TOMMORROW!
Quote for Today - July 2, 2011
"One of the kindest things God ever did was to put a curtain over tomorrow."
Anonymous
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
HEARTS AND MINDS
INTRODUCTION
On this feast of the Sacred Heart, the title of my homily is, “Hearts and Minds.”
STATUE OF THE SACRED HEART
When Catholics hear the words, “Sacred Heart” - the odds are they picture a statue of the Sacred Heart in a church - a statue of Jesus with his heart outside his body - in the center of his chest - a heart on fire with flames and light as well as a crown of thorns around it.
Amazing. What would a person who never had heard of Christ and Christianity think/ feel if they walked into a church and saw such a statue or picture for the first time?
It’s an image and a devotion that goes way back to the 11th and 12th centuries. At first it was a private devotion. It was a mystical image - but in time it became more and more popular. In the 1600’s, with the so called revelations of a nun named Marguerite Marie Alacoque [1647-1690], this image became more widespread - till a pope, Leo XIII, promulgated it to all the church in 1899.
Pope Benedict XVI recently asked the Jesuits and others to promote devotion to Jesus - imagining him as the Sacred Heart.
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT? THEORIES AND CONJECTURES
I’ve often wondered what it’s all about?
As a result I have theories and conjectures.
Some people wear their heart on their sleeve; others have a great poker face.
We use the image of heart all the time.
James Earl Jones once said, “One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can't utter.”
I discovered somewhere along the line that people love personality tests. One basic test is to discover whether a person is more heart or more mind? Many people have taken the so called Myers-Briggs test or the Jungian Test - which gives you a number - testing you to see if you come more from your mind or your heart. I score higher from the heart. I was never good in logic or algebra or math or the Rubik Cube or following directions in putting together a gadget from the instruction sheet. I never look under the hood of a car.
Here’s a simple test: draw yourself. But draw your heart and your head based on how much one is stronger than the other in your personality. Then ask someone who knows you to draw you in the way they see you - and if they wish - they do the same - and then each of your look at the 4 drawings you come up with.
It’s a matter of degrees.
Classically men are supposed to be mind or head and women are supposed to be all heart. It’s a stereotype. I’ve been beaten by my sister-in-law in chess. I prefer Rummy or Go Fish to Bridge!
RELIGION
When it comes to picturing God, would you picture God all mind or head or all heart?
I have a theory about religion. When religion becomes heavy with Reason and Rationalism - someone is going to come out with religious revelations that are Romantic and Emotional.
Check out the Founding Fathers of the United States. Several of them were Deists. They picture God as head or mind. Check out the image on the back of the dollar bill. There is the pyramid with the all seeing eye of God in the head or top of the Triangle. The Deists picture God as architect - planning and creating this world and then put it on it’s own.
When we study the universe, if we are very mathematical and logical, it might make sense. You can’t land someone on the moon without knowing the Math of our Solar System. And our world is very logical. People are able to Go Figure the logic of fires and storms in the hurricane and tornado and forest fire season.
IMAGE OF DIVINE MERCY
I have a theory that when the image of the Sacred Heart faded from our spirituality along came another nun with a similar image - that of Divine Mercy - and it filled the gap and in time another pope promoted her revelations.
HEAD AND HEART
Obviously we need both - because we have both.
And if we live long enough, we’ll discover that it’s smart to work with, cooperate with and be with others who have the gifts we don’t have - and we have the gifts they don’t have.
It’s called a good marriage; it’s called a good team; it’s called a good meeting.
CONCLUSION
Let me conclude with a quote from Marilyn vas Savant - who was a columnist - “Ask Marilyn”. She is said to have been the person who has had the hightest IQ ever recorded: 228. The quote from Marilyn: “If your head tells you one thing, and your heart tells you another, before you do anything, you should first decide whether you have a better head or a better heart.”
+++++++++++++++++++
Painting on top: Sacred Heart by Jose Maria Ibarraran y Ponce - 1896
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this June 29th Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul is, “Peter & Paul: Who Do You Say That I Am?”
