THE PERSON
ON THE OTHER CROSS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “The Person on The Other Cross.”

KEVIN O’NEIL, REDEMPTORIST

On Tuesday, last week, March 31st, 2009, Father Kevin O’Neil, a Redemptorist from Washington D.C., gave us a very reflective presentation on “The Seven Last Words of Christ.” *

We sat here at St. John Neumann Church and looked up at this powerful crucifix of Jesus – bigger than life – overhanging us here in this church. When we walked into the church that evening the lights were low and a projector flashed – power pointed - The Seven Last Words of Jesus over and over and over again – onto the wall around the crucifix - giving us a preview of the evening.

As you know the 7 Last Words of Jesus are 7 sentences – 7 statements – 7 messages of Jesus on the cross:

· “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”
· “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
· “Woman, here is your son. Here is your mother.”
· “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
· “I am thirsty."
· “It is finished."
· “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”

Then as he gave a reflection on each of the 7 Last Words of Jesus only that statement was projected on the wall – on either side of Jesus. I was thinking this is probably the best church in the world for such a presentation. It was a powerful presentation if it got us out of ourselves and into the suffering and death of Jesus Christ – and not me thinking of technology.

THE READINGS AND THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS

Hearing one of Isaiah’s Suffering Servant Songs, today’s first reading, hearing today’s second reading from Hebrews that we have a great high priest who cried great prayers and supplications as he was dying on the Cross, hearing the Gospel Passion story from John – like we did just now – making the Stations of the Cross – which many did today and during Lent, has the same purpose, to get us out of ourselves and into the mystery of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.

GETTING OUT OF OURSELVES

What gets us out of ourselves?

Often it’s when the other is suffering.

Last night as I was sitting down there in those side seats for the Holy Thursday Evening Mass – which has the foot washing – the scripture readings of the Passover Meal, the giving of the Eucharist, I couldn’t help but notice the empty cross. Nobody was on it. It's the cross that will be used in procession this evening and we will all come up the aisle to venerate it.

Last night as I looked at the empty cross, I began to ask: “Who’s on that cross?”

Last night I began to think: “I can project images of people onto that empty cross.”

Who’s there?

Who’s hurting?

Who gets me out of myself?

It’s a basic human experience that we’ve all said many, many times, “I thought I had it bad, till I met this person who ….”

Who’s on that cross?

I see those who will be experiencing an Easter for the first time without a loved one who has died.

I see those who have a loved one in Afghanistan or Iraq.

I see those whose marriage is falling apart.

I see those who feel mistaken, misunderstood, misjudged.

I see those out of work – and the bills are piling up – and they have to tell the kids.

I see those with cancer.

I see my brother Billy - this was years ago - being told he had to take his hat off when we went into a restaurant in Baltimore – and I was furious – but he took it off – his head without hair and with cuts – the last stages of his brain cancer – but praise God his sense of taste and his appetite came back that February. He died a month later.

I see a kid on our block when I was a kid. He was very effeminate and we picked on him – having no clue about such things – and when he came out of the closet years later – he came out with a vengeance – but it gave me a life time understanding of people who are homosexual – and I was able to say on weekend retreats when people started gay bashing in Question and Answer sessions. “Does anyone realize that someone in this room might be gay or someone in this room might have a son or daughter who is gay – and it has been a long, long struggle for understanding and compassion?” And sometimes some people heard.

I see Sister Helen Prejean who in 1984 walked with a man named Patrick Sonnier to his electrocution for murdering with his brother a young man David LeBlanc – an only son. The letters, attacks, insults, she received were countless. She writes, “I reached out to victims’ families – even if they scorned me, rejected me, hurled insults at me. My suffering was nothing, piddling nothing, next to their great sorrow in the violent, tearing, irrevocable loss of their loved one.” She said what helped her was meeting with the father of David LeBlanc. She writes, “We prayed together, Lloyd and I, and soon I was seated at his kitchen table, eating with the family, they forgiving my terrible mistake, taking me in like a lost daughter." She continues, “As I write this, my heart still resonates with gratitude. Lloyd was my first teacher. Through him I got a peek into the chasm of suffering that families endure, who wake up one morning and everything is alive and humming and normal and by evening face the unalterable fact of the death of a loved one.” **

CONCLUSION

Mary lost her only son that afternoon – capital punishment. What did she go through this Friday evening?

We come to these services to get out of ourselves – so we can enter into not only Christ, but also the lives of those around us – and when we can – be there for them – willing to listen – willing to learn – willing to admit we don’t know, but we do care.

We come to these services to walk out of here – better than when we walked in here – better than how we were when Lent started this year – and year after year we grow – and hopefully, when we are on that other cross, there will be folks under us – and the words between us will be forgiveness, compassion, thirst, hope, acceptance of endings, understanding, letting go – and when that happens, it will be a Good Friday, or Good Monday or Good Thursday or whatever day it is.



* Kevin O'Neil, C.Ss.R, The Seven Last Words of Christ, Liguori Publications, Liguori, MO., 2007

**Cf. "Ride the Current," Listening to God's Call by Helen Prejean, C.S.J., America Magazine, April 13, 2009, 100th Anniversary Edition, pp. 36-37

THE LAST SUPPER*

INTRODUCTION

The title of this homiletic reflection is, “The Last Supper!”

As humans we know the meaning of supper – the importance of eating together.

The family that eats together stays together – is in communion with each other.

