THE CLING OF BEAUTY

The rain remained on the green grass
just long enough for me to stop walking,
to gaze down, to be amazed at the cling
of beauty – and to remember your beauty
still remains, still clings, long after the rain,
long after the grass fades. It helps me see
why marriages last and what Isaiah longed
for after seeing too many dry blades of grass
pointing angry fingers at the sky for rain.

© Andy Costello,

Reflections, 2008
Cf. Isaiah 15:6; 45: 8

JULY 3, 2008

TENTH ANNIVERSARY

OF THE DEATH

OF FATHER BERNARD HARING,

REDEMPTORIST

Today, July 3, 2008 marks the tenth anniversary of the death of Father Bernard Haring, CSs.R. He died in the Redemptorist Community House in Gars-Am-Inn, Germany July 3, 1998. He was 85 years old.

Go to Google and type in, “Bernard Haring”. Be prepared for lots to read – and see where it takes you.

I met Father Bernard Haring once – just a hand shake and a “Hello” in a group setting. It was in the early 1960’s. He was invited to give a series of lectures in our major seminary, Mount St. Alphonsus, Esopus, New York.

The 1960s – what a tidal time to be in school? I was getting the old and the new – and both would help me all through my priesthood in understanding the old and the new! I was in my early 20’s – experiencing the wonderful excitement of theological dialogue and questioning.

Bernard Haring’s arrival at our seminary was a major event. Lots of energy was flowing. I knew his name – fragments of his ideas – and not much more. I knew that he had written The Law of Christ. It was in English. I was not studying Moral Theology yet, but many of us read some of it for spiritual reading – and I found it a breath of fresh air.

I sat and listened as he spoke. I watched and wondered.

Looking back it was the moment that I discovered the power of story and personal example.

The first life learning was an incident that Father Haring told us. He was on the Russian Front during World War II. Orthodox Christians heard there was a priest in the area and they wanted their children baptized. Rules and regulations said, “No.” He had to make a decision. He said, "No" at first. Then he realized one had to say, "Yes!"

I have in my Blog a homily about key scripture texts in one’s life. It was from Father Bernard Haring’s comments that I grasped my life long and my life time Bible message. It's Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens and you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Instead of pushing Biblical texts in other’s faces to win arguments, I learned that Galatians 6:2 is the text to wear on one’s heart – and not on one’s t-shirt. To me it sounded very much like what Jesus was saying in the parable of the Good Samaritan. The priest and the Levite walked by the man who was half dead. They kept their law. The Good Samaritan stopped to help the man. He broke his law and followed a more important law. (Cf. Luke 10: 29-37.)

The second life learning that happened during that week’s talks went this way. In a Question and Answer period after one of the talks a priest said, “Because we are attending this conference, we don’t have to say all of the Divine Office.” It was something like that.

After lunch I headed to my room for a half-hour siesta, a wonderful custom we had inherited from our European roots. As I was closing my shutters, I looked outside. There was Father Bernard Haring outside walking along alone saying his breviary or prayers or Divine Office.

To me, prayer is to be a joy – not an obligation – a want to – not a have to – not a sin if we don’t do it, but a grace and a connection with God if we do take the time to pray.

Besides, The Law of Christ, Father Haring went on to write another 3 volume Moral Theology series, Free and Faithful in Christ. It came out in English in 1978. There it was: the stress on a relationship with Christ and each other based on love more than law.

He wrote many, many articles, around 100 books, and gave talks everywhere around the world.

I was lucky to see him in person that one week in the 1960’s – from a short distance.

Thank you, Bernard Haring.

In reading his biography on Google, I realized we had a few similarities. We both have the same birthday ... different years of course. He had three sisters who became religious. My dad did as well - and I have one sister who is a nun.  I also found out that he too wanted to go to Brazil and he too never got that assignment. And we are both Redemptorists - who like St. Alphonsus proclaimed a Moral Theology of the love of Jesus Christ.

What I have not experienced yet is attacks. He experienced throat. cancer. Worse, he experienced what theologians in our church often experience: theological attack.

We had a wonderful priest in our major seminary nicknamed, “Teddy."  Father "Teddy" Meehan  used to joke that he was sent into exile a few times like St. Athanasius in the Early Church. But it wasn't because of his theology. It was because he spoke up for students.  Teddy was sent to the Virgin Islands – not bad - but he would be brought back to teach Early Church History by popular demand. As we studied Church History – and as we went through the 1960’s, I discovered the history of the Catholic Church contains a history of attempts to silence its theologians and its thinkers and those who speak up.

St. Thomas Aquinas (1224 or 1225- 1274) was investigated. Excommunication threats went flying. For those who don’t believe this, simply find a copy of The New Catholic Encyclopedia – and look up in Volume XIV, “Thomas Aquinas” and “Thomism” or in Google type in "Thomas Aquinas".

When I was studying in the major seminary, 1960-1966, we experienced Vatican II taking place. We became familiar with attempts to silence people like John Courtney Murray, Yves Congar, Karl Rahner, Henri de Lubac, Francisco Marin-Sola.  Surprise they were some of the  people who had a great impact on the Council. There were also attempts to silence those who were “conservative”.

