REREADING
Quote for Today - March 8, 2011
"When you reread a classic you do not see more in the book than you did before; you see more in you than there was before."
Clifton Fadiman [1904-1999] Any Number Can Play [1957]
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
ON THE BALCONY
[This is a story homily for the 9th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A]
On the balcony they were holding hands – without even noticing when they reached out their hands to each other. It was something they did naturally – a lot more lately – especially when they were alone and more relaxed.
It was March 6, 2011.
The two of them were just sitting there on cold metal beach balcony chairs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in Ocean City, Maryland.
It was cold.
“Good thing we brought our winter coats, Honey. Good thing we brought our winter coats.”
She thought to herself, “He often repeats himself. Doesn’t he?”
She remained quiet – cold and quiet – on the 6th floor balcony – and she didn’t see anyone else sitting outside in the cold – to her north or to her south – in these big cement – mountain cliff like condos – all along the ocean front.
He wanted to know if she was happy – that she was glad the two of them were here for their 40th Anniversary. It was a suggestion from their 4 kids – mainly their 2nd oldest – who was doing well financially so far with his job. He told them this time-share condo was open for them if they wanted it – for this week.
He stood up. He went inside and got a blanket. Then he came out and put it over her sitting there in the cold. “It beats Buffalo,” he said. “It beats Buffalo in early March.”
He sat down again – next to her – and once more both hands joined automatically.
Sunday afternoon – a couple of hours to just be - not much on TV – and they had taken a nice long walk in the morning along the boardwalk – after breakfast – after Mass – and they were going out for supper – to a crab place someone recommended.
You get beef in Buffalo. You get fish or crab cakes in Ocean City.
He sat there reflecting on life.
Without knowing it, he began thinking about the homily the priest preached that Sunday morning at the 7 o’clock Mass – in the nearby church – within walking distance of where they were staying. Nice.
The priest had talked about the readings for this Sunday being no brainers. He was saying, “Life offers the basic formula: build your house on rock or build your house on sand. One brings blessings; the other brings curses. It’s as simple as that.” And it was a very short sermon and both of them liked that. They were stereotypical early Sunday Morning Mass goers.
Bill and Helen certainly built their home on rock – not buying anything unless they had money to buy it. They learned that marriage was all about adjusting to and loving one another – having a good job and your own home and having good kids – and making sure they got a upbringing and a good education. And then enjoying grandkids – spoiling them – babysitting them – games – especially playing cards – and then watching their kids learn what they learned from having kids.
Bill and Helen learned about the importance of forgiveness and giving the other space when needed – and being there when needed. They learned from their mistakes. At times they forgot each other because of work or kids or outside interests – but they always recovered in time – making time for each other.
Nobody taught them – well marriage taught them – about the importance of good communication.
And their 4 kids are turning out okay so far – and all 4 are out of the house. A couple of their friends said that’s a big one. Jimmy, their second youngest, finally left – just last year – so they were all alone again – and they were discovering each other as two different people – but two people in their mid-60’s still in love – but in a love quite different than 40 years ago when they got married.
Still sitting out there on the cold balcony, Bill was wondering to himself: I guess these are the kinds of thoughts one has – when one goes away for a week with one’s wife – for a 40th anniversary get-a-way.
“Oops, Hon,” Bill said, “I’m sitting here doing all the thinking. What’s going on with you? What’s going on with you?”
Helen said, “Oh nothing. I was just thinking about the gospel we heard in church this morning – about building one’s house on rock or sand.
“Seeing the beach down there, the sermon got me thinking about my two brothers. When we were kids – we used to go to the beach in Cape Cold. I was thinking: Tom never learned. He always built his sandcastles too close to the ocean – and the tide would come in and wipe his out first – every time – and he would cry every time.
“Without knowing it then,” Helen said, “Tom always lived life too close to the edge – and no wonder his marriage and his family fell apart – and then he did it again with his second marriage – and that crumbled too. Ugh! Messy. Messy. Messy.
“On the other hand, Charlie my other brother, never was into sandcastles. He was always back in the house we rented for two weeks at Cape Cod in the summer – building his castles and his towers – but with Lego’s.
“I’m sitting here wondering: was that why Charlie became the architect and Tom became the stock broker. I don’t know.
Pause – another nice pause settled down on both of them like a blanket – neither of them looking at each other – both still looking out to sea.
Then Helen said, “That’s what I was thinking about. Why did you ask?”
“I was just wondering. I was just wondering.”
Another pause – another moment of quiet.
They just sat there – still – still looking out at the ocean – still holding hands – still being quite quiet.
Then Bill asked, “How do you think we did? How do you think we did?”
Helen said to herself – this time with an inner smile, “I wonder if he ever notices – he always repeats himself.”
