July 3, 2018

BENCH

Single chair - bench - or couch?

A bench - as well as a couch -

says a lot more than a single chair.

Picture a couple on a park bench -

snuggling - or a grandpa reading

to his grand-kid on a couch.

Now picture an individual all alone

sitting there reading a paper or a

Pharisee sitting there far off - alone -  inwardly

complaining about Jesus with a dozen kids.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

July 3, 2018

Thought for today: 

“Any life … is made up  of a single moment - the moment in which a person finds out … who they are.”  

Jorge L. Borges

Homework: 

Jot down 

10 possible single

moments

and then pick

# 1 - that fits a

Jorge L. Borges

single moment.

July 2, 2018 

A  GRAIN  OF  SALT 

A couple of grains of salt 

were talking - wondering 

where they would end up. 

Me, I ended up on a big pretzel - 

a German one - not bad, but 

the licker really didn't taste me. 

Ah, that’s life, at least I 

didn’t end up being thrown 

out and trampled under foot. 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

Cf. Matthew 5: 13

SOME TOUGH WORDS FOR TODAY

 INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 13^th  Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Some Tough Words for Today.”

Both our readings have some tough words and challenges.

I’m sure the listeners - to Amos from 780 -745 B.C.  and to Jesus - around the year 33 - listened with “Uh Oh!”  feelings.

AMOS

Amos spoke out about how people were treating people.  People were selling people for silver or a pair of sandals. The weak and the lowly were trampled and forced out of the way.

That comment triggered something a priest I had worked with in Wisconsin once told  me. He was working in Nigeria. The army would come down busy streets in jeeps and trucks. The military with hard black hoses would hit people who were in their way on both sides of the road.

Amos said fathers and sons would go to the same prostitute. People would curse each other using God’s name. People would be drinking in God’s house.

Prophets would preach politics.

If Amos was around today - and preached what he was preaching  - there would be uproar. There would be screams to keep politics out of religion. There would be letters to the Bishop and to the Editor of the Local Papers.

JESUS PREACHED ABOUT SEEING MORE THAN JUST THE FLOWERS OF THE FIELD

That’s Amos. Now Jesus.

I’m sure you have heard the phrase: the hard sayings of Jesus.

In today’s gospel Jesus seems hard on people by saying “Let the dead bury their dead.”

Jesus cried when Lazarus died.

But Jesus also knew that some folks get caught up in death - and can’t rise to new life.

Death and burials in the time of Jesus were  much, much more difficult than our times.

Listen to these statistics. I found the following quote on page 211 of Bruce Malina and Richard Rohrbaug’s book, Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels.

In the Mediterranean basin in Jesus time, “By the mid-teens 60 % would have died, by the mid-twenties 75 %, and 90 % by the mid-forties. Perhaps 3 percent  reached their sixties.”

I visited Israel in the year 2000. As a result, I picture much of the land when I read or hear the Bible - when it talks about Palestine.  So too I remember that text I quoted from Bruce Malina and Richard Rohrbaug’s book.

It would be difficult to picture this, but when Jesus was looking at people like I’m looking at you today, most of the crowd was young and most had experienced a lot of deaths.

Jesus must have seen a lot of people down in the dumps with their deaths.

Here he is telling people bury your dead and move on.

When people tell me about keeping ashes in their house - I just listen.  I am aware that some people have heard some priest say, “You’re not allowed to do that.”

I think they have to learn to bury their dead and move on - but I keep my mouth shut. I believe people have to learn some things by experience.

I remember our provincial saying to me when I was the priest at my mother’s funeral, “I don’t know how you could do your mother’s funeral!” That surprised me. I said nothing. But I thought. “Of course I’m doing it - even though she was killed in a hit and run accident. This is what one does and one moves on.”

Of course we mourn and cry, but we move on.  We don’t stay in locked upper rooms - like when Jesus was arrested and killed - but Jesus rises from the dead - comes through our walls - says “Peace” and “Go!” and “Move it.”