As Christians we know the meaning of the Mass – the importance of sharing words together – eating – breaking bread – sharing the cup – and praying together.

The family that worships and prays and talks and listens to and with each other stays together – stays in communion with each other.

With our Judeo-Christian background, we know the meaning of Holy Thursday – the day of the Last Supper – the day of the Passover Meal. We know the meaning of Covenant.

Today – Holy Thursday – is the day of the Passover – the sacred meal – the Last Supper of Jesus – when he gave himself body and blood in a New Covenant with us.

THE GOSPELS

Compared to John, Mathew, Mark and Luke are rather brief in their presentation of the story of the Last Supper – the Last Passover Meal of Jesus with his disciples. They give the key ingredients of the Last Supper: bread, wine, “This is my body…. This is my blood…”, covenant and giving, as well as the predictions of betrayal and denial…. “Surely not I Lord, surely not I Lord?”

John - chapters 13-17 - presents what the others pass over: the foot washing, the new commandment to love one another as Jesus loves us, the sayings, “I am the way the truth and the life”, the metaphor and poetry of the true vine and a woman about to give birth has great pain – but all that pain and sorrow goes away when everyone experiences a new birth. John gives us Jesus’ long farewell address – contrasting fear with trust, service of others with self serving, leaving and coming back again, joy and sorrow, being an orphan, feeling alone, and the Presence of the Father, Our Father, in our lives as well as the promise of the Spirit in our lives, in our story.

The Jewish Scriptures, Jewish tradition, as well as the gospels tell us it’s the Passover Night – when families gathered together and the question was asked, “Why is this night different from all other nights?” And the answer was always the same: “This is the night our ancestors passed over from slavery to freedom, from Egypt towards the Promised Land. This is the night the Lambs were slain – their blood sprinkled on the entrance to the Israelite homes and Death passed over that house. This is the night of the unleavened bread – the rushed bread – because time was of the essence. This was the night of the various cups of wine – red wine that looked like red blood – like the red blood sprinkled on our doorposts to save us from Death.

Holy Thursday is the day we celebrate the Eucharist – the Christian Passover Meal. Why is this night different from all other nights? Because on this night Jesus gave us the Eucharist – the Passover Meal for Christians that brings together our people – and we listen to our scriptures. We share our bread and our wine, the Body and Blood of Jesus – and we ask that Jesus blood be smeared on the doors of our being.

Tonight Catholics all over the world will gather together to celebrate the Mass, the Passover Meal, the Last Supper.

CONCLUSION

Our reading from Hebrews 2: 9-10 is from a deep Christian text from around 67 A.D. It’s title “Hebrews” is from the 2nd Century – and it implies that the Christian Community it was written to and for – knew its Hebrew roots – knew the Hebrew stories, temple, covenant, worship. Christ replaces the old priesthood. It presents how early Christians saw Jesus as the High Priest who brings us Redemption – and that’s what we celebrate this week, Holy Week, these three days, the Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter – this day, Holy Thursday.




* A 2001 Painting on top by Simon Dewey, a British artist, who lives in Alberta, Canada. Check out the painting in living color by typing in his name and the painting, "Last Supper" on Google.

This was a reflection for our Morning Prayer - Holy Thursday - April 9, 2009.

THE VEIL OF THE SANCTUARY
WAS TORN IN TWO
FROM TOP TO BOTTOM!

INTRODUCTION

The title of my short homily for Palm Sunday is long, “The Veil of the Sanctuary Was Torn In Two From Top to Bottom!”

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Today’s gospel – which we just heard – has 2,378 words. Most Sunday gospel readings will have from 200 to 300 words.

Today let’s look at 13 words – “The veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom.”

Mark says near the end of his Passion Account – the one we listen to this year – the year of Mark: “Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.” We then knelt and paused. Then we stood and heard the words, “The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion who stood facing him saw how he breathed his last he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God.’”

WHAT IS MARK TELLING US?

What is Mark telling us?

It’s a good rule when reading scripture to say, “Nothing is in here by accident. Everything has a reason.”

Here are two possible reasons why Mark is telling us what the centurion said and why the veil of the temple was ripped in two from top to bottom.

FIRST THE CENTURION

The centurion would be a Roman – an outsider.

Christianity would start in Israel, in Jerusalem, in that Upper Room and on that cross and then spread to the Roman world which used crucifixion as their method of capital punishment.

So the first person after Jesus’ death – who recognized that this person called Jesus was different – was an outsider. He saw this before Jesus’ resurrection. He said this man was the Son of God.

It would take the Early Church years and a series of heresies and councils and creeds in an effort to articulate and formulate how someone could be both God and Man – the Mystery of Christ – but here was a start.

SECOND: THE TEMPLE

The temple in Jerusalem mentioned here in Mark 15:38 was the center of Israel’s faith and religion.

It was there in Jerusalem. It was the so called “Second Temple” which was extended very dramatically by Herod – as part of his major building projects somewhere around 19 B.C. It was finished in about 10 years – but ongoing decorations and improvements kept on being made for 46 years as we hear in the Gospel of John (Cf. John 2:20) – and wasn’t completely finished till A.D. 64. [I don’t know if every Sabbath they had a second collection – for a building and maintenance fund.] Six years later the Romans burnt it down.

