MY   SPACE 

Quote of the Day:  April 23, 2010


"We talk about a space race. There is a space race down here on the ground. In this race every human being is a superpower and the competition no longer stands a chance. Other species are bound to this or that patch of turf, and this planet. We feel bound to no patch of turf on Earth, bound only for the stars. We sacrifice a marsh, a bay, a park, a lake. We sacrifice a sparrow. We trade one countdown for another."



Jonathan Wiener, The Next One Hundred Years, 1990

EARTH DAY :

OPTIMIST OR PESSIMIST?

Is it worth it to promote, "Earth Day",
to remind us that every day,
we need to keep this our living room
clean and healthy? I wondered about that
as I walked down the street
this afternoon: “Today did anyone

hesitate to toss an empty
coffee cup in the street

because it was "Earth Day"?
Did anyone pick up a crushed
aluminum can against a curb –
or an empty plastic bottle?
I did – but there was too much stuff
tossed just anywhere – on street
and sidewalk. Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!

But then I spotted sparkling diamonds
of clear water on green shoots.
This made all the earth glisten

translucent green for a moment.

I rather be an optimist. I would

rather believe that words like, "Earth Day"

have an impact - like the words,

"Do I see the glass half full

or half empty?" have always

had an impact on people.

After all, "The earth is full

of the goodness of the Lord." [1]

After all, God looked at what God

created and said, "It is good." [2]

© Andy Costello, Reflection 2010

[1] Psalm 33

[2] Genesis 1

EARTH  DAY 

Earth Day Quote:  April 22, 2010

"If the earth does grow inhospitable toward human presence, it is primarily because we have lost our sense of courtesy toward the earth and its inhabitants, our sense of gratitude, our willingness to recognize the sacred character of habitat, our capacity for the awesome, for the numinous quality of every earthly reality."

Thomas Berry, C.P. [1914-2009], The Dream of the Earth, 1988

SURPRISE  ME!

Quote of the Day:  April 21,  2010


"I am not what happened to me; I am what I chose to become."


Carl Jung [1875-1961]

PROBLEM  SOLUTION 

Quote of the Day:  April  20,  2010


"There is always an easy solution to every human problem - neat, plausible and wrong."


H.L. Mencken [1880-1956]

HONESTY  IN  COMMUNICATION

Quote of the Day:  April 19, 2010

"If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking."

General George S. Patton [1885-1945]

ENDINGS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Endings.”

This homily for this Third Sunday after Easter is more educational and informational – than inspirational.

Since today’s gospel is the ending chapter of The Gospel of John – the theme of endings hit me.

We all know the rule: “You don’t tell others how the movie ends!”

However, we know how the Jesus story ends. Jesus dies.

But we also know the surprise: Jesus rises from the dead – and the ending never ends. That’s what we are celebrating each Easter season. We are the continuation of the story of Jesus – we are part of the ongoing story of the Risen Christ in our world.

GOSPELS
It’s interesting how the 4 gospels begin. It’s also interesting how the 4 gospels end. When we are reading the gospels, we are looking at documents that have 4 schools of thought – from 4 personalities – from 4 early communities of Christians – all trying to educate and immerse each other in the Jesus story and its implications for our lives.

Those who read scripture and pay attention to the readings, know there are differences – like the major difference between the Gospel of John and the other three gospels, Mathew, Mark and Luke. Those three together are called the Synoptic Gospels – from the Greek words: “syn” the Greek prefix for “with” – and “opticos” the Greek word for “appearance” – what we see with our eyes – that we can read Mathew, Mark and Luke with the same eye – because they borrowed from each other – and developed from each other, so they look somewhat like each other. The Gospel of John is different. It’s very unique.

Last Sunday’s gospel from John ended with these words, “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.” [John 20: 30-31]

Various scholars think that was the end of The Gospel of John at one time – but then Chapter 21 was added on – to try to get a few more points in.

It’s like you’re sitting here in church – wondering when the priest is going to end his sermon. He says the words, “in conclusion” or “finally” and you say to yourself, “Aha, good, he’s about to end.” But surprise, he launches into something else – and you say, “No!”

