Readings:

Isaiah 62, 1-5,  The Lord delights in you.

Psalm 96,  Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.

1 Corinthians 12, 4-11, There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit.

John 2, 1-11, There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee.

The Team ready to begin our Mass.

 For those who don’t have a decent Bible or a book of the readings, here are two links that I use, The Bible at Your Fingertips (http://st-luke-church.org/bible-at-finger-tips.php) and USCCB, The New American Bible (http://www.usccb.org/).  

The difference?  The first is Protestant more or less, and the second is officially Catholic and has the 12 little books in between the O.T. & N.T., called Deuterocanonical or Apocrypha. 

Both are good translations.     

Zurchin Offertory, Matthew, Claire, Chloe, Denni, and Tom

 Homily for January 20

 One of the three summer canoe trips that I used to organize each year at St. Mark was for the 13 and 14 year old children.  It was a three-day trip where we put in the Brazos River just south of Cleburne off highway 67 below the Boy Scout camp.

Emma arrives.

On the third day all the adult team was aware of a stop we would make an hour or so before we would board the bus for home.  The young people would be tired and hot as they approached some water gently pouring over some limestone at probably 5 or 10 gallons a minute like a miniature waterfall. 

They got terribly excited when they were told that it was a natural spring, cold and drinkable. The kids would take turns standing under it with their mouths open. 

Queen Zoe and Georgie arriving.

2000 years ago a traveling Jesus and his disciples would have loved such water.  They would have used it drink and to dilute the wine that they had with them.  Travelers usually didn’t drink water unless it was living, flowing from a spring or recent rain.  They drank diluted wine.

The OT Stories were written around things like living waters, wine and vineyards.  Since the gospels fulfilled the expectation of the OT for the coming of the Messiah, within them these symbols took on a deeper spiritual meaning. The vine became the symbol of Christ, living waters the symbol for the good news.

Kara arriving.

Since the word, wine, is present in most, if not all, of the books in the OT, we should expect that the wine in today’s gospel would be a symbol for something terribly important…and it is.

In the Mark gospel we are presented with this metaphor.  You don’t pour new wine into an old wineskin.  Anyone who ever left a wet handball or golf glove in the sun knows why.  You would find it stiff and hardened.  If you tried to pour new wine into them, the cracks in the leather would become revealed.  The wine would be lost; the leather also would be of no value.

Buddy arriving.

Therefore, Place new wine into new wineskins!  In the Story where you find that metaphor, you are introduced to the hardened hearts of the Pharisees and scribes who had rejected the good news and therefore the Holy Spirit that flowed forth from those living waters.

Remember the Holy Spirit and the unclean spirits cannot coexist within a heart.  A new wineskin is the heart of someone who has repented and welcomed the new wine, the Holy Spirit.

Sisters, Brooklyn and Sienna

So, now you pretty much know the meaning of the parable about the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee.  The old wine gave out because God sent to us his only begotten Son with new wine. The empty jars used in the purification rite within Judaism that had been empty, barren, now would be fulfilled by living waters, to the brim…from which would pour forth the Holy Spirit. 

Cupcakes of The Week (2 of 5), Kevin (17) and Claire and Ray (42nd).

What one thing would I like for you to take away from the gospel today?  

The Greek word for the servants who assisted Jesus in today’s gospel is used for male or female, diakonia. We are to understand that they were manifesting the Holy Spirit to those at the wedding feast of Cana by their words and actions. 

Toy Land with Hannah and Beth, Zoe, Torri, and Emma.

You might have felt distanced by Nancy’s 2^nd reading if you were wondering who those people are in our assembly.  We are those people!   Those who proclaimed the Word; those who serve at the table, those who distribute from the table; those who wash and fill the cups; those who bake the bread; those who set the table with gifts; those who lead us in song; those who give and distribute our gifts to those in need; those who visit the sick; those who extend the sign of peace to one another.

We are his body, blessed and broken for each other.

Tom presenting 4th quarter financials.

 Readings:

Isaiah 40, 1-11, Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.

Psalm 104,  O, Bless the Lord, my soul.

Titus  2, 11-14, 3, 4-7, The grace of God has appeared.

Luke 3, 15-16, 21-22, With you I am well pleased.

Cupcake of The Week: Rick & Jackie 12 years today, Sunday.

  For those who don’t have a decent Bible or a book of the readings, here are two links that I use, The Bible at Your Fingertips and USCCB, The New American Bible. 

The difference?  The first is Protestant more or less, and the second is officially Catholic and has the 12 little books in between the O.T. & N.T., called Deuterocanonical or Apocrypha. 

