Picture 4:   Communion helpers Margie, Jackie, Denni, Nancy, Sandra, Rob, Patricia, & John

Picture 5:   Nina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From John & Connie, "Welcome in, Everybody."

 

Readings: 

Deuteronomy 26, 4-10,   He brought us out of Egypt.  

Psalm 91,  Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.

Romans 10, 8-13,    No one who believes in him will be put to shame.

Luke 4,  1-23,  Jesus in the desert for forty days.

 

 

Likewise from Jackie, "Come on in, Folks, & welcome to Day- light Savings Time."

 

 

Sunday Homily, Mike Carrell, 3-10-19

 Lent is preparation for Easter, so the words spoken over those who desire ashes are more appropriately the choice given by the Church from the Mark gospel, ‘The time is fulfilled; the Kingdom of God is at hand; Repent and Believe in the Good News.’  

 

 

 

Welcome, Ana-Patricia & Alicia, from the old 10:30 cafetorium Mass at St. Marks.

 

Last Sunday, led by our musicians, we responded together from the Psalm 92, ‘It is good to give thanks to the Lord.’ That psalm reminds us to begin and end each day saying, ‘Thank you Lord for being with us, here and now.  Thank you Lord for the seed that you have sown into our hearts along with a the desire bear good fruit. Let us be led by your Spirit to be Love in this world.

 

 

And while we are at it today, welcome to more 10:30 cafetorium Mass goers, Cathy, her daughter, Katy, and Katy's marvelous fiance' Enza from Uganda, no less.  But he does not speak Swahili!

 

 

Here and now, in every moment of the day, we are the body of Christ in the world.  Our mindset should constantly be that we are meant to be Love, in everything we say and do.  So,‘In everything give thanks for that is God’s will for us in Christ, Jesus.’ 

 

Not to long ago, I was in a waiting room while Judy was being seen by a doctor. There were a hand full of children’s books among the magazines on a table there. They usually have a good intended meaning, so, I took the liberty of choosing Aunt Grace and her nephew about to give birth to a garden. I smiled, and said to myself, ‘With a name like ‘Aunt Grace,’ this is got to be good.

 

 

Hi, David, Hi, Caroline.

 

Before they took a step into what would be their garden, they started with a prayer. Then they began to remove the weeds, cans, bottles, sticks and rocks. When that was done, they broke open the soil and used a wheelbarrow to cover it with an abundance of new mulch, to provide the garden with good soil.

 

 

The Most Reliable Jan making sure everyone can go to communion.

 

 

This sounds a lot like Lent doesn’t it; with each of us refreshing our garden, and why John has a Sunday each year when we grant God’s loving forgiveness to each other.  Lent is a time to be more aware of the people we meet everyday.  With goodness and kindness, we can smile more; say thank you more; and you are welcome, more.

 

 

The Bona Responds Team on site in Wilmington, NC, to help people with recovery from the Hurricane Michael last Fall.

 

 

We can do lots of little things like letting the car and its occupant get in front of us without honking at them. Let’s be aware of the mother with small children. We can help her put her groceries in her car, and to push her cart back for them. Let’s have a neighbor or two, or three over for coffee.  Practice makes perfect.

 

 

From our community, Connie & John Bresson, David Dinsmore, and, of course, Bill Hammond.   From St. Bonaventure University, the man behind all the recovery work so many in our community have volunteered for over the years, Jim Mahar.

 

So, what was it that Aunt Grace and her nephew sowed in their garden? Of all things, Potatoes. She taught her nephew how cut up potatoes that were covered with eyes into pieces, so that the eye of each piece could and would be placed in an upright position within the good soil, looking up to the heavens with faith that this would bring forth a bountiful harvest, that they could share with their neighbors.

 

Our journey through Lent has just begun. Who might you invite to journey with you?

 

 

  What a Team!

Readings:  Isaiah 63, 16-19, 64, 2-7, We are the clay, you the potter; Psalm 80, Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved; 1 Corinthians 1, 3-9, I give thanks to my God always on your account; Mark 13, 33-37, Be alert, you do not know when the time will come.

Isaiah: One of the big 3 Prophets, mostly because of the size of the book.  At least 3 writers put this book together and this is number 3.

 

Thanksgiving History: Everyone knows about the first Thanksgiving in 1602 with the Pilgrims and the Indians eating together, the Mayflower, and Plymouth Rock.   Here are 5 facts that people do not hear about usually.

