Sunday Homily, October 15, 2017, 28th Ordinary Time

Ecclesiastes 1:  For what profit comes to man from all the toil and anxiety of heart with which he has labored under the sun?

Colossians 3:  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.    When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.

Luke 12:  “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

                     

Cody reading from St. Paul's Letter to the Colossians

 

Thanks…     

Music,   Ben  & Shonda

The Kiss of Peace

 

Outreach: $   130.00

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 

Steve, back from his travels

 

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

Jeremiah 31, I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel.

Psalm 130, Create a clean heart in me, O Lord.

Hebrew 5, He became the source of salvation

John 12, Sir, we would like to see Jesus.

 

 

 

 

Thanks……

Music,  Ben 

Readers,  Jackie & Brent, & Buddy, the candle blesser

Gospel,  Mike Carrell

Homily,  John Cade

Eucharistic Prayer A & B, Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,   Hue & Richard & Mike  

Final Blessing, Rosemary

For hosting us at Legacy, Becky

 

 

Christine Dullenty's Memorial, Breckenridge Park, Saturday, 3-20-2021

 

 

Readings for Sunday, March 21, 2021

Download Reading 5th Lent 03-21-2021

 

Homily for Sunday by John Cade, March 21, 2021

Download Cade Homily 3-21-2021

 

 

Please Remember these special people:

For Carrie's ex, Larry with Corona;  For Alan Stryker;  For Joe Sullivan;    For Rosemary's great niece, Rylie ;  For Richard's grand daughter, Madeleine;   For Esparza's new great grandson baby, son of Monique;  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,   For Loretta's aunt Alicia;  For Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody &  Leo & all of Shonda's dear family; For Ursuline Sr. Mary Troy 

 

John Cade sharing his homily on Sounds of Silence.

 

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 daughter, Lisa;  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 4 month old boy undergoing an operation; for David McKeon's brother, Hugh; for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

 

Our Brain Team, Richard, Hue, & Mike.

 

Birthdays:   John Cades' mother in law, Kaliope

Anniversaries: 

 

Community Finances,   March 21, 2021

Expenses: $900.00

Outreach: $250.00 

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

 

 

Ben, The Music Man.

 

A note about our Easter Celebration.

We now welcome 20 people to our Easter celebration, all vaccinated and coming with mask.  Seating will be spread around the large cafeteria.  Please don't show up without signing up.  Let's see if this goes so well that we can increase the number the Sunday after Easter.

 

 

Concelebration.

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

Oh God who made me absolutely unique,

Help me to value more the Person You made Me to be.

And protect me from comparisons and envy and discouragement over what I am not.

 

Andrew Greeley,  Irish American Blessings  

Sorry, no pictures, can't be loaded.

Readings:  

Acts 9, 26-31, The Church was at peace;

Psalm 22, I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people;

1 John 3, 18-24, Let us love not in word or speech, but in deed and truth;

John 15,1-8, I am the true vine and my Father is the vine grower.

 

Introductions by Mike Carrell:

Recall from last Sunday’s reading from Chapter 4 in the Acts, that Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit defended his actions before the Jewish leaders: priests, scribes and elders among them. What had Peter done? Recall how the John gospel ended? Christ’s words to the twelve, “As the Father has sent me, so now I send you.  Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven.”  In the name of Jesus Christ, Peter has forgiven a man of his sins.  The mission entrusted to the apostles has begun! 

Today’s reading is five chapters later in Acts.  One of the Jewish leaders, Saul, who we later know as the Apostle Paul, has experienced a conversion of heart.  Here’s what he encounters in Jerusalem:

               First reading: Acts 9:26-31

Our second reading continues the teaching that we received in 1 John: When we follow Christ’s commands He is alive within us through the power of the Spirit.

               Second reading: 1 John 3: 18-24

 

Homily

The relational skills that we learn within our families as we grew or are growing up are very important to who we are, and who we will be toward others.

Stephen Glenn, author of Developing Capable People and Developing Capable Young People, wrote about principles that are universal in building human relationships. He shared actual stories that contained these principles. One such story was about a famous, creative, research scientist who answered a reporter during an interview on why he thought that he was more creative than the average person.

The scientist answered that it began from an experience that he had as a very young child.  He was trying to remove a bottle of milk from a refrigerator when he lost his grip on the slippery container and it fell dumping most of its contents onto the kitchen floor. 

When his mother came into the kitchen, instead of yelling at him, giving him a lecture or punishing him, she said to me, ‘Robert, what a great and wonderful mess you have made.  I have rarely, if ever, seen such a puddle of milk. Since the damage has already been done, would you like to get down and play in it before we clean it up?’  And, he did just that.

