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

Ash Wednesday Services at Marlene's house.  2017 Keystone, Plano 75075 at 7:00.

Who let this ex-Jesuit student in here?  We need a sergeant at arms.  Is this the real Jim Shropshire?

Readings:

Leviticus  19, 1-2, 17-18,  You shall love your neighbor as yourself

Psalm 103,  The Lord is kind and merciful.

1 Corinthians 3, 16-23,  Do you not know that you are the temple of the Lord.

Matthew 5, 18-48,   Love your enemies.

Welcome back home from Seattle, Gloria

February 23 homily

The structure of our Christian Sunday service, still today, has an intimate relationship with our brothers and sisters who attended their Jewish Sabbath Synagogue Service yesterday. After they sang songs, and gave praises to God, a teaching was given to them from the Law or Prophets that contained an expectation for the coming of the Messiah.

Deacon Mike sharing his thoughts on our readings.

In like manner, we sang and praised God with psalms, and we also received a teaching from the Law given by the Lord to Moses that ‘We are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.’ Recall the commentary present in the first reading. It informs us that we are not to judge, or take revenge, or hate, or hold a grudge, against a neighbor. 

Welcome, Annabella, to Dallas where your mother grew up.

A second reading was not present in the Liturgy of the Word of the Early Church. Sometime in the last century however, the Church began to include this additional reading to enhance the gospel teaching of the Sunday service. Today it prepares us to become temples of God’s Spirit, so that for we can welcome and live the wisdom of the words spoken by the Messiah in the written Good News of Jesus Christ.

Happy Mardi Gras Aggie & Allen.

Today’s first reading, “that we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves,” is fulfilled by the inspired writers of the Matthew gospel with the teaching to us that instead, ‘We are to love our enemies and pray for those who seek to persecute us; That’s how we can become children of our Father in heaven!

Good Work, Tori.

So, how did Jesus of Nazareth live today’s gospel reading? He took upon himself to love others as he had been loved by the Lord; He kept the perfect law! In like manner he called out to the Father he loved as he was being crucified with the words, “Father, forgive them for they do not understand what they are doing!”

Candle Lighting time with the experts, Tori & Zoe & Buddy.

"Welcome in, Everybody," sez Crazy Patricia.

Readings: 

1 Samuel 2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23,   I would not harm the Lord's anointed.  

Psalm 103,  The Lord is kind & merciful. (a good one, a favorite line)

1 Corinthians 15, 45-49,    The first man was from earth; the second from heaven.

Luke 6,  27-38, Do good to those who hate you.

" Welcome in, Everybody," from the whole team.

Observations  on 1 Samuel

Our 1st reading today is from the first book  in a fun & interesting 4 book series which is somewhat historical, somewhat metaphorical & imaginative.

The books: 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings.  The first two books center on 3 main characters, the first ever kings of the Israelites, namely Samuel, the first king, Saul, the 2^nd king, an insecure, jealous, and paranoiac man, and the Great King David, a colorful character. 

Ever hear of Bathsheba?   Check out David in 2 Samuel.

John reading his marvelous updating of today's Gospel.

The last 2 books, 1 & 2 Kings, describe the beautiful times of Solomon and the building of the temple.  The final book of the 4 describes the bad ways of the people which lead to the bad days of the Babylonian captivity.

Estimated time of composition, ca, 555, during the Babylonian Captivity.

Wake up, John.  Punch him, Karen.

Homily, February 24

When I was studying  theology in Toronto from ’68-’72, the fall of my second year we had to take a course in moral theology.  We were part of a consortium of seminarians.  We Jesuits were the biggest group with ca. 40 guys.  There were probably 6-8 other groups, even some individuals.   All guys.

We Jesuits lived in a large building in a northern suburb called Willowdale.  There were four classes with a total of probably 200, plus 6-8 Jesuit professors.  We had classes on the down town campus of U. of Toronto.  

Our bread baker and hostess with the mostest welcoming everybody to communion.

The fall of my second year our class had to take a course in moral theology.   Fundamentally it was how to administer the Sacrament of Reconciliation, or Confession, plus other moral questions.  For example, like torture, capital punishment, abortion.

The professor of this rather large class was a young Jesuit priest just graduated from Harvard, named Bryan.  I honestly don’t remember his last name.  Bryan was sharp, liberal, and not blessed with public relations skills. 

And hiding behind John, Allen & Aggie.

Bryan put off the majority of the class and a group even came to complain to him.  What did Bryan do?  He told them if they did not like him or his presentations, they could go somewhere else.  He did this with more blunt language than I use here.  So all these guys boycotted his class.