In today’s gospel from Matthew 16: 13-19, we have Jesus trying to get his disciples to know who he is. He asks, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
I thought for this homily on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul - to ask the same question of Peter and Paul: “Who do you say Peter and Paul are?”
I would think Paul would be easier to describe than Peter - because there is so much more we know about Paul compared to what we know about Peter. What’s your take on Peter and Paul? How do you see each of them?
EVENTS MORE THAN IDEAS
T.W. Manson in describing Paul gives what I thought was a good insight. He says Paul was not a systematic theologian. He doesn’t give us ideas - or abstractions - or principals. Yet he says Paul is a Great Christian thinker. Then he adds: to understand Paul think events more than ideas - a series of events more than a series of ideas. Paradoxically, that’s an idea - rather than an event.
I thought the same thing can be said even more with Peter.
But what does it mean to say events more than ideas forming a person’s life? Is it the difference between forming and informing - the difference between formation and information?
OUR OWN LIVES
Have we ever looked in the mirror and said, “Who are you?” Has anyone ever said to us, “I can’t figure you out?” Have we ever replied back to them, “At times, I can’t figure myself out either.” Isn’t that how Paul felt - based on his self comments in Romans 7:14-25?
Well, what are the events that shaped my life?
A person is taught catechism - and religious education - but why am I a Catholic? Was it parents or a spouse that gave us good example? What kept us as a Catholic? Was it a certain teacher, the good example of a friend - the family we grow up in - whether our parents went to church or what have you.
I heard of a lady - who is married - has a couple of kids - has gone to Sunday Mass all her life - got her husband by her example to start going to Mass - but has only gone to confession once in her life - her first confession. As a little girl making her first confession, the priest yelled at her for not knowing the act of contrition, so she said, “That’s it for that!” And that was it for that.
We priests say behind other priests back - those who yell at parents for crying babies in church or what have you - that they are going to have to pay for all the people they have driven from the Church. So too a host of faults and foibles by the priests of our church.
I’ve made my mistakes. I’ve had one person walk out on me - that I know of. It was a priest. I was at least 30 years younger than he was. He wanted me to give the same sermon we were giving on weekend retreats to married couples on their retreat - many of whom had come to weekend retreats earlier in the year - and heard our weekend sermons. So I chose to preach on the same readings - but give a homily for a married couple. He didn’t like it - so he walked out.
I learned from that experience a lot more than reading a book or an article on the priesthood or personality. That moment had an impact on me. Let me tell you. Then there are all those people whom I hurt or bothered down through the years. I still go by the 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 rule that an old priest once told me: 1/3 like you, 1/3 don’t like you, 1/3 don’t care. Get over it.
PETER AND PAUL
So Peter and Paul were formed by their experiences of Jesus Christ.
Paul was trying to exterminate and put an end to those who followed Jesus - and in that persecution he discovered Jesus Christ - who changed his life - and then he had crawl on the ground, before he could rise. He had to see his blindness, before he could see. He had to experience darkness, before he could see the light.
He learned humility. He “moved from a self-centered to a Christ-centered life”. Christ was his strength as we heard in today’s second reading.
Peter can be pictured as the fisherman chosen by Christ - that day at the beach. Christ must have seen something in him - that could call others to follow Christ. And right away the gospels give us the hint about Peter’s personality. Big mouth. Foot in mouth. Foot out of mouth. Foot following Christ.
CONCLUSION
What’s your take on Peter and Paul? Do 1/3 of you like Peter? Do 1/3 of you like Paul? Do 1/3 of you say, “I never thought about the question?”
Notice how I worded that last 1/3. I didn’t say, “You don’t care!” Nope I put it the way I put it, because I don’t want to put my foot in my mouth. I wouldn’t want 1/3 of you to walk out.
************
NOTES:
Painting on top: Saints Peter and Paul by El Greco - Domenikos Theotokopoulos [c,1541-1614]. As far as I could figure out, this is one of 3 paintings of Peter and Paul by El Greco. That's Peter with the key in his hand and Paul pointing to his writings. Another painting has Paul with a sword.
(1) T. W. Manson, On Paul and John, Alec Allenson, Inc. pages 11-14.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
WHAT HAPPENED
TO THE PILLOW?