After a few minutes his mother said, ‘Robert, whenever you make a mess like this eventually you have to clean it up and restore everything to its original order.  We could use a sponge, a towel or a mop. Which would you prefer to use?’ He chose the sponge, and together they cleaned it up. 

Then his mother said, ‘You know, what we have here is a failed experiment on how to carry a big container of milk with two amall hands. Let’s take the empty container out in the back yard and fill it with water and see if you can discover a way to carry it without dropping it.’  The scientist said that at that moment he began not to be afraid to make mistakes.  Mistakes from then on were just opportunities for learning something new.

You might recall Trever in the Movie, Pay it Forward. His Social Studies teacher in middle school has given them an assignment to show how they might address the problems in society and then write a paper on it.  Trever decides that change must begin in him first. He does goods deeds to those in need around him, and when they want to do something for him, he replies, ‘Pay it Forward.’ The change proposed by Trever that must begin within the one who desires change in others has of course been proposed by many of the great philosophers.

In the context of our theological teaching in today’s gospel, Christ’s words, ‘Love one another as I have loved you,’ is how we put into practice being God-like:  ‘for as the Father has loved his Son, so his Son has loved us.’

This gives specific meaning to the sign within the context of today’s teaching where the Father is the vinegrower, Christ in the vine, and we are the branches, for we are joined together by the same Spirit!  Christ is alive to us as we plant the seed of his words.  This means that each of us becomes part of the Father’s plan of salvation…and that the fruit that comes forth from every seed around has become a sign that all of creation reflects God’s plan of salvation in Christ, Jesus.

 

 

 

Welcome in, Everybody.  It gets no crazier.

 

Readings: 

Genesis 15, 5-12, 17-18,  The Lord God took Abraham outside and said to him, "Look up at the sky and count the stars."  

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

Philippians 3, 17-4, 7,  He will change our lowly bodies

Luke 9, 28b-36,  The Transfiguration.

 

 

The Irish are taking over, Joe with Marsha & Cathy.

 

Genesis observations

What : book 1 of the whole Bible which includes

1. Origin of people, Creation, Adam & Eve, the apple tree,
2. Cain & Abel,
3. Tower of Babel,
4. The flood, Noah, and the arc,
5. Abraham, The Father of the tribe, Isaac, and Jacob

The stories are mythological and fun reading.

 

 

Beware, Hue, it may be contagious.

 

Author: numerous sources, at least 4 big strands. 

When: guess.  Yes, compiled during the Babylonian Captivity, 555 before Christ, to build cohesion in the tribe because it has a history, especially the point that they are chosen to be special by God.

Our selection: The story about Abraham and how God made a pact with the tribe led by Abraham, considered the founder of the tribe. 

 

 

Welcome back home, Shonda & Bill.

 

Amusing note: in our reading Yahweh promises a section of land to the Israelite tribe.  This genre of literature comes under the title of denial of responsibility, typified by ‘The dog ate my homework” or ‘God made me do it.’

The story is put together after the fact, after the event.  The fact is, the Israelite tribe had to remove the Caananite tribe from the land.  The Israelites slaughtered them all, men, women, and children, even the live stock.

Their observation years later, ‘Yahweh told us to do it.”  Such was the origin of the Holy Land.

 

 

Emma has this candle lighting down perfect.

 

Philippians: another amusing observation

Paul says that his enemies and the enemies of the new Christianity have as their god their stomach.   That could apply to me, too.

 

 

At your age, Buddy, I could never do what you do every Sunday.  Congratulations.

 

Sunday Homily, 3-16-19, Transfiguration

This morning we celebrate the Transfiguration.

I would propose that our lives are filled with transfigurations, emphasis on the plural. 

I would likewise propose that a transfiguration event produces in us peace, joy, and gratitude.

 

 

What's going on back there, Cheryl & Grace?  You are missing one of your conspirators, Rosemary.  

 

Six examples from my own life.

Kilimanjaro.  I climbed that mountain 5 times and each time was a transfiguration.  Each time was a special story and filled me with peace, joy, and gratitude.  How high was I?   19 thousand feet plus.

Secondly, every time I biked across Iowa with Ragbrai.   About 500 miles, 12-20 thousand other wakos.  Talk about peace, joy, and gratitude.  I could be riding along with tears in my eyes, just to be there pedaling along on a bright, cool morning, bike riders all around me.  When I was younger and stronger, passing lots of people, I would greet everyone with a “Good Morning.”

 

 

The Best  of all Teams.

