SKIN  DEEP

INTRODUCTION

Listening to today’s first reading and today’s gospel - for this 6^th Sunday in Ordinary Time [B], an obvious title for my homily would be: “Skin Deep.”

Our skin is the largest organ in our body - and the most obvious - the most noticed - by ourselves and from others.

Mirrors mirrors - are everywhere - in our homes - in church - in movies - in songs -  novels - conversations - TV programs - any place or any situation which helps us see ourselves.

We are our skin - and our skin goes deep - and then we can go deeper and deeper into ourselves as our life goes further and further along.

I thought of that for starters: Skin deep.... Now what?

Where do those two words - skin deep - take us?  Homework: reflect upon them this week.  

Skin deep.

And this week - this Wednesday - ashes will be rubbed into our skin - into our forehead - to remind us that we are dust and into dust we shall return.

And surprise when doing research last night on skin I heard someone say that 80% of the dust in our homes are from dead skin. 

What?!!!!!  

Yep - someone said that.

BLIND

If we were blind - wow would we be different people - judging each other from sound and scent and feel - and not by skin or sight?

A classmate of mind - who has hearing problems and who has worked with the deaf - all his life as a priest - described to me once how deafness impacts people compared to blindness. He said that we think differently. He said something like: “Abstract thinking is tougher for deaf folks, who have been deaf all their life.”

I don’t know what it’s like to be born deaf or to be blind.  But like many people my age, my hearing is slowly going - and I feel out of the loop at times. I missed what was said.  And like people who aren’t in on something that happened, I might say, “I’m blind. I didn’t see what happened.”

However, I don’t know enough about this whole area of understanding each other.

SKIN PROBLEMS

Today’s first reading from the Book of Leviticus - and today’s gospel from Mark - can certainly get us thinking about what it is like to have severe skin problems. [Check out Leviticus 13: 1-2, 44-46 and Mark 1:40-45.]

I wonder if skin doctors attend lectures and classes and hear from people with skin problems. “What’s it like to be Gorbachev - with a darkish red birth mark on his forehead?

I have a cousin whose daughter was severely burned. A group of young teen age girls were trying different dyes on their hair. They didn’t like this one color or shade - so someone said, “I heard lighter fluid will remove the dye.”  Someone lit a cigarette and boom - a horror story.  Luckily a policeman was cutting his grass next door. They came screaming out of the house. He ran in - filled the bathtub with water and got her in there till the ambulance came. She survived but when you meet her you can tell - even after 50 some operations she was burnt. I did her marriage - to a fireman. No I didn’t say, “Jeanne, a bit late - but I knew them enough to say I was tempted to say that.”

You should see their beautiful kids.

I like to tell the story that I got the skin cream treatment to take care of precancerous skin on my face and ears and neck twice. My brother died of Melanoma - so I watch my skin. You put this cream on everyday for a month and it pulls out stuff - and the patient starts to look like a pizza.

The skin doctor suggested getting it in January - when I would have less work. I was at my last assignment in Ohio. Myself and a guy named "Tom" were on the road every week preaching parish missions - and things were slower up till Lent.

I was at our parish and I was hearing confessions on a Saturday afternoon.  I was in the semi-darkness. You could go face to face in the confessionals or behind the screen - like here - unlike the confessionals in St. Mary’s. There was a dim lamp in the corner.

That afternoon everyone went to confession kneeling and behind the screen - except the last person. She was a lady who came in - sat down - made her confession - without really looking at me. I was hiding my face sort of - with my hands.

She finished the act of contrition - I raised my hands to bless her and pronounce the words of absolution. Still sitting she saw my face as I reached out my right hand to give her the sign of peace. She shook my hand and her face showed shock and without thinking she wiped her hand on her hip - and got out of there as fast as she could.

I said to myself, “Ooops.”  Then I thought, “What a great example for a homily on the man in today’s gospel - some day - but not here. I wouldn’t want to embarrass her.”

