GET  IT  RIGHT! 

  

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 6^th Sunday in Ordinary Time  [C] is, “Get It Right.”

The gospel readings for these early Sundays in Ordinary Time - this year we’re listening to Matthew - are from the Sermon on the Mount.  That’s found in  Chapters 5, 6, and 7 of Matthew.

In preparing this homily, I noticed that one commentator said: the main theme of the Sermon on the Mount is righteousness.

Can I translate that to: “Get It Right.”

I don’t know if I can, but I decided to do just that for this homily.

It gets me thinking about that comment we hear from time to time: “Get It Right.”

How many times have we heard parents, teachers, coaches - even our inner monitor say: “Get it right.”

MOTIVE

It that a key life motive: to get it right?

Ever since I was in my late teens, one of my life questions has been motive.

Another does something. Another says something.  I notice their behavior.  I hear their comment. I think about what was said or what happened and my mind says, “Motive!”

That’s been a lifetime question for me.

How about you?

What are your lifetime questions?

Motive.

So I’m asking, Is getting it right a lifetime motive?

That’s my beginning  question in this homily - but I hope at the end to get beyond that.

Does every one of us want to get it right?

Does every one of us want to look like we know what we are doing? Does every one of us not want to look or to appear stupid or dumb?

Is that right?

I don’t know. I want to think about this. And I know I learn the most by working on a sermon or a homily - with a question that hits me.

I want to get it right.

I don’t want to look dumb - or unprepared.

So maybe that is a lifetime motive.  Maybe that’s one of life’s top 5 motives.

I don’t know, but I want to think about this.

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s first reading from the wisdom in the Book of Sirach says we have the power of choice. Choose the commandments - and you’ll be choosing wisely. Choose life not death. Choose good not evil. Choose water not fire.

Choose water not fire. I don’t get that one, but I’m assuming he’s saying, “Keep cool! Don’t get burnt.  I think that’s what that Sirach means - but I’m not sure. Is covering one’s a or b a subdivision of getting it right?

Today’s second reading from Paul’s First letter to the Corinthians tells us to choose God’s Wisdom not the surface wisdom of our age. Paul is telling us to go deeper. Go underneath.  Find the hidden, mysterious, revelations from God - the stuff eye has not seen, ear has not heard, heart is not aware of, the stuff God has prepared for those who love him.

Is that Paul’s way of saying, “Get it right?

Today’s gospel reading tells us some really inner wisdom - that gets below the law, underneath even the smallest part of the law. The law says not to kill or get angry, not to yell nasty names at our brothers or sisters, not to commit adultery or to lust - but to face motives - inner motives.  On the surface, a marriage or a relationship or a family, can look great, but shake the deepest stuff out on the table with each other and we’ll begin to see there is a lot more work to be done - to have not just a right marriage or family - but it a great family.

So it takes work to get things not just right - but better.

So when someone is setting the table, we wonder on what side to put the second fork - or the smaller fork - or glass or napkin. We might actually say, “Is this right?”

Is Jesus saying, “Good.  But isn’t the purpose of eating - having a meal - having a supper -  having a family Mass together -  celebration, relationships, love, serving, laughing, listening, talking to each other?

Is that right?

I go crazy as priest when people say you said a word wrong or different - or you added something or forgot something - in the Mass - this meal of Jesus - this last supper - this eternal banquet. The rubrics are there to guide us - but am I right to accidently change something on the spur of the spirit or the moment - like eating the meal with the small fork and the pie with the big fork - or the potatoes with the soup spoon?

Am I right to think that way? Is the other wrong to think I’m wrong?

Of course they are right.

I LOVE THE RABBI STORY

Once upon a time there was a rabbi who was known to be the best marriage counselor for 200 miles around.

His wife couldn’t understand this. She lived with him.

But whenever she went to market, dozens of women would say to her, “You are the luckiest woman in the world - married to such a wise rabbi. He really helped our marriage.”

