VOICES!  

LISTENING  TO THE VOICES

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time [B] is, “Voices! Listening to the Voices.”

Today’s 3 readings along with Psalm 95 can be unpacked a bit by considering the theme of voices and listening.

We sang 4 times in the Responsorial Psalm, “If today you hear his voice; harden not your heart.”

So the title of my homily is, “Voices! Listening to the Voices.”

TEDDY MEEHAN

I was stationed 2 times, a total of 14 years - with a wonderful  priest, Father Frank Meehan.  He lived till his 90’s and went through life with the nickname of  “Teddy” because he had buck teeth like Teddy Roosevelt.

He lived and taught in our seminary - a four story building - in Esopus, New York, 15 minutes away from near Kingston, New York. 

Teddy was on the second floor. Well one day I saw him with a glass and an index card at a window sill - trying to do something. I asked him what he was doing. He said he was trying to get a bee into the glass. He said, “This building is 4 stories high. This bee got trapped here at the second floor window. He could fly up to the roof. However, that  would be too high  for him to fly - that is, if he wanted to get to the other side of the building. So, I just carry him across the corridor in this glass and let him out on the other side.”

That's what he was doing. Interesting.

VOICES ARE DIFFERENT

Let me now jump to voices. Like bees - voices are buzzing around us all the time.

Unlike bees however, voices can go right through walls.

There are exceptions. In certain places -  buildings block sound - like those on Church Circle in Annapolis.  If I’m driving home - heading through Church Circle - and I hit the red light - and I have my car radio on - the radio dies when I’m next to the building there across from St. Anne’s.

But most of the time voices come through walls.

In fact, this room is filled with voices right now. I don’t know how many, but if everyone who has a cell phone turned them on right now - we could have lots of voices in this church. So too radios and TV’s or what have you.

Voices are everywhere.

If we were on a bus or a plane or in a restaurant - if we listen, we can hear lots of voices.  

Voices. In this homily my voice is saying to listen up. Listen to the voices. They are everywhere.

PRAYER

Prayer is all about listening.

Prayer is all about God’s voice saying all sorts of things.

God speaks to us in thousands and thousands of ways.

Memories - stories - fill our RAM - our Random Access Memory. 

I remember sitting on our stoop in Brooklyn, years and years ago.  and my nephew Michael is at bat - playing stick ball on the street - and he sees this lady trying to pull her grocery wagon up the steps of her stoop - and he drops the bat - yells to the other kids - “I’ll be right back” and runs and pulls the lady’s wagon up the steps - she opens the door - he pulls it in - and comes flying back - and continues the game.

All the kids saw that act of kindness.

He was doing what Teddy was doing with the bee.

He was doing my favorite Bible text, Galatians 6:2, "Bear one another's burdens and in this way you're fulfilling the law of Christ."

I hear that text all the time when I see someone carrying something heavy.

Everyday all of us can hear the voice of God - saying, "Make life easier for this person." “Listen to this person.”  “Give this person the right of way.”  “This person is crying. Somethings wrong. Give them your ear.”

TEMPTATIONS

Temptations are voices.

They can go, “Hhhm” to us.

For example the temptation to gossip - the temptation to judge - the temptation to make fun of - another.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

In today’s gospel this guy has unclean spirits in him.

He yells out that he knows who Jesus is.

This too can happen to us.  That's the good news - if and when we turn to Jesus.

Our problems, our history, our day, can be loaded down with too many ugly voices. If they can get us to cry out to God - then that's good news.  

What a great prayer, "I know who you are and I  need you Jesus Christ."

And hopefully we pause and listen to Jesus pray over us as he says, “Quiet come out of him.”

Today’s gospel can get us to know Christ better.

He wants to make us whole - not divided.

CONVERSATIONS

Today’s second reading gives us a hint about the voices inside every person we meet.

People are filled with voices - anxiety - worries.

Each day at coffee breaks or car pools or  cell phone calls - we can really listen to others and really mean it when we say, “How are you doing?”

However, I don’t know about you, I’m finding myself getting worse and worse as a listener and a conversationalist.

I have so many stories in my 78 year old memory - stories that get triggered by other people’s stories - and I end up not listening to the other.

I have to keep on saying, “Shut up and listen.

CONCLUSION

So the title of my homily is, Listen to the voices.

This week listen to the voices that are our surround sound.

January 28, 2018

Thought for today:  

Diogenes the Cynic c. 320 B C

“Diogenes struck the father when the  son  swore.”