 

More modestly, my early morning spin bike get togethers {M. W, F.) at the Jewish Community Center.   6 A.M. 15-18 people.  Survival  is a transfiguration, a natural high.  And to think that there were days recently when I thought I may never do this again.  To top it off, the first time I returned after the lumbar operation (another T.), they threw a welcome back-birthday party at the Monday session.  Got me all choked up, which I know you find difficult to believe.

 

 

The Great Dougherty Team.  Welcome home for Spring Break, Kevin.

 

Then there is Hilton Head, where Rosemary’s sister & brother in law live.  It is always special.  This trip tomorrow will be especially beautiful because the azaleas, the camellias, and maybe the Gardenias will all be in bloom.  This is a re-booting trip after the disaster of our Thanksgiving trip

Did you notice the beauty of yesterday morning?  It even reminded me of many equally cold, calm & beautiful mornings in Yosemite, especially my favorite, the Matterhorn Canyon trail.

 

 

Can you find happier kids?

 

Finally, it is a transfiguration trip for me each Sunday morning when we all get together.  It don’t get no better.

Peace, joy, gratitude.

What are your transfiguration moments?

 

 

Communion team ready.

Readings:

Amos 1, 1 4-7 , Woe to the complacent in Zion. 

Psalm 146,  Praise the Lord, My Soul.

 1 Timothy 6, 11-16,  You, man of God, pursue righteousness, faith, & devotion

Luke 16, 19-31,   The Rich Man and Lazarus.   (A good one.)

 

 

Says Victoria and her buddy, our gorilla mascot, "Welcome in, Everybody."

 

 

Amos observations :

What :  One of the 12 minor prophets, only 9 chapters.

Who:  the book presents the thoughts and observations of Amos, who was a sheep herder and a fig farmer.  He was born in the southern kingdom of Judah in a little town south of Jerusalem, but he is condemning the people, especially the rich, of the northern kingdom, Israel.

Time:  Amos was active around 755 before Christ, but his words and message were revised and edited down through the years, especially during the Babylonian Captivity, around 555 before Christ.  He lives just before the Syrians destroy the northern kingdom of Israel, around 700 before Christ.

 

 

And Genevieve says, ""Hey, I got a belly button.  You, too?"

 

 

Message:  prayer and sacrifice don’t make up for social injustice and oppression of the poor by the rich. 

Today:  God will punish you rich and prosperous for your abuse of the poor.  Amos may have seen the threat coming from the Syrians. 

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

 

 

Says Buddy, "Where did all this rain come from?"

 

 

7 Devils

I admit that the gospel today is so rich I would like to talk about it.  However, I really want to talk about our recent 10 day back packing trip in the 7 Devils region of central Idaho.  7 Devils refers to 7 mountain peaks in a straight row, very rough, vertical, probably needing technical equipment to climb.

There were 7 of us.  Beth and her swim buddy, Lynn, both excellent hikers and campers.   Mike, Bill, Ray, myself, and Andrew Sokolowski, a friend of Mike.  All these people are excellent, experienced campers and hikers. 

 

 

Hi, Zoe, I missed you last week.   

 

 

Three observations about the trip and the group. 

First, there was a marvelous spirit of congeniality, fun, and joy among everybody.  This was evident always, but especially around 4:30, when we would have Happy Hour.  We begin this hour with an old tradition I learned the many years I went back packing with the Jesuits.   Everybody gets 2 oz. of Jack Daniels and a slice of cheese, Gouda, Muenster, or some other.

You can picture this.  We have been hiking during the day most often.  We have taken showers in the lakes or rivers.  Mike & Beth even swam in Shelf Lake where he measured the water temp at 52 degrees.  We are hungry and it is getting near twilight.  Mike and Ray have built a campfire.  Ray is cooking the freeze dried main course in a pot over the little stove.  Everyone is sitting around the fire on logs or bear canisters.    The camaraderie and joking around is the best.

 It is enchanting.  It is why I go every year.

 

 

Offertory with Claire & Ray & Bernadette & Bill (two of whom, campers.  Guess whom.).

 

 

Secondly, there is a spirit of generosity and mutual responsibility.  We have to purify our water.  So we take pots of water from the lakes or river, pour them into a 1 gallon plastic bag that has a tube with a filter.  The water runs through the filter into another 1 gallon plastic bag.  We get our drinking water from the second bag. 

This takes constant care and refilling.  Mike and Andy always kept the first bag filled. 

Every evening during Happy Hour Ray was cooking the freeze dried main course, chili, Chicken tetrazzini, and others.    Mike brought chocolate bars for deserts.