I didn’t know who she was and really didn’t notice her - and I was a bit nervous - and it all happened in the semi-darkness of a confessional.

SIN AND THE SKIN OF OUR SOUL

Being poetic I like to talk about the skin of our soul.

When we get cut badly - or have a serious operation - sometimes we end up with a scar - on our skin.

Sometimes poets and graduation speakers will say, “Show me your scars!”

We get them from the battles of life - from relationships - rejections, divorces, disasters, firings, being burnt, being cut, and if someone is like me, from picking.

I pick skin that is raised.

I’ve heard people yell to me and at me, “Stop picking.”

I smile, because as priest, I know there is a lot more picking of the skin of one’s soul - than the skin of one’s body.

Skin pickers pick raised skin.

Soul pickers pick raised sins.

Raised sins are triggered - by the stories of the moment.

There a lot of men out there - who are worried about this “Me-too” movement - right now.

ME TOO - THAT’S MY STORY

If we hear, if we read, today’s two readings as stories about inner leprosy - inner skin of the soul stories - as my stories - then this week’s reflection on skin deep - can make these two Bible readings really real.

In the first reading the person with the sore of leprosy - and has been declared so by the priest - uh oh with that comment  - that person has to walk around with ripped garments, head bare, and say with muffled voice - muttered into his beard, “Unclean, unclean!”

I assume the comment about muttering into one's beard - means, "Lower your head. You are an unclean person."

I hate the next line in this first reading, “He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp.”

Please God:  therapists - and I hope priests - will help people who feel unclean - to come back to family and the human camp - when they feel, “unclean, unclean” - when their inner mantra is “Shame, shame on you” for something they have done.

CONCLUSION

For starters I would suggest to someone to announce to themselves and to God  a sin they have committed. 

I like to suggest using a rosary for a lot more than Hail Mary's. So using a rosary - say something they have done that hurt themselves or another - over and over again on a rosary. Say that something 59 times. And still using the  beads. say 59 times, “Unclean, unclean” and “Shame, shame on you.”

Then be the person in today’s gospel and say to Jesus with your beads, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Or, "Clean me!" or "Heal me!"

Where to find Jesus?  The gospel for today says he’s outside in deserted places - and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

Be one of those persons who finds Jesus. Be healed - underneath skin deep - deep in the inner room of your soul. Find that room deep within yourself. It can be here at church or the Eucharistic Chapel or on nice long walks at the Naval Academy or Quiet Waters Park or your neighborhood or in quiet places in your house.

Then keep your eyes and your ears on how you feel when healed.

It's much deeper than skin deep.

February 11, 2018

Black History Month Thought for today: 

“For I am my mother’s daughter, and the drums of Africa still beat in my heart.” 

Mary McLeod Bethune

February 11, 2018

TITANIC  REALITY: 

NEARER, MY GOD, TO THEE 

It’s a titanic thought to realize 
that our life is a sailing from 
one port to another - and

that the most powerful song  
to sing, to violinize each day 
is, “Nearer, my God, to thee.”

Jesus experienced his death around 
33  - being raised up on the cross.

Nearer, my God, to thee.

Nearer, my God, to thee.

Nearer to thee.”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

February 10, 2018

Black History Month Thought for today: 

“The  battles  that count aren’t the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself—the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us—that’s where it’s at.” 

Jesse Owens

February 10, 2018

COMEDY  OR  TRAGEDY?

Do I write my life script or is it handed to me?

Do I have the lead or do I play a bit part?

Can I change the scenes to A Far Country?

Can I decide when to open or close the curtain?

Can I be or not to be?

Am I Macbeth, King Lear, Romeo or Juliette,
or Stella looking for A Street Car Named Desire?

Is my life a Midsummer’s Night Dream
or a Long Day's Journey Into Night?

