YOU  KNOW  THE  TIME; 

IT IS NOW  THE  HOUR 

FOR YOU TO AWAKE FROM SLEEP 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “You Know The Time; It Is Now The Hour  For You To Awake From Sleep.”

Those are the opening words of today’s second reading from Romans - Chapter 13, Verse 11.  Paul says, “Brothers and sisters: You know the time; it is now the hour for you to awake from sleep.”

It’s a very appropriate challenge as we begin another church year - this First Sunday - that begins the Season of Advent.

THE HAND WAVE

How many times has someone taken their hand and waved it [HAND GESTURE]  in front of our eyes. We were elsewhere and someone spotted us. Or how many times have we wanted to do that to someone else - who seemed to be somewhere else?

Hello! Wake up in there!

Standing up here in the pulpit, I often see people elsewhere. Smile.

I heard of a priest in Buffalo who shot a gun off in the pulpit. He used blanks of course. I wonder if anyone slept through that.

I assume that the readings are to get people off on something and then they don’t hear a word the preacher is saying. They only hear Isaiah or Paul or Jesus - and hopefully themselves.

I assume that the readings and a good sermon put people into another space and place - to ponder - to be challenged - to wake up to a new way of doing life.

I assume this happens - sometimes very dramatically - as in hearing a gunshot - but most of the time conversion - change - comes slowly.

How do people wake up? 

The rooster crows.

The alarm clock rings.

Some people jump out of bed and get rolling. Some slowly reach over their hand to hit the snooze button on their  alarm clock for another 10 minutes of sleep - 10 or 20 years of same old, same old.

Conversions? Changes? 

Some happen slowly; some happen quickly - without us having any clue of about what is happening.

What wakes us up?

A sudden death…. the need for an emergency operation …. the discovery of having cancer …. a loss of a job …. a divorce in the family …. a mistake …. an accident …. 

Sometimes one of those screams can be a wake up call.

Wake up!   [WAVE HAND!]

MOUNTAIN MOMENTS

Today’s first reading from Isaiah uses the image or the metaphor of climbing a mountain - as important for our spiritual life. [Cf. Isaiah 2:1-5]

A mountain can do that….  So too an airplane ride - window seat - can do that as well. So too stopping a car at a scenic overlook. Or getting to the observation deck of a tall building like the Sears Tower in Chicago - or I have - maybe you have to -  the memory of taking the elevator to the top of the World Trade Center in New York City before September 11, 2001. I’m glad I got the chance to do that 2 times. 

On a clear day one can see forever.

It’s important at times to draw a line on a piece of paper and put on one end today’s date and on the other end our birthday - and then fill in the blank spaces.   What happened? What did we learn? Where have we come from? Where are we going to? Or draw the line to the edge of the page - guessing on how many years we think we have left.

Our story is worth looking at. Our story is worth writing - but especially being read by us.

Isaiah in today’s first reading says, “Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.”

I assume that’s the purpose of coming to church on the Sabbath - to come up the steps into God’s house -  to look at our week - to look at our life - to look at how we did as a kid, or a brother or a sister, as a husband or a wife, as a mom or a dad,  or as a grandparent or as a worker. How am I doing?

Mountain moments are big picture moments.

GARDEN MOMENTS

Today’s second reading as I already said begins with the comment:  it’s time to wake from sleep. [Cf. Romans 13: 11-14.]

It’s the famous text from Romans that Augustine picked up and read when he was in a garden in Milan, Italy. He heard a little kid saying, “Take. Read!” “Tolle! Lege” in Latin. [Cf. Confessions Book 8.]

He picked up the words of Paul the Apostle - who was converted - by being knocked to the ground - and thrown into darkness - into blindness.

And he wasn’t able to see for a few days.

When he woke up he saw how blind - how dark he had become.

Later reflecting on that moment Augustine wrote in his Confessions:

“Late have I loved You, O Lord.

Behold, You were within

and I was without, 
and there I sought You.
You were with me 
when I was not with You.
You called. You cried. 
You burst my deafness.
You did gleam, and glow, 
and dispel my blindness.
You did touch me, 
and I burned for Your peace.
You have made us for Yourself
Our hearts are restless 
till they find their rest in You.
Late have I loved You,

Beauty ever old and ever new.”