Robert Burton [1577-1647]

January 28, 2018

WHEN WE'RE ANGRY

When we're angry,
we do everything differently.
When we're angry,
people can read us quickly.
People also get more nervous.
People put us down more quickly.
So, when we're angry,
people can read us by our cover.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

January 27, 2018 

Thought for today: 

"Have you ever taken anything 
back out of the dirty-clothes basket because it had become, relatively, the cleaner thing?" 

Katharine  Whitehorn (1926-  )

January 27, 2018

THE CLINK OF  CUPS

Who was first human to clink their

cup, chalice, mug with another -

to connect, to celebrate, to be in

communion with another - wine,

beer. mead, rum - the sip, the smile,

the salute, the toast,  the cheer.

Who was the first human to know

this is one of the most basic human

signs, sacrament, that binds people

together. Christ did it at his Last

Supper. Couples do it at every

wedding - so too the funeral toast.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

January 26,  2018
   

BEHIND  CLOSED  DOORS

Going by closed doors, at least

1,000 of them each day…. Sometimes

wondering “Who’s in there - behind

this closed door?” Is someone asking,

“Is anyone interested in me today?”

Does God knock on at least

1,000 closed doors each day

wanting to get into our inner room?

Or does Jesus simply come through

our walls and say, “Peace. Shalom?”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

January 26, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“You know the  old  saying, 
‘The bigger they are, 
the further they have to fall.’”

 Robert Fitzsimmons [1862-1917] in Brooklyn Daily Eagle, August 11, 1900

January 25, 2018

CHESS  MOVE

I began as I was taught:

“Pawn to king 4 ….”

Then 34 moves later

it was your turn - and ….

You said, “Check!” And

I smiled, “Wrong move ....”

“Check!” You just found out,

you had met your match.”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018
Painting: The Chess Players
by Honore Daumier

January 25, 2018

Thought for today: 

“Somebody  once  asked Anton Bruckner: ‘Master, how, when, where did you think of the divine motif of your Ninth Symphony?’ ‘Well, it was like this,’ Bruckner replied, ‘I walked up the Kahlenberg, and when it got hot and I got hungry, I sat down by a little brook and unpacked my Swiss cheese.  And just  as I open the greasy paper, that darn tune pops into my head!”  

Anton Bruckner [1825-1896]

January 24, 2018

ANTSY  AND  SNIPPY  PRAYER

Lord, I don’t know about You,

but have you noticed that people

have been a bit antsy and snippy lately?

Are they being that way with You too? 

Is it the long winter, too many gray days,

or what? So here I am pausing. Here I am

praying. Help me to enter into a lot of upper

rooms today and spread Your word of

“Peace” to each person I meet. Amen.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

January 24, 2018

Thought for the day:

"There was never an angry person who thought their anger was unjust."

St. Francis de Sales [1567-1622]

January 23, 2018

Thought for today: 

“It is  hard to  think  at the top.”  

Stringfellow Barr [1897-1982]

January 23,  2018

SHOW AND TELL

Show me the trunk of your car,

it could also be your wallet,

and I’ll tell you who you are.

It could also be your desk,

what’s in the top drawer and

what’s in the bottom drawer?

Show me your mind - that’s where

Jesus liked to go - through your walls,

into your upper room and say, “Peace.”

 © Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

YOU’RE  ALLOWED  23

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 3rd Monday in Ordinary Time is, “You’re Allowed 23.”

I better explain and I better give a subtitle.

You’re allowed 23 Scripture texts that you don’t understand or it’s confusing  or you wonder about.

23 is a round number. It could be 123.

I should have started to write down during the last 52 or so years as a priest the scripture texts people asked me about.  

The situation or the interview goes like this: “Do you have a minute, Father? I have a question. For years I’ve wondered about a Bible text.” They then mention the text and wait for an answer.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Today’s gospel has one of those texts. “But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.”

Please explain.

Then there are various explanations.

For example, “Well if a person rejects forgiveness, they are not forgiven. It happens with each other, so God might be just accepting our position of not wanting forgiveness. Next!”

NOT ALL AT ONCE

Now people don’t have their 23 head scratching texts all at once.

There is usually a trigger or a button pushed. Someone is at church and they hear a reading and they go, “Oh yeah! What about …?”

A homily is a reflection on scripture readings - especially the readings of the day.

If I’m the preacher,  I realize if I say some words on the First Reading, some might have questions on the Gospel or vice versa.  Or someone says, “You said nothing about what I wanted to hear something about.”