Then she said, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Then with a devilish impulse she repeated herself, “Bill I wouldn’t of had it any other way. We did well together – but let’s not come here to Ocean City, Maryland in March 2021 for our 50th Anniversary”
At that Bill held her hand even tighter and said, “Okay. - - - - - - - Okay. - - - - - - - We did well. We did well. And Helen – thanks for marrying me and loving me all through these years. Thanks for loving me all through the years. Amen. Amen.”
Saturday, March 5, 2011
WISDOM!BE ATTENTIVE!
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 8th Saturday in Ordinary Time is, “Wisdom! Be Attentive!”
I’m sure you’ve heard at different times, in the Eastern Rite Churches, the reader chants before the readings, “Wisdom! Be Attentive!”
That’s exactly what Sirach – whom we’ve been listening to for two weeks now – as the First Reading – has been proclaiming – along with the so called, “Wisdom Literature” in the Old Testament.
“Wisdom! Be Attentive!”
And the Wisdom writers – tell their listeners – there is wisdom all around us – so be attentive to it. We can learn from nature – from creation. There are lessons in the trees and in the weather – along with watching people and learning from how life works – when people pursue what is right and just. There are consequences.
“Wisdom! Be Attentive!”
TODAY’S FIRST READING
In today’s first reading, Sirach – or his longer name, Jesus Ben Sirach – tells us to pray for wisdom in the temple – and to seek it like a grape becoming ripe. He also tells us the importance of having good wisdom teachers.
TODAY’S GOSPEL
That can lead us as Christians to praise Jesus – and to have him as a wisdom teacher.
Sirach said the seeker of wisdom has to open the gate and enter into wisdom. Jesus said he was the gate. And Jesus gives great wisdom once your enter into him.
Jesus said watch the birds of the air and study the flowers of the field. We will certainly be waiting for both – after this long winter.
Jesus said there are lessons in the skies and in the weather – in sheep and shepherds – in not being like the Pharisees and the scribes.
Jesus said to watch carpenters building homes on rock and not sand. We’ll hear that tomorrow in Sunday’s gospel. Jesus said to listen and learn – especially from his parables.
And the Pharisees and the Scribes – couldn’t stand it – that a carpenter – someone from nowhere in the north – Nazareth – had such wisdom.
The common folk picked it up – so this drove the Pharisees even into deeper frustration – till they realized they had to get rid of him.
CONCLUSION
So today – March 5th – 2011 – there is much to learn – there is wisdom to be gained and attained.
Today – March 5th - 2011 – there are questions hanging on trees and on people’s faces – ask them, "What's happening with you?"
Today – March 5th – 2011 – just like yesterday and just like tomorrow, we have two ears and one mouth – or as the German saying puts it, “The wise have long ears and short tongues,” so “Wisdom! Be attentive.”
MONOPOLY
Quote for Today March 5, 2011
"Police arrested a Bensalem, Pennsylvania, man on charges of having fatally shot his friend with a bow and arrow. The two had been playing Monopoly and gotten into an argument when, according to the Bucks County district attorney, 'The defendant decided he wanted to be the car [game token] rather than the thimble or hat.'"
Page 258 in What Were They Thinking: Really Bad Ideas Throughout History, by Bruce Felton
Friday, March 4, 2011
STOP!
I’M NOT
WHO YOU THINK I AM
I’M NOT
WHO YOU THINK I AM
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 8th Friday in Ordinary time is, “Stop! I’m Not Who You Think I Am.”
How many STOP signs do we see in a lifetime?
How many STOP signs have we stopped at?
STOP! We know what STOP! means.
However, when it comes to people, when it comes to knowing and understanding other people, we often run the STOP sign.
We judge others. We think we know others. Surprise! I’m not who you think I am.
The title of my homily is, “Stop! I’m Not Who You Think I Am.”
The message of my homily for this morning is, “Before judging others, STOP! Before thinking that we know exactly what another person is like, STOP!
The message of my homily for this morning is: when you see another’s face, see a STOP sign on their forehead.
If I had the money, if I prepared this homily a month ago, it would have been nice to get printed up and then buy 100 or so little STOP Stickems and hand them out and have everyone have them stuck on our forehead. Imagine if all of you walked around today with a little STOP Stickems on your foreheads. That would get folks talking – sort of like Ashes on our forehead next Wednesday.
JOHNNY WE HARDLY KNEW YOU
After John F. Kennedy was assassinated I remember someone wrote a book or made the statement, “Johnny, we hardly knew you.” (1)
For some reason that stuck in my brain like a Stickem. I’ve often said that about other people. “I hardly know you.”
What makes you tick? What worries you? Whom do you love? What do you love? What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream? What’s your favorite cake? What’s your earliest memory? What bugs you? What is the most interesting thing that ever happened to you? Where have you been? If you had to do it all over again, is there anything you would change? How do people see you? Do you laugh, because you know, they don’t really know you? Have you ever said, “If you only knew?”
