MOONLIGHT

Sort of like a friend who gave 

us off to the side advice when 

we made a fool of ourselves. 

Sort of like a glass of water 

when we didn’t know we 

were thirsty or dry or empty. 

Sort of like a wave or a wink 

when we felt all alone and 

didn’t know what to do next. 

Sort of like a red or blue 

candle lit for us in a quiet 

empty afternoon church. 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

August 18, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“If only God would  give me some clear  sign! Like making a large deposit in my  name at a Swiss  bank.”  

Woody Allen [1935 - ], 

in New Yorker, 

November 5, 1973, 

‘Selections from 

the Allen Notebooks’.

August 17, 2018

BUILDINGS

Isn’t it interesting when we stop

to think about it, how different,

different buildings are - the vibes

or feelings they bounce or  radiate?

The feel of a church, hospital,

bank, auditorium, Home Depot,

diner, laundromat, Post Office,

museum, all so different  ….

Isn’t it interesting when we stop

to think about how different,

different people are - the vibes,

or feelings they bounce or radiate?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

August 17, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“Hypocrisy is the most difficult and nerve-racking vice that any man can pursue; it needs an unceasing vigilance and a rare detachment of spirit.  It cannot like adultery or gluttony, be practiced at spare moments; it is a whole time job.” 

W. Somerset Maugham 

[1874-1965], 

from Cakes and Ale (1930), 

chapter 11.

August 16, 2018

TEA  BAG

Sometimes we are like a tea bag.

We’re in hot water  - and the hot

is coming at us from all sides.

We’re hurting. We’re feeling “Oooh!”

for the moment - as the heat seeps

into us and we are changed.

Then someone picks us up -

in a cup - and takes a sip of us -

as they go, “Uuum. Nice.”

It’s then we know - the meaning

of the old saying “It’s in dying

that we are born to eternal life.”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

August 16, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“You don’t make up for your sins in church; you do it in the street, you do it at home. The rest is bullshit and you know it.”  

Martin Scorsese [1942 -  ] 

and Mardik Martin 

in Mean Streets (1973 film) 

in Michael Bliss Martin Scorsese 

and Michael Cimino (1985) Chapter 3.

August 15, 2018

OUR TAINTED NATURE’S

SOLITARY BOAST

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this feast of the Assumption is, “Our Tainted Nature’s Solitary Boast.”

That’s a boast, a comment, in a poem by William Wordsworth.

The poem is entitled, “The Virgin.”

I’ve noticed that comment in many sermons by many priests about Mary.

FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven - body and soul - however that works.

It’s one of the earliest titles and feasts of Mary in the Church - but it wasn’t till 1950 - that it was declared a Dogma - a Dogmatic teaching.

MARY: WE CATHOLICS GET HER

I come from a parish in Brooklyn, Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

We are in a parish here in Annapolis, Maryland, with the title of St. Mary’s.

We are Catholics and Mary is very much part of our life as Catholics - from names of parishes, to statues, to the rosary.

Some non-Catholics don’t get it - why we honor Mary so much.

She is not God. Some think that’s what we think. We don’t.

BOASTING  VS.  OH NO!

I think the comment in a poem “Our tainted nature’s solitary boast” can get us right into the middle of a most human need and reality.

We boast about our best; we put our head down about our worst.

We boast about Mary - who was our best - and in hopes we do our best.

She was presence - there for the whole life of Christ - from his birth till his death - from Christmas to  Good Friday.

She was in the crowd and in his eye sight - when he walked Israel and talked to Israel.

She thought of others at Cana - she thought of him and was there for him  on the way to Calvary.

We need people in our lives who are models and whom we can boast about.

PRIEST  SCANDALS  IN  PENNSYLVANIA

Yesterday was a horrible day for us priests - with the newspapers stuff about Pennsylvania.

Those we looked up to failed us.

I’m sure when people drove down Duke of Gloucester St. yesterday and today - when they saw this church - some of the news’ stories out of Pennsylvania  tainted this church building.