Is it Much Ado About Nothing

Is it All’s Well That Ends Well?
Or am I going to Look Back in Anger?
Will God or Godot be waiting for me?

My life: Is it a comedy or a tragedy?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

February 9, 2018

LOVE  ONE  ANOTHER  

AS  I  HAVE  LOVED  YOU.

To be a good human being,

you have to be perfect - no mistakes.

To be a good Christian,

you can make mistakes

like the rest of us. There’s always

forgiveness. But you have to go

the extra mile when it comes to love

and try to make life sweeter for each other.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

February 9, 2018

Black History Month Thought for today: 

“Darkness  cannot  drive out darkness;  only light can do  that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” 

Martin Luther King, Jr.

February 8, 2018

ICE

They told me to watch out for ice - 

on the steps, the streets, the roads 

today. I did and I didn’t slip. 

They didn’t warn me to watch out for 

ice in some people - so I slipped on the 

steps, the streets and the roads today.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

February 8, 2018

Black History Month Thought for today: 

“The  outside  world told black kids when I was growing up that we weren’t worth anything. But our parents said it wasn’t so, and our churches and our schoolteachers said it wasn’t so. They believed in us, and we, therefore, believed in ourselves.” 

Marian Wright Edelman

February 7, 2018

OUR  FATHER, 

FORGIVE  US  OUR  TRESPASSES 

Okay, I dropped your coffee mug.

It broke big and you forgave me big.

I didn’t want to play baseball

and all the other dads were

bragging about their sons -

you let me play lacrosse instead.

I didn’t want to go to college.
I wanted to be do car repairs

and work in a body shop - and

dad you said, not at first, but

you said, “Okay, son. Go for it.”

I married her. I knew she wasn’t

the one you hoped for, but our

5 daughters made you one big

wonderful mushy grandfather.

When your younger son messed

up - disappeared - and finally

came back begging, you took him

in immediately. It took the rest of us

a while, but thanks for the good example.

Dad, there are 70 times 7 more times

and examples and episodes of forgiveness

that you showed us. Thanks for those

lessons and a lot more. I just hope

I live up to all you taught me.

  

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

WHO  DO  YOU 

THINK  YOU  ARE? 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 5^th Wednesday in Ordinary Time is, “Who Do You Think You Are?”

That’s a question that is often asked of others - especially when they seem to be uppity.

It’s a good question.

It can also be a nasty question - when it’s a dig against someone else.

It’s  a great question when we ask it of ourselves - especially when we bring it to prayer - and in communion with God.

How would you answer that question: “Who do you think you are?”

FIRST READING

Today’s first reading from 1 Kings begins with the words, “The queen of Sheba....”

When I read that, it triggered the comment I’ve heard of others: “Who does she think she is: the queen of Sheba?”

Here in the 1^st Book of Kings, the queen of Sheba is a queen who comes to see the famous king of Israel, Solomon.

She comes with a lot of servants  - probably also with guards and soldiers - as well as a whole herd or caravan  or flock or train of camels - carrying gold, jewels and spices. 

This is what people do when visiting heads of state. A friend of mine, Anthony Dragonetti, worked on the two Boehm birds - porcelain swans - the Birds of Peace, which President Richard Nixon in 1972, brought to China - for  Mao Tse-tung. Instead they were presented to Premier Zhou Enlai.

He told me it was valued at $150,000 when a similar pair were sold in London 5 years later.

We can picture that scene - as well as the Queen of Sheba scene - arriving at Solomon’s house. We’ve seen that in lots of movies - with similar scenes.

This queen Sheba is important. The reference books say she might have come 1200 miles. She might have been from Yemen or then again from Ethiopia. Her real agenda might have been trade - and not the quest for wisdom.

For my purposes, all this doesn’t make much difference. I just want to put her on a pedestal. Then I would like to contrast her and Solomon with a picture of Jesus as the total opposite. Jesus was a servant - kneeling on the floor washing feet  - a criminal who dies on the cross - pictured wearing only a loin cloth.