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily for today is, “Some Tough Words for Today.”

I find them quite challenging. How about you?

IS  EVERYBODY  HAPPY?

July 2, 2018

Thought for today: 

“The life of every man  is  a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another, and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it.” 

James M. Barrie

IRRITABLE  BRAIN  DISORDER

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 13^th Sunday in Ordinary Time [B]  is, “Irritable Brain Disorder.”

It’s summer - and in the days before air conditioners - sermons were often dropped on Sundays - during the summer. 

If I’m right - that’s not an issue anymore. 

In fact, if I’m hearing correctly, folks expect a sermon - or homily - not too long - but something to chew on - to think about - and talk about in the car on the way home - as part of the Sunday liturgy.

I also think - folks sometimes expect something - from the pulpit about things happening out there - especially recent  big things.

PROCEED WITH CAUTION

At that I hear three words: “Proceed with Caution.”

I’d add: “Proceed with thought.”

Proceed with the realization that everyone has realizations about motives - what’s going on - what they are reading - what their news sources are.

IRRITABLE

I’m picking up that people are irritable - right now - more than usual.

And it’s not just the heat - the summer heat.

The irritation that probably triggered my thoughts for today - hit  me on Friday and Saturday.  People were irritated that no clergy from St. Mary’s were at the gatherings - the services - for those who were killed here in Annapolis - at 888 Bestgate - the offices of our newspaper: The Capital - now the Capital Gazette.

We got some calls. “How come there were no clergy  at the Mall on Friday evening near the Pottery Barn?”

Father Charlie on Friday evening was  there. Then 5 priests were down near the water where the so called “religious service” was being held. Father Ronnie Bonneau was at the mike for part of that service.

Yet people complained. I had a wedding practice at 6 to 6:45 here at St. Mary’s and then I went down to Kallas for a wake - for one our parishioners from 7:15 - to 8:05  - so I was glad our priests were invited and were there.

Complaints - like sandpaper - can rub my brain the wrong way - some times.

Next - ever since news about this shooting happened - I was listening - like everyone else - for motive.

That’s another place where the “irritable” hit me.

This guy seemed irritated - irritated for years now - as reporters are speculating - in trying to discover motive.

Next I began wondering - if there is a lot more irritation - going on in our world - right now.  More than usual….

Irritation about immigration - especially the children and family separations .  Irritation about politics. Irritation about taking sides. Liberal - Conservatives - Republicans - Democrats - Independents - Socialists - Right - Left - Abortion - Pro Life - Pro Choice - Pro TV Channels.

Turn on the news and one hears about demonstrations - lots of demonstrations.

So once again the question or the wondering: Are the irritations more than usual?

PULPIT

My position is that words from the pulpit can irritate folks - can help folks - or have no impact on folks.

I also hope that - out of another’s mouth preaching - triggers inner brain preaching - of listeners.

Yet I try to be aware of what cards I’m playing  - knowing that sometimes if you say something - it irritates some folks - and if you say nothing - you irritate some folks.

What is the role of the preacher: to challenge, to soothe, to calm, to get folks to step back, to get folks to step forward, to get crucified, to rise.

TITLE: IRRITABLE BRAIN DISORDER

The title of my homily is, Irritable Brain Disorder. I made that up last night as I was working on this homily.

We’ve all heard of Irritable Bowel Syndrome - ugh - and that can last for years.

This morning I got the thought: I wonder if there is such a thing as Irritable Brain Disorder.

Surprise I discovered there is such a thing called Irritable Brain Syndrome.

Surprise one of the big specialists on this is a Doctor Bendover, OD, MS, PhD. He says it’s an addiction and it’s described as follows: “the relentless repeating, pulling, or downing of a substance or any activity that becomes so compulsive it ultimately interferes with everyday life.” 

That statement was an eye-opener.

Are some  people irritable because they constantly rub into their eyes and brains the  same TV programs - keep rubbing into their brain - the same complaints about another or their past or their mistakes or their jobs or their children or their parents or their neighbors  - on and on and on and on and on.  