1.  When did Thanksgiving begin?  Our ancestors have celebrated end of harvest feasts of gratitude for centuries.  Lincoln first focused on a national feast; FDR established the national holiday in 1941.

2.  The pilgrims did not know they were pilgrims.  They called themselves saints, and strangers were called non-saints.  The word pilgrim came along in the 18 hundreds, 2 centuries later.  They were not even Puritans, but separatists.  They split off from the Church of England, old Henry VIII's church, and the Puritans did not split off.

3.  The Separatists did not come to establish religious freedom.  They came for religious freedom for their religion and only their religion. 

                                                                                   

4.  The Mayflower returned to England, was torn apart, and its beams were used to build a barn in Buckinghamshire (just north of London & east of Oxford).

5.  How did the Indians & Separatists communicate?   The Indians were Algonquians & one of them, Squanto had actually lived in England some years.  He returned to his tribe and taught his friend, Samoset English.  It was Samoset who communicated with the Separatists, & the Indians taught them to raise corn, to fish, and to hunt.  In the first winter half of the 100 Separatists died before the Indians taught them how to survive. 

 

How Prepare for a Marvelous Christmas

    When I returned to the States in the late 80's and began to work full time as a spiritual director & psychotherapist, I was struck every fall by a tension that I found in some people.  They were nervous about the coming Christmas season. 

    I remember people bringing this up as early as the beginning of the school year in September.  Certainly by October and most certainly by Halloween.  People were tense and anxious because of memories of bad Christmas seasons. 

    Because of this and because we are just beginning the season of Advent, the season of preparation for Christmas, I would like to review some ways to prepare ourselves for a marvelous Christmas.  I have 5 observations.

    1.  First, beware of fear and depression.  I read Mark's story about the man traveling abroad and I can  get spooked into thinking God is going to grab me when I'm not looking.  Nonsense.

    Depression seems to surface more during the Christmas season, because of at least one reason.  Expectations.  We expect more out of the Christmas season, peace, love, warm relationships, gifts.  When the reality comes in below the expectation I have, I get disappointed and maybe depressed.  Memories of disappointing Christmases can also depress me. 

    2.  Unlike Mark's warning about sleeping, I would propose that we need more rest at this darker time of the year.  Our ancestors used to sleep when it went dark.  Today we force ourselves to stay awake and lights keep us awake.  Doctors are saying we need more sleep in the dark days of winter and are recommending, get this, 9 hours.  Maybe try an extra hour.  Try a siesta.

    3.  Along with more sleep, try a little more exercise.  My internist tells me that he wants me to exercise every day.  I do.  Walk through the neighborhood.  Ride a bike.  Along the way look at the colors of the red oaks and Bradford Pear trees. 

    4.  Have you got anything special you do every year for Christmas, during Advent?  Something to get you into a Christmas spirit?  If not, what about finding something?  Two things I have got to do every year: take in a performance of Handel's Messiah and take in the Dallas Symphony Christmas concert.  I may get in an extra one or two of these, but I find this so touches my spirit.

    I know a few families who tour Christmas lights.  Here in Plano is Deer Park.  One of the best is Highland Park, Beverly Drive and Armstrong Parkway, both east and west of Preston.   In Deer Park, you may walk around.  In Highland Park there are horse drawn carriages. 

    5.  Finally, in line with Mark's gospel, watch, watch for the daily miracles and blessings.  Review your year for the biggest blessings, like I mentioned before Thanksgiving.  

    I hope you are not anxious about or nervous about the coming of Christmas.  If you are, even more relevent is my question, 'What are you doing to make  Christmas this year a beauty?'

Picture 1:    1st Sunday of Advent begins

Picture 2:    Mary & Nikki

Picture 3:    Advent candle lighting

Picture 4:    Barb & Ron after their 40th

Picture 5:    Norm

Picture 6:    Leo on the move

 

Readings: 2 Maccabees, 7, 1-14; Psalm 19; 2 Thessalonians 2, 16-3, 5; Luke 20, 27-38.

2 Maccabees: The two books of Maccabees cover the history of Israel for about 50 years, from ca. 200 to 150 B.C.  The books are again part of the Apocrypha collection, those books separate from both the Old & the New Testaments.

2 Maccabees emphasizes loyalty to the law, even in the face of persecution.  Our selection exemplifies this loyalty in the story of seven brothers & their mother.   This leads to the gospel story which also treats of seven brothers & one wife.