The title of my homily is, “Stop! I’m Not Who You Think I Am.”
TODAY’S FIRST READING
Today’s first reading begins, “Now will I praise those godly men, our ancestors, each in his own time” [Sirach 44:1].
Famous people – public people – sometimes are not the person we think they are. Sometimes they fall from their podiums and pulpits.
On a regular basis new biographies come out about our famous persons. Last Sunday I saw a book review of a new book about Wild Bill Donovan – a fascinating character in American history – who was asked by Roosevelt – FDR Roosevelt – to get into the spy business – and he’s background history for the C.I.A. and N.S.A., etc. (2) Then when the book reviews of a new biography come out – we sometimes read that the new biography is on the money or it’s “revisionist” history.
If they wrote our biography and those who knew us read it, would they say, “Jack, Jill, I hardly knew you”?
TWO SHORT STORIES
With that in mind here are two stories that mention famous Americans and one not so famous American.
The first story is entitled, “Haves and Have-Nots.”
HAVES AND HAVE-NOTS
In 1776, the independence of the United States foreshadowed what would occur later on from Mexico south.
To remove any doubts about the place of the Indians in the new nation, George Washington propose “the today destruction and devastation of their settlements.” Thomas Jefferson voiced the opinion that “this unfortunate race has justified its extermination.” And Benjamin Franklin suggested that rum could be the “appointed means” to get rid of the savages.
To rid any doubts about the place of women, the Constitution of the State of New York added the adjective “masculine” to the right to vote.
To remove any doubts about the place of poor whites, the signatories to the Declaration of Independence were all rich whites.”
And to remove any doubts about the place of blacks in the newborn nation, six hundred and fifty thousand slaves remained enslaved. Black hands built the White House. (3)
The second story is entitled, “Missing Father.”
MISSING FATHER
The Declaration of Independence affirmed that all men are created equal.
Shortly thereafter, the Constitution of the United States clarified the concept: it established that each slave was worth three-fifths of a people.
One drafter of the Constitution, Gouverneur Morris, opposed the provision, but in vain. Not long before he had tried, also in vain, to get the State of New York to abolish slavery, and managed to extract a constitutional promise that in the future “every being who breathes the air of this State shall enjoy the privileges of a freeman.”
Morris, a central figure at the moment the United States acquired a face and a soul, was a founding father that history forgot.
And to remove any doubts about the place of blacks in the newborn nation, six hundred and fifty thousand slaves remained enslaved. Black hands built the White House. (3)
The second story is entitled, “Missing Father.”
MISSING FATHER
The Declaration of Independence affirmed that all men are created equal.
Shortly thereafter, the Constitution of the United States clarified the concept: it established that each slave was worth three-fifths of a people.
One drafter of the Constitution, Gouverneur Morris, opposed the provision, but in vain. Not long before he had tried, also in vain, to get the State of New York to abolish slavery, and managed to extract a constitutional promise that in the future “every being who breathes the air of this State shall enjoy the privileges of a freeman.”
Morris, a central figure at the moment the United States acquired a face and a soul, was a founding father that history forgot.
In the year, 2006, Spanish journalist Vicente Romero looked for his grave. He found it behind a church in the South Bronx. The gravestone erased by rain and sun, provided a platform for two large garbage cans. (4)
Next time you are in a graveyard walk around and read the names. Then say a name out loud and then chant, "_____ we hardly knew you.
TODAY’S GOSPEL
As I read today’s gospel [Mark 11: 11-26], I said several times, "Jesus I hardly know you. I receive you in Communion. I sit at table with you. I hear your words, but Jesus I hardly know you. "
In today’s gospel Jesus spots a fig tree that’s not producing, so he curses it. The next morning they saw the fig tree Jesus cursed withered. Jesus, why did you do that to a poor fig tree? The gospel story even says it’s not fig season. Jesus I hardly know you.
In today’s gospel Jesus goes into the temple and turns over all the tables and scatters the doves and money changers and causes curses and havoc. Jesus why did you do that? Don’t you realize things like that could cause crucifixion? Jesus I hardly know you.
CONCLUSION
And Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. Why in the world did he do that?
So let me close with a short piece – entitled, “The Ass”
THE ASS
THE ASS
He gave warmth to newborn Jesus in the manger, and that’s why he is in all the pictures, posing with his big ears beside the bed of straw.
On the back of an ass, Jesus escaped Herod’s sword.On the back of an ass, he wandered all his life.
On the back of an ass, he preached.
On the back of an ass, he entered Jerusalem.
