HEALING

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 18^th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “Healing!”

Today’s first reading from Jeremiah 30 begins with the theme of a running sore  - an incurable wound. 

Today’s gospel from Matthew 14 ends with the message of healing. “”People  brought to him all those who were sick and begged him that they might touch only the tassel of his cloak, and many as touched it were healed.”

CUTS, BRUISES AND WOUNDS

All of us with skin have had our cuts - down through the years.

I recently mentioned in a homily about a “boo boo” - that a little grandnephew spotted on my hand across a crowded room.

He saw the band aid. And it wasn’t a kids’ band aid.

I have a cut on my forehead for about two months now - and it’s not healing. The skin doctor took a biopsy of it the other day - and I’ll find out this week what it is. I have Irish skin and my brother died of melanoma - so I’m aware of skin - sunburnt skin as a kid - with the blisters on the shoulders - and skin problems in my old age. The wrapping starts coming off the package at times - or gets ripped in shipping.

I remember hearing that the easiest doctor job was that of being a dermatologist - “If the skin is dry - moisturize it; if the skin is oily, dry it.”

Times have changed - or I was never in a dermatologist office way  back when. Now they have busy schedules - dealing with acne, cancer, basal cell carcinoma - tattoo removal, warts and all.

Then there are folks with diabetes with wounds that won’t heal - and wound centers keep trying to help folks heal.

PSYCHOLOGICAL WOUNDS

So folks know physical wounds - everyone of us gets cut - in the kitchen and while sealing an envelope. I hate paper cuts - especially on the tongue. “Oooooooh!”  “Ouch!”

And we all also  know of inner wounds - words that cut us, memories that won’t go away from abuse, from abandonment.

Sometimes forgiveness doesn’t happen when it comes to forgiving self or forgiving others….

Sometimes communication doesn't happen or it doesn't work.

So we all have battle wounds.

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s first reading can be helpful and hopefully move us towards healing.

After using the word “incurable” - Jeremiah has the Lord promising healing. First he says that pain and guilt, cries and wounds, can come from our sins - our choices - our actions.

Then he speaks about coming back to the Lord - approaching the Lord.

Happiness and laughter can come back as well.

Tents and cities can be restored.

Healing can happen….  Sometimes slowly…. In God’s good time. First the scab….  Then the skin….  Sometimes the scar….

I would suspect that the skin of the soul has lots of scars - hopefully hard scars - that have occurred where there seemed to be incurable wounds.

Today’s gospel can be heard as dealing with the storms at sea and the storms of life.  

Life is like a trip across the lake.  We’re on  shore. Then it’s time to get into the boat - pull up the anchor - pull in the ropes  - and who knows what might happen till we get to the other side of life?

Life, from birth to death, can be quite a trip. Sometimes we are just cruising along or just fishing or sailing and a storm hits us.

Life can be the shore - SHORE - and sure - SURE. And life on the water can become unsure - UNSURE. Sometimes the water is calm; sometimes it’s classic strong.

RELATIONSHIPS

Much of life takes place in our relationships.

Relationships are where we get cut, burnt, wounded, many a time.

Both readings bring out a key dynamic in any relationship. Sometimes there is clear sailing and sometimes there are storms.

Life can be smooth - sometimes choppy - sometimes stormy.

I love the saying: "In a storm, pray for land - but start rowing."

I always love to use the saying: “Pray for potatoes - but pick up a shovel.”

Pray for healing - but go to the doctor.

Pray for healing - but put Vaseline on the cut.

Pray for healing of memories - but talk to someone about what’s going on.

Pray for healing - but reach out to touch the tassel of Jesus’ cloak.

Pray for safety, but  invite Jesus aboard or start walking and swimming towards him - on the water - even if you start to sink.

Then sink or swim.

Sometimes if we open up our eyes we’ll see God coming across the waters to save us. When we feel our life is one big stormy ride, we might have to get out of our comfort zone, our boat, and walk on the waters towards God.