What to Die for; What to Live for

The date of this event was Nov. 16, 1989, 18 years ago this Friday.  The place: a Jesuit university.  The Jesuits have a residence for their men on the campus.  About 10 men live there and this evening six are at home.  Like most Jesuit residences they eat dinner about 6:00, then chat for a while, go off one by one to work on their classes or papers, and finally turn in before 11:00 or maybe 12:00.  A routine evening.

About 1:00 in the middle of the night the routine is shattered by 30 or 40 uniformed soldiers who bang on the door and barge in.  They wake everyone up and herd them into the patio.  While this is going on, other soldiers are crashing around the rooms, throwing books & drawers on the floor, and busting open cabinets.  A house keeper & her daughter are found in an adjacent apartment and they are taken into the patio with the 6 priests.

The searching and ransacking goes on for a couple of hours.  Meanwhile in the patio the priests and the women are made to lie face down on the grass.  At some point in the night while the group is lying down, each one is shot in the back of the head.

This took place at the University of Central America, San Salvador, El Salvador.

I am reminded of this contemporary event when I read in Maccabees about the mother with the seven sons.  Some comments about these events.

First, it is humbling to hear about people who believe so strongly about something that they are willing to die, even die being tortured.  These Jesuits at the university were attacked because they criticized the policies of the El Salvador government.  Some years before this event a gunman had walked up the main aisle of the cathedral in San Salvador and in front of everyone shot Bishop Oscar Romero face to face as he finished up a Mass.  He, too, had criticized the government for brutalizing the peasant people.  The Jesuits probably figured that the government would surely not murder a whole household of priests.  I stand in awe of the courage of these people.

Secondly, would that if we are called to defend our principles even to death, we could die defending the poor, struggling to bring peace, or demanding more equality.  While I admire the courage & integrity of the seven sons and mother, I am sad that they died over a law about eating pork.  Muslims today can kill infidels using a suicide bomb with the belief that Allah is pleased with them and they will have a special place reserved for them in paradise. 

It is like saying anyone who eats Blue Bell ice cream is going to hell, or eats it on Friday.  I am reminded of how I grew up being taught that I was going to hell if I ate meat on Friday.  People are trained to believe that drinking a glass of wine or dancing is sinful.  These laws are simply demands of other people who are like ourselves.  We let them mess with our minds.

Thirdly, let me suggest that there are two way to give your life.  The one, like the Jesuits, is swift and often violent.  One shot, end of story.

The second way of giving your life is exemplified by Ofelia’s husband, Luis, whom many of you saw at our two anniversary parties.  Both years Luis touched our hearts with his vows to Ofelia.  I, however, saw him every Thursday evening gently take care of Ofelia week after week, patiently being with her as she slowly lost her life.  For weeks he could not leave Ofelia alone, so he was house bound unless someone like Hospice showed up.  He told someone that last Saturday that he and Ofelia had fallen in love again.  Luis gave his life for Ofelia.

Most of us will probably not get shot in the back of the head for criticizing the government or fighting for peace.  All of us, however, are called to give our life, our daily life, to bring peace & life to another or many others.  Like, you teachers, you nurses, you drivers, you soccer coaches, you parents, you all.

For whom or what are you giving your life today?

AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2007-11-11.mp3

Readings: Isaiah 8, 23-9, 3; Psalm 27, The Lord is my Light and my Salvation; 1 Corinthians 1, 10-13; Matthew 4, 12-23

 Intro to Readings

 The gospel reading today should sound familiar when you hear it, as it is mostly a repeat of our first reading from Isaiah.  In today’s reading Jesus has just heard that John the Baptist has been jailed by Herod and so he decides to head over to Capernaum. 

 

The reading describes Capernaum as being in the region of Zebulum and Naphtali.  These places were named after two of the sons of Jacob, he of the ‘twelve tribes’ fame.  Galilee is a very familiar name to us as Jesus spent a whole lot of time there.  This area was the area invaded by the Assyrians in the eight century BC and all of the wealthy and educated people where carried away as slaves.  What was left were the peasants, and so we have this reference to the land left in darkness!

 

Nazareth was to the southern end of Galilee.  Galilee itself was a rather small and insignificant place compared with Jerusalem in Judea.  Capernaum was a fishing village on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.  It was also close to the Via Maris, which you will hear referred to in the first reading as the seaward road.

 Because of this earlier exile, there was a much greater mix of gentiles in this area.  There was a certain amount of tension between the Jews who lived in Galilee and those in Jerusalem.  They were not considered quite as ‘pure’ due to their constant contact with the gentiles.

