Homilies

Readings:

Wisdom 18, 6-9,   Your people awaited the salvation of the just.

Psalm 33, Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Hebrews 11, 1-2, 8-19,  Descendents as numerous as the stars in the sky.

Luke 12, 32-48, Do not be afraid any longer.

Sophia.

To be afraid or to not to be afraid

I would like to talk this morning about fear.  It is certainly mentioned all through the readings.  The idea is that you got to be on guard.  The master will come when you are not watching and you will get beaten or worse. 

Leo.

At the beginning of the gospel, however, it says, “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock.”  So which is it?  The whole Bible is full of messages about fear and punishment.  God’s love seems totally conditional. 

Emma.

I would propose, however, that the core message is do not fear and that God’s acceptance of us is unconditional.  We are challenged, nevertheless, to be aware and to be vigilant.  To what?  To all the ways his love touches us in life. 

I have a little story that exemplifies what I am talking about.

Bethany and Shonda with Ben.

A while back I was out at the big airport to pick up somebody, I don’t even remember whom.  On this occasion I had parked and come in to the waiting area.   I am hanging around and somehow got talking with a guy even older than you know whom.

Offertory with John & Jean, Mary Jane and John.

He lives in Dallas and is waiting for a guy about his age coming in from Germany.   They are old buddies.  How did they get to know each other?  It was during the Second World War.  The man waiting next to me was a guard in a prison camp in the U.S. for captured Germans. 

Cupcake of The Week to John and Jean for 55 years.

During the man’s time as a prison camp guard, he got to know one of the German prisoners.  They found out they had a lot in common.  For one thing, the German spoke English.  Time passed, the war ended, and the German prepared to return home.  It came up that they both would like to keep in touch. 

Communion helpers ready with Beth & Rob having too good a time.

Over the past years this is exactly what they have done, one visiting the other and vice-versa.  The families of both men have gotten to know each other, the kids included.  

As I watched, the German came out and the two men hugged.  They may both be widowers, but they still have a friendship they discovered and developed in a prison camp.   

Tom handing over the community's July $2000 to Brent for Soul's Harbor.

When the Bible talks about being on guard and being vigilant, I would
propose that we can take that to mean being on guard to spot that ray of God’s love.  It may be a friendship that blossoms in a prison camp, it may be the beauty of nature, it may be simply the joy of being alive.   These two old guys were on guard more than figuratively, and they found something special for the rest of their lives.

What about forgetting fear and being on guard for the special sign of God's love in your life?  Today.

John breaking into the Pastry Shoppe.

Readings:

Ecclesiastes 1, 2; 21-23,  All things are vanity.

Psalm 90,  If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Colossians 3, 1-5, 9-11  Seek what is above.

Luke 12, 13-21, You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you.

Ecclesiastes Observations: 

Author:  unknown.   A belief was that it was Solomon

Date: 
 250-150 years before Christ.

Subject: 
the work is a putting together of a lot of folk sayings and life
observations which represent wisdom sometimes, sometimes not.  For instance, today’s selection. 

Today: 
pretty pessimistic.  It says that
everything is vanity. 

Beginning with photos to come.

Colossians
observations:  We are done with this work for now,
fortunately.

Best line of
the Day: check the Psalm, the 4^th stanza, “Fill us at daybreak with
your kindness, that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.”  This has been my experience the past week in
Iowa.  More in the homily.

Joanie and Payton arriving.

Fill us at daybreak with
your kindness

Fill me
at daybreak with your kindness, that I may shout for joy and gladness. 
This was Iowa, folks. 

If you
don’t know what this is all about it is this. 
Sunday, July 21^st, Chris and I set out on our bikes with an
estimated crowd at times of 35,000 riders. 
We departed the west side if Iowa at the Missouri River and finished at
the east side and the Mississippi River 7 days later, Saturday. 

CC and her buddy.

The
whole experience really touched my spirit, but let me single out three special
events, hospitality, trust, and beauty.

First, hospitalty.  Most of
the nights on the ride my team, Spokes of Hope, a cancer support team from
Indianapolis, found homes at which we could set up tents in the yard.  This was a little more private.

Kayla following CC.

One
family in Oskaloosa, the next to the last night, knocked me out.  They had a nice big 5-9 acre lot with two
houses for the family.  They hosted about
80 people, Spokes of Hope and Livestrong, Lance Armstrong’s former cancer
program. 