Sometimes God comes to us - will walk on water to reach us - especially in the storms of life; sometimes we have to take the chance to walk on water to reach out to him.

Healing happens - with time - prayer - and action on our part.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily was, “Healing.”

Take the IN away from the IN curable.

August 2, 2016

DIFFERENCES 
AND DISTANCES 

It takes time to bridge our

differences and distances …

slowly - your side, my side -

then the reaching out - the

work - so, so difficult at times -

but it’s not for us alone - but

for those who will benefit

because we have met half way -

but that will be long forgotten

as others travel across us into

unknown nexts  - slowly building

a future in which they don’t know 
yet what it will take. They too will
have their own work to do - to bridge 
their differences and distances

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

August 1, 2016

WHY THIS PLACE? 

I stopped here to wonder

why on earth you created

this particular place, O God?

Why these dark shadows?
Why these hard bark trees?

Why the light on these leaves?

Was it like this yesterday morning

at this exact moment? Would you

know the answer to that question

or are you hiding deep in the

dark caves in the undergrowth

wondering about children in China

or an old lady crying with dementia

in a poorly funded county home,

or rocks erupting lava on some

planet in some galaxy that nobody

will know exists till 21,016?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

VANITY OF VANITIES

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 18^th Sunday in Ordinary Time [C]  is the first 3 words of today’s first reading from the Wisdom Book Eccclesiastes, “Vanity of Vanities.”

Here are the first 10 words from the author, Qoheleth, his opening words for today’s first reading,  “Vanity of vanities… vanity of vanities, all things are vanity!”

Then this author, called Qoheleth asks us, “What are we after? What are we laboring for?  What do we use our wisdom and education for?”

So it’s obvious -  for starters, the readings for today want us to think about vanity - that we’re not doing what we’re doing for show or in vain.

Today’s second reading from Paul’s Letter to the Colossians says exactly this: “Seek what is above!”  He adds, “Seek the hidden in Christ.”

This message becomes even more obvious when we hear the parable from today’s gospel. It’s the story of the man who has a great harvest - is planning on building bigger and bigger barns - but the pool guy doesn’t know - he’s going to die tonight. [Luke 12:13-21]

BUMMER

We know what the word “vanity” means.

It’s being shallow, empty, superficial. We’re an empty suit. It’s a slick suit or dazzling dress - but the real me is not showing up - so we’re showing off -  wearing a disguise called, “Vanity.”

Is that a fair description of vanity? A lady in the parking lot after the 10:30 Mass said she had a different take on it. So talk to each other on your takes on what vanity is.

I did a little research on use of the word “vanity”. We use it when talking about a purse for cosmetics - a so called “vanity purse.”  There is also the so called, “vanity.” It’s a piece of furniture - a tiny table with not too deep drawers  - usually with some spilled over white powder in them - a table with a mirror to help with the make-up. We’ve heard about special license plates - with the words, “Hot Shot” - or “Go Mets” on them. They are called vanity plates. Then there is self-publishing a book which we get published by a so called,  “Vanity Press”.

TWO POEMS

Here are two poems that I wrote. The first is from years ago. It’s based on today’s gospel. It’s called, “Death In The Dark.”  It’s from a book of night prayers I wrote - but couldn’t get a publisher.

DEATH IN THE DARK

(Luke 12:16-21)

I can’t pray tonight.

My mind, my fields,

my hands, are all too full.

Dark birds shriek

a death warning across

my cornfield skies

and all I can think of

is building barns:

bigger and bigger barns.

The second poem is entitled, “Balloon Drop.” I wrote this yesterday for my blog. Talk about vanity.

BALLOON  DROP

The conventions were over

in both Cleveland and Philadelphia….

The balloons filled with air 
came floating down….

The halls were emptying out.

While watching this on TV

I spotted a cleaning woman

with a broom like handle

with some kind of a metal nail

or needle at its point -

sticking it to the balloons -

bursting them - letting the hot air out.

