Reminder for Sunday, December 31, 2017, Holy Family

Mark 11, 1-10, Jesus enters Jerusalem

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

Psalm 22, My God, Why have you forsaken me.

Philippians 2, Christ did not not regard equality with God.    (Omitting this reading)

Mark 11, Passion

Romeos, Welcome!    Jason's Deli, 1:00, Friday, March 26.  Required: vaccines, mask for entrance & departure. 

Reminder for Sunday, March 28, 2021, Palm Sunday

Here are the links for Sunday:

Mark 11:  Hosanna!   Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Isaiah 50: I gave my back to those who beat me,  my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;  my face I did not shield  from buffets and spitting.

Philippians 2:  Rather, he emptied himself,  taking the form of a slave,   coming in human likeness;  and found human in appearance,  he humbled himself,  becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Mark 14: The Passion of the Lord

Another Reminder for Palm Sunday, March 24, 2024

 

Here are the links for Sunday:

For Zoom   ( the video conference, same as last week )

 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7428208829?pwd=VERncTBxaWdkaFpkTUZKL3RROW81UT09

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John Stack Ministries meets on Sunday for Mass at 9:30 at The ArtCentre of Plano, 902 E. 16th St, Plano, Texas.

 

 

JSM Mission-Faith Statement  

      Help create a Catholic Community that welcomes all God’s People, provides for & challenges spiritual & total growth.  

 Reaches out to help people who are disadvantaged & make the world we

live in a better place to live.

Kevin and Hue, the ZOOM Team

Thanks…     

Music,   Ben

Community Finances:   

  Expenses: $    525.00

  Outreach: $      50.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

Rosemary's Blessing:

To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty;

To find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier because you lived.

This is to have succeeded.

Success – Ralph Waldo Emerson

May you succeed!

Readings:

Genesis 15, 5-12,  17-18, To your descendents I give this land.

Psalm 27,  The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Philippians 3, 17 -4, 1,  Therefore, stand firm in the Lord

Luke 9, 28-36, Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain.

INTRODUCTION

You probably have heard the figure of speech, ‘They cut a deal.’  The origin of the Hebrew word for covenant was the Hebrew word cut.  As you listen to our First Reading from the Book of Genesis it will become apparent that God and Abraham have entered into a covenant.  A covenant was accompanied by sacrifices that were cut, halved.  [They were ultimately fulfilled for us by the Lamb of God.]

Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, encourages this early church to continue to be guided by the words of Christ, the Lamb of God.

Brandon with Leo looking over the edge.

HOMILY with Mike

Instead of Sarah being barren, the Luke gospel begins with the barren Elizabeth and her husband Zachariah.  They too are symbols, to teach the gentiles, the audience of the Luke gospel, about Judaism in what we call Luke’s Infancy Narrative.  [Recall that later she gave birth to John the Baptist, who prepares the way for the Lamb of God.]

Ray and Ben on music and on the stage this week because of a school play.

The Levite and priest, were the ruling classes of Judaism. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, both pass by the man who has been beaten, robbed and left to die along side the road. Zachariah, who is a priest, symbolizes the priest.

Elizabeth is a descendant of Aaron from the tribe of the Levites, symbolizes the Levite.  The story teaches us why Judaism is barren. Remember the Jewish law, ‘you must love your neighbor as yourself.’  Within Judaism, the word neighbor referred only to one’s fellow Jew.  The Religious leaders of Judaism could claim that they were still righteous [God-like], for they had not broken their law, when they passed by the gentile who had been left to die. 

Cowboy Cole arriving.

The words of Christ are not barren; they pour forth the Holy Spirit, the grace given by God to those who live Christ’s words. The voice from heaven to Peter, James and John in today’s transfiguration event is for them to live Christ’s words. 

Mike homilizing.

Immediately following the transfiguration there is a story in Matthew, Mark and Luke of a Father who brings his Son to Jesus to be healed from a sickness that has existed since the boy’s infancy.  The sickness began to take root with the father’s lack of faith in Christ’s words when he chose instead to have his son circumcised after his birth.  The father and his son are to live the words of Christ that do not abolish but fulfill the Law and Prophets.  What is it that we can take away from today’s gospel?  As parents or grandparents we are to teach our children and grandchildren to live the words of Christ by the way we live them.  Young children can do wonders when they receive a little guidance and encouragement. 

Emma arriving.

