FORGIVING SINS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this feast of Pentecost is,  “Forgiving Sins.”

In today’s gospel Jesus says, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

The title of my homily is, “Forgiving Sins.”

I would like to ponder the message: I have the power to forgive sins.

PART ONE: ON HEARING CONFESSIONS

I was blessed with a good education. To become a priest, after finishing college, there were 4 more years of studies – as well as a year of novitiate. Besides preaching, catechetics, - as well as languages – some more Greek, Spanish, Portuguese and even some Hebrew – I barely learned the Hebrew alphabet, these post college 4 years consisted of 2 years of Old Testament Studies along with  Dogmatic Theology and 2 years of New Testament Studies along with Moral Theology.

Most priests would be ordained after those 4 years of post college studies, but we were ordained after 3 years. However, we couldn’t hear confessions for another year till we finished our second year of Moral Theology. So we were called, “Simplex Priests” for a whole year. Most weekends of our final year of seminary – we helped out in different churches in the Hudson Valley – in mid-Upstate New York. We said Mass and preached, but we couldn’t hear confessions – and at times we wondered what that would be like.

Then in June of 1966 – a year after our ordination - we were delegated to hear confessions. At the age of 26, I found myself on the other side of the screen or dark curtain in a confessional box for the first time in my life. Now my real education in life was about to begin.

I don’t remember what my mind was like back then – other than I sometimes find a copy of a homily from that first year and I say to myself, “Oh my God I am partly sorry!”

At first,  hearing confessions was scary – listening to a person unloading their mistakes and sins – and wanting to move on.

It’s now 45 years later. What have I learned?

I think of the radio program called, “The Shadow” which we heard as kids. It began with the introduction: “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows.”

If anyone should know what evil can lurks in the human heart, the priest should know.

If anyone should know that we all have a shadow side, the priest should know.

And in recent years, we have discovered, sad to say, the evil that lurks in priest’s lives. We don’t practice what we preach. We don’t learn and grow enough  from what we read and hear about. The Bible talks over and over again about how we humans can self destruct – which causes great mess on families, community and world. Newspapers, magazines, TV news and talk shows couldn’t survive without sin. And pundits would add: "Hmmmm Church too."

What else did I learn? I learned that priests forget almost everything they hear in confession. If you hear confessions for an hour – in a confined space – and often you have no clue – who the person is – other than another human being – you don’t remember – nor do you want to – what people say. However, one says a quick prayer for that person who just confessed and admitted his or her sins.

After each confession, I close the screen or slide in the confessional. I pause. I breathe. I pray, “Come Holy Spirit” for the next person. Then I open the screen for that person and say, "Peace be with you."

When you have nothing to do and the church is empty, open the confessional box doors and check those tiny rooms in every Catholic Church. Say a prayer for priests and those who come here to be healed and helped.

I learned that the screen or curtain is very smart. Sometimes people need to be anonymous. Some people need to get things off their chest and move on.

I learned that there are two kinds of confessions: have to confessions and every once an a while I ought to go to confession, confessions.

I learned that confession in the Catholic Church has a long and very varied history. There were times in the Church’s long history when people went to confession once or twice in a lifetime.*

I learned that confession is good for the soul. And I also learned it’s not good for the soul if a person becomes scrupulous or there is no intention of changing or the whole experience becomes a mechanical parrot like experience – or people lie to themselves or don’t know themselves – and that’s what confession ought to help happen to us.

I learned that little kids confessions have improved 90 per cent since I was a kid. When we were kids, we went to confession with the so called laundry list – or teacher’s list. There were words we couldn’t even pronounce. I was "distobedient" to my mother and father 10,000 times. Most of the time nowadays the kid is better prepared – and sits there across from the priest and as Art Linkletter used to say, “Kids say the darndest things.” I have found that the kid is thinking at an early age that what he says or does or does not do, can hurt a brother or sister, friend or parent – or dog. Kids confess that as well.

I learned that it’s good every once and a while to examine one’s life. Just as going to the doctor or having one’s teeth checked, can catch stuff in one’s body or teeth – before things get worse – so too this sacrament.

A stitch in time saves nine.

A test in time can save a life.

So too the soul – so we have lists and we have Penance and Reconciliation services – and confessions in most Catholic Churches. When was the last time I reflected upon my life – with a list of the 7 Capital Sins in hand. When was the last time I read the paper and noticed the 7 Capital Sins going on? When was the last time I just listened to everyday life – and noticed that greed and grab mine is going on – or envy or jealousy is the centerpiece at coffee breaks or Facebook or Twitter or cell phone calls. Some people make lust # 1. Compare Dante’s levels of hell and where he puts popes and politicians and various people. Read C.S. Lewis who says there’s no comparison between the easy sins of lust and gluttony and the deeper more destructive sin of pride. I’m better than you – and to prove it, people want their car, home, titles, education, looks, clothes, religious practices or what have you as evidence, I’m at a higher level of smarts – looks – being that you – life than you, you poor slob. Read Jesus’ parables – they are Divine Comedy about how pompous we modern day Pharisees can be. They should scare the hell out of us – on how we walk by our neighbor in need – or we make fun of those we label down and out – and I’m up and out front in polls or pulpit.