When we were taught preaching, we were told, “Be very careful of saying, ‘finally’ unless you mean, you’re finally going to end.”

CHAPTER 21: THE SECOND ENDING CHAPTER OF JOHN

Today’s gospel reading as you noticed was long. It gives us the whole last chapter of John – all except for the ending two verses. So here are those two verses. Listen and notice if they sound familiar – as in a comparison to the ending of Chapter 20 – which I read to you a few moments ago. “This disciple is the one who vouches for these things and has written them down, and we know that his testimony is true. There were many other things that Jesus did; if all were written down, the world itself, I suppose, would not hold all the books that would have to be written.” [John 21: 24-25]

Okay. Did anything in today’s gospel reading – grab you – for something to chew upon this week – the hope of every homily?

Here are 7 possible leads – 7 possible things to chew upon::

We were also taught in preaching classes and training – never to do this – because people start saying to themselves, “Oh my God, he’s got 4 more to go.” Two or three points are enough.

I gave the commencement address for our high school seniors in 2007 and gave 7 points – and Father Jack Kingsbury ever since has been busting me with the comment, “Good thing you didn’t do this in 1999 or 2014.”

Having said that, here are 7 quick possible leads to chew on for this week. Notice the adjective, “quick”.

1) What are you fishing for? Is fishing a metaphor for life? What am I after, desiring, wanting, hungering for in life? What am I trying to catch? Underwater is a great image of the unknown – the unseen. What have I caught so far? What am I still fishing for? What am I hoping to catch?

2) Without Jesus we catch nothing; following Jesus’ directions for life, we can catch a lot. Here in John, it’s the same scene as in the first call of the disciples – the story especially of Peter from The Gospel of Luke 5:4-10. Peter and his friends had fished all night and caught nothing. When Jesus tells them where to throw their nets, they catch nets full of fish. In Luke they get two boats filled with fish. Here in John they get 153 fish. Notice the adjective “large” – as in “large fish”. There are several theories on what the 153 stands for. This is a great move by John. It gives preachers and speculators for the past 2000 years or so to guess and give answers what the 153 symbolizes. Whatever. However the main message is: if the Christian goes it alone – expect empty nets; if the Christian – as well as the Church goes it with Christ – expect full nets.

3) Jesus likes to eat with people. We find this all through the gospels. It’s not good to be alone. It’s not good to eat alone. Company is good. Community is good. Church is good. Family is good. Friendships are good. Notice in this scene the two foods are bread and fish. When John mentions bread, it is an obvious signal. Bread is important to Jesus – who is described as the bread of life. John devotes a whole chapter to bread: Chapter 6. Also notice the word “fish”. A fish is the early Christian symbol of Christ. We’ve all seen that image on the back of cars. It means the driver of this car is Christian: he or she doesn’t beep, give wild hand gestures and he or she always gives others the right of way. “IXTHUS” is the Greek word for “fish”. Each letter of “IXTHUS” spells out a description of Jesus. “I” stands for “Jesus”. There is no “J” in Greek; “X” stands for “Christos” – the anointed one; “Th” – “theta”, one letter in Greek, stands for “Theos” the word for God in Greek; “U” standing for “uios” – “the son”, and “S” – stands for “soter” Savior in Greek. Good stuff here.

4) Reconciliation between Jesus and Peter. We know from the gospels that Peter denied Jesus 3 times – so we have the famous – “Do you love me” dialogue – when Jesus asks Peter 3 times, “Do you love me?” Was this a very early sermon someone came up with that John had to include it in his gospel? We don’t know – but preachers have loved it ever since. It’s so real. We know from our experiences with relationships – if we have betrayed or denied another – it’s no easy task for healing and recovery. It takes time and repeated returnings to the hurt – for a recovery. Anyone who cheated on a girl or boy friend or spouse knows this very well. We can’t get off the hook too easily.

