WHAT  TO  DO? 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 23 Sunday in Ordinary Time [A] is,  “What To Do?”

Sometimes we don’t know what to do?

Sometimes we know what to do - but if we do - there are consequences - uncomfortable consequences - Uh oh consequences!

After all, who  wants to feel - the funny feelings we feel - when we feel we have to correct someone else? Those are some of the ugh moments of life.

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s readings make religion real.

Today’s reading puts some words that are covered with sandpaper into our ears and then into our mind. As they slide down our ear canal they can rub us the wrong way.

So and so is drinking too much, do we say or do anything?

So and so is cheating on his or her spouse, do we do anything?

So and so is killing themselves by overeating - do we intervene?

Today’s readings touch on this issue of what to do.

Ezekiel - in the first reading - tells us - we are appointed by God to be watchmen and watchwomen and warn those who are being wicked - to tell them, “This is killing you.” and / or, “This is killing us and others.”

You’re kidding.  Nope. That is what Ezekiel is saying.

If the other kills themselves and we didn’t do anything to warn them, then Ezekiel says, God is saying, “I am holding you responsible. But if we warn the other and they refuse to turn from their wicked ways, the other will die from their guilty behaviors, but we will save ourselves.

The second reading tells not to owe anyone anything  - except our love for them.

Translated: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. This means not doing any evil to another - no adultery, no killing, no stealing, no wanting their stuff.

And the gospel comes back to the watchman or watchwoman theme.

If your brother or sister sins against you, tell them their fault - but just between the two of you.

If they won’t listen to you, get two or three witnesses, and you and they together confront the person who is messing up - and if the person won’t listen to the 3 or 4 of you, then go the larger community and all of you challenge the person messing up.

If the other still won’t listen, then cut them out of your life.

But Jesus in today’s gospel  adds - pray for that person - and it seems to be saying, “Do that prayer as a group."

The title of my homily is, “What To Do?”

FURTHER QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS

One of my favorite sayings is, “Teach thy tongue to say, ‘I do not know.’” That’s found in the Jewish Talmud.

Years and years ago - before being  here in Annapolis - I remember being stationed with a priest who had a drinking problem.

Yes, we experience in the rectory, what many families experience in their home. We have an old saying: Rectories can be wrectories.

We talked about “What to do?” hundreds of times about this guy.

A good dozen times we told this guy he has a drinking problem 1 to 1 as well as 5 or 6 to 1.

Nothing worked. He spent his life in a daze.

I write and I remember writing out of frustration a short piece and it’s published in one of my books. I never showed it to the guy - but I looked it up today while writing this homily.

TO AN ALCOHOLIC

The speed of the suicide

depends upon the mind of the person.

Just the other day

I was reading in the paper

about this man in Florida

who blew his brains out

with just one shot.

That’s all it took,

that’s all it took, just one shot.

And as I put down

the paper I wondered

about you sitting there

with another drink

in your hand

and it’s not even

noon-time yet.

You’ll never make headlines.

But I suppose someday soon

I’ll read it in the paper

or hear that you died,

and I suppose very few

will know you’ve

been blowing your brains

out for years, 

yesterday,

today, everyday,

with many shots.

And I ask myself:

should I tell you what

I’m reading or should

I guess how long it will take?

There it was. I was facing what I’ve heard from my own family members - as well as lots of people asking a priest - the title of this homily, “What to Do?”

However this same guy once said about another, but similar situation,  “I’m not going to tell you or him about his problem. I have to live with you or him.”

So we ask others to intervene. So we send anonymous letters. So we go to AL anon.

And sometimes if we tell another why people are having problems with them, things get worse - things get uncomfortable.

I remember a moment when I was a young priest in my first assignment. 

Someone called and asked to see me. They wanted me to be the messenger of tough news to a family member. So I called and met with the person whom nobody would tell them about their problem. Then when all hell broke loose, the person who asked me to deliver the poison meatball said, “I didn’t tell you to do that.”

They didn’t sue me - but I learned my lesson - big time. I never did that again. But I did learn better and more difficult ways to get people to confront each other. Tough stuff….

