ME

A rock – no, never.
Water – not even close.
A tree – sometimes.
A chair – getting closer.
A table – a tiny bit at times.
A door – but closed – perhaps.
A bridge – trying to be.
A window – no.
A mirror – definitely not.
Me – yes.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

R.S.V.P.

Love is a risk – well worth it
when another chooses
to love back in return –
and that’s the catch. It has
to contain the possibility of
the other’s “No!” – otherwise
the other’s “Yes” means
nothing. So here goes,
“I love you!” R.S.V.P.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

CRAYONS  AND  CLAY

Adults know – somehow they know
to say, "Thank you!"
without being told to say it
when a kid hands us a drawing –
or a statue they made from clay or play dough.
Putting the drawing on the refrigerator door
or the clay cat or dog on a shelf
or a very prominent place,
so the creator can notice it every time,
now that’s learned behavior….
God the Creator has to be saying “Wow!”
and “Thank you” as well.
“Imitation is the sincerest of flattery.”
But what does someone feel when he or she
finds in an attic box or cellar trunk
old papers and pictures
from mom or dad – or grandparents –
a crayoned Picasso or an impressionistic painting
or sculpture or note book that he or she drew
or wrote in when they were 2, 3 or 4?
It has to be somewhat like the feelings
the 4 teenagers had who discovered the Cave of Lascaux
in southwest France in 1940 with all those drawings
of bisons and bulls, horses and penguins
dated back to Paleolithic times –
some 15,000 to 17,000 years ago –
or the feeling the shepherd or goatherd had
who discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947.
Wait! There's more to come.
Imagine all the undiscovered paintings and scrolls
in trunks and boxes in attics and cellars,
as well as in the caves of the human heart,
waiting to be discovered, “Thank you!” “Wow!”

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

PERSPECTIVE

From way up here
everything looks so, so small …
sitting here – window seat
looking down at the vast below….
And sometimes that’s how I feel
sitting here right next to you,
window seat next to aisle seat,
feeling so far, far away from you.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

EITHER / OR

Walking after the spring rain….

You can see the puddle
or the sky.

Or you can see the sky
in the puddle.

© Andy Costello Reflections 2009

[Scenes from Capernaum: Notice the Octagonal Church (upper left picture)- the octagonal ruins (lower right picture) over which the church was built; the synagogue; the Red Roof Greek Orthodox Church and how close everything is to the Lake of Gallilee. Tap - tap with your mouse cursor on any picture to get a bigger view of the specific picture.]

UNDERNEATH

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Underneath.”

You never know what’s underneath. You can’t judge a book by its cover. You can’t tell a person by the color of their hair – or the number of their teeth or the look of their car. Get a second, third or fourth opinion.

Today I’m challenged by the old Indian saying we’re all very familiar with, “Don’t judge your neighbor till you walked a mile in his or her moccasins.”

To get to that theme, let me first take you on another bus ride.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Last Sunday’s gospel began, “Then they came to Capernaum….”

They go the synagogue and Jesus heals the man who screams out, “I know who you are – the Holy One of God.”

Today’s gospel begins, “On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew….” and Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law.

In January of 2000 I went to Israel with 20 priests. It was a great deal. An old Redemptorist priest in his 80’s always wanted to go to Israel – but he needed someone to carry his bags. “Here I am Lord, send me.” If you ever get a chance to see Israel, go for it. It really gives you an interesting take many times when you read the Bible.

We got off the bus in Capernaum. We walked through a gate – into an enclosed area – maintained by the Franciscans. We walked to the ruins of a 4th century A.D. synagogue – built on top of the synagogue mentioned in last Sunday and this Sunday’s gospel.

Father Stephen Doyle, a Franciscan, was our guide. It was more like a retreat than a tour. We sat down on the stone seats on both sides of the roofless synagogue and he read last Sunday’s gospel to us. Then he gave us a half hour of quiet prayer to reflect upon the story and where we were. It was wonderful. After the half hour, he said, “We’re now going to walk to Peter’s mother-in-law’s house – but because there will be a lot of tourists there, let me now read the next gospel story in Mark.” It was today’s gospel. Neat.