One day, while in the meat market, a lady said to her. “My husband and I are having marriage problems so we’re going to see your husband, the rabbi, tomorrow afternoon at 1, so say a prayer for us.”

The next morning, the rabbi’s wife said, “I’m going shopping tomorrow afternoon after lunch.”

He nonchalantly said - without thinking, “Yeah, good, okay.”

She spots a couple coming up the front walkway and she says to her husband, “I’m going out the back door.”

When he goes to the front door - she, instead of going out the back door, slips into his study and hides behind the drapes.

The couple come in. The rabbi greets them. The rabbi says, “Who wants to go first.”

The wife says, “Honey you go first.”

He goes into the rabbi’s study. He tells the rabbi everything. The rabbi listens and says, “You’re right. But do me a favor. Don’t tell her.”

The man says, “I knew it. Thank you.”

The rabbi then invites the wife into the study.

He listens to her carefully. At the end he says, “You’re right. But do me a favor. Don’t tell him.”

She says, “I knew it.”

They both leave by the front door - walking down the path holding hands - with a great smile on both their faces.

He closes the front door and there she is, his wife.

She says, “You hypocrite. I was hiding in your study and you told the husband he was right and then you told his wife, she was right. How could both of them be right.”

The rabbi paused and said with a great smile on his face, “You’re right, but don’t tell anybody my secret.”

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Get It Right?”

Is that the secret of life?

Or is it deeper?

Is it, “Do it better?”

Is it, “Are you missing anyone?”

Is it, “Are you loving enough?”

Is it, “The ability to say, ‘I don’t know. I might be wrong. But don’t tell anyone?”

General Omar Bradley once said, “We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the sermon on the mount.”

Is that right?

He also said, “I am convinced that the best service a retired general can perform is to turn in his tongue along with his suit and to mothball his opinions.”

Is that right?

Smile: should old priests follow that last bit of advice - mothballing opinions that might not be in the gospel?

February 12, 2017

GEOGRAPHY

Is geography me?

Would I be different if I looked out my

morning window and saw a mountain?

Right now I look out my window and see

a bridge - over to Eastport, Annapolis?

Growing up hearing gunshots, fire engines,

police cars, do they crush future poets?

How about a sweet family, classical music,

chocolate chip cookies and grandparents?

Is geography me?

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

February 11, 2017

LECTURE

Was there a “Life Lecture” for you -

some time back there in the spring

or even fall of your life? Was there

a talk that you can still hear - because

the speaker spoke inside you - sat

down at your inner kitchen table?  

You connected. You chatted. You

sipped the tea or wine or beer of

wisdom and you went, “Oh, okay,

that’s how life works.” And by the way,

if you were asked to give a  lecture of

your 5 keys to life or 7 secrets of happiness

or the 10 commandments  how to treat

one another, what would it sound like?

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

February 10, 2017

SOUNDS FROM A DISTANCE

There are always sounds in the distance -

drums that distract is - making our heart

beat faster - or a violin that sooths us -

sounds from a distance - a fire truck,

a church bell, a kid in the park yelling,

“Mira! Look at me!” But the ones we

really listen to - are the words that return -

an acid comment that put us down 45 years

ago - when a teacher or a coach said the 

wrong thing - and we let those sandpaper words

still rub us the wrong way - some every day.

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

February 9, 2017

UNNOTICED

Isn’t it funny, in any given scene,

if there’s seven or more people,

there are two who don’t want to

be noticed and one who definitely

wants to be noticed? The rest, I

don’t know about them and I certainly

don’t want them to notice that I’m

trying to notice what’s really going on.

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017
- Painting: Pierre -August Renoir,
Luncheon of the Boating Party.

February 8, 2017

SHRINES

You spot them, sometimes

when you least expect them….

Walking through the woods

or going by someone’s yard….

A neckless with a tiny picture

of one’s husband along with

his big solid metal wedding ring….

A statue to Saint Lucy - on a book shelf,

with a pair of glasses and a small candle....