CONCLUSION

Most of the time - it’s my experience - that most of life - sad to say - is kept in the bottom drawer, swept under the rug, grin and bear it, because we have to live with one another.

Most of the time - it’s my experience - that sometimes people change - wake up - improve - or die and the problem is solved.

Most of the time - it’s my experience - that when we hear people complaining about others  - it’s smart to ask oneself  the biblical question, that the disciples said at the last supper when Jesus said, “One of you will betray me?” and they asked, “Is it I Lord?” So when people are complaining about a, b, or c, - it’s a good idea to pause and see where I have to change concerning a, b, c, or d, e and f - or whatever the problem is.

Agree or disagree?

STICKY!  STICKY! 

INTRODUCTION: STATING THE PROBLEM

The title of my homily for this 23 Sunday [A] is, "Sticky! Sticky."

Today’s readings challenge us with one of life’s stickiest problems: to warn or not to warn; to correct or not to correct; to confront or not to confront; to blow the whistle or not to blow the whistle?

None of us wants to be called nosy or a busybody. Who of us wants to be seen as a snitch? Didn’t Jesus say, “Let the one without sin cast the first stone”?

EXAMPLE

A mom is shopping with two close friends at a mall a good hour and a half away from where they live. It’s close to lunch, so one of the ladies says, “I know a nice cozy restaurant just down the road from here.”

The restaurant is crowded -- but the three get seated in a back corner. 

“Uh, oh!” 

The mom sees her married daughter in a booth on the other side of the restaurant with a man other than her husband. And they are being lovey dovey. The daughter doesn’t spot her mother. And thank goodness, the other two ladies don’t spot the mother spotting the daughter and the man she’s with.

So the mother keeps cool and doesn’t let the other ladies know what she’s noticing. Her daughter is not facing her. The mother sees them stand up to leave. They are holding hands on the way out. Arms and shoulders are touching. She mutters to herself another inner, “Uh, oh!” They go outside -- out of view -- but surprise, she sees both of them in the parking lot through the restaurant window giving each other a kiss goodbye and both get into their separate cars. Yes, it’s her daughters maroon Camry - with the gray car child seat.

Obviously, the mom didn’t enjoy the lunch with her good friends.  The other two ladies didn’t seem to notice. All she could think of was her 3 grand kids. All she could think of was her son-in-law. All she could think of was, “Keep cool! Stay calm. What do I do now? To talk to my daughter or what?” Obviously, she didn’t taste the chef salad she ordered -- nor the pie a la mode she had for dessert out of nervousness.

MORE EXAMPLES

A husband, a boss, a priest, a wife, a son, a daughter, a parent, is drinking too much. What to do?

A college basketball referee is gambling. Another referee, whom he does games with, is in the locker room before the game and accidentally overhears the other referee making bets on his iphone before the game. During the game he keeps wondering about some key calls the other ref makes. Is he or isn’t he? What to do?

An accountant in a big company begins to spot some “funny” numbers. Are we being embezzled? Are we? But this accountant has 5 kids and her husband is out of work the last 4 months and so she really needs this job. She need this job big time. What to do?

None of us wants to be called nosy or a busybody. Who of us wants to be seen as a snitch? Didn’t Jesus say, “Let the one without sin cast the first stone”?

HOMILETIC REFLECTIONS: TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s readings deal with this basic issue of speaking up -- of warning others -- of blowing the whistle -- of correcting others.

In today’s first reading, Ezekiel is appointed watchman for the house of Israel. He is called upon to watch the people and when wicked, to warn them. This is the prophet’s calling; this is the prophet’s job.

Still stronger, Ezekiel says if the watchman sees a danger and doesn’t sound a warning, he or she is responsible for all disasters and damage that happens.

As one glides through the Old Testament, this image of the watchman on the walls of the city is very common. Like a rooster he cries out when “Morning has broken!” But his main job was to stand on the walls or in a watchtower and spot possible enemies. The watchman is the eyes and ears of a city - especially in the night.