The pastor got e-mails that we better say something about all this - maybe come Sunday.  People look up to us to say something about all this - because this is a downer for us Catholics.

So today, that’s an opening salvo of quick comments today.

CONCLUSION

We priests are tainted - maybe that’s why we need someone completely untainted, Mary - and we boast about her - so on this feast we celebrate God taking her home to heaven - untainted. Amen.

__________________________


Painting on top: The Assumption of the Virgin, by Francesco Botticini [1475-1476] in Florence

August 15, 2018

ASSUMPTIONS

As we have all heard,

when we assume we

can make an ass out

of each other: u  me.

Yet, we need to make

assumptions,  to make

it a go - as we go through

life - with each other.

I assume you want it

to work. I assume that

you are listening.
I assume that you care.

I assume we will make

mistakes and I assume

that you will forgive me

when I fail or mess up.

I assume good will.

I assume patience.

I assume respect.

I assume love.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

August 15, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“A poem is  never  finished; it’s always an accident that puts a stop to it - i.e. gives it to the public.” 

Paul Valery [1871-1945] 

Litterature (1930), page 46.  

In French, “Un poeme n’

est jamais acheve - 

c’est toujours un accident 

qui le termine, c’est-a-dire 

qui le donne au public.”

DENTS

I see the dents and scratches,

on the different cars that shoot

and slide by me on the streets

and highways of life. “Uooh!”

I miss the dents and scratches

and scars on the different people

who shoot and slide by me on the

stairs and sidewalks  of life. “Uooh!”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

August 14, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“Conductors  must  give unmistakable and suggestive signals to the orchestra - not choreography to the audience.”  

George Szell  [1897-1970], 

Newsweek January 28, 1963

UNFORGETTABLE SCENES

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for the 19^th Monday in Ordinary Time  is, “Unforgettable Scenes.”

Before dementia, we can sit back and sort out some unforgettable scenes from our lifetime.

That’s one of the great gifts we have as human beings: our ability to remember - especially our unforgettable scenes.

Memories  ….  Moments .... Scenes from a lifetime ....

TODAY’S TWO READINGS

Today’s two readings trigger that thought.

The first reading from Ezekiel has some electric images: huge clouds, strong storm winds from the north, flashing fires in the sky. It also has sounds - as if the sky was filled with images that looked human - but with wings.  I picture 1,000 gulls squeaking at the shore - if you ever saw that.  Then Ezekiel sees a throne - like a sapphire - with someone seated  on it - filled with fire and light. Then he sees a rainbow. [Cf. Ezekiel 1: 2-5, 24-28c.]

The gospel has Jesus telling his disciples about his future - being killed and rising on the 3^rd day. Then there is the fish story about having to pay taxes and they toss a hook into the lake and they catch a fish - with a coin in its mouth worth twice the temple tax. [Cf. Matthew 17: 11-27.]

QUESTION

What have been your great life scenes? What have been your memorable scenes.

Pick 10. It’s a good exercise. It’s good discussion stuff with one another.

Here are 10 scenes in my life. I did my homework. Practice what you preach. These are in no particular order - and I have hundreds more. 

I had a crazy morning, so I read the readings and thought this might be interesting homework.

#1  Four of us in a light blue car drove from New York City to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.  The plan was to drive till we saw mountains. We went 32 hours straight - switching drivers every 2 hours - stopping for bathroom breaks and hamburger breaks. We crossed the border into Eastern Colorado. It was evening. There were the mountains finally. We parked the car on a dirt road - next to a field - got out - pitched our tents and went to sleep.  We woke up the next morning surrounded by cows and looked out from our tents and saw no mountains. It was a mirage. What we thought were mountains the night before simply were clouds in the west.

#2 We climbed Mount Alice. There we were - us 4 priests - trying to climb up to the top of what was called Mount Alice. It was part of the Continental Divide. We didn’t make it. 2 guys below us took pictures - but we didn’t know till we looked at the pictures when we got back - that we were very close. We took another way the next day - got to the top of Mount Alice. Surprise! What we thought would be a tiny peak - some 14,000 feet up - was a gigantic boulder field - the size of 3 football fields.

