Author: Rosemary

Readings:

Acts 10, 25-26, 34-35, 44-48, God shows no partiality;

Psalm 98, The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power;

1 John 4, 7-10, Let us love one another; 

John 15, 9-17, I have told you this so my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.

Cole lighting our Easter Candle with his dad, Chuck

An introduction to today’s readings.  We continue reading in Acts. It’s called Acts of the Apostles, but only Peter and Paul are given any space. John is mentioned only 3 times, and for James only his execution by the Emperor Herod is mentioned. So it is more properly Some Acts of Some Apostles.

As Stack said before, we’re pretty sure that Acts was written by Luke who is also the author of the third Gospel. Luke was a Gentile (non-Jewish) from Antioch in Syria, and was a companion of Paul in his travels around Asia Minor, from Antioch, around through Greece, and to Rome. We know Luke was with Paul in Rome when Paul was in prison. Acts was probably written around the time Paul was put to death during his second imprisonment under the Emperor Nero in 64 or perhaps 66 CE.

Our Joanie with Erin

The other readings are from the First Letter of John and the fourth Gospel. Traditionally 4 books of the New Testament were attributed to John the Apostle: the 4^th Gospel, 3 letters and the Book of Revelation. Scholars say that the vocabulary, grammar and style of writing make it unlikely that Book of Revelation was written by the same person responsible for the 4^th Gospel. Some modern Bible scholars raise the possibility that John the Apostle, John the Evangelist who wrote the Gospel and John of Patmos who wrote the Book of Revelation were 3 separate individuals. The First Letter of John reads like a summary of the 4^th Gospel teachings, and the time of writing is probably similar, in the latter part of first century, sometime between 80-100 CE. 

John Blessing all females

Homily

Today’s readings really speak for themselves.  That they happened to fall on Mother’s Day is serendipitous. In Acts we heard that the Good News is for everyone, without exception: “God shows no partiality.”

The Gospel told us what the Good News is: that God is love and is always with us, without exception. “Remain in my love”….”I tell you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be full”….“I call you friends.” 

Ryan & Jim sharing their blessings

And the Letter of John gave us the call to respond to the Good News: “Let us love one another…everyone who loves is of God…”  

On Mother’s Day we get to express love and gratitude in a special way for our mothers. Personally, I have never known a Mother who was not doing the very best she knew how. Not everyone, however, gets to have a Mother who consistently protects them, consistently nurtures and teaches them, and consistently loves them as they wish and deserve.  All mothers are somewhere on the continuum of consistency as mothers. All mothers I have known aspire to be good mothers, and good mothers aspire to be even better mothers. Some mothers were actually Aunts or Grandmothers or adoptive mothers. My mother’s mother died giving birth. So my mother’s mother was actually her Aunt Molly.

Torri, along with her mom & grandmom, being blessed

I think one of the reasons Mary, the Mother of Jesus, has received such honor and devotion from us down through the centuries is that, without knowing much about her life, we could easily project on to her an ideal of mothering for us to aspire to. I love it that we can do that today for all our mothers. Mothers aren’t perfect and don’t have to be perfect. We honor our mothers for protecting us, nurturing us, teaching us, and loving us as best they can or could.

My mother, a Methodist of Scotch-Irish descent, immigrated as a young woman from Mississippi to Louisiana in the 1920’s, to teach school in a very small town that was totally Cajun and Catholic. She left everything she knew and moved to live in a ‘foreign’ culture. There she met my father. They fell in love and married. My mother never felt fully accepted by all his family—remember this was 4 generations ago, when Catholics considered themselves the only true believers—everyone else was suspect. She of course had to promise that all her children would be raised Catholic. When my parents’ second child was born, a son, he died right after birth. My Mother was in a hospital in Abbeville where I later grew up, and my father was 10 miles away in the country, where they lived at that time on my grandparent’s plantation.

My father’s sisters apparently told him that my mother wouldn’t want anyone going to the hospital at this time; that she needed time alone before she came home. When I was about 21 my mother confided in me that story, and she finished telling it with the words, “I never forgot it, and I never forgave him.” I share this story, even though it carries her pain, because of what else it told me about her: that even though my mother and father did not have a close/intimate relationship and their married life was a struggle, she was totally dedicated to our family and to being the best mother she could be for us 5 children. And her life was a testament to that.

