Sunday Homily for August 26, 2018, 21st Ordinary Time, B cycle

Readings: Isaiah 50, 4-9; Psalm 116, I will walk before the Lord, in the Land of the Living; James 2, 14-18; Mark 8, 27-35

Isaiah: 

Date of Composition:

A picture of the time span:

        1. Solomon (he of Wisdom, the temple builder, 700 wives, & 300 mistresses–if he really existed) dies ca. 900-1000 BCE

        2. the Hebrew kingdom divides into 2 parts, the north, Israel (Galilee), the south, Judah.

        3.  Assyria destroys Israel and obliterates the 10 Hebrew tribes located there, ca. 725.

        4.  Babylon carries into captivity the Hebrews of Judah, ca. 590.

Contemporary scholars conjecture that this work could have been composed over a period of 400 years, i.e., 700-300.  It obviously begins by predicting disasters.  They happen,  the 2 big tragedies in Jewish history up to the Holocaust, the Assyrian destruction & the Babylonian Captivity.

Author (s): obviously it was composed by numerous people.  Isaiah himself is considered behind chapters 1-39.  In fact, line 1 identifies Isaiah as the author of the ideas.

What is it about:

Chapters 1-39: predict doom for the Hebrews because they have not been faithful to their one god, YHWH.

Chapters 40-55: called Isaiah 2, this & the remaining chapters (56-66) are called The Book of Consolation.  They try to assure the people who are now in exile that YHWH will restore them to their former glory & peace.  In fact, in chapter 45 the composer even mentions the name of Cyrus, the king of the Persians who defeats Babylon & sends the Hebrews back to Jerusalem.  So the composer knew of Cyrus and a date can be narrowed down.

This Isaiah 2 section presents 4 suffering servant songs, #3 being our selection today.  Jews see the servant to be the Hebrew people/nation.  Christians see the servant to be Christ.  Isaiah 2 is considered maybe the most influential O.T. book, especially on the New Testament.  On Isaiah 2 Mark built much of his gospel, especially the story of the crucifixion.

Handel's Messiah uses Isaiah 2 for its lyrics.

Chapter 56-66: more assurances of a return to peace & glory.

Our selection: Isaiah 2.  The suffering servant is talking about the abuse he is experiencing.  Then he proclaims, 'YHWH will help me & I won't be put to shame.' 

Take up Your Cross and Follow

As most of you know, the last Saturday in August I joined Bill Hammond & 14 thousand plus other nuts to ride in the Hotter 'N Hell Hundred (as in miles).  Folks, it was ecstatic. For me participatory athletic events like this have an elixir, a kinetic energy that touches me all the way down to my toes.  In fact, for the second year in a row, as I rode down the ramp of a bridge and headed toward the dramatic finish arch, I had tears of consolation in my eyes.  I am humbled that I can actually be part of the event.

As much as I was intoxicated by the over all event, two smaller happenings moved me.  Both occurred in the latter 50 mile section, the section where I know I am more wako than I thought.  I had pulled into one of the marvelous rest stops around mile 70.  There were tons of riders & volunteers all around.  I went over to a chair to rest a few moments.  Near me was a group of about 6 guys in their late 20's, very athletic and full of personality and energy.  One of their guys was sitting about one seat over from me and he was teasing back & forth with the other guys.  I look over at him and he's got no left foot.  I am stunned.  Lying on the ground was his artificial foot and he was massaging his stump.  So, what am I complaining about!

Later I am pedaling along and clumps of riders are passing me.  I see ahead of me a young guy whom I just might pass, hooray.  I get up behind him, say, "On your left," and begin to pass him.  I look over at him as I am coming along side and he has no arms.  He has metal prosthetics.  I gulp.  Suddenly I am embarrassed to pass him. 