Perhaps the ass is not such an ass after all?(5)
NOTES
(1) Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye by Kenneth O'Donnell
(2) Wild Bill Donovan by Douglas Walker
(3) Page 175 in Eduardo Galeano’s book, Mirrors – Stories of Amost Everyone, 2009, Nation Books, New York
(4) Page 175-176 in Eduardo Galeano’s book, Mirrors – Stories of Amost Everyone, 2009, Nation Books, New York
(5) Page 70 in Eduardo Galeano’s book, Mirrors – Stories of Amost Everyone, 2009, Nation Books, New York
RED AND BLACK
BLACK BLOOD
"The first transfusions used blood from lambs. Rumor had it that they made you sprout wool. In 1670, such experiments were outlawed in Europe.
"Much later on, around 1940, Charles Drew came up with new techniques for processing and storing plasma. In light of his discoveries, which were to save millions of lives during the Second World War, Drew was named the first director of the Red Cross blood bank in the United States.
"He lasted eight months in the job.
"In 1942 a military directive prohibited mixing black blood with white blood in transfusions.
"Black blood! White blood? 'This is utter stupidity,' Drew said, and he would not discriminate against blood.
"He understood the matter: he was a scientist, and he was black.
"So he resigned, or was resigned."
From Eduardo Galeano [1940- ] in Mirrors, Stories of Almost Everyone, Nation Books, New York, pages 299-300, translated by Mark Fried, 2009
Picture on top: Charles Richard Drew [1904-1956]
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
THE COLOR OF
The color of olives
green-brown or black,
but I prefer black.
The color of watermelon,
green-yellow-streaked outside,
but I prefer the red juicy inside
even with the pits.
The color of snow,
white first snow,
wow – tasting cold flakes
on my tongue,
but after a long winter,
I prefer the grey piles of snow
melting towards spring.
The color of Lent
ashes, purple,
the grey black skin of fish,
but I prefer white lilies,
the alleluia trumpets
of Easter and Resurrection
and the Paschal Lamb.
© Andy Costello, Reflections 2011
THE COMPLAINER
Before you begin, let me complain:
I begin to feel tension
whenever you walk into a room.
And here’s why. You complain.
You gripe. You grumble.
Too much and too many times …
biting, barking, scratching, clawing,
muttering grunts and nasty comments
about politics and politicians,
traffic, religion – or lack of religion.
It seems you don’t like people
who are different or look different.
Well, let me tell you something:
You make me nervous because
it seems you go around trying
to round up vocations to your
way of life: “Come follow me!”
Well, I don’t want to walk with you.
In fact, I want to avoid you.
And when I am stuck with you,
I find myself inwardly complaining,
griping, grumbling about you.
Now, is this what you want?
Is that why you complain?
Is it complainers like me
who make complainers like you
or are we both in a vicious circle?
Well, I don’t like you and
I don’t like myself when
I’m complaining. So why
do we do this to ourselves?
It’s a cliché, but is all this
simply all about,
“Misery wanting company?”
© Andy Costello, Reflections 2011
WEATHER REPORT
You’re like an old tiny
black and white TV set
sitting on a corner kitchen shelf,
sending out low sounds.
ongoing background pictures
from the weather channel.
You keep sending signals
about what kind of mood
you’re in right now. I see
and hear the lump sound
in your throat,
the tightening fist,
the sound of a foot,
tapping on your wooden chair.
Turn the channel.
Then turn up your volume.
Give me real news about
what’s happening in your world.
© Andy Costello, Reflections 2011
EARLY MARCH
Barren reminders,
the tops of
the tops of
these empty trees,
these barren crosses,
still shivering in the cold,
still shaking in the wind,
till March, till I spot
crocuses at my feet.
still shaking in the wind,
till March, till I spot
crocuses at my feet.
Winter is almost over.
"Christ has died.
"Christ has died.
Christ has risen.
Christ will come again."
"O come let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord."
"O come let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord."
© Andy Costello, Reflections 2011
WHAT’S IN YOUR CHALICE?
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 8th Wednesday in Ordinary Time is, “What’s In Your Chalice?”
It’s sort of like the question in the Capital One TV commercials, “What’s in your wallet?”
What’s in your chalice?
Robert Fulghum, the minister and writer, used to ask on retreats he gave to men: “Take out your wallets and put them on the table. What’s inside your wallet tells you a lot about yourself? What’s in your wallet? What does each item tell you about yourself?”
What’s in your chalice?
TODAY’S GOSPEL
In today’s gospel Jesus talks about the chalice – and it triggered various thoughts and wonderings and memories and questions.
Jesus disciples are vying to be # 1. They are missing what he’s trying to teach them about life. He tells them he’s going to Jerusalem where he’s going to confront and face the big test, the big issue, what God the Father wants life to be all about. It’s going to hurt. It’s a baptism. Can you drink that chalice? They say, “Yes we can!” He says, “You will drink it!” Jesus then indicates that life is all about giving – serving – willing to lay down one’s life for others. Not so easy. Not so easy.
