A NEW TAKE ON 
MATTHEW 5: 43-48 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 11^th Tuesday in Ordinary time is, “A New Take on Matthew 5: 43-48.

As you know we’re going through the Sermon on the Mountain once more this year around this time. The first reading switches every other year, but the Gospels are the same.

In this section of the Sermon,  Jesus deals with how we deal with those folks we don’t like - those folks we get angry or agita with - those folks we feel we want to get even with - or what have you.

TODAY

Yesterday Jesus urged no retaliation - like the old law of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.  Rather he urges that we go to the other extreme and stop the wars and the in fighting - by turning the other cheek - going the extra mile. End the law suits. Today Jesus tells us to love our enemies - and those people we hate.

The obvious reason is because that’s how we can change things. That’s how we stop family and neighbor fights - by swallowing that venom inside our mouths - inside our cheeks.

Then last night - as I read today’s gospel -  I got a new take on Mathew 5: 43-48.

It’s not profound - but it hit me in a way I hadn’t thought about before - and this is over the 48^th time I’ve gone through this reading at least.

What hit me was that Jesus ends today’s gospel by talking about how God the Father is. God is perfect. Here Jesus is asking us to love our enemies and the one’s we hate to be with or those who hate us. What about God loving his enemies and those who hate him?

What about all those people who die - and most of their lives they ignored God, were indifferent to him, cursed God, didn’t want to know God - or lived a life of me, me, me, and then they die and God welcomes them with great love and shocks them with his love and his embrace.

Now that’s a different take on a basic religious attitude and thought.

Now one can get texts like Matthew 25 when we end up at the end in heaven or hell as a sheep or a goat depending on whether we helped our brother and our sister or Luke 16 when poor Lazarus ends up in bosom of Abraham and the rich man lands in the bosom of fire.

There are those texts. There is also evidence at times that God might be different than what we expect. There is evidence that some of those who have been good - who kept all the rules - are going to be furious when they spot this forgiving God.  Hey not fair. Some are going to be like the older brother of the prodigal son. Some are like those who worked all day long in the vineyard  - and they only get as much as those who jumped into the vineyard the last hour. Not fair. Not fair. Not fair. Some are going to be like the Good Thief stealing heaven at the last hour - and others aren’t going to like it.

But the Father - as Jesus puts it is perfect - so maybe that’s a glimpse of what perfection is - and Jesus wants us to have that  love and embrace for all - even the ones we consider God and life’s enemies.

CONCLUSION

Now this is my new wondering. Obviously, I need to pray and think more about it.  

Last night as I read this gospel story - that’s what hit me. What hits you?  I would think some of us are we here because we feel, we rather not take chances. We rather go through life and end up life with the spirit of love. Then our children and others will catch it in us - and want to know where we got this spirit and they might want some.  I don’t know, but it’s worth pondering and praying over.

Of course A is better than B - but maybe we need to learn both and deal with both. Amen.

FORGIVING  FRIENDS 

Quote for Today - June 18, 2013

"It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend."

Anonymous

Question: Is this our experience?

TURNING 

THE OTHER CHEEK

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily  for this 11^th Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Turning The Other Cheek.”

We know this message from the Sermon on the Mount very well.

It  - along with many of the messages of Jesus from the Sermon the Mount - are part of our lives.

Evidently - even if people don’t accept Jesus as God - they accept his messages about how to do life.

ANGER - REVENGE - BEING HURT

Today’s short gospel - Matthew 5: 38-42 - deals with anger, wanting to strike back - revenge - retaliation - being hurt - and going in the opposite direction - the direction of peace and bridge building.

How many times have we wanted to get back at someone who has hurt us - someone whom we think has done us wrong?

How many times have we stood on a long line and someone sneaks in ahead of us and we want to scream - but we swallow our spit or venom?

How many times have we been on Route 50 and someone takes the exit ramp road and then at the last, last, last, second - shoots back into the right lane of Route 50 heading for the Bay Bridge. If we play by the rules we want to beep and yell “Hey. Not fair. I hope you get a ticket!”

How many times have we been talking to someone - maybe even listening to them - and they start looking elsewhere - even waving to someone else - totally ignoring us - and we feel “Anger! What am I chopped liver!”

How many times have we been trying to sleep and someone is cutting their grass at 6 AM on a Saturday morning - or playing loud rock music at midnight on a Tuesday evening?