And obviously, the prophets being poets, would use this image of watchman for their call to warn the people of sins that could destroy them.

Prophets and preachers are called to yell out “The Word of the Lord”. They are called to speak “the mind of God”. They are to tell people “the Will of God”. This is an awesome responsibility. And at times it can be an awfully dangerous job. It can land a prophet in jail or a pit or on a cross.

Is it everyone’s call? Is it the call of the Christian?

Today’s gospel touches on this touchy situation as well: this call to correct a brother or a sister who sins against us.

But who wants to correct others? Who wants to be called nosy or a busy buddy? Who wants to be called a mud slinger? Who wants to rock the boat? Who wants to be called a “Whistle Blower?” Who wants to be told, “Mind your own business?” Who wants to run the risk of having mud thrown back in one’s face. People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Today’s readings give us the issue, the motive and a method for correcting, warning, confronting or blowing the whistle on another person.

Ezekiel tells us to do to speak up.

Paul tells us why to do it. Jesus tells us how to do it.

It would seem that the “why?” is the key. The motive always has to be love. Paul tells us that’s what we owe each other: to love one another. When we do that we fulfill the law.

And Paul continues in today’s second reading by stating the Golden Rule: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Paul says that is underneath the commandments that we don’t commit adultery, steal, covet, “and whatever other commandment there may be.”

We wouldn’t love it or like it if someone hurt us in these ways, so we shouldn’t break any of these commandments and hurt others.

So the motive is love. “Love is the fulfillment of the law.”

If our motive is the “get” another, then we should not proceed further with the “how” question.

If our motive is love, then in God’s good time, we can proceed with Jesus’ method of correcting another.

We all have heard Jesus’ method of fraternal correction since we were kids. First go to the person one to one. If that doesn’t work, go to him or her a second time with two or three witnesses. If this doesn’t work, go to the church community with the problem. If this doesn’t work, then exclude him or her from the community.

CONCLUSION

Now this is antsy stuff. This is tough love stuff. This is painful stuff. This is sticky, sticky stuff. This is stuff we are stuck with doing - as Christians - as long as we are doing this with love. Amen.

September 10, 2017

Reflections

WHAT'S THE STORY

Sometimes all we do is read the cover,

without opening the book and reading

the story. Sometimes we don't listen.
Sometimes we don't know. Sometimes

it's none of our business? Sometimes 

we just walk in our own shoes and 

never find out the rest of the story

of the others in our life. Sometimes

if another was judging us - as we judge

others - we'd be furious and angry.

So that's the story going on in everyday

minds and in everyday conversations.

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

September  9,  2017

YARD  SALE

It was Saturday - a slow Saturday….

It was in between busy times and

busy enterprises - so I went to 
several yard sales. I started to see

different things I didn’t want to see:

canes, walkers and wheelchairs. 
So I said to myself: “Not yet."
I realized at that moment I have to
start seeing different things than 

canes and walkers and wheelchairs.
Those days will come - but right now
I have to see and do better things than 
yard sales on do nothing Saturdays.

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

September 8, 2017

A FEATHER

A feather in the air - landing
in the grass - me wondering 
where it came from.... Was it

from a bird soaring in the late 
afternoon sunset? Or was it

part of a chief’s headpiece

or a society lady’s latest hat?

I noticed its silent soft landing -
a feather in the grass.... Well,
I'm wondering where I've been,
my landings soft and silent,
my departures loud and hard.
Looking back will I ever be
able to put a feather in my cap?

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

September 7, 2017

MOTIVE?    

Whether we read mystery novels

or detective stories - our mind is

always wondering,  “Motive?”

She said that because she wants

me to think she’s smarter than I

think she thinks she is.

He did that because he wants me

to do something for him that I wasn’t

planning to do in the first place.

Pay backs? Getting even? Flirting?

Money? Guilt? Deflecting? Scared?

Being noticed? Not wanting to do it?

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

September 6. 2017

GRAVITY

Things fall downwards - all the time.

Things remain on the table - all the time.