Can you drink that chalice?
On the altar right now is a chalice. It’s one of the two chalices used at this Mass.
When you come to communion you have the opportunity to receive the bread and the cup. Either way and both ways, one can receive Christ and be in communion with him and all here at this Mass. Your move. Your choice.
The chalice, the cup, the Holy Grail, is charged with memory, mystery, moment. Your move.
It brings us into the Last Supper, into the garden, to the Cross – and then to the Resurrection and New Life.
It’s not easy to take the chalice. Jesus hesitated in the garden to take the cup and gave a million preachers the opportunity to reflect on one of life’s great mysteries: What’s in the chalice?
PRIEST RETREAT
I’ve given many priests’ retreats. A couple of times as an evening reflection in chapels I placed an empty chalice on the altar. I said to the priests: at the end of the service you’re invited to gradually and slowly and one at a time – with pauses in between to come up to the altar – stand where you stand for Mass – and then look at the chalice and into the chalice. Everyone sees the gold outside. People know our outside, but what’s inside – in the empty spaces no one can see?
Then I asked them to calmly put all of their life so far into that chalice on the altar – all – everything – the whole story – and then add what’s to come – and then pick up that heavy chalice and offer up all to God.
One night after doing this – a few hours after doing this – I heard a knock on my door – and a priest who was on the retreat asked to talk to me – and he poured out his whole life – he poured out all that was in his chalice in front of me – and it was a great moment of grace – and he thanked me for that he saw about life – his life – that evening.
CONCLUSION
What’s in your chalice?
Today after this Mass – if I remember – senior moments are appearing in my chalice more and more – I hope to leave one chalice on the altar and invite all of you – or any of you – to come up and stand at the altar and see what’s in your chalice and then lift it up and offer all to God.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
EMPTY-HANDED
INTRODUCTIONThe title of my homily for this 8th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “Empty-Handed.”
We all know the feeling of being empty-handed. We arrive at the party and everyone has a gift – or some food – or an envelope and a card and we don’t. We emit an inner, “Uh oh. Oh no!”
We’re empty-handed.
And deeper still we surely said at times in our lives to God and to ourselves, “Oh my God, I feel so empty-handed!”
Empty-handed is a hyphenated word that appears in today’s first reading from Sirach. Sirach says, “Appear not before the Lord empty-handed….” [Sirach 35:4]
A TINY BIT OF RESEARCHSince Sirach is not in the Jewish Bible – and since the Hebrew text for Sirach “had been lost for centuries” – as The New Jerusalem Biblical Commentary puts it, I was wondering what the Hebrew word or words for “empty-handed” might be.
I like to go back to the original – if I can.
We have Greek translations of Sirach; but what about a Hebrew text?
Well, The New Jerusalem Biblical Commentary says that 4 Hebrew manuscripts of Sirach dating to the 10th to the 12th centuries were recovered from the Geniza of the Qaraite Synagogue in Cairo between 1896 -1900. It adds that some further manuscripts and fragments have been discovered after that – including some fragments of Sirach at Qumran. It concludes: “About 68 percent of the Hebrew is now extant.” (1)
Reading that I thought, “Good. Let me see if I can find the Hebrew text for Sirach 35:4 – where the word “empty-handed” appears. We have the Greek – but what is the Hebrew?”
I found out that the Semitic – Hebrew – Aramaic – word spelled in our alphabet would be, “REQAM” or “RAY-KAWM”.
It would connote ideas like, “empty,” “vacant,” “empty-handed”.
With a tiny bit of further research I found out that it’s used in two different contexts in the Jewish Scriptures.
FIRST: DON’T COME TO WORSHIP WITH EMPTY HANDSThe first use is the command: don’t come to worship empty handed.
Tithe. Bring a gift for the Lord – when you come to worship.
That would have fit perfectly for last Sunday’s Archbishop’s Appeal.
Or should we think St. Mary’s Second Collection every Sunday for building and maintenance?
We find this idea not just here in Sirach – but also in Deuteronomy 16:16 – where it says we must not appear before Yahweh empty-handed. Deuteronomy says right there “The bigger the harvest the Lord gives you, the bigger your gift should be.” That’s kind of direct. And we hear that same message at the end of today’s reading from Sirach.
For us who come to worship during the week here is a question: what am I bringing to the Lord today?
The obvious answer can be found in the prayers of our Mass – where we hear that in this liturgy we are entering into Christ who gives himself to the Father. Christ is our gift!