I WONDER

I wonder what triggered Jesus to think about all this. I wonder what did Jesus see. Did he see someone who was slapped in the face? Did he then see escalation - and in the end someone has a broken nose or face or arm - a scene that started with a wrong word or slur - or comment about someone’s family.

I wonder if Jesus saw someone turn the other cheek - go the extra mile - give someone their overcoat - when the other was going to sue them over their suit.

PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH

Certainly Jesus practiced what he preached.

He was nitpicked to death - long before he was put to death on the cross.

Certainly he went the extra mile when someone interrupted him because they had a sick daughter, son or servant.

THE WAY OF NON-VIOLENCE

If you saw the movie, Gandhi, you saw how he a Hindu, practiced Jesus’ way of non-violence - how he was beaten, thrown off a train, but non-violence eventually turned the minds of those who wanted status quo apartheid - in both South Africa and India.

I didn’t protest the war in Vietnam, but I think the protesters, did at some point help to end that war - sooner than it would have ended.

Most of us hope the silent protest against abortion - will put an end to abortion.

Most of us also have opportunities every day - to go the extra mile - turn the other cheek - not try to get back when dissed, dismissed or denigrated by another.

CONCLUSION: TWO OBSERVATIONS

1) Sometimes we realize the genius of Jesus - the plan of Jesus  in all this. We stop screaming - and our temper tantrums - in the car when we are filled with road rage - and we realize our spouse and our kids in the car are more relaxed as well. We didn’t say the wrong thing back at someone who has wronged us - and that night we say to God. “Thanks for keeping me calm when I became furious when so and so did that and that this morning.”

2) Sometimes we realize we were wrong - after the fact - and it's a good thing we didn’t attack back - because it's only then we realize we were wrong. The example I use for myself happened New Jersey.  It was a Saturday afternoon. I was on my way to preach a parish mission in a small parish there. I couldn’t find the church. I pulled into a gas station - got out - and asked an attendant - if he know where St. Such and Such Church was.  He told me to go back the road I had just taken - 6 lights - make a left - then make the next left - and go 5 lights and you’ll find the church. I did it. There it was. But as I got out of the car I could see in the distance - to my left - over the trees - the gas station I was just at asking for directions. I got angry and wanted to get back in the car - drive to the gas station and say to the guy. “Why didn’t you send me to the next light, make a right, go to the next light and make another right? Good thing I didn’t because that evening I went out for a short walk and surprise - there was a canal at the end of the street - and one couldn’t have driven over that water - without a bridge.

THE  MOMENT 

Quote for Today - June 17, 2013

"There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in."

Graham Green [1904-1991] in The Power and the Glory [1940] chapter 1.

Question: What was that moment for me?

FORGIVENESS AND

UNDERSTANDING

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 11 Sunday in Ordinary Time, C, is, “Forgiveness and Understanding.”

That’s an obvious theme that today’s readings challenge us to think and reflect on.

“Forgiveness and Understanding.”

When I die, will they say at the edge of my casket, “He was an understanding person. He was a forgiving person.”?

I hope so.  Does everyone hope so?

NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE

When I think about forgiveness, I think the greatest influence on me has been Nathaniel Hawthorne.

His book - which was also a movie, The Scarlet Letter - makes real for me the story in the gospel of John of The Woman Caught in Adultery. Jesus gets all those men to drop their rocks and move on when he says, “Let the person here without sin cast the first stone.” [Cf. John 8: 1-11]

That story has saved a lot of people a lot of times. Drop the rocks - those made of looks and gossip and behind the back or hand talk.

Hawthorne’s book, The Marble Faun - the title here in the United States and Transformation in England - also gets into Hawthorne’s exploration into how sin can educate us - and move us to more understanding. He presents Hilda - severe - critical - holy, holy, Hilda - and her mind struggles with Miriam the sinner.

Psychology may of come of age in the 20^th century - but Shakespeare and novelists - along with our scriptures - dealt with the evil and sin within the human mind and heart long before then.

Hawthorne was certainly off on the educational power of sin.

Herman Melville’s book Moby Dick was not just about whale catching.

Life is not just about Ravens or the Redskins, Coors or Bud Light, Ruby Tuesdays or TGIF’s, 6 figures or 5 figures, Fox or NBC, weekdays or weekends, Mini Coopers or Fords, college tuition or lacrosse - or what have you?

UNDERSTANDING

I think life is about understanding life.