INTRODUCTION: PILLOWS
The title of my homily for this 13th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “What Happened to the Pillow.”
We’ve all had the experience of saying sometime in our life, “What happened to the pillow?”
It fell off the bed and our head wants that pillow. Someone else is sitting in our favorite seat and is sitting with our favorite pillow - as if it were their lap dog. Or someone reached for our favorite pillow on our favorite couch or chair as if it was for anyone - just anyone - to take. Or someone borrowed it and went upstairs or downstairs with OUR pillow.
What happened to our pillow?
CAN I GET YOU A PILLOW?
We also have had the experience somewhere along the line when someone said to us, “Can I get you a pillow?”
That’s one of those little things in life - that makes life sweeter for the other person.
It has never happened to me, but I find it a nice moment to be on a plane and the steward or stewardess or airline attendant says to someone, “Can I get you a pillow?” Nice.
It’s a nice moment to be watching a football game or a movie and one is on a couch or an easy chair and someone says to someone else, “Can I get you a pillow?” Nice.
It’s a nice moment when visiting someone - and they give you a room for the night - and they say to you the next morning, “Did you have a good sleep?” Then, “Were the pillows okay?”
I always say, “Great!” I can’t tell the difference between one pillow and another, any more than I can tell the difference between spaghetti and spaghetti - and chicken soup and chicken soup. There are people who can taste and tell differences, etc. There are people who know that St. John Neumann Church has cushions and St. Mary’s doesn’t. I was talking to a woman last night who thinks St. Mary’s benches are a torture device - made that way to provide penance for people for their sins. There are some people who always sit in the same seat in church and know the difference. Amazing.
This question about, “Were the pillows okay?” is very interesting and intriguing to me - and I notice it because I have gone on about 20 + retreats with our high school kids and have given over 100 h.s. retreats in my life - and there are always kids getting off the bus with their own pillows. Is it their security blanket or what have you?
We have a family story. My brother and my sister were talking once at our mom’s house. Mom was somewhere else. Somehow the conversation of the pillow in the guest room came up. My brother said, “That pillow is really hard. In fact, it’s horrible.” My sister Peggy said, “When I sleep here I also find it hard and horrible - but guess what? Once I told mom about it and she said, ‘Billy likes hard pillows!’”
Isn’t life fascinating? Don’t the little things in life, make life interesting?
I was going to entitle this homily, “Can I Get You a Pillow?”
However, “What Happened to the Pillow?” has more of a hook or a grab to it. I’m hoping someone is saying, “What has this pillow talk to do with today’s readings?”
TODAY’S GOSPEL
We heard the story about Jesus crossing the lake in today’s gospel.
Jesus is sleeping in the boat. A storm comes up. The disciples panic and wake up Jesus - who calms down the weather - and says, “You guys don’t have much faith!?”
In Mark and Luke the same story appears - but Mark has one detail that Matthew and Luke leave out. Mark says Jesus was asleep in the boat with his head on a pillow. The Greek word in Mark 4: 38 - on a pillow or cushion is proskephalaion. Notice the Greek word kephale. It’s the word for head. The English word “cephalic” - which is not used that often - might be familiar. It’s a word used to refer to the skull or the head.
Now every time I read the story in Matthew and Luke, I ask, “What happened t the pillow?” How come they left out the pillow?
Answer: I would assume that that detail was not important to Matthew and Luke.
We know that there are people who miss the little things that make life sweeter for the other person. And there are some people who are very aware of the little things in life - what another likes and doesn’t like, what bothers people - what makes one’s day - what drives one crazy - what comforts another.
So a message for today: Think pillows. Think little things. Think thinking about little things like pillows.
Thinking people think of the next person.
CONCLUSION
When my sister Mary and her husband were celebrating their 50th Wedding anniversary, one of their daughters, Monica, gave everyone a favor - a tiny something as a memento. I had just finished this homily last night, and I noticed it on my bookshelf. Let me close with a reading of this small piece entitled, “Little Things Mean a Lot.” It’s a song written by Edith Lindeman and Carl Stutz (1953). You might have heard it somewhere along the line. Come to think about it, it’s much better than this sermon 1000 times over. Amen.
LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT
Blow me a kiss across the room
Say I look nice when I’m not
Touch my hair as you pass my chair
Little things mean a lot
Give me your arm as we cross the street
Call me at six on the dot
A line a day when you’re far away
Little things mean a lot
Don’t have to buy me diamonds or pearls
Champagne, sables or such
I never cared much for diamonds and pearls
'Cause honestly, honey, they just cost money
Give me your hand when I’ve lost my way
Give me your shoulder to cry on
Whether the day is bright or gray
Give me your heart to rely on
Send me the warmth of a secret smile
To show me you haven’t forgot
For always and ever, now and forever
Little things mean a lot
Monday, June 27, 2011
MOTHER
OF PERPETUAL HELP
Today, June 27th, we Redemptorists celebrate the Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help - or Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
We were given this picture of Mary way back in 1866 by Pope Pius IX, who said, “Make her known.”
And we Redemptorists have certainly done just that.
I grew up in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Brooklyn, New York and as a kid during the 1940’s saw lots of people coming to the Wednesday Novena - praying for Help.
At the time I didn’t know that Perpetual Help novenas on Wednesday were taking place all around the world. They were especially helpful for people’s prayer life and spirituality during and after World War II - which was certainly a world war.
Becoming a Redemptorist I’m aware that many of our parishes have that name, Our Lady or Our Mother of Perpetual Help. I am aware that the icon of Mary can be found in Redemptorist parishes and centers in the 77 countries around the world where we are located. I am aware of the great novenas to Mary in Singapore and in the Philippines - and in various other places in the world.
I am aware that several pictures of Our Mother of Perpetual Help sent from Rome for various churches in the United States went down with the Andrea Doria in 1956.
I am aware that Mary under this title is the patron saint of Haiti - a country that recently had a horrible earth quake - as well as years and years of poverty and horror.
Help.
One thing I wonder about at times is what would happen if the island of Crete would demand back this picture - which was stolen back before 1500. It’s in our headquarters church in Rome - where it had been for a couple of a couple of hundred before we bought that property. Then it disappeared after the church where it was enshrined was destroyed.
It’s a small picture - 17” by 21”.
I’ve often wondered what has made it so popular.
We Redemptorists certainly helped do that - being missionaries all around the world. I wonder if it became so popular because the picture has eastern and western characteristics. I wonder if it’s popular because it’s the classic image of a mom and her baby. I wonder if what helps is that it’s a picture story - a child scarred runs to his mother and in the running his sandal starts falling off. I wonder it became so popular because of the word, “help” in its title. Who of us doesn’t need help?
I assume that this image of Mary is a place to come to - to run to - when we need mommy, when we need help.
Today we celebrate the Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help.
Suggestion: after Mass today - visit her shrine - and thank Mary for help received and ask her for help needed.
Be like Abraham in today’s gospel - haggling God down from 50 to 10. For example if you’re praying that your kids return to church 52 Sundays a year - ask for 10 Sundays.
Be like Jesus in today’s gospel - who says he has no place to rest his head. Recall that in this picture or Icon of Mary, Jesus is resting his head on her shoulder - and when Jesus was taken down from the cross his head is rested on her once more.
Mary, you are our perpetual help from womb to tomb. Thank you. Amen.
**************
Picture on top: The original Our Lady of Perpetual Help picture at San Alfonso, in Rome.
MOTHER OF PERPETUAL HELP
Hail Mary, Full of Grace,
I picture you as one who gracefully
steps into the picture of anyone
who needs help - anyone whose
marriage has run out of the wine of life
or someone who needs a pair of sandals -
or anyone who screams for, “Help!”
Hail Mary, Full of Grace,
help me to picture myself as one
who gracefully steps out of my frame
and becomes at least a momentary help
to someone in need, especially those
carrying a heavy cross - or to stand under
their cross and hear their screams for “Help!”
© Andy Costello, Reflections 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
FEED ME
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this feast of Corpus Christi - now called, “The Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ” - is, “Feed Me”.
I’m sure we’ve all seen a poor person by the side of the road - or on a sidewalk - with a child in hand - or cradled in their arms - with a sign around their or their kid’s neck - “Feed Me!”