A gravestone - with a plastic flower,

a baseball hat and two bowling shoes….

A wallet with pictures of all one’s

grand kids - along with one’s parents….
A Kyoto garden, raked sand, flowing
water, three big well chiseled rocks....

A church, front bench, right side, in front

of a picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Help....

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

February 7. 2017

WORRIES

Worries like worms wiggle

and slide through the soil

of our soul. Sometimes

they come up and out of

the earth when it rains.

What’s wonderful is when

we see them dead and dried

up on an afternoon sidewalk.

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

ORIGINS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily of my reflections for this morning is, “Origins.”

It comes out of today’s first reading for this 5^th Monday in Ordinary Time when we start the book of Genesis: 1: 1-19.  Sometimes we go through a whole book of the Bible, but this time we’re going to get Genesis for just two weeks.  As you know Genesis is a long book, so we’ll get sections of it at other times of the year.

GENESIS - BEGINNINGS - ORIGINS

Genesis - as we know - means beginnings.

I chose the word “Origins” to get at a few thoughts for a Monday morning.

There is something in us humans that triggers origins questions at times.

How did I get here? Where did I come from?

Countries and companies like to put in writing where they come from.  But it’s usually well after they are established.

So too individuals - so too families.

I noticed about in the past 25 years or so - people seem to be more interested in genealogies than in the past.  I don’t know if that’s true, but that’s my sense as I think about this in a first draft talk about “Origins”.

The latest thing we’re seeing is DNA reporting.

You send in some spit and some money and you get a report on your DNA.

I am tempted to try that, but I hesitate, because  I wonder and worry about follow up mail, etc. etc. etc.

PENTATEUCH AND THE BIBLE

The first 5 books of the Bible - the Pentateuch - gives us origins stuff - but we can say, so too the whole Bible.

Our Jewish Bible begins with a creation account. Better linguists point out that there are two solid creation accounts here in the beginning of Genesis - with other material mixed in.

When we studied Genesis we learned that lots of primitive cultures from around the world have primitive creation accounts.

In fact, I have a collection of Creation Accounts - from different cultures.

People want to know about ancestors.

People want to know about plants, trees, animals, the sun, the moon, and the sky.

Genesis, today’s first reading, will give us the first 4 days of creation.

Genesis also gives us the next 3 days tomorrow.

Genesis gives us names of people and places.

MAIN MESSAGES

And if one takes the time - and reads enough about Genesis or any creation account - key main messages can be gleaned from the texts.

God is our Creator.

God creates good.

So the next question is: where does bad come from?

Genesis will tackle that one - when it tells us about the good tree and the bad tree - and not to choose to eat from this one tree.

So the message is: God doesn’t create bad.

So a message is, we have a choice.

The good fruit, bad fruit, is a choice story. It’s basic. It’s primitive. It’s also profound.  In this choice story - this good and evil story - the message is that we are the ones who messed up - grew up and choose evil.

OUR ROOTS - OUR ORIGINS

The title of my homily is, “Origins.”

We were created by our parents - and all is good.

When did we first realize evil?

I don’t know the answer to that - but my earliest memory of evil might have been a moment when I was walking along 4^th avenue in Brooklyn. I was a tiny kid at the time. I began hearing two men in a gas station yelling at each other. Then one threw a tire iron - that metal plus sign - a cross - at the other guy. I can still hear that metal sound clinking on the ground ever since - plus the cursing and the anger.

I also remember seeing the police tracking down a pocket book thief - at a park as a kid.

Those two moments are still in my memory. I don’t remember kids being mean to other kids.

All was good - but I didn’t write my Genesis - so I haven’t written it.

I talk to my sister from time to time to get origins stories.

I assume I have to do more listening to our oral history and more writing and reading my Genesis.

CONCLUSION

Enough already….

Did I trigger any thoughts in you about your origins?

What are your origins questions?

What has been your experience of “The Good”.