Both are good translations.    To buy a Bible, try The Jerusalem Bible or The New American Bible.

Our neighbor Sydney, who invited me to do Meals on Wheels with her 10 days ago. See last Sunday's homily.

Baptism & Original Sin: traditional & contemporary theology 

Traditional theology on baptism & original sin: 

a.  Why we baptized: purification & removal of original sin inherited by babies.  Baby was a sinner & would go to Limbo forever if not baptized before dying.   The non-existence of Limbo has been acknowledged by the Catholic Church.

b.  Original sin: the 1 sin of Eve & Adam, the eating of an apple, ruptured the relationship between God & Humans. 

Offertory, Carol and Richard, Celeste and Michelle

Contemporary theology on baptism & original sin: 

a.  Original sin: (first) 

1.  no original sin  

2.  Genesis story of the fall is allegory, not fact  

3.  from Darwin's Origin of the Species the idea has developed that in our human infancy, we needed certain behaviors to survive.  For instance, killing another person & stealing (like food).  As our ancestors formed communities, norms of social behavior emerged, for example, the 10 commandments.   

Alison and John

4.  St. Augustine, ca. 400: 

–A major, if not the major influence on Christian/Catholic theology of original sin and human nature from his time to today 

–After conversion from a rather lusty life at 32, he had a pessimistic view of human nature, different from early Christianity

–John Chrysostom, bishop of Constantinople (Istanbul), Pelagius, a British monk, & Julian of Eclanum, Italy, a bishop, all found nature good and fought against Augustine

–Augustine used all means to vanquish his opponents with their positive view that nature was good, even to sending a gift of horses to the pope to influence his decision.  Augustine won.

Our Man Cole

b.  Why we baptize today: (using the contemporary theology)

   1.  To celebrate a new life

    2.  To ritually & formally welcome the new person into a family, a community, and to a God famous for love and acceptance

   3.  To cleanse after the journey

 Sources: Elaine Pagels, Adam, Eve, and the Serpent; John Shelby Spong; Wikipedia

Our Cole, the Fire Man.

Baptism Today

This morning I would like to say a few words about contemporary baptism.   To get there I have a story.  Rosemary has gotten me hooked on another of her Brit dramas, this called Doc Martin.   It is not running right now, but we have been watching the series from past years.

There are basically two main characters with a bunch of others.  Doc Martin was a successful London surgeon until he suddenly developed a phobia for blood.  He said he was in the midst of performing surgery on a woman when suddenly he could not do it.  He said in one session he was like a tight rope walker who suddenly lost it.

So he moves to a little fishing village in Cornwall, Port Wenn, to act as the regional general practitioner.   His Aunt Joan, the wisdom figure in the series, has a small farm on the outskirts of Port Wenn.

Meghan receiving the Blessing of the sacrament of the sick.

What really sets Martin apart is his bluntness, his rudeness.  He tells one female patient she is fat, as is her teenage daughter.  He tells patients to get out, when he has finished his exam.  He won’t let his somewhat airheaded receptionist offer the patients tea, even though they sort of expect it and occasionally ask her for it.  When she gives it to them, he jumps all over her.

On one occasion he even paints over a portrait of his receptionist a patient had put on the wall of the waiting room.  The patient was painting the room.

The second primary character is, you guessed it, a pretty girl who is headmistress of the primary school.  We have been given glimpses of how much each loves the other.  On one occasion when Luisa invites Martin to share a glass of wine in his office after hours, one glass and Martin unwinds and tells her he thinks she is beautiful, loves her, and longs to just see her every day in the village.  Then he promptly falls asleep on the kitchen table because, as he said ahead of time, wine puts him straight to sleep.  But they are star crossed. 

Emma ready for snow.

On another occasion, after Martin has saved someone’s life with Luisa helping, he and Luisa are returning in the local taxi.  Luisa kisses him.  Martin the doctor suggests she has bad breath and he has some medication for it.  The next thing we hear is a slap and in the next scene Martin is standing bewildered on the side of the road, the taxi leaving without him.

Why does Martin act this way?  We were given an enormous clue in another session.  His parents.  They come to visit after about three years of no contact.  Dad likewise is a surgeon in London, but has lost a lot of money in some scam.  Mom tells Martin that Martin ruined her marriage.  She never wanted him and still doesn’t.  That was why he spent all his childhood away in boarding schools.  It was a painful session. 

Mr. Leo ready to sing.

Martin is a wounded kid.  His nervousness in the face of Luisa’s love for him is because he can’t handle this new emotion.  He has grown up thinking he is a loser and unwanted. 