I talk about this because it feeds right into something that is mentioned in Mark, a paragraph that has great potential for healthy living, and for unhealthy living.  Mark mentions that to follow Jesus I have to deny myself and take up my cross.  I got to lose my life to save it.  Hey, I don't like denying myself and I am not attracted to the idea of taking up a cross.  Look what happened to him.

Folks, we have infinite demand here again.  The other side being infinite acceptance.  Let me touch three points, a little history and an explanation of the unhealthy and healthy approach to these ideas.

First, the history.  When Mark wrote you can bet he was under the influence of the philosophy of dualism.  That is, all the world is divided into two, bad-good, flesh-spirit, body-soul.  To enhance the growth of the spirit & soul, the flesh & body has to be disciplined.  In fact, basic appetites & attractions must not only be disciplined but hammered into quiescence. 

Which leads to the second point, the unhealthy & healthy living.  It is easy to see how a person, influenced by this philosophy could be hard on himself, in fact, could do damage to himself.  It is called masochism.  Spiritual practices that mirrored this philosophy were part of my early Jesuit training.

In order to detach ourselves from our attachment to our families, our love of our families, we young Jesuits were never allowed to return home for a visit, not for Christmas, Easter, anything.  I remember one summer vacation floating down the Calcacieu River in a pirogue in s.w. Louisiana with a classmate of mine, and he told me that a few miles away in New Orleans his brother was getting married at that very time. We thought that was normal.  We had to extinguish our desires.  This is how the idea of denying myself can be unhealthy or at least just unnecessary.  I have told you about the little rope scourges we were expected to use on ourselves especially on Fridays. 

Thirdly, on the healthy side, I have my two handicapped guys in the HHH.  I would propose that to live a healthy life, to develop a wholeness in myself, to aim to be a Renaissance person, I need to focus on four targets, the intellectual, the physical, and the spiritual/psychological.  This involves denying myself and self discipline, it involves moderation.  I am my cross.  The reward is contentment & peace.

The fourth element in wholeness is you got to live for others, like James' reading brings up.  Jesuit talks about being men for others.  I specialize in aiding the underprivileged.  I do it not for me but for them.  In giving, however, I am richer. 

Those two guys I encountered in the HHH have taken up their crosses, they have denied themselves and I would suggest that they are more content and peaceful than if they had stayed home watching TV.

Your cross?  What is it?

Picture 1:  Mass with Kevin & T.J.

Picture 2:  The Choir with Celeste, Marianne, & Ray

Picture 3:  Birthdays & Anniversaries, Theresa McClure, Doug, Teresa, & Taylor Read, and Chloe's mom Claire (24)

Picture 4:  The Donut Shoppe with Chloe surrounded by Frank, Jackie, her mom, Claire, and grand dad Tom

Readings:    

Jeremiah  31, 7-9,   Shout with joy.

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

Hebrews 5, 1-6,   Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God.

Mark 10, 46-52,  Bartimaeus, a blind man, sat by the road begging. 

Emma

Jeremiah observations:

Who:  one of the Big 3 Prophets, 52 chapters, the “broken hearted prophet,” because he hated being so unpopular and having to condemn so much. 

Baruch, Jeremiah’s scribe seems to be who put down the prophet’s message.   Jeremiah probably died in Egypt.

When: put together before & during the B.C., Babylonian Captivity, say 575 before Christ  (reminder, Babylon is near present day Bagdad, Iraq).

Remember, too,  that time before Christ is counting downward or backwards.

Welcome, Leo

Interesting Side Note: (another reminder) can you guess when the Genesis story of creation in 7 days was composed?  Biblical research reveals that the creation story was put together during the Captivity, this same time, i.e. ca. 575.

Why?  The priests & prophets (e.g., Ezekiel) of the Jews in captivity determined that the people would not be assimilated into the local gene pool as their cousins in the northern kingdom had done when made to live with the Assyrians.  They decided they would establish customs & religious practices that would make the Jews so different they would not intermarry.  Three special laws were established: 1.  male circumcision; 2. dietary laws and laws about not touching menstruating women; and 3. the Sabbath.

