DON’T  BE  AFRAID!

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this feast of the Immaculate Conception  is, “Don’t Be Afraid.”

At this Mass we’re celebrating Mary - the Mother of Jesus - the New Eve.

TODAY’S FIRST READING

In today’s first reading from Genesis 3: 9-15, 20, Adam says “I was afraid.”

God is looking for Adam  in the garden, where he is hiding from God. God says, “Where are you?” And Adam says, “I heard you in the garden, but I was afraid, because I was naked.”

And God says, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten the forbidden fruit.”

Then he blames Eve and they blame the snake.

We have here a profound story. It gets at the heart of who we are.

We want to walk with God. We want to be with God.  We want the world to be a beautiful garden. But we mess up. We eat the forbidden fruit.  That’s the naked truth.

And so we are afraid.

The word “afraid” appears 103 times in the English translation of our Bible. The word “fear” appears 454 times.

“Waira” is the root Hebrew word for “fear” or “afraid”.  Phobos” is the word for “fear”  in Greek. “Fear” and “afraid” are the key words in English.

And we hear 454 million times in our lives: “Don’t be afraid.”  We say that to ourselves and to others.

The naked truth is we are afraid.

We are afraid of God, ourselves, and others.

We’re afraid of failure, being seen, making mistakes, sinning, striking out, being rejected, failing.

TODAYS GOSPEL

In today’s gospel - an angel comes to Mary - it’s another basic human story - and says, “Hail full of grace! The Lord is with you.”

And she is greatly troubled. She ponders with an “Uh Oh!’ - the two sounds we say all our lives when we see a request coming, “Uh oh!”

And the angel asks her to bring Christ to our world.

The angel begins by saying, “Don’t be afraid.”

And she says that she can’t do it.  She’s not married. She has had no relations with a man.

And the angel says, “The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the most high will overshadow you, and you will bring the Holy One to this world.

CONCLUSION:   US

These two stories are our story.

We want to be with God - we want to walk with God - but like Adam and Eve and unlike Mary - we sneak like snakes and take the forbidden fruit.

Yet God still calls us to be his mother and bring the most high to our world.

And we’re afraid.

Yet God still calls us each day.   God still sends angels to us each day and says, “the Lord is with you” - And “Don’t be afraid.”

Hopefully we all say what Mary said, “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to your word.”

December 8, 2018

PRAYER

IS JUST SHOWING

UP  AT THE WELL.

Want to pray?

Find yourself heading into a village.

Find yourself at the village well.

Find Jesus just sitting there

waiting for you.

“Well, well, look who’s here.”

Read John 4: 1-44 or so….

Go from there. Go into your

life - who’s who, what was what,

and what you’re thirsty for.

Do this and you’ll find out

in four months - at the harvest -

who you are, who Jesus is,  and

what your life is all about,

and whom you’re  really thirsty for.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

December 8, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“To this day, I still believe that the best compliment to a book or a sermon is, ‘I see what you mean.’” 

Renta J. Weems

December 7, 2018  Friday

TWO  BLIND  MEN

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Two Blind Men.”

In the gospels there are a half dozen stories about blind folks who call out to Jesus for healing.

A key message would be the obvious: Cry out to Jesus on a regular basis to see better - and avoid being blind to the needs of others.

THE FIRST READING

The first reading from Isaiah would suggest we call out to God to ask Him to help us see the beauties of creation all around us - or to make that the work of our hands to make our gardens and our habitats better.

The first reading from Isaiah calls us to be holy - to not be ashamed to be a holy person, to be an honest person, to show reverence to God.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Today’s gospel has these 2 blind me crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us.”

Jesus then does what he usually does in these stories and these moments - he challenges the screamer to move from physical healing to soul healing  - and then to move to the faith level.

And both men receive their sight because of their faith.

And Jesus tells them to keep this quiet and they don’t follow Jesus’ admonition - and they proclaim his healing powers to the whole area.