What has been your experience of “The Bad” or “Evil”.

I remember reading something Jacques Maritain saying, “Okay you bring up the Problem of Evil, but please bring up the Problem of Good as well.”  

Then he added, “Why is there so much good in the world?”

February 6, 2017

LIKE A MOUSE

If I had to give you a nickname

it would be, “The Mouse.” Why?

Well, you’re quiet. You sneak

along the wall - when nobody’s

around. You don't seem to be
interested in anything I'm 
interested in. It seems you can't
be caught. Now I don't want 
to be catty - so I'm quiet too.
Besides all this, I have no clue as 
to what kind of cheese you want.
What are you after in all these
scamperings all over the place?

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

FAITH  SWITCH 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 5^th Sunday in Ordinary Time [A] is, “Faith Switch.”      

What’s a “Faith Switch.”

Well, it’s like a light switch. In fact it looks like a light switch - with the possibility of an up or down movement. [Gesture up and down.] And it has two words on it: “On” and “Off”.

Some older people - like grandparents know that everyone has a faith switch on the wall of their soul - or as Jesus calls it, “One’s inner room.”

Some older people - sorry to say - don’t know about that faith switch. Maybe it was turned off in their soul a long time ago - unfortunately - and they are now in the dark when it comes to God and faith - and life. They are unable to show - or bring up faith ideas and issues and images - to themselves or their kids or grandkids. Their faith switch has been in the “OFF” position for years now - so how can they tell others about faith?

When that happens, well -  that’s an, “Uh oh! A Bummer!”

Now, this is tricky stuff - and it can get us into judging others - and that can get us a bit nervous. We’ve all heard the Native American saying about, “Unless you’ve walked in another’s moccasins - you don’t know where another has walked or what they have gone through.”

And we know Jesus’ thoughts about this same issue, “Unless you’ve walked in another’s sins, don’t throw stones.”

So not having been in another’s inner room or soul, some folks think the best wait - when it comes to that inner faith switch - is to let another be the one to one to discover some of this stuff.

As priest, I’ve heard many people ask about this stuff - especially folks over 70 - who have sons and daughters and grandkids - who have dropped out of church and faith. The same kind of wonderings come up about someone who is drinking too much - or messing up too much.

Is the best move to let others - especially those younger than us - to find out about that faith switch for themselves.

Does one have to be in the dark, and bump into enough suitcases - and trip and fall enough times - hit bottom,  before they start searching - before they feel the need for more understandings about what life is all about.

In other words, I don’t want to make things worse - hear, “Mind your own business!” or what have you.

So in this homily - I’m taking a chance - to say out loud that we all have a faith switch on the wall of our soul - and maybe it’s not the best move to hit another’s button.

I remember being stationed and every morning, early morning, we sat there eating breakfast with very few lights on. It was easier on the eyes.  Well, this guy would come in every time, turn all the lights on full blast, and say, “Let’s put a little light on the subject.”

And everyone with coffee cup in hand or Cheerios on the spoon - would moan, “Oh no!”

And Larry never got it.

People like to eat breakfast the way they like to eat breakfast - with just enough lights on.

For the sake of transparency, I like breakfast with natural light - with the light switches on “Off”.

The title of my homily is, “Faith Switch.”

Pause during this mass - and feel for that switch. Like a little kid discovering a light switch, turn it on and off - on and off - on and off - up and down - up and down a few times.

THE BABY THAT DIED

The faith switch in Judith and Jim got turned off when they lost their first and only baby. They found out it was going to be a boy and they named it Justin - while he was still within his mom. He came out early and still born.

Judith and Jim, had tried everything to have a baby - but nothing worked - till finally - sure enough - Judith was pregnant. She took it slow, nice and easy, but two months before  the baby was due - Justin was born - dead.

They became silent with God. They became angry with God. They became silent to each other - with God mentioning’s.

Their faith switch was turned off.