SECOND: DON’T LEAVE EMPTY-HANDED
The second experience that we find in scripture for this word, “empty-handed” or “RAY-KAWM” is found in Exodus 3: 21 – when the Israelites were to leave from being slaves in Egypt – but not to leave empty-handed. So too when someone frees a Hebrew slave or bondsperson – male or female – one doesn’t just release or set this person free – but one gives them something so they can make a fresh start. In Deuteronomy 15:13-14 we read that freed slaves should be given some animals from one’s flock, some grain from one’s threshing floor, and some wine from one’s wine press.
Hopefully, this is a basic common human sentiment!
Don’t we hope that those released from prison leave with skills – and money to get started again. Haven’t we seen moms and dads giving their kids a few extra dollars when going to an event or game? Haven’t we seen grandparents slipping their grandkids some green when they are driving back to college.
We don’t want others to arrive at their destination empty-handed.
CONCLUSION
As I reflected on this theme of “empty-handed” - I said to myself: this is the Mass. We come here and hand ourselves over to the Lord as today’s Gospel tells us. Then we walk out from here at the end of Mass with bread and wine – the Lamb of God on our breath – and in our being - and we hopefully we hand these gifts – especially the gift of Christ to our world, today. Amen.
(1) Alexander A. Di Lella, O.F.M, “Sirach” page 497, in The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, edited by Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 07632, 1990
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
WORRY, WORRY, WORRY
INTRODUCTION
The title of my thoughts for this Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time is, “Worry, Worry, Worry.”
Is “Worry” everyone’s secret middle name?
Is worry everyone’s ongoing nemesis? [Nemesis: the Greek goddess that inflicts retribution or vengeance or pay backs for wrongs done.]
In today’s gospel – continuing words from the Sermon on the Mount – Jesus tells us his disciples, “… not to worry.”
Isn’t that the hope and plan of every parent – that their kids are “not to worry” - I'm taking care of you?
Jesus tells us not to worry about food and clothes and tomorrow.
Jesus asks, “Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life span?”
Isaiah in today’s first reading tells us not to worry. Trust. “Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you.”
So we have powerful words from Isaiah and Jesus today not to worry, worry, worry.
5 QUESTIONS ABOUT WORRY
1) On a scale of 1 to 10, ten being the worst, how much of a worrier am I?
2) Scanning the people in my life, can I come up with the name of someone whom I think was biggest worrier I’ve ever met?
3) What do I worry about the most: money, the economy, how I look, how I sound, how I fit in, health, death, war, in-laws, drugs, broken marriages?
4) Jesus said that the birds of the sky don’t sow seeds or reap crops, yet they find food – thanks to our heavenly Father. Have I ever seen a dead bird – and remembered Jesus’ words? Do people who feed the ducks at the dock ever trigger Jesus’ words from today’s gospel?
5) What about trees falling, flowers being crushed, rabbits eating prize plants? What about the people in the Middle East being shot at while protesting in the city square? How does any of these experiences square with Jesus’ words from today’s gospel?
WONDERING, WONDERING, WONDERING
The title of my homily is, “Worry, Worry, Worry.”
I was wondering: does worry age us; does worry give us wrinkles; does worry tighten our nerves and constrict our arteries and this is not good for our health and well being?
I was wondering: what triggered Jesus’ observations in today’s gospel? Did fields of flowers fascinate him? Did Mary and Joseph have flowers outside their home in Nazareth? Did flocks of birds in flight – and in formation – stop him from what he was doing – and give him amazement? What did his face look like in such a moment?
I was wondering: did Jesus saw folks trying to serve two masters – and then did he see how this caused them to become split right down the middle?
I was wondering: did people in Jesus’ time have problems with obesity and the need for more and more clothes? Did Jesus ever overhear Joseph the carpenter listening to Jacob the tailor or cloth merchant talking about the value in fashion changes?
I was wondering what triggered Paul’s thoughts in today’s second reading about the motives of the human heart? Paul says motives are hidden in the dark insides of a person – “so do not make any judgment before the appointed time, until the Lord comes.” Is he sort of saying what Jesus said about not worrying about these sorts of things – worrying about my own motives are tough enough?
CONCLUSION
Today’s gospel and today’s readings challenge us with the issue of worry, worry, worry. I was wondering: what it would be like to try to have a worry free week? Would I laugh more? Would that make me more generous? Would others see a change in my face and my behavior?
This is a non-preached homily - because we had the Archdiocese of Baltimore annual appeal at this Sunday's Masses. I was wondering where I would go with today's readings. This was not a worry, but a wondering.
SEXUAL MORALITY
Quote for Today - February 27, 2011
"In all honesty, the Scripture scholar is surprised to find how little direct teaching Jesus gives us on sexual morality. It is obviously not his main concern: that is reserved for the proclamation of the kingdom of God and the call to forgiveness and reconciliation. This does not mean that sexual morality is unimportant, but that Jesus seems to feel that sexual practice will take care of itself if the primary teachings are deeply received."