That house became an early Jewish Christian community church. Then it was lost – fell apart – disappeared underneath soil and rocks.

Sometime after 1968 it was rediscovered by the Franciscan archaeologist Father Virgilio C. Corbo. A modern church was built over the ruins and dedicated on June 29, 1990.

One walks up the steps to this octagonal church and inside it has a see through glass floor – which enables one to see the excavations of Peter and Andrew and Peter’s Mother-in-law’s house below – which then became an early Christian church. It’s quite an experience standing there – looking at what is underneath one’s feet.

After finishing seeing the church and the ruins underneath, we went to the gift shop. They always have a gift shop. Then, just before we were to head back to our bus, Father Stephen Doyle said the most significant thing of the day for me. He told us to look to the distance. He said that’s a Greek Orthodox church over there – the one with the red roof. It was maybe two football fields away. There were five seasons of excavations there on the Greek Orthodox Property from 1978 to 1982. He added, “Notice the lumps and mounds of earth. Someday underneath all that earth they are going to discover all sorts of things.”

I heard the word “underneath”. Underneath all that earth were future discoveries.

I had bought the guidebook “Recovering Capharnaum”* by Stanislaus Loffreda in the gift shop and read it on the bus and that night when we got back to our hotel. I discovered what we saw that day was a total mess for centuries – well over 1000 years and then some. I read that an American scholar, E. Robinson, visited the area in 1838 and wrote, “The whole place is desolate and mournful. A few Arabs of the Semekiyeh were here encamped in tents, and built up a few hovels among the ruins….” (p. 11)

I also read that the Franciscans in 1894 had acquired from the Bedouins the ruins of the synagogue and a large area of ancient Capharnaum. They fenced and walled the area off and began digging and discovering – but it took a long, long time.

We benefited from their work and our bus ride to see Capernaum.

UNDERNEATH

My thought for today is the theme of “underneath”.

How many times in our lives have we been superficial?

How many times in our lives have we misjudged others and their motives?

How many times have we been misjudged and we never got a chance to tell others what was underneath our comment or behavior?

How many times in our lives have we been surprised – when we heard the real story or the rest of the story?

How many times in our lives have we ever really listened to what’s buried underneath the face and skin of another?

How many times in our lives have we been taken back when we discovered what was underneath?

EXAMPLES

A corporate lawyer recently said he would like to retire in his mid-fifties – and then when asked what he would like to do after that said, “I would like to work for the poor.”

A retired guy recently said off hand, “I want to talk to so and so who is very good at bridge – because I’ve always wanted to learn to play bridge.”

A priest in his late 50’s, whom I worked with, once told me that he wanted to play the banjo when he was in his late teens and early 20’s but never did. Well, he took up the banjo big time in his late 50’s – and surprise, there he was up on stage jamming away – if jamming away is the word banjo players use.

A 56 year old woman, Jennifer Figge, just finished swimming the Atlantic – from the Cape Verde Islands off Africa to Trinidad in the Caribbean. It was her dream for a long time. She was the first woman to do it – swimming 700 miles.

James Harrison of the Steelers was cut from the Steelers and the Ravens, made some bad mistakes in his life, was resigned by the Steelers 4 times – got his life a bit better, won a Super Bowl Ring a few years back and helped win the Super Bowl for the Steelers again this year and is going to the Pro Bowl. He said he almost quit to become a truck driver like his dad.

Billy Crystal was bumped from the first Saturday Night Live show – and said, “Good thing I didn’t give up.”

While preaching in a small town in Ohio I met a lady who went to college for art – and when asked to do a self-portrait – her teacher and the other students made fun of as well as some tough comments about her painting. She left college – went home – got married to a part time farmer – who worked for Cooper Tire as his regular job. On the side when their kids were in school, this lady told me she started doing craft pieces – and came up with a furry type animal doll. A friend saw some of her pieces and said, “I’m going to a craft show next Saturday – bring your dolls with you and people will gobble them up.” She brought them and she was sold out of them in a half hour. Well, in three years she made a small fortune on her creations. They changed a barn into a work place. And her husband was laid off just in time to manage the business.