Going backwards in time, this Second Temple was the temple rebuilt by Zerubbabel around 537 B.C. – after the Babylonian Captivity. It was most probably built on the spot where Solomon’s great temple, The First Temple – was built way back in 9th Century B.C. The Wailing Wall in present day Jerusalem is thought to be from the First Temple: Solomon’s Temple.

Mid-east temples – Jewish, Egyptian, Mesopotamian – were God’s house – not the worshipper’s house.

We don’t or won’t get all this. It would be like all of us were not in here right now – but outside in the narthex or lobby – or Seelos Hall or the other chapel and the corridors and the rooms – and men and women would be separated – and outsiders would be outside.

In here there would be two areas. Where you are right now would be The Holy Place with an altar and other religious fixtures. Then up here a veil would cover the entrance to the sanctuary - a place, a room, called "The Holy Of Holies" – a totally dark empty space – where God is contained. One priest, the high priest, would enter into this space, only once a year – on the day of the Atonement – the At-One-Ment.

Mark is telling us in his way what Jesus was saying in the Gospel of John, “Destroy this sanctuary” – meaning himself – “and I will raise it up in three days.” [Cf. John 2:13-22]

This gospel of Mark and the other Gospels and the rest of the New Testament is telling us that God cannot be localized or contained or kept in the dark. God fills the earth in Christ, the light of the world. Paul is going to spell it out even deeper that Christ fills the universe and fills the Christian Community – the body of Christ. As we heard in today’s Letter from Paul to the Philippians, because Jesus emptied himself, humbled himself, lowered himself, “becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross…. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Scholars tell us this text and this letter were written before Mark – and is probably a primitive early Christian hymn.*

CONCLUSION

There’s more, but those two items are enough for a month of Sundays and a lifetime to reflect upon. We begin Holy Week today. Take time this week to enter into this holy place and leave realizing Jesus is here – and in every place. He’s on the cross and on the donkey. He’s in bread and he’s in wine, in the tabernacle after Mass and in the brother and sister especially when she or he need our love.

Yes there is a tendency for us to nail him down – lock him in – but when Jesus cries, dies, the veil in the temple is ripped as Jesus keeps moving around in our world.

Truly this man is the Son of God.

This homily was 978 words - but the only Word we need to be with this Holy Week is The Word: Jesus.

* Cf. Brendan Byrne, S.J., "The Letter to the Philippians," in The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, p. 792 for Date, and pp. 794-795 for The Christ-Hymn; Daniel J. Harrington, S.J., "The Gospel According to Mark," also in The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, p. 596.

LEMA SABACHTHANI?

The lonely question,
the only question,
the unanswered question,
the most powerful question:
“Lema sabachthani?”

Lord, Lord, how many times
have you cried those words to me?*

*Cf. Matthew 27:46;

Mark 15:34;

Psalm 22:1
© Andy Costello, Prayers, 2009

PEACE IN THE VALLEY

Peace in the valley….
Lord, let there be
peace in the valley,
peace in this valley called me.

Peace in the valley….

Lord, rain down your living waters,
waters sinking deep into the ground of
my being, deep into the soil of my soul.

Peace in the valley….
Lord, lead me to accept my rocks
and hard places, my thorns and my thistles,
but work with me to cultivate the most of me.

Peace in the valley….
Lord, may my wheat fields flourish,
may my grapes be plentiful,
thirty, sixty and a hundredfold.

© Andy Costello, Prayers, 2009

WEARINESS

We all have our weariness
and needs we cannot name.

At times we’re antsy, angry, uneasy,
unsure of just what to say or do.

But if we open our ear, we might hear,
“Be still and know that I AM God!”*

Be still and know that I AM near.
Be still and know that I AM here.

*Cf. Psalm 46:10

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

THE COLOR RED

God, you are fire,
red burning SUN,
mile high waves of fire
crashing, splashing,
splitting atoms,
cascading molten geysers of fire
erupting from your center,
up and out into our universe.

God, you are BLOOD,
silent rivers of red liquid,
ever flowing, ever moving
through my body,
constantly moving to
and from my center,
my heart and back again
and again and again.

God, you are red,
red redeeming FIRE,
purging me, warming me.
Without you I can do nothing.
God, you are red,
red redeeming blood,
with you, we can make
the impossible, possible. Amen.

© Andy Costello, Prayers, 2009

PARENTS PRAYER
FOR PATIENCE

Lord, I’m impatient with being impatient.
I’m impatient praying for patience.
Lord, please, listen to this impatient prayer
from this very impatient parent.

I need more gentleness, more forgiveness, more listening,
more understanding of others as well as myself.
I need patience, patience with others, especially the kids.
Help me to count to 10, or better 100, before I scream?
Help my kids and help me to hear the love behind my yelling.
Help them to know I’m trying to do what’s best for them,
especially when I nag them about neatness and homework,
about whom they date and how late they get home.
Help them to see that I don’t want them to get hurt –
better, that they make good moves and smart decisions,
especially when they are impatient and hard on themselves,
especially when they compare themselves to those
they think are smarter, quicker, better or what have you,
compared to me, compared to You, O Lord.

And Lord, hurry up and answer my prayer. Amen.

© Andy Costello, Prayers, 2009

AFTER DINNER SPEECH

I know, you expected more from me.
At least that’s what you said.
I’m sorry if I disappointed you.
I needed to relax tonight,
to be quiet tonight,
to be me tonight.
And to be honest,
I simply enjoyed our meal together.
I enjoyed the small talk
as much as the veal parmesan,
the bread and the wine.
And this might sound like psychobabble,
but I was me tonight, no roles, no show,
just me enjoying a good meal with you.
Thanks for these moments together.
Now when are we going to do this again?