Notice Jesus touches their eyes. He goes from the visible to the invisible.

ANOTHER TWO MEN

Since today - December 7^th -  is the feast of St. Ambrose, why not apply the story of the two blind me to the two men called, Augustine and Ambrose.

Ambrose and Augustine were both powerful men - who were fortunate to meet each other in the city of Milan.

Ambrose was sent to Milan to be the Roman governor there - and the people made him bishop.

As governor and as bishop - this short man - took no nonsense.

And boy could he preach. That is what drew Augustine to him - his intelligence and his theology. But first they argued and Augustine tried to figure out the message of the  gospels.

The blindness that Augustine had was cleared up with the help of Ambrose  - and he  saw the beautiful God - that we will hear about in Augustine’s Confessions.

CONCLUSION

Pray the prayer of the blind men in the scriptures. Lord have pity on us and help us to see.

Homily - Saint Ambrose

Isaiah 29: 17-24

Matthew 9: 27-31

December 7, 2018

STONES  HAVE NO PROBLEMS  

WITH FEELINGS 

Did you ever notice that stones 

don’t have too many problems 

with intimacy and comparisons? 

They just sit and watch like old 

people on a bus heading back to 

the nursing home or senior village. 

I guess they did it all in their time: 

being parts of mountains, bridges, 

walls, homes, churches, bars. 

They have felt the heat and the 

rain, the snow and the cold of 

time and war and history. 

Me. I don’t want to be stone - 

hard and cold. Hey 2000 years 

ago I might have killed someone. 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

December 7, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“I find the harder I work, the more luck I have.” 

Thomas Jefferson

2 REASONS WHY 

WE COME TO MASS

INTRODUCTION

There are many reasons why people come to Mass. Here are 2 possible reasons why  we come to Mass.  There are many others.

Today’s readings give 2 good reasons: healing and hunger.

FIRST REASON: HEALING

The first reason is healing. 

When we go to the doctor, she or he asks, “Where does it hurt?

Once upon a time I cut my finger. It wasn’t a big cut, but I put a band aid on it.

I'm visiting my niece and family and I'm just sitting there on a couch.  I had forgotten about the band aid and the cut. Well, Patrick, my grandnephew comes into the room and spots the band aid, almost immediately, he walks over to me and points to my finger and says, “Boo Boo!”

I didn’t get it - but my niece Patty explained that he and kids often do things like that.

Well, if Jesus walked up to anyone of us here today and pointed at us and said, “Boo! Boo!” what hurt in us, would he have spotted?

Regrets, mistakes, sins, cuts, family wars, what have you?  That’s where we need and want healing.

Fill in the blank, “I’m sick of _____________.”

Is there a veil or a web that is blocking something in us or tying us up?

Jesus loved to ask: “What are you asking for?” or "What can I do for you?"

SECOND REASON: HUNGER

A second reason why we come to Mass is that we hunger.

In today’s gospel Jesus talks about a banquet. In today’s gospel Jesus talks about helping the hungry.

Each of us can say when we walk into a church, “I’m hungry.” “I’m thirsty!” “I’m empty, “I’m needy.” “I am not satisfied.”

Answer the question: What am I hungry about?

We are hungry for reconciliation. We’re hungry for fullness.  We are hungry for inner peace, meaning, for purpose. We are hungry for energy.  We are hungry for courage.  We are hungry for strength.   We are hungry for  love.

In today’s gospel, Jesus gives bread to the hungry and they end up with seven baskets full of food.

Commentators say the 7 might refer to some of the cities in the early church that are mentioned in  the  Acts of the Apostles.

All of us are hungry for- food - for inner  peace - for solutions to our problems,  etc.

CONCLUSION

Why are you here at Mass today?

You are here for various reasons. I shaped out two reasons.  Hopefully, looking  at your answers you are comfortable with your reasons. Amen.

December 6,  2018

TWISTS AND TURNS

Everyone has twists and turns

in the  moments of our lives.