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Isaiah takes us up a mountain. Paul takes us to a road to Damascus. Augustine takes us into a garden.

In today’s gospel from Matthew, Jesus takes us to the image of Noah - how everyone was blind when the flood was about to come. [Cf. Matthew 24: 37-44.]

Jesus also presents images of sudden disasters when people are killed by sudden storms: two men are at work out in a field, one is killed, the other is spared;  two women are working at the mill - one is killed, the other is not harmed. 

Or Jesus talks about house robberies. If we knew when a thief was coming we would be ready - even if it means we stay awake all night.

CONCLUSION: ADVENT

The Advent Season begins this Sunday.

It can be missed with the Christmas season already started.

I’m not going to rant about that.

We have to figure out ways to see Advent in the midst of Christmas rush.

One way would be to think about or reflect upon darkness.

Listen to Simon and Garfunkel's song, “Hello darkness my old friend.”

When we closed down Daylight Savings time and shorter days are upon us, darkness has appeared in front of us in our front windshield in afternoon car drives. 

Listen to the songs of Leonard Cohen who just died at the age of 82. His last Album was “You Want It Darker.”

I read a few of the obituaries about Leonard Cohen and commentators said he was off on religion - aloneness - darkness - sin - being cracked - broken - and that’s the way the Light shines in - through the cracks - through the hurts and sufferings and broken relationships of life.

Maybe this Advent to pause to see the Darkness of December - and see all the Lights shining in that darkness - and seeing Jesus - not the baby Jesus - but the Adult Christ - the Light of the World in the darkness - the I Don’t Know parts of our life.

Okay, enough for starters, light starts small - like a Baby - and babies reach for the Light.

So too us. Amen.

November 26, 2016

COLD  DAY  - WARM CUP 

Hands wrapped around a warm

cup of tea, coffee or cocoa - on

a cold day - escaping from work -

indoors from outdoors  - just sitting

with friends - it’s moments like these

that put deep spiritual meanings and

overtones into a word like communion.  

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

November 25, 2016

HANDRAIL

For a while there,

the handrail enjoyed

the feel of children’s hands.

It could feel the excitement

of a kid’s heart and imagination

as they rushed down steps

to hard sidewalk and a wider world

or using that handrail to climb back

up the stairs into their house

for the feeling of safety and security.

And the handrail also enjoyed

the sense of security it gave to us

old folks - who hesitate at the top

of stairs knowing - one fall - just one fall -

could bring broken bones - and no stairs

for months - just more cooped up time -

but what was missing was  - the hand grip

of teenagers bounding and bouncing

down the center of the steps - hands

free - with no fear of falling or the future.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

November 24, 2016

SACRED  PLACES

There is a certain pause and awe
when entering or going by sacred places:

The white cross with a name 
on it along the side of a road....

The place of the first kiss - which
became the place where we gave
the engagement ring - surprise....

Certain benches in certain churches....

The beach looking out to the ocean - early morning - especially sunrise ....

A cemetery with a hill with many granite stones....

Reaching the top of a high hill or mountain....

Milk and chocolate chip cookies with grandma....

An old bicycle in a garage ....

A boat or railroad whistle in the distance ....

The father walks down the aisle with his daughter on her wedding day ....

Touching a casket at a funeral of a loved one....

Leaving the hospital holding one's newborn first baby ....

Walking down the aisle - after a funeral service - as pallbearer to one's closest friend of 43 years....

Thanksgiving Dinner 2016 with the whole family....

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

November 23, 2016

BREAD

Is there any reality more basic,

more acceptable than bread:

broken, buttered, handed to,

never disliked - no ego - you’ll

spot that at times when it comes

to wine - bread never the main

event - just bread being bread -

waiting, sitting - there on a plate

or in a basket - listening - ready

to do what bread does: feeds us?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

November 22, 2016

EMPTY ______  FULL ­­­­______    

Some people seem to have to keep

on telling us about themselves -

what they are doing - what they are

thinking - going on and on and on.

It seems to me they are running

on empty - scared to go face to face

with their emptiness - with themselves -

and God forbid with us out here.

And it seems to me some people have

no walls - no locks - no doors - and they

are all ears - always listening - but they  

never tell us about themselves.