I couldn’t  see her face. Was

she laughing at the metaphor

or was she inwardly complaining about

how little she was getting paid

to sweep all this stuff up - the now

deflated balloons, the signs,

the cleaning up and getting ready

for the next…. Off to the side
the TV people were still interviewing 
the folks with the names. 
Nobody noticed her.

TWO NOVELS

I want to quote from two novels - both of which I never finished.

I want to add that - because I don’t want to be vain - or try to impress you - with what I have read. After all this is a homily on vanity.

The first novel is the 1987 novel Bonfire of Vanities by Tom Wolfe.

Savonarola

Tom Wolfe got his title from today’s first reading as well as from the Dominican priest Girolamo Savonarola’s reformation and burning of stuff in big public bonfires in Florence, Italy back in 1497. He condemned vanity. Take it off. Dump it. Burn it. He called for reform in church, clerics, pope, and city. Then he himself ended up being excommunicated, condemned, tortured, hung and burnt to death.

Tom Wolfe’s novel features New York City  in the 1980’s - Wall Street, filled with greed, corruption, racism, demonstrations, riots, what have you.

A quote from the novel about Sherman McCoy, the main character of the novel, “Sherman made the terrible discovery that men make about their fathers sooner or later that the man before him was not an aging father but a boy, a boy much like himself, a boy who grew up and had a child of his own and, as best he could, out of a sense of duty and, perhaps love, adopted a role called 'Being a Father' so that his child would have something mythical and infinitely important: a Protector, who would keep a lid on all the chaotic and catastrophic possibilities of life.”

Is that true? Does that fit? I know I don’t want to forget the child in me - yet I guess the adult me better show up from time to time.

Or this quote, “Yes see, Sherman, who started with so much, lost everything. But he gained his soul. Whereas I, you see, who started with so little, gained everything. ‘What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses...’ Ah well. There are compensations.”

The second novel is Madam Bovary - by Gustave Flaubert - a classic novel that also gets into the issue of vanity big time in France in the 1800’s.

Two quotes:

“There was an air of indifference about them [the male guests], a calm produced by the gratification of every passion … that special brutality which comes from the habit of breaking down half-hearted resistances that keep one fit and tickle one’s vanity - the handling of blooded horses, the pursuit of loose women.” Madam Bovary [1857], pt. 1, chapter 8, Gustave Flaubert [1821- 1880]

“It never occurred to her that if the drainpipes of a house are clogged, the rain collect in pools on the roof; and she suspected no danger until suddenly she discovered a crack in the wall.” Madam Bovary [1857], ib. II, 5, Gustave Flaubert [1821- 1880]

Cracks in the wall - wrinkles - leaks - sin -  cancer - sickness - problems with our family and our marriages - all assault our vanity - and get us in touch with the deeper things - sometimes - sometimes slowly - sometimes never - hopefully God from time to time.

So too a sudden death - of someone our own age - or someone like the man in today’s gospel.

CONCLUSION

I think that’s enough.

Vanity of vanities - quoting Tom Wolfe and Gustave Flaubert - that should be impressive -  but humbling because I don’t do well pronouncing French names.

The title of my homily is, “Vanity of Vanities.”

It’s a theme we would do well to think and pray about.

There’s a 1972 song by Carly Simon called, “You’re So Vain.” 

It has the line, “You probably think this song is about you, you’re so vain. You’re so vain.” Don’t you? Don’t you.

A bad homily is when people say to the preacher, “I wish my mother-in-law or my brother was here to hear your sermon today.

A good sermon is when someone doesn’t say anything - but they realize the sermon is about them.

Hopefully we all thought this homily is about us. It is.

July 31, 2016

WELL WATER

Well water - deep well water -

sometimes has that cold solid taste -

that fills the mouth with the feeling

of iron - liquid heaviness - and it

doesn’t even have to turn to wine

to taste sacred. It brings pause.

It brings the lifting of one’s cup

to the skies - with the comment,

“Now this is water - water that

I don’t taste from the tap or

at the restaurant table.” Now

what else am I missing from

the depths of the earth?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

July 30, 2016

BALLOON  DROP

The conventions were over

in both Cleveland and Philadelphia….