I also learned that some people would do well to go for therapy as well  - and  / or enter 12 step programs for recovery from addictions of all sorts. It’s difficult and downright humiliating to admit I’m powerless over food or drink or sex or gambling and I need God and others for help – who can be powers greater than myself.

I hope many of you are familiar with 12 Step Programs – especially AA. Two key early steps are # 4 and # 5. One does a serious and in-depth look into one’s life and writes it all down. That’s Step 4. Step 5 is going to another person and telling and spilling one’s moral inventory of mess to that person.

I learned that confession can be nothing compared to listening to a person do the 5th Step in a 12 Step recovery programs. When I was stationed in Lima, Ohio for eight and a half years before coming here, every summer in July, I helped as one of the clergy in a big, big AA men’s retreat in Olivet, Michigan. 200 plus men would come on weekend retreat and a lot of them would make a 5th Step. A person would sign his name on a piece of paper on the door behind which were about 7 ministers and 2 priests. Each person who signed up was given a ½ hour – to come in – and dump a whole lifetime of disasters or this or that. Most had stuff on paper – and read from the paper. It was a draining experience, especially Saturday night, we clergy would finish at 2 or 3 into Sunday morning! Next. Now those were confessions.

I learned – this is my personal opinion for 25 years now at least – that the Catholic Church needs to have in the future a whole Synod on the Sacrament of Confession. In my opinion, confession needs major work – major surgery. Some people are scrupulous. Some people are addicts and need to deal with their issues in a setting other than a confession in the back or side of a church. Then there are folks who haven’t gone to confession in 20, 30 or 40 years. Some priest yelled at them. Yes, there are grouches amongst us. How often one could or should go to confession varies. Some people hear on EWTN that they ought to go every week. Some priests suggest going 2 times a year. Some people don’t see that Acts of Charity and Kindness take away a multitude of sins. Some people don’t connect that the first part of Mass is a reconciliation service. Some people ought to be confessing their sins to one another: a spouse, or a parent or a child or a friend. Some people better not do that, because it might destroy the bond or the relationship.I suspect some secrets ought to go with us to the grave; yet I also know that there is something in us that calls for us to vent or confess or tell someone about what happened. However, families don't need to find out that one of their members wrote a tell-all memoir. Sometimes we need to hang our dirty laundry on the cross and not on the backyard line.

Looking back now to 1966, I have listened to a lot of people asking for forgiveness in the Sacrament of Confession, Reconciliation, or Penance, or whatever it’s called. I'm stressing here for starters to do a bit of reflection on yourself and this Sacrament called "Reconciliation" or "Penance" or "Confession,"

PART TWO: THE MAIN POINT IN THIS HOMILY

In this homily my major stress would be to challenge myself and all of us with the application of the text from today’s gospel that I began this homily with: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Each of us here has the power to hold onto sins and each of us has the power to forgive sins.

In the First Reading from Acts we hear about a phenomenon from the early church – the gift of tongues.

I would like to stress that the most powerful sign of the Holy Spirit would be to loosen up our tongues and minds and discover we have the ability to say with our tongue and our self, “I forgive you” as well as to say, “I’m sorry that I hurt you when I….”

I would stress that in the gospel Jesus burst through walls and closed doors and said, “Peace be with you.” It was a scene of fire and wind – two of the great symbols of the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Then he gave them the disciples the power to forgive or to hold onto sin.

This text has been applied to the Sacrament of Confession.

I want to apply it also to every disciple of the Body of Christ – no matter who we are or where we are from or what language we speak.

DEALING WITH SELF AND OTHERS

I want to challenge all of us to reflect not only on forgiveness of how we hurt others or others hurt us – but on the issue of letting go.

Forgiveness is not forgetting. That’s dementia or the letting go in time.

Some questions:

Whom do you have to forgive?

Parents who made mistakes on you.

Teachers who were not fair.

Family members who cheated on you or what have you when it comes to wills and or money or homes and furniture or stuff.

I've heard  people  tell me that they still have a grudge after 50 years  that a sister got the silverware set they wanted.

Is there a priest or bishop or a boss or a coach or anybody who abused you verbally, emotionally, sexually, or what have you?