I give all this information as background to my interaction with Bryan in the spring semester of that same academic year.

Would someone please sit with Sandra.

At the end of our third year the Jesuit program normally had the moral theology exam.  Since my class had already covered the class requirements, some of us thought we would like to take the moral theology exam at the end of the second year.   Get it off the agenda.

So I get elected to go make the request to, take a guess, Bryan.  He not only denies my request and tells me to wait until the end of year 3, he tells me if I & my buddies do it anyway, he will flunk us all.   We did and he did.   I even went to the Jesuit rector to complain before we took the exam, which, incidentally was in Latin before a board of 3 of the Jesuit faculty.

So, if I am supposed to love my enemies, do I have to love Brian?   Yes.

Welcome Home, Beth, our Colorado Snow Bird of the Week.

Two comments.  We are dealing here in Luke with infinite demand.

At the same time, we are offered infinite acceptance.  For example, my favorite line showing up this morning in the Psalm, The Lord is gracious and merciful, never gets angry, and is abounding in kindness. 

Help is on the way, Hugh.

Welcome, Everybody, to our Easter Sunday liturgy being streamed through Zoom.   

To View the Live Broadcast on Youtube, 

click this Link :

https://youtu.be/9y9vIjo_gp0

>>> To Participate in the Zoom Video Conference*, at 0930 CDT,

click this Link :
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/580592058?pwd=ZTY2TmlIU29Ib3VnNEZLZXJRSll0UT09

* and be sure to Mute your microphone when joining   [ if you do Not have a speaking part ]

[ Zoom Meeting ID: 580 592 058  Password: 021242  ]

A really special thanks to Mike and Becky for making this presentation possible.  We are broadcasting from our normal Sunday meeting room at Legacy Charter school.

Please begin this celebration by asking, What has been my biggest blessing recently?

Prayer for Today:

Please, Lord, Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

The courage to change the things I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference.

Reading 1, read by Denni

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles

Peter fairly exploded with his good news, saying:  “You know the story of what happened in Judea.  It began in Galilee after John preached a total life-change.  Then Jesus arrived from Nazareth, anointed by God with the Holy Spirit.  He went through the country helping people and healing everyone who was beaten down by the Devil.  He was able to do all this because God was with him. 

“And we saw it all, everything he did in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem where they killed him, hung him from a cross.  But in three days God had him up, alive, and out where he could be seen.  Not everyone saw him; witnesses had been carefully handpicked by God beforehand—us!  We were the ones, there to eat and drink with him after he came back from the dead. 

He commissioned us to bear solemn witness that he is in fact the One whom God destined as judge of the living and the dead.  And our witness that he is the means to forgiveness of sin is backed up by the witness of all the prophets.”

The Word of the Lord.

Psalm 118, This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad

Reading 2, read by Tom

A Reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians

        Yeast is a small thing, but it works its way through a whole batch of bread dough pretty fast.  So get rid of this “yeast.”  Our true identity is flat and plain, not puffed up with the wrong kind of ingredient.  The Messiah, our Passover Lamb, has already been sacrificed for the Passover meal, and we are the Unraised Bread part of the Feast.  So let’s live out our part in the Feast, not as raised bread swollen with the yeast of evil, but as flat bread—simple, genuine, un-pretentious.

Our word for today.

The Lord be with you.    A Reading from the Good News of John, read by Robinsons, Beth & Rob

        Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone was moved away from the entrance.  She ran at once to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, breathlessly panting.  “They took the Master from the tomb.  We don’t know where they’ve put him.” 

        Peter and the other disciple left immediately for the tomb.  They ran, neck and neck.  The other disciple got to the tomb first, outrunning Peter.  Stooping to look in, he saw the pieces of linen cloth lying there, but he didn’t go in.  Simon Peter arrived after him, entered the tomb, observed the linen cloths lying there, and the kerchief used to cover his head lying separate, neatly folded.  Then the other disciple, the one who had gotten there first, went into the tomb, took one look at the evidence, and believed.  No one yet knew from the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead. 

The Good News of John.

Thoughts for Today

About 10-12 days ago I had just finished Aviana's first morning potty trip.  I was going in the front door when I saw a note taped to the door.  A young couple who lived behind us,  Joe & Julie, wrote that if we needed anything from the stores to let them know.  They would love to help us out.  I was stunned.  I was humbled.  