It seems to me they too are running on

empty - scared to face themselves -

what’s within - the missing - the emptiness -

never seeing God and us in their emptiness.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

NOVEMBER 21, 2016

DUST

It's everywhere - these tiny dots of dust.
They are telling us that all is being chipped
away - off the old block. Skin is flaking.
Trees are losing some of their bark.

I guess what I want to see is resurrection -
new life - the coming together of dirt and
dust to make fruits and vegetables - cows
and chickens, you and me, new life.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

November 20, 2016

TURBED

Is there such a word as "turbed"?

I've never seen it.  But we all know
the meaning of "disturbed".  Is turbed
its opposite? Probably not.... It doesn't
sound too peaceful and we know the
meaning of turbulence - when it comes
to weather when it gets nasty or when 
a crowd gets dangerous or rowdy. 

But I still want to feel the opposite of disturbed.

                                                                                                      © Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

WHAT’S  HE  OR SHE LIKE?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “What’s He or She Like?”

That’s a question everyone asks at various times throughout our lives.

“What’s he like?”

“What’s she like?”

EXAMPLES WHEN WE ASK THE QUESTION

Your son or daughter announces they are dating someone.

“What’s he like?”

“What’s she like?”

You get a new pastor or a new boss or a new neighbor.

“What’s he like?”

“What’s she like?”

“What are they like?”

Your mom or dad gets remarried. What’s the new one like?

I was giving a priest retreat once. I’m babbling away with a talk around 4 in the afternoon. A priest way back in right hand corner of this big room holding about 90 priests  taps a priest on the shoulder in front of him - hands him a folded piece of paper and whispers something to him and points to someone near the front of the room. That priest does the same thing - passing the piece of paper - and whispering - and the paper moved forwards. While speaking I’m watching this note and this offertory procession moving towards the front.   The paper gets to a guy in the 4^th row - who looks at the note - takes out his ballpoint pen - writes something on the paper note and sends it back - person to person. All this took about 5 minutes. It didn’t bother me - but it did intrigue me. Interesting.

After the talk the original sender came up to me to sort of apologize. He told me that they just heard they were getting a new bishop and they were dying to find out about him. They knew the guy up in the 4^th row knew the bishop whom they were about to get and they wanted to know, “What was he like?” Then he added that the guy in the front simply wrote, “Good guy!”

“What’s he like?”

“What’s she like?”

I remember being in a rectory basement with about 25 couples and kids enjoying a Super Bowl Game on TV. The highlight every year was not the game but the commercials, the TV ads. I remember the one that got the greatest reaction was a scene - I don’t remember what the commercial was for - of two guys in an apartment. One says - “My new girlfriend is coming over with her mom.”  The other guy says, “What does her mom look like?” The guy says, “I don’t know. I haven’t met her yet.” The other guy says, “Well if you want to know what your girlfriend will look like in 20 years, take a good look at her mother.”  The doorbell rings. The guy looks out the peephole and sees the face of his girlfriend’s mom. Absolutely gorgeous and he gives with a great smile - a thumbs up to his buddy. He opens the door and in comes his girlfriend and her mom and dad - and her mom has a big…. Better not go any further behind that….

Well at that Super Bowl party, I noticed that here were  mixed reactions to that TV commercial. Some guys were laughing - some guys were very quiet.

“What’s he like?”

“What’s she like?”

How do we react to comments that trigger thoughts about ourselves, or others,  how we look, how we are? Size and shape and personality?

What are we like?

Here’s a self test: Check three:

Sensitive?____ Aware?_____ Not aware? _____ Hurtful? ______ Listens? _____  Learns ______ Clown______ ? Prudent? ______  Smart? _______

Stupid_________ Thoughtful_________

“What’s he like?”

“What’s she like?”

What am I like?

GOD? WHAT’S GOD LIKE?

What’s God like?

If we read the scriptures, we’ll find out that there are all kinds of descriptions of God - just as in the Koran and various other sacred writings.

Today’s feast is, Christ the King.  What kind of a king is Christ?