Father Richard Rohr, O.F.M., in Soujouners
Saturday, February 26, 2011
A CATECHISM
CALLED, "MY FATHER".
Quote for Today - February 26, 2011
"A great man once said: 'In early life I had nearly been betrayed into the principles of atheism, but there was one argument in favor of Christianity that I could not refute, and that was the consistent character and example of my own father.'"
Anonymous
Friday, February 25, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
PRAYER
AND
CONTEMPLATION
Quote for Today - February 21, 2011
"Prayer is one thing.
Contemplation in prayer is another ....
Prayer is sowing.
Contemplation is the reaping of the harvest,
when the reaper is filled with wonder
at the indescribable sight
of the beautiful ears of corn,
which sprung up before him
from the little naked seeds that he sowed."
St. Isaak of Syria - died around 700. Born in the area of modern day Qatar or Bahrain.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
ONE NIGHT
HE HEARD SCREAMS
HE HEARD SCREAMS
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “One Night He Heard Screams.”
Last night as I was preparing this homily I read something that grabbed me.
TODAY’S READINGS
But before I get to the grab, a little gab on today’s readings.
The readings for today got me into the question of anger and revenge – holding onto hurts and thinking we’re right and therefore sometimes better than others – feelings we feel from time to time.
I read about 6 commentaries on today’s readings – to get some background sounds – different takes by different folks on what the readings are getting at. Tough topic today. Good readings for today. I think today's readings are more manageable compared to last Sunday’s readings – especially last Sunday’s gospel – which had a splattering of themes from the Sermon the Mount.
Today’s readings talk about anger and grudges – and what true holiness and true wisdom are – the inside stuff – the inside sounds.
The first reading from Leviticus has a very strong warning: “Cherish no grudge!” Let’s be honest: we might not cherish our grudges – but we hold onto some grudges for life.
Question: what are my 3 top grudge memories? Are they from 3 different people or the same person? Are they alive or dead? Are they family members or outsiders? Or are they angers and grudges I hold against myself – sometimes called resentments and regrets?
The second reading from 1st Corinthians deals with thinking we’re wise, we’re right, without the hesitation: “Hey maybe I have this all wrong.” It also deals with an issue that hits many church communities – putting one person up on a pedestal and then putting other persons down.
Today’s gospel gets right into the anger issue.
I ask some people, “What is your weapon of choice?” When I ask that, they look at me strangely. So I say, “You know? Words, silence, withdrawal, sneaky sabotage or what have you? What is your weapon of choice?”
We’ve all heard the phrase that Jesus quotes in today’s gospel: “the eye for an eye and the tooth for the tooth” theory. That law – the Lex Talionis – actually cut down on violence – because sometimes when one person was killed their family or village would wipe out a whole village or family – in retaliation.
Jesus goes radical in today’s gospel. He urges his followers to turn the other cheek, to go the extra mile, and if someone wants to steal your wallet – give him your rings and things as well. He says, “Of course, we all like and love those neighbors who are easy and good to us. My call is to love your enemies and those you can’t stand or understand.”
Now that’s radical. Jesus is saying: that’s holiness, that’s love, that’s being perfect, that’s what our Father wants. That will bring peace to our world. He’s not telling us to be stupid –to go out and get mugged by walking down wrong streets at the wrong time of the night – but he is telling us how to end violence.
Hello! Take a look at the big cross up here. How many times has Christ looked at me from the cross and said, “Father forgive him because he doesn’t know what he is doing”?
ONE NIGHT HE HEARD SCREAMS
The title of my homily is, “One Night He Heard Screams.”
Last night in preparing this homily I read something in a book entitled, Violence Unveiled. I take it off my shelf whenever the gospels get into the issue of violence. The book is by Gil Bailie – a speaker I once heard in Chicago. He relies heavily on the work of Rene Girard. Gil Bailie said he was reading the autobiography of Whittaker Chambers and in it there is mention of a conversation Whittaker Chambers had with the daughter of a German diplomat who said her father was once extremely pro-Communist and pro-Soviet. Then he became disillusioned with the Stalin regime because he said one night in Moscow, he heard screams. (page 35)
That was all it took for his change – that was all it took for his conversion: screams – screams in the night!
THE BOSTON STRANGLER
That comment about the screams grabbed me – and as I thought about that – I understood why.
Now that usually doesn’t happen to me too quickly. Who knows why some line or scene in a movie, some comment someone said to us in college, some thing that happened to us in 1994, grabbed us?
It triggered for me the memory of a Johnny Carson show I was watching a long time ago. I think it was F. Lee Bailey, the lawyer, who was being interviewed. Johnny Carson asked him about big trials he was in on – and he immediately started talking about the trial of the Boston Strangler – Albert De Salvo – who was accused of being a horrible crazy murderer of women.