Negativities - sins - can be like drones - sin drones - flying around  inside our brain all the time - and they become irritable - itchy - witchy - needing healing and conversion. Picky. Picky. Picky. Scratch. Scrath. Scratch.

Now that has to be what all of us want help with and a sermon on - now and then.

TODAY’S READINGS

A homily is supposed to be reflections coming out of the scripture readings.

Today’s first reading from Wisdom begins, “God did not make death, not does he rejoice in the destruction of the living.”

Of course not…. Yet death is part of life.  Yet people become irritable because of death - the death of loved ones and the reality of our death.

I was talking with a lady at the wake I was at on Friday evening. The lady who had died, had a lot of years of cancer, but she dealt with it  well. Then this lady mentioned an aunt who was never in the hospital her whole life. She didn’t have kids. She went into the hospital in her 90’s and she became quite irritable. I blurted out, “Uh oh, I’m 78 and I’ve never been in the hospital overnight in my life. Uh oh!”

Obvious question: What makes us irritable?

Today’s first reading ends with an  enigmatic comment: “But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world, and they who belong to his company experience it.

Is envy the or a key cause of irritability?

Today’s second reading from 2^nd Corinthians urges us to excel in being gracious.  Learn how to empty ourselves of our feelings of richness and become poor to give of our abundance to those who need our gifts and richness.

Today’s gospel presents the story of two people whom Jesus heals.

Pick one. Be like the young girl whom everyone thinks is dead - and let Jesus heal us - so we can start dancing again. Or be like the lady in the crowd who suffered from blood problems - probably women’s problems - for 12 years - and reach out and touch the garments of Christ - to be healed of any of our human problems - especially those that make us irritable.

When you walk up the aisle today to receive communion - reach out and receive Christ - touch him - let Christ touch and heal you. Let Christ come to you.

Hear Jesus say in Aramaic, his native language, “Talitha koum” - which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!”

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Irritable Brain Disorder.”

The message: Stop being a pain in the brain. Smile.

July 1, 2018

BILLBOARD

A high school put up an electronic billboard.

Hey - it was right on a main intersection.

Kids were asked to come up with messages -

one a day - and the whole school voted on it.

One day - they picked my message: “Everyone

is a billboard. What am I saying with my life?”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

July 1, 2018

Thought for today: 

“Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing  those you hold well.”  

Josh Billings

June 30, 2018

BOTTOM LINE

Wondering: Does everyone have a bottom line?

Translation: What do I want, really want?

Question: Does everyone have a main motive?

For example: recognition, love, comfort?

Or maybe: fairness, information, in the loop?

Sometimes it's pay back - or resentment.

Bottom line: we have to listen to each other.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

June 30, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“This month, Mr. Rosenstein hinted at his inner turmoil during a speech in Philadelphia, quoting the city’s favorite fictional son, Rocky: ‘It ain’t about how hard you hit,’ he said.  ‘It’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward.’ /  He added, ‘That advice applies in boxing, in law and in life.’” 

In  article, 'Shaken' Rosenstein
Felt Used by White House
in Comey Firing,
June 29, 2018 in
The New York Times.

June 29, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“Hope is like a road  in  the country; there never was a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence.”  

Lin Yutang

June 29, 2018

WEDDING  RING: 

LOST  AND  FOUND 

We find a wedding ring on a bathroom sink -

taken off for a moment  - someone washing

their hands - and then - perhaps while looking

in the mirror - they get distracted- then leave -

without putting their ring back on.

What now?

How do I somehow get this ring back to its

rightful owner. If it’s a restaurant, I ask

up front if there is a lost and found.

What next?

I take a piece of paper - write  my name and

number on it and hand the note to someone

up front - with the words, “Lost Wedding Ring”

and add, “It’s the Golden Rule. I hope you

get this. I’d want someone to do this for me.”