5) How we are going to die. Today’s gospel has this great scene about endings right near the end of the chapter. Jesus says the obvious: when we are young, we put on our own belt and walk wherever we want to walk – but when we’re old – someone else is going to take over. Talk about nursing home experiences. I have heard people say several times, “I don’t like going to nursing homes – because it triggers all my fears and angst about my old age.” Any of us who have more and more senior moments – and more and more senior trips to the bathroom at night – have more and more wonderings about the burden of our last days. We don’t know the when and the how.

6) Follow me! John says right at the end of his gospel – what Jesus said at the beginning of the gospels, “Follow me!” Put one foot in front of the other – and follow Jesus. Or put both those feet on the stainless steel plates for one’s feet on the wheel chair and enjoy the ride – around the nursing home waving and greeting everyone – and if they wheel you outside, enjoy the flowers, the sky, the sight and sound of birds, and breathe in the fresh air. Amen.

7) Endings: We are going to die. We have an ending. Let’s hope someone gives us a great eulogy – that we caught some good stuff in our life – that we experienced love and forgiveness, and that we broke bread with others and with Jesus – often! And we died with belief in the Risen Christ. Amen.

NUTS! 
THERE ARE KNOTS!

Quote of the Day: April 18, 2010

"As a knot appears unexpectedly in a thread, so disappointment blocks the smoothness of life. If a few deft strokes can untangle the skein, life continues evenly. But if it cannot be corrected, then it must be quietly woven into the design. Thus, the finished piece can still be beautiful - even though not as perfect as planned."

Anonymous

"ARTIST, ARTIST!"

Quote of the Day:  April 17, 2010

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."

Pablo Picasso [1881-1973], Recalled on his death April 8, 1973

EVERY FAMILY

Quote for the Day: April 16, 2010


"No family can hang out the sign, 'There is nothing the matter here.'"







Chinese proverb

NO LIES,
NO HIDING 

Quote of the Day:  April 15, 2010


“Tell the truth and run.”


Mediterranean Basin Proverb

EXPERIENCE

Quote of the Day: April 14, 2010


"Judgment comes from experience and great judgment comes from bad experience."




Bob Packwood, [1932- ] U.S. Senator from Oregon, New York Times, May 30, 1986

PHOTOGRAPHS

Isn't this a great picture? Someone dropped it off in our rectory [St. Mary's Annapolis, Maryland] - along with two other pictures.

I took it out of its frame, so that I could scan it.

Surprise I found the following handwritten comment on the back of the photo: "Convention in Ashville, North Carolina, Week of July 4, 1927. Mrs. McWilliams and myself attended."

By the banner one can see it was a Catholic Daughters of America Convention.

What was that like in North Carolina in 1927? I don't know who the "myself" is. It's signed what looks like T.A. D. I'm not sure, but I'll do some further investigation. Mrs. McWilliams was a long time parishioner here at St. Mary's Parish, Annapolis, Maryland.

Take your mouse and tap, tap the picture and you'll get a bigger version of it.

Save those old photos!

INTELLIGENCE
AND IGNORANCE

Quote of the Day:  April 13, 2010


"Everyone is ignorant, only on different subjects."


Will Rogers, The Illiterate Digest, 1924

COMMUNICATION

Quote of the Day:  April 12, 2010


"What we've got here is a failure to communicate."


Frank Pierson [1925- ] who worked on the dialogue for the movie, Cool Hand Luke [1967] with Donn Pearce [1928- ] Poster on top for the movie, Cool Hand Luke.

“MY LORD AND MY GOD!”

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “My Lord and My God!”

They are the words of Thomas in today’s gospel. [Cf. John 20:19-31]

As we know from the Gospel of John, Thomas was not there in the Upper Room, that Easter Sunday evening – when Jesus, the Risen Lord, says to his disciples, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

And then Jesus breathes on them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

This day, a week later, Thomas was there and once more Jesus, the Risen Lord, appears, and says to his disciples, “Peace be with you.”

And Jesus asks Thomas to put his finger into the cuts on Jesus’ hand and then to put his hand into Jesus’ side and stop being someone who does not believe.

Thomas takes his finger and then his hand and puts them into Jesus’ cuts and wounds and says, “My Lord and my God!”