Where are Martin and Luisa headed?  I don’t know yet.  I am almost afraid to watch the next session.  I so don’t want Martin to mess it up.  But he always does.  I feel like I am watching the Titanic embarking every time Rosemary & I begin a new session.

What has this to do with baptism?  Baptism is part of the antidote to this negative message.  Baptism can be the official message, the community message, the world’s message to a baby that you are terrific, okay, loved just as you are.  If Martin had heard this as a child, instead of what he heard, how things could have been different. 

After a hip operation, Mike walks.

As a community we can pass this message on to our kids.  They are all gifts.  Our voice can join the heavenly voice in saying, “Little One, you are beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

To whom have you recently conveyed this?

To whom next?

Readings:

Isaiah  60, 1-6, Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem,  Your light has come.

Psalm 72,  Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Ephesians  3, 2-6, The Gentiles are coheirs.

Matthew 2, 1-12, Magi from the east arrived.

Georgie flying solo for the first time

 Isaiah, a review 

Here is another of those passages which make me love Isaiah so much.  I have mentioned this before.  He is my favorite.  

Today we have Isaiah III talking again to the Jews who have returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian Captivity, about 550 years before Christ.  It helps to picture the mood of these people.  Are you a Sooner Fan?  How did you feel at about midnight Friday night?  Multiply this by 10 and you have how the Jewish people felt after 50 years of slavery and  their town destroyed like New Orleans or parts of NY & NJ. 

When he says Jerusalem or Zion, he is talking to these beaten down people.  Later centuries church leaders began to make these words have two meanings.  Jerusalem, then, applies to us.

Sources: Good News Bible, The New Interpreter’s Bible

Cupcake of The Week to Jan on her birthday

 An Epiphany

I would like to talk this morning about the Epiphany in our every day lives or on special events.  I define an epiphany as a new awareness, a new understanding, greater appreciation.

I did something Friday morning that I had never done before in my life and about which I have been curious.  I did a route for Meals on Wheels. 

Cupcake of The Week to Bobby for his birthday

This came about because next door to us lives an 18 year old girl who is a senior at Greenhill and getting ready to attend Colgate next fall.  The girl, Sydney, texted me the other day inviting me to join her on her community service program.  It is helpful for her to have an adult or companion on her runs, her parents were busy, and we have done these things before.

A great granddad playing with Leo and Zoe

We picked up our food at the V.N.A., the Visiting Nurses Assoc. head office on Mockingbird near the entrance to Love Field.  This was eye opening enough for another homily.  We had 17 people listed on a page and they all resided in a high rise apartment building just east of Central going toward Fair Park.  The building has 13 floors with about 15 apartments per floor.

The Play Table with Beth and Emma, Torri, Buddy, and Michelle

Three observations:

1.  These people are not wealthy and they were mostly black.  What they are is so grateful and so friendly.  In the lobby, the corridors, and in the elevators, greetings, chats, cordiality, and grateful comments like, “What you are doing is really good.”  And this even from folks who were not getting meals, but just observing.  I felt such consolation being around these people.
2. My neighbor and friend Sydney.  I tell her, “Sydney, you are ruining my life again,” as she drives me over to pick up the meals at the Visiting Nurses’ Office. 

Harper after visiting the pastry shoppe

First, she showed me long distance bike riding.  She & some other girls rode down the west coast from like Seattle to San Francisco a few years ago.  The idea was planted and when Dembney last winter mentioned Ragbrai and Iowa, even though I told him he was crazy at the time, look what happened to me last July.

Sydney next got me to serve meals at the Bridge.  That led Rosemary and me to the Austin St. Shelter, and then to Soul’s Harbor with Brent, where we are really plugged in, even as a community.

Zoe at the pastry shoppe

And now what: Meals on Wheels, a marvelous phenomenon.  This girl has been an epiphany for me.

     3.    Third observation: this extraordinary service program for high school kids.   When I taught English & Latin & history at Jesuit in the mid-60’s, there was no service program.  I come back to the States in 1990, and most private secondary schools all have the program.

Offertory, Geri and two Mikes

  Sydney told me the Greenhill program sets 24 hours a year.  I noticed Jesuit has 100 hours for seniors. 

The programs are terrific, not just for the high school kids, but also for old geezers like me who get invited along as adult companions and have such marvelous experiences.

Preparing for communion

Friday was an epiphany experience for me.  It led to something unexpected and beautiful.

What is your recent epiphany?

For whom are you an epiphany?

 Readings:

1 Samuel 1, 20-28, Hannah conceived and bore a son whom she called Samuel.

Psalm 84, Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.

1 John 3, 1-2, 21-24, We are God’s children.

Luke 2, 41-52, After 3 days they found him in the temple. 