The priests put together the 7 day creation story to suggest that Yahweh approved of their Sabbath law.  They had Yahweh rest on the 7th day to bolster their demand that all Jews take a day off every 7 days.  Before the Babylonian Captivity there was no legislated Sabbath and no myth of Yahweh creating the world in 7 days with the 7th being a day of rest.  So, now you know when the story was created & by whom, the priests, and why, to keep the Jews united vs the Babylonians.  It worked, even down to today.

Offertory, Mike and Judy, Mary and Bill

Subject: the usual prophet message—condemn, pay, peace.

Today: Beautiful message of peace and consolation.  It is coming.

Sources: Bishop John Shelby Spong, The sins of Scripture; Wikipedia

Leo and Cole

 She Danced through Life

Rosemary & I had the privilege and the honor Thursday to attend the funeral of another noble woman & friend, like Joan, Colleen Romero. 

I calculate that Rosemary & I have known Colleen and her husband for ten years.  We certainly knew them for a couple of years before we got married in 05/05/05.   You will never guess how we met them.  Dancing.

Zoe receiving her birthday cupcake of the week, 4 years old today, Sunday

 Somewhere along the line, a group of us noticed that Plano Parks provided a whole variety of adult classes, among them dancing.  So Rosemary & I, Gilberto & Bernadette, Beth & Rob , and some others, we all decided, “Let’s go learn to dance.”  And so we met Colleen and Fred.

Sophia

They were our teachers.  They were elegant, charming, and fun.  I danced with Colleen a number of times.  I would ask Fred how I was learning some special dance.  He would laugh.  Then Colleen would guide me to a point where I got it.

Delgado corner with Buddy, Leo, and Torri

 This is the first thing I see when I remember Colleen.  She danced through life, charming, elegant, smiling, and having fun.  She and Fred were even running dance classes at St. Gabriel parish for adults who had Parkinson’s or coordination problems. 

Nikki and Cameron with Sophia with their birthday cupcakes of the week, 12 years old.

A  second aspect to Colleen I saw recently.  It was a few weeks back when I got a notice that Colleen was not doing well and was in the hospital.   We had not seen her and Fred for months, maybe a year.  She had been struggling with various joint problems for some time, but this was supposed to be serious.

Jessica home from Boston

So, I called her straight up.  She answered.  She sounded groggy and stressed.  In fact, she was experiencing nausea.  So I made it quick, saying I loved her and sent her all my support.  She said this may be her time and that she was okay about it.

A few more days go by and I get another note saying that the word is this really is it.  This time we get in the car and go visit her at Medical City Plano. 

I walk in and find her looking and sounding great.  However, she says this is truly her time, that she wants no special treatment, and that she is totally ready.  She was in that acceptance stage we talk about in stages of dying, the stage of peace.  

Cathy just before receiving blessing for her foot operation

Colleen was not like Mark’s Bartimaeus today.  She was not blind.  She could see.  She danced her way through life and when her time approached, she accepted it. 

Like I asked with Joan, how have you been blessed by people like Colleen?

Readings:

Ecclesiastes 1, 2; 21-23,  All things are vanity.

Psalm 90,  If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Colossians 3, 1-5, 9-11  Seek what is above.

Luke 12, 13-21, You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you.

Ecclesiastes Observations: 

Author:  unknown.   A belief was that it was Solomon

Date: 
 250-150 years before Christ.

Subject: 
the work is a putting together of a lot of folk sayings and life
observations which represent wisdom sometimes, sometimes not.  For instance, today’s selection. 

Today: 
pretty pessimistic.  It says that
everything is vanity. 

Beginning with photos to come.

Colossians
observations:  We are done with this work for now,
fortunately.

Best line of
the Day: check the Psalm, the 4^th stanza, “Fill us at daybreak with
your kindness, that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.”  This has been my experience the past week in
Iowa.  More in the homily.

