John Stack Ministries - Weblog

Announcements

Rosemary's Blessing: 

I thank you God

for this most amazing day,

for the leaping greenly spirits of trees and

for a blue true dream of sky; and

for everything which is natural

which is infinite

which is yes.

e.e.cummings

 
   
 
 Special Thanks:

• For Reading:  Richard & Bernadette
• For Serving: Kevin  
• For the Communion Bread: Alison
• For the Wine Cups: Beth & Rob 
• For the Music: Ray & Wendy & Jon
• For the Pictures & Video:  Jan & Beth & John
• For the altar & sound:  Jackie & Leon Campise
• For the coffee & specials:  Maureen & Fred, Jackie & Joan & Robyn

   

  

Birthdays:  Nancy Kovatis, Angela Kemp, Bill Hammond, Lisa Ackerman & Lacee Ackerman, & Sabrina (16)

 Anniversaries:  

Richard & Sheila Baack (29th)

 
 

Please Remember:

Bernadette Delgado's brother, Danny, & Gilberto's mom;    Chuck Pratt's recuperation;  Judy Carrell's mom, Marie, 93;  Jackie Ritter's good friend, Narges Akbari, with colon cancer;  Marilyn Ackerman's brother, Dick, recuperating from a back operation;   Grace LeBlanc's niece Carlin, 13, with hodgkins; Warren & Barb's friend, Mike, fighting cancer & Barb's dad with hip surgery; Charlie Sawtelle's buddy, Moe, with cancer; Mike & Dee's daughter;  Jack Carlson's brother, Bob, with a stroke; Tom & Teresa Quinn's niece, Chawna, with cancer, plus Neva Flynn, Angel, & Diane Kreeitzer;  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;  for our President that he have great success and someday hold his grandchildren in his lap.

   
  

Picture 1:    Richard                             

Picture 2:    Bernadette                       

Picture 3:    Cruz & his family      

Picture 4:    Baptism of Cruz                          

       Video:    Mass Beginning

 

Finances: October 9, 2011

Expenses:   $1295.00

Outreach:   $ 740.00 

Thanks for your Generosity

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

 

JSM Mission-Faith Statement

      Help create a Catholic Community that welcomes all God’s People, provides for & challenges spiritual & total growth

      Reaches out to help people who are disadvantaged & make the world we live in a better place to live.

  

 

Reminder for Sunday 10-9-11, 28th Ordinary Time

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

Time: 9:30; Stack celebrating

Readings: Isaiah 25, 6-10 (a fun vision of the next life); Psalm 23 , I shall live in the House of the Lord all the days of my life (great psalm of consolation); Philippians 4, 12-20; Matthew 22, 1-14




Picture Picture 1: Delgado Corner

Picture 2: C.C. & Kayla

Picture 3: Claire with Sienna & Kayla

Picture 4: Buddy with his grandmom, Bernadette

Picture 5: Georgie

Picture 6: Torri with with granddad Gil

Community Bulletin Board:

1. CCAC Volunteers: Download CCAC Volunteers 10-7-11

What's going on in our Catholic World:

1. Reflections on Autumn, Eugene Kennedy, National Catholic Reporter, September 30: Download The liturgical season of autumn 10-7-11

2. The Pope visits Germany, National Catholic Reporter, September 30: Download Pope visits Germany 10-7-11

3. Catholicism & the Death Penalty, National Catholic Reporter, September 30: Download Death Penalty 10-7-11

Picture 7: Rosemary gathering communion helpers

Picture 8: Claire & Andrew

True?

Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

Video: Final Blessing

See you Sunday, October 9

J.S. (214-783-0443)

JSM Mission-Faith Statement

Help create a Catholic Community that welcomes all God’s People, provides for & challenges spiritual & total growth

Reaches out to help people who are disadvantaged & make the world we live in a better place to live

Sunday Homily 10-2-11, 27th Ordinary Time

 Readings:  Isaiah 5, 1-7; Psalm 80, The Vineyard of the Lord is the House of Israel; Philippians 4, 6-9; Matthew 21, 33-43 

 

Isaiah:

• The biggest of the big 3 prophets not only because of the book's volume, 66 chapters, but because of the beauty of some passages.   The book is my favorite.
• Time written: before the Babylonian Captivity (ca. 590) chapters 1-39 seem to have been composed by the prophet.  After the Captivity (ca. 540) at least two followers seem to have composed chapters 40-66.
• Today's selection: talks about a vineyard worker who labors carefully to bring forth good grapes, but gets only weeds.  What does he do with the vines?  This story matches up with Matthew's parable.