The world’s population is or is estimated to hit 7 billion people this year: 2011.
Question…. Key question for this homily: Does every person on the planet - all 7 billion of us - have a sign on our forehead or on our face or in our eyes that says, “Feed Me.”
HUMAN HUNGERS AND HUMAN THIRSTS
Is every human being saying, “I’m hungry and thirsty for more - for so much more!”
Is every human being like the kids in Oliver walking around with bowls in hand saying or singing, “Please sir, I want some more.” Is every kid singing and crying I want more than gruel. I want, I need, I sing for, “Food glorious food.”
Is every child crying for their parents' time - attention - games - reading - presence?
It’s obvious in church when we hear the beautiful scream of a child - who is singing, “Feed me!”
It’s not so obvious is us older kids - who are here in church screaming inwardly about what's going on in our lives. Church is a time to get in touch with our human needs - our human screams - as well as those around us here in church - but especially all those out there - whom we’ll meet today - whom we’ll meet this week. And I’m not just talking about those who would like a hand out - but those in our own families or work place - that we put our hand out in peace to them. The sign of peace at Mass is not just for those we’re at Mass with - but for us to be signs of peace all week.
Is every human being saying: Feed me with love. Feed with respect. Feed me with food. Could I have a drink of cool clear water? Please listen to me. Please hold the door for me. Please acknowledge me. Please recognize me. Please give me a job. Please give me an education. Please give me a seat at the table. Give me a chance. I need clean water to swim in, clean air to breathe in. Don’t dump on me. Please be aware of the needs of the generations to come. Let’s get our economic, our ecological, our spiritual, our educational, our cultural houses in order.
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
Those of you who channel surf - or like to watch old TV movies - probably have seen the old movie, “Little Shop of Horrors.” It came out way back in 1960. That’s 50 years ago. And it features a singing plant - a big singing plant in a florist shop - that sings, “Feed Me!”.
It’s a comedy - it’s a farce - it’s dark humor - it takes a while to get used to it and into it - but it has a fascinating message. Is every person singing that song, “Feed Me”?
I found it interesting that the movie had a budget of $30,000 - and that it was shot in 2 days - using movie sets from another movie. It was a b movie - part of a double feature - for a time with the movie, “Black Sunday” and then with “The Last Woman on Earth.”
Then it stood on it’s own two feet - the dream of every human being.
It slowly became a cult film. It helped that Jack Nicholson had a small, small part in it. As an aside, let me mention, that I once found in a retreat house basement an old vocation movie put out by the Franciscans that had Jack Nicholson as a young man playing the part of a young man thinking of the priesthood. I watched it a few times and yep it was Jack Nicholson - about to burst into the vocation of being a star movie actor. I left that 16 mm. movie on a shelf there in that basement and it disappeared. I always thought it would make a big splash if it was put on TV - and in the meanwhile still get someone to think Franciscan - and think priesthood.
By mentioning this in my sermon and then on my blog - I’m getting it out there and maybe someone will track it down - and do just that.
FEED ME
In this homily - and on this feast - the theme I’m pushing - is that every human being is screaming, “Feed Me!”
We and lots of people are in church this Sunday because we are hungry people - hungry for God, hungry for Jesus’ Body and Blood, hungry for meaning, for a good word, and hungry to do all this with others.
A key text in the Bible for me has always been Genesis 2:18: “It is not good to be alone!”
It’s from the most primitive and earliest part Genesis - that is an amalgamation of various stories and texts from different eras of Israel’s traditions. So God creates the animals. Man then gives each of them a name - but dogs and cats and birds and beasts are not enough. One is not enough.
It’s a great story - with great psychology and anthropology and humor - so God puts the man into a deep sleep - and takes out one of his ribs and sculpts it with flesh to make a woman - so the man will no longer be alone.
And when Adam wakes up and sees woman for the first time he says, “This is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. This is to be called ‘woman’ - for this was taken from man.” It’s funny stuff here. There is a cute play on words in the Hebrew. “Ish” is the word for “man” and “ishshah” is the word for woman.
