LEAVING SELF BEHIND

Quote for Today - June 13, 2013

"To greet someone,
you must leave 
your own place."

L:i Qu Li

PUT DOWN

Put down that book,

talk to me - be with me -

be novel - be non-fiction -

tell me your stories -

tell me who you are - what

you’re feeling, what you’re

thinking - or just listen - listen -

let’s just listen to each other

or else - or else we’re

somewhere else than

being here with each other -

right here, right now. Now.

Put down that cell phone -

turn off that iPod - you’re

smart  enough without

your smart phone - you don’t

have to be always talking

to someone else  - some miles

and miles and miles away from me.

Make me your facelook -

screen me in - don’t screen

me out. I’m here - no wires -

non battery,  non electronic -

just me. Simply me, me, me.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2013

Paintings by Dan Witz

SELF WORTH

Quote for Today  - June 12, 2013

"The reason was
that I kept trying
to make others
see my worth
instead of seeing it
for myself."

Steve DeMasco, Kung Fu Master

PHOS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 10^th Tuesday in Ordinary Time  is, “Phos”.

“Phos”  - P H O S  is  the Greek word for “Light!”

We know its root in the big English words that begin with the prefix, “phos” - as in  phosphorus and  phosphorescence. We can also spot it in all those words  beginning with phot - P H O T  -  as in  photographs - something we see - because there was light.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

In today’s gospel Jesus calls us to be salt and light - to make a difference - to be tasty and enlightening. I’m just going to reflect on light - “Phos”. It’s a word right there in today’s gospel from Matthew 5:14 - right after the Beatitudes as we start the Sermon on the Mount.

SHORT MOVIE

Years and years ago in a retreat house - during a whole retreat season, we showed a short movie called “Phos” during the Saturday night session of the retreat. So I saw the movie over 35 times. I don’t remember if any words were spoken in the short movie.

As I remember the movie,  it went like this. The screen is all dark. It’s a shot at night looking down at a hill that leads to a village. It’s the night before Easter. It’s on a Greek island. Everything is dark. Night.

Then a small light appears on the upper left hand corner of the screen. It’s a new light. It’s lit on top of a hill. It’s a fire - as in our Easter Vigil - but this is more dramatic.

Then one sees a shadowy figure light a candle or a lamb from that fire and then that person lights the candle  or lamp of the person next to them. The road from the top of the hill to the bottom was lined with people.  The light moves all the way down the mountain on this curving, winding road to  a village. Then you start to see all the houses in the village slowly having a candle or a lamp lit in a window - and the whole town becomes bright - in the night.

I saw that movie over and over again. The story was simple a visible light from a fire on top of a hill - working its way down a road to a village.

It was a parable. It was a message maker. It got everyone talking about how we are called to be a light to our world.

THE NEW TESTAMENT

Another way to read the scriptures is to read them in light of that image of “Phos” or light.

Jesus came into the world as the Light of the World.

Jesus often talks about light and darkness - and the gospels - especially John - says that the light will never go out.

We come here to have our oil lamps filled for the day - and the night.

We can be foolish or wise version of the Christian.

The light can go out. We can walk in darkness.

We are like that long line of people on the hill and we pass the Light of Christ to the next person - and it works its way - please God to all the homes of Annapolis and the people we meet this day - and into their homes and their lives.

CONCLUSION

Today - June 11 - we celebrate the feast of St.  Barnabas - called out of anonymity and he passed the Light of Christ along with Paul to those same Greek islands and the area called, The Mediterranean Basin - and it has come to us.

Yes the light can go out. Yes the light can be rekindled.

Weren’t many of us brought up with the Christopher message from Father Keller, “Better to light one candle than curse the darkness”?

PLATO'S CAVE - 

LIGHT AND SHADOWS

Quote for Today - June 11, 2013

"Behold! 
Human beings living
in an underground den ...
Like ourselves ...
they see only their shadows,
or the shadows of one another,
which the fire throws on
the opposite wall of the cave."