ABUSE AND ABORTION

Of course abuse and abortion are deadly and wrong - horrible - hitting faith buttons - so when they became a combo  - in a parish - a bunch of people had their faith switch turned off. Father So and So was off on abortion - every sermon - every Sunday - seeming to be without sympathy for people sitting there who had been through that horror - and healing and forgiveness can be slow - for some lifetime slow.  So when Father So and got caught doing the wrong thing, abuse, it hit the papers. It hit the hearts and minds of a bunch of people - and their faith switch went off. Sorry.

McDONALDS

For Sarah it was a bunch of little things that got her to push that faith switch upwards - and the light went on.

First it was McDonalds. She was sitting there. She liked to go there every once and a while. Hey - a dollar day - not bad - but she also loved to get their creamy ice cream - as well.

As she was sitting there one Saturday around 2 PM - in came a family - and they got their orders and sat down - just across from her table. They sat there - heads down for a  moment - held hands - made the sign of the cross - and said, “Grace”. It was in a mumble from a moment - but Sarah’s hearing was going.

But Sarah saw a faith moment. It became a Normal Rockwell type picture in her brain - and at supper that night - by herself - she made a sign of the cross for her food - but especially, she thanked God for that family she saw in McDonalds.

Next she was watching TV - in her Lazy Girl chair -  but she fell asleep. It was late, really late, and some sports announcers were on the screen and they woke up her up with their chatter. They were talking about the Super Bowl - which Sarah knew nothing about - or when it was played. They talked about an Irish Quarterback who did very well. Someone asked someone why some players point skywards after a great catch - and the other announcer. “They are giving God the glory” not themselves. “Nice” said the questioner.  I wish my team got into the Super Bowl and I wish they made some great plays and gave God and my team some glory.

Next it was going by a church - and the light was red and Sarah saw three ladies in the cold in running shorts - running down the street and going by a church and making the sign of the cross as they did.

That brought back memories of her mother - making the sign of the cross on her and her brothers and sisters when they were kids - when they went by a church - and sure enough Sarah went back to church - making the sign of the cross as she entered - just like she saw that family in McDonalds - giving God the glory.

And the light switch - her faith switch went on.

THE FUNERAL

For Tom it was going home to Arkansas for the funeral of his wife’s brother. He had a sudden heart attack. The funeral was in a small rural Catholic Church - and he found out - all that his brother-in-law did for people. The priest described him as the salt of the earth and the light of the town - the bread winner for so many hungry people. Tom had never heard those words of Jesus before.

And Tom and his wife went back to church when they back home.

Their faith switch was turned on - in Arkansas.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is “Faith Switch.”

Like a little kid at a light switch- turn your faith switch on and off, on and off, up and down during this mass.

What does it look like? What does it feel like? 

February 5, 2017

DICTIONARY

The curtain opened - a lone man stood

in the middle of the stage and held up a

big dictionary. He then opened it up. He

tapped the big book. Out fell dozens and

dozens of words. Out fell dozens and

dozens of people dressed as words and

shaped as what they were: pizza, mouse,

hammer, clarinet, knife, fork, spoon,

frog, fish, alligator, bear, poodle, a yoyo,

and they spilled off the stage and into the

audience. The slice of pizza yelled loudly

from halfway up the main aisle, “Love me!”

A six foot mouse - ran across the stage

and up the side aisle - then stopped to rub

against the hammer and the spoon.

Well, for that audience that night - a

dictionary was never the same again.

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

February 4, 2017

RIBBON

A red ribbon got caught

in the empty branches

of a winter naked tree -

and remained there high

above everything in

ice and snow, wind and

shivering shake - all winter.

Ribbons tossed with

Christmas wrappings

in garbage cans were

envious - so too ribbons

in girls' hairs. Little did

they know that the caught

ribbon wished she was them.