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

AUTOBIOGRAPHY

&

SPIRITUAL DIRECTION

I was ashamed
and you didn’t get nervous.
You listened
and I finally cried.
I laughed
and you wondered --
but you kept on listening
till we both got the joke.
You were slowly
letting me in on my mystery.

It came in glimpses and snatches,
snapshots from my life,
pictures I didn’t know I took,
scenes I didn’t want to look at.

There were mistakes,
embarrassing moments,
and I learned I was not the only one.
You waited till I finally learned:
they were the great teachers.
Thanks! You taught me that.

You helped me see
stirrings in my soul,
screams for sanity and sanctity,
justice and serendipity,
songs I wasn’t listening to,
gentle breezes and a few violent storms,
that moved in out of my life from time to time.

You were slowly sculpting me
like the sand on the shore,
like the stone of mountains,
like mud of earth,
like child in womb,
forming me into your own image and likeness,
becoming ONE with your Son.

Then the crumble, then the cross,
then Easter, Resurrection,
The Risen Son of the morning,
Pentecost Spirit at noon,
and finally evening
experiencing the Prodigal Father’s embrace
whenever I come home to You.
Older brothers and sisters
come to the banquet.
It’s not just for me!

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

PASSOVER

Tonight,
like a priest,
I lift the Eucharist of moon
over the sleeping city,
blessing all the people.

Tonight,
Christ enter into all our homes
enter into all your people;
your blood be upon all
the people of the city.

Tonight,
eat with us sinners,
dine with drunkards;
once more spend your time
at one with us,
in communion with us.

Tonight,
repeat once again
over all of us,
“This is my body
which will be given up for you.
This is my blood,
the blood of the Passover Lamb
being sacrificed for you.”

Cf. Exodus 12; Exodus 29;

Luke 19: 41-44; Luke 22:1-38

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

TRINITY

God, Muddy Handed Creator,
ever planning, ever spinning, ever singing,
“Let there be light” in this vast
ever moving, every living, ever dying,
ever crying, ever rising universe.

Jesus, Son, Carpenter, Fisher,
Flower, Bird, Grape, Wheat Watcher,
Healer, Friend, Rabbi, Redeemer,
Lover, waiting for us to come to YOU
through the eye of so many needles.

Spirit, Cool Evening Breeze,
Fire, Passion, Love,
Dove of Peace land on me,
Holy Whisper or Loud Shout,
shake these bones till I come back to life.

© Andy Costello, Prayers, 2009

A MOMENT
OF PRAYER

Lord, in this moment
and place of prayer,
we unite ourselves with You
and with all other people
in prayer around our world.

We praise You O Lord.
We thank You, O Lord.
Open up our minds and hearts
to You, O Lord – and to each other.

Lord, in this moment
and space of prayer,
help us to see and be with all the people
we are praying for as well as all the people
who are praying for us around our world.

We praise You O Lord.
We thank You, O Lord.
Open up our minds and hearts
to You, O Lord – and to each other.

© Andy Costello, Prayers, 2009

MASS APPEAL

Sometimes friends
who are far apart
or haven’t seen each other
in the longest time,
meet to eat.
They sit down together
breaking bread and words,
sipping wine and stories,
and they are once again
in communion with each other.

Prayer, the Mass,
the Word, Communion,
is somehow like this.
We gather together,
breaking bread and words,
sipping wine and stories,
and once again
we are made whole,
especially when our lives are broken
or when we feel all alone.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

“SIR, WE WOULD
LIKE TO SEE JESUS?”

INTRODUCTION

The title and theme of my homily is, “Sir, We Would Like to See Jesus?”

Would you like to see Jesus?

This is a theme that flows through the Gospels. People want to see Jesus – want to meet him – want to find out who he is – want to ask him to do something for them or for someone else in their life.

In today’s gospel it is some Greeks. They want to see Jesus.

In other stories, in other Gospels, we meet various people who want to meet Jesus. We also meet people who meet Jesus and they don’t even know who he is or that they met him.

I’ve been taught that the scriptures were written so that the reader or listener could see and meet Jesus.

Would you like to see Jesus? Would you like to meet Jesus?

A CAST OF CHARACTERS

The four gospels present a cast of characters who want to see Jesus: from Herod the Great when Jesus was born to Herod Antipas when Jesus is about to die. There are the blind and the deaf, those with leprosy and those with blood problems – those with sick children and those with sick servants.

If you wanted to see Jesus, what would be your motive or reason? What would you want of him?

If you had one question to ask Jesus, what would it be?

If you had one healing you needed, what would it be?

If you went to Jesus for someone else, who would that person be?

As you read or hear the Gospels, which character do you relate to the most? What does that tell you about yourself?

For example, you might say, “I relate to Thomas because he is known for his doubts.” Or “I can relate to Peter because sometimes I’m all talk. I make promises. I put my foot in my mouth. And then I fail when crunch time comes.” Or, “I can relate to Martha in the Martha-Mary stories. I like to serve, but sitting still in prayer is difficult.”

If you said, “I would like to see Jesus” and you heard the words, “Why?” what would you answer?

PRAYER

Spiritual teachers like to see prayer as a meeting with God.

How do you see prayer?

ONE OF MY FAVORITE STORIES

One of my favorite stories took place during the Vietnam War.

