WHO  ME?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Who Me?”

Today is the feast of St. Matthew.

In today’s gospel from Matthew, Mathew the Tax Collector, is sitting there at his custom’s post and Jesus passes by. He stops. He spots Matthew. He calls Matthew! Matthew stands up. Matthew follows  Jesus. Just like that.

GESTURES

If you want, take your hand and hold up your index finger towards the ceiling.  Now point it towards your chest and say, “Who me?”  Try that!

Next take that same finger - make out you’re Jesus - and point that finger towards Matthew and once more say, “You! Follow me.”

“Who me?”

The key message from this gospel and from this reading is this: “God calls the one who is a sinner.”

At the end of today’s gospel  we hear that Jesus has come to call the sinner.

There it is: the central message, the  central point of Christ.  Jesus came to bring mercy - forgiveness - understanding - acceptance - love for each of us.

CARAVAGGIO

 In 2014 I went to Rome on a trip with people from the parish I was in. We went with a group on a bus trip  to Rome. The plan was take different tours or side trips around Rome.  Since I once spent 5 weeks in Rome, my plan was to go to the Redemptorst Headquarters and see some Redemptorists there that I knew.

However,  I spotted two old ladies who were on our tour. They were by themselves. I knew them from other trips. I asked them what they were going to do. They said, “Oh, just walk around.” Hearing that,  I dropped my plans and asked if they wanted company. “Gladly!” One was 77 and the other was 82.  I figured that would be the thing to do.

We saw St. Peter’s and then started walking.  I had been with them on other tours and if they saw a Victoria’s Secret - they had to go in. So I waited outside. They came out laughing and laughing - without buying anything.  Next,  we found ourselves in the Piazza Navonne - where they have three fountains - including the enormous Neptune statue.

Surprise I see a church over the water sprays of the fountain and I said, “Let’s check that church.”

It was the French church - San Luigi dei Francesi - St. Louis of the French. It was a baroque church from the 1500’s. Surprise - I didn’t know this - but it had 3 famous painting of St. Mathew.  A Cardinal - with the name of Matthew wanted paintings of St. Matthew.  They got an artist but he dropped out, so someone picked Caravaggio.

By total accident I saw 3 Caravaggios that day: The Call of Matthew, The Inspiration of St. Matthew and the Martyrdom of Matthew ....

I liked The Call of Matthew the best.

There was Matthew - the sinner - in a tavern with Christ pointing towards him.  There was Matthew pointing his finger towards himself - seeming to say, “Who me?”

He’s at table with 4 others counting money. Christ calls Matthew the sinner.

Seeing that I had a future sermon.

Today I’m finally using it. Caravvagio the sinner painted great big paintings - with light and shadow. He understood  calls from God or Christ. He was so good he had many offers and commissions.

Caravvagio knew grace, call, love, sin, light darkness. He was a pimp, a murderer, being chased by police, escaping from prison - probably murdered himself at 38.

We bought the book - the guide book from that church - with the 3 paintings of Matthew.

CONCLUSION: HOMEWORK

If you use google - type into the search box, “Caravaggio; the Call of Matthew.”  

Study the painting in the context of today’s gospel reading: Matthew 9:9-13.

Then check out the various YouTube short videos on Caravaggio and Matthew.

If Caravaggio becomes an interest for you - or even an addiction - go for it.

What I’m saying is this: there are lots of paintings by Caravaggio. Study them all. Connect them to the Bible text they are depicting and you’ll have some great spiritual reading and picturing.

Or if you get to Rome get to see this painting by Caravaggio: the Call of Matthew. Pope Francis loved this painting and told people going to Rome, to make sure you spent time at this painting. Amen.

September 21, 2019

HOW TOUCHING

When sitting there in buses, banks, 

doctor’s offices, church or airports,

spot the human touches - hands,

shoulders, arms, dandruff flicking,

unconscious when an old song plays

on the radio - or when a sermon makes

sense or a slight touch when pouring milk

in another’s coffee cup - giving a hug after 
a kid finishes a game she lost. "I just want to

to reassure you, you’re not alone.  You got me.
You have me. I'm with you through it all …."

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

September  21, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“Something every  couple  should save for their  old age - their marriage.” 