 

The Campfire, Beth, Mike, Ray, Bill, Stack, & Lynn.  Andy on camera.

 

 

In the morning I always knew when it was time to get up, even if it was dark.  Ray would be banging pots, while he filled one and heated it for coffee and oat meal, whatever each one brought for their breakfast.

Bill would be checking the maps to see exactly where we were headed that day.  He was always our guide on the paths. 

 

 

The Campfire again, Mike, Stack, Beth, Ray, & Bill.

 

And then there is the third.  Just when I think I am a pretty hot camper, I make a couple of small mistakes.  Humiliation.

We had pulled into this drop dead gorgeous campsite on the western edge of Shelf Lake. It had a beautiful fire ring, two, in fact.

The time was about 3:00 and the trail had been totally dry.  The campsite was even a bit dusty.   It was warm and sunny.

 

 

The Campfire again, Stack, Beth, Ray, Andy, Bill, & Lynn.

 

I set my tent up in a delightful little grove of trees.  I wanted the shade so I could take an afternoon nap after my shower.   We intended to spend 3 nights and 2 days doing day hikes out from the campsite.

The first day we cut short our day hike to get back to camp because it was looking like rain.  We had our usual Happy Hour and dinner.  I went to bed.  I had asked Andy to seam seal my tent earlier, so I was content.

About midnight a wind like a tornado blew in.  Dust everywhere, even filtering into my tent.  Then all out rain.  It stopped and then about 3:30 it blew again and it poured.  No problem, I went to sleep. 

 

 

Swim anybody?  Delightful, beautiful Shelf Lake, ca. 7 thousand feet, and a fresh 52 degrees.  Swim and you will look like Mike and Beth.

 

In the morning, yes, in the morning, I wake up.  I am on an island on my Therma rest air mattress.  Water had seeped up through my floor. 

Two silly mistakes.  First, I set my tent in a slight depression.  Secondly, since it had been so dry when I set up, I forgot to put hand sized stones around the tent under the edge of the ground cover. 

What had happened was that the water from a little trail in the woods near me emptied out near one corner of my tent.  The water jumped over my ground cover and settled under my tent floor, ultimately seeping inside.

 

 

Ray on top of the World.  We day hiked up here from Lower Bernard Lake.

 

 

Fortunately, the day was good and we were staying another night.   I dried my tent and moved to another spot.

30 years of camping, and I still can make beginner mistakes. Rather humiliating. 

Without emulating the mistakes, where do you find similar camaraderie, joy, and mutual support?

 

 

 

Cooling off in the snow before returning to the Dallas heat.

 

 

Hi, Emma, welcome to our community for the first time ever.  Happy 5th month.

 

Readings:

 Jeremiah 31, 31-34,   I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel.

Psalm 51,    Create a clean heart in me, O God.

 hebrews 5, 7-9,    He became the source of eternal salvation.

John  12,  20-33,   Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground

 

 

 

 

Hi, CC, welcome back home to Dallas for a visit.  You make My Day!

 

 

Jeremiah observations: 

What:  We have not seen Jeremiah for a long time, since before Thanksgiving.  Remember that he is one of the Big 3 Prophets (because of the size of the work, e.g. 52 chapters in Jeremiah), who are Isaiah, Jeremiah, & Ezekiel.   I love Jeremiah, he is such an attractive and transparent character.  

Author:  most of the work is put together by Jeremiah’s scribe Baruch.  Jeremiah is described as the broken hearted prophet because of his heart rending life spent warning the people & kings that their behavior was going to be punished.  The people hated him for this.

 

  

 

Who is that??  Yep, it is Wendy and her little baby.  Congratulations, Wendy.

 

 

Time:  ca. 555 before Christ, as an easy date to remember.   Jeremiah speaks before and during the Babylonian Captivity.  Like all prophets, he condemns before, and he consoles during the Captivity.  This event is monumental in the life of the tribe and in the life of Jeremiah.

The Scene:  Remember that the Holy Land had a north & a south, Israel & Judah.  First, the northern kingdom, Israel, was defeated by the Assyrians, 622 BCE.  These Hebrew tribes vanish into the DNA of the region, “The Lost Tribes of Israel.”  Next, the Babylonians & Nebuchadnezzar defeat the Assyrians and threaten the southern kingdom, Judah, with the capital Jerusalem.  Jeremiah is watching this and seeing it as Yahweh's punishment.  In 600, more or less, the Babylonians do destroy Jerusalem and cart the Hebrews into slavery.

 

 

 

 

Say Tori, "Welcome in, Everybody."