Come to think about all this, in a way, my using the Queen of Sheba as uppity is not fair. I have no clue in the world, what her personality was like.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

In today’s gospel Jesus says what’s important is not what the externals are like - but what our heart is like.

We’ve all heard wisdom teachers poke fun of folks who think their you know what is different and smells differently  than everyone else’s. I heard an old Italian lady talking about a stuffy priest - describing him as thinking out of him came ice cream and Pepsi Cola.

Don’t be surprised with that commment. That’s exactly what Jesus is saying in today’s gospel.  Notice the word “latrine”.

HUMILITY

Jesus modeled humility - a word that comes from humus - earth - from which we were sculpted by God - right there at the beginning of the Book of Genesis.

If there is one issue that hit Jesus’ button, it was show offs - especially when it comes to putting others down.

As kids, if we were being uppity, my mother used to say, “Who do you think you are, Lord Killanin?” Translated: don’t think you’re the Queen of Sheba or King Solomon. Be real. Be humble.

Lord Killanin was an Irishman who was made head of the OCI - Olympic Committee International. I never found out how my mother knew of him.  He wasn’t rich. In his Olympic job he had to ask for money. Those who had that job before him - were quite rich. He wasn't.

We never knew who Lord Killanin was, but in checking this out for this homily, I found out that my mom was wrong about Lord Killanin.

Lord Killanin was wanted by some of those in the Olympic committees because some of those in the Olympic movement  wanted Apartheid to be broken. They wanted Taiwan included in the Olympics and not just China. There was a story that Lord Killanin was sitting on a bench in South Africa with a dark skinned person and the police came over and said, “You’re not allowed to sit together.”

I don’t know what happened next, but I assume Lord Killanin said, “Watch me.”

To be fair to my mom, she was only referring to him as a big shot and that we kids should not act like big shots with our noses up in the air.

OPTICS

The word that is uppity lately is “Optics.”

When people see you - whom do they see? How do they see you?

A test would be how we treat the waiter or waitress.

A test would be for us to ask ourselves how we see ourselves?

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily was, “Who Do You Think You Are?

My message was: don’t be uppity.

My message was change some of those LOVE commands in the New Testament to SERVE commands.

February 7, 2018

Black History Month Thought for today:

 ‎

"When  there  is no enemy within, 

the  enemies  outside cannot hurt you.”  

African Proverb

THE  REASON 

UNDERNEATH  THE  REALITY

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 5^th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “The Reason Underneath the Reality.”

One of the most important rules in life is to question the reason behind a law - or a rule or a regulation.

St, Thomas Aquinas would say, “Authority is the weakest argument.”  In other words, it’s not, “Who said so?” but “Why do you say so?”

We often don’t ask because we might labeled a pain if we do.

I know I don’t like to be questioned  on some things, because I’m not the boss and I realize  I can’t do anything about lots of things - especially in the Catholic Church. For example some marriage legislation, etc.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

The title of my homily is, “The Reason Underneath the Reality.”

I don’t know if that’s a message from today’s gospel, but that’s one issue that hit me.

Today’s gospel has Jesus being quite critical of the Pharisees - and their practices - and dare we say, “One of the reasons they wanted Jesus dead was right here.”  He was going after them for all these washing rules they were pushing.

Of course, it’s important to wash one’s hands - especially during the flu season.

We want those who work in restaurants to wash their hands after going to the bathroom. I saw that sign in a Burger King bathroom the other night - and I said, “Good!”

So washing jugs and kettles and hands is important.

However, if folks become extremists - then maybe enough’s enough.

Is that the point we’re being asked to consider. If the Pharisees amongst us attack  those of us who don’t take everything so totally serious - that we aren’t living up to their standards.  Are they then trying to make the rest of us look dirty and make themselves look so clean?