CONCLUSION

If there is anything I learned as a priest, the biggest truth I learned is about the retaining – the power of retaining –holding onto sins – my own or those against me.

People hold onto mistakes, hurts, it seems all their lives.

Have they grasped, prayed over what Jesus did in today’s gospel. He broke through thick skulls and breathed new life into his disciples.

May it be me.

May it be you.





* REFERENCES

Cf. Regis Duffy, “Reconciliation”, in The New Dictionary of Theology, editors Joseph A. Komonchak, Mary Collins, Dermot A. Lane, Michael Glazier, Wilmington, Delaware, 1989, pp. 830 – 836.

Cf. New Catholic Encyclopedia, on Penance from pages 72 to 84. This provides a series of articles by different authors on different aspects of Penance. [1967 © The Catholic University of America. Washington D.C.]

Cf. Berthold Altaner, Patrology, translated by Hilda Graef, Herder and Herder, 1960. Here are some pages and sections to look at: “19” on page 31; “g” on page 53; “1.” and “3.” on pages 86-87; “a” on page 144; “Cyprian on arrogance of confessors page 194; “20” on page 176; “10.” on page 181; “6.” on page 204; “7.” on page 233; “4.” on pages 343-344; “4.” on pages 384-385; “3.” on pages 420-421; “10.” on pager 433; “c.” on pager 448-449; “7.” on page 454; “14.” on pages 530-531; “4.” on page 563; “4.” on page 609.

Cf. J. A. Jungmann, S.J., Pastoral Liturgy, Herder and Herder, N.Y., 1962, pages 244-251; page 299.

Cf. Guide for Confessors, from the Praxis Confessarii of St. Alphonsus Liguori, under the name of Father Daniel Lowery, C.SS.R, Mt. St. Alphonsus, Esopus, New York, 1978

Cf. Joseph Martos, Doors To The Sacred, A Historical Introduction of the Sacraments in The Catholic Church, Revised and Updated Edition, Liguori / Triumph, Liguori Missouri, 2001, Chapter IX, Reconciliation, pp. 275-324.

SUCCESS

Quote for Today - June 12, 2011

"When I come home from work and see those little noses pressed against the window pane, it is then I know that I am a success."

Paul Faulkner

ON BECOMING 

A MOTHER

Quote for Today - June 11, 2011

"Giving birth is little more than a set of muscular contractions granting passage of a child. Then the mother is born."


 
Erma Bombeck [1927-1996]

THERE! HE SAID IT!

[I preached on today’s gospel, the Jesus and Peter, “I love you!” scene in the last chapter of John dozens of times – so last night I decided to write a story. Here it is: a reflection on John 21: 15-19 – for this 7th Friday after Easter. It’s entitled, “There! He Said It!”]

His dad, a guy named John, never said to his son, Pete, not even once during his 18 years of growing up – the 3 simple words: “I love you!”

Well, words like apples, don’t fall too far from the family tree. John’s father before that, had never ever said it to him– so John wasn’t aware that this is something fathers say to their sons. Oh he and his father before him said, “I love you!” to their wives on a regular basis – but an “I love you!” to a son – no, that wasn’t part of the story. It was understood and unexpressed. With regards even saying it to your wife, as Archie Bunker was to put it years later on TV, “Of course I love you Edith. I’m your husband!”

At 18 Pete went off to the Navy. It was during the Vietnam War – and he ended up working on a supply ship all through the war – and then some.

John, his dad, never said to Pete “I love you!” when he was going off to basic training – as well as after finishing that – before heading out to sea.

Now Pete didn’t make waves because of this. He knew his father loved him – working hard to make life good for his mom and his two younger sisters. This “I love you” thing wasn’t a big thing in the 60’s in some families.

However, like some simmering resentments, it slowly arrived after one leaves home. It began sinking in and then bubbling up while aboard ship. A buddy would read a letter – and some letters were from dads – and they would end with an “I love you!”

Slowly it became an itch which Pete would scratch from time to time – especially when he felt alone – becoming a cut on his soul – and memory – and Pete would not let it become a hard scar yet.

From a distance he saw his dad’s faults and failings – his dad’s quietness and escape into Western paperback books. His dad, John, wasn’t a drinker or anything like that. He just was sort of a hider – a bit of an introvert. Now, he never sat down and put his philosophy or attitude on paper. For Jack, “Action speaks louder than words.” Jack saw himself as a good provider – a Sunday church goer – someone who made sure his kids had shoes and supper.

Pete found himself resenting that simple fact: my dad never ever said one “I love you” to me as I was growing up.

His dad did 85 out of 100 things right as a dad, but that little quirk was a blank piece of sandpaper with no words on it.