Candles lit, Mass begins

Samuel observations: who, when, what, our passage with a story

Who:

          –about whom: Samuel, the last judge ruler of the Israelites and the first of the Big Three, that is, Samuel, Saul, and The Great King David, a fascinating Old Testament character. 

          –by whom: not written by Samuel, but a compilation of numerous sources.

When:  The Samuel figure lived around  1000 years before Christ.  As far as being put together into a unit, being familiar as you are with the Big Three Prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, when they did their prophet job,  and the influence of the Babylonian Captivity, around 600-550, yes, you are right if you guess that the work apparently was assembled at this same time.  The Jewish leaders were attempting to preserve their community as a tribe-nation.  

What:  a Jewish history lesson, fantasized greatly, and attempting to give a divinely chosen character to the Israelites’ heredity.  Originally there were two books, Samuel and Kings.  Now there are 4.  How come?  A simple answer.

Originally, it seems, Samuel was one scroll written in Hebrew.  It was translated into Greek.  Hebrew has no vowels and therefore takes up less space.  Greek has vowels.  Therefore, two scrolls were needed to write out the book of Samuel and thus it became Samuel I and II.   Sort of amusingly simple.

Our Emma

The Story: (chapter 1)

          The 4 characters: Samuel’s mom, Hannah; her husband Elkanah; Elkanah’s second wife, Peninnah; & the temple priest, Eli.

          There was this man, Elkanah, who lived with his two wives in Ramah.  He loved them both.  Over the years Peninnah had numerous children, but Hannah had none.  Despite this, Elkanah had a special love for Hannah.

Peninnah used to laugh at and mock Hannah, who became depressed, often would not eat, and cried a lot.

One day Hannah was in the temple crying over her inability to have children.  At one point she promised that if she had a son, she would dedicate him to God’s service.  She continued to pray, mouthing her prayer silently.

Eli, the priest, was sitting in the back of the temple watching Hannah.  He thinks she is drunk and scolds her, “Stop making a drunken spectacle of yourself.  Stop your drinking and sober up.”

Hannah, of course, is mortified and defends herself, saying she has no children and is miserable.  Eli believes her and tells her to go in peace and may God give you what you ask.

Guess what happens….

Sources: Good News Bible, New Interpreter's Study Bible, Bible Gateway.com, Wikipedia

Our Harper

The Family

This morning I would like to say a few words about the family, especially in connection with what happened in Newtown, CT. 

When the news first hit me, like millions of others, I think I was in denial, then angry, then in tears.  As time went on I would occasionally hear or see some snippet of news asking the question why this boy went off like he did.   Everyone seemed perplexed by this.

John & Karen

When I thought more, taking into my experience as a priest and with psychology, I kept thinking, this is not difficult.  I see three factors: nurture, nature, and environment.  And maybe all three together.  This is how it touches us.  Let me explain each one.

Nurture.  I immediately asked myself, what did he not get that he needed to grow up balanced.  What basic needs were not met?  What did I need, what did you need growing up?  I would propose 4 things, affection, acceptance, encouragement, and training.  I would include time here, too, though it is assumed with the first three. 

What happens when I do not have these needs attended to, the result?  I am hurt.  How does hurt often manifest?  Anger.

Cupcake of the Week to Tom & Teresa for 45 years

Nature.   This is a tough one.  Psychological disorder.  I have seen young kids who probably were getting nurture, but were out of control, impulsive, even violent.  The result: anger. 

Modern medication can certainly help a young person with such a disorder.  Sometimes it just does not work.

Environment.  This obviously involves the home atmosphere.  But it includes extended family, school, and neighborhood.  A lot of abuse can take place at school.  Bullying.   Result: hurt.  Manifestation: anger.

Cupcake of The Week #2 to Meredith on her birthday

Also under environment I would include what is offered on TV, electronic games, and news from other tragedies.  Who right now are the young people out there who want to emulate Newtown or Columbine?  The example is contagious for a kid. 

What has this got to do with you and me?  It has this to do with you and me: we are family.  We can nurture, whether we are parents, grandparents, teachers, mentors, coaches, scout leaders. 

One of the people who nurtured me in 7^th & 8^th grade was Frank Hart, my old coach, scout leader, and teacher.  We are still close friends.

Shonda and Ben

We as a Catholic spiritual community have the honor and privilege of nurturing all the marvelous kids who join with us on Sunday mornings.  May they take away a positive image of themselves from their time here.  May they take with them an image of an affectionate and accepting God. 

Affection, acceptance, encouragement, training.  For whom are you doing this today?