Saturday, July 4, 2009

SAFE



I asked,
“Who are you?”

She said,
“Me? Oh, I’m a locked safe.”

Silence.

She continued,
“And I’m still looking
for the right combination.”

Silence.

“And I won’t give up,
because if it’s locked,
there has to be something
valuable inside.”

Silence.

“Right?”


© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

Friday, July 3, 2009

BLUE ON BLUE


Blue! It has to be THE color.
No competition from Red or Green,
Yellow or Gray. No challenge.
Blue! It fits sky and Caribbean waters.
It fits mood and music – whether
one feels up or down. Blue!
Soft color. Liquid easy. Blue.
Who doesn’t hope for blue ink
to flow out of the end of a borrowed
ballpoint pen – as one writes down
directions or a message onto a pad or
onto bright white paper? Blue.
Who doesn’t like the blue speckles on a
Chesapeake Bay soft-shell blue crab –
even it they don’t even order
crabs off the menu?
"Blue!" she said, “That’s chauvinistic.
That’s a male talking – male thinking.
What about Pink." He laughed.
He smiled. “Come on. You know
everyone loves blue.
Even grey haired old ladies
love blue hair. In fact, they sparkle
in it. Blue! You agree? Right?
It’s THE COLOR. Sorry Red, Yellow,
Purple, Pink,, Orange, Black, White, Tan,
Brown, Gray, Rainbow lovers.
Think blue - "Blue on Blue"
Sing it, "Blue on Blue!" Good.
There you got it. Still feeling blue!



© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

DOUBTING THOMAS


My name is Thomas – and Mr. Ray Dondero invited me here today to tell you my story. Mr. Dondero’s wife, Claire, thought it was a crazy idea to invite me because I’ve been dead almost 2000 years – and with her cute smile she added, “And we’ve had enough dead preachers in our lifetime.”

Yet, Ray went to God and said, “You said, ‘Nothing is impossible with you, God,’ so could you send Thomas the apostle to give the homily at Heritage Harbor on the feast of St. Thomas – July 3rd, 2009”. And surprise, God said, ‘Why not?”

So here I am. Let me tell you some of my story. Oops, I asked Ray how long do homilies take in the year 2009? He said, “8 minutes at the most – unless you’re a Jesuit.” I said, “You’re kidding. Jesus used to speak 20 to 25 minutes, and his Last Supper Sermon went on through the whole meal, but who’s counting?”

Better get started.

My name is Thomas. It’s not my real name. It was my nick name. Like many folks in my time, we went by nick names. Thomas means “Twin.” I’m a twin – but my twin never had his 15 moments of fame. I didn’t plan on being known – or anything like that. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, because Jesus called me to follow him.

I had doubts whether this was a good move, but in the long run, it was the smartest thing I ever did. I had questions – and what I liked about Jesus was he knew how to use questions – to get people thinking. I felt quite stupid at times with my questions – but I realized this was how discipleship worked.

I understand you use the word “teamwork” today. We used the word, “discipleship”. Jesus called folks to follow him – to be his disciples. He taught us stories and teachings and healings – how to live and love one another. Then he sent us out two by two – and the rest is history.

Growing up my father taught us to ask questions. He would say, “The question mark is like a shepherd’s staff which has a hook on the end. It gets sheep out of ditches. Hooks, questions, will get you out of trouble. Instead of giving answers all the time, give out questions, and you’ll hook all kinds of answers.” At other times my dad would say, “Question marks are like fishing hooks. They catch fish?”

And I suspect Jesus the Carpenter loved fishing and shepherding more than carpentry. He often talked about catching fish and finding lost sheep. He found me. He caught me. And Jesus caught people with questions.

So I loved it when Jesus used me. I had heard what John the Baptist said, “I must decrease; he must increase.” That made sense to me – in marriage, at work, in life. It’s not about me. Hey, I knew early on that it’s about God and when I saw Jesus in action, I realized he was something special. I didn’t get him at first. And at times I had my doubts. I had my questions, but I kept following, and sure enough answers came. Jesus would wink to me when I set him up with a question for a great answer – and afterwards he’d come over to me and say, “Thanks for the setup Tom. Thanks for the set up.”

Wait a minute? You might be scratching your heads here, wondering what I’m taking about. I see some questions marks on your faces.

Check your Bibles. Remember that time when Jesus said at our Last Supper together, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” I think it’s in the gospel of John. I didn’t know John was jotting these things down in his memory at the time. He always looked like a dreamer to me. Well, Jesus then said, “You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many mansions. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may also be. Where I am going you know the way.”