Two days ago I look out our front bay window and see a little girl walking up the sidewalk from her little bike to the open front door.  Her mom was at the curb on her bike.  Lucy, who is about 6, but who has grown so much I did not even recognize her, was given a school assignment to write a note to one of her neighbors.  She chose Rosemary & me.

Again I was humbled and touched.

Amid these difficult and troubled times what small gems of joy do you find every day?

For instance on a bigger screen, when the NBA shut down do you know who stepped forward with a promise to take care of his network of helpers?  Mark Cuban.

I cannot say enough about the heroic medical personnel all over the country, with the NY doctors and nurses giving heroic care, even at the cost of their own health.  That's Rosemary's city.

On the home front, turns out bike shops are running out of bikes for people to buy & ride.  Rosemary  & I see them around White Rock or along the W. R. Creek trail.  I see people Rosemary & I have never seen out walking their dogs or riding their bikes.

Also there is word that there are various local groups of ladies gathering via Zoom for "tea" about 5:00.  I hear that liquor stores are frequently sold out.

Two final people have really touched me.  Mike.  He has worked tirelessly to put our ceremonies on line.  Thanks, Mike.

And finally, one special lady who does so much I can't even imagine.  Not  only has she been sending every week 1100 to 1800 meals out the door to her Legacy students and staff as well as others.  She has also opened up her school so we could use our Sunday space and she has worked side by side with Mike to present these programs.

Thanks, Becky.

What small & large gems of joy are you finding every day?

The Preface & Eucharistic Prayer will be done by John Cade.

Readings:

Exodus  20, 1-17,  God delivered all these commandments.   Special reading for Rita's memorial,    Song of Songs, 2, 8-14

Psalm 19,    Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

1 Corinthians  1, 22-25,   The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom.

 John  2,  13-25,   He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out.

Our Beautiful Georgie says, "Welcome in Everybody, it's fun."

Song of Songs, observation :  Special reading in honor of Rita

What :  A dialogue between a man and a woman who love and long for each other.   No reference to God or the law. 

When:  probably after the Babylonian Captivity, 555 before Christ. 

Our Subject: The girl is speaking to her lover.

Buddies Leo and Cole say, "Hi, Folks."

Rita Dore

I would like to tell you a few stories about Rita, just to give you an idea of how neat and fun a person she was.

I don’t remember when or how I met Rita.  Toward the end of Msgr. Claude Smyth’s life she was just there as the house keeper.  More than anybody else, Rita took good care of Smyth, tending to him day and even night, helping him to move to the other side.

During this time, Matt Bagert was acting pastor and when Msgr. Smyth died Matt opened up the rectory a bit.  He even threw a birthday party once, to which I was invited, along with another young Jesuit, Gene Sessa.  Things went along smoothly this way for some months until…The Big Event happened.  Fr. Duffy Gardner arrived. 

Harper says, "Cupcake time yet?"

Three little vignettes.

First, when Duffy settled into the rectory, the place went from being totally closed up to being wide open.  He was platinum level hospitality.  With Duffy welcoming everyone was the house keeper in the kitchen, Rita.  They made a marvelous one-two team. 

After doing the 9:00 Mass in the church and the 10:30 Mass in the cafetorium, I started going over to the rectory.  I was usually worn out.  I would go upstairs, take a 20 minute nap in an empty bedroom, then come down and join Duffy at the dining room table where he held forth.

Cupcakes of The Week to Grace and Dee.

Meanwhile, Rita had been cooking.  In particular she made chocolate chip cookies the size of dinner plates and homemade vanilla ice cream.  Guess what I ate for lunch.  Wow, did I love Rita.

At the same time that she worked as housekeeper, Rita took on the training of the little kids for first communion.  Two or three times a year I joined Duffy and a handful of other priests to do her kids' first confessions.  My penance to each kid, 2 Hershey kisses.  Think my line was long?

Tom & Lynda, first time grandparents Monday, the 9th.

Two years in a row at this time Duffy hosted the whole gang of kids for first communion on a Saturday.  Both years, Duffy at the homily would ask the kids questions and he would give out a dollar or two for correct answers.  The big final question both years worth $5 was, ‘Who is the holiest priest in St. Marks?’  Hands would go up.  Both years Duffy called on a timid little girl whom I happened to know.   Both years the little girls said, “Fr. Stack.” 

Well, as you can imagine, this brought down the house.  Duffy would put on a display of incredulity.  I don’t know if the first little girl got the $5 or not, but the second year I was there and I jumped up from the stage, ran down, and gave the girl $5 of my own.

Vivian, speaking into the mike, says, "Patience please, I'm coming." With her mommy, Bethany.