I don’t know. I assume we know a lot more about cleanliness today than back in Jesus’ time. So maybe they were onto something.  I don’t know.

WHERE I WOULD GO WITH RULES AND REGULATIONS

I remember seeing a documentary about strip mining in Kentucky.

Coal miners - and coal companies - in the short run found it too expensive to live up to all the environmental safety regulations - so it was much cheaper to pay the fines.  They were saving money and making more money and keeping afloat.  Then what happened was run off - because trees were not replanted after strip mining and soil, water, were ruined downstream and down into the valleys.  Then there were big time health problems.

There’s a dilemma that is always there.

The title of my homily is, “The Reason Underneath the Reality.”

I assume the rules for washing hands started off for the right reason, but in time it became an extreme and people were doing it as an extreme - and then they rubbed it in and were saying, “We’re better than you.”

There’s the Pharisees in today’s gospel avoiding helping their parents financially in their old age, by putting their money into a fund called korban.

W.C. Fields in some movie had a Bible in hand and was paging through it and he says, “Just looking for loopholes. Just looking for loopholes.

I would assume the maintenance of parents is more important than donating for maintenance of St. Mary’s and St. John Neumann churches.

 I would assume that the trick is to study all this - ask questions - ask reasons -  and then make sure the reasons below the surface are good ones.

 If they are pride, selfishness, and to feel cleaner than others,  then pause and recalculate our motives and behavior.

CONCLUSION

So obviously in life we need to ask questions.  We have to do our homework.  We need to be humble and honest.

February 6, 2018

Black History Month Thought for today: 

"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love. For love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite."

Nelson Mandela

February 6, 2017

ROUND AND ROUND

I woke up as the sun was rising.

I looked to the east and this gigantic

round, round orange ball was moving

up the blue morning sky  like a pop up

in slow motion. Now if you told me that

what I was seeing was not what I was

seeing, I don’t know if I would believe you.

It was our round, round earth that was

spinning as well as the round, round sun

and I was seeing mystery in motion -

and if you told me there is no God -

I wouldn’t believe you because

you’re not seeing what I’m seeing.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

TOUCHING  MOMENTS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my thoughts or reflections for today is: “Touching Moments.”

An alternative title could be: “How touching.”

TOUCHING MOMENTS

Looking at your life, what were the touching moments?

What were the moments that touched you?

Last night after the Super Bowl game, Darrell Green of Redskin fame, marched the Lombardi Trophy through a run of Philadelphia Eagles players and each reached to touch the trophy or kiss it.

It costs $50,000 - was designed on a napkin in 1966 - is 22 inches tall, is silver, and weighs 7 pounds. It has stayed the same for 51 years now - named after Vince Lombardi - and made by Tiffany’s.

The Eagles beat the Patriots and they got the reward: to hold and to touch this very important trophy.

If you saw it on display, at the Football Hall of fame, and you could reach out and touch it, would you?

I know I touched the Commander and Chief’s Trophy for the winner of Army, Navy, and Airforce games.

How touching.

At funerals, if there is a casket in the main aisle,  I’ve noticed people reaching out and touching the casket of a loved one -

on the way up to communion or back.

Speaking of funerals, I’ve noticed if the person who died was in their 50’s or 60’s, couples coming across the parking lot and walking towards the church are holding hands more than usual.  I wonder if that is true or just my perception and wondering.  Could that be proved?

Do persons who lost their spouse remember the last time they touched?

When I go to a funeral parlor and the body is there and the casket is open and the person who died - is holding a rosary, I like to touch one bead and say a Hail Mary.

When I’m at the airport, in the terminal, and I see people at a gate going in or coming out I like to watch the body language of arrival and departures. How touching.  It used to be far more sceneful* - before September 11 - when folks could wait for folks inside closer to last door before the plane.

What have you touched?

I touched the moon - well a piece of a moon rock.