Jesus could be clear when he told his one liners, but this poetry stuff – could be too puzzling to me. So I said, “Teacher, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we knot the way?”

At that Jesus winked a “Thanks” to me as he said, “I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

These past 2000 years I have felt great because I asked the right question at the right time – otherwise people might never have the blessing of Jesus’ words, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” (Cf. John 14:1-7)

And I also looked stupid in the Upper Room that Easter Sunday night when I arrived back too late and they told me that Jesus had been there. He had risen from the dead. I said, “What? You’re kidding? Unless I see the holes the nails made in his hands… unless I can put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Well, you know the story? It made me famous. It gave me a new nickname that has been stuck on me ever since, “Doubting Thomas.”

And you know how Jesus came a week later into that same Upper Room. This time I was there thank God. Well Jesus singled me out after saying to all of us, “Shalom – Peace to everyone.” Jesus said, “Thomas put your finger here – in the wounds of my hands. Give me your hand. Let me put it in my side. Stop doubting; start believing.”

And I said, “My Lord and my God!”

And Jesus said, “You believe because you can see me. Blessed are those who have not seen and still believed.” (Cf. John 20: 19-29)

Let me conclude this way. I think I’ve been talking for about 7 minutes. I hope it doesn’t feel like eternity.

Well, for the past 2000 years in heaven, countless people came looking for me to thank me for allowing them to have doubts while they were alive. In fact, many whispered to me after looking both ways, “People thought I was rock solid sure with my beliefs, but Thomas, like you, I had my doubts. Thank God you had the courage to voice them.”

And after a great embrace they would leave saying, “So Thomas, thanks for speaking up for all of us who have had our doubts.”




Painting on top,
"Doubting Thomas"
c. 1597-1603
by Michangelo Merisi
da Caravaggio
(1573-1610)

Thursday, July 2, 2009


DID JESUS?

Did Jesus find it difficult,
almost impossible, to find time
to look deep into the grains
of a newly cut plank of wood?

Did Jesus find it difficult
to walk by so many flowers,
so many shades of green,
so many birds in the air?

Did Jesus find it difficult
to walk by so many beggars,
so many widows, so many
children, so many cripples,
in the marketplace each day?

Did Jesus find it so difficult
that he had to burst out of
Nazareth that day – and walk
towards the sick, the beggars,
the difficult, and the wood?



© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

HIGH CHAIR


All my life I’ve been banging my spoon,
kicking my high chair, yelling for more:
food, attention, toys.
I’m sure family and friends,
will tell stories at my funeral,
how I was a real pain as a kid – “Huh!”
and all through the years as well.
Now alone, I sit with these thoughts,
on this couch facing the front door
of this nursing home.
I have to admit, I am still a pain,
but I’m no longer banging my spoon
or kicking my high chair for attention
or for food – just God. I just want God
and God’s meaning to this all.






© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009
MY LIFE


Surprised
by YOU.


© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009
SOME PEOPLE

Standing there listening to you
was like being attacked by a mosquito.
Your words kept coming, bugging me,
with no fresh breeze to keep you away,
your too many biting, “I... I ... I’s”

Standing there avoiding your eyes,
hoping you would fly away like the waitress
with the hors d’oeuvres. I don’t want
to nibble on your tiny tooth picked comments.
I just want to be here and enjoy the party.


© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

THE OTHER SIDE

A black fly lay there dead,
an upside down untouchable,
on my cold chipped,
white enamel window sill.

Undertaker, I picked you up
with a sheet of clean white paper,
with the plan of burying you
in the plastic bag
in my waste paper basket.

Suddenly, you moved.
You gave life one last dance,
one last chance, I guess,
to get beyond the window,
to get to where you wanted
to go in the first place.
Don’t we all? Don’t we all?




© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

DISUNITED STATES


It seems to me that people
live in different states.
It seems to me
that’s what we all do.
How about you?
Where do you live
most of the time?

Of course we’re not always
in the same place or space.
We take vacations.
We take trains or drive
to different moods –so the saying,
“Lion at home; lamb abroad!”


Yet people seem to live
in one state most of the time.

What state are you usually in?
Optimist? Pessimist?
Right? Wrong?
Conservative? Liberal?
Up? Down? In? Out?
Talker? Listener?
Rich? Poor? In Between?
Stuck? Stupid? Free and Easy?
Use Labels? Hate Labels?


Me? Maybe you have to ask those
whom I live and work with for the
answer to that question.