If I remember correctly, it went something like this.

Four students from Kent State University in Ohio drove all the way to Washington D.C. and went to the White House demanding to see President Nixon. I don’t know if this happened before or after the Kent State shootings on May 4th, 1970.

They got to the White House gate and were asked, “What do you want?”

They answered, “We drove all the way from Ohio – from Kent State University – and we want to see the president of the United States about this war in Vietnam.

The guard said, “You can’t get into see the president just like that.”

They said, “Well, we’re going to stand here till you let us in.”

Finally a guard called a number and told someone the situation. The message came to John Ehrlichman, a big shot in the Nixon White House. Eventually he said, “Okay send them in.” He met with them and they said, “We want to talk to the president and ask him some questions about the Vietnam War.”

Ehrlichman said, “It doesn’t work like that. Tell me your questions. Tell me your comments and I’ll tell them to the president.”

Once more they said, “We’re going to sit here till we see the president.”

John Ehrlichman at some point went in and talked to the president and told him how he was stuck with these young men.

The president said, “Try to get rid of them.”

They wouldn’t move and Ehrlichman went back and told the president, “No luck.”

Finally President Nixon said, “Okay, bring them into the Oval Office.”

Ehrlichman came out and said, “The president will see you.”

He led the four students to the Oval Office.

John Ehrlichman later said the young men came in and were given seats and President Richard Nixon asked them, “Okay. Why do you want to see me?”

They were speechless, shocked. They were so surprised that they actually got to see the president of the United States that they had couldn’t speak.

President Nixon had to come out from behind his desk and try to coach these young men on what they wanted to say.

US

In today’s gospel these Greeks asked to see Jesus? If they saw him, would they be speechless? If we saw him, would we be speechless?

We don’t know if these Greeks ever did get to see Jesus. But we do know that the Gospels start to give hints that Jesus and his message is going to start moving out from Jerusalem to the Greek speaking world. The gospels come down to us in Greek – not Aramaic – the language of Jesus.

The gospels are placed in our lap – in our hands.

The gospels are there for us to see Jesus in the scenes of our lives.

As we read them, are there any questions we start to ask Jesus?

THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL

Let me make a switch here. In the early 1960’s – precisely from October 11, 1962 when the Second Vatican Council opened in Rome, till the council closed on December 8, 1965, they promulgated 16 texts – 103,014 words. [1]

That council and those words had a wide impact on the Catholic Church. Some liked it; some didn’t like it; some didn’t care; some didn’t know.

There have been studies that some people born after 1975 have no clue what the words, “Vatican II” meant. This surprised me, because I was a product of that era – the 60’s. We had read and heard about the theological wars at the Council as well as the liturgical battles in our parishes. It was a period when our Church went through a profound period of struggle and growth. It also made me smile, because there was a time there when every Sunday sermon used the words “Vatican II” at least twice.

How about you? Has the Church’s Second Vatican Council had a impact on your life? If yes, how so?

I have met Catholics who seem to care very little about that major moment in the history of our Catholic Church. Have you ever read any of the documents of Vatican Council II?

I have met Catholics who are more fascinated by books by visionaries – who give revelations that I have find strange. [2] This disappoints me. Yet, I've learned this is the way religion appears at times. I preached parish missions with another priest in many, many parishes in the mid-west for the 8 ½ years before I came to Annapolis. We never filled a church – but I noticed that if someone claimed revelations, churches were filled. Poor us. Smile. Envy the sin of preachers and people with wrinkles and have to go to the bathroom twice every night.

Let me read two statements from all those words from Vatican II.

The first is a quote from the council’s Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation: the Scriptures, the Bible. “This sacred Synod earnestly and specifically urges all the Christian faithful, too, especially religious, to learn by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures the ‘excelling knowledge of Jesus Christ' (Philippians 3:8). ‘For ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.’" (St. Jerome) [3]

The second is a quote from the council’s Constitution on the Liturgy, “The treasures of the Bible are to be opened up more lavishly, so that richer fare may be provided for the faithful at the table of God’s Word. In this way a more representative portion of the holy Scriptures will be read to the people over a set cycle of years.” [4]

Any of you around my age have seen both these things happen: individual Catholics have been opening up the scriptures for the past 50 years and have met Christ in wonderful ways. At Mass – at Parish Missions, Retreats, Prayer Groups, Study groups, the Catholic Community has also met Christ in newer ways through the scriptures.

So if I had my way, [Who does?] I would stress reading the scriptures and the documents of Vatican II, way ahead of private revelations as a way of seeing Christ, meeting Christ. [5]

TITLE OF MY HOMILY

The title of my homily is, “Sir, We Would Like to See Jesus.”

As you know the Mass is divided into two parts: the table of the Word and the table of the Eucharist.

So we come to Mass to a Sacred Meal. And at every good meal there are good words and good food.

As the scriptures are read in Part One of the Mass, the Liturgy of the Word, we say in prayer, “Jesus I want to see you in the Word today.” We listen to the readings for something to chew on – to digest – to be nourished with. We also hope the homily challenges us to see Christ in a way we might not have seen coming. As the Prophet Jeremiah said in today's first reading, the Lord changes covenants, hearts change, and people know the Lord in new ways.