Using English words, I like Bill Crosby’s play of words in his presentations on Genesis. When Adam saw this one for the first time he says, “WOOOOO MAN!”
Human beings need each other and feed off each other. It is not good to be alone.
Women and men, we need each other. Feed me.
We need relationships. Feed me.
We need to see our connections - rib to rib. Feed me.
This early story in our Bible brings us back to the basics.
It is not good to be alone.
This is the most basic human story.
I would hold that this story is also telling us that God realized, “It’s not good to be alone.”
God is saying, “Feed me!”
God is saying, “Talk to me!”
God is saying, “Walk with me!”
Want summer reading? Read the Book of Genesis - or just the first 5 chapters up to the flood and you’ll hear the human story.
Space and stuff is not enough.
God needed us and we need God. Feed me.
God needed audience and we need audience.
Is there anyone on the planet who knows I am on the planet?
How many times have we sat on a plane seat in an airplane or a plain seat in the mall or in a restaurant and wondered who is this person in walking by - with that interesting t-shirt or hat or shoes or pocketbook or what have you?
Talk to me. Talk to each other. Listen to me. Feed me.
We’re driving along and there are 2 people walking along in the cool of the evening - walking and talking - or there is someone walking alone but they are talking to someone miles away - on one of those phones in the ear attachment. How is that different from the scene right there on those early pages of Genesis where we read that God walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden in the cool of the evening - that is till they blew it - and they hid - and in their nakedness they had to admit to God they disobeyed him and ate the forbidden fruit?
They were discovering what every human being has discovered: sin separates. Sin breaks the human covenant. Sin fractures family and friendships and marriages.
They were discovering that we sin because we want more - we want to be fed with more, more, more. It's tempting to reach for forbidden fruit. We want to be like God - so we want it all - and we are not God - but mysteriously - we can have it all - if we are with God and work with God and share with God and each other.
But no that is not enough. Ugh. This is the naked human condition.
As W. H. Auden put it in his words in his 1971 book, A Certain World: A Commonplace Book, “All sins are attempts to fill voids.”
Isn’t that the truth?
Isn’t that another way of saying, “Feed me”?
Isn’t that what Augustine says big time in his great book, Confessions? The Confessions of Saint Augustine is dated to around 400. We all know his words, “I was in love with loving.” “Give me chastity and continence, but not just now.” “Too late I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient and ever new! Too late I loved you! And behold, you were within me, and I out of myself, and there I searched for you.”
And Augustine tells us about all his searching and his dealing with sex - philosophies - various religions - till he hits bottom and discoveres Christ.
It’s the same as the old saying in Alcoholics Anonymous, “We were looking for God in the bottom of a bottle!”
Isn’t that why we have so many broken bottles in church parking lots and along so many streets - and why we have so many young people walking down West Street and so many different streets on Saturday night - and don’t know what they are looking for is God who can be found in so many churches on Sunday morning - and in healthy good relationships.
CONCLUSION
Today is the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ!
Today millions of the billions on this planet will walk up the aisle of Catholic churches wanting to be fed by the Body and Blood of Christ.
Feed me!
The Catholic Church proclaims and teaches that we receive the Body and Blood of Christ in each communion - whether we just take the bread or the wine or both. It would be nice to have the option here at St. Mary's on Sunday of receiving from the cup like we do at every Mass at St. John Neumann. On Saturday evening and Sunday we only receive the Bread because the aisles and space for Eucharistic ministers and people would be too backed up.
We also have the wonderful tradition in the Catholic Church of being able to drop in and sit in the presence of Jesus in this Blessed Sacrament in our churches or in Eucharistic Chapels. Our Eucharistic Chapel is closed right now with the renovations in this church - fixing up the heating system - but the church at St. John Neumann is open during the day.
I love walking into Catholic Churches any place I find myself - and walk in and just be - and surprise there is usually someone over there sitting in the afternoon quiet - behind a column - in the semi-darkness in prayer and I can sense them saying, praying, “Feed me!”
And I would think they come back because they are fed - but they also go out from church - from Mass - from prayer - and feed others - giving others their body and blood - a listening ear, a helping hand - word of wisdom - a walk in peace. Amen.
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