Anonymous

September 20, 2019

GO  FIGURE

Somewhere along the time line

of my life, I began noticing

images of people whenever

I saw a sky full of clouds.

I did this with woodwork - as

well as fabric - as well as cloth.

And sure enough I’d see faces

and figures of people everywhere.

Then one day I realized,  I wasn’t

seeing people in the faces of

people right in front of me - till

I finally said, “Oh there you are!”

"There you are right in front of me.
There you are in every crowd.

not wood, not fabric, not clothes.

There you are right in front of me."

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

September  20, 2019

Thought for today:

“The marriage knot  should  be tied  tight enough to prevent easy loosening but not tight enough to feel like a noose.” 

Anonymous

QUESTIONS: ONE MORE WAY 

 OF  READING  THE  SCRIPTURES

INTRODUCTION

There are different ways of reading, studying, praying with or opening up a Bible. One can start with Page 1 and go to the end like any book - or one can do an individual book in the Bible one at a time - meaning starting anywhere.

A new way hit me last night when sitting down to come up with a short homily for this morning. It’s this.  Take a Mass reading - the first or the Gospel - on the middle one from a Sunday Mass. Read it. Then jot down questions about the reading that hit you.  Like, “When was this document written?”

So that’s the idea that hit me last night - as I was preparing this homily for the 24th Thursday in Ordinary Time.

So that’s why  I came up with the title of this homily: “Questions: One More Way of Reading the Scriptures.”

BETSY ROSS - TOMATOES

I remember hearing a program on NPR - National Public Radio  - about the writing of a biography about Betsy Ross.

First of all, the author being interviewed for PBS figured out there was no significant biography about Betsy Ross. So he or she decided to go there.

Betsy Ross - as you know - was in the story of how we came  up with the American flag. In the research she found out there are questions about who should get the credit etc. However, what hit me while listening to that PBS program - was the question of tomatoes. The biographer found out that Betsy Ross was interested in tomatoes - so she ended up spending a year doing research especially about the state of tomatoes in 1777.

That’s unique. That’s interesting. That’s something I remembered.

To write non-fiction, one ought to be an exact writer - and deal with all the questions a researcher might ask. Research. Research! Questions. Questions.

So that’s why I thought of questions as a way to do Bible reading and Bible research.

SO TOO THE SCRIPTURES

So in this homily, I’m suggesting reading a reading and come up with various questions that might hit  you.

So Luke 7: 36 to 50 talks about perfume - or ointment.

What do we know about perfume in Palestine in the time of Christ?

Do we have any idea what triggered the Pharisee in today’s gospel  to invite Jesus to his house for dinner?

Did Jesus ever turn down an invitation of a dinner?

Does this woman have a name?

At the end of this gospel it says that others were also at the dinner.

What did they think when they saw this woman come into Simon the Pharisee’s house - stand behind Jesus - start crying - started  weeping and washing  Jesus’ feet with her hair. Then she anointed his feet with the ointment. What was the scent like? What were their thoughts besides the one question stated at the end of today’s gospel: “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

As Father Dennis said Tuesday morning - women were second class and backroom people. Here was this woman becoming center stage?

It’s a great story that would trigger lots of questions.

In today’s gospel, Jesus tells a parable about two people in debt - one owing 500 days wages and the other owing 50 days wages. Commentators say that people in Palestine at the time of Jesus had big time debt problems. Where would they get information to say that. In the Judean War of A.D. 66-73 rebels got into the debt archives and burnt the debt records.

I hear these candidates for president saying they will cancel student college debts.  What would that be like?

Have we ever been in debt?  What was that like?

Have we ever been forgiven big time for some big mistake we made? Have you ever been near a confession and we heard some person go, “Phew! Wow!”

CONCLUSION

So that’s my homily and my idea for a homily thought.

Read today’s readings again and pick out one good question that hits you.

Like: who am I more like, Simon or the woman who washed and anointed Jesus’ feet?

Or take  the first reading for today. It says, “Do not neglect the gift you have?”  What would be the most important gift I have and on a scale of 1 to 10, how well  do I use it?  Amen.

September 19, 2019

SEPTEMBER  WIND

You have to walk outside

to know what the weather

is like - come September.