His dad didn’t write letters. That was what moms did – as his father saw it.

After the war and after getting out of the Navy, Pete settled down on the other coast, got married and had 3 kids. Even at his wedding – even when Pete and his wife Teresa came east – with the 3 kids – John never said an, “I love you!”

By now Pete wasn’t going to tell his dad that this irked him – because if he said it now – it would be because he told him. Love has to be unasked for, unconditional, and unexpected, as far as Pete saw it.

It was the “I love you” Catch 22.

Life went on – time went on – his dad had a stroke – and ended up speechless – but at home thank God.

His sister, Penny, called her brother Pete and said, “Dad doesn’t look too good. You ought to come home east when you get a chance – before it’s too late.”

On the plane east – the passenger next to him in seat 15B was reading the New Testament. Pete had finished reading the Airline Magazine 2 times, so he glanced down to see exactly just what this other person was reading. He went to church most Sundays – but never really got into big time religion. Surprise! He saw his name on the page. The word, “Peter” flew off the page. Then he saw the words, “I love you!” Pete began crying – not uncontrollable tears – but he started crying.

When he got home – there was dad, John, excited to see his only son. Mom and his two sisters, told John, that Peter was coming.

With his one hand, the one he could write with a tiny bit, he handed Peter a piece of paper – with words on it – sort of like a little kid’s writing with a crayon. This had words written with a Sharpie Pen. It simple said 3 times, “I love you. I love you. I love you! Thanks for coming. Thanks for coming. Thanks for coming.”

It was the first time in his life he was handed a new testament, a gospel, Good News, from his dad – and it was unasked for and unexpected.

There! He said it!

MARRIAGE - GUARANTEES

Quote for Today - June 10, 2011

"Marriage has no guarantees. If that's what you're looking for, go live with a car battery."




Erma Bombeck

LOOK ME IN THE EYE!

Quote for Today - June 9,  2011

"Television has proved that people will look at anything but each other."

Ann Landers

FACING  ONE'S  SINS 

Quote for Today  - June 8, 2011

"You can't put your sins behind you until you face them."

Anonymous

STEPS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily – the title of my talk for tonight – for the Class of 2011 - our 8th Grade graduating from St. Mary's -  is, “Steps!”

The word “graduation” is from the Latin word, “gradus”. It simply means, “step” or “grade”. When you make it up all the steps – when you go through all the grades: K,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8, you graduate. It means your name is called and you can climb the steps in a place like this and receive your diploma.

When you finish all the steps in high school: freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, you can graduate – and you climb some steps and receive another diploma.

Millions of young people – as well as some middle aged as well as some older people – have walked up steps these past few weeks and received their college or master’s or doctor’s degree and diploma.

I was at a college graduation just three weeks ago and I heard several yells for graduates that went like this, “Way to go, mom! Way to go, mom. Way to go! mom!” And the mom who received her diploma, waved to her fans and family in the crowd with her degree in hand and a big smile on her face.

Graduation.

It’s never too late to step right up.

It’s never too late to graduate.

Step by step – we make the grade – step by step – we move through life – and for those in wheel chairs – it’s the same procedure – push by push – we can graduate – and make it up the ramp – and hopefully – they have more and more ramps and elevators for those who can’t make it up the steps.

LITTLE KIDS

Jesus loved little children. Little children loved Jesus.

Jesus came as a little child – a baby – Christmas – and showed us God knows the steps we all have to take – starting with baby steps.

Jesus said to us, “Learn from me!”

Jesus also said, “Let the little children come into your life and they will teach you about life. They will teach you about the Kingdom of God.”

Parents. You have let little children come into your life and they have taught you all about the kingdom of God. They have taught you about giving and living. They have taught you about sacrifice. They have taught you love: loving God and loving neighbor – especially when your neighbor is your child and he or she is crying in the night – or has taken up Irish Dancing or fencing or rowing or tuba playing and lessons are so expensive and the best teachers are sometimes so far away –and driving there sometimes takes place is the worst time for traffic – late afternoon.

And in giving you have received – and in a moment like tonight – you say, “That’s my kid there. It was all worth it.”

Kids: there was a day when you began to crawl.

Kids: there was a day you crawled to your first step – and you couldn’t walk yet – and you saw all those people so much bigger than you – walk up those steps to the second floor or up there in your house or into the sanctuary here or at your cousin’s house and you couldn’t climb any steps yet. That first step …. so, so high. And us older folks – often forget how big a first step can be.

There are two kinds of kids: those who scream when they come to obstacles like steps and those who try to climb it on their own – struggling over and over and over again till they make it – and then there is that second step – and on and on and on – and sometimes we fall – and sometimes we have to start all over again at that first step.

Life: it can be a bummer.