Joanie and Payton arriving.

Fill us at daybreak with
your kindness

Fill me
at daybreak with your kindness, that I may shout for joy and gladness. 
This was Iowa, folks. 

If you
don’t know what this is all about it is this. 
Sunday, July 21^st, Chris and I set out on our bikes with an
estimated crowd at times of 35,000 riders. 
We departed the west side if Iowa at the Missouri River and finished at
the east side and the Mississippi River 7 days later, Saturday. 

CC and her buddy.

The
whole experience really touched my spirit, but let me single out three special
events, hospitality, trust, and beauty.

First, hospitalty.  Most of
the nights on the ride my team, Spokes of Hope, a cancer support team from
Indianapolis, found homes at which we could set up tents in the yard.  This was a little more private.

Kayla following CC.

One
family in Oskaloosa, the next to the last night, knocked me out.  They had a nice big 5-9 acre lot with two
houses for the family.  They hosted about
80 people, Spokes of Hope and Livestrong, Lance Armstrong’s former cancer
program. 

And Mr. Leo looking cool on a hot morning.

When we
arrived they had spread out on their deck chips and dip and drinks.  At 5:00 they themselves served us all an
enormous dinner.  The next morning they
sent us on our way with a great breakfast. 
All gratis, no charge.   Hospitality.

Gracie ready for anything with her backpack.

In Des
Moines a widow of about 6 months invited our 14 member team into her nice
house.  She is a doctor and teaches at
the local medical school.

She,
also, fixed us all a big dinner and a big breakfast.  She sent us on our way with a few dozen
chocolate chip cookies and brownies.  The
Indianapolis folks are probably still eating those cookies.   All
gratis, no charge.  Hospitality.

Emma looking beautiful, as always.

Next, trust.  Never did I fear my bike would be
stolen.  In the small towns where it was
impossible to ride because of the mass of people, bikes were dropped
everywhere.  In fact, the problem was
remembering, “Wow, where is my bike?”

Curtis at 84 who lost his Cupcake of The Week to Emma temporarily.

One
afternoon I rode up to a Tom Thumb type grocery store that had an $8 all you
can eat pasta & dessert sale.  This
was in the last overnight town on the road, Fairfield.  I remember hesitating at first.  My bike. 
Lots of people around.  Plus lots
of bikes.  I left my bike with my helmet & gloves hanging from the handlebar.  An hour
later it was right there along with all the other bikes & bikers.  The trust, everywhere.

Kevin, The Reliable, suiting up.

Finally,
the beauty.   Don’t believe the idea that Iowa is flat.  It is not mountainous, okay.  It is hilly. 
This trip had lots of hills and lots of scenic vistas, plus beautiful little towns.  Once
I must confess at the end of a day 110 miles long I had to walk a hill, my
thigh muscles saying they just might like to cramp.   I learned prudence from Rosemary.

Judy arrives to hear news about….

There
were a number of occasions when the hospitality, the trust, and the beauty, to
not even mention my gratitude at being able to do this, just touched me to
tears as I rode peacefully along.  Which
made me say to myself, “Watch out, man, you can’t see and you will crash.”

Keokuk, Iowa and Judy's house, facing the Mississippi on Grand Avenue.

This is
the psalm line exemplified, “Fill us at daybreak with your kindness, that we
may shout for joy and gladness all our days.”

How is
it for you?

Keokuk, Iowa, the home of Mike on Grand facing the Mississippi, also. What a coincidence! Same town, same street, facing the same river. Should not these houses be considered historical monuments?

The Marriage Cat awaits Jud & Erica, Saturday evening, Georgetown, TX.

Readings:  (for Palm Sunday)

Entrance procession: Mark 11, 1-10,  Entry with palms

 Isaiah 50, 4-7, I gave my back to those who beat me.

Psalm 22,  My God, my God, why have you abandoned me.