Jessica, daughter of John & Connie, brother, Kevin, & sister, Renee

We do not get to choose our mothers. But today we get to honor them. However consistent they have been in protecting, nurturing and loving us, we honor all mothers today. We honor them for their dedication, and for their struggles, and for their efforts at mothering us the very best way they know how (or knew how).

The questions I have for us are: whoever mothered us, do we know and appreciate how she was mothered? What was her joy, and what was her pain and her struggle? And how do we honor that in our own lives?

John escorting Bressica, Thompson, CT, near Boston

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.

 Readings:  

Acts 4, 8-12, In his name this man stands before you healed;

Psalm 118, The stone rejected by the builders has become the corner stone;

1 John 3, 1-2, See what love the Father has bestowed on us;

John 10, 11-18, I am the good shepherd.

Ryan lighting the Easter Candle

 Acts:  A review–

Date: ca. 70-100 A.D.

Author: Luke, who wrote both the Gospel and Acts

Setting:  Just like the last 2 Sundays, Peter & John have just healed a lame man outside of the temple gate.  The people rush to question them.  They say it happened because of God's power and that Jesus was raised from the dead.  The high priests hear about this and have them arrested.  After telling them to stop saying Jesus was raised from the dead, the two are released.

Our Selection: last week we read Peter's discourse to the local believers in a room.  The week before we read about the quality of life of the local believers, communal.  Today's account is Peter talking to the high priests and elders of the high court.  They are on trial.

Leo with John

John:

Date of Gospel: A.D. 85-95

Author: scholars have doubts that the Apostle John is the writer of the 3 works attributed to John, the Gospel, 3 letters, & Revelation.  Doubts exist even that one writer composed all the works.

CC with her sister & grandmother

Who is my Shepherd?

This morning I want to talk with you about being a shepherd.  In some ways this is easy to talk about.  I have numerous shepherds who guided me through life.  On the other hand, who was most significant, whom do I leave out?  I have four little vignettes. 

First, Charles Colson.   I do not know this man personally.  He died at 80 a week ago Saturday.  I read about him in an editorial in the Dallas Morning News, Tuesday, April 24. 

CC's sister Kayla

Colson had two lives.  His fame comes from his first life.  He was Nixon’s top political consultant and he was convicted and sent to prison for his role in the Watergate scandal, around ’72-’74, the year Nixon resigned.  In this life he was a win at all cost political advisor.  He once said that he would walk over his grandmother to get Nixon elected. 

It was in his second life of 35 years that Colson became a shepherd.  After his conviction he apparently experienced a conversion.  He went to prison, spent almost a year there, became attached to his fellow prisoners, and never left them.   

Bethany & Ray

In ’76 he founded Prison Fellowship.  The Fellowship set up in prison job training, provided support for prisoners & their families, helped rehabilitate prisoners coming out, and tried to change laws that treated violent & non-violent offenders with the same severity. 

Every Easter Colson spent with inmates in prison, which he called the darkest place in American life.  Colson became a shepherd for prisoners & their families.

Anniversary Party Scene

Which leads me to my second shepherd.  You know him.  My friend & companion since grade school at Christ the King, Eddie.  He has talked here twice about AA.  A week ago Friday evening we were having our usual get together, the 5 of us guys from high school, plus wives.

Eddie mentioned in passing that for 19 years every Wednesday evening he has run an AA program for prisoners in one of the downtown jails.  With fondness he talked about how good & intelligent these men were.

The Pole Barn or Party Barn

Which leads to my third shepherd.  Tomorrow morning I have been invited to Jesuit to help host a fellow classmate from our ’58 graduating class, Charlie Edmond.  Charlie was the first black student to enter a white high school in Dallas.  The year, 1955, the year after the Supreme Court decision.  In my sophomore class Charlie sat in the seat right in front of me. 

The shepherds were the Jesuits. 

Finally, I cannot close without mentioning the parents I had the privilege to meet at the Love for Kids picnic the last Saturday of March.  The care & tenderness showed by these parents to their handicapped children humbled me and touched me to tears. 

Two individuals, some teachers, and some parents, all different types of good shepherds.

Joan & Jerry, Our Trophy Couple at 55 Years

Who were, who are the Shepherds in your life?

For whom are you a shepherd?

Source: Dallas Morning News, April 24, 2012

Video: Jan & Sir Charles renew vows at 50 years. (1 min.)