I shared a fond memory about our youngest child, who will be 40 this summer, with Judy a few weeks ago.   Judy had been assigned to take communion to a small nursing home when our youngest son was somewhere around the age of seven or eight.   The older children would often find reasons for not joining Paul when we went to the nursing home with Judy late Sunday mornings.

Cowboy Cole safeguarding The Cupcake of the Week for his grandmother, Diane.

At that time there were six Catholics for her to visit and give communion.  One was an elderly man who certainly seemed depressed about being there, and he didn’t look forward to us, or anyone else, coming to visit.  One day Paul, who loved to go fishing with his older brother and me, noticed a small picture on a bulletin board in his room.  I saw him looking at it. The two men, one younger than the other, had poles in hand and had definitely been fishing.

Brent, Soul's Harbor director, accepting from Tom the Community's support.

I gave Paul a little push and he asked the man about the picture.  A short time later Paul told him about an aquarium that was in the hallway at the entrance of the nursing home. The next week when Judy came to bring communion, we were surprised to find the man in a wheel chair waiting for us. From then on after receiving communion, Paul would push him down to the aquarium where they would talk about fishing.  The word of the Lord.

Communion Preparation, the individual cups.

One Great Granddad with Torri and Zoe.

"Welcome in, Everybody," from Carol Ann & Doug, David & Caroline.

 Readings:

Jonah 3, 1-5, 10,  The word of the Lord came to Jonah (a fun story)

Psalm 25,  Teach me your ways, O Lord

Corinthians 7, 29-31,   The time is running out.

Mark 1, 14-20, Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.  

Mother & Daughter, Connie & Jessica.  Welcome home, Jessica.

In our first reading, the word of the Lord came to Jonah; he was to call the people of Nineveh to turn from their evil ways.

Our second reading from 1 Corinthians is reminding us what is really important;

be Christ in the world.

Hi, Leo. 

Homily:  Mike  

The first words in our reading from the Mark gospel were a call given by Jesus of Nazareth to follow him to Jerusalem, ‘The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand, repent, and welcome and live the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Jesus then calls Peter and Andrew and James and John, to leave their nets and follow him, to become fishers of men.   It is important to realize that the inspired writers of all four gospels began each gospel with a summary of the important teachings that they had presented within their gospels. 

Leo??  Anybody seen Leo around?

Today’s reading is about the enhancement that the early Church made to the sabbath synagogue service of Judaism to form the Christian Liturgy of the Word.

During the Babylonian captivity the sabbath synagogue service began to come into existence, for the Jews were in exile, the temple was a long way off, and it had been destroyed.  This service of worship and instruction was implemented and Judaism did survive; its worship and its religious instruction that had been handed down to each following generation had become the glue that held the Jews together.

Welcome to the Choir, Emma.  You sing beautifully.

At the time of Jesus of Nazareth, it was a service each sabbath with Psalms to be sung to worship God, a readings that was an expectation from the Law and Prophets for the coming of the Messiah, and a teaching on that same reading given by an elder or scribe, if possible.

With that in mind, listen how our early Church chose to enhance the sabbath synagogue service for the Church’s Liturgy of the Word and show, at the same time, the sacred relationship that would always exist between Judaism and Christianity:

Our Candle Man of The Week, Ben, at work.

In today’s reading, Jesus entered the synagogue and taught, and we are told that by the power and authority of the Holy Spirit he astounded those at the service for his teaching of the Good News was unlike those given by the scribes. The scribe could only give a teaching on the  expectation of the passage; Jesus’ words gave a fulfillment of the expectation.  

This fulfillment was followed by a spiritual instruction given on the fulfillment [like the one you are reading].   The inspired writers of a complementary parable Story about this enhancement, given in the Luke gospel, put the fulfillment of an expectation on the coming of the Messiah from Isaiah this way:  Jesus stood up after the reading from Isaiah in the synagogue service saying, ‘This day these words are being fulfilled in your hearing.’  

The Team, Leo, Georgie, Buddy, and Deacon Mike, waiting to share his homily.

Something to think about:   Yesterday’s Sabbath Synagogue Service, at one location, began with Hymns and Blessings, and a reading from the Torah from a calendar of readings that stretches over one complete lunar year.

Mike, scoping out the landscape.

Acts of the Apostles 3:  The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses.

1 John 2:  But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him.

Luke 24:  . . . he asked them, "Have you anything here to eat?"  They gave him a piece of baked fish;  he took it and ate it in front of them".