I think we spend a lot of our life trying to understand our life - what makes my kids tick and what makes my spouse tick and what makes my boss tick and what makes the pastor or the politician tick. We seem to be always analyzing. We are trying to understand a whole series of people - on depending whether I’m caught in traffic - at a meeting - at Mass - or at a moment when someone says to me, “Happy Father’s Day”.

A lady told me yesterday that she gave her dad a Mother’s Day card once - as well as a Father’s Day card the next month - because he was both.

On Wednesday afternoon - around 3 PM -  this past week I was with Deacon Leroy Moore as we stood at the bed of a dad dying. He was surrounded by his kids - and their spouses. It brought me back to the bed of my father in Maimomedes Hospital in Brooklyn a week after Father’s Day - 1970. We were all there with our mom when he died. And I assume these kids will be doing what I’ve been doing the past 40 years - growing in an understanding of a wonderful dad - having done a lot of talking and reminiscing about him with my two sisters as well as my brother when he was alive. At 4 PM - an hour later I was at the same identical scene - another dad - another family of kids and their spouses around the death bed of their dad.

Go figure.

I think we spend most of our mind time - trying to figure out people.

I think we need to be urged to spend more time - trying to figure out ourselves - how we are - how we treat one another.

Understanding - to stand under - to step  back - to watch - to learn.

One of life’s questions is: What do we learn from the most? Good or evil? Does a bad mistake we learn from become a good mistake?  

I remember 7 retreats I was part of - one every July in  Olivet College, Michigan - AA retreats. I got a phone call asking if I would help. They asked me thinking I was someone else - a priest who was  an alcoholic.  As a little kid I noticed the anxiety and the anguish about an uncle who was a heavy drinker. Then and there I decided never to drink and I haven't.  Yet my schedule was open and I said "Yes!" If there is any great classroom to get an education in understanding, it’s an AA meeting - and especially and AA retreat.

Well this one priest - who will remain anonymous of course - who while giving his life AA talk - his "drunkalog" - as some call it - moved me really deeply for life. He told all of us that he did some really damaging things to himself - and others. I remember sitting there and saying to myself, “If I ever really mess myself up, this would be the first person I would call upon for help.”

Translation: he would understand.

He had been there. Done that. Learned from that.

How many parents have we heard say the same thing? "I understand my kids. Been there. Done that." 

But don't tell them that - till the right time.

How many parents have asked themselves when their kids are messing up: "Do I speak up, do I intervene, do I let them learn the hard way, fall on their face?"

Understanding.

Is the great teacher of understanding: mistakes, sin, evil, stupidity?

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s first reading from 2 Samuel tells some of the story of David - who really messed up - especially when he stole another man's wife - and then when he got her pregnant, he had Uriah killed.  And the scriptures tell the story about how Nathan the prophet challenged him on this - and how David finally understood there are consequences to our behavior - to our sins. He finally understood. How well, I don’t know. [Cf. 2 Samuel 12: 1-25; Psalm 51.]

I often wonder if David was a slow learner - because his son Solomon when asked by God - with the famous question: "One wish. I give you one wish." 

Well Solomon said, “Okay, I want an understanding heart.” [Cf. 1 Kings 3: 5-9.]

How many sons have become an understanding father - because their father was not understanding?

How many sons have become an understanding father - because they made some dumb moves in growing up.

Today’s second reading from  Galatians says we can’t manipulate justification by our behavior - or keeping the rules - but by a person. In our case, it’s Jesus Christ. [Cf. Galatians 2: 16-, 19-21.]

And in today’s gospel - Luke 7:36- 8:3 -  we have one of the great gospel stories about forgiveness. There are many. Forgiveness is a central theme of Jesus. Jesus forces the Pharisee to at least hear that the one who is forgiven the most, learns the most about forgiveness. Or at least they can - because we know about the man who was forgiven a big debt - and went out and wouldn’t forgive someone who owed him hardly anything. [Cf. Matthew 18: 21-35.]

The Pharisee had the chance to hear that he didn’t wash Jesus’ feet when Jesus came off the dusty roads to his house - but this woman - whom he labeled a sinner - washed Jesus feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. She then kissed his feet and anointed them with ointment.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Forgiveness and Understanding.” 

Life: Go, learn, and practice these gifts. 

Then when we're in our casket - listen to all those who  are saying, "There is one thing I noticed. He - or she - really had the gifts of forgiveness and understanding." 

