RE-DO

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Second Sunday in Advent - Year C -  is, “Re-Do”.

It’s spelled, “re-hyphen-do” or simply “redo”.

I think it’s a good word and a good theme that can sum up today’s first and third readings.

Re-Do.

FIRST READING

The first reading is from the scroll called Baruch. It’s a Jewish document, but not in the Jewish Bible, but it was in the Septuagint - the Greek Old Testament from the Jewish community in Alexandria and our Bible comes from that. So it's in that Bible - which the Catholic Church uses. [Cf. Baruch 5: 1-9.]

Commentators place it the Babylonian Captivity or Exile [586-538 B.C.] - where Jewish leaders - were talking about and hoping from a return to Jerusalem.

They wanted a re-do - a return - a restoration - a re-beginning -  of Jerusalem and their country.

The mountains will be leveled and the gorges will be filled up.

I’m sure parts of California - that were burnt big time - want a similar re-do.

GOSPEL

The Gospel for this Sunday - from Luke  - Chapter 3: 1-6 -  talks about John’s Baptism - which John proclaimed was to be  a moment for repentance - a starting all over again.

John brought all those interested in renewal to the river. He brought them to the other side of the Jordan - to the spot - to the  moment - to the reenactment - the crossing - the re-crossing of the Jordan River. Their ancestors coming from Egypt had just spent 40 years  in the dessert. They crossed over to the other side of the Jordan river - into the Promised Land - to begin a new life.  They were to be a new people - ready for a re-do - a new start - a new beginning.

Notice Isaiah's images in this gospel reading: every valley shall be filled - every mountain will be made low - the rough ways will be made smooth. 

It’s the same hope as we heard in the first reading from Baruch. In other words - traveling will be much smoother. Life will that much easier from now on.

RE-DO’S

Think about re-do’s in life.

Sometimes marriages don’t work.

Sometimes relationships don’t work - jobs don’t work - investments don’t work. 

Sometimes kids pick the wrong college for them. So too homes or a neighborhood. They take a loss and move on.

Sometimes people try again from where they are; sometimes people make a fresh start elsewhere.

I’m willing to bet if you walk down to waters here in Annapolis, you’ll find a boat or two, with the name, “Second Chance” on it.

I love stories about people who get a second chance - and they re-do their lives.

I hope prisons offer  courses and training for people who want to start all over again. Others just  do their time and finally get out - no different than the day they went  into prison.

Advent - Lent - are seasons preparing us for re-do’s.

I spent 14 years of my life in two different retreat houses: 7 years in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, in the Poconos and 7 years  in Long Branch,  New Jersey, on the ocean - where people came for a weekend or longer to ponder a re-do - a retreating - a renewal of their lives.

I spent 8 ½ years of my life in my last assignment in Lima, Ohio - giving parish missions - out of there, mostly in rural Ohio. A Parish Mission is a Redemptorist hallmark - with the idea of challenging people to look and re-look at their life - and see what has to be re-done.

EVERY DAY REDO’S

Or take everyday re-do’s in life.

Haven’t we all had the experience of walking into a room or a situation and all goes wrong. We say something - or someone says something - and it’s a disaster.

How many times in such a moment - have we been tempted to say, “Wait a minute. Let’s redo this moment? Let’s try this again?”

So we step out of the room - take a deep breath - and then come back into the room - as if the last coming into the room didn’t happen.

We could even say, “It’s a redo.”

It’s a do-over.

And we say out loud, “Let’s try this again.”

In football, I’m sure Navy can’t wait till next December for another re-do.  Besides that it sells t-shirts.

In baseball, it’s a rare game, it’s a rare day, when someone goes 4 for 4 or hits 4 home runs.

Hitting .333 ain’t bad - that’s one for three.

Why can’t we say,  "That’s not bad - that’s life."  

Can’t we realize that re-do’s are part of life.

I like it when I have at least 2 Masses on a weekend. I can straighten out my homily and get it right - or better - the next time.

It’s not as easy in conversations - especially when we say the wrong thing the first time.

CONCLUSION

The message and the  hope of this sermon is: forgiveness, conversion and trying again.

The message of this homily is saying and hearing, “I’m sorry.”