And Jesus says to Thomas, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

RESULTS FROM THIS STORY

As a result of this very important gospel story that has come down to us, for centuries this Sunday has been called, “Doubting Thomas Sunday” – especially in the Eastern Christian Churches.”

It’s has also been called for centuries Low Sunday and since the year 2000, it has been called Divine Mercy Sunday.

As a result of this story, many old time Catholics were brought up to say, “My Lord and my God!” when the priest lifts the host at Mass after the consecration. I grew up hearing lots of people sort of whispering those words right after the consecration: “My Lord and my God.”

As a result of this story, there was also the legend that Thomas for the rest of his life – had a bloody red hand. It’s one of those legends.

THERE’S A MESSAGE HERE: CUTS AND WOUNDS

The message I’ve been thinking about is this: there is something to the reality that many people come to faith only when there is a gaping wound and cut in their life.

I began reflecting not on Jesus' wounds - but our wounds.

The story of Thomas sort of says, “It’s okay when that happens. However, it would be better, if you had better faith.”

Let's be as honest as Thomas is in today's gospel. His honesty brought him to a profound realization. The Risen Lord Jesus came specifically to him and Thomas said, "My Lord and my God."

Let’s be honest, many people pray – and pray big time – when big time cancer or crush hits them or their family or friends.

Let’s be honest, many people pray – and pray big time – when there is a big time death in their lives.

START WITH SELF
So instead of looking at Jesus’ wounds, let me start with self wounds – especially deep memory hurts. Show those wounds to Jesus.

Does every person have a deep cut – a deep hole in their soul – that hurts – especially when something triggers the memory of that hurt?

About a week ago I was watching the 2000 Tom Hanks movie, Cast Away. It’s a real tear jerker. Tom Hanks, as Chuck Noland, works for Fed Ex. He is in a Fed Ex plane crash in the Pacific Ocean. Everyone is killed except him. He’s cast away on a deserted island for about 4 years. He’s a modern Robinson Crusoe – but there is no Friday. Okay there is an imaginary friend called “Wilson” – named for a Wilson volley ball that was in a Fed Ex package that he opens. Wilson helps. However, the main thing that keeps him going is the hope of being discovered or getting off that island, so he can get back to the girl he loves – Kelly Frears, played by Helen Hunt. All through the movie you see him looking at a picture of her in an old pocket watch that she gave him as a Christmas present just before the Fed Ex plane took off.

He makes it back to the states and she has married his old dentist. That’s the wipe out. He finds out they even had a funeral with a casket for him. He asks the very intriguing question: “What did you put in the casket.”

The movie triggered for me the question: “How many people have that cut in their psyche? Someone they wanted to marry, married someone else – and they felt like they were tossed all alone onto an island for years by themselves.”

How many people have been dumped or ditched by another?

You know that Capital One ad slogan. “What’s in your wallet?”

What’s in our cellar? Closet? Under the bed? In a locked safe in our soul?

William Sloane Coffin [1924-2006] – former chaplain at Yale – was once asked, “What’s it like to be a minister?” He paused and answered the question something like this, “It’s nervous as well as awesome – because people invite you into the secret garden of their soul.”

As priest I know about secrets. As human I know about secrets. You sitting here know about secrets. You know about yourself.

If priests and ministers and all of us know about secrets, how about therapists? Therapists are miners and diggers. Some ask those who come to them for counseling to give them their money history, or their sexual history, or their relationships history. Or some might simply ask another, “Where does it hurt?”

I remember reading somewhere an anecdote about a counselor – who used the group counseling method. In one of his group counseling sessions there was this man who came every month and every month he said nothing. Nothing seemed to be bothering him. Why he was in the group for counseling? I don’t remember.

This intrigued the counselor – who would ask everyone at every session, “How’s it going? Do you have anything to say? Is anything bothering you?”

Usually something would come up and out from every person, but this man – in perfect suit and tie – top button of his shirt buttoned right up the Adam’s apple every time – never said anything till this one day….

