Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, December 29, 2024

Readings:

Acts 5, 12-16,   Many signs and wonders were done among the people.

Psalm 118,  Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting. 

Revelation  1, 9-19,  I was caught up in the spirit.

John 20, 19-31,  Put your finger here and see my hands.

 Acts observations:  I won’t bore you every Sunday for the next six with these same observations.  I thought I would repeat them because you may have missed them Easter Sunday with all that was going on.  Periodically I will remind you of the basics.

Date:  sometime before the year 70.  Why?  No mention of the destruction of Jerusalem, which took place the year 70, a Big Date in Jewish history.

Who:  The same person who wrote the Gospel of Luke.  How do we know?  Similarities of style, language (Greek), and theological themes.

Subject:  The story of the expansion of the Jesus story in 3 areas, first, Jerusalem, then, Palestine or the Holy Land, and finally, into the Mediterranean and ultimately, Rome.

Today’s Subject: a description of the growth & expansion within the first area, Jerusalem. 

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

Easter Poster, by Rosemary.

 More on New Life

Ever hear of a guy named Christopher Scott?  How about Michael Morton?

I want to talk again about the new life coming from the resurrection.  To exemplify I want to tell you the story of one of these two men,  Michael.  Both were chosen by The Dallas Morning News as their Toys of 2012, Texans of the Year.  Both were exonerated of crimes in the last two years.   Christopher served 13 years for a robbery & murder he never committed.  Michael, 25 years.  Here is Michael’s story. 

It is early morning, August 13, 1986.  Michael is 33 years old and manager of a grocery store.  He gets up early this morning and slips out of the house quietly so he won’t wake up Christine, his wife, and his son. 

He goes to work, punches in, and begins his regular day.  Meanwhile, back home a sick man breaks in and kills Christine while the 3 year old son watches.  Then he disappears.

Next thing Michael knows he is arrested for killing his wife and taken to jail.  The prosecutor is convinced Michael did it and determined to convict him, even to the point of hiding evidence that proved Michael could not have done it.   The prosecutor succeeds and Michael is sent to prison for life.

Sixteen months later in the same area another woman is killed in a similar fashion and a man is caught and charged.  His DNA and the DNA from Christine’s crime scene match.  Nobody checks it out.

All during this time, Michael is in prison for life, knowing he was innocent.  His wife murdered and he is convicted of it.  He cannot raise his young son.  The long years pass for Michael.

Until 2011.  A group of lawyers and student lawyers take up his case and expose how he was framed.  November 9, 2011, Michael, now 58,  walks free exonerated more than half his life behind him.

And now the amazing part.  I would imagine that if I were in the same place, I would be bitter and eager for revenge.  Michael, however, is totally at peace and instead of seeking revenge is seeking to convince the Texas legislature that some new laws need to be enacted to protect innocent people from prosecutors framing people and hiding evidence. 

Both Michael with his 25 years and Christopher with 13, the other guy I mentioned, are working to help other prisoners who are innocent.   Already about 90 have been exonerated.  How many more?

Can you imagine how you would feel walking free after 25 years in prison for a crime you did not commit?   And not be bitter?  And not want justice, but want to help others in similar circumstances?   Talk about resurrection and new life.  This is it.

When was the last time you were grateful for and just savored your life and your freedom? 

Source: The Dallas Morning News, Sunday, December 30, 2012, Texan of the Year

Emma eager to get there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

Mass:   Coffee, donuts, and specials on the house.  

Time: 9:30; Stack Celebrating 

Place:  Vines High School, 15th between Custer & Independence, south side

  
 

 Readings: Exodus 17, 8-13; Psalm 121, Our help is from the Lord, who made Heaven & Earth; 2 Timothy 3, 14-4, 2; Luke 18, 1-8  
 

Community Bulletin Board: 

                                                                                 

Discussion after Mass this Sunday 

                                                                                

Dates to Check: 

 

October 30, Saturday: Our special day at our Habitat house.  Tom Fleming will explain Sunday. 

 

November 20, Saturday before Thanksgiving: help us feed the homeless like we did last year.  More information coming.

 

November 21, Sunday before Thanksgiving: our holiday food drive.                                                             

 

 

Thoughts on The Church:

 

1.  Where we  Catholics came from, NY Times, 10-7-10:  Download A Lesson from History 10-15-10 

                                                                                               

2.  Excellent article on the state of the Catholic world written by Anthony Padovano, a married priest & scholar.  The article is both excellent and long.  Issue #3:  Download Padovano #3 of 4, 10-15-10

                                                                          

 
 

        

True? 

People, even more than things,
have to be restored,
renewed, revived,
reclaimed,
and redeemed;
never throw out anyone.

Audrey Hepburn
 

Picture 5:   Kevin & Georgie at the pastry table

 

  

 
 See you Sunday, October 17

 J.S.   (214-783-0443)

 

 

Acts of the Apostles 2:  Exalted at the right hand of God, he received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father and poured him forth, as you see and hear .

