Rosemary – Page 207 – John Stack Ministries Announcements & Reminders

Announcements

ByRosemary May 22, 2011

Rosemary's Blessing:

A Prayer For Growing Old Gracefully

Lord, Thou knowest better than I myself that I am growing older and will someday be old. Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something on every subject and on every occasion.

Release me from craving to straighten out everybody's affairs. Make me thoughtful but not moody; helpful but not bossy. With my vast store of wisdom, it seems a pity not to use it all; but Thou knowest, Lord, that I want a few friends at the end. Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details; give me wings to get to the point. Seal my lips on my aches and pains; they are increasing, and love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by.

I dare not ask for improved memory, but for a growing humility and a lessening cock-sureness when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others. Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be mistaken.

Keep me reasonably sweet, for a sour old person is one of the crowning works of the devil. Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places and talents in unexpected people; and give, O Lord, the grace to tell them so.

Seventeenth Century Nun’s Prayer

Special Thanks:

For Reading: Gilberto & Bernadette Delgado
For Serving: Kevin
For the Communion Bread: Nina Waldron
For the Wine Cups: Beth & Rob
For the Music: Ray & Wendy & Jon
For the Pictures & Video: Beth & Rob
For the altar & sound: Margie & Hue
For the coffee and pastries: Mike & Geri, Joan & Jackie & Beth

Happy Birthday: Larry Thompson, Debbie Ekes (today)

Happy Anniversary:

Emily Hubble & Ben Alderson (Day 1)

Mike & Candy Kerns (18th today)

Greg & Bonnie Rogers (25th)

Jon & Nina Waldron (32nd)

Please Remember:

Loretta Garcia Williams' husband, Ray, needing a bone marrow transplant; Curtis Ekes in rehab; Doug Read's Mom, Valdene, with stage 4; Grace LeBlanc's niece Carlin, 13, with hodgkins; Marilyn Ackerman's mom who broke some vertebrae in her back; Warren & Barb's friend, Mike, fighting cancer & Barb's dad with hip surgery; Charlie Sawtelle's buddy, Moe, with cancer; Mike & Dee's daughter; Bonnie Roger's brother & sister, both seriously sick; Jack Carlson's brother, Bob, with a stroke; Tom & Teresa Quinn's niece, Chawna, with cancer, plus Neva Flynn, Angel, & Diane Kreeitzer; Gilberto Delgado's mom; Connie Doherty's mom & her sister, plus Kevin's cousin, Peter, & John's dad moving into assisted living; Jean Wright's daughter, Mary; Angie Carroll's mom, Mary Lou Kendrick, with cancer; Kerry's sister Maura with her second cancer; Theresa McClure's dad; Theresa Quinn's dad; Rita Dore; Hugh Bivona's sick friends Bob & Bonnie; Rick Urbanczyk’s mom, Irene; Mary Ellen's Christopher, Margaret, & Jim; our friends, sons, & daughters in the military, including Trey Bailey, Ryan McClurg, Chebino; George & Marianne's sons & Linda's son, plus Stacie & Ben White & their niece with leukemia; a cure for autism from Laura Chollick; Fred's friend John with cancer; Casey & Rob plus Cameron & Reid, Trey and Brady; for our President that he have great success and someday hold his grandchildren in his lap.

Picture 1: Bernadette

Picture 2: Gilberto

Picture 3: The Gang, Ashley with her boyfriend, Andrew, Teresa, Debbie celebrating her birthday, Tom, & Bobby

Picture 4: Beth on the job

Picture 5: Sienna with Brian

Video: Mass Beginning

Finances: May 22, 2011

Expenses: $2640.00

Outreach: $1300.00

First Quarter Financial Report: Download Financial Report 5-22-11

Thanks for the Generosity

Have a Great Week, J.S (214-783-0443)

Reminders

Reminder for Sunday 5-22-11, 5th Easter

ByRosemary May 19, 2011

Mass: Coffee, pastries, & specials on the House.