 Philippians 2, 6-11,  He emptied himself.

Mark  14 & 15, The Passion

Jud with his long time admirer.

We had no homily nor Creed today because of the length of the service.

Erica with her dad, Don.

Jud & Erica composed their own vows and shared them with each other, very nice.

Jud & Erica are originally from Dallas.  They met in Seattle, where they both worked, Erica in nursing.  They now live & work in Honolulu.

 Readings: (4th Advent)

Micah 5, 1-4, He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock.

Psalm 80, Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

Hebrews 10, 5-10, My prayer, that your love may increase ever more.

Luke 1, 39-45, When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb.

Cathy into the Season

Micah: author, date, subject, our selection–

Author: one of the minor prophets (because of length,7 chapters), Micah is considered to be the author of these words.

Date: probably around 700-690 BCE, a contemporary of Isaiah, living in Judah.  He had witnessed the destruction of the northern half of the kingdom, Israel, by the Assyrians, ca. 720 BCE.  He watched Judah pay tribute to Assyria.  He forsaw the Babylonian disaster in 590.

The Great Angela with Karen behind her.

Subject: like all prophets, he predicts doom and destruction for Judah because of the injustice of the people, especially the rich over the poor.  Micah learned from Israel's destruction by Assyria, which he attributed to God's anger with those people. 

Then, of course, in the prophet tradition, he predicts a return to peace and prosperity after the people are purified.  He speaks to Bethlehem as if to a person and says that a new ruler will come from the town and the good ruler will shepherd the people.  Why Bethlehem?  Because David was born there and the new David was supposed to come from the same royal village. 

Morgan lighting the 4 Advent Candles.

Asked what God wants of us (like penance, sacrifices of animals, goods, even children), Micah states one of the great lines in scripture: "What God requires of us is: 1. act justly, 2. love tenderly, and 3. walk humbly with our God." (6, 8)  You people do that. 

Our Selection: God promises a good ruler will be born in Bethlehem, the place where King David was born, a royal village.

Sources: Good News Bible, John Shelby Spong, Wikipedia

A Cupcake of the Week for Geordie who just  graduated from the U. of Colorado

A Christmas Story

This morning I want to tell you a Christmas story.  It took place in Tanzania the Christmas of my sixth, seventh, or eighth year living in the country.

First it is good to mention that Tanzania does not celebrate Christmas like we do here.  First of all, it is summer, being just south of the equator.  So, warm.   Moreover, people do not decorate with lights like we do here.  It is not the custom, nor do folks have the money.

Reggie and Robin

I was usually pretty homesick at Christmas.  So this year I decided I would throw a Christmas day party American style, especially with a turkey. 

To get the turkey I had to not only go beyond the little town of Moshi, where the Jesuits had a house and where I was based.  I, in fact, had to travel to Nairobi, Kenya, the country immediately to the north. 

Reggie receiving $2000 for Soul's Harbor

Despite the fact that most of the time I was away from Moshi on the road giving seminars and retreats, I still knew some people from the times I was in town.  So I invited a number of families. 

In particular, I invited the family who lived next door to us, a husband and wife with their two little girls, for whom I had a great affection.  The family was all Muslim and the father was a police chief.  It is always helpful to have a police chief as a friend in certain countries.  I assure you.

Offertory, The Girls, Jean, Nancy, Diane, and Christine

To invite the family I followed the more formal African protocol.  I invited the husband to come over to our house.  I had two rocking chairs ready in my office/bedroom.  We sat down and I offered him coffee or tea. 

Then I said, “Mohammed, I would like to invite you and your family to a special celebration of the Christian Christmas.  It will be the evening of December 25, beginning around 5:00.”  Then, I explained what was Christian Christmas.

Emma

Finally, I added, “We both know, Mohammed, that you have a problem with alcohol.  I request that you show up sober.  If you show up drunk, I will have to ask you to leave.”  Mohammed said he was grateful for the invitation for him and his family.  He would not arrive drunk and if he did I should invite him out.