Me? If I have to answer for myself,
I choose not to live in a Dark Mood
or Sad Brood, or Down State.
Of course, I cross those state lines
from time to time, but most of the time,
I chose to live in the state of Grace,
the state of Smile, Joy, Laughter, and Peace.

How about you? What state
do you live in most of the time?


© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

Sunday, June 28, 2009


DEATH


INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Death.”

Yep, that’s the topic that hit me when I read today’s readings.

Death.

Then I said, “Uh oh! Death is not a theme for a summer Sunday sermon. Maybe an All Souls Day sermon in November when the leaves are falling from the trees – but not a summer Sunday sermon. [Say that 10 times fast!]

Yet, the theme of death still hit me. We’ve been having a lot of funerals lately – a lot. Was that the reason the theme hit me? Nope.

Then we have this upsurge of deaths in Iraq and there was endless commentary on the news about Michael Jackson’s death – with a few comments about Farah Fawcett’s death by cancer. Was that the reason I began thinking about death? Nope.

The other day I read the following quote by a man named Alan Harris, “The road to hell is littered with the manuscripts of church sermons written late on Saturday.”

Now that made me say, “Uh oh!” I do many Sunday sermons on Saturdays – sometimes late Saturdays – unless I have the 4:30 at St. John Neumann or the 5 here on Saturday evening. Then I do that sermon on Saturday during the day. I used to be able to write sermons well in advance, but ever since I got to St. Mary’s, I’ve found out. I can only do one at a time. Like yesterday I had to come up with two new homilies – each homily 3 1/2 pages long – for two weddings. Someone said, “Use the same homily for each wedding.” I answered, “They are two totally different couples.” And then there are homilies for weekday masses. That’s a lot of preaching. So with the 2 wedding homilies, I did 7 different homilies this past week.

Too much – the result being sermons without enough thought and prayer in them. Some might say, “No, you’re okay.” I say, “No. I need to do more reflection!" I know this place is very busy. So after some sermons, I’ve find myself saying, “You just gave sizzle, instead of giving steak.”

WHY THIS TOPIC OF DEATH?

Answer: the opening words of today’s first reading: “God did not make death…” hit me.

Those words stopped me. Those words call for a sermon of substance about death.

Guess what? Everyone here has to write that sermon – sermon meaning conversation – for themselves – because everyone has to deal with death.

We have to talk to God about death – our death and the death of others. And it’s my experience that we all think about death from time to time. The older we get, the more the theme of death knocks on our door. It might be triggered by seeing wrinkles on our skin on the inside of our elbow or it might be a class reunion and everyone looks so old.

I think of a sub-plot in the movie, Moonstruck, when Rose Castorini, played by Olympia Dukakis, wants to know why men cheat, why her husband Cosmo is cheating. She keeps on asking the question till someone finally tells her, “Death! They are scared of death.”

I think of men who are addicted to Internet porn. Are they also scared of dying without anyone loving them? Do they think by eating forbidden bytes on a computer screen someone will give them life – something will tell them they are still alive?

We have to come up with answers as well as new questions. We have to come up with words that make sense – words with insight – otherwise we might become angry people when it comes to sudden deaths, young deaths, or any death – including our own – if we’re aware it’s happening – because of cancer or what have you.

Today’s first reading from the Book of Wisdom gives the standard answer that God did not make death. We caused it.”

We find that standard answer through the scriptures. Today’s opening text is definitely teaching what the Book of Genesis teaches. God created this world – and all is good – and Adam and Eve were to live forever in this beautiful plush garden. There was no work – no problems – and death was not part of the story.

Then Satan, the adversary, crawls along the ground – a snake in the grass – and whispers to Eve to take a bite from the forbidden fruit. She falls. Adam falls. We all fell that day – and death became part of the package ever since. The egg was cracked. The gates were closed. Paradise was lost.

That’s the answer we find in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (#400) as well as our theology books.

God didn’t cause death. We caused death by sin.

WAIT A MINUTE!

As I found myself thinking about that, I found myself saying, “Wait a minute. Wait a minute. I have to think about this a lot more. It’s Saturday night. It’s getting late.” Maybe Alan Harris was very right when he said, “The road to hell is littered with the manuscripts of church sermons written late on Saturday.” Preachers don’t give enough reflection, research and prayer to their sermons. I know I don’t. Sorry. And I’m not saying this so you will then say, “Father you’re doing fine.” I know that game – how to elicit support comments from people. I played that game at times when I was much younger.

