Sunday Sermon and Father’s Day

Gregory E. Lang

“A daughter needs a dad to be the standard against which she will judge all men.”

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A fairly gloomy muggy Sunday morning, but as always, a great day to rise and shine and give God His glory, glory. Hugs and hellos and happy faces greeting before 9 o’clock Mass.

Today is Trinity Sunday, which always makes me smile. Mom was born on or around Trinity Sunday, thus the reason for her name, Trinidad. I think she was born the Monday after. When Father was commenting on the symbolism of the Trinity, I wasn’t paying much attention. I was thinking about Mom every time he said the word Trinity. I smiled.

Father Don also had all the dads stand up for a special blessing for Father’s Day. It was nice to see so many dads, ranging in ages from white haired men with canes and walkers to the new dads proudly holding newborns in their arms, It was a wonderful sight to behold. It made me think of my own father who rarely walked inside a church. Mom took us to church. My sons rarely sat beside their father in a church pew. He moaned and protested before and after, so we usually went without him. Golf or fishing were more important. Church going and religion and prayer doesn’t always make a man a good man, or a good woman. It sure couldn’t hurt. I often wonder if that is a major missing link in the collapse of the family unit.

Aw… now I’m really smiling. My son just called so I could FaceTime with the grand-babies. Belle was getting ready for bed, reading her books and laughing. Sophie just got placed in her crib. I love our Sunday calls. But, the most wonderful moment was when Joe said that he and Belle went to Mass for Father’s Day this morning. I couldn’t help it. A few tears slipped down my cheek. I loved that it was important for him to celebrate Father’s Day at church.

My take on it… you don’t ever have to step inside a church to know God. He has to live in your heart and you should thank Him for your blessings. Share this love with your family, your children, and your friends. That’s all a church building is. It’s a place where people gather to share and show their gratitude. You can pray alone, or at home with your family, but it’s like a party or any celebration. It’s a lot more fun with a lot of people to celebrate along with you.

Happy Father’s Day to all the men and dads out there who make the world a better place.

Sunday Sermon and Other Stuff

“Hypocrites get offended by the truth.”
― Jess C. Scott, Bad Romance: Seven Deadly Sins Anthology
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OK. My previous post disappeared in auto draft. It’s out in cyber world and I ain’t writing it again. So, here’s a recap…
Went to church, Father was funny, had a leisurely brunch with Karen and Mercedes at Bien Salsa and strolled around the Square, came home and went for a long walk. Another nice day.

(The hypocrite theme relates to the sermon and homily today.The guest priest told a story about a couple who said they didn’t want to attend his church because it was FULL of hypocrites. He replied, “Not really. Come in and join us. We still have room for a couple more.”) now, some pictures.

Me, Karen and Mercedes at Bien Salsa.

A couple old jalopies.

Supernova Sunday

I think that we are like stars. happens to burst us open; but when we burst open and think we are dying; we’re actually turning into a supernova. And then when we look at ourselves again, we see that we’re suddenly more beautiful than we ever were before!
C. JoyBell C.
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When I search for an interesting quote to start my daily post, I’m always amazed that the most absolutely perfect words have been expressed for me to “borrow” and share. This one is fantastic, isn’t it?

This morning, although thoroughly exhausted, I got up early and went to 9 o ‘clock Mass. I needed to say “thank you” for all the strength, friendship, and love that I have been blessed with. Later on, Matt and I went up to the Square for lunch. I hadn’t been there for a while and needed a “Snug'” visit and a hug from Sandra. Then, of course, over to “Sweet Spot Bakery” for more hugs from Miss Kathy and Miss Elizabeth, and some yummy treats for later.

Matt has been my knight in shining armor. We made two long trips back to the old house to grab more things. Moving is such a pain. We stopped to get something to eat at Blue Olive, but they were closed. So after making another packing trip, we had lemon bars and a drink when we got home.

It’s been a long day, a long year actually, but just when I thought I was going to burst open and start dying… I turned into a Supernova. I feel beautiful!

( I forgot to mention, when I went into my suitcase this morning to get something to wear for church, there it was. A lucky penny to greet me. )

It was a good day.

Sunday: Signs and Sinners

Problems are not stop signs, they are guide lines.
Robert H. Schuller
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Every Sunday morning I call mom before she goes to church, and I always say, “Pray for us sinners.” Now that I’m going to church on Sunday mornings too, I do a little of my own praying for us sinners. So, I think we’re covered.