Life: it’s a lot of steps.

Chinese proverb: a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.

Italian proverb: The hardest step is over the threshold.

Alcoholics Anonymous: Do the 12 steps – a step at a time.

4 KINDS OF PARENTS

There are four kinds of parents:

A) Those parents who know how big steps can appear – and can be – to a kid. Steps are like mountains. And they let the kid struggle to climb those steps on their own – because they know that’s what their kid need if they are going to grow.

B) There are those parents who pick their kid up and carry them to the top of the steps – because they don’t want to hear the whining or the screaming of a kid who whines and screams when things are tough and they know this is how to get their parents to do what they want them to do for them.

C) Then there are parents who take their kid by the hands and let the kid dangle their feet and touch the rug and then parent and child walk up the steps, step by step, together – and that parent then claps for their kid when then make it to the top of the stairs and the kid claps for their parents and for themselves because they have just climbed Mount Everest together.

D) Then there is the fourth type of parent. It all depends on how much time they have, how their kid is, if the steps are dangerous – and how their back feels today, and then sometimes they do A, and sometimes they do B, and sometimes they do C. They have discovered, life is an “It all depends!”

Steps!

PIANO

If you want to learn how to play the piano, you start with the do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do – 8 keys – 8 steps – but we only have 5 fingers, so the first step is learning how to make that do, re, mi, with these 3 fingers and then to learn to make the thumb cross over, and hit the fa key with the thumb – and use the next four fingers on the piano keys to get so, la, ti do – that last note with our pinkie finger.

Steps!

Sometimes you just follow the steps.

Sometimes life is tricky. Sometimes life is complicated – but to make music you got to learn the keys – black and white, the sharps and the flats – or if you take up the guitar, you have to learn the strings and the cords.

A CATHOLIC SCHOOL

School – St. Mary’s School – like any school – is all about learning the steps – learning words, reading, writing and arithmetic – the 3 R’s – but the second two words, writing and arithmetic, don’t begin with the letter “R”. School is learning little things like that – as well as big things – the things that really matter – not just marks – but how to interact, how to treat one another, how to deal with difficulties.

Catholic Schools – like St. Mary’s School – an opportunity to learn what Jesus taught one of the Pharisees as we heard about in the gospel you picked for your graduation Mass tonight: “The greatest commandment, the secret of life, the big learning is: to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind and to love our neighbor as ourselves.”

Learn those two steps – practice those two steps – and blessed will be your life.

THE CROSS

Catholic Church – sitting in a big church like this – with this gigantic cross up here – can help us learn what life is all about:

A) Jesus is saying from the cross: “Greater love than this no one has than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

B) Learning that the Cross is a gigantic STOP sign. Stop doing this to people. Stop hurting one another. Stop killing one another. Stop crucifying each other.

C) Jesus said from the cross: “Father forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” To forgive those who wound us – or hurt us - is a very difficult thing – but if we learn how to do that, we have learned another great step in life – and we put an end to get backs.

D) The Cross is a Ladder. Climb the steps of the cross and learn who and what Christ is all about. Or take the steps in every Catholic Church – walk the14 stations of the cross – all of which leads to this big cross here behind us in this sanctuary.

Steps.

YOUTH AND IDEALISM

I remember hearing someone say that young people when they are around 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16, they are at the highest point in their lives for idealism – for seeing possibilities with their lives. This is the time of their greatest dreams. Then reality can start to seep and step in. It happens. I would hope every school presents young people with big visions. I would hope classrooms don’t put kids asleep – but put them into deep dreams.

A BISHOP NAMED JIM

I remember being at a confirmation in the last parish I was in. This took place about 12 years ago. The bishop was preaching and he stepped down the steps of the sanctuary and stood right there in front of the young men and women sitting there who were about to make their confirmation – in the Catholic Church.

He talked about possible visions and dreams jobs for their future. The one that stood out for me – was his call for some kid there to become a great journalist – a great newspaper columnist – someone who challenge the country and the government – the world – to tackle big problems like poverty and immigration – and that the Catholic Church has great letters written by popes and bishops’ conferences on Labor Unions and Immigration and the Poor and the economy – as well as the ecology.

That was 12 years ago. Those kids are finished college by now. From time to time – I wonder if one kid there heard that – and went that way – step by step by step – and today he’s working for some newspaper or is on the editorial team for some News Station.

A PRIEST NAMED TOM

I worked for 8 ½ years with a priest named Tom and one day in some church he said out loud the story of his life. He said he was in church as a kid and he looked up and saw a priest saying Mass and preaching and baptizing and he said to himself, “I like that.” Another time he said to himself, “I could do that. I could become a priest.” Another day he said, “I want to do that.” Another time he said, “I’m deciding to do that!” Step by step he clarified the vision of what he wanted to do with his life – and he did it.