F. Lee Bailey said something like this: “If you heard what they did to this guy when he was a kid, you would not be as harsh on him as many were.”
For some reason that simple comment grabbed me and it has influenced me ever since to give those I hear labeled “horrible” – or “crazy” – a so called “second chance”.
I’d be interested in reading books on what made Stalin or Hitler tick.
I don’t know what the screams were in the Boston Strangler’s mind and heart and brain.
It’s the same message in the Native American saying, “Don’t criticize someone till you have walked a mile in their moccasins.”
I fail, but I try not to criticize anyone because I have not walked a mile in their sins. As priests, however, I’ve heard a lot of people tell me their sins and their screams.
DANGEROUS DRIVERS AND CRAZY CRAZIES
I tend to drive within the local speed limits. However, sometimes I’m in a rush because I get called or caught at the wrong time and I still have to get out here to St. John Neumann for the 8 AM or 12:10 P.M. weekday Mass. So I leave late. Then I find myself driving a bit quicker. It’s when this happens that I notice red lights feel longer and other drivers seem slower. I laugh – because that puts me into the bodies of those crazy drivers who seem to come shooting up behind me and then around me and seem so dangerous. I don’t know if they got trapped by someone else and are now late for work or what have you. I’m not in their skin. Maybe they are always late and they have to work on that. Maybe they always drive dangerously. I don’t know. But I say to myself, “I don’t know who they are and what’s going on with them – the way they drive or what have you! I'm not them.”
I also have seen drivers get cut off and they then go on a crazy pursuit of that crazy driver and they become dangerous and crazy themselves – beeping – giving the other the brights as well as screams and certain gestures.
It’s then I say to Jesus, “Is this what you’re getting at? My anger at another can ruin me – and others – so let it go. Go the extra mile. Give the extra smile. It’s good for the soul. It also avoids accidents."
We’re at work. This co-worker walks into the room and at least every other day says to those around us, “Hi Mary. Hi Jim. Hi Betty” but they never ever say “Hello” to us. They ignore us. We just feel the friction in the room when this person does this to us. Now we can get angry at this. We can talk about this person behind their back to get others on our side. We can vent. We can resent. But what does our anger do to our well being? That's a question to reflect upon.
Then we realize this is the stuff Jesus is getting us into. This is my turn to be nailed to a cross. This is the stuff to come to Jesus in the night with our screams – and we trust that the Jesus who screamed in the night in the garden will hear our screams – unlike the disciples who slept when Jesus was going through his agony in the garden.
We don’t have to go it alone. Everyone has screams in the night. We need to talk to each other. We need to talk to someone other than ourselves. “Help! I need someone,” as the Beatles sang.
CRIES IN THE NIGHT
I like to write – but I don’t have enough time – and as priest I know that people are more important than print. I got 5 books published – but the only one I really liked was entitled, “Cries …. But Silent.” It’s out of print so I’m not pushing it. It was my attempt in poetic form to articulate the cries I’ve heard from people – their screams in the night.
And I’ve heard a lot of cries – and not just from people in church – but from here and there as well as from myself and priests.
I remember a priest I lived with. He always seemed to have a locked jaw and a cemented in place face. He’s dead now – but we talked from time to time – but not enough. Without him knowing it, I wrote this poem called, “Lid!”
LID
A nervous violence
flowed within him,
below his locked mouth,
his tight jaw.
You knew it was there.
You could hear its noise
from time to time,
like a car going over
a loose manhole cover
in the middle of the night.
Here’s another poem entitled, "Salad Dressing".
SALAD DRESSING
Married
to you
for seven long years
I began
to notice
that you had begun to pick.
It took me 2 hours
to prepare supper,
yet you said I forgot
your favorite salad dressing,
and for the rest of the meal,
and the rest of the year,
I began to pick up signals
that love had moved
out of the house
and began staying
away from home
later and later
into the night.
CONCLUSION
I’ve often said that the whole church building itself is a crying room.
Have you ever had the thought that there are millions of phone messages and words flying through this air right here – right now? There are also dozens of radio songs and talk shows etc. going on right now – flowing through this space. If we had a radio or phone on right now, we’d hear some of those sounds.
There are also many thoughts, distractions, gripes and grudges flying around this church right now. Before Mass someone says, "Would you please turn off your cell phones and pagers." These inner sounds and screams are not that easy to switch off. Well, there are also many screams going on in this church right now - better in the minds of all of us here. “Hurry up! End your sermon! I got the message. You’re beating it to death. End now!”
St. Paul in today’s second reading says we are all temples – called to be holy places.
Now the message: if we could hear each other’s screams, we would all have a much greater sympathy and empathy and understanding of each other.
And we might begin to talk and listen to each other a lot more – now that’s Holy Communion. Now that’s the kind of Communion Jesus wants us to have with him and each other – each day. Amen.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
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