  

The really important part of the gospel reading is the last line, where we are given Jesus’ message “repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand”.

 Our second reading from Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians shows what can so easily happen to any small community of believers.  The community is breaking into factions and forgetting its purpose.  

 

The Homily: instead of a formal homily today we have a baptism.  Catch the video:

  

 Picture 1:    Mass Begins  

Picture 2:    Special Welcome to Sienna, Brian, Payton, & Erin 

Picture 3:    The Baptism Party, Brian, Susanne, Payton, Erin, & Sienna

Picture 4:    The Baptism

   

 

Readings:

Deuteronomy  18, 15-20,  Moses spoke to all the people.

Psalm 95,    If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

1 Corinthians 7, 32-35,   A married man is anxious about the things of the world.

Mark 1, 21-28,   In the synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit.

 

Introduction 

In our reading from the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses speaks to the Israelites about the coming of the Prophet, the Messiah, who is the Word of God. Our Responsorial Psalm states, ‘let us come into his presence to show our gratitude,’ for God will shepherd his people by feeding and guiding his flock. The expectation of these readings is realized in today’s reading from Mark.    

Our second reading is from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians on another subject altogether.  It is a good example of why one should always seek first to understand the context in which the text has been placed.  

 

Homily with Mike:

 Today’s reading from Mark needs to be understood in the context of where it was placed in the gospel.  John the Baptist has just told the people that he is baptizing in water; but when the Messiah comes he will baptize you in living waters; his words that pour forth the Holy Spirit. 

So, Jesus comes to Galilee and these are his first words: ‘The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the good news.’

‘The time is fulfilled,’ means that John the Baptist has fulfilled his purpose to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah who will baptize with the Spirit. ‘The kingdom of God is at hand;’ the Messiah, the light of the world, is in their very midst to enlighten those who are in darkness.

The word repent, metanoia, means to have a change of heart, a spiritual conversion. ‘Believe in the good news,’ is an invitation to welcome and live the good news that the Father has sent his Word to redeem us, his only begotten Son. So, Jesus enters the synagogue on the Sabbath.

Why did he do this?  He would teach how and why his good news would fulfill that day’s reading from the Law and/or Prophets.  As Jesus began to teach, the Holy Spirit flows forth from his words into the heart of a man who had been in darkness.  The man’s unclean spirit cries out, ‘I know who you are; the holy one of God.’ Jesus says, ‘Come out of him. Those present are amazed, ‘his words are spoken with authority not like those of the scribes.’ The man’s unclean spirit flees from the presence of the Holy Spirit, just as darkness always flees from the light.

Just before Christmas, Francis gave a spirited last minute Advent teaching to his Curia calling them to have a change of heart, a spiritual conversion from their complacency, petty squabbling, favoritism and gossiping.

To make his intention completely clear, he prefaced each teaching with a selection from the spoken Word of God.  The News releases informed us that a number of the higher ranking members of the Curia felt Francis was out of order for doing this.  The mere fact that some thought they were higher ranking members is reason enough for Francis to chastise them.

Christ taught his disciples to put themselves last and the people they were to serve first.  Don’t follow the hypocrisy of the Scribes who love their gold rings, the clothes they wear, the huge homes they live in, their praying in public places to seek attention, choosing the best seats at banquets…How did things get so out of order for the scribes?

Think about today’s reading from First Corinthians Chapter 7, Paul sets the stage by teaching what is from the Lord, the sacred bond of marriage.  He then says that what he is going to talk about, celibacy, is not from the Lord; it’s from his experience, saying that it was a gift to him; that everyone doesn’t have this gift; there are many gifts. 

However, the readings that we are given, like the one today, that come from Paul, not the Lord, have been understood by the Magisterium to be saying that celibacy is a higher spiritual gift than that of marriage. Not so!

But we have brought it hook, line and sinker.  When a priest celebrates Mass he recognizes himself as Christ.  We should celebrate that recognition!  What we have forgotten is this: in marriage when a husband and wife seek to have a child, they too are making Christ alive to one another and to the World. 

When they coach a child in some sport, or teach a child how to say grace before a meal, they too are being Christ to one another and to the world.  Don’t sell yourself short.  God has no favorites!  Recognize who you are called to be; the Body of Christ in the world during this week.  Being a celibate priest is not a higher spirit gift than being a husband or wife or—a child or a student—or whatever gift it is that you have been given to be.