I shook hands with Dear Abby. I regret it wasn’t a kiss. It happened too fast. She was sitting right behind me at a banquet in Jackie’s restaurant in Chicago - for writers of the Thomas More Association.

I shook hands with Justice Scalia - I was simply holding the door - at a Lawyer’s Mass at St. Mary’s - and he came into the sacristy.

Bill Belichick put his hand on my shoulder - and whispered in my ear - at the Annapolis Touchdown Club. He asked me to say a prayer. At another time I asked him to come back to the Giants and he went, “Haah!”

I shook hands with Leo Cravata, a plumber, in West Pittston, Pa. Just an ordinary guy - but an interesting character.

TODAY’S READINGS: 5^TH  MONDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Here in today’s first reading we have one of the stories of the Ark of the Covenant. People often reached out to touch it. One story was about someone who reached out to touch it when it was falling in a procession and you weren’t supposed to touch it - and the person died.  That story borders on taboo and superstation.

Here in today’s gospel people were brought to Jesus - and they thought, if I just reach out and touch the tassel of Jesus’ garment I’ll be healed. We read in the gospel about people who do just that are they are healed.  

RECEIVING COMMUNION

At Mass we can reach out and take Jesus in the hand or on the tongue.

As priest I’ve avoided the fight or “thing” about communion in the hand vs. tongue. I see it as receiving communion - communion with Christ.

Someone the other day - said, “Talking about the flu and germs at Mass - we should have a separate line for communion on the tongue people. The Eucharistic minister would wear rubber gloves for that line.”

I smiled and said, “Are you crazy. I wouldn’t touch that one with a 10 foot pole.” 

I didn’t add, “You should see how they give out communion at Eastern rite Masses. The person coming up for communion comes up to the priest. He has a golden spoon. He takes out a piece of leavened bread. It’s consecrated and put into the precious blood. The person receiving holds their head back and opens their mouth. The priest then deposits the soaked bread and wine in their mouth. This happens quite fast and efficiently, but every once and a while, the receiver  licks the spoon clean. I’ve given out communion thousands of times in Eastern rite Masses, but I won’t tell the person who follows that person what just happened.

CONCLUSION

Those are some  words about touching - the healing touch - the power of touch - the memory of touch.

This week watch people touching each other.  Very interesting optics.

[* Notice in the middle of this reflection there is a new world I made up, “sceneful”.  I would love some dictionary in the year 2075, have the word “sceneful”.  It’s a variation of the word “eyeful” - with a different nuance.]

February  5, 2018

AY,  THERE’S THE RUB

When it sounds too good,

we listen more carefully.

We watch for the catch.

We wait for the moment

we voice the line of Hamlet,

“Ah, there’s the rub!”

There’s the request for money.

Oh, that’s the problem.

There’s the need I need to solve.

There’s the sacrifice I need to make.
“Oh, that’s what they want.”

To be or not to be….

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

February 5, 2018

Black History Month Thought for today: 

“When you know your name, you should hang on to it, 
for unless it is noted down 
and remembered, it will die when you do.” 

Toni Morrison (Song of Solomon)

ATTITUDE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 5^th Sunday in Ordinary Time [B] is, "Attitude."

Today's first reading from the book of Job - triggered for me a topic and theme for this homily: attitude.

Here's Job in a very dark moody mood - seeing life as drudgery and doom. He doesn't seem like a happy camper. He sees himself as a hireling - not running his own business. Everything is happening at him. He sees himself as a slave longing for the shade. He has sleepless nights - restless till the dawn. Notice the word "misery" and if you've seen that movie - you know what misery is like. And listen to that last sentence in today's first reading again: "Remember that my life is like the wind; I shall not see happiness again."

I wouldn't want to have a job working next to Job. I wouldn't want to see him walking into the room in the morning - or afternoon - or evening for that matter.

SO SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT ATTITUDE

We know what attitude is and what it means - but to put it into words - we could do that - but we might not be that clear with words - but we still know what attitude is - especially a bad attitude.