Someone in the group mentioned the name of someone named Jack or something like that. At that the man who was quiet and perfect flicked a tiny piece of dandruff off the left arm of his dark blue suit.

Seeing that the therapist suddenly raised his hands and made the “Time out!” signal. Then he blurted, “Time out. Time out.”

Then he said, “Joseph, when so and so mentioned the name of a man named Jack, you went like this.” And he demonstrated flicking a piece of dandruff off his left arm.

And the man said, “Yeah! I can’t stand this boss I used to have whose name was Jack.”

And out poured a tirade laced with vinegar acid anger from 20 years earlier.

And the rest of the group welcomed him into the group after that. He was normal after all.

“Peace be with you.”

Notice in today’s gospel the group is all there – in a room together and the doors were locked – out of fear.

And Jesus said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Does every person have a hurt, a resentment, a scream, a cut, a stabbing, a rejection, a firing, an unfair accusation, a cross, a crucifixion, from 10, 20, 30, 40 years ago?

Does every person have a family disappointment – a rejection – a mess – from their parents – or a child – that’s sitting there forever – in their brain – in their upper room – and have they kept that secret or secrets locked in there out of fear for all these years?

Come Holy Spirit.

Jesus’ words about forgiving or retaining sins is very significant.

We apply these words to priests – and the sacrament of reconciliation.

Does anyone apply them to our power to forgive or our power to hold onto sins or being sinned against?

PRAYER

Prayer, grace, counseling, can bring oneself to Jesus – having him break through the walls of our upper room – our locked scull. Prayer can get us to ask Jesus to put his hands into that hurt – that pain – that cut – and heal us. And when this happens, hopefully we say, “My Lord and my God.”

It might be something we did wrong – 2 weeks or 2 years or 20 years ago.

As you know the news these days have been filled with stories about the priest abuse scandal – kids being hurt and cover ups that followed.

The pope, the bishops, the priests, anyone who has abused another, hopefully bring this gospel story to these stories. They have to think not just about the person who did the crime – but about the person who was cut and crucified. That to me was one of the major horrors of the priest abuse scandal: too many times concentrating on the priest – and forgetting the victim.

We’re all aware that the messy side of life is about secrets – especially about sin and the sneaky – about sex and power – about feelings of powerlessness and uselessness – about feelings of being used and abused – and alcohol is often mixed up in the mix.

And often, those in on these secrets, want this stuff kept in closed rooms – and when those in power find out about some of these horrors, sometimes they also make decisions behind closed doors to keep these secrets behind closed doors.

If I hear anything in these stories - now hitting the Vatican and the Church around the world, I hear the call for transparency – and honesty – the need to face realities – to set up an independent board to get all the information that’s available.

In 2002 thought the U.S. Bishops set up a commission who asked the John Jay College of Criminal Justice to do an independent study on all this. It was very freeing. Some of the study was difficult to read. So it was horrible, but it was freeing. Anyone can read the study. If you're reading this, you're on line. Just type into Google, "A Research Study Conducted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice - U.S. Bishops."

In a way, it's apples and oranges, but we might be the only group in the world who has faced the scrutiny of so many. Other groups: be prepared.

So the Vatican has to do what the bishops of the United States has done and to do it quickly - and the latest message I'm hearing is that they better have women on board.

We have to remember Jesus’ words, "The truth will set people free." [Cf. John 8: 32.]

What are the numbers? I go by the numbers I read in the John Jay Study – than by conjectures by columnists.

Transparency will help those who were hurt. This is what some are crying for. More is needed.
This is the stuff of prayer.

“My Lord and my God.”

Don’t we say just that in the moment of tragedy, whether we see a horror story on TV or in person, “Oh my God” or “My Lord and my God.”

I’m sure most who heard about the plane crash that killed so many in the Polish government yesterday blurted out just that, “My Lord and my God.” or “O my God.”

CONCLUSION

This Sunday is also called, “Divine Mercy Sunday.”

God is a God of mercy.

In this sermon I hope I stressed the need for big time reconciliation - confession of sins - forgiveness - repentence - healing.

But I don't want to limit this just to priests!