What would you do?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

June 28, 2018

DIVINE  SNEAK

You know God is sneaky.

Right? You know God likes to sneak

into kisses and pats on the back,

a dad having a catch with his son,

a mom buying her daughter a straw hat,

both bringing kids out for ice cream

or a Super Shake on a summer’s night.

God loves visiting old folks and flying

kites and being with the kid who is

the first one to hit the waves at the beach.

You know God is in prisons and cancer

treatments and conversations with three

women walking at 7:45 each morning.

You know that right? Come on now

don’t give me the line, “I’ve given up

on all this religious stuff years and years

ago. Pffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffftttttt.”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

June 28, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“The Sufis advise us to speak only after our words have passed through three gates. At the first gate, we must ask ourselves, ‘Are these words true?’ If so, we let them pass on; if not, back they go.  At the second gate, we must ask ourselves, ‘Are these words necessary?  If so, we let them pass on; if not, back they go. At the third gate, we must ask, ‘Are these words kind?’”  

Eknath Easwaran

PERPETUAL  HELP

What a great job description:

“Perpetual Help!”

911 fails at times.

But it tries.

So too good friends.

Lord, help all of us

to try to be of help

to all of us - to fill

in for others when

they run out of time -

like the time Mary

and you helped

that couple when

they ran out of wine.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

June 27, 2018 

Thought for today: 

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

Ann Landers

PATH, GATE, DOOR

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 12^th Tuesday  in  Ordinary Time is, “Path, Gate, Door.” 

We’re moving along through the Sermon on the Mount - here in the Gospel of Matthew - these days. Are any sayings of Jesus grabbing you? 

I see that Father Joe  Krastel is going to offer a Bible Study program in the fall on Hebrews - one of the books of the Bible. He’s done a series of talks on Hebrews in the past. Now he wants to do a follow up. The Archbishop of Baltimore sent all the priests of this diocese a neat Bible commentary on Hebrews. Using that, Father Joe is going to do Hebrews II for us. The best way of learning has always been teaching.

I would add that if anyone offers a series of talks on the Sermon on the Mount.  go for it. Such programs and offerings can help one’s spirituality.

WHEN IT COMES TO SPIRITUALITY

Surveys on parish life - indicate that people are looking for two themes: Spirituality and the Bible.

When it comes to spirituality, people indicate that they want to grow spiritually. 

When it comes to a desire for a deeper inner life, a better religious life, folks use the word spirituality.

I spent 9 years of my life teaching spirituality to future Redemptorists.

Having taught spirituality I found out that a key teaching is that the spiritual teacher says there are choices.

This is what Jesus did: he taught about the choice to build your house on rock or on sand. He taught about being a good tree - producing good fruit - compared to being a rotten tree producing rotten fruit. Be good seed. Produce 30, 60 100fold.

Yesterday’s gospel talked about choosing a wide ruler when measuring people compared to how I see myself.  Jesus said to stop seeing specks in your brother or sister’s eye - and missing the big bad beams in our own eye.

Today Jesus - here in the Sermon on the Mount - talks about the choice of two gates and two roads.

I like this approach - using images that we can see - when it comes to choosing a healthy spirituality.

The title of my homily is 3 images: path, gate, and door.

Picture yourself standing at  a fork in the road. You take the narrow path - as Robert Frost said he did. You don’t take the wide road - that everyone takes - and that choice has made all the differences in our life.

The path, the TAO that is narrow leads to life not death.

The choice is ours: life or death - niceness or nastiness.

Following Jesus images, we then come to a gate or door.

CONCLUSION

Once more, enter the gate or knock on the door called Jesus and enter into life.

EVERY  CALENDAR

Every calendar has every box

filled with a million names.

Today, this day, my dad died,

or my parents were married or

my sister was born or so and so

cried and walked away from us.

Every calendar has every box

filled with a million memories.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

June 26, 1970 the day my dad died.

June 26, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“After the first death,  there is no other.” 