And Mr. Leo looking cool on a hot morning.

When we
arrived they had spread out on their deck chips and dip and drinks.  At 5:00 they themselves served us all an
enormous dinner.  The next morning they
sent us on our way with a great breakfast. 
All gratis, no charge.   Hospitality.

Gracie ready for anything with her backpack.

In Des
Moines a widow of about 6 months invited our 14 member team into her nice
house.  She is a doctor and teaches at
the local medical school.

She,
also, fixed us all a big dinner and a big breakfast.  She sent us on our way with a few dozen
chocolate chip cookies and brownies.  The
Indianapolis folks are probably still eating those cookies.   All
gratis, no charge.  Hospitality.

Emma looking beautiful, as always.

Next, trust.  Never did I fear my bike would be
stolen.  In the small towns where it was
impossible to ride because of the mass of people, bikes were dropped
everywhere.  In fact, the problem was
remembering, “Wow, where is my bike?”

Curtis at 84 who lost his Cupcake of The Week to Emma temporarily.

One
afternoon I rode up to a Tom Thumb type grocery store that had an $8 all you
can eat pasta & dessert sale.  This
was in the last overnight town on the road, Fairfield.  I remember hesitating at first.  My bike. 
Lots of people around.  Plus lots
of bikes.  I left my bike with my helmet & gloves hanging from the handlebar.  An hour
later it was right there along with all the other bikes & bikers.  The trust, everywhere.

Kevin, The Reliable, suiting up.

Finally,
the beauty.   Don’t believe the idea that Iowa is flat.  It is not mountainous, okay.  It is hilly. 
This trip had lots of hills and lots of scenic vistas, plus beautiful little towns.  Once
I must confess at the end of a day 110 miles long I had to walk a hill, my
thigh muscles saying they just might like to cramp.   I learned prudence from Rosemary.

Judy arrives to hear news about….

There
were a number of occasions when the hospitality, the trust, and the beauty, to
not even mention my gratitude at being able to do this, just touched me to
tears as I rode peacefully along.  Which
made me say to myself, “Watch out, man, you can’t see and you will crash.”

Keokuk, Iowa and Judy's house, facing the Mississippi on Grand Avenue.

This is
the psalm line exemplified, “Fill us at daybreak with your kindness, that we
may shout for joy and gladness all our days.”

How is
it for you?

Keokuk, Iowa, the home of Mike on Grand facing the Mississippi, also. What a coincidence! Same town, same street, facing the same river. Should not these houses be considered historical monuments?

Readings:

Genesis  18, 20-32,  What if there are ten there?  For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.

Psalm 138,  Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

Colossians 2, 12-14,  You were buried with him in baptism.

Luke 11, 1-13, Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find.

John celebrating.

Observations on the readings:

The first reading from Genesis is a familiar story about God’s mercy and forgiveness, how it is all encompassing and present to all. More in my homily about this.

The second reading from Paul’s letter to the Colossians is his letter to the Christian community at Colossae (in present day Turkey), telling them to remember that, as followers of Jesus, they are made new and are called to forgive one another, called to peace and thankfulness. Remember, I said last week I was choosing a more inspirational part of this letter for us to hear (Chapter 3, 12-15)

In the Gospel reading from Luke we will hear about prayer. The prayer Jesus
taught that we are familiar with, and say in Mass, is in Matthew, Chapter 6.
Today’s version in Luke is shortened. Jesus’ parable of knocking on a friend’s
door is about God’s constant mercy.    

Offertory with Cecily and Chris, Sandra, Emelia and Olivia.

Homily

From the reading in Genesis, I want to talk today about mercy and forgiveness. In particular I want to talk about what I think makes it possible for us to forgive one another. Forgiveness requires first that I put away self-justification where I put myself above another, where I collect points that make me ‘look better’ than another, especially one whom I judge has offended me, hurt me (‘I am right; I am justified in my hurt’). In order to forgive, I give up the quest ‘to be right’. [This is
where that saying fits, ‘you can be right’ or ‘you can have love in your life.’]
If I need to ‘look better’ or ‘be right’ (self-justified, self-righteous),
forgiveness becomes difficult, even unlikely.

Some of the communion helpers, Patricia, Claire, Sandra, and Mary Ellen.