Good and bad, ups and downs,

basic blue, basic green, basic life.

The turns in the roads of our life:

some are right, some are wrong.

And sometimes it takes a long time

to know which is which and what is what.

Each sunrise we wake up to new surprises;

each sunset we figure the smart and the dumb.

Life: we have to twist and turn the bottle

cap,  if we want to drink life to the full. Amen.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

December 6, 2018

Thought for today: 

“As one goes  through life, one learns that if you don’t paddle your own canoe, you don’t move.” 

Katherine Hepburn

December 5, 2018

ESCAPE TO THE MOUNTAINS

 INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 1^st Wednesday in Advent is, “Escape to the Mountains.”

One of the themes we find in the Scriptures is mountains are safe places to hide.

We know this from Westerns - where bad guys hide out - and good guys go for healing.

If you’ve  ever been to Israel, you are aware that there are sections where there are strings of Mountains.

UNITED STATES

I lived in Lima Ohio before coming to Annapolis. Lima was Midwest. Lima flat and soybean farmers had flattening out the land as a goal - so it would be easier with the rain - and with growing - and with reaping and planting.

To get to Lima from the east we had to go through a town called Crestline and it was just that. West of that the land had crested.

Right down the eastern part of the United States we have the Appalachian and right down the west of the United States was the Rockies.

So hopefully we know mountains.

TODAY’S READINGS

We find mountains in both readings for today.

In today’s first reading from Isaiah we have the Lord promising all people a place to feast - where there was good wine and rich food.

In today’s first reading from Isaiah we have the promise of safety. The web that can catch us  - tie us up - will be destroyed.

Tears will be wiped away - because we have discovered safety and security on that mountain.

Today’s gospel is similar. A vast crowd of people show up to find Christ - and they meet him on a mountain - where we feeds everyone

.

Like the first reading, people get more than food. They are healed of blindness and crippling.

And there are leftovers.

Healing message - helpful message - hopeful message.

CONCLUSION

If you ever get a chance to go to high places - take the elevator to the roof. I am so glad I went to the top of the World Trade Center at least 2 times.

If you’re ever outriding or traveling across or down the USA, if you see a sign, Scenic Overview, check it out.

If you have a choice of a window seat or an aisle seat, on a flight, take the window seat.

See the big picture.

It will help your prayer life.

December 5, 2018

MUSIC AND THE DANCE

Everyone has within them 

the music and the dance, 

the fiddle and the click of 

tap shoe on wooden floor. 

Songs haunt our heart. 

Rhythm moves our feet. 

The beat of the drum is in 

our blood, - in our nerves. 

The call to war - to battle …. 

The sounds of love … 

are never that far away 

from anyone of us. 

Patriotism, laughter, memories 

somehow cling to songs, as we 

hear them at weddings, wakes 

and funerals and in the elevator. 

Listen to the sound of music…. 

Some enchanted evening …. What the 

world needs now is love sweet love …. 

even if raindrops keep falling on our head. 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

December 5, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“The days you are  the most uncomfortable are the days you learn the most about yourself.”

DON’T  FORGET  TO  LOOK 

AT THE PICTURES

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 1^st Tuesday in Advent is, “Don’t Forget to Look at the Pictures.”

Christianity is a very visual religion. We use stuff - materials - pictures - images to get to the invisible - the spiritual.

Christmas cards are still  - around - less than the past - but they are still around. If you do Christmas cards may your cards with their images and pictures and your written words  bring life and hope to the people in your lives whom you send cards to.

If you use a family photo as your Christmas Greetings may others remember nice memories of the people in the picture that you send.  If you use regular Christmas Cards - may others catch the Baby in the manger - or the Christmas message on your card.

TODAY’S FIRST READING

Today’s first reading from Isaiah 11: 1-10 has some rich words and themes.

Check your Christmas cards. Some will have just words  - like the words in today’s first reading: understanding, wisdom, counsel, justice, and faithfulness. Pick one word, one theme and pray it back for the sender.