He was certainly not like King Saul or King David - kings mentioned in today’s first reading - 2 Samuel 5:1-3

Last Wednesday - in the weekday gospel from Luke - we heard the parable of the nobleman who went to a far country to obtain a kingship. Before he left he gave 10 of his servants each a gold coin and told them to trade with it  till he gets back. We also hear that this nobleman was despised. We also hear about him coming back and asking each servant how each did. The first said, “Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.” “Well done good servant,” the nobleman replied. “You have been faithful in this  very small matter; take charge of ten cities.”  The second made 5 more and got charge of 5 cities. The next servant said he was scared - scared of you - and because he was afraid - he stored the gold coin away in a handkerchief. The nobleman got really angry - told his servants to take that gold coin and give it to the guy with the 10. Then the parable has the nobleman saying, “Now  as for those  enemies of mine who don’t want me as their king, bring them here and slay them before me.”

Uh oh! Is this mid-east way of thinking?

Uh oh! Is this the way some people see God?

If God is noble, if God is a king, if God is our Father, what kind of person is God?

Do we have to die to find out?

As priest I’ve heard all kinds of descriptions about God? I’ve heard all kinds of assumptions about God?

What is God really like? What’s been your experience of God?

What is your image of Jesus? Is he the visible image of the invisible God - as we heard in today’s second reading from Colossians 1: 12-20.  If yes, the question still remains: how you see Jesus? What is he like to you? What texts do you build your image of Jesus on?

When I’m sitting with someone in counseling or what have you, I sometimes  ask: “Okay you die. You meet God. What’s God like? What’s going to happen?”

There is often a pause right there.

It’s my experience that people often give God a good report - but then comes the, “I hope so. I hope I’m right.”

If God is a Father, what kind of Father is God like?

Does how our own dad is make a difference?

If God is a Mother, and that image is in the scriptures, and Pope John Paul I, described God that way, does how our own mom is make a difference in our understanding of God?

What happens if mom is very tough and dad is a piece of cake - or vice versa? How does that effect our image of God?

You’ve heard, I’ve heard 1,000 sermons - from deacons and priests and preachers, does how they are make a difference.

CONCLUSION

How do I conclude this?

Be a thief…. Be a good thief.

Today’s gospel has the good thief on the cross saying, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And Jesus replies to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” [ Cf. Luke 22:35-43.]  

I noticed a lot of people made use of the holy doors in this year of mercy. It ends this Sunday - more or less. So there will be no more so called “Holy Doors of Mercy” for a while  - but let’s hope our churches are always places of welcome and places of mercy - please God forever.

However, the Stations of the Cross remain in all our churches.

I suggest whenever you come to church, sit under the 12^th station and say the prayer of the Good Thief. “Jesus remember me when you come into your Kingdom” and hear Jesus say, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”

Then say, “But not yet, O God, not yet.” 

Painting on top by Andrew Wyeth

November 19, 2016

MEDITATION

It’s nothing - doing nothing - just

sitting there in a calm - in an emptiness -

not having to start or finish anything -

till peace sneaks in - till laughter -

till tears - till light and love or the

Divine Darkness of God comes and sits

with us in the nothingness of not trying

to meditate - just letting go and

letting God be under and in everything -

till we rest in the Lord - knowing

we are not the Lord. God Is.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

NOVEMBER 18, 2016

ZACCHAEUS  MOMENTS

Jesus , I've seen you on 100 crucifixes
and in a 100 broken persons, but Jesus,
I need to get away from these Good Friday moments. I need you to backtrack and 
see me up a tree like Zacchaeus and 
call me to come down - so we can sit down 
and have a good meal and a good talk 
together - and then plan a future together.

                                                                                                              © Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

November 17, 2016

ALIENS

Jesus walked down our streets,

stepped up our steps, stopped into

our stores and bars, slipped through

our alleys - took our trains, planes,

and buses and saw all the people he

spotted the last time he made this trip.

But this time he scratched his head.

This time something was different.

Martha and Mary were not talking and

Mary was not complaining. They were

alienated  from each other …. and didn’t

seem to feel that Lazarus had died….

And the father didn’t run to hug his lost son ….

nor did he walk out into the field to talk with
his older son who was working, working, all

by himself. The blind man didn’t cry out that

he wanted to see …. The lady on the sidewalk

didn’t reach out to touch the edge of his cloak.