The second requirement for sharing forgiveness is accepting what I take as an offense, a hurt, as possible in the universe of my life. This means in the whole universe of possible happenings, I accept that this hurt, this offense, is possible, this can happen to me. If I treat an offense or hurt as unthinkable or unacceptable to me in my universe, I disallow it as possible and keep it at a distance, away
from me, therefore not forgivable.

Bethany, Shondra, and Ray with new choir members.

The third requirement to forgive another is mercy. Mercy is the quality attributed to God in today’s reading from Genesis about God and the people of Sodom. The quality or spirit of mercy makes forgiveness possible, even predictable. As we listened to the story about God and the people of Sodom, didn’t we predict as each question was asked by Abraham, that God’s response would be mercy?

We are called to have mercy and to forgive, even giving up the safety of waiting to first be forgiven by another (when there is mutual hurt). We are called to forgive. On the other hand we are totally accepted wherever we are in the process of learning mercy and forgiveness in our relationships.  Sometimes it may seem easier to forgive another than to ask for forgiveness from the other. Maybe that’s because giving forgiveness seems to put us in the ‘good guy’ role. Asking for forgiveness can put us in a more vulnerable position, not knowing if we will receive mercy and forgiveness from the other.

 So, my questions today are:   

Am I ready to forgive hurts by another,
especially from those close to me?

Am I ready to accept myself, even if I am not
yet fully capable of forgiving?

Am I able to ask for
forgiveness from another?

Readings:

Genesis  18, 1-10,  Sara will then have a son.

Psalm 15, He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

Colossians 1, 24-28,  It is He whom we proclaim.

Luke 10, 38-42,  “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?  Tell her to help me.”

Bethany, Shonda, Wendy and Ray. Our Choir.

Introduction  

As Abraham gives, showing hospitality to the strangers in our first reading from the Book of Genesis, Abraham receives. In like manner, Paul addresses the Colossians in our second reading to show mercy, kindness and pardon to others for they are Christ in the World.

Homily 

 When I would go on retreats with young people wanting to celebrate the Church’s sacrament of Confirmation they would receive a booklet with songs, prayers but also some blank pages.  I would say to them, ‘You will always receive the desire of your heart,’ and I would ask them what they thought this meant. 

It was not unusual to get a response like this, ‘The desire of my heart is to win the lottery; but since the odds of me doing that are slim to none, I do not believe that statement is true.’ ‘Before I give you an answer,’ I would say, ‘I want all of you to write down in your booklet what you would do if you actually won a lottery… say, a 100 million dollars.’

 They were to take their time and not share with others what they had written.  ‘What’s in your notebook is yours and yours alone today.’ When I perceived that they had all written enough, I would say, ‘What you have just written down is the desire of your heart!  Wanting to win a lottery is not a desire of your heart, rather it is a desire of the flesh. I hope that all of you shared your desire to show goodness and justice; tenderness and compassion to those less fortunate than yourselves.’

 To the degree we desire to give from our heart will be the degree to which we do give and receive.  Life-giving relationships are precious! To the degree that we are in relationship with one another, we are in relationship with God. Those who welcomed the stranger and visited the sick are those who inherited the kingdom of God.

 Often we informally invite others over to our home; other times we have a birthday or anniversary gathering.  We have family and friends over for Thanksgiving, Easter or Christmas. But sometimes we might find ourselves getting caught up in all the details, decorations, and preparations, so much so that sometimes, when we don’t even expect it, you might hear or even say, ‘I’m glad that’s over and I won’t have to do that for another year.’

 When that happens our priorities weren’t in the proper order.  We forgot listening to, affirming, enjoying, and making friends. It happened to Martha in our reading from Luke today.  Picture Jesus saying to her softly and in private, ‘Martha, Martha, you worry about many things, Mary has chosen the better portion and it shall not be taken from her.’

 It wasn’t that Mary hadn’t been helping her.  She had.  But when Jesus came through the door that day, Mary made him the priority of her life. It was time to begin a lasting and loving relationship.  
 

Martha’s priorities had been which tablecloth should she use, should we
eat at the table inside or outside, should I sweep the floor again, should I
put all of the food out at once. Would Jesus recognize that the vegetables were fresh? 

 These things had become more important to her than Jesus’ presence.  Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to his words that he wanted equally to share with Martha.  We have come to sit at table with God and each other. 

How have you been building relationships with one another since you entered here this morning.  Take a moment to welcome someone near you
that you didn’t acknowledge and embrace when you arrived.