In fact, for starters - in talking about attitude - the adjectives "good" and "bad" - might be a good place to start.

A good first question is right there: When it comes to the big picture - our life - judge yourself - do you think you have a good or a bad attitude?

When you walk into a room - what's the first gut or belly take - people get about you?

Do they say, "Here comes an angry person?" Or, "Here comes a happy person?"

Or do people look you in the eye or look at your face - and try to get a read on you. Are they thinking, "What kind of a mood will he or she be in today?"

If the saying, "Action speaks louder than words" is true, so too is this saying of John C. Maxwell, "People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude."

I sense we all have an overall attitude - that we show or those who know us - get it - got it - good or bad. Then we have changing attitudes - depending on the day - the weather - traffic - and a dozen other things.

Then we have specific attitudes toward specific issues, persons, places and things.

We might hate so and so because she is always telling us about what she's going to cook for supper tonight - or how well her children are doing in college or sports or what have you. Enough already.

We might have a great attitude towards the environment. We hate it when people dump their Starbucks containers in the park - but we have a poor attitude towards the poor.

So, attitude. It's a tricky thing.

TODAY'S GOSPEL

Here we are still in the First Chapter of the gospel of Mark. After healing Peter's Mother-in-law who was sick, who then feeds Jesus and his disciples, a lot of people show up with their demons and their diseases.

They want healing. And Jesus heals them.

When it comes to healing - it would be smart to go to Jesus for healing of any destructive attitudes.

I found a helpful distinction. It comes out of some research by Stanford University. A psychologist, Carol Dweck found that people's core

attitudes fall into one of two categories: a fixed mindset or a growth mindset.

"With a fixed mindset, you believe you are who you are and you cannot change. This creates problems when you're challenged because anything that appears to be more than you can handle is bound to make you feel hopeless and overwhelmed."

That's the first category. I have to think about that - because at times I have said, "Once we hit a certain age, it's hard to change." Then I add, "Sorry, expect the same." "Expect Deja  vu."

This Carol Dweck gal is saying, "No necessarily so." She continues, "People with a growth mindset believe that they can improve with effort. They outperform those with a fixed mindset, even when they have a lower IQ, because they embrace challenges, treating them as opportunities to learn something new."

I assume we have to accept this second mindset - the growth mindset - if we come to Church, if we accept Jesus in our life - because Jesus is always proclaiming, "Change!" "Repent." "Grow." "Change your heart and not your garments."

Jesus gave us the Beatitudes. That's 8 attitudes to put into practice.

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

Today's gospel has an interesting secret that seems to be one of Jesus' key spiritual practices.

Mark tells us that "Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed."

Where is your deserted place? It could be this Sunday Mass. It could be talking a walk. It could be fishing? It could be a prayer chair in your bedroom or back porch.

For my dad, it was the cellar. For my mom, it was the right hand corner of a couch in our living room - with her small rubber banded prayer book  in the top drawer right there. A friend of mine - changed his garage into a chapel.  A few people in the neighborhood found out about it and used it. It could be the Eucharistic chapel here. It could be this church or St. Mary's when it's open.

Attitudes can change - mindsets can move from fixed mindsets to growth mindsets if we take the time to pray.

But it has to be prayer - it has to be communion. It has to be more than me. It has to be  God and me, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with me.

This doesn't mean we won't be interrupted. Here's Jesus interrupted in today's Gospel, but we have to have the attitude, I need to find the time for Sabbath, for Holy Places, and then do it.

CONCLUSION

If you don't want to have the Job attitude we hear about in today's first reading, find hideouts, find time for God - for the rest of your life.

And when with God, pray for and decided to be a happy camper on this planet - on this journey  called “Life!”

And remember Victor Frankl’s comment that we have freedom right here. He said, “The last of the human freedoms is to choose one’s attitude. Choose life. Choose  beatitude as our attitude.