I’m a firm believer of signs, and who knows where the signs come from, but if we believe, well, then we make them happen. After 9 o’clock Mass this morning, I walked around the vestibule and observed the families milling around. There was a nice energy, an electricity of a sort. It felt like a sign, something special. I stepped back inside to take a photo of the crucifix that had mesmerized me during the service.

I decided to treat myself to a late breakfast at my favorite place on the Square. I checked my messages before getting into the car and found that my friend, Linda had called to invite me to join her for lunch. Even better. She met me at Snug and we had a leisurely lunch and chat. Later, I found…not a lucky penny…but a lucky dime. Another sign, and ten times better than a penny. When I find my lucky coins, I take it as a sign that everything will be ok.

My lucky dime.

Now, this is an actual sign. The sign reads SNUG, but it really means a very fun, happy place. When I got home, the sun was shining and it was a gorgeous day, about 86 degrees, and I was moved to change, put on my tennis shoes and go for a long walk. A great Sunday.

So, life is full of signs, we just need to see them. AND, life is full of sinners, so we have to pray for them…some more than others.

Sunday Salutations

We all know that a church is not a building.
Robert H. Schuller
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I started out my day with a conversation with the two entities who have been looking out for me since the day I was born. The first, was my dear mother, of course, the second was with God. Yes, I went to church again this morning. I wanted to show my appreciation and respect, ask for strength to carry on, and have a few moments to pray. I know a church is not a building. I find it is a place that gives inspiration and comfort.

After church, I was able to spend another fun-filled afternoon with friends. We visited the art studios on the MAST tour that we missed yesterday and had a great lunch at Louisiana Street Grill near downtown McKinney. What would I do without my wonderful friends, my passion for art and my writing? I am so blessed.

Annie Royer’s studio.

Renee Wrenwood and Gail McLaughlin.

Cool photo op by the Flour Mill.

A good day!

Sunday Serendipity

Serendipity means a “happy accident” or “pleasant surprise”; a fortunate mistake. Specifically, the accident of finding something good or useful while not specifically searching for it. The word has been voted one of the ten English words hardest to translate in June 2004 by a British translation company.[1] However, due to its sociological use, the word has been exported into many other languages.[2]
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Sometimes the signs hit you over the head, or smack you in the face, or sneak up when you’re not looking. Friday, I was talking to one of my senior artist friends about church. She hadn’t been able to go for several weeks after her surgery and she missed it. Saturday she called me, but left a message, as I wasn’t home. When I called her back, she said, “I sensed that you wanted to talk about something. I told her, “Not really. But, I had been thinking after talking to you that I needed to get back to church.”

When I woke up Sunday morning, I looked at the clock in the bathroom and it said 8:45. Darn! I promised myself that if I woke up early enough that I’d go to 9 o’clock Mass. Not enough time…wasn’t meant to be. So, I brushed my teeth, made a cup of tea, and started to dial my mom for our morning chat. It was almost 9 and I wanted to catch her before she went to church. I grabbed my cell phone and noticed that it said 8:05. What? That’s right! Daylight Saving Time. We fell back and I forgot to change the clocks, but the cell phone changed automatically. I DID have time to get to church by 9.

The signs hit me over the head. I scrambled, got dressed and got to St.Gabriel’s with five minutes to spare. It felt good to be back to church, to see families, children, elderly and the faithful, all there to show their respect and share their faith. I realize that being a good Christian or a good Catholic doesn’t mean going to church every Sunday, but rather being a good person every day, but sometimes you just need to put on your Sunday clothes and join others to give thanks, sing a few hymns and thank God for your blessings. Amen.

Theme Song Thursday: It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

The day started off cold and rainy. Miraculously, the dreary morning was replaced by a glorious afternoon. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the sun forced pedestrians to remove their jackets and don their sunglasses. It was “a beautiful day in the neighborhood.”

Speaking of neighborhoods and neighbors, today was the Empty Bowls fundraiser at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in McKinney. My senior art group completed 25 painted bowls for the big day, and now I’d get to see our bowls and all the others displayed. I heard there were over 225 donated bowls.

What an amazing turnout! The community was out in full force to support feeding the hungry. St. Peter’s is tucked away in the middle of a charming historic neighborhood. Many locals walked over for the event. I ran into dozens of friends. A lot of smiling, laughing, and hugging was exchanged. Each guest received a bowl of delicious soup provided by several local restaurants, a slice of bread, and a beverage.

I picked out a lovely hand-built coil bowl with a simple tree sketched on the front. The empty bowls are to remind us of the many people who still go hungry every day. But, it was also a great reminder that neighbors and friends who gather together to help their community, are blessed many-fold. Thus, I was reminded that it was “a beautiful day in the neighborhood.”