 Readings:

 Isaiah  66, 10-14,  Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad.

Psalm 66,  Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

Galatians 6, 14-18,  You are all called for freedom.

Luke 10, 1-12, 17-20, The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.

Brooklyn is back, but not awake yet.

Isaiah 11 observations & review: 

Author:  
Remember, 3 primary authors are responsible for the 66 chapters.  Isaiah 1
covers chapters 1-39.  This book is one of the Big 3 O.T. prophets, along
with Jeremiah and Ezekiel.  This is because the works are the
longest.  There are 12 minor prophets, authors who have small books.

Time: around 555 before Christ, a
compiling that is taking place with the end of the Babylonian Captivity in sight or
already done. 

Sienna, too.

Message
of Isaiah 66: The profile of the prophet was usually 1. criticism, 2.
prediction of dire payment, 3. consolation. 
This is the last chapter, so guess which of the 3 authors and subject.  Yes, the third.  And…

Today’s
message: consolation, joy, song.

Leo catching Rick.

The Laborers
are Few ?

This morning I want to focus on the line that the laborers are few.  I disagree. 
I see lots of laborers these days. 
Let me give you 3 examples.

Professor Jim Mahar.  You remember
him.  He spoke to us a year or so ago, he
and some students. 

Jim is a finance professor at St. Bonaventure near Buffalo, NY, a
Franciscan college.  A competitor with
the Jesuit college in the same area, Canisius. 

Jan and Sir Charlie coming to cause trouble.

You could imagine that Jim as a professor would be spending all his time
with his students, teaching, testing, grading, and advising.  In summers he might do research and spend
some time at his cottage in the Catskills or on the NJ shore. 

Nope, not Jim.  He does all the
professor with the kids, but his second passion is relief work.  I first met him when Bill Hammond & I
drove down to Galveston to work with him and about 30 volunteer students a few
years ago.   We spent a week cleaning, tearing
down, building, and living side by side in dorms with the Baptist Men (another
great group) and other volunteers.

Hue, our sound tech.

After Hurricane Sandy hit NYC, where was Jim and his bunch of student
volunteers?   Right where it was the
worst, like Breezy Point.   They even spent so much time there that they
established a base house.

Where again was Jim and his gang after the OK tornadoes in May?  I can tell you personally he and his gang
worked hard, even working through lunch and up until sundown.  We ate finally at Central Market about 9:30,
closing the place at 10:00. 

Harper at 2 knows what Cupcake of The Week means for her, along with John.

Jim is not just a laborer.  He
invites and facilitates other laborers, like me.

Then we have the lady I talked about last Sunday, the vivacious real
estate agent who had a good month of June. 
She out of nowhere gives us $1000 to be used in whatever way we see
fit. 

Emma ready for a fun Mass.

I wanted to go personally with that check to work with Habitat Granbury
this coming week, but they are not working over the July 4^th
period.  Maybe our Habitat group?

Mentioning our Habitat, I had a good friend ask about working.  I suggested he work yesterday at our
house.  At about 8:15 he calls me and
says, “Where is everybody.”  Apparently
we also took the week off.

Zoe and her buddy.

That $1000 check so touched me that I decided I was going to give $20 to
each of the guys who pick up our recycle every Monday morning.  I usually do this at Christmas.   I did
so this time in connection with July 4^th and was so touched.  The three guys could not tell me often
enough about how grateful they were.

One word about our community.  Can anyone imagine how we would make it without all the people who bring the sound, coffee, pastries, wine cups, take pictures, read, and sing, just to mention a few of the labors that take place?

Torri arrives with her big sister, Georgie.

Finally, I know another person whose name will remain unmentioned.  I’ll whisper so she cannot hear.   This
woman goes for an exploration meeting at Meals on Wheels.  There she runs into an old friend and
neighbor who has moved out of the neighborhood and is likewise interested. 
Now they are a team delivering Meals on Wheels every Thursday.  I think I sleep with this person.

So, you, know any laborers in the vineyard?  And you?

Bethany and Ray.

Readings:

 1 Kings  19, 16-21,  You shall anoint Elisha as prophet to succeed you.

Psalm 16,  You are my inheritance, O Lord

Galatians 5, 1, 13-18,  You are all called for freedom.