You never know what’s underneath. Who would believe Jesus is in us? Who would believe Jesus is in bread and wine? Who would believe that Jesus is God and he helps mother-in-laws and uncles and aunts – swimmers and bus drivers, doll makers, lawyers, comedians and would be banjo and bridge players - and us?

You never know what’s underneath.

Maybe someone here didn’t hear a word from today’s second reading, today’s gospel, or this sermon. They were still thinking about today’s first reading. They were wondering: “What would get someone to say what Job says in today’s first reading? That’s pretty pessimistic stuff.” So they go home and read the whole book of Job to get underneath his story. Then they read everything they can find on Job – including the play JB by Archbald MacLeish – and wow are their eyes opened to what was underneath the text.

CONCLUSION

Underneath.

You never know what’s underneath.

Since this is Black History Month I think of Langston Hughes’ poem, “Dream Deferred.”

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore--
And then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

Start dreaming. Start digging. Start getting in touch with your deferred dreams. Start exploding.

Take a bus, a tour, better make it a holy quest, to your ground. It’s Holy Ground. You own your own heart and mind – even if you have a fence around it. Remember there’s great stuff – treasures – underneath.

Underneath.

*Stanislao Loffreda, Recovering Capharnaum, Second Edition, Reprinted 1997, Franciscan Printing Press Jerusalem, 1993, pp.86 - [Studium Biblicum Franciscanum Guides 1]

BECAUSE I WATCH,
BECAUSE I LISTEN

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Because I Watch, Because I Listen.”

Could everyone repeat that, “Because I Watch, Because I Listen.”

This is the story of a remarkable young girl – a fourth grader – someone that others might not notice – someone who flies under the radar – someone who is quite quiet. Her name is Nancy.

How do I know about her? “Because I watch, because I listen.”

Could everyone repeat that, “Because I Watch, Because I Listen.”

THE CANE

Nancy was with her mom at Goodwill. Her mom was searching for bargains – and there is some great stuff at Goodwill. While her mom was checking out a coat, Nancy spotted a whole collection of canes – wooden canes, metal canes, plastic canes – canes with all kinds of interesting handles.

Nancy took a good look at the whole collection – studied them – and then came the Nancy smile. She had also spotted a whole collection of yard sticks – each 3 feet long – each with some kind of advertisement on it. She borrowed one of the yard sticks and walked back to the canes. She measured several of them. “Okay, good,” she said to herself.

Her mom didn’t see any of this. She just knew Nancy liked to explore everything. Mom didn’t buy a coat – but she found a neat t-shirt for her husband who loved strange sounding t-shirts – especially all black colored ones.

That Saturday Nancy went with her dad to see his dad and mom. Nancy went with a yard stick that she knew her mom kept in a hallway closet. Her grandfather walked with a cane – and was always bent over. Not only that, he would always be moaning and groaning about his back ache.

While watching TV both her dad and his dad fell asleep. It was a boring baseball game. Nancy took her grandpa’s cane – went outside to the car – took out the yard stick and measured her grandfather’s cane. “Aha,” she said to herself.

The next time her mom was going to Goodwill – Nancy took a five dollar bill from her piggy bank and went directly to the yard sticks and then to the canes. Her mom was checking out coats once again. “Perfect,” said Nancy. She went up to the front of the store with this longer cane and bought it for 75 cents. “Wow!” said Nancy.

When her mom saw her with the cane, she said, “What’s that?”

“Just something,” said Nancy “and it only cost 75 cents.”

Her mom didn’t buy a coat, but she did get another t-shirt for her husband – only a dollar.

Nancy didn’t say, “I beat you mom.”

When she went with her dad – now wearing his latest black T-Shirt – with the words, “Chicago Auto Parts” on it – it’s a Rock Band nobody ever really heard of - to see his dad that following Saturday, Nancy brought the cane with her. “Grandpa, I got you a new cane.”

“Nancy,” said her grandfather, “thanks, but I don’t need another cane.”

“Grandpa, try it, you’ll like it.”

Two Saturdays later she went with her dad to see his dad again and Grandpa was all smiles. “Nancy. This cane is perfect. I no longer feel any pain in my back and I’m not bent over. How’d you know I needed a longer cane?”

Nancy said, “Because I watch, because I listen.”