The balloons filled with air

came floating down….

The halls were emptying out.

On TV I spotted a cleaning woman

with a broom like handle

with some kind of a metal nail

or needle at its point

sticking it too the balloons -

bursting them - letting the hot air all out.

I couldn’t  see her face. Was

she laughing at the metaphor

or was she worrying about

how little she was getting paid

to sweep all this stuff up - the now

deflated balloons, the signs,

the cleaning up and getting ready

for the next…? The TV people

were still interviewing the folks

with the names. Nobody noticed her.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

FRIENDS

 INTRODUCTION

The title of my thoughts for this feast of Saint Martha is, “Friends”.

That theme of friendships hit me - realizing that Jesus - found 3 good friends at the Bethany home of Martha, Mary and their brother Lazarus.

In the gospel section for this feast there are two options: "The Martha-Mary Conflict Story" and the "Jesus, Couldn't You Have Done Something to Prevent Our Brother Lazarus from Dying Story."

I chose John’s Gospel story about the moments in Martha and Mary’s life when they were dealing with the death of their brother. It can be read at every funeral. [Cf. John 11: 19-27]

I didn’t choose the famous Martha-Mary story from Luke 10:38-42. We just had that reading the other day - and we all know and wonder why Martha seems to be diminished by Jesus - for service to Jesus and Mary - and it gives us all pause when Jesus tells Martha when she’s complaining, “Mary has chosen the better part.”  I always like to say, “I prefer Martha - and I’m grateful for all the Martha’s who have cooked and fed me.

For today, I chose the story of the 3 friends of Jesus: Martha, Mary and Lazarus. When people see Jesus grieving big time at Lazarus’ death, people saw the love of Jesus for Lazarus and the beauty of their friendship.

QUESTION: NAME YOUR 3 BEST FRIENDS?

During this homily I’d be happy if you could stop listening to me and listen to yourself about your top 3 friends.

I’ve heard different numbers on this. Some say if you have 5 friends in a lifetime, you’re lucky.   Others say 4. I’m saying 3.

I’ve heard people say they have hundreds of friends. Someone said that in an average lifetime - say 70 years - we have  400 friends.

I rather use the word, “acquaintances.”

Some people who use Face book talk about having many, many people whom they have befriended.

If you disagree - and say, “I have lots of friends - and they are more than acquainted,” then I would ask how many are or were close friends. I’d add the adjective close to stress the difference between close friends and friends.

HOW ARE YOU TREATING YOUR CLOSE FRIENDS?

To put some muscle or challenge to some thoughts about friendship, I’d ask, how have you been treating them. Have you neglected them?  Maybe this homily could give you the incentive to give them a call.

It’s been my experience when pointing out the value of coming up with 3 to 5 close friends and reflect upon that, then 3 to 5 people are not too many to contact and evaluate.

In this homily I’m saying that close friends are very helpful when it comes to going through life.

We have lots of family members, but not all are our friends.

Euripides said, “One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives.” Euripides

During this mass for Saint Martha - come up with the Martha in your life - the friend who is great with food and connecting with you.

Then Thank God for that friend. Then ask for inner forgiveness for any lack - or neglect - or forgettings in that friendship.

WHAT IS A FRIEND?

Ooops, before finishing I better spell out just what is a friend.

I assume a friend is someone whom we break  bread with each other

from time to time.

I assume a friend is someone whom we can complain to - complain about  - different situations and circumstances in life and the other just listens.

I think a good friend doesn’t use our stories to trigger their stories - but instead they become silent and listen to our stories. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

A friend knows the size of our shoes - because they have walked in them with us. They get what we’re reporting on. They listen.