If there is anything I learned about Catholic thought and theology, it's this: expect this dynamic to continue. Or as Yogi Berra would put it: "Expect deja vu all over again."

We'll experince reading on page 5 of some Catholic newspaper that the official church apologizes for how it treated Galileo (1564-1642) way back when. Then we'll read on page 9 mention of some theologian being silenced or investigated today. Sitting there I put the paper aside and wonder if this person will be exonerated 200 years from now and someone new will be attacked.

Marie Joseph Langrange (1855-1938), a Dominican, struggled for years to move the Catholic Church forward in Biblical studies, founding the famous Ecole Biblique in Jerusalem. He too had to deal with attacks for years – but eventually the Catholic Church woke up and put him on the Pontifical Biblical Commission and his cause for being named a saint was started after his death.

Yves Congar, theologian, also a Dominican, was attacked, investigated, silenced and banned. Besides having a profound impact on Vatican Council II, he was made a cardinal before he died.

I found on the Internet the following very interesting comment: “Joseph Ratzinger, later Benedict XVI, was declared to be under suspicion of heresy by Pope Pius XII and the Holy Office.  His book, ‘Introduction to Christianity' was banned because of heresy by Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski."

I guess it’s life. Get used to it. Father Haring was in World War II as well as in the theological wars. Pope Pius XII attacked him and John the XXIII and Paul VI praised him. When I was at that series of lectures he gave at our seminary in the early 1960’s, some Redemptorists were praising him; some were attacking him.

Life.

St. Alphonsus, the founder of the Redemptorists, was criticized by some for being too strict and by others as too lax.

Life.

I find the same story in the Gospels – in the life of Jesus. He was loved as well as attacked.

So if I read anything in the writings and life of Father Bernard Haring, it's the presence of Jesus - and that includes sin and the cross - but especially the call to love - to bear one another's burdens - to trust one another - instead of screaming "No" and negative labeling each other when we're different from each other.

In the meanwhile, let's all smile, laugh and love life, as I saw Bernard Haring doing.

AFTERWARDS

You surprised me.
when you came over and asked,
“What’s happening?”
And you actually listened
to what I had to say.
Then, afterwards,
it’s always afterwards isn’t it,
I caught myself
talking to myself and asking,
"What’s happening?”
And I actually listened
to what I had to say to myself.
Then, afterwards,
it’s always afterwards, isn’t it,
I realized,
I need to ask others,
“What’s happening?”
and actually listen to them and
not spend my time looking over
their shoulders to see
who else is in the room.
I’m here. You’re here. That’s enough.
Thank you.
But I didn’t realize this till
afterwards.

© Andy Costello,

Reflections 2008

PETER AND PAUL

INTRODUCTION

[The title of my homily or reflection for today is, “Peter and Paul.” The scene is Rome. The year is 67 – the estimated year both Peter and Paul were killed in Rome.]

Good morning.

My name is Peter. [Step out of the pulpit to let Paul speak.]
And my name is Paul.

Both of us are here today to say something about ourselves. This is a little bit embarrassing – but we have this feast day named after us – so someone suggested we give a bit of a bio about ourselves and make a few comments.

I defer to Peter, our leader, “Papa”, or “Abba”, to speak first. [Step out of the pulpit to let Peter speak.]

Okay, thank you, Paul. Let me say a bit about myself – some background and then how I was blessed to meet Jesus Christ.

I was a fisherman – just an ordinary fisherman. My brother Andrew and I would have simply been fishermen all our lives – and we would have been part of the millions and millions and millions of people nobody ever heard of – except our families and our village.

Sometimes our nets were full and sometimes it seemed that the whole Lake of Galilee was empty of fish.

Then one day – we had just fished all night long and caught nothing – this traveling carpenter came along and spoke to the crowds not too far from my partners’ and our two boats. We were cleaning our nets and this Jesus was preaching. The crowd was building up the more he spoke.

Then this Jesus, to better reach the crowd, gets into my boat and preaches some more. We could hear his words – and we wondered who he was.

Then, surprise, he spots me and calls me over and says, “Let’s go out into the deep water and lower those nets for a catch of fish!”

I said to him, “Fish? Look, we spent the whole night fishing and caught nothing.”

Silence.

My brother Andrew was wondering what I would do next.

Well, there was something about this Jesus, that got me to say, “Okay.”

We go out into the deep water and we lowered our nets for a catch. The nets suddenly were full. I said, “Now we know where the fish were hiding.” The nets were almost breaking, so we called to our partners, James and John, who were on the shore. They jumped into the other boat and came out to help us. We filled both boats till they were almost sinking.

Suddenly, I felt a gigantic “Uh oh” filling this little boat called me. I said, “Lord, leave me alone. I am a sinful man.”

He smiled and said, “Don’t be afraid – from now on it’s going to be people whom you’ll be catching.”

So that’s how I got into his boat. That’s how I became his disciple.

It became quite a voyage. He netted me with one toss.