MY  FATHER 

Quote for Today - June 16,  2013

“That was how I would remember my father. There was never a place he walked that was not the better for his having passed. For every tree he cut down he planted two.” Jubal Sackett,  in A Trail of Memories, a book by Louis  L’Amour p. 27

PARENTING 

PRIORITIES

Quote for Today - June 15, 2013

"Get your priorities straight.
No one ever said
on his or her deathbed,
"Gee, if I'd only spent
more time at the office."

Anonymous

EARTHEN VESSELS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 10 Friday in Ordinary time is, “Earthen Vessels”.

For our first reading these days we’re going through 2 Corinthians - and the theme of Earthen Vessels here in Chapter 4: 7-15  is well know - especially for us Catholics after the St. Louis Jesuits singers put out a whole album entitled, “Earthen Vessels” - which ended up being sung in churches around the world - selling well over a million copies - in English and many of the songs were translated in various other languages.

The Earthen Vessel Album has 12 songs - 8 of which are in our present Breaking Bread Missalette.

THOUGH THE MOUNTAINS MAY FALL,

IF GOD IS FOR US,

BE NOT AFRAID,

TURN TO ME,

SING TO THE MOUNTAINS,

EARTHEN VESSELS,

PRAISE THE LORD MY SOUL,

SEEK THE LORD

These 4 aren’t:

TAKE LORD RECEIVE

IF THE LORD DOES NOT BUILD,

MY SON HAS GONE AWAY,

WHAT YOU HEAR IN THE DARK.

What a gift to our church and world. These songs have made it into Protestant hymnals as well.

THE COVER AND THE QUESTION

The cover of this second album of their songs, “Earthen Vessels” features just that: an earthen vessel.

 The question I ask is: Why is this theme of Earthen Vessels so popular?

Answer: we are earthen vessels. We hear on Ash Wednesday, “Remember you are dust and into dust you shall return.” [Cf. Genesis 3:19]

That message is taken right from the book of Genesis 2:7 where the author pictures God as a sculptor taking the clay of the earth and forming us out of it - and then breathing life  - the spirit of life into us.

And we know this body of ours is of the earth - being filled and fed with water and wine,  wheat and bread - as well as sheep and lamb - etc. and etc.

And we know as time goes on we crumble - bend over - creak and crack.

So we know at the end our ashes or our bodies - our earthen vessel - will turn to ashes and be buried and placed in the ground - [or sea or a shelf for some for a time].

CONCLUSION: THE BEAUTY OF WHAT’S IN THE VESSEL

But the key to the beauty of the message is what’s inside the vessel - us - God. That’s where the treasure is.

We all know about boxes and bottles and containers: it’s what inside that counts.

Paul is telling us here in his message that has been heard billions and billions of times: Christ is within. Then he adds: it’s when we ache and break - when we experience the passion, death, and crucifixion of Christ within us - it’s then that we don’t have to despair - in aging or suffering and dying.

That to me is why that message, that song, is so moving and so worth singing.

Every once and a while I spot the St. Louis Jesuits’ cassettes or records and even though the record may scratch or the tape might get stuck, the songs still sound out great songs - so too us. 

FATHER'S DAY 

IS THIS SUNDAY 

Quote for Today - June 1, 2013

"Cosmic upheaval is not so moving as a little child pondering the death of a sparrow in the corner of a barn."

Thomas Savage, Her Side of It, Little Brown, 1981



Comment and Question: In Matthew 10: 29 we read, "Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge."   If God notices an old sparrow in some wood in West Virginia die on a Tuesday morning in April, is he like a little child pondering the death of a great grandmother - all alone in a nursing home in Columbus, Ohio - dying on a Tuesday morning as well?

LEAVING SELF BEHIND

Quote for Today - June 13, 2013

"To greet someone,
you must leave 
your own place."

L:i Qu Li

PUT DOWN

Put down that book,

talk to me - be with me -

be novel - be non-fiction -

tell me your stories -

tell me who you are - what

you’re feeling, what you’re

thinking - or just listen - listen -

let’s just listen to each other

or else - or else we’re

somewhere else than

being here with each other -

right here, right now. Now.

Put down that cell phone -

turn off that iPod - you’re

smart  enough without

your smart phone - you don’t

have to be always talking

to someone else  - some miles

and miles and miles away from me.