Want to guess what happened?   You guessed it.

About 1:00 Christmas day Mohammed and his buddy arrived a bit early.  Yes, they were both drunk out of their minds.  We talked, I told him I was sorry, but he could not come to the party.  He, too, said he was sorry, he left, and I did not see him again that day.

Cupcake of The Week to Diane for a special birthday.

Later, however, about 5:00, his wife and girls arrived with a surprise.  In the African tradition of hospitality, she had invited all her extended family and they all showed up together, about 15 of them. 

Despite all this, we had a fun American style Christmas, most of it, in fact, on the roof.  We had an Arabian style house with a flat roof.  A great place for parties and watching the sun set glow on Kilimanjaro nearby.

Why talk about this today?

First, to show you how Christmas is celebrated in other countries.

Secondly, to show just how we are so fortunate to celebrate with such fan fare and warmth.   I am grateful to be here.

The Music Team, Bethany, Shonda, and Ray

What has been your best Christmas ever? 

How are you celebrating this year?

Readings:  Isaiah 60, 1-6, Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem, your light has come!; Psalm 72, Lord, every nation on earth will adore you; Ephesians, 3, 2-6, The Gentiles are coheirs; Matthew 2, 1-12, The Magi arrived from the east asking, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews?"  

Isaiah, a review 

Here is another of those passages which make me love Isaiah so much.  I said this on the 3^rd Sunday of Advent, when we read Isaiah 61.   

Today we have Isaiah III talking again to the Jews who have returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian Captivity, about 550 years before Christ. 

When he says Jerusalem or Zion, you may consider it a metaphor referring particularly to us, to you and to me.

Ephesians

Paul is directly talking Epiphany, that is God to Gentiles, to us.  

Sources: Good News Bible, The New Interpreter’s Bible

Epiphany Every Day?

    Almost every evening Rosemary & I take Aviana for a walk along our street.  Usually we meet a variety of neighbors and neighbor dogs.  It is a fun connection. 

    This past week we were walking when we met a lady who lives across and down the street.  She had tragedy hit her family.  A daughter with 3 young kids died 18 months ago with cancer.  It had been a lengthy fight and numerous neighbors had helped out. 

    We asked her how she was doing.  She waited a moment and then with a gulp she said, “Ollie has cancer.” 

    Ollie is a 3 year old son of the mother who died.  A week or so before Christmas the family noticed that Ollie had a lump on his forehead.  They took him to get checked and discovered that he has a very rare and aggressive form of child cancer.  Only about 350 cases occur a year in the States, hitting children between ages 1 and 5.  Ollie is 3. 

    The lump has been removed but a port has been put on Ollie’s chest for chemotherapy.  He is expected to receive chemo from 6 to 11 months.  Meanwhile, another small tumor I think in his lymph nodes grew about a centimeter in just about 10 days.  

    Folks, this was an epiphany moment for me.  I wanted to cry with our neighbor.  My heart went out to Ollie, his dad, his brother & sister, and to my neighbor & her husband, to the whole family. 

I would suggest that an epiphany is

    1.  a God light breaking through, especially through & into those corners of myself where I don’t go,

    2. a deeper awareness of the fragility of the Gift, the Gift of life & health & control

    3.  a deeper awareness of my normal insensitivity & ingratitude.   

The Accident was an Epiphany.  Check Rosemary.  

    I suggest that there are large, small, and medium epiphanies.  However, they occur daily.  At home, at work, at Tom Thumb, on the roads, at the Bridge & Austin Street Shelter, at Vines.   In fact, we can be epiphanies for others. 

Your last epiphany?  

Picture 1:    Mass Begins

Picture 2:    Our Father   

 Picture 3:    Taylor & Zack

Picture 4:    Torri walks

Picture 5:    Sienna

Picture 6:    Cole