Then we come to Part Two of the Mass, the Mystery of the Eucharist. As we are seated here at the family table – that has the bread and the wine of the Passover Meal, we hear the powerful words of Jesus giving his body and blood in sacrifice for us. Before the bread can became bread, it had to be wheat seed as we heard in today’s gospel. It had to die in the ground and rise as wheat. Then like the grapes becoming wine, the wheat had to be crushed to become flour. Life – the crush and sacrifice of life. Isn't the great mystery of what life is all about – giving our time and our lives for our children and for each other? So we say at each Mass, “Jesus, I want to see you today. I want to eat you today. I want you to nourish me today – so I can bring you to our world this week.” Then when we walk up the aisle for communion, we pray even deeper, “Jesus I want to see you today in communion!" Then we walk back to our bench, filled with Jesus the One these Greeks wanted to see in today’s gospel.”

Then this becomes the model for how to pray in the Eucharist Chapel down below us here at St. Mary’s or when we pray at home – alone or with family members.

We gather and pray, “Jesus I want to see you today. We want to see you today." We digest the word of God and it nourishes us for a better family life and a better work life. Amen.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Sir, We Would Like to See Jesus?”

Want a good prayer – a good prayer for Lent. There it is: “Sir, We Would Like to See Jesus?”

This homily or sermons is a bit long and convoluted. What was I trying to say in this homily? If you want to see Jesus, to meet him, pick up the Gospels for starters. You'll meet Jesus in the characters there who want to meet Jesus. You'll meet Jesus in his message to pray, to serve, to reach out to the poor and hurting members amongst your brothers and sisters. You'll meet Jesus in the challenges of life: to forgive, to go the extra mile, to turn the other cheek, to give the shirt off your back, to put in your two cents, to provide your 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. You'll meet Jesus in the deaths and resurrections of every day life.

Amen.

[1] The Documents of Vatican II, Walter M. Abbott, S.J., General Editor, Herder and Herder, Association Press, N.Y. p. ix, 1966

[2] For example, To The Priests, Our Lady's Beloved Sons, Don Stefano Gobbi, 18th English Edition, Printed in the United States. Check out #'s: 91, 112, 146, 168, 170, 332, 407, etc.

[3] Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, # 25, page 127 in The Documents of Vatican II, Walter M. Abbott, S.J. General Editor, Herder and Herder, Association Press, N.Y., 1966

[4] Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, # 51, page 155 in The Documents of Vatican II, Walter M. Abbott, S.J. General Editor, Herder and Herder, Association Press, N.Y., 1966

[5] For example, if a study / prayer group read a Gospel or the Letter of James - or The Documents of Vatican II - I would think it would have a different tone and topic of conversation than a group that read for example, Father Gobbi's interior locutions from the Blessed Mother. I don't accept that all the things I see in that book are the agenda of the Mother of Jesus. I sat with a group who read these "interior locutions". I suspect I won't be invited back, because I said I thought the tone of the conversations that followed the readings were rather negative. To be positive I would suggest readings from scripture or Vatican II. Or why not a book of sermons by someone like Walter Burghardt, e.g., Sir, We Would Like To See Jesus, Paulist Press, 1982. By not mentioning this in my spoken homily, but here in a footnote on my blog - I avoided the bully pulpit - as well as confusion on the part of anyone who has no clue concerning what I'm talking or barking about. This is a test! I rarely get blog comments. A blog gives people who disagree with my assessment of a book like To The Priests, Our Lady's Beloved Sons, a chance to comment. Go for it!

PRAYER FOR

AN EXPECTANT MOTHER

Lord, God,
Creator and beginner of all new life,
Creator of babies and apples and oranges,
Creator of everything and everyone:
I come to You
in this moment of prayer,
in this moment of joy,
aware of feelings of anxiety,
aware of the need for more trust.
Help me to have a healthy baby:
a baby who will be a new hope,
a new gift, a new surprise,
a new person who will bring joy to our world.
Help this new baby
that we’re knitting together within me
to know, to hear, to dance along with me in
my song of gratitude,
my song of love,
my song of waiting,
my song of joyful expectation,
Amen. Come Lord Jesus.

Amen. Come Lord Jesus.

Ooops. I don't think I'm having twins.

© Andy Costello, Prayers, 2009

BEYOND DEATH

As she was pouring the coffee, she said,
“I used to be so petrified of cemeteries.
I really was. I always knew
when I was driving by one.
But ever since my husband died,
all that has changed.
Now I go to the cemetery
about once a week.
I told the kids. They’d think I’m crazy.
I know in time it will be less,
but right now this is what I need to do.
It’s become my garden. It’s so quiet.
I go there with my folding chair
and just sit there with my husband
and the Lord. Just for an hour or two.
It’s a great place to pray.
Right there facing his gravestone.
I tell him my troubles.
It’s so soothing, so peaceful, so green there.”

She paused, smiled and then added,
“And I used to be so ... so scared of death.
Ouch. But not any more.
Someday it will be my turn and my
kids will be sitting there at my grave
and they’ll hear me say, ‘I told you so.’”

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

OUR LADY
OF PERPETUAL HELP

A young girl
becoming a lady,
becoming a mother,
becoming aware of the growing Christ,
becoming aware of others:
those whose marriages have run out
of the wine of life;
those who feel lost in the crowd,
without access, unable to reach Christ;
those walking the way of the cross,
alone, being there, aware of death

and hoping for resurrection.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help,
Pray for us.