Make me your facelook -

screen me in - don’t screen

me out. I’m here - no wires -

non battery,  non electronic -

just me. Simply me, me, me.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2013

Paintings by Dan Witz

SELF WORTH

Quote for Today  - June 12, 2013

"The reason was
that I kept trying
to make others
see my worth
instead of seeing it
for myself."

Steve DeMasco, Kung Fu Master

PHOS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 10^th Tuesday in Ordinary Time  is, “Phos”.

“Phos”  - P H O S  is  the Greek word for “Light!”

We know its root in the big English words that begin with the prefix, “phos” - as in  phosphorus and  phosphorescence. We can also spot it in all those words  beginning with phot - P H O T  -  as in  photographs - something we see - because there was light.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

In today’s gospel Jesus calls us to be salt and light - to make a difference - to be tasty and enlightening. I’m just going to reflect on light - “Phos”. It’s a word right there in today’s gospel from Matthew 5:14 - right after the Beatitudes as we start the Sermon on the Mount.

SHORT MOVIE

Years and years ago in a retreat house - during a whole retreat season, we showed a short movie called “Phos” during the Saturday night session of the retreat. So I saw the movie over 35 times. I don’t remember if any words were spoken in the short movie.

As I remember the movie,  it went like this. The screen is all dark. It’s a shot at night looking down at a hill that leads to a village. It’s the night before Easter. It’s on a Greek island. Everything is dark. Night.

Then a small light appears on the upper left hand corner of the screen. It’s a new light. It’s lit on top of a hill. It’s a fire - as in our Easter Vigil - but this is more dramatic.

Then one sees a shadowy figure light a candle or a lamb from that fire and then that person lights the candle  or lamp of the person next to them. The road from the top of the hill to the bottom was lined with people.  The light moves all the way down the mountain on this curving, winding road to  a village. Then you start to see all the houses in the village slowly having a candle or a lamp lit in a window - and the whole town becomes bright - in the night.

I saw that movie over and over again. The story was simple a visible light from a fire on top of a hill - working its way down a road to a village.

It was a parable. It was a message maker. It got everyone talking about how we are called to be a light to our world.

THE NEW TESTAMENT

Another way to read the scriptures is to read them in light of that image of “Phos” or light.

Jesus came into the world as the Light of the World.

Jesus often talks about light and darkness - and the gospels - especially John - says that the light will never go out.

We come here to have our oil lamps filled for the day - and the night.

We can be foolish or wise version of the Christian.

The light can go out. We can walk in darkness.

We are like that long line of people on the hill and we pass the Light of Christ to the next person - and it works its way - please God to all the homes of Annapolis and the people we meet this day - and into their homes and their lives.

CONCLUSION

Today - June 11 - we celebrate the feast of St.  Barnabas - called out of anonymity and he passed the Light of Christ along with Paul to those same Greek islands and the area called, The Mediterranean Basin - and it has come to us.

Yes the light can go out. Yes the light can be rekindled.

Weren’t many of us brought up with the Christopher message from Father Keller, “Better to light one candle than curse the darkness”?

PLATO'S CAVE - 

LIGHT AND SHADOWS

Quote for Today - June 11, 2013

"Behold! 
Human beings living
in an underground den ...
Like ourselves ...
they see only their shadows,
or the shadows of one another,
which the fire throws on
the opposite wall of the cave."

Plato [c, 428-348 B.C,] The Republic, VII, 515 - B, Paul Shorey (Loeb Clasical Library)

IMPACT?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 10^th Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Impact?”

And it’s in the form of a question mark. Who and what has impacted our lives?  How and what and who has influenced us to be the who we are today?  Impact?

It’s the nurture part of the “Nature vs. Nurture” question.

The first time I really thought about this question was in a preaching seminar.  One of the presenters asked us preachers,  “Who has influenced you?”  “Whom are you imitating?”

I had never thought about that till the question was asked. As time has gone on, I’ve thought about it a lot. I have realized that the first answer is the usual, “I don’t know!” I could relate to George Seferis - the Greek writer and diplomat’s response - to someone who asked him, “Who influenced you?” His answer: “Don’t ask who’s influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he’s digested, and I’ve been reading all my life.”  Yet he also said he was influenced by Yeats - and especially Eliot whom he translated.

So we can come up with answers - to who and how we have been formed and influenced.

I liked a trick that Father Jack Kingsbury - our last pastor used: to refer to past sermons that he gave - and sometimes he would add that he wanted to develop further something from that sermon.