Or if I’m the preacher,  I realize the comments I make on a scripture text might confuse people or they say, “What?” or “That’s not my take on that text.” or “Nice try.” or “Disagree.”

I remember reading a sermon once. I think it was by Kierkegaard. The sermon talks  about a couple who lost their son. They wrestled the rest of their life with God about his early death. “Not fair!” “Why?” Then they wrestled all their life as well, on the text in Genesis 22 when Abraham is asked by God to climb a mountain and offer up their son Isaac to God. He is to be sacrificed.  He is to be made a burnt offering. Then God stops the action. Abraham is asked to offer up a lamb instead. 

So: all their life they talked and argued with God about that story in Genesis  - and especially why God took or let their son die.

One answer I heard to that one was this. It’s a made up parable or story to argue against child sacrifice, a practice that went on in our world at times.  There is evidence of this in the Bible and in world history.  

Another comment has been.  For starters it took Sarah and Abraham a long time to get pregnant. Well, here is another obstacle to God’s plan for our world to be saved through Abraham. His only son dies. Folks life isn’t easy. Difficulties - obstacles happen. 

It also connects us in time to God the Father letting his Son die - the Lamb of God - on the cross - the sacrifice that brings life to the world.

CONCLUSION

Enough already.  The title of my homily is, “You’re Allowed 23.”

In a note pad or journal or a piece of paper in your Bible, jot down texts that you wonder about - question - scratch you head about, and see how many you have. You’re allowed 23.

January 22, 2018

BOOKS

Some get rejected in a split second.

Some get the once over - a hesitation.

Some are shuffled like a deck of cards.

Some never leave the shelf.

Some books are judged by their cover.

Some get opened. Some become us - 

the page turner  - the chapter gulped.

Some are bought and brought home.

Some make the next cut. They are read.

Some gather dust and then brought

in a shopping bag for a book drive.

Read me. Read me. Read me.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

January 22, 2018 

Thought for today:

“Family faces  are  magic  mirrors.  Looking at people who belong to us,  we see the past, present and future.”  

Gail Lumet Buckley, “The Hornes: An American Family, Knopf, 1986

January 21, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“Millions  long  for  immortality 

who do not know what to do 
with themselves on 
a rainy Sunday afternoon.” 

Susan Ertz

January 21, 2018

PULLING A LIGHT STRING

A couple in a car - coming up a dark street

at 2 AM - made an offhand comment - as

a slight light went on - in the house next to

their house,  “I wonder if we caused that.”

No. It was a closet light. She had pulled

the chain on that closet light - to get a pillow

and a blanket. She was going downstairs.

They had a fight and neither could sleep.

He was wondering what happened to the love

we had 20 years ago. Was it put in a box and

then put on the top shelf of that closet and then

we pulled the chain and the light went off.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

A CONVERSATION FOR FOUR

[The following is a reflective homily I wrote yesterday - picturing what Peter, Andrew, James and John, meeting 10 years after they met Jesus - what they might be saying.]

It happened after it all happened.

Roughly…. around 10 years - after everything so far.

What? Well, let tell you something about people you have heard about - at least by name.

Peter and Andrew just happened to be home that Sabbath - as well as James and John. The four of them decided to walk to a mountain - some ten miles away. They brought their tents with them.  They climbed the mountain - and they began talking about everything - that had happened.

It’s good to talk about everything - every once and a while.

“Little did we know that when that Stranger came along that day and said, ‘Come after me, and I will make you fishers of others’ - that he caught us - for life.”

They looked down from that mountain - from a neat spot - a place they loved to go - when they  were kids. Everyone has favorite places.  This was the place  they chose to camp for the night. It was almost evening as they looked down at the lake glistening and gleaming with light - light all across the lake. The lake was like a big gray blanket on a beach.

“Look at Galilee. If it wasn’t for him calling us - we would probably have spent our life on the edge of that water there - fishing for fish - and wow did he catch us - so we could catch others.”

“It’s good to be back home again - to be with family - friends - to compare notes - and to tell the stories - and then next week we’ll be back on the road again.”

“Look at that lake. From here we can’t tell what’s underneath the surface. We don’t know how many fish are swimming in Galilee’s waters tonight.”

“I was mesmerized by his eyes and his words at first - then  his parables and his stories - then the way he treated people.”

“My dad, Zebedee,  stood there in that boat  along with the men we had hired and yelled out -  when he saw us let go of our nets - and start up the road with Peter and Andrew and the Stranger.” “Where are you going?”