It took him 4 years of college, a year of novitiate, as well as 4 years of theology studies – and then he went on for a Ph.D. after that – besides being a priest he did studies and teaching in sociology – with special studies and awareness of people in the rust belt areas of the United States – where people are out of work and are stuck.

Hearing his story hit me because that was sort of like my story. A priest who was working in Brazil came into a classroom in our Catholic School when I was a kid and talked about his life and his work and asked us if any of us would like to be priests – and I raised my hand – and I have never taken it down. I studied Portuguese in the seminary – the language of Brazil – and every year in the steps of becoming a priest when they asked us what we wanted to do when we ordained – I wrote “Foreign missionary - Brazil.” It didn’t happen. I also took a vow of obedience to go where the Redemptorist wanted to put me.

You have to dream. You have to grow. You have to learn about “yes” and “no”. And one has to learn how to deal with changes in plans.

Every time I say Mass and preach I hope some young person sitting there says, “I would like to be a priest when I grow up!”

Every time I’m at a moment like this, I would hope different young people will want to be teachers, nuns, and good parents like their parents.

When I was in the 8th grade – I want to stress 8th Grade – because that’s what you are just finishing – besides wanting to be a priest, I also wanted to be a writer. So I wrote and sometimes I would read out loud stuff I wrote – funny stuff – stream of consciousness type writing – to my classmates and they would laugh. I forgot that dream somewhere along the line – but found out after I became a priest, I could do that. I have 6 books and lots of magazine articles and lots of poems published. I’ve learned about rejection slips – one book was rejected by 10 publishers – but number 11 said, “Yes.”

I add that because life not only has moments like tonight – when someone is called to step forwards – life also has moments when we area rejected. In time to come as you date, expect rejection slips. In time to come, as you apply for jobs, expect rejection slips. When that happens one has to knock on other doors and go find a different staircase.

Step by step, word by word, page by page, chapter by chapter, a book or a poem or an article or a homily or a sermon is written.

I’m almost finished this talk on steps. I want to give one more example and then close with a favorite poem from Langston Hughes.

EXAMPLE: BOARDWALK

I once was working at a retreat house in New Jersey – right on the Atlantic Ocean – and this huge Nor easterner storm hit our place – and picked up our boardwalk and dumped it about 15 yards away on our lawn from where it was. It had pulled apart most of the boards.

About a week later I decided to rebuild the boardwalk on my own.

As I was building it – with all the loose planks lying on the lawn – I found myself saying as I nailed each board to the framework that was still there, “Board by board, the boardwalk is built.” It took me about 2 months, but I got it done. My sister in law saw it that Thanksgiving and dubbed it, “The Worlds Shortest Boardwalk.” On first instance that hurt, but as I reflected upon it, I was glad I built it, because it taught me one of life’s great lessons: Board by board, step by step, one’s life is built.”

I got changed from there and came back a year later. They had replaced my boardwalk with a bigger and better and longer one – and that hurt. Then I laughed. That’s life.

The secret is to keep going. So that’s my homily, my talk, my message for tonight on your graduation.

CONCLUSION

Now I want to close with a poem that says everything I said to tonight in 104 words. Now you tell me. It’s a poem by the Black poet, Langston Hughes. It’s the story of poor black woman climbing an apartment house stairs with her son and she’s giving him one of life’s greatest lessons: Keep climbing. Keep stepping. It’s called, “Mother to Son.”

MOTHER TO SON*

Well, son, I’ll tell you:
Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
It’s had tacks on it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor --
Bare.
But all the time
I’se been a-climbin’ on,
And reachin’ landin’s,
And turnin’ corners,
And sometimes goin’ in the dark
When there ain’t been no light.
So boy, don’t you turn back.
Don’t you set down in the steps
‘Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.
Don’t you fall now --
For I’se still goin’, honey,
I’se still climbin’
And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.



Notes:

*“Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes: © 1926 by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. and renewed 1954 by Langston Hughes. From Selected Poems by Langston Hughes

FORTUNE COOKIE

I didn’t care about the fortune cookie.
What I wanted was the message tucked inside.
Would it be my fortune? Would it be my luck?
Would it bring me a chuckle or a smile?
Or would it bring me an “Uh oh!”
Would I share it with the others?


I watched the other 5 all around the round table –
wondering when to make my move.
So much chatter – so much talk –
so many comments about the food.


My mind was so elsewhere.
What would be my message?


I slipped the fortune cookie to my lap –
to rip and remove the cellophane.
Then I crumbled the cookie in one hand.
With the other hand I took the tiny
paper message and cupped inside
a closed hand. Then I brought it up
and placed it on the edge of my plate,
making sure not to get soy sauce on it.