I don’t use props too often, but I love the way Father John Tizio - our present pastor - uses props - especially with kids. He has them hidden till the moment he brings the prop out of hiding. I see his method having great impact and people remember props.

I’ve also been influenced by how I don’t want to preach and live by watching others in action.

I was at the Navy Academy graduation just two weeks or so ago - during which my grandnephew Sean graduated. I noticed President Obama - who gave the commencement address - saying at a transition point in his talk: “In the time I have left.”  He didn’t say, “In conclusion….”  or “Finally ….” because once you say that, people are expecting an ending - and if you don’t end right about then, you’ve lost them. That’s what they remember. You promised an ending, but you didn’t deliver.

So I expect I’ll be using that trick at some point….

QUESTION: IMPACT?

So my question for today is: Impact?  Who has impacted us?

Whom have I learned my life tricks from?  Whom has taught me my attitudes - my style - my ways of thinking and seeing and being and believing?

By coming up with answers to this question of “Impact?”, we can study our background and decide whether we hold that and want to go with that or what have you.

THE READINGS AT MASS

When we come to Mass we have two or three readings that can have an impact on us.

How have they formed us? How have they impacted us?

For starters I always suggest texts - single texts. What is our favorite Bible text? Which are the ones that grab us? When did they hit us? What do they tell us about ourselves?

I learned from Father Benedict Groeschel the statement: tell me your favorite Bible text and you’re telling me a lot about yourself.

Besides single favorite texts, we can ask what is our favorite gospel or book of the Bible? What does that tell you about yourself?

Today’s two readings are beginning readings.

The first reading is the opening verses of 2 Corinthians. We’ll be hearing parts of that letter till Saturday June 22^nd. It has a few grabbers - that can impact us - on the resurrection and on reconciliation. Listen the next two weeks.

Today’s  Gospel begins the Sermon on the Mount - Matthew 5, 6 and 7. We’ll be hearing parts of that till July 2^nd this year. Some of those messages of Jesus have impacted Christians for the past 2000 years. Which one’s are yours.

CONCLUSION

Whenever I hear the words, “Sermon on the Mount” which we begin today, I think of General Omar Bradley - whose Christian roots from his church in Missouri - certainly influenced and impacted his life.

Let me close with a famous comment by General Omar Bradley, “We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount.”  Address on Armistice Day [1948]  

RELIGION

Quote for Today - June 10, 2013

"Religion, whatever it is, is a man's total reaction upon life."

William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience, 1902


QUESTIONS:

Does Sunday effect Monday?

Is Sunday different than the other days of the week?

So if there is something that has a total impact on our life, can we call that our religion: like another or a iPhone or a sport or drugs or alcohol?

BELIEF

Quote for Today - June 9,  2013

"It is wanting to know the end that makes us believe in God, or witchcraft, believe at least in something."

Truman Capote, Other Voices, Other Rooms, 1948

Question:

Agree or disagree?

UP THE DOWN

STAIRCASE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 10th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C,  is, “Up The Down Staircase.”

This is another weekend that we have to make a money push from the Archdiocese of Baltimore which we are part of.

Knowing we all come here to be nourished with both the Bread of the Word [the scriptures and a homily] and the Bread of the Eucharist, I want to obviously preach a homily but ….

But what should come first? I wrestled with that question and decided to do the money campaign push first - and then give a short homily.

The homily will have to be mainly images and story - because of the energy and distraction another money push or promotion could create.

Every year we have the Archbishop’s Appeal - as you know. The envelopes and pencils are in the benches. This year we hoped we could get out of this one - because we had the beginning of the big  5 year Archdiocesan Campaign just a short time ago. This annual appeal is usually in Lent - but  was pushed off to this weekend. Drop one shoe at a time.

Most of you know how to do the envelopes - etc.  I am going to continue talking for a few moments - while I hope you take a Green and White Annual Appeal Envelope which are in the benches - and you start filling it out and then the ushers will collect them - checking or filling in the appropriate boxes - without putting the pencil in the envelope. Then I’ll  give my short homily.

As Catholics - we are part of a local parish church - as well as a diocese - as well as a world wide Church. So all 3 need support. We hope there is wise stewardship in all 3. We are aware of economic struggles at the personal and family levels - and how big a burden taxation can be.