And we yelled back, “We don’t know. He just said to ‘Come after him’ so  in time we’ll let you know.”

“It’s been a good ten years now.”

“The first few years we walked with him. We saw miracles. We saw love. We saw jealously. We saw betrayal by one of us.  We saw him arrested and killed. John, you were the only one of us, who stood there under the cross when he died. The rest of us were scared - really scared."

And Peter said, “I denied knowing him. Three times I did that. Three times.”

And Peter got very quiet after  saying that.  Andrew knew how embarrassing that was to his brother. He saw Peter wipe some tears off his face with his sleeve and then Peter said, “And he forgave me 3 times.”

"He died."

"We thought that was the end."

"We thought we’d soon be back to our nets."

"Then we experienced his resurrection."

"Then we experienced new life."

"Then we began telling the stories we remembered - what we saw and what we heard." 

“We heard and experienced that water can turn to wine - and wine can turn to blood - and our thirst for God could be satisfied in and through Christ.”

“And along with bread becoming his body - we were in his presence every time we broke the bread and fed the hungry and visited the sick and those in prison.”

“Remember the day they dragged that women to him - to stone her  - for being caught in adultery. I was scared with that mob that day - for her - and for all people caught in adultery.”

“I was scared too, but I sought of smiled, because remember that day when he told us - especially us men - that adultery doesn’t always happened in bed - that it can happened in the bed of our minds.”

“I remember that afternoon we caught him talking to that woman at the well - and we didn’t know what that was all about - till he told us. Wow, could he see through people - and some knew it - especially crazy people in synagogues and crowds.”

“Yeah,” said Peter, pointing down the mountain towards Capernaum. “Remember that time we went into the synagogue  in Capernaum, that this strange looking guy with an unclean spirit yelled out at Jesus, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.”

“He knew who Jesus was long before we really knew who he was.”

“I remember that night when Nicodemus came to Jesus and Nicodemus couldn’t drop his nets - but Jesus caught him in his net that night.”

“Remember that time - over there - near the Gerasenes - and he sent a whole herd of pigs - running wild - down the cliff into the waters and all those folks were furious.”

“I remember that time he told me where to cast my nets to catch some fish - and I told him the lake is empty tonight - and surprise - our nets were filled to the breaking point.”

It was late so they set up their small tents - said their prayers - and slept in the peace of Christ.

No they were not transfigured that night.

But yes they figured out and remembered that night some of the things that had happened to them up to now - how Christ had changed their lives - how they were becoming the Gospel long before it was written down.

The next morning they rose from the dead of sleep - with the dew of the grass all around them - on their robes and on their beards.

And they started back down the mountain - to the plains - and onto to the trails and road back home - to say “Goodbye to their families” and then - once again - they continued to bring the gospel to the world. Amen.

TO  WHOM IT CONCERNS -

THAT IS ALL OF US

[I am still receiving negative comments from our parishioners about my homily on January 14th.  There have been letters of support as well.  That was not my goal in any shape or form. I was objecting to the comments I heard about Haiti and Africa - as well as the comments made about Republicans.  I left out comments about democrats in my homily.

[I said loud and clear that I was not addressing comments made as politics - but as morality.  I actually figured out beforehand that could happen, so I addressed that loud and clear in my homily.  Wow was I right. 

[Then the letter right below this introduction came from Redemptorists in our San Juan Province. 

[For those who sent both anonymous letters and signed letters, read this letter and please realize I'm not being political. I'm being a Christian - and I hope you will be as well. Amen]

January 17, 2018

Mr. Donald J. Trump

President of the United States

White House

Washington, DC

Mr. President:

We are a group of Catholic Missionaries from the Congregation of the Redemptorists, Members of the San Juan Province which includes Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Haiti.

We are writing to you with the purpose of commenting on the negative impact of the derogatory words you used on Thursday, January 11, 2018 in the presence of some members of the U.S. Congress, describing Haiti, El Salvador and poor countries in Africa as "Shithole Countries".

The call of our Congregation is to evangelize to the poor, and this includes proclaiming the Gospel explicitly, in solidarity and promoting the fundamental rights of freedom and justice for the needy.

The love of our mission urged our brothers from Spain and United States to serve in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic for a hundred years. That same love has led us to serve those people you despise, in Africa, Haiti and El Salvador. That mission and that service has enriched and blessed us abundantly.