Rita loved all this, the penances, which some parents did not think was so good, and the questions from Duffy.

At the same time, Rita volunteered one day to help me with all the weddings, acting as wedding coordinator.  She had made wedding dresses in Birmingham or somewhere in her earlier, married life.  Consequently, we had great fun meeting with the kids, usually over dinner at Jason’s or El Fenix, and celebrating the weddings.

Buddy and Zoe wondering, 'Where is this Vivian?"

One wedding among all of them really stands out.  Two musicians, evening wedding, the big church, big crowd.  After exchanging vows, we had the couple light the unity candle, standing behind the candle and facing the people. 

Just before they lighted the candle, the mothers lit their candles, and then walked up the main aisle lighting a taper at each aisle before returning their candles to the unity candle.  Meanwhile the tapers in the hands of all the people were getting lighted.  Then we turned off the lights in the church. At the same time the couple had two singers, a guy and a girl, sing The Prayer that Bocelli and Celine Dion made famous.  It was stupendous.  Even remembering sends chills down my back. 

Tori, "Have you seen Vivian?"

An amusing footnote to the wedding took place.  A woman, who wanted to hire out as a wedding coordinator, asked if she could sit in.  “Sure, of course,” we said.  After the wedding a staff member asked the lady what she thought of the wedding.   “I just saw a wedding from hell,” she responded. 

As a result of that, every time Rita and I would depart the rectory to perform a wedding in the church, Duffy would ask if we were doing another wedding from hell.  It became our handle and provided lots of laughs. 

Thanks, Rita, you have been a fun and tremendous friend.  Rest well.  

Our Beautiful Zoe says, "Have a good week, Everybody."

Readings: Entrance procession, Luke 19, 28-40; Isaiah 50, 4-7; Psalm 22, My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me?; Philippians 2, 6-11; Passion, Luke 22, 14-23, 1-49. 

 Some short reflections on the readings, short because of the length of the readings, i.e., the Passion.

It is very unfortunate that we only read little sections of the Luke’s Gospel each Sunday.  It is like seeing a few minutes of a movie; we keep getting interrupted and can too easily lose the whole plot.  Remember, Luke’s product is both the Gospel and the Book of Acts and together they form a complete message.

The very early church was Jewish.  After the Resurrection, the followers of Jesus continued to go to the synagogue or temple, this we see in Acts, and they also met in each other’s homes to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.  As they reflected on the life of Jesus, they turned to what they were most familiar with, namely the Old Testament, in their efforts to try and understand Jesus’ place better.  And so after forty or fifty or even sixty years of this, as our Gospels emerge they are hugely influenced by the Old Testament.  It was the only way the gospel writers and the early communities knew how to understand Jesus and his message.

Today, we have one of those points, if we were watching a movie, when the music would be cranked up.  For Luke, from Chapter 9:51 up until today’s first Gospel reading Chapter 19:28 Jesus has been journeying towards Jerusalem.  Today he enters Jerusalem and begins what we know as the Jerusalem ministry, a mere two and a half chapters. You will remember way back at the beginning of this gospel, when Jesus gets left behind in Jerusalem, he says to his parents, “Did you not know that I must be busy with my Father’s affairs.” Right after today’s reading, Luke has Jesus go to the temple and clean it out and then begin teaching in the Temple every day. 

We get the sense of more time than just the few days we experience between Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem and what we will read about shortly as the Holy Week events. 

Finally, recall on the first Sunday of Lent, we read of the temptations of Jesus after his 40 days in the desert.  Luke ends that story with the words “the devil left him to return at the proper time.”   We will see that return in our reading of the Passion when Peter denies Jesus 22:31, when Satan enters Judas 22:3 and at the hour of darkness, 22:53.

We are almost done with Lent.  Now we turn to the events of Holy Week and Easter.  Our Gospels give us different interpretations of these events, influenced by the early church’s interpretation in the light of the Old Testament.  Each one of us also needs to reflect on what these events mean to us and how our lives are different.  Was this just a sad story, which happened over two thousand years ago, or are our lives today lived with a different meaning because of Jesus?

Picture 1:   Palm Sunday Mass begins with Tony

Picture 2:   Tony blesses the Palms

Picture 3:   Denni, Nancy, & Ron await the Procession

Picture 4:   The Procession with the Palms

Picture 5:  The Kless Family await the blessing, Christine, Cara, her friend, Sean, and Ed

Readings:   Malachi 1, 14-2, 8-10, Why do we break faith with each other?; Psalm 131, In you, Lord, I have found my Peace; 1 Thessalonians 2, 7-13, We were gentle among you; Matthew 23, 1-12, Whoever exalts himself will be humbled.