We earthtronauts  - here on earth - are

not floating - and bumping around - like

astronauts up there. Gravity keeps us

grounded - clinging to good old mother

earth. Who planned it all this way?

Some answer “Gravity!” I say, “God!

Good old God thank You - for good old

gravity - keeping us so, so grounded.
So why in the world, O God, am I not
clinging and falling deeper into You?

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

COME TO THE WATERS!

“WHAT  HAVE YOU TO DO  

WITH US, 

JESUS OF NAZARETH?”

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 22 Tuesday in Ordinary Time is a question from today’s gospel. It’s from the man in the synagogue - in Nazareth, “What Have You to Do With Us, Jesus of Nazareth?”

Then the sick man, the man described as having a demon, or being unclean, yells out, “Have you come to destroy us? I know who, you are - the Holy One of God.”

GOSPEL OF LUKE

We’re into the Gospel of Luke now - right up to the end of this Church year - and Luke is going to tell us the very reason why Jesus came.

Today we are hearing why Jesus came into our existence. We’re told to wake up - to not be in the dark - to not be caught off guard.  We’re being told that Jesus is the Holy One of God.

Yesterday we heard that Jesus incorporates Isaiah 61 to tell us why he came: “to anoint us,  to bring us good news, to bring us freedom, to take away our blindness to let us see, let us go free.”

As we hear in the first chapter of Luke, Jesus came to bring the message, “Do not be afraid.”

He also came to tell us stories - parables. He came to introduce us to Mary. He came to bring us his Spirit - and on and on and on.

So Jesus came not to destroy us - but to restore us.

Each of us who receives Jesus, who invites Jesus into our inner synagogue - to be in communion with us - has to do their homework and discover what Jesus has to do with us.

SELF-DESTRUCTION

In the time of Christ we hear about demons and evil spirits.

As we read through the gospels we find out that’s how people thought about sin and mental sickness - and strange behavior - and depression - in the first century. They are  forces inside us.

In our lifetime we’ve heard people say, “The devil made me do it.”

In our lifetime we’ve seen family members and neighbors do self-destructive behavior.

Alcohol, drugs, eating disorders, addictions, porn, gambling, procrastination are all self-destructive patterns and behaviors.

I am a diabetic - and I have found that sugar and sweets can be diabolical. I have to fight taking sweets. And when I do take too many carbs,  I can feel the impact of high sugar. So I know about being self-destructive - like not walking enough - not doing enough exercise

SELF-HEALING

And we can do restorative behaviors. We can be saved. Jesus can arrive in our synagogue - as well as meet us on the road, in our house, garden, field, or stable.

St. Francis of Assisi once spoke a tiny piece called, “Wild Forces” that goes like this: 

WILD FORCES 

              There are beautiful wild forces 

              within us. 

              Let them turn the mills inside

              and fill sacks 

              that feed even 

              heaven.

CONCLUSION

"Within" is the key word.

Jesus came to earth dwell within us - in our inner Bethlehem - to be born again. 

And that man in today’s gospel - is  a voice within us - that’s worried about Christ coming into the synagogue within us. 

Down deep we fear Christ will destroy us. 

Today’s gospel is telling us Christ does just the opposite. Within this synagogue this morning, let Christ do to us what he did to this man in today’s gospel.

September 5, 2017

ACHES

There are aches and there are aches.
There are hungers and there are hungers.
There are thirsts and there are thirsts.

There are passions and there are passions.

There are quests and there are quests.
There are desires and there are desires.

There are wants and there are wants.

There are agonies and there are agonies.

And guess what? God is in all of them.

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

MISSION  STATEMENT

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 22 Monday in Ordinary Time  is, “Mission Statement.”

That thought hit me when I read today’s gospel - when and where Jesus comes into the synagogue in Nazareth - unrolls the sacred scroll - and reads the words of Isaiah.  [Cf. Luke 4: 16-30.]

That moment has been described as his inaugural address.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to bring glad tidings to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to let the oppressed go free,

and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”

I’ve never heard it described as his or Isaiah’s mission statement - although it’s a very good one.