Check your Christmas cards. Someone will send you a painting by Edward Hicks of the Peaceable Kingdom fame. We hear about that in today’s first reading as well: all the animals living in peace.  As you know there are lots of versions of that painting - 62 to be exact.  Study the dream of Edward Hicks - a Quaker - for our world - that the bull in the china shop, the bully in the classroom, the monkey in our midst who won’t get   serious, can all get along with each other: those who bark and bite and those who are catty and those who are the elephants in the room.

Don’t forget to look at the Christmas TV movies. Try to catch Charlie Brown’s Christmas story - as well as, “It’s a Wonderful Life” with Jimmy Stewart. Listen to and ponder and study the Christmas message in the songs in the background.

TODAY - DECEMBER 4th - IS THE FEAST OF ST. JOHN DAMASCENE

St. John Damascene or St. John of Damascus [c. 675-749]  was the last of the Fathers of the Early Church.

He was attacked and scoffed at for defending the use of images and icons and pictures in telling the Christian message.

There were those in the Christian Church who were against all images - broke some of them. It’s called iconoclasm.  Of course, images are not God - any more than our photographs and selfies are the people in the pictures

Luckily St. John lived in Muslim territory - Muslims who were against images in their religion - but they didn’t bother John - the monk.

CONCLUSION: TODAY’S GOSPEL

In today’s gospel [Luke 10: 21-24] we are told to be like little children and spot the presence of God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - all around us - as well as understanding, wisdom, justice and faithfulness.

December 4, 2018

PRESENCE

I could feel God’s beauty, 

presence, wonder, story, 

as I was putting the Bread 

of the Life, the Eucharist, 

into the tabernacle - and 

I could also feel this MORE 

in the cut flowers standing 

in water up to its knees in a 

clear glass vase next to 

to the bronze tabernacle. 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

December 4, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“Be  stronger  than  your  best  excuse.”

SAYING DANGEROUS THINGS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Saying Dangerous Things.”

Have you ever said something that is dangerous - something that causes reactions - that could get you in trouble?

I guess it would begin with thinking dangerous thoughts.

A comment to make if asked such a question might be: “For example?”

Or, “Please explain?”

Or, “What do you have in mind?”

Or, “It all depends.”

PORPRAVA MILADY HORAKOVA

Where my question comes from is something I spotted last night by accident. Father Joe Krastel and I were watching the Pittsburgh Steelers - Los Angeles Chargers football game - Sunday Night Football - and the camera turned on Mike Munchak - one of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ coaches. Joe asked, “Where did he play?”  I said, “Maybe Notre Dame?” Joe, who has a tremendous memory said, “I bet you it was Penn State.”

I looked it up later on and found out that he played for Penn State and then played for 10 or 11 years on the Houston Oilers and was all pro 9 times - and is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was from Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Surprise I spotted off to the side on my computer - on the internet - where I looked up Mike Munchak -  one of those YouTube short videos. At times I like to look at them instead of playing computer games. It showed the image of a distinguished looking woman in a blue dress - with a white collar -  and it looked like they were leading this woman out to be hung.

Scary. I watched the whole thing. Her name was Porpora  Milada Horáková.

The short film had little sound - and the words were in Czech or some foreign language. She was hung. I had never heard of her. It lead me to look up to find out who she was - and what did she do to deserve being hung.

Milada Horáková

I was in Slovakia once on a Danube Cruise - and could have chosen Prague as a side trip  - but didn’t.  From what I learned last night I might then have seen a statue of this woman - who is now a national hero - for her stands on major issues - in the life of her country.

She was married and had one daughter.

She was arrested by the Gestapo - in standing up to the Nazi’s - and was liberated from prison by the Americans near the end of World War II.  She then stood up to the communists for years - on national policies and programs - for women and for children - and foreign policy - and use of resources - and was arrested - and condemned to be hung in Prague’s Pankrac Prison on June 27, 1950 at 5:30 A.M.