As priest it seems strange - or some word like that - when people want confession - confession - confession - for Divine Mercy Sunday. I didn't say this from the pulpit - because people might be confused with my comment - or think here is a priest who is lazy. He doesn't want to hear confessions.

We just finished Lent. We priests heard a million confessions for Lent -and then more - a lot more - in Holy Week in preparation for Easter.

Wonderful.

Easter happens.

Then comes this message of confession for Divine Mercy Sunday.

To me something is off message here.

It seems that some people have made this Sunday more important than Easter Sunday.

People are being told they can get complete forgiveness of their sins and indulgences – if they go to Confession and Communion for Divine Mercy Sunday.

I for one would stress going into the box of self.

I for one would stress prayer and looking into oneself and see if I am at peace – or do I have these inner wounds and cuts – that need to be healed – and to ask Jesus to come into my inner room and breathe on us so that we can “Receive the Holy Spirit” and then we go out of that upper room of feat and forgive and be forgiven?

Am I a person of mercy? Can I forgive others? Can I communicate to them the hurt they might have given me years ago?"

And hopefully the other says, “I’m sorry. Have mercy on me.” And we forgive them.

I remember a lady telling me that her dad said, “I’m sorry” to her just before he died – and her counselor said to her, “Well, la di da, di da. He wants off the hook just like that – after all he did to you.”And she said to the counselor, “It was enough. He finally said he was sorry for all the growing up years of neglect, abuse and alcoholism.”

She then paused and said, “I forgave him and it gave me peace.”

Or it might be something we have done to hurt another. If we can, and if it’s the right thing to do, we can go to the living or the dead and say,” I’m sorry.” However, with the living, this is tricky. Sometimes it’s the right thing to do, but it’s not the right time, and it just might start World War III.

After all, isn’t mercy and forgiveness what it’s all about? Today's gospel story about Thomas puts a human face onto all this. Let us do the same.






Painting on top:"Doubting Thomas" or "Saint Thomas Putting His Finger on Christ's Wound" -1602-03 Carravaggio, [1573-1610]

2  TYPES OF PEOPLE  

Quote of the Day:  April 11, 2010

"The Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea are made of the same water. It flows down, clear and cool, from the heights of Hermon and the roots of the cedars of Lebanon. The Sea of Galilee makes beauty of it, for the Sea of Galilee has an outlet. It gets to give. It gathers in its riches that it may pour them out again to fertilize the Jordan plain. But the Dead Sea with the same water makes horror. For the Dead Sea has no outlet. It gets to keep."



Harry Emerson Fosdick [1878-1969], The Meaning of Service, 1920
Picture on top: Satellite Picture of Israel. The smaller body of water is the Sea of Galilee. It's in the north. To the south is the larger body of water, the Dead Sea. Off to the west, the left side of the picture, is the Mediterranean Sea.

REQUIESCANT IN PACE

The many returning home from war:
thousands waiting for them
at airports or docks, waiting
with flags, flowers and tears,
bands blaring, hands waving,
politicians, mothers, fathers,
husbands, wives, kids,
waiting for those returning
who soon will be surrounded in hugs ….
Sad to say, miles and miles away,
the all alone, all those whose
waiting ended months and months
ago with the news, “…killed….”
Requiescant in pace.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2010

Picture on top by Darin Oswald,

The Idaho Statesman

ALONE  AGAIN  

UNFORTUNATELY 

Quote of the Day:  April 10, 2010


"Most people are on the world, not in it - have no conscious sympathy or relationship to anything about them - undiffused, separate, and rigidly alone like marbles of polished stone, touching but separate."


John Muir [1838-1914], John of the Mountains 1938

REMORSE

Quote of the Day:  April 9, 2010

Remorse: "That inward hell!"