Plato [c, 428-348 B.C,] The Republic, VII, 515 - B, Paul Shorey (Loeb Clasical Library)

IMPACT?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 10^th Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Impact?”

And it’s in the form of a question mark. Who and what has impacted our lives?  How and what and who has influenced us to be the who we are today?  Impact?

It’s the nurture part of the “Nature vs. Nurture” question.

The first time I really thought about this question was in a preaching seminar.  One of the presenters asked us preachers,  “Who has influenced you?”  “Whom are you imitating?”

I had never thought about that till the question was asked. As time has gone on, I’ve thought about it a lot. I have realized that the first answer is the usual, “I don’t know!” I could relate to George Seferis - the Greek writer and diplomat’s response - to someone who asked him, “Who influenced you?” His answer: “Don’t ask who’s influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he’s digested, and I’ve been reading all my life.”  Yet he also said he was influenced by Yeats - and especially Eliot whom he translated.

So we can come up with answers - to who and how we have been formed and influenced.

I liked a trick that Father Jack Kingsbury - our last pastor used: to refer to past sermons that he gave - and sometimes he would add that he wanted to develop further something from that sermon.

I don’t use props too often, but I love the way Father John Tizio - our present pastor - uses props - especially with kids. He has them hidden till the moment he brings the prop out of hiding. I see his method having great impact and people remember props.

I’ve also been influenced by how I don’t want to preach and live by watching others in action.

I was at the Navy Academy graduation just two weeks or so ago - during which my grandnephew Sean graduated. I noticed President Obama - who gave the commencement address - saying at a transition point in his talk: “In the time I have left.”  He didn’t say, “In conclusion….”  or “Finally ….” because once you say that, people are expecting an ending - and if you don’t end right about then, you’ve lost them. That’s what they remember. You promised an ending, but you didn’t deliver.

So I expect I’ll be using that trick at some point….

QUESTION: IMPACT?

So my question for today is: Impact?  Who has impacted us?

Whom have I learned my life tricks from?  Whom has taught me my attitudes - my style - my ways of thinking and seeing and being and believing?

By coming up with answers to this question of “Impact?”, we can study our background and decide whether we hold that and want to go with that or what have you.

THE READINGS AT MASS

When we come to Mass we have two or three readings that can have an impact on us.

How have they formed us? How have they impacted us?

For starters I always suggest texts - single texts. What is our favorite Bible text? Which are the ones that grab us? When did they hit us? What do they tell us about ourselves?

I learned from Father Benedict Groeschel the statement: tell me your favorite Bible text and you’re telling me a lot about yourself.

Besides single favorite texts, we can ask what is our favorite gospel or book of the Bible? What does that tell you about yourself?

Today’s two readings are beginning readings.

The first reading is the opening verses of 2 Corinthians. We’ll be hearing parts of that letter till Saturday June 22^nd. It has a few grabbers - that can impact us - on the resurrection and on reconciliation. Listen the next two weeks.

Today’s  Gospel begins the Sermon on the Mount - Matthew 5, 6 and 7. We’ll be hearing parts of that till July 2^nd this year. Some of those messages of Jesus have impacted Christians for the past 2000 years. Which one’s are yours.

CONCLUSION

Whenever I hear the words, “Sermon on the Mount” which we begin today, I think of General Omar Bradley - whose Christian roots from his church in Missouri - certainly influenced and impacted his life.

Let me close with a famous comment by General Omar Bradley, “We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount.”  Address on Armistice Day [1948]  

RELIGION

Quote for Today - June 10, 2013

"Religion, whatever it is, is a man's total reaction upon life."

William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience, 1902


QUESTIONS:

Does Sunday effect Monday?

Is Sunday different than the other days of the week?

So if there is something that has a total impact on our life, can we call that our religion: like another or a iPhone or a sport or drugs or alcohol?