MISSION STATEMENTS

I tried to find a date and who is responsible for the modern phenomena of trying to get companies and organizations to meet and hammer out a mission statement.

Couldn’t find that information to my satisfaction - but I’ll keep trying.

I’m sure - before the so called “Coming up with a Mission Statement” - practice evolved,  leaders, organizations, new governments, down through the years tried in speeches to announce to their members what their plan or hope is for the future.

I’ve heard mostly negative comments about mission statements. They are too generic. They are not specific. Members - as well as those walking into a company or school or church or organization - don’t seem to know or notice a mission statement near the entrance. Mission statements don’t seem to move folks to put  the mission statement into practice.

Estée Lauder has this in their mission statement: “bringing the best to everyone we touch.”

Nice - and I assume Jesus did the same.

THEME FOR THE YEAR

I would think a theme for the year has more impact. Like this year our theme at St. Mary’s is “All Are Welcome.”

Now that could be polled at the end of a year or during a year - to see if it’s happening or happened.

I know - after hearing about that theme - I’ve said, “Welcome”  to a lot more people in the last few months than before.  I had two baptisms yesterday at St. Mary’s and strangers came in off the street before and after the baptisms to visit our church. I know I said, “Welcome” and then asked, “Are you from here?”  I say that second part, “Are you from here?” because I’ve missed on that a bit - only to find out the stranger has been here for the past 45 years.

I remember saying “Welcome” to someone and they said, “Thank you. That’s the first time anyone said that to me in the past 9 years.”

I know I said welcome to the next couple I met right after that and they said, “Thank you!” and then they said they just moved to Annapolis and are checking out churches.

I know some people walked out of Mass a few years ago when a priest here made comments about gay people from the pulpit.

It seems to me that Pope Francis, Jesus and the Catholic Bishops of the United States are challenging Catholics to be more welcoming than the past with all  people.

Okay, pet Pitbull’s and Rottweilers are not welcome at our church - at least from me. However,  pet Pitbull and Rottweiler type people are. And I would assume that people with Rottweilers, Pitbull’s, pugs and poodles are welcome if we ever have animal blessings on the feast of St. Francis.

So to me themes for the year have more power, influence, impact than mission statements.

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

Does our mission statement for St. Mary’s Parish have any influence on our practices - and how we serve people.

On the front cover of our bulletin - on the bottom - here it is: “St. Mary’s Parish, a sacramental Roman Catholic community united in Jesus Christ our Redeemer, proclaims God’s love: serves the needs of others; educates in the faith; and joyfully celebrates God’s presence and promises as we seek the Kingdom of Heaven.”

I’m sure some of those 40 words were tossed around, wrestled with, and hammered out.

On our website, with our schools in mind, we read,  “St. Mary’s Parish, a Catholic congregation served by the Redemptorist Order, includes St. Mary’s Church and St. John Neumann Mission Church. St. Mary's Elementary and High School located in downtown Annapolis, Maryland, serve students in grades Kindergarten through 12. Anchored in faith, rooted in tradition, and committed to excellence, our programs build lifelong learners who are servant leaders.”

My wondering is: How much impact do these mission statements have?

I would think discussion - bringing them up at times - could be helpful - if someone felt something or someone was being neglected. 

CONCLUSION

Looking at today’s gospel - and its quote from Isaiah  61: 1-2, I would think a key to a good mission statement and theme for a year, would be that it has some upset - some very clear challenge -  in it.  That is, Jesus in it, the cross in it, as well as resurrection and new life in it.

At the end of today’s gospel - it says that the folks in Nazareth, Jesus’ home town, “rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong.”

I was wondering if I have ever said something that would get people want to toss me out of this parish.

September 4, 2017

CROSSING  THE  THRESHOLD 

When you’re nice, you’re nice,

but when you’re nasty, you’re nasty.

When you’re sweet, you’re sweet,

but when you’re sour, you’re sour.

When you’re at a threshold, pause and

picture yourself in the room you’re entering.

When you’re in that room, how do you

want to be:  nice or nasty, sweet or sour?

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017