The money pledged and collected from the Archbishop of Baltimore’s Annual Appeal - 2013 - goes to supporting the Archdiocese - as well as its outreach and ministries. These would include amongst others: Catholic Charities, Outreach to Haiti, Hispanic Ministry, Prison Ministry, Tuition Assistance to Catholic Schools, Aids Ministry, Disability Access, Evangelization, Social Justice outreach, Interfaith Housing Alliance of Western Maryland, etc. etc.

The money over our quota goes to 3 other groups: 1/3 goes to our sister parish - Sacred Heart in Baltimore; 1/3 goes to Redemptorists in our nursing home in Stella Maris in Timonium; and 1/3 goes to the tuition angel program for helping kids in our St. Mary’s Schools.

The Archbishop’s letter that we received expresses thanks, gratitude, for the ongoing generosity from our parish and all the parishes of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Thank you.

Could the ushers please collect the envelopes?  Thank you.

NOW THE HOMILY

The title of my homily is, “Up The Down Staircase.”

I took my title from the title of the novel  by Bel Kaufman: Up the Down Staircase.  I see it as a metaphor for wanting to avoid confrontation or trouble or the uncomfortable - and so we take the other stair case or the back door.

The novel is about a  teacher, Sylvia Blake - an idealistic young teacher - in a big city public high school. She has to deal with bureaucracy, with interested and uninterested students, as well as other teachers.

I have always pictured it as a metaphor for how to be a priest and a Christian.

Do I embrace others - or do I want to run, escape, avoid, go up the down staircase, take the back staircase or do whatever way it takes to make it easier for me not to face others?

That to me is one of life’s big question.

THE UNTOUCHABLES

Once I  began thinking about staircases,  I thought of a scene in the movie, The Untouchables - which features the big staircase in Union Station in Chicago. Eliot Ness, played by Kevin Costner, is waiting above that staircase for some of Al Capone’s mob.

If you remember the movie, you’ll remember that life is the surprises. Life is the interruptions. Life is the unplanned. Just then a lady with 2 suitcases and a baby carriage comes to that staircase. We sense an, “Oh no! Not now!”

The big clock above the staircase keeps moving towards 12 noon - the time for the arrival of the bad guys.

The lady starts the climb up the big flight of stairs - with the baby carriage with her baby in it, with her suitcases - doing them one step at a time.

To help her or not to help her? That is the question.

What to do? Nobody coming up or down those stairs stops to help the lady.  Kevin Costner in frustration and with his shot gun under his coat - goes to help her.

A quarter of the way up the stairs, the bad guys appear and a shoot out happens. Eliot Ness has to let go of the carriage - with baby - which starts rolling down the stairs - and the mother is screaming.

What a great metaphor - what a great parable of life!

I looked up on Google: “The Untouchables - Baby Carriage Scene.”

There it is. I also found out that the movie Naked Gun made fun of the scene. It uses 3 baby carriages - as well as the president and then the pope and then disgruntled postal workers coming through the door and heading for the stairs.

I also noticed that Brian De Palma, the director of the movie, The Untouchables, used that big staircase in Union Station in Chicago as a tribute to a famous staircase scene in a 1925 black and white silent movie, Battleship Potemkin. That staircase is in Odessa. It's much, much bigger. The scene shows the horror when children, young people and countless men and women, are being shot as they run down the stairs away from the Cossacks who are shooting and killing them.

I put clips of both movies on my blog - along with this short sermon.

CONCLUSION

I think the staircase scene and metaphor in the book, Up the Down Staircase and in the two movies, The Untouchables and Battleship Potemkin, can be the message in today’s readings. Do I stop to help my brother or sister - or do I run or take the other stair case to avoid them?

In the first reading from 1 Kings and the gospel from Luke - we hear the story of two boys or young men who die and Elijah and then Jesus bring each boy back from the dead.

In the second reading from Galatians, we have part of Paul’s story. He stops persecuting people and starts helping people.

It's our daily call - as we go up and down the stairs and steps of our life - to help one another. We can go by men and women, old and young, and baby carriages - and treat them as Untouchable - to be avoided - or we can stop and help.

I believe that is also the central message of the Gospel of Luke - our gospel for this year - Cycle C of the Sunday readings.

We’re all there at the stairs with people coming and going - and some need our help. They are the interruption.

Our move.

EMPTINESS

Quote for Today - June 8, 2013

"We shape clay to make a pot
but without the emptiness inside
what use would it be?

We create doors and windows
to make a room
but only the space inside makes it useful.

Living beings create phenomena
but without emptiness,
they cannot be used."

Lao-tzu