The thief on the cross didn’t talk to the other

thief on his cross. They just hung there as if someone was missing. For Jesus it felt like Birmingham [1] - not Calvary - but it was worse.

Everyone was silent - looking at their phones -looking all alone. Jesus didn’t know what to do.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

NOTES

[1] Poem by Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy, "Indifference" or "When Jesus Came to Birmingham."

[[1

November 16, 2016

RESPOND OR REACT?

We do have a choice,

well sometimes, well,

most of the time … the

more we get the knack

of responding instead

of reacting to others.

It can be in traffic. It can be

in a conversation or a conflict.
Tell me the key? It’s time.
Taking the time to reflect,

to refigure - but especially to

walk, walk, before talk, talk.  

  

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

BEHOLD I STAND AT THE

DOOR AND KNOCK

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 33^rd  Tuesday in  Ordinary Time is, “Behold I Stand at the Door and Knock.”

TODAY’S FIRST READING

In today’s first reading from the Book of Revelation we have a very well-known Biblical text, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” [Rev. 3:20]

I would think we have heard that text and sermons on that text enough that it has become a part of our spiritual life.

It knocks on our door!

And every time we have a sermon or a homily on this text from Revelation the preacher always brings in the story of Holman Hunt’s famous painting, “The Light of the World.”

We know the story - we’ve heard it in a hundred sermons. We know the key message,  “The knob is on the inside.”

The message of that painting and that text is that it’s our move.

Christ wants in - but do we want him in?

TODAY’S GOSPEL

And it doesn’t always happen on weekday readings that the first reading fits in perfectly with the gospel, but today it does. [Cf. Luke 19: 1-10.]

Jesus invites himself into Zacchaeus’ house and Zacchaeus invites Jesus into his life.

We know these stories and we know them well.

What a great way to begin personal prayer  - whether here in church or in our  Eucharistic chapel down below - or while sitting on our back porch  - or in a special prayer chair - that we have in some quiet part of our house.  To just pause, breathe, be, and before doing anything else, to hear Jesus knocking on our door - on our mind - on our heart.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“Behold I stand at the door and knock.”

What a great opening prayer to a time of prayer, “Come Lord Jesus. Come Lord Jesus.  Come on in, Lord Jesus.  Come on in.”

BACK TO THE PAINTING

The painting is entitled, “The Light of the World.”

In the painting we only see Jesus. He is standing there with lantern in hand and it’s well lit. And his face and his garments radiate light.

In the painting we see the weeds and ivy all over the door area - as if the door hasn’t been open for years.

Holman started the painting when he was 22 and didn’t finish it till he was 29. It wasn’t till 50 years later that he explained the painting. The door is the closed mind. I thought the meaning was very obvious - because maybe I heard sermons on this many, many times. However,  maybe not everybody gets it - if their minds are closed to Jesus and closed to hearing an explanation.

The painting was started at night. Somewhere along the line, Holman Hunt said he went to Bethlehem to see the light there - to make sure he had it right.

There are 3 versions of this painting. The first and best is in Keble Chapel in Oxford. He wasn’t happy with how they had it set up, so he did a larger and second version - and this hangs in St Paul’s church London - where Hunt is buried.  It’s not as good. A third smaller version is in Manchester.

I would think, unless you saw the painting in person, it doesn’t make much difference because there are so many copies of this painting all around the world - on many walls, in many books and movies and what have you.

Last night as I was doing some research on the painting, I noticed that it went on a worldwide tour between 1905 to 1907. It’s said that 4/5 of the population of Australia saw it.

We get that. We’ve all seen the painting somewhere along the line.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Behold I Stand at the Door and Knock.

Surprise! Even if we keep the door locked, even if the knob is on the inside, Jesus comes through walls. [Cf. John 20: 19-23]

November 15, 2016

BASIC

As basic as being nice….

As basic as rye bread and cold butter….
As basic as loving one another....

As basic as holding the door for the next person….

As basic as giving a phone number on an answering machine slowly and then repeating it slowly ….

As basic as giving a subway seat to an older person especially with packages ….

As basic as saying, “Nice moon tonight, God….”

As basic as using one’s car signal ….

As basic as not slamming doors  - especially when others are napping ….