Time: 9:30; Stack Celebrating

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

Readings: Acts of the Apostles 6, 1-7; Psalm 33, Lord, let your Mercy be upon Us, as we place our Trust in You; 1 Peter 2, 4-9; John 14, 1-12

Picture 1: Leo with his daddy, Ray

Picture 2: You know who with Wendy & his momma, Shonda

Picture 3: Ryan's corner

Picture 4: Ryan with John

Picture 5: The Coffee Shoppe, Sir Charles, Connie, & John

Community Bulletin Board:

1. JS Ministries survey. Download JSM Community Survey 5-20-11

Church Happenings:

1. Fr. McBrien on fired theologian, National Catholic Reporter, 5-16-11, Download Fr.McBrien 5-20-11

2. Spirituality for us all, National Catholic Reporter, 5-13-11, Download Spirituality for All 5-20-11

3. Sex Abuse report, National Catholic Reporter, 5-17-11, Download Special Report on Catholic sex abuse 5-20-11

Picture 6: Bernadette with Zoe & Buddy

Picture 7: Wendy, Shonda, Ray, Jon, & You Know Who

True?

An idle mind is….the best way to relax.

See you, May 22, 2011

J.S. (214-783-0443)

Homilies

Sunday Homily 5-15-11, 4th Easter

ByRosemary May 15, 2011

Readings: Acts of the Apostles 6, 1-7; Psalm 33, Lord, let your Mercy be upon Us, as we place our Trust in You; 1 Peter 2, 4-9; John 14, 1-12

Fourth Sunday in Easter Time – Intro to Readings.

In both our first two readings today Peter is mentioned. In Acts we hear him preaching and urging people to repent and be baptized. We are told that about 3,000 responded and were baptized! Our second reading is written by Peter, his first Letter to the early Christian communities, in modern day Turkey. So I thought that I would spend a few moments talking about Peter. Incidentally, Peter could well be the “poster boy” for a married clergy! He was the first person called by Jesus, and was married. And against any claim that Jesus may not have realized that Peter was married, we are told that Jesus cured Peter’s mother-in-law (Matt 8:14), and St. Paul even mentions that the wife traveled around with Peter (1 Cor. 9:5).

We know that he was a fisherman when Jesus called him to discipleship, and Peter immediately left his nets and followed Jesus. His story is interesting because Peter had a tough time of it. Peter got into trouble lots of times. When Jesus first prophesied about his death, Peter objected only to be strongly rebuked by Jesus (Matt 16:22, Mk 9:31) who said to him, “get behind me Satan”. He tried his hand at walking on water, only to sink ignominiously (Matt 14: 28-31). And after witnessing the Transfiguration with James and John, his immediate reaction was to erect some tents, (Matt 17:1, Mk 9:2 and Lk 9:28) missing the whole point of the event! At the agony in the garden, he couldn’t stay awake with Jesus, and had to be woken up three times (Matt 26:40, Mk 14:37). And of course his biggest blunder was that even having been warned that he would do it (Matt 26: 33-35, Mk 14: 29-31, Lk 22:33ff and Jn 13:36-38) he denies Jesus three times (Matt 26:69ff, Mk 14:68ff, Lk 22:58ff and Jn 18:25ff).

All of this would seem to disqualify Peter from any possible position within this little community, and yet he emerges as its head. You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church.(Matt 16:18) What seems to be the lesson from all of this, no matter how much of a mess we make of things, God does not seem to mind!

Fourth Sunday in Easter Time – Homily

One of the major themes in John’s Gospel is to show that all of the major Jewish Feasts are transformed by Jesus. This gospel reading comes on the day after the Feast of Tabernacles. If you look closely at John’s Gospel, it can very easily be divided up into a number of different major Jewish Feasts. There are Passover Feasts, one at the beginning of the Gospel, a second in the middle and of course the third at the end. But in between these we have the Feast of Tabernacles and immediately after that the Feast of Dedication. The Feast of Tabernacles is interesting because it lasts 8 days, and is the third most important feast for the Jews. The feast was celebrated in the fall. There were many processions with candles. For us Jesus is the Light. Tents were erected, and the feast celebrated the harvest, and also the original dedication of the temple. Water was brought from the Pool where the blind man from our reading on the fourth Sunday in Lent was cured. We recently had a reading which comes right before today’s gospel reading and it was about the young man born blind, and which the Jews refused to believe that Jesus had cured him. Remember they even called in his parents and asked them if their son had been blind. So we have just been reading about blind people. Then comes today’s reading, and it expands the meaning of the blindness to that of the Pharisees. Because they certainly should have been able to recognize who Jesus was, but instead they are the blind ones.