#3.  On a Mediterranean cruise, we took a bus and then walked up to the edge of Vesuvius above Naples, Italy and looked down into a deep crater that had smoke coming up  our of different fissures.

#4. I was giving a priests’ retreat on the other side of Lake Poncetraine - on the other side from New Orleans and I was walking outside by myself early in the morning - and a man in a car came into the property - went into a cemetery - and I was walking towards him - and he had a gun and shot himself to death while standing in front of a statue of Mary.

#5 I was with my brother in his sailboat in the Chesapeake - not too far out from the Naval Academy and we were able to go right up close to a nuclear submarine.

#6 Mary Decker. I was at Madison Square Garden one night for the Millrose Games and we saw Mary Decker break the world indoor record for the 10,000 meter run and somewhere around 7000 meters the whole of Madison Garden stood up and cheerer her on.

#7 I saw the Codex Sinaticus - in the British Library in London.

#8 I saw 1 million people all together  in Washington DC for fireworks on the evening of July 4^th, 1976.

#9 I once gave a sermon to 15,000 people - one evening - in a park in Reading PA and couldn’t see any of the people in front of me. The  stage had a pond in front of us - and bright, bright lights shining in our faces.

#10 I saw the New York Marathon a couple of times. The one I picture was the first time I saw the Marathon. We were standing there on 4^th Avenue in Brooklyn - and suddenly we could hear the helicopters overhead - then the lead runners coming off the Verrazano Bridge - then over 20,000 people ran by us.

CONCLUSION

Those are 10 of my unforgettable sights. There are a lot more. What are your 10 more.

August 13, 2018

Reflections

DRIVING BY

Driving by a dozen, 100 dozen

cemeteries, I see people standing

there at graves - I can’t see their

eyes, their faces, their thoughts,

their prayers, but who said the

dead are dead? Who said there

isn’t resurrection on both sides

of death - both sides of the grave?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

August 13, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“Millions say the apple fell but Newton was the one to ask why?” 

Bernard M. Baruch

DO YOU HAVE ANY BREAD?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 19^th Sunday in Ordinary Time [B]  is, “Do You Have Any Bread?”

How many times have we been in a restaurant and we asked the waiter or waitress, “Do you have any bread?”

Or the bread was so good, we ask, “Do you have any more bread?”

What’s your take on bread?

GIVING US THE WHOLE BIBLE - IN SLICES OR BITES

As you know the Sunday Readings are broken up for us into 3 cycles: A - B - and C. The gospels for year A are from Mathew, Year B from Mark, this year, and Year C from Luke - next year.

My thought is that Mark is the shortest gospel, 16 chapters, so they needed something extra - so in came John for these 5 Sundays.

All this is the plan for Sundays in Ordinary Time.

And notice, like today, the first reading - usually from the Jewish Scriptures - which we call The Old Testament is connected somehow to the gospel.

During  Advent, Lent, the Easter Season and feasts,  we have John and different parts of different gospels. So in a given 3 year cycle we get - pretty much the whole Bible. Weekday  readings for weekday Masses are on a 2 year cycle.

THE 6^th CHAPTER OF JOHN

Okay, the 6^th chapter of John….

We’re getting it for 5 straight Sundays - from John 6 - which is a long chapter.

It’s all about bread. It’s all about the Eucharist.

Why do you come to Mass Sunday after Sunday after Sunday?

Different people down through the years have told me, they came back to Mass, because of the Eucharist.  They missed Holy Communion. They wanted the bread.

My  big suggestion in this homily - entitled, “Do You Have Any Bread?” - is to read the 6^th Chapter of John.

Break it up - like we break up bread. Slice it up, like we slice up bread. Share it with each other. Read  it out loud as a couple or a family - as we break bread up and share it as a family.

If you use the Eucharistic Adoration Chapel at St. Mary’s, make sure you sit there and read the 6^th chapter of John in prayer - every couple of months.