I was waiting, waiting, waiting
for the right moment to read my future –
to read my fortune. Hurry. Hurry. Hurry.


In the meanwhile, I took and tasted
the broken and tasteless cookie.


Just then the waitress, without warning,
came over my left shoulder and walked away
with my plate – with my fortune – with my future.


The old lady right across from me – must
have been watching me the whole time – said,
“Here take my fortune cookie. See what it says.
Maybe you’ll have better luck with this one.”

I said, “Oh no – no thanks. You read your’s.”


Then the thought: “Is this my fortune –
is this my luck – is this my lot in life,
to have someone walk away with my future –
when I only have so little left on my plate
and then be handed someone else’s fortune?”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2011

A MAN ON A MISSION

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 7th Tuesday after Easter  is, “A Man On A Mission.”

That’s the theme that hit me when I noticed a line in today’s first reading. I never noticed it before.

The first reading begins with Paul in Miletus. He had left Ephesus and traveled there by ship. Then he sent for the presbyters of the Church at Ephesus and said to them what he was trying to do. He said that he didn’t shrink from doing his job of preaching and witnessing. Then he finishes his comments with these words: “But now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem.”

Acts had said about a minute earlier that he wanted to get to Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost. [Cf. Acts of the Apostles 20: 16]

I use The Jerusalem Bible a lot – because I found that it has more cross references than any other translation of the Bible. We were taught that the original Bible texts didn’t have numbered chapters and verses. They only came later on. Scripture writers referred to other texts by using similar words and texts from other places in the Bible to show the listener a connection they wanted to make. The Jerusalem Bible points out lots of these connections.

So when I read this text in Acts 20:22, when Paul says he’s heading for Jerusalem, I realized it sounds so much like the text in Luke 9:51 – when Jesus changed his tune and said, “We’re heading for Jerusalem.” That was an “aha” – and Luke wrote both Acts and Luke.

Jesus went there to face his critics – even if it meant death.

Paul went there to face his critics – even if it meant death.

Both were men on a mission.

Surprise Acts 20:22 in The Jerusalem Bible doesn’t put “Luke 9:51” off to the side of the text. So the odds are: I’m wrong.

HOWEVER, THIS RAISED A QUESTION FOR ME

However, even if I’m wrong, it raised for me this question of being on a mission.

Looking at one’s life, do I remember any moments when I was on a mission – moments when nothing could stop me – moments when others said, “Get out of her way – or his way?”

I’ve heard wives say of husbands, “When he’s hungry, he’s a man on a mission. He doesn’t look up. He doesn’t say anything. He’s at his plate and he’s there to eat.”

So here’s some homework: What would be 5 or 10 moments in my life when I was on a mission?

I think that’s a good question. I think that’s good memory harvesting or homework.

The first moment that comes to mind for me was in the seminary when a professor failed me. He gave me a 69 and I was angry. He was being unfair in the questions he gave on the test. It was maybe one of the 3 or 4 times in my life I was angry. I stormed down the corridor in the seminary and went to his room. I knocked on his door and went in for a fight. I lost. Looking back I still think he was wrong. He’s dead. So now he knows he was dead wrong. Smile.

The second experience that put me on a mission was when I played for the Bay Ridge Robbins in baseball. Walter, the manager, put his younger brother in to play first base for every game, for every inning, for the whole season – except for one out. Except for that one out, I sat on the bench. I didn’t realize this till last night when I was putting together this homily, that experience gave me a lifetime mission. All my life I find myself at every game I watch on TV, thinking, coaches and managers ought to put players on the bench into the game – whenever possible. So I sit there thinking coaches and managers are stupid when they are ahead by 30 points or behind by 30 points or runs or what have you and they don’t put in substitutes.

Paul when he was Saul was on a mission to arrest and kill Christians. Saul when he became Paul was on a mission to proclaim Christ – or as he says in this first reading, “I did not shrink from proclaiming to you the entire plan of God.”

Obviously, Paul was one of those persons we’d label: someone who was a mover and a shaker and everyone knew when he came into a room or city.

NOW

Now, where do I go with this? What can I learn from all this? What observations can I make about all this?

This is a weekday homily – and I aim for 2 pages – 14 pica – 3 minutes – and right now I’m on page 3. People have to get to work.

A FEW CONCLUSIONS

A person should be aware of his or her passions – drives – when he or she is on a mission.

A person should step back and do a reality check on one’s missions and “off on’s”. Have I checked it out with anyone? Maybe I’m barking at the wrong tree. Maybe I’m hurting others with my behavior or mannerism.