Jesus uses the example of a shepherd and sheep recognizing him. Shepherds are obviously what we are supposed to talk about today! But how many of you have ever seen a shepherd? Or know anyone who is a shepherd? Or, better yet, any one here ever been a shepherd? Ok. How about sheep, has everyone seen sheep, at least eaten mutton!

I am afraid that we better talk about something else! The gospel today is discussing getting in through a gate and that the Pharisees are going to have a tough time of it. The good news is that we are already in!! Yes, by our baptism we are already through that gate, we are already in the kingdom of God. We need to focus on what is expected of one in the kingdom! Remember last week’s gospel, the two disciples had decided to leave Jerusalem and head home, the whole Jesus movement was a bit of a failure. A stranger, who explains the scripture to them, kind of like what John and I try to do each week here, joins them on their journey. Then when they stop for the night, they invite the stranger to join them, and they recognize him when they sit down to a meal and break bread. Which is what we do here too! We break bread together, and in that action we need to be able to recognize each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. Christ is present in each one of us!! Like the two on the road, they do not recognize Jesus, we too can easily find it hard to recognize Jesus, but he is there, present in each one of us.

I think we can forget about the sheep, and even forget about shepherds, it was all from a very different time and place. Our focus needs to be on the fact that we are already thru that gate, and are in the kingdom of God. Our focus needs to be on seeing Jesus in each other. But remember, we are not going to be perfect, we will probably be more like Peter, the good news is that God doesn’t seem to mind. All that matters is that we are trying. After the resurrection, remember Peter had to pass only one test, “Peter, do you love me, feed my lambs, feed my sheep” How did those sheep get in again!!

Picture 1: Beginning of Mass with Tony

Picture 2: Offertory with Barb & Warren

Picture 3: Leo with Jackie

Picture 4: Emma

Picture 5: Sienna with her daddy, Payton

Announcements

Announcement

ByRosemary May 15, 2011

Rosemary's Blessing:

Life is short …

Break the rules,

Forgive quickly,

Kiss slowly,

Love truly,

Laugh uncontrollably,

And never regret anything that made you smile.

Special Thanks:

For Reading: Richard & Monica Froebe
For Serving: Kevin
For the Communion Bread: Nina Waldron
For the Wine Cups: Jan & Charlie
For the Music: Ray & Shonda & Wendy & Jon
For the Pictures & Video: Jan & Charlie, Beth & John Simari
For the altar & sound: Margie & Hue
For the coffee and pastries: Mike & Geri, Joan & Jackie

Happy Birthday: Stephen Kern (14) Monica Froebe & Rick Froebe (50), Doug Read (53), Tanya McGrath (today)

Please Remember:

Loretta Garcia Williams' husband, Ray, needing a bone marrow transplant; Barb Wittek's dad with hip surgery; Doug Read's Mom, Valdene, with stage 4; Grace LeBlanc's niece Carlin, 13, with hodgkins; Marilyn Ackerman's mom who broke some vertebrae in her back; Warren & Barb's friend, Mike, fighting cancer; Charlie Sawtelle's buddy, Moe, with cancer; Mike & Dee's daughter; Bonnie Roger's brother & sister, both seriously sick; Jack Carlson's brother, Bob, with a stroke; Tom & Teresa Quinn's niece, Chawna, with cancer, plus Neva Flynn, Angel, & Diane Kreeitzer; Gilberto Delgado's mom; Connie Doherty's mom & her sister, plus Kevin's cousin, Peter, & John's dad moving into assisted living; Jean Wright's daughter, Mary; Angie Carroll's mom, Mary Lou Kendrick, with cancer; Kerry's sister Maura with her second cancer; Theresa McClure's dad; Theresa Quinn's dad; Rita Dore; Hugh Bivona's sick friends Bob & Bonnie; Rick Urbanczyk’s mom, Irene; Mary Ellen's Christopher, Margaret, & Jim; our friends, sons, & daughters in the military, including Trey Bailey, Ryan McClurg, Chebino; George & Marianne's sons & Linda's son, plus Stacie & Ben White & their niece with leukemia; a cure for autism from Laura Chollick; Fred's friend John with cancer; Casey & Rob plus Cameron & Reid, Trey and Brady; for our President that he have great success and someday hold his grandchildren in his lap.

Picture 1: Richard

Picture 2: Monica

Picture 3: Jennifer Patton from My Friends' House

Picture 4: Daniel & his mom, Lynda, Ray & Claire, & Ron

Video: Communion

Finances: May 15, 2011

Expenses: $790.00

Outreach: $550.00

Thanks for the Generosity

Have a Great Week, J.S (214-783-0443)

Reminders

Reminder for Sunday 5-15-11

ByRosemary May 12, 2011

Mass: Coffee, pastries, & specials on the House.

Time: 9:30; Tony Celebrating

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

Readings: Acts of the Apostles 6, 1-7; Psalm 33, Lord, let your Mercy be upon Us, as we place our Trust in You; 1 Peter 2, 4-9; John 14, 1-12

Picture 1: Mother's Day, de facto & potential

Picture 2: Special Community Blessing

Picture 3: Raven

Picture 4: Liam'a Mass, why not all of us be as free

Picture 5: Vow renewals

Community Bulletin Board:

1. Our Annual Anniversary Party: Thanks to all of you who made the celebration terrific.

2. Wendy Sings: as a semifinalist in the Dallas Opera Guild competition. Come and support her! Free admission. Windspear, 12:00, doors open 11:30

3. For all of you who wanted pictures of the glasses Rosemary is painting: Download Glasses 5-13-11

Church Happenings:

1. Fr. McBrien on fired progressive Bishop, National Catholic Reporter, 5-2-9, Download Progressive Bishop fired 5-13-11

2. Infallibility back again, National Catholic Reporter, 5-9-11, Download Infallibility being used again 5-13-11

3. Why not Our Church, National Catholic Reporter, 5-5-11, Download It's Our Church 5-13-11

Picture 6: 61 years, our Madge & Carl Smith

Picture 7: 50 years, our Sandra & Chuck Pratt

Picture 8: 35 years, our Geri & Mike Moran

Picture 9: Heritage Farm

Picture 10: Kids' Wagon

True? Inner Peace:

If you can start the day without caffeine,

If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,

If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,

If you can eat plain food every day and be grateful for it,

If you can understand when you’re loved ones are too busy to give you any time,

If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,

If you can conquer tension without medical help,

If you can relax without liquor,

If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,

Then You Are Probably The Family Dog!

See you, May 15, 2011

J.S. (214-783-0443)

Uncategorized

Sunday Homily 5-8-11, 3rd Easter

ByRosemary May 8, 2011

Readings: Acts of the Apostles 2, 14, 22-33; Psalm 16, Lord, You will show us the Path of Life; 1st Letter of Peter 1, 17-21; Luke 24, 13-35

Acts observations—(Author, Date, Place, Subject), a repeat from Easter

Author: This is Luke, the physician, the companion of Paul, the Gentile writing for Gentile Christians, and the same Luke who wrote the Gospel of Luke.

Date: Around 65 years after Christ. Probably just before the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (70 C.E., a big date in Jewish history), or Luke would have likely mentioned it.

Place: most probably Ephesus, today a ruin on the west coast of Turkey south of Constantinople. Once this town was a major Christian center.