Sometimes some mornings,

the wind has a tinge of ice on its

edges; sometimes it’s still summer.

Sometimes kites are in sight;

sometimes kids blow  bubbles won’t fly.

They just plop onto the sidewalk.

Sometimes some of this makes

no sense or difference. Kids are

back to school and adults to work.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

September  19, 2019

Thought for today: 

“There are  no  successful marriages. There are  only those that are succeeding - or failing.” 

Wells Goodrich

UNSPOKEN   UH OH!

You got angry with me 

for what I said - about 

something you did. It 

was simply my take 

on what I thought you 

were doing. As I walked 

away I had the afterward's 

thought, “Uh oh! 

What would you have 

said if you could hear
my unspoken words - 
my unspoken thoughts? 
Uh oh!” 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019
Drawing - Woodcut  y
Maurits Cornelis Escher
Dutch Graphic Artist
[1898-1972]

September  18, 2019

Thought for today: 

“It takes two  to  make  a marriage a success and only one a failure.”  

Anonymous, 

Lord Samuel [Herbert Louis, 

first Viscount Samuel] 1870 - 1963], 

A Book of Quotations (1947) page 115.

September 17, 2019

LOCKED   CHURCH   DOOR

The priest didn’t know that 23 different

people at 23 different times had walked

up the front steps of that grey stone church

in the past 3 weeks - but the front door

was dead bolt closed and locked.

These 23 different visitors all came

in the daylight - expecting the red

painted church  door to be open -

but no - no - no - that church door

was dead bolt closed and  locked.

The priest - had become a rather tired

man - and the Spirit flew away and out

of his being some 11 years ago - and

he stopped wondering  why so many

people didn’t come to church any more.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

September  17, 2019 - 

Thought for today:  


"On the last day, when the general examination takes place, there will be no question at all on the text of Aristotle,  the aphorisms of Hippocrates, or the paragraphys of Justinian.  Charity will be the whole syllabus." 

Robert Bellaramine.

September 16, 2019

 MOVE  THAT BODY

If you’re happy,

tell your face.

If you’re sad,

don’t tell your face.

If you’re lonely, move your feet

and  head for another’s door.

If your heart is hurting,

reach out and help someone.

If you’re doubting God,

move your feet to some place of beauty.

If you’re grouchy, move your mouth,

and quickly praise someone for something.

If you’re lazy,  get off your bottom

and visit someone who is shut in or out.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

September  16, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“I like reality. It tastes of bread.” 

Jan Anouilh, 

Catch as Catch Can, 1960

GET  FOUND  KID

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 24^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C,  is, “Get Found Kid.”

There is a story with that title from the spiritual writer, Robert Fulghum, about an experience he noticed.  He’s at home - upstairs. He’s at his computer. The window is open and some kids from his street are downstairs and outside  on the lawns playing “Hide and Seek.”

Well, he spots this kid who hides so well that the other kids get really frustrated. He adds that every group has some kid who doesn’t get it that you’re supposed to leave some hints where you’re hiding.  Fulghum sees the kid hiding - and the other kids about to give up. Fulghum says he wants to scream out the window at the kid, “Get found kid.”

He says the kid doesn’t have the idea how the game works. You let yourself get found at times.

The title of my homily is, “Get Found Kid.”

TODAY’S READINGS

Last week Father Johnny Collins asked me if I would like to take this Mass. I said, “Gladly” and then I added an extra “Gladly” when I checked out  the readings. Every preacher would love these readings - especially today’s gospel.

The theme is Lost and Being Found.

The title of my homily is, “Get Found Kid.”

Today’s first reading has Israel slipping away from God - hiding from God - and  becoming stuck in sin and becoming stiff necked about it.  Today’s second reading has Paul who was righteous, very righteous, far from God till God found him.

And today’s gospel has these 3 stories - these 3 parables - about the lost being found. Lost sheep. Lost coin. Lost Son and then older brother - ends up being lost as well.

I like to imagine Luke wandering around Christian communities picking up stories and sayings, teachings and moments from the life of Christ. I like to picture Luke meeting someone who told him about these 3 parables from Jesus.  Luke is the only one who has these stories.