1 Peter 1:  He was known before the foundation of the world but revealed in the final time for you….

Luke 24:  "The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!"  Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.

 

 

 

Connie reading from the Acts of the Apostles

 

 

Thanks…     

Music,    Ben & Shonda

Readers,  Connie & John

Gospel,   John Cade

Homily,   John Stack

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Kevin

Final Blessing, Rosemary

                                                                              

       

John reading from the First Letter of Peter

                                                                                                 

Readings:  Download 04-23-23 Readings -3rd Easter

Homily:    Download 04-16-23 Homily – 2nd Easter

 

                                                                                                                                                                                      

 

The lighting of the candles

 

Remember these special people:

For Cindy Cramer's family;  For the family of Ron Senter;  For Frank Esparza;  For Jan;  For Tom  Quinn who had back surgery on November 21st;  For Sandra who has been diagnosed with Large B Cell Lymphoma;   For Lambrini, John Cade's wife, who is dealing with cancer ;  For Madeleine, Richard Eshelbrenner's granddaughter;  For Hue; For Jackie;  For John's sister, Kathey recovering from a fall;   For Tom Good;  For a young man, 19 struggling with a brain tumor and cancer;     For Mary Hall's friend Cadence still suffering from a serious medical condition;   For Sir Charlie & Jan; 

                                                                                                   

       

Ben gets a cookie

 

 

Jackie's mom, sister, & friend, Lynn;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg.;   For Jean & Cliff Wright;  For Dee, and for her daughters, Lisa & Lauren;  For a young man who is suffering from depression;  John Cade's daughter, Joey, with cancer; from Barbara, a little baby boy named Ford recuperating from an operation & friends, Annie, a mom of 3 kids and Michael ;    for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

 

 

and Kevin gets a cookie

                                          

Birthdays:  David Dinsmore

Anniversaries:  Michelle & Randolph

 

Community Finances:   

Expenses: $  480.00

Outreach: $  

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

       

 

Nehemiah 8:   Today is holy to the Lord your God.

1 Corinthians 12:   As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ.

Luke 1:  Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.

 

 

 

Looking and feeling better.

 

Thanks……

Music,    Ben 

Readers,   Pat & John 

Gospel,     John Cade

Homily,  John Cade

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,      Hue, Richard & Mike 

Final Blessing, Rosemary

 

 

Le Moulin Neuf, B&B, Paunat, France

 

The Board has decided that we will have Mass on Zoom through the end of January.

 

 

Le Moulin Neuf

 

 

 

Readings:  Download 01-23-22 – Readings – 3rd Sunday Ord.

Homily:   Download 01-23-22 – Homily – 3rd Sunday Ord

 

 

 

The garden

                                           

 

 

Remember these special people:

For John Stack having a hard time right now with a bad back;  For Laura Chollick;  For Sandra who has been diagnosed with Large B Cell Lymphoma;   For Richard's grand daughter, Madeleine;   For Esparza's new great grandson  & Frank;  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, and for Hue & Linda's daughter, Doctor Rosemary Beavers;   For Mary & Dave Hall's g-daughter Allison Keller working at St. Lukes, The Woodlands and for a friend Cadence still suffering from a serious medical condition;   For Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody &  Leo & all of Shonda's dear family; For Ursuline Sr. Mary Troy,

 

                                                              

Paunat wild flowers

 

Jackie's mom, sister, & friend, Lynn;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg.; For Meredith, cancer free & John Schanot;    For John O'Donnell & Jean;   For Jean & Cliff Wright;  For Dee, and for her daughters, Lisa & Lauren;  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; from Barbara, a little baby boy named Ford recuperating from an operation & friends, Anne and a mom of 3 kids ; for David McKeon's brother, Hugh; For Beth's friends & brother;   for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

 

                       

WWI War Memorial

Birthdays:   Kevin Doherty 1/24, Charlie Keszler 1/28, Miguel 1/28, Mary Hall 1/29

Anniversaries:   Occhipinti 1/23

 

      

Community Finances:   

Expenses: $  555.00

Outreach: $  50.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 

                                     

Paunat

 

Rosemary's Blessing:  

Oh God of humor enable us to laugh at your mischievous plans. 

Life can become serious during these cold winter months, and our hearts can become heavy and burdened with responsibilities, decisions and trying to keep everyone happy. 

Let us look for the funny things that happen, the unexpected surprise that catches us off-guard, along with the incongruences that we encounter. 

Smile, snicker, giggle, give a belly laugh, and spontaneously guffaw. 

You will be amazed at how God works through laughter.

Sr. Mary Elizabeth Schweiger

 

Acts of the Apostles 2:  They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people.

1 Peter 1:  Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him,…

John 20:  Have  you come to believe because you have seen me?  Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.

 

 

Mary reading the Gospel of John

 

 

There will be a memorial service for Cindy Cramer on April 15th at 10:00 at Restland.

 

 

John Stack Ministries now meets at:  The ArtCentre of Plano, 902 E. 16th St, Plano