Luke 9, 51-62,  I will follow you, Lord, but first…

People come in every way during the summer, Doug and Grace arriving via their bikes.

1 Kings observations

What

A continuation of a larger work, 1 & 2 Samuel, plus 2 Kings. 
This is presented as history, but it is a joining together of legends, fables, folktales, and miracle stories.  I see this called theological history.

Date

After the Babylonian captivity, therefore around 555 before Christ.

Subject

The book covers 3 events:

        – The end of the life of the Great King David,

        – The story of his glorious son, Solomon, and his building of
the temple in Jerusalem,

        – The famous division of the state into north and south,
Israel and Judah, after Solomon’s death and his weak successors.

Emma and her buddy.

Our passage

Coming in chapter 17 you can guess it talks about the third event, the division of the state. 
One prophet Elijah is anointing his successor.  The presence of prophets signals what?  Times are bad and Yahweh is not pleased with the people and leadership for allowing the division.

Sources: Good News Bible, Wikipedia.

Beginning with Kevin and Georgie.

The Samaritans

This morning I would like to talk about 2 subjects.  

First, the Samaritans.  Who were they and why hostility between Jews and them?

Secondly, I have to tell you about an amazing event that happened to me this week.

The Samaritans.  These people were and are Jews.  They claim to be descendents of some of those 10 lost tribes.  Remember the lost tribes?

Zoe, The Queen.

Take the date 700 years before Christ.  There are the two states, Israel in the north and Judah in the south, going back to the time after Solomon when weak kings lost the unity.

700 is the date that the Assyrians (the famous Syria, still in the news because of continued fighting) defeated the state of Israel and scattered the Jewish people, intermarrying with many of them.   Some of these Jews survived mostly in Judah. 

Leo the Knight defending us from the bad guys.

During the Babylonian Captivity, 555 before Christ, descendents of some of these people did not go to Babylon.  They were there when the descendents of those Jews taken from Jerusalem returned. 

Hostility developed between the two groups.   Each group had developed unique religious customs and each group considered the other to be heretical or bad.   

A victorious Leo putting away his sword and shield for the moment.

The group supposedly descended from one or more of the 10 lost tribes was called Samaritan.  It is also suspected that some of these Jews intermarried with the conquering Assyrians.  See why Jesus’ followers often act as if the Samaritans are bad.  Remember the story of Jesus talking with the Samaritan woman at the well?  

We have a similar situation today.  Look at all the Christian sects, Catholic, Baptist, Episcopalian, and others.  Each of these probably considers the others bad.   As Catholic kids we were certainly not allowed into a non-Catholic church. 

Torri arriving in her Sunday Best.

Now for the story.  I am a member of Dallas North Rotary, as many of you know.  I don’t eat and I miss a lot of meetings, but I love the other members and have known some of them for 20 years.

Tuesday I walked into our meeting and was going around greeting everyone already there.  I greeted a lady named Cheryl, who is one of our most active members.  After moving around the room, I was passing her again.   She says to me, “John, wait.” I stop and she sticks a piece of paper in my hand. 

Brent receiving our $2000 for Soul's Harbor.

I look and it is a check.  I open it and made out to John Stack Ministries is $1000.  I am stunned and say something like, “What is this?”  She says, “It is for whatever you & your community want.”  She says she has had a good month.  She is a vivacious real estate agent. 

She is not a Catholic and in the old days she probably would have considered us to be Samaritans, bad. 

I am humbled by this gift and I will say it again, I am proud to be a member of you people, this community.  It is you who are catching the attention of good people. 

Carol's friend, Zoey

We will have to put this thousand to work in a special way.  I’ve been thinking about Habitat in Granbury, where they are rebuilding 61 Habitat homes destroyed by the May tornado.  I would even like to spend a few days working there.  Anyone want to go? 

So this is the background on Samaritans, the bad folks.  Who are the Samaritans in your life?

Readings:

Zechariah  12, 10-11,  I will pour out a spirit of grace and petition.

Psalm 63,  My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

Galatians 3, 26-29,  You are all one in Christ.

Luke 9, 18-24, If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself.

Georgie arriving ready.

 Zecheria observations : 

Who:  
one of the 12 minor prophets.  Why?  Small work.  Only 14 little chapters.  Vs the Big 3, who have chapters numbering into the 60’s.  Zecharia is really the author of this work.