I woke up this morning still thinking about her and that scene.

HOMILY

It got me to ask the question of my homily: “Have I ever said something that is dangerous - something that causes reactions - that could get me in trouble?”

It could be prolife. It could be Peace and Justice issues. It could be many things like family fights - like telling someone - with love - about their drinking or non-care of kids or aging parents.

When I read Isaiah’s comment in today’s first reading, I thought of all this as well.

Isaiah said something that has gotten a lot of people in trouble: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.”

Haven’t we all gone down streets - like in Baltimore - where there are terrible pot holes and said, “The money we poured out for the Iraq war could fix all the streets in America or help pay teachers better - especially in inner city schools or feed the hungry and on and on and on.”

I don’t have a degree in economics nor am I an engineer nor am I million other things - but there is a call in all of us - to think - and to speak up more than we do - instead of being silent and helpless.

CONCLUSION.

The title of my homily for today is, “Saying Dangerous Things.”

I do a lot of baptisms and I’ve been to lots of confirmations - and I know the New Testament message - is oiled into babies as well as teenage skulls - that we are all called to not only be priests - all of us - as well as kings and queens - as Jesus was a king - that is a king who feeds the poor and washes feet - and cares for the sick - but we are also called to be prophets.

Jesus was also a prophet - and prophets are often yelled at - spit at - and sometimes crucified - sometimes hung.

December 3, 2018

PUERTO RICO

I am an island

surrounded by water -

the Atlantic and the Caribbean.

I am San Juan,

Mayaguez,

Ponce, Guyama,

Carolina, Caguas, Bayamon,

smaller cities and islands.

I am Taino and Igneri,

Hispanic, Catholic

Evangelical and other.

I am American.

I am Latino.

I am some 3,659,087 Puertorriquenos in P.R.

and some 4,600,000 in the mainland USA.

I am mountains.

I am roosters and rain,

then a sun shower

landing on green, green, green.

I am on a road,

many roads that twist

and curve, and then curve some more -

leading to beaches, water, work,

manufacturing, tourism.

I am history  -

a story - many stories.

I am hurricanes:
Maria, Hugo, Irma,
Katrina, and so many others. 

I am a veranda

mi casa, su casa

watching the noise

hearing the show going on.

I am life.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

December 3, 2018

Thought for today: 

“Rock  bottom  became  the  solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.”

A  BABY  CHANGES  EVERYTHING

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this First Sunday in Advent [C] is, “A Baby Changes Everything.”

I don’t know about you, but these Advent readings - as well as the end of the Church year readings - don’t grab me.

They talk about the sun, the moon and the stars gliding and sliding and colliding in the skies. They talk about traps and tribulations on the earth and the oceans roaring - pounding our shores - and SURES.

Yes - we have earthquakes - like last week’s big one in Alaska - and we have forest fires and hurricanes - and lots of other natural and unnatural disasters. With 24/7/365 news coverage - unless we turn the TV off - or limit it - expect more.

These readings feel like loud video games - or advertisements for war movies. They want me to change the channel - or move to a quieter room - for place and space and peace.

So that’s how the Mass readings for the end of the church year  and then Advent begins every year.

And then every Advent ends with the Baby.

A baby changes everything…

I prefer Christmas at the end of Advent - with the arrival of the Baby - and silent night - and sleigh bells ringing on soft silent snow - and then the end of the Christmas rush.

ADVENT

Advent begins this Sunday. The 4 candles on the Advent wreath tell us it’s 4 weeks. The Church pushes some extra stuff for the Advent Season. However Christmas shows up early with Christmas parties and gift getting - and shopping - shopping - takes over around Thanksgiving - with Black Friday and Cyber Monday - and gotta get those Christmas cards out - because there are always those people who send out cards around December 1^st. I never did finish my Christmas Cards for last Christmas and the one before that and the one before that.