Dylan Thomas 1914-1953, 

in Death and Entrances (1946) 

in, “A Refusal to Mourn the death, 

by Fire, of a Child in London.” 

It was on this day, June 26, 1970 

that my father died in Moses 

Maimonides Hospital 

in Brooklyn, New York

WRONG  BUZZZZZZZZZZZ

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 12 Monday in Ordinary time is, “Wrong Buzzzzzzzzzzz!”

I would like to say a few words about an issue we are all very aware of: Judging!  And it triggers that “I don’ like it when I do this.”

We are all aware of this. We all confess this.  We all have had at least 263 instances in our life - when we judged someone and we were wrong!

Wrong!

IMAGINARY RED BUTTON

Purchase an imaginary red button. It doesn’t cost anything. And buy the large size red one. Keep it right here on your - right side - hip high - if you’re a righty or hip high - on your left side - if you’re a lefty.

Right here about 12 inches from your side - and whenever you judge someone - hit that button - and make it give off a loud obnoxious buzzzzzz!

Hit it - every time you judge someone.  Of course keep it in mute mode,  That is: you hear the buzzzzzzz - but nobody else  does it.

However, every once and a while, someone might spot you hitting that imaginary red button - just off your side - hip high - and they ask you what you’re doing. If it’s the right time - and if it’s the right friend - you might tell them your practice and they might say, “Great idea” or they might call, Shepherd Pratt.

HAVE YOUR LIST

Have your list. Make it more than imaginary. Keep it in your wallet. And put on your list - in abbreviated form - ever judgment you make about someone and you find our you were completely and totally wrong about - big time.

Someone - well it looks like it - has just put on 25 pounds at least - and you make comments about it - not knowing they are taking steroids for the cancer they have.

Someone is walking funny - this happened to a gal I know - and had just been stopped by the police for weaving while driving - and then made to walk a straight line on the sidewalk. The police said she was drinking - till they tried the breathalyzer - 0 results.  This lead to telling her doctor about this - because she felt like she was weaving while walking - only to find out - after tests - she had the beginning signs of MS.  And her sister got tested and she had the same thing - and their father was in a wheelchair for this.

So and so gets up every time he’s at the edge of the bench - at Sunday Mass -  and lets people in - but he wants that aisle seat.  Surprise - by accident - down by the bathroom after Mass - a person who judges this guy for being selfish and wanting his way hears this guy say to another old guy, “Dang prostate - well at least you get to know where the bathrooms in the county are.

A guy told me at a retreat house I worked at in the Poconos,  “I bet you are wondering why I sit in the back seat - off to the side - in chapel - while everyone else is sort of up front. I said, “No, I didn’t notice that.” “Oh,” he said, “Well I do that in honor of my mom who always sat in that seat every afternoon for about 25 years - praying for me to come back to church. It finally worked.”

Every time Father So and So walked into a room, so and so walked out of that room. Well, so and so noticed that and thought it was impolite - till she found out so and so’s kid was abused by Father So and So years and years ago - and it all came out last year.

CONCLUSION

Jesus was a carpenter and he knew about rulers and measuring sticks and so one day he said, “The measure you measure with you’ll be measured with” - so when you’re getting into heaven, don’t judge so and so for getting in much easier than you.  Maybe they were easy going with people that drive you nuts - especially when you’re driving.

Jesus was a carpenter, so he knew about tiny splinters getting into people’s eye or hand - and the difference between them and gigantic wooden beams. And he must have listened to people complaining about other people when he said, “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye and you don’t see the wooden beam in your own eye?”

June 25, 2018

OPENING  DOORS

We open a lot of doors each day.

Maybe we should count them.

Maybe we should pause. We don’t.

We just open a door - front, back -

work, restaurant - church or store -

and then comes the surprise -

the other isn’t there or sometimes

the other is there, but they are

a closed door. Nobody’s home.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

June 25, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“Millions of workers live in a clock-eyed world.” 

Anonymous