Lord Byron [1788-1824]

GOD IS PATIENT

Grace never grabs.
It just waits:
to glance at the glisten of dew on
morning blades of grass,
to notice an old couple holding hands
while waiting for a restaurant table for two,
or a dad holding his baby son
while handing his other hand
to his 3 year old daughter,
the chance to say, “I’m sorry!”,
the remembrance of
the Father’s love back home.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2010

35 - EMERGENCY ROOM

Sitting there with about 35 other people
in the local hospital emergency room,
I couldn’t hear the TV sound. I could
just see the screen, the screams, the pictures,
just the captions from about 35 feet away:
another suicide bombing in Bagdad,
a flood in Rhode Island,
a train crash in Spain,
a boat capsizes in the Philippines,
a coal mine collapse in China,
a kidnapping in California – people –
their stories – all told in just 35 seconds,
clips of ongoing TV news…. TV cries.
Was my pain – my hurt worse?
Of course not – but it wasn’t till
I began to wonder about all
these people all around me,
some in obvious deep pain and panic,
that I began to enter into their hurt
and my pain numbed a bit.
Who are they? What happened?
Who are the people
they are connected to,
these 35 people or so,
just 35 feet away from me?
Jesus was right!
Hurt is an eye opener.
Hurt is a heart opener.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2010

PERSONALIZING  LIFE 

Quote of the Day:  April 8,  2010


"A person is a person because he recognizes others as persons."




Desmond Tutu, Address at enthronement as Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, September 7, 1986

BREAKING WORDS,
BREAKING BREAD

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Wednesday in Easter Week is, “Breaking Words, Breaking Bread.”

The Mass has two parts: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

Bread and words.

Two essentials to every meal: food and words.

Talk to me. Eat with me. Share words; share food. Share yourself.

It’s not good to be alone. It’s not good to eat alone. It’s not good to only be talking to oneself.

However, there are deaths and divorces – and we outlive another.

The beauty of memories; the better the marriage, the better the memories; the better the memories, the more difficult the missing.

And as Viktor Frankl says in his classic book, Man’s Search for Meaning, in the best marriages, the one who survives and has so much love for his or her spouse says, “I’m glad he or she went first, because I wouldn’t want him or her to feel the hurt and the missing I’m feeling now.”

Frankl could put words together – helping himself and so many others who went through the horror of death – he experiencing the death of so many in the concentration camps of World War II.

And when we eat alone or with others we not only digest food – we digest happenings. And to eat food and words – we cut the words up – slice and dice them – and share them with each other.

That’s the Mass in a nutshell: words and food, part 1 and part 2.

AT THE MEAL

When we were taught Scriptures in the seminary, we were taught that the words in the Bible came from folks sitting around and talking – and eating – sharing bread and wine, sharing words and stories.

Well, not all of scriptures – but much of it.

At every meal at St. Mary’s when Father Baumgartner was alive, he would sit in the same seat – and often tell the same stories – over and over again.

Is that the essence of old age – telling the old stories? And I heard all his stories – but I would notice that even though the essence of the story was the same – the emphasis would shift from time to time – and he would often add on new or different details.

And in listening to his stories, two things were happening. He was figuring out his life and we were figuring out his life - as well as wonderings about our own.

We need to do this. We need an audience. We need to digest each other.

I am totally convinced of the logic of the Eucharist. Jesus feeds us with himself at every Mass – with some words – with some food.

He feeds us with an earful and a mouthful every time.

When we were taught scriptures, we were taught that the scriptures evolved at meals and then someone wrote down the stories.

TODAY’S READINGS

In today’s first reading we have a story that was shared in the early church about the time Peter healed a cripple – the beggar who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate in Jerusalem. [Cf. Acts of the Apostles 3:1-10]

In today’s gospel we have the famous Emmaus story – when the two disciples headed home – figuring that’s it – only to meet the Risen Lord who helped put together the whole story for them – and he broke open his life for them – and I hope you heard the key words, “they recognized him in the breaking of the bread.” [Cf. Luke 24:13-35]

I hope you noticed that they used words to tell this to each other.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily was, “Breaking Words, Breaking Bread.”

Digest well Jesus in the word today – Jesus in the bread today. Amen.

Digest well Jesus in your life today – and all the days that led up to this day. Amen.

JUST  SAY "NO!"

Quote of the Day:  April 7, 2010




"My unhappiness was the unhappiness of a person who could not say no."