As basic as taking grandkids out for ice cream - often ….

As basic as leaving a public restroom neater than when one used it ….

As basic as listening….

As basic as saying, “Thank you!”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

November 14, 2016

WHAT IS,  WHAT WAS

Sometimes I feel like a big clumsy dark boat,

with straining - pulling - stretching ropes -

anchoring me to an old tar - oil stained dock,

and the water below - tide shifting - churning -

turning me this way and that - but I’ll take this,

as well as setting out to sea once again - than

to be an abandoned - no longer used  boat -

just sitting there remembering lots of what was.  

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

SECRET  REVELATIONS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 33 Monday in Ordinary time is, “Secret Revelations.”

BOOK OF REVELATION

Today’s first reading is from the opening words of the Book of Revelation and then it jumps to the 2^nd chapter of the Book of Revelation.

We are going to cover the rest of the Book of Revelation for the next and last 2 weeks of the Church Year’s weekday readings.

So I thought I’d say a little about the Book of Revelation - under the theme of Secret Revelations.

The alternative year’s readings are Maccabees and the Book of Daniel.

A question: have you ever studied the Book of Revelation with a commentary in book form, or tapes or a Bible Study Group?  It would be well worth it.

It’s dated from around the year 90 - written sometime during the reign of Emperor Domitian - whose dates are 81 to 96 AD.

It’s filled with visions, drama, song, apocalyptic language and images.

If it was on stage, we would see the Lamb, armies marching, people breaking open the seals of secret documents, trumpets, roaring dragons, lions, beasts and bowls, angels, clouds, the river of life, a new heaven and a new earth.

The main stress - the main image - of the book is Jesus Christ - the Lamb of God - who saves us and is our hope of salvation.

And because the church is going through tough times - like persecutions the language in the Book of Revelation is code language at times.

That’s why a guide would be helpful. Moreover there has been a lot of research on the type of literature we have here - and it’s often connected to the Book of Daniel - which was written also in dangerous times.

Scott Hahn was some wonderful insights on the Book of Revelation connecting it loud and clear with the Mass.

CHURCH: LOTS OF VISIONARIES

For a thought for the day besides this quick introduction to the Book of Revelation which begins today, I would like to say a few words about the phenomenon of secret writings and secret revelations.

The history of Christianity has had a lot of visionaries down through history who put their visions into written form.

From what I pick up - visionaries catch the attention of those who feel they are in the dark - they don’t know - and they would like to be in on the secret.

The Early Church has had various groups - who end up being called, “Gnostics.”

They are in the know - and often they are declared to be heretics.

When it comes to religion, we’ll meet many people, who want to have an edge. They want to be safe. They want eternal life on the other side of the unseen side of death.

Secrets sell. Secrets sell books. Secrets make money. Before I came to Annapolis - which has it’s set geographical boundaries - I was on the road  - all over Ohio and lots of other places. I also was in 3 retreat houses - for 22 years of my life - where people came from all kinds of places. So I have had varied experiences of  people from lots of places - who have told me that they have read a book by a visionary.

I’ve checked some of them out.

Most of the time I have kept my mouth shut - following the Gamaliel principal: - if this is of God, it will last, if this is nonsense, it will end up on some book shelf gathering dust. [Cf. Acts of the Apostles 5: 38-39.]

Rome rarely gives its approval of visionries - some of whom I consider crazy. Visionaries talk about the end of the world is coming. Some talk about Mary being God. Others talk about St. Joseph being the Holy Spirit.

For example, the visionary of Bayside, Long Island, Veronica Lucken  made statements about Paul VI being an imposter and lots of other strange comments - so called “Secret Revelations.”

These books sell.

And if someone said there is a visionary in Virginia or Ocean City, I guarantee there will be traffic jams.

CONCLUSION: ENOUGH WITH THE WHINING

I don’t want to say much more - other than saying, “Why wouldn’t people concentrate on the gospels - like today’s gospel and pray with the Blind Man - I want to see - like seeing our neighbor in need or a person who could use a “hello” and a “compliment.”

Instead of reading stuff that often is complaints and fuzzy theology and spirituality, read with the gospels - and if you have a good guide, go for the Book of Revelation.

Amen.