And as we listen to our friends, as they listen to us, we hear similarities of listening. I call it the You Too factor. I discovered somewhere along the line that the secret of good preaching - good speaking - is that the other is saying, “Wow. You too.”  C.S. Lewis said this long before me when he wrote, . “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”

CONCLUSION

In case nothing hit you in this homily, here are a few quotes about friendship:

“It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

A good friend can tell you what is the matter with you in a minute. He may not seem such a good friend after telling.” – Arthur Brisbane

“People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges.” — Joseph F. Newton Men

“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” — Carl W. Buchner



NOTES: Bronze sculpture, "Bonds of Friendship"
by John Robinson, 1980, in Sydney, Australia.

July 29, 2016

INVISIBLE  SOUNDS 

Laughter from another room….

Fire engines at 2:15 AM - waking me….

A violin while walking down the street….

A group next door singing “Happy Birthday”….
Frogs in a pond....
An owl in some tree....

A helicopter above the trees ….

Someone screams “Hey!” from back there ….

Barking from somewhere ….

A gate opens….

A knock at the door….

A bang that sounded like a gunshot….

Someone screams, “Oh my God!”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

July 28, 2016

COBBLESTONES

As a kid I loved to walk on cobblestone streets.

They were some of my sacred places in

Brooklyn and in older sections of Manhattan.

I loved the way they were solidly set in place -

cobblestone after cobblestone after cobblestone,

cobblestone after cobblestone after cobblestone,

cobblestone after cobblestone after cobblestone,

cobblestone after cobblestone after cobblestone,

row after row after row - dark grey stones - sort

of like those block sized loaves of bread - in the

glass displays - kids' size high - in the bakery - 

and as I walked along on the sacred stones -

sometimes with my dad - I knew I was walking

with security and solidity, like the cobblestones.

My dad died on June 26, 1970. Like so many

cobblestones - he is buried underneath my life -

like the unseen cobblestones still underneath so

many black softer macadam covered streets.... 

Looking back I now know it was good to have so

much strength and solidity - underneath my life -

cobblestones with cobblestones - even though 

I can no longer see what’s below - but I know....

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

THERE IS A TREASURE 

IN YOUR MIDST

INTRODUCTION

This morning I would like to reflect on the theme of today’s gospel, “There is a treasure in your midst.” It's the gospel for this 17th Wednesday in Ordinary Time.

There is a treasure in our midst. It’s the pearl of great price. It’s within our grasp. It’s in our midst. But are we aware of it. Or are we unhappy, always thinking happiness and peace is elsewhere?

One of the secrets of a happy life and a high energy life is to know what we want.

Do we know what you want? Do we have a clear vision of what we want in this life?

A DIVIDED HEART IS AN UNHAPPY HEART

If we are searching for 3 or 4 things at once, if we are undecided, if we don’t know our goal, then we can be killing ourselves and spending a lot of energy that is a waste.

There is an Argus poster that says, “If you don’t know what port you are sailing for, no wind is the right wind.”

There is a Russian proverb that states, “Chase two wolves and you won’t catch either of them.”

JESUS: KNOW WHAT YOU WANT

So Jesus is saying here, to put our hand to the plow and to know what row we want to hoe.

To know what we’re doing.

To find the treasure in the field

GYPSY POEM

I read a  poem once about a couple on a porch of a house looking down at the road below that went by their house. They spot a gypsy couple going by. They are talking to each other. They wish they were like the couple on the road, no worries in the world, free, not tied down, no mortgage payments killing them. And the gypsy couple on the road look up at the house and say, "Wouldn’t it be nice to be the couple there in the house. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a home of our own, no problems. We wouldn’t have to spend all our time and energy as gypsies, wandering down all these roads, Wouldn’t it be great to settle down like that couple in the house there in a home of our own. Life would be that much easier for us.

That poem is happens and is rewritten every day.  

GOSPEL OF THOMAS

I looked up my favorite book on the Parables - The Parables of Jesus by Joachim Jeremias - to see what he would say about the Parable of the Treasure in the Field - here in Matthew 13: 44-46.

Jeremias says that this story is also found in  the gospel of Thomas. Thomas tells the story about a man having a field with a treasure in it, but he never knew it. He died. He left the field to his son, who never found out that he had a treasure in his field. He sold it. The buyer - while plowing discovered the treasure.