Dazai Osamu [Tsushima Shuji] (1909-1948), No Longer Human

RELIGION  AND  FAITH

Quote of the Day:  April 6,  2010


"I have treated many hundreds of patients .... Among [those] in the second half of life - that is to say, over 35 - there has not been one whose problem in the last resort was not that of finding a religious outlook on life."


Carl Jung [1875-1961] Time, Feb. 14, 1955

SPIDER WEB

It caught my eye as soon as I saw it,
I couldn’t get by it. I had to stop
and stare? I wondered:
what else am I not seeing?
Do I realize I’m somewhere
on this web being woven -

this web called me. How much

more is there to my life story

before I'm broken, before

I catch what I'm trying to catch?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2010

LEAF, PETAL, SKIN

The look and fabric of leaf, petal, skin….
Touch it. Feel it. Study it.
Could a forger or a counterfeiter,
come even close to
creating a perfect imitation
of leaf, petal or skin?
Worse – in time comes the wrinkle,
the fading, and the crumble
of leaf, petal and skin.
Some are scared to touch that?
Be quick! Life has term limits.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2010

HUMILITY

Moth and butterfly, silently, softly,
fluttering and flying, seeming
to be so completely oblivious of me.
How self centered for me
to think they would think of me?
Silently, slowly, these thoughts
flutter and fly through my brain.
And yes, bees and bugs,
except mosquitoes,
treat me the same way.
Sort of stings my ego.
Dirt and earth, from which
I came, they too pay me
no little attention. So I assume
there’s a message here somewhere.
I guess I need to become quiet
and learn from what’s beneath me.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2010

A NASTY NOW

Ouch! Now that was nasty.
Now, what do I do?
You set me up.
You weren’t asking me a question.
You were making a statement
under the guise of a question.
You were trying to trap me.
Now, what do I do?
Now, what I have to do,
is not be nasty in return.
Now that’s difficult.
But I’ll try – because
that’s what I now know,
You Jesus, are saying
in your Sermon on the
Mount – chapter 5: 38 to 48:
to turn the other cheek,
to go the extra mile,
to end the revenge,
to pray for those who hurt us.
Difficult Jesus! Difficult!
See you on Good Friday,
better a week after Easter
and then let’s compare notes.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2010

Painting - Jesus Faces Pilate, Greg Leach

ALMOST BUT

I almost did it,
but I didn’t.
I almost finished
but I didn’t.
I almost said, “I love you”,
but I didn’t.
I almost forgave you,
but I didn’t.
I almost spoke with God,
but I didn’t.
I almost got caught,
but I didn’t.
I almost won,
but I didn’t.
I almost was happy,
but something went wrong.
I almost bounced back,
but I didn’t.
I almost said what I really think,
but once more I didn’t.
I almost let go,
but I didn’t because it was too difficult.
I almost died,
but I didn’t.
So, I guess,
I have a second chance,
but ....

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2010

THE PAST

The swirl of poop and paper,
the flush, the downward spiral twist,
the thrust and spin of waste and water –
and then: all clean clear water.

Would that it was always that easy!

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2010

EASTER SPRING

Spring has a mind of its own:
one day sunny till suddenly
it’s rainy, windy, damp,
then the next day all gray,
then the next day flurries,
then the next day back to sun,
without one word of apology….
Then snow, oh no,
then, oh good, it wasn’t snow,
just a dogwood tree shaking
its tiny white flowers everywhere.
Gardeners on their knees
look up and around
every once and a while,
but most of the time
they know this is how spring
works every year,
not worrying, smiling,
not concentrating on the sky,
but only on the ground below:
spading, planting seeds,
seeing buds and bulbs,
new life ready to spring.
Mary Magdalene didn’t know
gardeners, but she knew
how to hug: Resurrection.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2010

DEATH AND RESURRECTION

Quote of the Day:  April 5,  2010




"Every parting gives a foretaste of death; every coming together again a foretaste of the resurrection."




Arthur Schopenhauer [1788-1860], Studies in Pessimism [1851], Psychological Observations