© Andy Costello, Prayers, 2009

MISSING THE MUSIC
AND THE DANCE

Our Father, your door, your windows,
your house on the top of the hill
is always open. I hear the sound
of your music and your dancing
from way down here
at the bottom of my soul.

Our Father, why do I always seem
to be walking the other way,
wandering in far countries,
singing sad songs in dark rooms,
starving in smelly pigpens,
when I really want to go home?

© Andy Costello, Prayers, 2009

Cf. Luke 15:11-32

KNOTS

Lord, like a child, 
every time I try to tie
my own shoes, I end up with knots.
Lord, I am not worthy for you to bend down
and untangle my knots, but please do so.
Then tie my shoes and take me
by my hand to where you want
to take me to today. Amen.

© Andy Costello, Prayers, 2009

THE GRACE I NEED

Lord, show me the grace
I need. Is patience the key?
Or is it faith? What about courage?
Generosity? Humility?
Do I need to laugh more?
Is it forgiving so and so?
Do I have a long or short fuse?
Is my timing off?
Is it listening more and talking less?
Is it my many sins of omission,
not giving of my time and gifts to others?
Is it Stick-to-it-tiveness?
What is the grace I need?
And P.S. Lord. Please hurry!
I tend to be very impatient!

© Andy Costello, Prayers, 2009

ANNUNCIATION


God’s what if’s
like a shoe in the door,
like a “Wait a minute!”,
like a cell phone call,
happen when least expected.
Mary asked questions,
then said, “Yes!”

I say, “No!”

I don’t want
to even hear my fear
that I too am asked to bring
Christ to the stable, the road,
the temple, the crowd,
the upper room, the garden,
and then the way to the Cross.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

WHAT’S KILLING YOU

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “What’s Killing You?

THE SNAKE ON THE POLE

The background for today’s gospel is from the Book of Numbers, Chapter 21 – when the Israelites were going through their 40 year “Desert Period” trying to get to the Promised Land. One of the problems they had was snakes whose bite was killing folks. God tells Moses, “Take a snake. Put it up on a pole. Tell the people, ‘If anyone is bitten by one of these snakes and looks at it, he or she will live.’” So Moses makes a bronzed serpent and puts it up on the pole.

Sound familiar? The bronzed serpent on the pole becomes one of the symbols of the Medical Profession.

The interpretation I like best is that there has to be people around who tell us, “This is what’s killing you. Face the problem and you can be healed.”

What’s killing us?

Every individual, every marriage, every family, every company, every country, our planet, has to ask that question? “What’s killing us?”

Right now this country and our world is in an economic mess. People keep losing their jobs and finding a job is very difficult. As politicians, reporters, as well as the little guy and gal are blaming banks and the overinflated housing prices and credit card debt and the war – and many other things as the source of our problems, hopefully various prophets amongst us will stand up and say, “This is what’s killing us?”

I am not an economist – but I assume one of our problems is spending beyond our means – as well as greed – as well as dependency on oil – as well as a half dozen other things. I also know people have to spend to make the economy work. So at times I follow a statement from the Talmud, “Teach thy tongue to say, ‘I do not know!’”

So I don’t know. In fact, the ability to say, “I don’t know!” is a great learning in life – as well as the ability to say, “I made a mistake.” or “I was wrong!” The opposite, not being able to say, “I don’t know” or “I made a mistake” or “I was wrong” can be what is killing us or draining us.

AT THE LOCAL LEVEL

There are global problems and local problems. Using Tip O’Neil’s comment about politics, we can say, “All problems are local problems.”

So it helps to ask at the local level – in our homes – our marriages – our individual lives, “What’s killing us?” – if something is killing us.

As the old saying goes, “Name your poison?”

We now know we have to have a greater awareness of global pollution of our waters, our land, and our air. We know about toxic waste dumps and toxic assets – but we have to look around us and see where we can make a difference where we are – at our local level.

We also need to go into our hearts, our minds, our soul, and see where we have toxic soul or mind problems.

Take the issue of revenge or resentments. A hurt from last week or last year or 20 years ago can still be simmering and sending off toxic thoughts that sap our energy.

If you get the Sunday Washington Post – grab the magazine section for today [March 22, 2009] and read the cover article, “The Truth About Forgiveness” by Karen Houppert. It’s a long article, very well written, that has a powerful message for anyone who has a hurt buried in their memory.

The benefit of coming to Mass each Sunday is that we slow down. We rest from the rest of the week. As we heard in today’s first reading, without a temple, there can be lost Sabbaths; with a temple, we can retrieve lost Sabbaths. And with Sabbaths, our lives and our earth, which might have laid waste, can come back to life again. But we have to pick up a shovel. We have to step the steps. We have to rebuild the temple. We have to make the moves – with the help of God.

We who come to Church also are warned about sin. For example, from time to time we are asked to see where the 7 Capital Sins might be in our life: pride, anger, lust, greed, envy, gluttony, sloth. They can be like snakes in the desert – whose bite kills us every time.

What kills us?

Sin!

LENT

Lent is a 40 day desert experience where we take the time out to face our inner temptations – to ask, “What’s killing us?”

We know the scriptures have Jesus in the desert for 40 days – modeling and mirroring the Israelites 40 years in the desert.

We know Lent starts every year with Ash Wednesday and ashes being rubbed into our forehead reminding us that there are term limits to our life.

We know Jesus wrestled with big issues – big temptations – in his desert experience.