Could everyone repeat that, “Because I Watch, Because I Listen.”

"MEANY"

In Nancy’s 4th grade class there is this kid every kid in the class can’t stand. Her nick name is “Meany.” She was a bully, a pest and a pain.

But she never picked on Nancy. Nobody did. Nobody really noticed Nancy.

Nancy waited for the right moment.

"Meany" was sitting there eating an apple.

“Jessica,” she said, “is everything all right at home?”

“What do you mean?” Jessica meanly replied.

“Well,” said Nancy, "when someone has a sharp rock in their shoe it shows up on their face and their words.”

“What are you saying girl? What are you trying to say girl? I don’t have any rocks in my shoes.”

“Well, Jessica,” said Nancy. “You never pick on me, but some kids call you 'Meany' behind your back and I don’t like that. I figured that hurts. So I figured you have a sharp rock in your soul and it’s rubbing you the wrong way.”

“Get out of here girl. Get out of here.”

So Nancy quietly walked away.

The next day however, Jessica came over to Nancy, when she was eating an apple, and said, “That was nice of you yesterday to say what you said. When I get home my older brother and sister pick on me constantly, so that I come into school, I get back at them by picking on others.
But I was wondering how you knew this Nancy?"

Nancy simply said, “Because I watch, because I listen.”

Could everyone repeat that, “Because I Watch, Because I Listen.”

THE BASKETBALL PLAYER

In the eighth grade there was this girl named Rhonda – who was 5 inches taller than any other girl in her class – or any other girl on the basketball team. Her mom and dad were both over 6 foot tall.

Rhonda made the girls’ basketball team – but never got any baskets.

Nancy’s older sister Pamela was also on the basketball team – so Nancy went to different games.
One day Nancy saw Rhonda playing in her drive way. She was visiting and practicing hoops with Pamela. The ball went down the driveway and Pamela went chasing after it.

Nancy had her chance. “Rhonda, I went to all of your games this year and I noticed that you are great at rebounds – but when it’s at your end, you always dribble once before you shoot a rebound. You would do much better to practice not dribbling. If you get the ball at your end, just put it up right away without dribbling.”

Rhonda said, “What?”

Just then Pamela came back with the ball and Nancy went inside.

But that Thursday afternoon Rhonda got 11 points and their team won – and Nancy noticed she didn’t dribble after any rebound at her basket. And after the game Rhonda went over to Nancy. “Nancy, where did you learn that?”

“Oh,” said Nancy, “because I watch, because I listen.”

Could everyone repeat that, “Because I Watch, Because I Listen.”

ONE LAST NANCY STORY

Nancy was on the phone with her grandmother – her mom’s mom - and Nancy made a mistake. The door was open and her dad just happened to hear the whole conversation.

He heard Nancy say, “I hope you are okay grandma. It looked like you were really hurt with my dad’s mother-in-law jokes.”

Silence.

Her grandmother was very quiet.

Finally her grandmother said, “How did you know that? Yes, I am very sensitive, but how did you know I’m hurt every time he tells a mother-in-law joke?”

"Well, last Sunday’s gospel was about Jesus’ healing Peter’s mother-in-law and I was thinking of you."

Her grandmother asked, “But how did you know your dad does that?”

And Nancy answered, “Because I watch, because I listen.”

Could everyone repeat that, “Because I Watch, Because I Listen.”

And her dad overhearing all this said to himself, “Oh no! How could I be so stupid? My own kid is picking this up at her age. Well that’s the end to all this.”

And her dad never told another mother-in-law joke that hurt his mother-in-law again. Amen.

O O O O O O O O O

This was a kids homily at our 8:00 AM kids Mass - 5 Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B - February 7, 2009. The basic inspiration came from the second reading - the call to be a preacher. Nancy is a preacher. Here's the reading from the Children's Lectionary:

A reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians, 9: 16-18

Brothers and sisters:

I don't have any reason to brag about preaching the good news.

Preaching is something God told me to do,

and if I don't do it, I am doomed.

If I preach because I want to, I will be paid.
But even if I don't want to,

it is still something that God has sent me to do.

What pay am I given?
It is the chance to preach the good news free of charge

and not to use the privileges that are mine

because I am a preacher.