As I thought about all this, I realize that religion is one of those areas where people can really be on a mission. If we don’t like what they are off on, they are the ones we whisper about and run from.

I know of a father who demands book reports from his two daughters and 1 son all summer – as well as being on their case big time all year long with regards hitting the books. Everyone who knows him – especially his wife – talk about his unreasonableness at times.

Looking at this from reverse, maybe there are some things I ought to be on a mission with.

Do I give up or give in too quickly?

Have I gotten lazy or lackadaisical – especially regards my discoveries what God is calling me to do with my time and talents and life?

Have I given up on my passions and dreams?

What’s my Jerusalem – that place, that state, that situation where God is calling me to set my sails for?

ON BEING

SELF CENTERED

Quote for Today - June 7, 2011

"A well informed person is someone who has opinions just like mine."

Anonymous

PICK  ONE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 7th Monday after Easter is, “Pick One!”

Right now it’s 12:15 lunch time and people are standing on line at McDonald’s, Burger King, Subway and Wendy’s. The menu is up there on the wall above the front counter and cash registers. They have pictures and numbers for the pickings and the possibilities. People are inwardly thinking of the people in front of them at the counter: “Pick One! Pick a number. Get moving. This is a fast food line. I gotta get back to work. Hurry!”

The title of my homily is, “Pick One!”

PENTECOST

Next Sunday is Pentecost. The old tradition is to prepare for Pentecost this week by praying to the Holy Spirit during these 9 days leading up to the great feast of Pentecost. Pray to the Holy Spirit for the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

In the scriptures and in our catechisms there are lists – numbers of gifts of the Holy Spirit. For example, 7. There are fruits of the Holy Spirit, for example 12.

My suggestion: Pick One – just one!

Pray for one gift of the Spirit – pick one fruit off the tree of the Spirit and pray for it.

Do you need patience, pray for it? Do you need courage? Pray for it. Do you need fortitude? Pray for it.

What do you need?

THE JESUIT METHOD

The Jesuit method is to name the grace you want. Be specific. Be clear. Then ask in prayer with the hope that you will receive. Knock on God’s door and it will be opened to you.

The Church has been around for the long time, so we have the gifts of lists of gifts to pray for.

The tradition 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit which can be found in Isaiah 11: 1-2 are, wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord. [Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1831.

The 12 fruits of the Holy Spirit can be found in Galatians 5: 22-23: “charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity.” That’s how are listed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church # 1832 – from one translation of that text from Paul.

Everyone who has taught CCD or religion to kids – especially in preparation for Confirmation are very grateful for such lists.

I’m suggesting here, “Pick One!”

UNDERSTANDING

The one I pick is understanding.

That’s the one gift I’d love to have more of – understanding others.

I love the story of Solomon in First Kings, Chapter 3. He has a dream and God says to him, “Ask what you would like from me and I will give it to you?”

And Solomon asks for an understanding heart. [Verse 3:9] He figures that’s the key gift he’ll need as leader and king of his people.

And God says, “Because you didn’t ask for a long life or riches or the lives of your enemies, I will give you a wise heart – as well as riches – and glory as no other king ever had.

Well, we’ve all heard of the wisdom of Solomon. That’s the background story for his wisdom. Check it out.

Pick understanding.

I don’t know about you, but I scratch my head when it comes to trying to understand what makes others tick – why they do what they do.

We’ve all heard a dozen times the quote from Atticus Finch in the movie, To Kill a Mockingbird, where Atticus says to Scout, “If you just learn a single trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”

It’s the same message as the Native American sayings,  “Never criticize a person until you’ve walked a mile in their moccasins.” Or there is also the similar saying,  “Don’t judge anyone till you’ve walked two moons in their moccasins.”

I like to add that Jesus walked many miles in our sins.

I also like the saying in the Talmud, “Teach thy tongue to say, ‘I do not know.’”

I don’t know. I don’t understand. I misunderstand others. I haven’t walked in their steps. Their story is different than my story. I don’t understand their sins – so why do I want to throw rocks at times?

The first step is to listen – to observe – to watch.

The next step or a simultaneous step is to pray for the gift of understanding.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Pick One!”

During this time of preparation and prayer for the feast of Pentecost, pick one gift of the Spirit that you need.

Pray for it – then work receiving it and putting it into practice and action. Amen.

D-DAY

Quote for Today - June 6, 2011

"People of Western Europe: A landing was made this morning on the coast of France by troops of he Allied Expeditionary Force. This landing is part of the concerted United Nations plan for the liberation of Europe, made in conjunction with our great Russian allies ... I call upon all who love freedom to stand with us now. Together we shall achieve victory."

Dwight David Eisenhower [1890-1969], Broadcast on D-Day - June 6,  1944