Sunday Homily for August 19, 2018, 20th Ordinary Time, B cycle
Hi, Tori, Welcome back, you look beautiful.
Readings:
Proverbs 9, 1-6, Wisdom ha built her house.
Psalm 34, Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. (Wow, 2nd week in a row, terrific)
Ephesians 5, 15-20, Watch carefully how you live.
John 6: 51-58, I am the living bread.
Hi, Leo, Welcome back to you, too. You also look beautiful.
Proverbs:
What are they: a collection of moral & religious teachings in the form of pithy sayings. For example: "Better to eat a dry crust of bread with peace of mind than to have a banquet in a house full of trouble" (17, 1); "Being cheerful always keeps you healthy" (17, 22).
Some a bit tough: "Don't hesitate to discipline a child. A good beating won't kill him" (23, 12).
Some amusing: "A nagging wife is like water going drip-drip-drip" (27, 15); "Better to live on the roof than to share the house with a nagging wife" (25, 24).
Author: Maybe Solomon is behind chapters 1-29. Most likely a compilation.
Date: Ca. 300 BCE is considered a possibility with material coming from as far back as 900, during the time of Solomon.
Great job, Zoe. You, too, are a Super Candle Lighter.
Taste & See the Goodness of the Lord, part 2, or
Pet Delights, the inspirational column of Steve Blow, which I shared in the blog Thursday
Sorry, Folks, but I am going to do it again, namely, push the belief that we can taste and see the goodness of the Lord, every day.
This week for me it has been the White Rock Creek trail running from Royal & Greenville to White Rock Lake. It had rained last weekend, so the whole creek edge was a beautiful green. The lawn mower guys were out and where they had passed the rows & patterns made it super special.
Georgie reads our Blessing of the Candles. I hope you know, Dearest Georgie, how terrific I think you are.
We tunnel under 5 or six bridges on this trail. One for me is breath taking. Going north I come out of the Skillman tunnel, cross over a quaint steel & wooden bridge, look ahead for about ½ a mile, and see the trail meandering along often with other bikers, see a blue sky framed by a V of large green trees, and take in wilderness on my right and left. This cannot be Dallas. It takes my breath away.
Taste & See the Goodness of the Lord.
Another biking blessing came this week Friday, when I actually had enough stamina to keep up with Rosemary, who this year leaves me in the dust. It should be humiliating. I’m actually quite proud of her, remembering that Sunday when she crashed and ended up with 9 screws in her left elbow. As I tell her, the good professor is the one who sees his student do better than the old professor.
Sisters act, Jessica and Renee. Welcome home, Jessica, from Boston, and congratulations, Renee, upon becoming an officially licensed architect.
Then there is Jim Mahar, the professor at St. Bonaventure who set up Bona Responds. A great person always, but especially when he phones me about a story that touched him.
The scene: Sierra Leone. Jim has worked there and has organized a bit. One of his local teams was planning a talent show for kids to earn money. They had prizes for the winners. Until they were all stolen.
The police catch a guy. Jim’s man, who has been even accused of stealing the awards, goes to see the guy and explains what all the gifts are for. Jim even talks with the guy by phone. He finally admits that he stole the awards and wants to give them all back.
The charges are all dropped and the guy even asks if he can join the group which is trying to help others with this talent show.
Welcome to Dallas, My Dear Paul. The last time we met up was at your wedding with Lori in Ashville, NC. Wish Lori had come with you.
When did you last Taste and See the Goodness of the Lord?
Communion with Jan on bread and Lynda on grape juice.