Subject: the material works like in concentric, expanding circles, beginning in Jerusalem and ending in Rome after touching Judea, Syria, Ephesus, & Europe. It treats activities in the early Christian community, some of which may describe they way they wished things were.

Sources: Good News Bible, New Interpreter’s Study Bible, St. Louis U. Jesuits’ Liturgical web

Mother's Day: a brief history–

1. Greece & Rome: Cybele was the mother of all gods

2. in the U.S.

a. Julia Ward Howe: during Civil War, ca. 1870, as a counter to the tragedy

b. Anna Jarvis: 1912, pushed for 2nd Sunday of May, Mother's Day, with emphasis on the apostrophe, i.e., a single mother of a family, not all mothers. Ended up regretting the day because of commercializaiton in the 40's before she died. Hated Hallmark Cards' canned messages instead of personal notes.

c. President Woodrow Wilson: 1912, made it a national holiday.

Sources: Legacy Project & Wikipedia

Cura Personalis

I have a Mother’s Day story for you. It comes from of all places, Rosemary’s home, NYC, naturally. We were just there this very hour last Sunday.

The scene is this. It is around 4:30 on a beautiful day, blue sky, 62 degrees. The Ride began at 8:00, all 32,000. We have traveled up 6^th Avenue from Battery Park in Manhattan, through Central Park & Harlem, into the Bronx, passed through Queens into Brooklyn, and the 40 miles came to an end in Staten Island, near the Staten Island ferry, which we took to get to the starting line in Battery Park.

We have gone straight north and returned straight south. This has not been a race, like the Hotter ‘N Hell here at the end of August, rather a stroll or a promenade. I have never ridden in a tsunami of people until this event. 90 percent of the time I rode shoulder to shoulder with other riders, scrutinizing their every move so that I would not crash.

At 4:30 on this lovely afternoon Bernadette is just arriving at the last bridge, the famous Verrazano Narrows, a bridge that goes up a good way before it comes down into Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island and the finish line.

Bernadette is pooped as she begins this final ascent. Everybody else in our group of 7 has already reached the end.

As Bernadette climbs bit by bit, she realizes that she cannot ride up to the top. She gets off and starts pushing her bike up the bridge. Remember, folks, this is New York City.

Shortly after she begins trudging up the bridge a young man in his 30’s goes by. Then he returns and stops. “Would you like me to push your bike up the bridge?” he asks. Remember this is New York City. And this is a New Yorker, in fact, from Brooklyn, Bernadette tells me.

Our New Yorker pushes Bernadette’s bike along with his own up to the top of the bridge.

When I was a Jesuit we were educated in a concept, cura personalis, which is Latin for personal care. Advertising has made this term into a expression of narcissism, meaning my personal care. In the Jesuits it was meant as a term for others, personal care of my brother & sister & my neighbor.

I would propose that this is a particular attribute of women, caring for others, which is what we celebrate today, Mother’s Day. It is not limited to women, however. This young man exemplified personal care. In Luke’s story about the two guys on the road to Emmaus, who is showing personal care? Jesus.

Today we honor the personal care of mothers. We all, however, male or female, adult or kid, we all are called to personally care for our people.

When was the last time you personally cared for yours?

Thanks, Bernadette, for letting me tell your story.

Picture 1: Mass begins

Picture 2: Cameron & Nikki with their grandparents, Mary & Frank Esparza

Picture 3: Cora

Picture 4: Liam up, for the moment

Picture 5: Liam down & totally at home

Picture 6: Liam & Cora with their parent, Megan & Dave plus Megan's parents Rob & Beth

Announcements

ByRosemary May 8, 2011

Special Thanks:

For Reading: Mike & Geri Moran
For Serving: Kevin
For the Communion Bread: Dee Miller
For the Wine Cups: Jan & Charlie
For the Music: Ray & Shonda & Wendy
For the Pictures & Video: Charlie, Beth & Richard
For the altar & sound: Margie & Hue
For the coffee and pastries: Mike & Geri, Joan & Beth Dugan