Did Luke get on his cell phone and tell someone, “Wow! I picked up 3 gems - 3 great parables - about  Jesus today?”

And he puts them right there in the center of his gospel - Chapter 15 - and they are the heart of Jesus message.

Get these stories - find these stories - and you have found Jesus.

THE LOST SHEEP

Take the story of the Lost Sheep.

I remember one time back there - back then - when I praying and thinking about this story of the lost sheep. I was thinking of death  - and meeting God. And for a moment I thought: “God better be like the Good Shepherd.  I began picturing God as the Good Shepherd - heading back from the mountains with me on his shoulders or around his neck.

I pictured myself as a lost sheep - stuck in the brambles - bleating, baahing - caught in the branches - of some bush.  “Baaaahing.  Baaaahing!   Baaahing!”  so God would find me.

And God the Good Shepherd has been searching for me and finds me in the wilderness and pulls the thorns out of me and gently frees me from the trap I’m in.

He puts me up on his shoulders - and carries me home - and he has this great smile on his  face.

I thought about the underbelly of sheep with poop and pee - smells and remains on me from life. And my underbelly is skin to skin with Jesus neck - the flesh of God and he’s holding me tight and carrying me into heaven and all are celebrating my return - my being found.

That’s heaven.

I got the thought, “What if God is not like that? What if God is a strict judge?”

I paused and said to God, “If you’re not like that, the hell with you.”

I paused at that - putting my hand over my mouth - and then said, “No, if you’re not like that, I’ll go and find the Shepherd you told me God is.”

THE LOST COIN

The second parable, the second story, is the lost coin.

Picture God as a woman going around heaven showing every person he meets - it’s me whom he has found.  Or he calls someone over and says, “Look at this lady. She lives in Japan and she came back home to me today in Toyko - or Omaha or Katmandu.

That’s heaven.

God found coin.

THE LOST SON

And the third story, the third parable, is the one we all know: the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

It’s a powerful story.

The first two stories has God on a search to find us.

In this third parable Jesus has the father waiting, waiting, waiting, and when his lost son does return he calls for a celebration a party.

Every family has lost sons and daughters.

A niece is alcoholic and all the family is praying for her and asking on a regular basis about her.

And if she recovers all celebrate.

I have a niece missing from 1987.

I can’t wait for the day to hear the Good News of her return to the family.

Every family has members who have dropped out of God - and dropped out of Church.

I just finished 17 years in a parish in Annapolis, Maryland and I loved weddings, funerals and baptisms, because many, many, many times someone would come up to me after a wedding, funeral or baptism and say, “I want to return to God.”

Get found kid.

MOVING TOWARDS A CONCLUSION

And guess what, this story of the prodigal story is inside our brains.

The voice of the older brother is inside all of us.  It’s the voice of the critic, the non-believer that God is the way God is. It’s the voice that says, “God doesn’t want to eat with sinners.”

Down deeper it’s the voice that says, “I don’t believe God would forgive me - eat with me - dine with me.”

The Gotta be right, perfect, clean me, can’t accept that God would forgive this dirty messy me.

When that happens hear God the Loving and Forgiving Father coming to me and asking me to come home again to me and celebrate.

CONCLUSION

When you get home today, find your bible.

Get found Bible.

Turn to Luke 15 and put a marker there and read today’s three parables over and over again.

When someone dies, the priest of deacon preaching our funeral mass might ask, “Did he have a favorite reading.”

And tell your family to say, “He loved Luke 15. He found something in it that brought him to tears.”

September 15, 2015

COMBINATIONS

Blue with white ….

Metal with wood ….

Flute with drum ….

Male and female ….

Square with circle ….

Water and jetty ….

Wind and sail ….
Introvert with an extrovert ...

Jello with whipped cream ….

Ice cream float ….

Apple pie and vanilla ice cream ….

Mountain and looking up ….

Green with white ….

Crayons and coloring book ….

Black with white ….

Chocolate chip cookies and milk ….

Band-aid and cut ….

Tire and the road ….
You and me ....

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

September  15, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“Being  educated  is  to  know  where  to  find out  what  you  don't  know.” 

Germain G. Glidden [1913-1999]