What about us? We’re now at the mid-point of Lent. What have we found out about ourselves? Has this been a good Lent so far – compared to other Lents? We’ve done some spiritual reading – perhaps from the Lenten materials we had in the back of church. We’ve prayed a bit more. We’ve taken time to have a few good walks – and as we walked we talked to ourselves a bit more. Or when alone in the car, we’ve kept quiet and prayed – using our car as a mobile chapel.

JESUIT EXERCISES

 I’ve made various Jesuit retreats – and had some training in Ignatian Spirituality. If I correctly heard the Jesuits who taught me, the basic principle of St. Ignatius is very simple: if something is killing you, less; if something is helping you, more.

Then comes the nuance, the twist, the observation: often at first glance what looks great can kill us and what looks like it’s going to kill us, can help us.

For example, exercise. There’s the treadmill in our bedroom. It has become an expensive clothes hanger. We walk around it every time. We used it four times. We say to ourselves, “I’ll get all sweaty. It takes too much time. It’s boring.” We have a conversion. We begin using it again - a half hour every day for a week. Surprise! We realize we are feeling better about ourselves and our body.

For example, dieting. Not to take the extra donut or cake or seconds seems too difficult, but we do it, and we lose 15 pounds in 4 weeks and we feel much better.

For example, fasting from too much TV, or computer, or sitting or talking at eternal coffee breaks, seem tough. We say to ourselves that we don’t want to be mechanical or impersonal or be all “work, work, work!” We have a conversion. We try to be more organized and professional at our work. We give a full day’s work for a full day’s pay this Lent. Wow! We go home felling a bit better about ourselves.

DEUTERONOMY

I love the text in the Book of Deuteronomy – Deuteronomy 30: 19 - where Moses lines all the people up and says, “Today I set before you life and prosperity, death and disaster.” Then he says, “This is what works. This will give you life.” Then he says, “Choose life.”

A great morning prayer is to pause before we start our day and see the possibilities on the day’s menu. This is what kills me. This is what brings me life. Lord, today help me to choose life.

CHOOSE LIGHT AS WELL

Today’s gospel from John has the great observation that we often prefer darkness to light. We’re sneaks in the dark. We put our hand in the cookie jar when nobody is looking. We look both ways when we’re about to talk about someone behind their back. The person goes away on the business trip. Hey nobody will see me. The kid has the answers to the test up his or her sleeve - and is nervous that someone might spot his or her cheating tricks.

And when we cheat, we come home feeling a bit down – our shoulders more slumped, our eyes focus down on the ground like a snake.

When we walk in the light, when we give it or best, then we stand taller and feel less smaller.

JUSTIFY YOUR EXISTENCE

I read a quote two weeks ago and I went searching for it and couldn’t find it – but it stayed with me.

The gist of it went like this. Every year, everyone on the planet should have to sit down with God and justify their existence. Imagine what our thoughts would be as we stood on line – before heading into the office to meet with God?

Good News: God is not like the main evil character in one of those James Bond movies – who calls everyone in – reads them the riot act – and he signals one person out for doing a poor job. The "Evil Monster" then pushes a buttor or pulls a level and the floor opens up and the person is fed to the sharks.

Paul, in today’s reading from Ephesians, says, “God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ. By grace you have been saved, raised up with him, and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus.”

John, in today’s gospel, contains the great text we see at sporting events – like March Madness - John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”

John, in today’s gospel, tells us the story of Moses putting the snake on the pole and for those who have been bit, if they look at the snake, they are healed. The obvious message for the Christian is that Jesus was nailed to the pole, to the cross, and for those who look at him, they can be healed – both here and hereafter.

CONCLUSION

The great change in spirituality and theology I have seen in my lifetime is that the stress is not just on the hereafter, but the here and now. So the theme I stressed in this homily is to use the rest of this Lent to see what’s killing us and what’s giving us life, both in the here and the hereafter. Go for more of what gives us life and less of what brings us death. Choose life. Amen.

MIMIC

The lake mimicked both the trees
and the white wooden house
on the opposite shore,
and I stood there
tantalized by the stillness
of the waters, the beauty
of it all, not moving,
all so still, not reaching
for anything, just studying
the rest of the canvas,
till slowly a dark cloud
began to paint itself into
the upper left hand corner
of the picture. Dang it.
It happens every time,
doesn’t it?

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

CHOICE

Come on now? You don’t have
to be the top half of the refrigerator,
the freezer, with that closed door
face every time people walk
into your space? Come on now?
Did you ever think about being
a fire place or a heater – giving
warmth to everyone in the house?

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

UNSPOKEN WORDS


Silence _______________________
Silence says so much more than words.
Pauses _______________________
long pauses, waiting for words,
signals from each other.
Expectations ___________________
unstated hopes unclear, often
un-understood or misunderstood.
Silence _______________________
only the sound of cold
coming across a frozen lake.
Words _______________________
If only you had spoken,
if only I had spoken,
maybe we would have heard
what we need to tell each other
____________________________.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

NORTHERN WOODS

Walking, while watching
barren gray branches
against stone gray sky,
these bones, these knees
feel cold – feel old,
hesitant drizzle or fog
in my face, as I walk,
as I make nature’s
way of the cross
this Lent, in these woods,
all so late to green,
yet knowing, each step,
each station will bring Spring,
will bring resurrection.
I know green buds
reappear every year.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2009

BREAD & BUTTER

When they start to butter you up,

be ready:

they are about to eat you up.

© Andy Costello,
Reflections, 2009