Time:  
post Babylonian Captivity, therefore, after 555 before Christ.  How do we know?  Reference is made to Darius, the king of the Persians.

Content:  
part 1 involves visions about the restoration of Jerusalem.  Part 2, our part, talks about future prosperity.  Maybe a slightly forgetable book.  I have not one line highlighted in my bible.

Sources: Good News Bible, Wikipedia

Buddy is also ready, with his mom, Michelle.

Deny Myself and Take up a Cross Daily

Ever since I can remember hearing this item I have felt discomfort and
rejection.   I think there was some of this in my original decision to enter the Jesuits to be a priest in 1958.

Our Celeste.

Certainly in those early years of Jesuit training, we practiced this.  We lived in silence most of the time, worked hard on the beautiful Jesuit farm at Grand Coteau, and we never went back to our original homes.   A really regimented monastic life, up at 5:00, lights out at 10:00, every day, month after month, year after year.

Miguel, who helps us tremendously every Sunday.

 Times have certainly changed and I have obviously changed.  Three comments about the idea of taking up a cross daily.

First, it is a metaphor, a metaphor for self discipline.

Dick Taylor, our local Habitat director, giving us a status report. Imagine, 78 houses built.

Secondly, the self discipline involves obvious things, let's say, three:

          Healthy eating, that is, watch out for salt, sugar, and fat or butter, the major seducer ingredients of fast food places, like McDonald’s.

This was stage 3 our our house, after the foundation and the studs.

          Exercise, that is, keep moving.  2 a days are coming for high
school football players.  You want to see self discipline?  27 days from now I will join 15 thousand other wakos to ride across Iowa in a week, about 500 miles.  I’m exercising, getting in shape. 

          Next, take breaks, days off, vacation periods.  A day off a week
or 3 once a month, as I do.   Contemplate and reflect during the
breaks.  What?  My blessings & gifts & joys.  Number one, number two, and on.

During stage 3 we wrapped the house.

Thirdly, the goal?  Follow God’s invitation to be fully alive.

Where are you being invited by God to become more fully alive?

Friday morning the house is ready for siding, windows and doors already installed.

Buddies, Zoe and Emma arriving.

Readings:

2 Samuel  12, 1-14,  The verses of this reading are expanded because of the excellence of the story, King David and Bathsheba.

Psalm 32,  Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.

Galatians 2, 16-21,  If justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

Luke 7, 36-8, 3,  She stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears.  Another beautiful reading.

14 seconds over Little Axe, OK, outside Norman, tore this car apart. Little Axe was hit the day before Moore, a middle class suburb of OK City.

Relief Work
in OK City

This morning I would like to talk with you about the trip I made to OK
City a week ago.  Three aspects, the time
and the geography of the tornadoes, gratitude, and the three teams.

You might not know it, but three tornadoes hit the area.  The third and second were E5’s, the kind with
winds over 250 miles per hour.  The third
was also the tornado with the diameter of about 2 & a half miles.  20 people were killed, including the 3
professional tornado watchers, but it mostly roamed the countryside, not living
areas. 

Maybe unrecognizable, a pick up, upside down, door and window gone, trailer on top, OU lawn chair I set up.

The middle tornado was the Moore tornado, Moore being a suburb of OK
City.  You drive north on I-35.  On the right you see devastation—of houses
like in Plano or Richardson.  On the left
you see devastation–of a large strip shopping complex like Collin Creek
Mall. 

Where is the little boy who practiced hoops on this basket? Little Axe, where the first of the 3 big tornadoes hit, is rural and comparatively poor with unpaved, dirt roads. This debris has been bulldozed to the edge of the road, where it will be picked up.

The first tornado, a day or two before Moore, hit Little Axe, a small
village of maybe 50 houses.  35 were
destroyed.  I would conjecture the
majority of the residences were portables, trailer homes.  This tornado spent 14 seconds on the ground
and you will see the result. 

Many of the 50 or so homes in Little Axe were trailer homes which were mounted on these I beams. The wind twisted the beams like spaghetti. These were long trailer homes with beautiful scenery around them.

We were sent to Little Axe because it had been neglected and forgotten
after Moore.  Moore was urban and middle
class.  Little Axe was rural and
relatively poor.  The roads were not paved,
just gravel and dirt.  Moore sucked up
all the press coverage and attention.  We
were sent to redress this neglect.

Debris piles being removed. 35 houses were swept away.