Happy Birthday: Ron Senter & Barb, Abby Waldron (19), Margie Dugan, and today, Patricia Jansky

Happy Anniversary:

Scott & Lily Shaw (19th)

Please Remember:

Curtis Ekes who was in the hospital this week; Loretta Garcia Williams' husband, Ray, with multiple myeloma; Barb Wittek's dad having hip surgery; Ben Porter's dad who died this week (Ben is the guitarist who takes Ray's place occasionally); Doug Read's Mom, Valdene, with stage 4; Grace LeBlanc's niece Carlin, 13, with hodgkins; Marilyn Ackerman's mom who broke some vertebrae in her back; Warren & Barb's friend, Mike, fighting cancer; Charlie Sawtelle's buddy, Moe, with cancer; Mike & Dee's daughter; Bonnie Roger's brother & sister, both seriously sick; Jack Carlson's brother, Bob, with a stroke; Tom & Teresa Quinn's niece, Chawna, with cancer, plus Neva Flynn, Angel, & Diane Kreeitzer; Gilberto Delgado's mom; Connie Doherty's mom & her sister, plus Kevin's cousin, Peter, & John's dad moving into assisted living; Jean Wright's daughter, Mary; Angie Carroll's mom, Mary Lou Kendrick, with cancer; Kerry's sister Maura with her second cancer; Theresa McClure's dad; Theresa Quinn's dad; Rita Dore; Hugh Bivona's sick friends Bob & Bonnie; Rick Urbanczyk’s mom, Irene; Mary Ellen's Christopher, Margaret, & Jim; our friends, sons, & daughters in the military, including Trey Bailey, Ryan McClurg, Chebino; George & Marianne's sons & Linda's son, plus Stacie & Ben White & their niece with leukemia; a cure for autism from Laura Chollick; Fred's friend John with cancer; Casey & Rob plus Cameron & Reid, Trey and Brady; for our President that he have great success and someday hold his grandchildren in his lap.

Picture 1: Mike Moran reading

Picture 2: Geri Moran reading

Picture 3: Raven McKensey, 19 months, granddaughter of Fred & Maureen

Video: Final Blessing of all Our Women

Finances: May 8, 2011

Expenses: $1430.00

Outreach: $1013.00

Finances: May 1, 2011

Expenses: $1225.00

Outreach: $ 673.00

Thanks for the Generosity

Have a Great Week, J.S (214-783-0443)

Reminders

Reminder for May 8, 3rd Easter

ByRosemary May 5, 2011

Mass: Coffee, pastries, & specials on the House.

Time: 9:30; Stack Celebrating

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

Readings: Acts of the Apostles 2, 14, 22-33; Psalm 16, Lord, You will show us the Path of Life; 1st Letter of Peter1, 17-21; Luke 24, 13-35

Picture 1: Sir Charles' mom, Nellie

Picture 2: Wendy's parents, Jack & Jean

Picture 3: Preston, Nolan, Valerie, & Vincent

Picture 4: Bill, Ray & Claire, Ron

Picture 5: Gayle, Sydney, & Hugh

Community Bulletin Board:

1. Welcome: Our Annual Anniversary Party (6th), May 7, this Saturday evening, 6:00, Heritage Farm, like last year. The mules and hay wagon will be taking rides. We'll supply cold drinks & water. BYOB. Covered dish, hors d'oeuvres & desserts. John & Rosemary

Also, before the party, at noon, Saturday, at the Windspear in Dallas, Wendy is performing as a semifinalist in the Dallas Opera Guild competition. Come and support her! Free admission.

2. Penny's daughter has a very nice crib for a deserving family.

Church Happenings:

1. An American Catholic Council, National Catholic Reporter, 5-2-11, Download American Catholic Council to convene 5-6-11

2. Australian Bishop Kicked Out, National Catholic Reporter, 5-3-11, Download Support for ousted Australian bishop 5-6-11

3. On Jesuit numbers & influence, Washington Post, 4-
23-11, Download Fewer Jesuit priests this Easter 5-6-11

Picture 6: The Coffee Shoppe with Tony, Nina, & Jamie

Picture 7: 6th Avenue looking south with the mob heading for Central Park

Picture 8: Staten Island Ferry heading to lower Manhatten & Battery Park where the 5 Boro begins

True?