So should I ditch the death question and go elsewhere?

I decided, “No! Give it a shot. It’s a lifetime question. You’re not going to figure it out on a Saturday night and solve it on a Sunday morning, but maybe you’ll figure out something new for yourself and in the process, maybe someone here needs to do some more thinking on the topic of death, a topic we all need to think about and bring to God from time to time.

SO THREE COMMENTS ABOUT DEATH

First of all I sort of don’t agree with the opening statement in today’s first reading – that God didn’t make death. I guess that makes me sort of a heretic. I’m not trying to get you to be a heretic too – but I can’t see how God isn’t in this mix and mystery somehow.

Okay, if God’s plan was – there was only going to be Adam and Eve – and a garden – then okay with the no death part of the story. I assume that the story tellers in Genesis are trying to figure out what we’re all trying to figure out: life and death.

Some science fiction writer could write a book about nobody dying – and everyone is eating good fruit in a plush garden with constant San Diego type weather. That means no wars – no fatal car crashes – no plane crashes – no cancer – no heart stoppage – no kidney failure and lots and lots of people.

Would there also be no nursing homes? Would we see 900 year old folks on skate boards? What would traffic be like? What would housing be like? How many people would show up for weddings and ball games?

So I assume God made us the way we are – and part of the picture is term limits and the numbers game.

Check the obituary columns or cemetery stones. Life has term limits. Or check the Biographical Names section in the back of any Webster Dictionary. 99 out of 100 names there have the two numbers and the dash in between. And we’ve all heard sermons about filling in that dash with a quality life – filled with love and compassion for our brothers and sisters – as well as gratitude to God for each day of life we have.

Second Point: the reality of death triggers powerful human reactions.

Would we go to a movie, if it didn’t have an ending?

What about jokes and sermons and Mass? There has to be endings.

Death – the reality and possibility of death triggers a zillion different things.

Anthony Dalla Villa, in his eulogy for Andy Warhol at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York City, April 1, 1987 said, “Death gives life its fullest reality.”

Marie Murphy, a theologian I know from Brooklyn, in her book, New Images of the Last Things, Karl Rahner on Death and Life after Death wrote, “Human beings long for completion. We want to achieve a definite end. Death is that act in which a person gathers his/her whole life and all that he/she is and says, ‘Here I am, Lord.’” * (p. 8)

Since we don’t know when we are going to die, the smart thing to do is make that our night prayer every night – and hopefully we wake up in the morning.

Third Point: Jesus’ death and resurrection can have a profound impact on our life. Yes, there is suffering and death, there is caring for loved ones, there is being there for them when they are sick and dying, but we Christians have the gift of faith that there is life beyond this life.

This is very significant and if you want substance, there it is.

Now in today’s gospel we have two people that meet Jesus – two people who need Jesus. Message we too need Jesus.

The first is Jairus, whose girl, about 12 years of age, is dying and Jesus goes to Jairus house and heals the girl.


The second is the woman who has suffered with blood, hemorrhages, for twelve years, and she touches Jesus’ clothes and she is healed.

Let me quote from a book entitled, Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels by Bruce Malina and Richard Rohrbaugh. Their area of expertise and research is the First Century in the Mediterranean Basin. They write, “A twelve-year-old dying would have been a common occurence in antiquity. Through much of the first century, 60 % of persons born alive die by their mid-teens.” (p. 209) *

Think of that.

They write, “In the cities of antiquity nearly a third of live births were dead before age six. By the mid-teens 60 percent would have died, by the mid-thirties 75 percent and 90 percent by the mid-forties. Perhaps 3 percent reached their sixties. Few ordinary people lived out of their thirties.” (p. 211) *

This was the reality that Jesus walked in – Jesus who died around the age of 33 on the cross.

We live much longer. Question: Is it tougher for us to deal with a dying child or to have a lingering sickness of 12 years?

Each of us has to deal with these realities of sickness and death – and the Gospel message is to approach Jesus for help or reach out and touch him. Isn’t that what we’re doing here this morning?

Aren't we here for Jesus to heal and help us?

Don’t we all have inner aches and deep questions that have been flowing around inside our minds for 12 years and more?

The End.


* Dr. Marie Murphy, New Images of the Last Things, Karl Rahner on Death and Life after Death, Paulist Press, New York, Mahway, N.J., 1988, p. 8

** Bruce Malina and Richard L. Rohrbaugh, Social Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, Fortress Press, Minneapolis, MN, 1992, p. 209, 211