Observations on Malachi:

 Interesting notes, a review:

                   1.  This is the last book of the Old Testament.    

                   2.  A little book, only 4 chapters.

                   3.  Last of the 12 minor prophets ( minor because of their small content )

 Author: Malachi means “my messenger.”  The writer’s real name is unknown.

 Date: 400-500 years before Christ.  This is deduced from the emphasis on the temple and the priesthood, and the word “governor” used one time.  Governors ruled after the Babylonian Exile, ca. 590-550, kings before.    

 The temple was rebuilt ca. 520 after the Israelites came back ca. 550 from the Babylonian Exile.  The Persian ruler Cyrus let them return & rebuild the old walls & temple. 

 Message:  Beware, you priests and people, because you are lax, corrupt, and cheating god of his rightful offerings.  

Today’s Message:

                   1.  Yahweh is speaking, actually to the priests, though in the official reading this reference is edited out.  I printed off the more complete reading. 

                   2.  You priests, I will curse you if you do not honor my name.

                    3.  I have made you contemptable because you don't follow my ways.  Again, note the Prophet's message: 1. condemn behavior, 2. promise punishment, 3. consolation after the conversion.

                   Sources:  Good News Bible; New Interpreter’s Study Bible; The Minor Prophets by Al Maxey (on line); & Wikipedia

All Souls Day

Let me give you bit of history and the thinking behind this All Souls' Day.  Five observations: the theology, purgatory-limbo, a legend, pre-Christian practices, and today.

1.  The Theology.  All Souls' Day is part of a package with All Saints.  The idea is: on All Saints' Day we honor all those who are enjoying the beatific vision, that is, heaven, the saints.  On All Souls' Day we honor those who have died but have not reached heaven because they had penance to do. 

What if we think they are all already in heaven?  Then we could pray to them rather than for them.

The old theology is talking mortal & venial sin here.  If the person died with mortal sin, they are you know where. Those with venial sins have to go through purification and purging, which brings us to All Souls' Day and purgatory.

2.  Purgatory & limbo.  People ended up in purgatory to purify themselves with suffering, before being allowed into heaven.  Limbo was for whom?  It was for people, especially children who died without being baptized.  They remained there how long?  Forever.  Can you imagine a baby there or even in the old purgatory?

At least the Catholic Church this year or last acknowledged that the limbo idea was bogus.  The pope said it does not exist and never did.  Though many consider purgatory to be in the same class, it still exists.  Want to know how we know?  The pope is offering indulgences.  The indulgence is for the soul in purgatory.  It speeds up the process.  There are partial & total indulgences.  We can win them for these souls and get them out or we can win them for ourselves. 

For instance, on the last feast of Peter & Paul, Rome offered an indulgence if you visited a church named after one or both of these two, and you recited a prescribed menu of prayers. 

3.  The legend.   It happened around 1000 A.D. that a monk, St. Idolo, from the French monastery of Cluny was shipwrecked on a desolate island as he returned from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, i.e., Israel.  On the island he met a poor hermit.  The hermit told him that among the rocks was a crevice from which came the anguished voices of the many suffering in purgatory.  Likewise, listening carefully you could hear the devils cursing that living people were speeding up the sufferings of these souls by praying and doing penance for them. 

Some time after this, i.e., 1000 A.D., the Cluny Monastery established an All Souls' Day.  Ca. 1300 Rome followed suit.  

4.  Pre-Christian times.  There is evidence that at least in Mexico numerous tribes had a day or period when the departed ancestors were honored.  The purpose was to honor them, remember their example, and to communicate with them.  Today in Mexico & in Hispanic families the Day of the Dead is still celebrated.  This custom has been celebrated for 3,000 years.

5.  Today.  Limbo has been discarded by Rome and many scholars consider purgatory a dinosaur idea from antiquity.  Consequently, All Souls' Day celebrates Samantha, my mom & dad, Rosemary's mom & dad, and all our loved ones pictured on the stage.  All Saints' Day handles the canonized and, I would suggest,  these people, too.    

What special blessing did you receive from one of these people pictured or whom you remember in your heart?

Picture 1:    Special altar & special display for All Saints & All Souls

Picture 2:    Mass Begins

Picture 3:    Sienna with Rosemary & Brian & Payton

Picture 4:    Leo & mom, Shonda

Picture 5:    Shonda, Bethany, Ray, & Jon

Picture 6:    Some of the Ekes, Marlene, Mabel, Cindy, Zaeli, & Bill