 

Today's selection, chapter 31.  Jeremiah is consoling the people who are now in captivity.  He suggests that God wants to make a new deal or, as it is called, a covenant.  Yahweh is promising to forgive the people and treasure them.  Jeremiah addresses the people right off using first person singular, I, meaning God.

Sources: Fr. Reginald Fuller, St. Louis U.; Encyclopedia of Judaism;Wikipedia; Answers.com; 

 

 

 

Hi, Peighton, Welcome in.  So nice to have you here.

 

Hate My Life?

I have a story this morning which I have told twice, once at St. Mark's, over 8 years ago and here about 4 years ago.  Pardon me if you've heard it. Some of the best stories I tell over & over, they are so poignant.  The story speaks to my point today, hate my life?  I had permission for the story.

It happened many years ago when I was working full time as a psychotherapist out of an office at Jesuit.  I think it was the first Monday morning of May.   I know it was a beautiful morning.  A boy came to see me who had been in my office on and off for about six years.  He had just graduated from high school and enlisted in the Air Force.  He had struggled since grade school with bouts of depression, and that morning seemed to be in great shape.  We did not even spend more than 30 minutes together, his mood was so up beat and care free.

 

 

 

 

The Best, Ben & David.

 

 

He left.  Maybe two or three hours later a call came in.  The boy had left Jesuit, crossed Inwood to the Lincoln Center complex at LBJ, drove up to the top of the four floor garage, parked his car, headed to the edge of the garage, and walked over the side.  He landed on the cement street four floors below, face down flat.

Passerby saw it, called 911, and in a second the paramedics from just around the corner were on the scene.  He was in Parkland in a flash.  He lived.

 

 

 

 

Kayla with her favorite grandmother, Claire.

 

 

It was not for about 3 weeks until I got to visit him.  He apologized.  I admit I was mad.  I loved this kid.  He fooled me.  He said that he had been in a zone, happy because he knew he was out of there, meaning he was ready to go to the other side.  He wanted to escape the pain of life and go to heaven.  He said he had no fear in walking off that fourth floor, none of the hesitation you feel before you jump off the high diving board the first time. 

You may guess why I tell this story.  It exemplifies what happens when you take literally "whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life."  This little piece of advice, taken the wrong way, can be so dangerous. This boy hated his life.

 

 

 

 

Elevation time.

 

 

I would suggest there is a negative and a positive way to hate my life. 

The negative is exemplified by this kid's story.  This is often what is happening when you hear of someone cutting on themselves.  If I hate my life and hate myself, I will want to punish myself.  I am bad.  So I cut myself.  Or I may think that I am such a loser that no one will pay me any attention if I do not do something dramatic like spill my blood. 

Even without such dramatic examples, I do not want to encourage someone who hates their body, hates their job, hates their family, hates their school, hates.  Just thinking about this I recoil.   There may be reason for the hatred.  However, "There is a better way," I want to say and I would say it.   I believe in talk therapy.   Feelings are all okay.  I just don’t want some to stay around. 

You know someone depressed like this?  Ask them if they are suicidal.

 

 

 

 

Georgie reading the Blessing of the Candles while Emma does her magic with the candles.

 

 

On the positive side, I would suggest two things.

First, the word hate can be considered as hyperbolic, a big word meaning exaggeration.  It is like Rosemary telling me, "You get me up at 4:00 tomorrow morning for spin class & it is divorce!”   Think she is exaggerating?  I hope.   

Secondly, I would suggest that this all has to do with being more alive now, in this life. The grain of wheat falling to the ground and dying fits in with this.  For example: look at March Madness.  Many of these players have died to themselves to achieve & to be better players.  How many hours in the gym have they spent practicing free throws?  When they could be hanging out, sleeping in, text messaging?  And they love their lives.  I’ve seen boys do this at Jesuit. 

 

 

 

 

Sez Buddy, "Is it not Cupcake of The Week time yet??"

 

 

Goofy, but I hate my life to love my life.  I don't want to get up early.  I could sleep in to 11:00.  However, I, get up and head over to the Jewish Community Center, 6:00 A.M. spin class.  The result, I love life.  

The boy who jumped is now okay, amazingly.  It took him years of physical recovery.  Two things did not happen that blessed him.  He did not damage his brain and did not damage his spine.  Every other bone, plus his teeth, were broken.  Once he got strong enough he went to medical technical school, got his certificates, and now has good jobs in various hospitals in the city.  I don't think he hates his life anymore.  In fact, he loves it. 

 

 

 

 

 Sez Emma, "Is that old guy finished talking yet??"

 

 

How do you love your life?