There is also a Jewish tale about a man who had a garbage dump that had a treasure in it. However, he too was too lazy to find about the treasure in his garbage dump. He sold the field or willed it to his son without knowing about the treasure.

There are many similar stores in many cultures - that tell this story of hidden treasures in our midst.

Somewhere along the line, I’m sure you heard the story, “Acres of Diamonds.” It was a story and a speech given by Russell Conwell 6,152 times all around the world. He was in the Civil War. He was founder and first president of Temple University. The message was that there were acres of diamonds right under out feet.

ANCIENT HASSIDIC TALE BY JOHN SHEA

John Shea, a great story teller - features this theme of the treasure right under our nose - in various ways.

I’m sure you heard this story - told by John Shea.

There was a poor rabbi who lived in the city of Krakow. He lived on the street of the Lost Angel, in the last hovel on that street, with his wife and four children. Since he was extremely poor, he dreamed every night of riches.

He dreamt that underneath a bridge in the city of Warsaw there was a treasure. When he awakened in the morning, he excitedly told his wife and his children about his dream He then packed food and clothes, and set off for the long journey to find the bridge, to unearth the treasure and be rich. He traveled many days and long nights and finally he arrived in Warsaw.

It was just as the dream had pictured it, except for one thing. (There was a guard on the bridge, a sentinel who paced back and forth.) And so the poor rabbi, tired from his journey fell asleep in the bushes.

When he awoke, he rattled the bushes with his arm, and the guard spun on him, “You there, come here!’ Being a simple man who would not run, he was also a simple man who could not lie. He said, “I have dreamed that underneath the bridge there is a treasure and I have traveled many long miles to find that treasure and be rich.” The guard said, “That is strange. Just last night, I too, have had a dream. I have dreamt that in the city of Krakow, on the street of the Lost Angel, in the last hovel on that street, where lives a rabbi and his wife and their four children there is buried behind the fireplace a treasure. And I leave tonight to find it and be rich.’”

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “There Is A Treasure in Your Midst.”

I often wonder how many poets and artists and athletes there have been who  never knew they had a hidden talent.

Hopefully, we’re all in favor of schools that help kids discover talents and gifts deep within them.

My brother had a gift for being able to translate Russian Air Force Signals. When he was at Georgetown someone told him about a test they were giving - looking for researchers and surprise they discovered he that gift and he spent time in the Library of Congress working on tapes from the Aleutian Islands - sent to Washington - to be translated into United States Air Force signals. 

How about you?

July 27, 2016

HINGE

The three were talking and talking -

the kind of talking after the fourth glass

of wine or beer - late into the evening -

commenting about politics, religion,

the craziness of so and so - but,

“You gotta ….” And she, the fourth of

the group at the dining room table -

thinking, "The dinner food is still sitting 

there. It should be fridged." But she better

not get up and start moving the plates. 

She better stay with the three - but

they didn’t really see her - so she was

looking at the bright bronze of the hinge

holding the dining room door to the dining 

room frame. And she said to herself in 

her inner conversation, “That’s me. Yes, 

that’s me. I’m a hinge between my kids 

and Jack and I’m a hinge between Jill

and her family and mom and my sisters 

and I’m a hidden hinge holding these doors 
that open and close between us."

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

July 26, 2016

*

ROCKS AND THE INVISIBLE

Rocks hold the invisible.
They have their history -

but most of the time -

they don’t tell their story -

except in cemeteries

and on cornerstones.

They have been around

for a long time. They hold

hot and they hold cold -

sometimes for a long time,

but you have to be in touch

with them to find this out.

Rocks hurt, crush, break,

and can weigh us down.

No wonder they have been

used for weapons from the

beginning of time. Remember
what Jesus told us that day, 
“Let the one without sin, 
cast that first stone.”**

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016
*Painting on top: Charles
Burchfield, Sun and Rocks.
**Scripture text: John 8: 1-11