Abundance of knowledge does not teach men to be wise.

HERACLITUS

See you, May 8, 2011

J.S. (214-783-0443)

Homilies

Sunday Homily May 1, 2nd Easter

ByRosemary May 1, 2011

Readings: Acts of the Apostles 2, 42-47; Psalm 118; 1 Peter 1, 3-9; John 20, 19-31

Intro to the Readings – 2^nd Sunday of Easter

Our first reading today is from Acts of the Apostles. Remember this is part 2 of Luke’s story of Jesus and the Early Church, part one being his Gospel. In Acts, Luke picks up the story right after the Resurrection. He repeats the short piece about the Ascension, but the main body of Acts deals with the spread of the Good News to the Gentile World. Our reading today is early in the story and is a kind of interlude about the early Christian church in Jerusalem.

The few verses in today’s reading give us what I will call an idyllic view of that community. And interestingly Luke, writing to a Greek audience uses a word in today’s reading, which only appears here in the Bible, but is commonly used in Greek literature to describe a kind of Utopian society. I mention this because we could easily feel discouraged when we listen to what that early community was like and then reflect on our own community here today in 2011. But for Luke’s original readers, this community is the one described by Plato, Ovid and other Greeks as the ideal community where all possessions are shared.

There is one other item worth noting in the reading and that is the four actions of this early community, the teaching of the apostles, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayers. These are a great summary too of what Jesus did in his life.

The second reading today is from the First Letter of Peter. It was written to the churches in what is today Turkey and Syria. The communities are having a tough time due to their faith, although they are not being persecuted yet. Peter’s letter offers them great encouragement. He probably wrote it around the year 64 from Rome.

Second Sunday of Easter 2011 – Homily

Today, after we pray the our Father and a few other short prayers I will turn to you and say “ the peace of the Lord be with you all” but what is that ‘peace’? I think we have a clue from the gospel just read. To get a better understanding we need to look closely at what is happening in John’s gospel.

Our reading today comes from the second half of Chapter 20. Chapter 20 begins with the words “it was very early in the morning on the first day of the week, and still dark, when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb.” By the way, chapter 19 ends with Jesus being laid in the tomb. So we know we are on Easter Sunday morning. What John’s Gospel proceeds to do is show that faith in the resurrection comes slowly. Jesus’ disciples were not expecting it. So when Mary finds the tomb empty her immediate conclusion is someone has taken the body. Peter and another disciple, the ‘beloved’ disciple show up after Mary told them what she had discovered, and we are told they saw the garments, and that the ‘beloved disciple’ saw and believed, nothing about Peter believing yet.

And then we have today’s reading. It is the same day, but evening. They are all in a locked room, afraid of the Jews. So I have to wonder, how big an impact had this early ‘faith’ of the beloved disciple had on the group. By the way, Mary did see a gardener whom she recognizes when he calls her by name, but I suspect her story was put down to the rantings of a grieving woman?? So Jesus appears in the room, and twice says “peace be with you”. What is this peace? He immediately breathes on them, and remember an earlier breathing – in the book of Genesis, when God breathes on the clay and forms man, we now have God again breathing and forming new men! People filled with the Holy Spirit. In human terms I feel that this “peace be with you” had the same effect as when a child wakes up in the night crying and a parent wraps them in their arms and says “its OK, I’m here with you”. The child feels safe.

The resurrection, belief in the resurrection, makes us different people. Yes it is the leap of faith, not a solid provable fact, but that faith gives us a hope, and a security that nothing can really harm us. It is what gave the apostles the courage to go out and face that group of hostile Jews. It is what brings us here this morning.