Scripture scholars tell us that the 6^th chapter of John has been developed - it evolved - as that first century of church went on. It has been re-written - and given new drafts.  This sermon is different than the time I gave it this morning. It  needed help.

It has a wisdom level and a bread level and a community level.

THE WISDOM OF BREAD

What do you see and sense when you see bread - rolls - in a basket on a table - especially when it’s fresh and warm and delicious looking.

Do you see any wisdom in bread?

Dan Berrigan - the Jesuit - priest and poet once wrote,

When I hear bread breaking,

I see something else; it seems to me

as though God never meant us to do anything else.

So beautiful a sound; the crust breaks up like manna

and falls all over everything and then we eat;

bread gets inside humans.

Jesus came as wisdom and the people listened to him as the word of life.

Anthropologists tell us that life on the planet changed as people started to make and bake bread.

People had to move from being hunters and gatherers to farmers and city folk to have bread.

There is a difference between  eating bread and eating berries and birds.

Meat is meat.   Bread is complicated. Making bread is a process. Baking takes time and skills and knowing what to do.

So read Chapter 6 of the Gospel of John and hear some of thoughts Jesus baked into his words.

Picture the story - the scene - what’s happening in John 6.

The folks are hunting for Jesus - the one who was different. Hey we know Mary and Joseph - who is this one - and how did he get to be who he is. Jesus is the one coming down from heaven.  Jesus is the one who can help people live forever. Jesus is the one who is teaching people about God the Father, His Father, Our Father.

The people are murmuring against him. He tells them to become quiet and listen - to the wisdom from his mind and life.

BREAD AS FOOD

We also need food.

Everybody - whether they know the Our Father prayer or not, prays every day, “Give us this day our daily bread.”

The people in the 6^th chapter of John are hungry.

We need work so people can earn money to buy bread.

Money is called bread at times.

We need bakers.

One of neatest life memories I have is from a bus tour I was on in Ireland. We were trying to get to some spot in our bus, but we couldn’t make a turn, so the bus driver took us to a sweater and blanket place where they had weavers. Across the street was a church and a funeral was going on.

The sweater place didn’t grab me so I meandered around outside - wondering about the funeral.  The tour group I was with got on the bus - and we headed down the street in this small Irish town - just as the funeral was finished.

We headed out of town just ahead of them - as the church funeral bells were tolling. Looking out the bus windows, we could see  for about 5 streets - people lined up on both sides looking out into the street - waiting for the funeral hearse and the cars to come by.

We asked the obvious: Who died?

The bus driver answered with a tear and a smile: the baker.

We need bread. We need cakes. We need cookies and croissants. We need pies and pastry.

We need food pantries.

We need dumpsters for the starving to get food - if they can’t get food elsewhere.

The other night on the news there was a story about a college girl who came up with a computer program and a process to get left over and about to be tossed food into the hands of food pantries.

Jesus came as bread, as food, and he fed the hungry.

BREAD AS COMMUNION

It is not good to be alone.

It is not good to eat alone.

We need community.

We need family.

We need to eat together.

We need to break bread and share wine together.

Sometimes we can’t stomach each other.

Sometimes we can’t eat with each other.

Every family knows this.

Every family knows this at Thanksgiving especially - family fractures show up at that long weekend.

The Mass is a get together - a communion - a community of folks who want to gather at least once a week to celebrate life and our attempts to live gospel values with each other.

JESUS KNOWS THIS

Jesus knows this.

Jesus comes as words.

Jesus comes as bread and wine - the most basic - of food.

Solid and liquid.

Bones and blood.

Flowing and standing still.

Life.

Bread gets into us.

Words get into us.

CONCLUSION

As Jesus says in today’s gospel, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.

August 12, 2018

SEDIMENT

Small tiny pieces of wine - dregs -

settling at the bottom of the glass

or bottle, sometimes resting there -

annoying the look of things -

like the remains of the feelings

we have - after some conversations -

hearing, saying things we wished

weren't said in the first place.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

August 12, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“I cannot admit that any man born … has either the knowledge or authority to tell other men … what God’s purposes are." 

Judge Ben B. Lindsey