Faithfulness to our call to be witnesses of the Redeemer in a broken world, is the reason we denounce your words as unjust, offensive and derogatory, we reject those words because they disfigure the image and dignity of men and women created in the image and likeness of God.

We reject your words which contradict the Gospel of Jesus Christ who saw the poor with respect and dignity. “Blessed are the poor for theirs is the kingdom of God”. (Luke 6:1)

Mr. President, on this eve of the Birth of Rev. Martin Luther King, Activist of the Equal Rights Movement and the Constitutional rights of all people, your words injure the hearts of those of us Americans who believe in the Constitution of the United States which affirms “All men are created equal”.

Mr. President, on the 8^th anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti, which is still mourning the 200, 000 of its people who died, you spit on the sensitivity of its people.  A country who sent 800 of its soldiers to fight for the independence of the United States. 

If it is true that their expressions darken the horizon and sow anxiety in the feelings of our people, then we are encouraged by the words of Pope John Paul II to African-Americans on October 13, 1992 in Santo Domingo "I cannot leave out my message of closeness and avid affection to the population of African-Americans that with their human and Christian values and culture enrich the Church and society in so many different countries. To this purpose, come to my mind those words of Simón Bolívar stating that "America is the result of the union of Europe and Africa with Aboriginal elements. "That do not fit the prejudices of racism and if they did, America would go back to primitive chaos".

We conclude with the words of Jesus “when you are hated, excluded, insulted, and despise your name because of the son of man "Rejoice and be filled with joy, because the reward in heaven is abundant." (Luke 6:22).

Attentively,

Redemptorist Missionaries of the San Juan Province.

January 20, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“Even  God  cannot  change the past.”  

Agathon (c. 447-401 B.C.)

January 20, 2018

COMEDY  OR  TRAGEDY? 

My life …. My play…. What’s it called?

Comedy or tragedy or what?

Where’s it playing?

Directed by? Supporting cast?

Is it any good?

Reviews? 

“An absorbing story....”

“Can’t miss ....”

“You’ll love it ....”

“Better than ....”

“Great second act ....”

“An experience you’ll never forget....”

My life is a play,

a mystery,

a psychological drama,

a powerful story,

full of plots and subplots,

full of interesting characters, 

at times a cascade of blurs,

at other times, a rainbow of glory,

but it’s a long time before “The End.”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

January 19, 2018

Thought for today: 

“Lord, grant that I may always desire more than I can accomplish.” 

Michelangelo [14755-1564]

January 19, 2018

January 19, 2018

5   SPIRITUAL   RULES

Spiritual Rule  #1:  When giving spiritual advice,

it ought to be - more or less - simple.

Spiritual Rule #2: Less words - less stuff -

less noise - less self - less eating ….

Spiritual Rule # 3:  Put others first. Put self last.

Spiritual Rule # 4:  See others as others

and not as I see and I am.

Spiritual Rule # 5: God the Second Person of God emptied God of being God and became Christ. Try it … not easy….

Spiritual Rule # 6: There’s more, but that’s

enough with the rules for now.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

January 18, 2018 

Thought for today:

“I don’t know whether I like it [the 4^th symphony], but it’s what I meant.”  

Ralph Vaughan Williams [1872-1958] in Christopher Headington Bodley Head History of Western Music (1974), page 293.

January 18,  2018

CHURCH  BELLS 

They didn’t know it when they bought

their house - that church bells came

with it - on the street behind their street.

Bong ….  Bong …. Bong …. Bong ….

They heard them every morning at 6.

They heard them some evenings at 6.

They rarely heard them at 12 noon.

Bong ….  Bong …. Bong …. Bong ….

After 6 months they cursed them.

After 1 year they said, when asked,

“Wow! Did we make a mistake?"

Bong ….  Bong …. Bong …. Bong ….

In the 7^th year, they found themselves saying,

“We found ourselves no longer atheists. We

lucked out: our church is just around the corner.”

Bong ….  Bong …. Bong …. Bong ….

  

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

January 17, 2018

Thought for today: 

“A gossip is one who  talks  to you about others; a bore is one who talks to you about himself; and a brilliant conversationalist is one who talks to you about yourself.”  

Lisa Kirk, New York Journal American, March 9, 1954

January 17, 2017

Reflections

IN CIRCLES

Some days....
Some conversations ....
Some marriages ....
Some relationships ....
Some sermons ....
Some situations ....
Some prayers ....
Sometimes heaven ....
Sometimes hell ....
Sometimes  God ....
Better: always God ....

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018