I saw it all – crowds wanting to make him king; scribes and Pharisees wanting to see him dead.

He went around preaching, reaching out, healing, helping, feeding, challenging folks.

Oh, I had my doubts at times. Oh, I put my foot into my mouth a few times – but Jesus could see right through me every time – and let me tell you, I learned first hand, that life calls for forgiveness, 70 times 7 times forgiveness – every day forgiveness.

At our Last Supper together he told us, he was going to be arrested and killed. If he knew where fish were, he knew where his enemies were.

Then he said to us, “When the shepherd is caught, the sheep will be scattered.”

At that I jumped up and said, “Even if every one of us loses faith in you, I will never lose faith.”

He spoke back words that still burn me like fingers accidentally touching a red hot coal. “I’m telling you right here, right now, before the cock crows tomorrow morning, you will disown me three times.”

At that I shot back, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.”

Sure enough, I hate to admit it, that night I denied him three times. And every morning since, when the roosters start screaming, the memory of my sin starts screaming.

But, as I said, Jesus is all about forgiveness.

There we were fishing after his death – back up in Galilee. We're on the lake, he's on the shore. Once more we caught nothing. Once more he tells us where to fish. Once more our nets are full. At that I jumped into the water and headed for him on the shore.

Surprise. Jesus is always the Lord of Surprises. There he is – The Risen Lord - making breakfast for us – with fish! I often wonder where did he get that fish – and why did he tell us to fish?

I know – I know why he told us to fish.

Anyway, he the carpenter, told me the fishermen, to feed the flock. He was always doing that - mixing his messages with an array of images. He knew how to catch people like fish or find people who were lost sheep.

Well, I ended up preaching about this Jesus. This Jesus who is one of us and one with God – human and divine – truly “the Christ, the Son of the living God” and our brother – crucified but risen – dead but alive – gone but here – present in the broken bread and present in the starving brother or sister without daily bread.

I preached about him in many places. I brought his presence to Antioch and to Rome. I ended up being the head guy – without wanting it. He knew that people would say this is real – because it was so unreal – a fisherman called to be the “papa” or “abba” - the first of the group – a sinner whom sinners could relate to.

Enough. I’m sure you much rather hear from Paul. But be alert while he speaks. I’m sure you heard about what happened when he was speaking one night in Troas. A young man named Eutychus was sitting on the windowsill while Paul was preaching. This young man fell asleep and fell out the window to three floors below. Here’s Paul. Hang onto your seats. (Cf. Acts 20:7-12) [Step out of the pulpit to let Paul speak.]

Thank you Peter for telling them that. I noticed while you were speaking a few people were sleeping. And by the way, the boy lived – and I went back upstairs and continued preaching till the morning.

Peter and I didn’t always get along – but that’s the beauty of this church Jesus started – so many different personalities becoming one body.

I was a tent maker who became angry with these followers of Jesus who were ripping the fabric of Judaism apart. I made it my goal to do all I could to stop them – to stop people from following Jesus. Then in the midst of my angry march to stop Christ, he knocked me to the ground. I couldn’t see, because I was so blind. My darkness which I thought was light, blinded his light – which I thought was darkness.

Slowly Jesus, the Risen One, dawned on me. Jesus pushed his way into my life and I began to see who he was and what he was about. Once that happened nothing could stop me. I found myself saying, “I live, now not I, but Christ lives in me.”

I began to see Jesus in his disciples, in his followers, in everyone – that the church has all sorts of folks. It’s like a body – some are handy; some do the foot work; some are all heart; some are the backbone of the community; someone needs to be the head; some need to be ears, good listeners; some have to be seers, people who can see through things; some have to be mouth – proclaimers and teachers.

I was mouth and foot and ear. I went everywhere – watching first and then speaking – all though the Mediterranean Basin – trying to start communities, churches, bodies of Christ everywhere. I would go to Jewish settlements first. Some got the message that Jesus came to renew Israel not to destroy it.

Like Peter, I was jailed. Like Peter, I was chained. Like Peter, Christ was my strength. Like Peter, Christ kept rescuing me.

Like Peter I wrote letters back to Christian communities to encourage and to challenge them. They probably tore them up – but I hope they heard what I was trying to write to them.

Somewhere along the line it hit me: what about the rest of the world – the world beyond Judaism. What about the Gentiles? That was the big question – the defining moment and decision that had to be made. I know that you Peter had trouble with that one, but I did too. I’m glad we all saw the call to reach out to all. You reneged on this Peter, but that’s human nature, but then you rose to new life. Move two inches, go back one inch. Go three inches, go back one inch – but ever onwards.

We both realized the place to fish was not just the Lake of Galilee, but the whole Mediterranean Sea. And I hear there is an ocean beyond that - that we are to fish with Christ everywhere.

So here we are in Rome – pope and preacher. Here we are in the head city of the world and once more people want to kill Christ. Here we are – still fishing and still searching for lost sheep.

I guess that’s what this church will be doing till the end of time.

Calling on all to board the boat. Let’s go out into the deep waters and lower our nets for a catch – nets full of fish and nets full of sheep.