Secondly, the gratitude.  The
first thing I noticed, after the shock of seeing Moore from I-35 as I drove
north, was the gratitude of people.  We
wore our Bona Responds brown T shirts as we visited stores like Home
Depot.  Customers and staff all thanked
us for coming to help out.  At the Stihl
outlet where we went to buy chain saw parts, the staff comes out with Stihl T
shirts for all of us.  Jim gave them Bona
Responds T shirts.   It was humbling.   See the two types of T shirts.

Bona Responds team. Besides Jim and Jerry, two professors from St. Bonaventure, an OU chemistry professor and graduate of St. B. joined us with his daughter, Rose.

Thirdly, the teams.  Obviously, we
were the team from St. Bonaventure, the Catholic university.  Besides Jim, who is a finance professor,
there was Jerry, a chemistry professor. 

The second team was Israeli.  The
first morning I’m standing outside our barracks style quarters at this generic
church.  I hear these kids talking a language
I don’t recognize.  I look more closely
at them and see the obvious Israeli blue & white flag on their white T
shirts.  I ask them who they are and what
are they doing.  They say they have come
from Israel to help.  I am stunned.

Less than half of the Israeli team. These kids actually flew in to work relief in OK. They were living with us in the same complex of barracks. I heard them speaking a language I did not know one morning and asked, "Who are you guys?" The shirts have the Israeli flag.

A footnote on these kids.  When I
am driving to our site in Little Axe later that morning, the two girls in my
Prius see the Israeli kids and are all excited because they had worked together
at another site.  Guess where: New York
after Sandy.  They were like old friends
meeting.

The third group was a group of, get this, Muslim kids.  Marvelous young people.  Acting and looking just like us except they
were dark, the guys I talked with said they were from St. Louis.

The Israeli trailer of equipment. It says "Jewish Response to Disaster." Our kids had worked with the Israeli kids in NY after Sandy. They were old friends.

Both the Muslim and the Israeli groups obviously have organizations behind them on the ground in the U.S. 
They both had more equipment than we. 
Like, the Muslims had a generator with which they ran a saw that cut I
beams. 

In fact, during the afternoon I worked a lot with the Muslims.  They were cutting up I beams and I and some
others were carrying 6-9 foot sections up out of a valley to the edge of the
road where we had 3 piles, metal, wood, and trash.

While the Israelis were a delightful surprise for me, the biggest surprise came with the 3rd team, "Muslims for Humanity," as it says on the truck door. Meet Dwight, with whom I worked sawing the I beams into 9 foot sections so they could be taken over to the metals pile on the edge of the road. Humbling to work with these kids.

At one point I trip over some debris on the ground and fall.  Fortunately for sports in my early years I
learned how to fall.  Not hurt at all,
just rolling into ground.  Guess who the
first person to reach out to me was: not one of those Catholic kids, not even
an Israeli, a Muslim.   The others were not near anyway.  They did not even know I fell. Check the pictures of
the teams and equipment.

This open area once was a home. In the background is a tornado shelter. 13 people and a dog saved their lives a second or two before the tornado swept down on them by jumping into this shelter. Imagine opening the door of the shelter and looking where your house once stood.

I told you all how proud I am to be part of you, of this little community
which is so generous and makes such a positive difference.   You
people not only helped the people of Little Axe, but you helped these kids from
St. Bonaventure have a marvelous ecumenical and international experience.

Thanks.

Readings:

1 Kings  17, 17-24,  The life breath returned to the body of the child.

Psalm 30,  I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

Galatians 1, 11-19,  The gospel preached by me is not of human origin.

Luke 9, 11-17,  Young man, I tell you, arise.

Emma with her arm back in a sling. She was getting a bit sporting before the collar bone had completely healed.

 Observations on the readings: 

1 Kings 17:17-24

The young man’s mother recognizes that the word of the Lord
truly comes from Elijah’s mouth.  He
breaths forth life into her son in this parable.

Second reading: Galatians 1:11-19

Our Gospel is the proclamation of good news, where good news, is a noun. Paul is preaching good news that came to him
through a revelation of Jesus Christ, where preaching
good news is a verb.  The Gospel
hadn’t been written, yet.

Leo has found a new toy.

Gospel:  Luke 7:11-17

Paul uses the word ‘flesh’ at least 100 times in his
letters, once in our short reading from Galatians. 