Remember in the first reading today from Acts, that little early idylic community which Luke described, we are not that different. We come together to break bread, to pray, to learn the teaching of Jesus, and we do share our possessions. This morning we will be giving anther $2,000 to the CCAC and also some money to the Plano Homes, and those are just two small examples of sharing our possessions.

So today at our mass, when I say “the peace of the Lord be with you all” reflect for a moment before we offer each other the sign of that peace, do you feel like the child, wrapped and safe?

Picture 1: Penny receiving a check from Bobby for Plano Community Homes

Picture 2: Offertory with brother & sister, Bobby & Marlene

Picture 3: Leo with Jackie

Picture 4: Wendy's parents

Picture 5: Gilberto preparing for the 5 Boro Bike tour with 2 of Rosemary's Nephew's kids, Emma & William

Announcements

ByRosemary May 1, 2011

Special Thanks:

For Reading: John & Jackie
For Serving: Kevin
For the Communion Bread: Dee Miller
For the Wine Cups: Jan & Charlie
For the Music: Ray & Wendy & Jon
For the Pictures & Video: Beth
For the altar & sound: Denni & Tom & Hue
For the coffee and pastries: Jackie, Joan

Happy Birthday: Ashley Pastula (14 tomorrow), Cole McClurg (2) Fred Martinez (38th of Ordination); Greg Rogers (today), & Denni (t0day)

Happy Anniversary:

Hugh & Sydney Bivona (4th)

Carl & Chris Falke (18th)

Bill & Patty Hammond (43rd)

Please Remember:

Loretta Garcia Williams' husband, Ray, with multiple myeloma; Barb Wittek's dad having hip surgery; Ben Porter's dad who died this week (Ben is the guitarist who takes Ray's place occasionally); Doug Read's Mom, Valdene, with stage 4; Grace LeBlanc's niece Carlin, 13, with hodgkins; Marilyn Ackerman's mom who broke some vertebrae in her back; Warren & Barb's friend, Mike, fighting cancer; Charlie Sawtelle's buddy, Moe, with cancer; Mike & Dee's daughter; Bonnie Roger's brother & sister, both seriously sick; Jack Carlson's brother, Bob, with a stroke; Tom & Teresa Quinn's niece, Chawna, with cancer, plus Neva Flynn, Angel, & Diane Kreeitzer; Gilberto Delgado's mom; Connie Doherty's mom & her sister, plus Kevin's cousin, Peter, & John's dad moving into assisted living; Jean Wright's daughter, Mary; Angie Carroll's mom, Mary Lou Kendrick, with cancer; Kerry's sister Maura with her second cancer; Theresa McClure's dad; Theresa Quinn's dad; Rita Dore; Hugh Bivona's sick friends Bob & Bonnie; Rick Urbanczyk’s mom, Irene; Mary Ellen's Christopher, Margaret, & Jim; our friends, sons, & daughters in the military, including Trey Bailey, Ryan McClurg, Chebino; George & Marianne's sons & Linda's son, plus Stacie & Ben White & their niece with leukemia; a cure for autism from Laura Chollick; Fred's friend John with cancer; Casey & Rob plus Cameron & Reid, Trey and Brady; for our President that he have great success and someday hold his grandchildren in his lap.

Welcome: Our Annual Anniversary Party (6th), May 7, Saturday evening, 6:00, Heritage Farm, like last year. The mules and hay wagon will be taking rides. We'll supply cold drinks & water. BYOB. Covered dish, hors d'oeuvres & desserts. John & Rosemary

Picture 1:    John reading

Picture 2: Jackie reading

Picture 3: Astoria Park rest stop with only a small percent of the 32,000 riders, under the Robert Kennedy Bridge, 5 Boro Bike Tour, Manhattan (Harlem), Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, & Staten Island.

Picture 4: Rosemary in her home town on the beautiful Queensborough Bridge

Picture 5: Delgados & McGinn clan, her nephew Brian, Bobby & Joe & The Old Geezer, family reunion

Finances: May 1, 2011

Expenses: $ Next Week

Outreach: $ " "

Thanks for the Generosity

Have a Great Week, J.S (214-783-0443)