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

February 3, 2017

OPENING KYRIE

Mozart and the Mass and so many

beginning words when we meet each

other are a Kyrie. We know inadequacy,

we know sin, we know we fail each

other too, too often - so for starters,

we know the Mass.  Now let’s move

on to Glory. Let’s move on to promises

to give our body and blood to each

other - in Holy Communion - then 

we can move into the night, to service,

to what's next. Amen.

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

RUBBING  OUR  THROAT 

INTROUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Rubbing Our Throat.”

Today, on this feast of St. Blaise, throats are blessed.

Supposedly St. Blaise helped a kid who had a fishbone stuck in his throat.  Maybe he did the Heimlich maneuver method long, long before Henry Heimlich.  I thought I read that Henry Heimlich only used his method once - and that was near the end of his life - but it’s estimated that at least 100,000 people were helped with his method in his lifetime: February 3, 1920 Wilmington, Delaware to Dec. 17, 2016.

So I thought for a homily to say a few ideas about the throat - touching and rubbing our throat.

So do some thinking about the throat during this  mass and then at the end accept the blessing - at large or one to one - and hopefully, you’ll have some key thoughts about your throat for this mass. 

BODY LANGUAGE

How many times in a given day, do we put our hand to our throat?

In sign language, besides using fingers for letters, some folks short cut with regular signals. Like cup of tea is [cup] with one hand and move one’s other hand up and down, as if one is trying to get the t-bag to do its job in the hot water. Or rubbing one’s chin - is a sign language symbol for professor. That fits. We can see a teacher - a professor - rubbing his chin before giving a profound answer.

So is there a meaning in sign language for rubbing one’s Adam’s or Eve’s apple? Do people who are deaf pick up body language much better than those of us who can hear?

SIGNIFICANT PART OF OUR BODY

I would assume that one’s neck - the Adam’s apple area to be specific - is more important than the skin on the back of our knee or under our big toe.

The neck is very significant. It’s a key major highway - a key passage way.

Food and drink pass through our neck.

Air passes through our neck.

Words work with our throat and sound system.

Coughs come jumping out of our chest - up through our throat - and out through our mouth. It’s winter time and we all know this very well.

When someone gets a throat tickle, they say, “I might be coming down with a sore throat.”

Blood goes to our brain through our neck.

The thyroid gland is in here - and there is more and more information on how key the thyroid gland is to people.

It can affect our metabolism, hormones. Specialists have to do tests to see how our endocrine system is working.

We get stiff necks when we’re nervous or up tight.

Paul talked about fellow Jews who were stiff necked [Cf. Acts 7:51.]

Detectives when questioning people and asking questions notice neck swallows. Parents when they think kids are lying,  watching their Adam’s apple as well. They want to know if they should swallow what the other is saying.

Sometimes someone is a pain in the neck.

So when communicating with someone, calmly keep your eye on the other person’s hand - and see what questions get them to rub their neck.

Body language experts say the other is comforting their nerves down - when they are rubbing their necks - or pausing to gather their thoughts - so they don’t say something stupid.  

I was wondering why the first anointing in baptism is to put oil on the other person’s Adam’s apple - or the top of their chest. Why that anointing - and why there?

CONCLUSION

Enough words out of the mouth.

Chew on some of this - rub your neck - digest some thoughts and when you get the Saint Blaise blessing at the end of the Mass, you’ll have specifics to pray for.

February 2, 2017

 NOTIONS

I have notions, assumptions, echoes

about life, about people, about God,

as they move across the floor and wall -

like shadows - in a room - on a February

late afternoon - but like Paul, Christ has

set me free. I’m no longer chained to a wall

in a deep dark cave. I have learned to  know

the difference between shadows and reality.

Okay,  sometimes, I find myself wanting

to return to the fixed security of that cave -

those chains - those dark shadows - to be like

Plato in his rocking chair looking at the walls

of his cave - but Christ - the risen Christ -

the Easter Christ - the fire, the dawn has

dawned. The rock has been rolled back.

The mouth of the cave screams, “Come out.

Come out. Come out! Come follow me!”

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017