 I want
you to understand a verse from John’s gospel. 
‘What is born of flesh is flesh; what is born of Spirit is spirit.  To be born only of flesh means that when a
decision needs to be made that person relies only on his mind…and the mind
seeks to have the flesh satisfied. 

Celeste.

Everything
God created is good; the flesh is good. For example; if you work hard all
morning your stomach lets your mind know that your body wants some food.  So, if you are home, you use your mind and go
to the refrigerator to find something to eat. 
Your mind will seek to satisfy the flesh when you open that door.  Anything is fair game. 

Cupcakes of the Week, Mike, Diane, and John (really for Alison).

But, what is born of Spirit is spirit, where
the Spirit has a [capital S].  The Spirit
enhances the flesh!  Instead of a desire
to satisfy your flesh your desire is to put your spouse first, even if he or
she is not there. What is born of Spirit is spirit. 

Offertory, Jean, Doug, Cliff, and John.

A great way to hone in on Spirit-living
begins with, ‘in everything give thanks.’ 
If you go to the refrigerator only to find it empty, give thanks. Your
desire to satisfy just the flesh will begin to fade away.  Pick up the list of things on the counter
that you and your spouse make to replenish the empty refrigerator.  Give thanks when the parking place is further
away from the store than you had hoped. The exercise will be good. 

Harper.

Someone left a cart in a good parking place.
Give thanks that someone will find it a good place as soon as you push it
toward the store doors. 

Number 2. Affirm
your spouse for the great things that he or she put on the grocery list.   Affirm the stocker who has just filled up
the shelf, ‘looks great.’ 

Delgado Corner with Bernadette and Gilberto sitting with Emma, who has come to see where all her playmates are today. They are on vacation.

3, Be a good
listener at home, and enjoy looking into your spouse’s eyes and touching his or
her shoulder or hand. 

Last of all always
forgive your spouse; it is in giving that you receive.  Remember, forgiveness is the message of the
good news of Jesus Christ.  Recall for a
moment our communal services in Lent and Advent.  You listen, you look into each other’s eyes,
you ask to be forgiven, you forgive others; you embrace; you affirm; you give
thanks. 

Little Axe, OK, scene of the first of 3 tornadoes around & in OK City. Notice how the wind has bent the two steel I beams which had been the foundation for a large mobile home.

In today’s gospel, a young man
is seeking forgiveness. The assembly ritually carries him.  He’s not heavy; he’s their brother. The
assembly mourns along with his mother for all of times that they have not shown
love.  They are professing their faith with
him.

Little Axe, we made 3 piles on the edge of the road, metals, wood, and trash. This is mostly wood. A trailer truck with a set of large jaws was picking this up and placing it into trash trucks.  This pile has been pushed up to the road by a bulldozer.

In this parable Jesus is there to grant forgiveness to this young
man.  He will rise to be set free, unbound from whatever had enslaved him.  In faith, through the power of the Holy Spirit
we can say those words to someone; and we have during Lent and Advent.             

Is there someone you know who needs
to be forgiven.   Give thanks that you
have the time to heal yourself and them this week. 

Little Axe, upside down pickup with a trailer dumped on top. Chaos everywhere. More about the trip this coming Sunday.

 Readings:

Genesis  14, 18-20,  Blessed be Abraham.

Psalm 110,  You are a priest forever  in the line of Melchizedek.

1 Corinthians 11, 23-26,  Do this in remembrance of me.

Luke 9, 11-17,  Give them some food yourselves.

Jude coming for his baptism.

Genesis:  for observations, please check the Sunday Homily for Pentecost, May 19.

Reggie coming to us from Soul's Harbor with his touching story of going from a full OU football scholarship to the dumpsters and back again through Soul's Harbor.

Today we had the pleasure of hearing the personal story of Reggie, a resident at Soul's Harbor.

Reggie went to OU on a football scholarship, left OU, and hit the bottom with drugs, even to eating from dumpsters and sleeping in port-o-potties in the winter.  He said that he cannot go around Olive Garden resaurants today because he used to survive on the food in their dumpsters.

With Soul's Harbor he has gotten his life back and become Brent's right hand man at the residence. 

Georgie with today's best T shirt.

Emma all healed up from her broken collar bone. No sling.

 Cupcakes of The Week, Shonda and Zach (17).

Plus Mabel at 81 this week.

Jude's Baptism Tree