We’ll wear purple in Advent and provide confessions and we’ll hear O Come, O Come Emmanuel for the Sundays of December.

THE BABY

Don’t forget the baby.

Christianity isn’t stupid.  God is not stupid. God comes as a baby.

That’s the message.

The baby comes as a small and crawling and crying presence.

And a baby changes everything.

When it comes to life - you gotta take baby steps first.

ERICKSON’S 6^TH   AND 7^TH STEPS

Everyone who has taken a little psych in college knows Erik Erikson’s 6^th and 7^th steps and stages of life.

6^th Step: Intimacy vs Isolation - meeting and falling in love - getting out of self and into another.

7^th Step: Generativity vs. Stagnation.  We better have our babies - we better work together for others.

Then the 8^th and long - hopefully - last stage of life - when  we figure life out - our life out - our purpose in life.

My thought has been that God does not have specific, specific plans for us and for our life - other than to keep the Great Commandment - to love the Lord our God with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves - in our setting, in our circumstances, with our gifts and with our dreams.

For the sake of transparency, not everyone thinks my way - who does think  the same as the person next to them?

And yes hopefully we all pray, “Thy will be done” - which is God’s call that love one another as Christ has loved us.

MARRIAGES AND BAPTISMS

I do a lot of marriages and baptisms - and funerals as well.

And like at Christmas I know a lot of folks are not here much of the year.

And I think the numbers are going down - so I hope people at weddings, baptisms and funerals - are thinking about church and God and purpose in life.

When with couples preparing for Marriage I often hear them say they want religion for their kids.

I just listen knowing we learn from life the most.

People often go to church because of their parents and then say they will be going to church because of their kids.

At baptisms I love to read the gospel of Jesus about “Let the kids come to me and don’t stop them - because they know about the kingdom of God.”

I like to say, “Kids are the best teachers.”

I like to say, “A baby changes everything.”

Life stinks if we don’t change - so too diapers and pampers.

I have learned that the 2 biggest changers in life  - is another - moving in with another and then getting married and then having a baby.

A baby changes everything.

And couples knows this.

In marriage one has to think of another.

With a baby, two have to thank of another.

Babies change us.

Couples at first call each other, “Babe” or sing, “Baby, Baby.”

Kids teach us to see.

To see so much.

Kids want.

Love, affection, food, and to get us to see - they keep pointing. They keep looking. They keep seeing.

They make us laugh. They make us cry when they get sick.

They make us sacrifice - put down the paper - or the clicker - and give them attention - much more than a dog or a cat.

I remember dropping into a priest friend of mine  nieces house on the way home  for Christmas. We were just in time to see kids opening Christmas gifts. Not having kids of my own, it brought back memories of opening Christmas gifts - underwear and socks  - mostly.

Well, Joe's  grandnephews  - 3 boys - would be opening up great big waterguns, suppersoakers, and loud moving yellow construction trucks, and they would be celebrating - till have surveyed their Christmas take they saw their brother - get something they wanted - and there would be a whining and fighting on Christmas morning.

Violence and selfishness is in the Christmas story - the baby had to be born in a barn - and the Innocents were slaughtered…..

A baby changes everything.

That’s the Christmas story for starters.

WELCOMING

Hopefully we all get the Christmas Message - the Life Message - that the little kid points out what we’re not seeing.

The little kid - the baby - welcomes all - wants all - like take our glasses off our face - when we’re holding them.

The little kid wants to open doors, cabinets, drawers, boxes, everything.

I want it all - the little baby crawls towards life - others.

CONCLUSION

Advent, Christmas, Christianity, at this time - of small steps - is telling us life is a lot more than this.

It stars like a little bud, a little shoot as Jeremiah tells us in today’s first reading.

It starts like a push as Paul tells us in today’s second reading - a push towards Christ.

It’s  life as today’s gospel tells us: don’t get trapped by anxieties - especially the big noisy things - hear - see - the Little Baby.

Christ will change us.