 

The Crazy Landowner 

Every week when I read the Sunday readings for the first time, I have one of three reactions.  Once in a while I know exactly what I would like to say.  Other times I have not a clue.  And then there are the in betweens.  Today’s reading about the landowner with the vineyard is an in between for me.   

There are all sorts of handles to grab onto.  Like what each component of the parable is a symbol for.  Obviously, the landowner symbolizes God, the son symbolizes Jesus, and the tenants could be the Jews or clergy or rabbis. 

 

Remember, too, Matthew is writing for both Jews and Gentiles.  He may be warning the Jews that they are going to lose it.

I want to focus on the landowner and make two points. 

The first point is that when you think he is crazy, you are right.  The landowner never gives up on his tenant people even to the point of being crazy.  Which means:  our God never gives up on us and always accepts us so much so that we think our God must be crazy. 

 

The second point.  To understand this it helps me to remember a story I connect with this parable and have told before.  Hang on.  This is it. 

When I first started planting trees seriously in Dallas I started on the Jesuit campus in ’87 & ’88.  I planted 88 trees the first year and among those trees, I planted most of the trees along Inwood Road and along Willow, the small street on the south side by the playing field.

A month or so after the planting, one of my trees was pulled out and thrown in the Willow creek ditch.  I was especially disturbed because the tree was exactly the first tree on Willow and would one day shade the bus stop.  So, I planted another.  This is like February.  Guess what.  It was pulled out and thrown in the ditch. 

 

What to do?  I did nothing all that spring and summer.  When October returned, I decided I would plant a special tree, a 10 gallon container tree, two times bigger than my normal trees.  People told me I was crazy.  And I agreed.  I planted the tree.  

What happened?  Go by today and look.  You will see a gigantic, beautiful red oak shading the bus stop.  

The second point of this parable: we are challenged to imitate the landowner, meaning we accept and help our neighbor and our people even to a point where others are saying, “That person is nuts, is crazy.”  

 

Hopefully, we all have the same success I had with the red oak.  Whether yes or no, we know, firstly, our God accepts me to a point of looking crazy.  And secondly, we are challenged to do the same.

Who is your challenge?

Picture 1:    Sacrament of the Sick

Picture 2:    Shonda, Bethany, & Ray

Picture 3:    CC

Picture 4:    Sienna & her sister  

Picture 5:    Brooklyn

Announcements

Rosemary's Blessing: 

May we be always mindful of God’s wondrous love for us

And in accepting this love

May we go the extra mile

And be equally crazy in our acceptance of others.

J and R Creations

   

 
 Special Thanks:

• For Reading:  Noah &  Mike
• For Serving: Kevin on school project 
• For the Communion Bread: Alison &
• For the Wine Cups: John DeGenova 
• For the Music: Ray & Shonda, Bethany & Jon
• For the Pictures & Video:  Rick & Richard & Beth
• For the altar & sound:  Jackie & Hue
• For the coffee & specials:  Tony & Jo, Jackie & Joan

  
  

Birthdays:  Don Mattingly, Erin McClurg, Georgie Brown (10), & my Aunt Kitty in Midland (105); Jackie Johnson (today), Leo (1); Buddy & Torri (1)

Anniversaries:

Patricia Jansky & Fred (1st year)

Claire & Andrew (1st day)

Payton & Erin (1st year)

Greetings to the Community from the Detroit Lions for whom I celebrated a 6:30 A.M. Sunday Team Mass.

 
  

Please Remember:

Bernadette Delgado's brother, Danny, & Gilberto's mom;    Chuck Pratt's recuperation;  Judy Carrell's mom, Marie, 93;  Jackie Ritter's good friend, Narges Akbari, with colon cancer;  Marilyn Ackerman's brother, Dick, recuperating from a back operation;   Grace LeBlanc's niece Carlin, 13, with hodgkins; Warren & Barb's friend, Mike, fighting cancer & Barb's dad with hip surgery; Charlie Sawtelle's buddy, Moe, with cancer; Mike & Dee's daughter;  Jack Carlson's brother, Bob, with a stroke; Tom & Teresa Quinn's niece, Chawna, with cancer, plus Neva Flynn, Angel, & Diane Kreeitzer;  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;  for our President that he have great success and someday hold his grandchildren in his lap.

   
 

Picture 1:    Noah                          

Picture 2:    Mike                    

Picture 3:    Claire & Andrew & Chloe   

Picture 4:    Georgie with her grandmother, Bernadette                         

       Video:    Mass Beginning

  

Finances: October 2, 2011

Expenses:   $600.00

Outreach:   $260.00   

Thanks for the Generosity

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

 

JSM Mission-Faith Statement

      Help create a Catholic Community that welcomes all God’s People, provides for & challenges spiritual & total growth

      Reaches out to help people who are disadvantaged & make the world we live in a better place to live.