The message of this homily is  second chances, 7 times 7 chances, coming home with the hope someone there saying, “Welcome” - even though often there might be someone who is older who won’t forgive.  Whenever that happens, please re-read the Prodigal Son story and notice that the forgiving father went out and tried to get the unforgiving brother a second chance to forgive his younger brother. 

In golf - miniature or on grass - the others might not give us a re-do - but hopefully in life - God and others give re-do’s - do-overs - lots of mulligans.

This will be a successful sermon or homily if someone here says to their spouse or family member - in the coming week - in the coming year.

“Let’s do a re-do!”

ooooooooooooooooooooo

P.S.  If Father Tizio was giving this homily he would make the following comment.  As you know you’re allowed 16 marriages - 16 re-do’s: 4 better, 4 worse, 4 richer, 4 poorer.

December 9, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“I remembered in a speeding BMW in Boston one spring evening, that whatever spirituality is, it is not something to be discovered. It is something to be recovered - something you misplace and   recover a thousand times in a lifetime.”  

Renta J. Weems

DON’T  BE  AFRAID!

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this feast of the Immaculate Conception  is, “Don’t Be Afraid.”

At this Mass we’re celebrating Mary - the Mother of Jesus - the New Eve.

TODAY’S FIRST READING

In today’s first reading from Genesis 3: 9-15, 20, Adam says “I was afraid.”

God is looking for Adam  in the garden, where he is hiding from God. God says, “Where are you?” And Adam says, “I heard you in the garden, but I was afraid, because I was naked.”

And God says, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten the forbidden fruit.”

Then he blames Eve and they blame the snake.

We have here a profound story. It gets at the heart of who we are.

We want to walk with God. We want to be with God.  We want the world to be a beautiful garden. But we mess up. We eat the forbidden fruit.  That’s the naked truth.

And so we are afraid.

The word “afraid” appears 103 times in the English translation of our Bible. The word “fear” appears 454 times.

“Waira” is the root Hebrew word for “fear” or “afraid”.  Phobos” is the word for “fear”  in Greek. “Fear” and “afraid” are the key words in English.

And we hear 454 million times in our lives: “Don’t be afraid.”  We say that to ourselves and to others.

The naked truth is we are afraid.

We are afraid of God, ourselves, and others.

We’re afraid of failure, being seen, making mistakes, sinning, striking out, being rejected, failing.

TODAYS GOSPEL

In today’s gospel - an angel comes to Mary - it’s another basic human story - and says, “Hail full of grace! The Lord is with you.”

And she is greatly troubled. She ponders with an “Uh Oh!’ - the two sounds we say all our lives when we see a request coming, “Uh oh!”

And the angel asks her to bring Christ to our world.

The angel begins by saying, “Don’t be afraid.”

And she says that she can’t do it.  She’s not married. She has had no relations with a man.

And the angel says, “The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the most high will overshadow you, and you will bring the Holy One to this world.

CONCLUSION:   US

These two stories are our story.

We want to be with God - we want to walk with God - but like Adam and Eve and unlike Mary - we sneak like snakes and take the forbidden fruit.

Yet God still calls us to be his mother and bring the most high to our world.

And we’re afraid.

Yet God still calls us each day.   God still sends angels to us each day and says, “the Lord is with you” - And “Don’t be afraid.”

Hopefully we all say what Mary said, “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to your word.”

December 8, 2018

PRAYER

IS JUST SHOWING

UP  AT THE WELL.

Want to pray?

Find yourself heading into a village.

Find yourself at the village well.

Find Jesus just sitting there

waiting for you.

“Well, well, look who’s here.”

Read John 4: 1-44 or so….

Go from there. Go into your

life - who’s who, what was what,

and what you’re thirsty for.

Do this and you’ll find out

in four months - at the harvest -

who you are, who Jesus is,  and

what your life is all about,

and whom you’re  really thirsty for.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

December 8, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“To this day, I still believe that the best compliment to a book or a sermon is, ‘I see what you mean.’” 

Renta J. Weems

December 7, 2018  Friday

TWO  BLIND  MEN

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Two Blind Men.”

In the gospels there are a half dozen stories about blind folks who call out to Jesus for healing.

A key message would be the obvious: Cry out to Jesus on a regular basis to see better - and avoid being blind to the needs of others.

THE FIRST READING

The first reading from Isaiah would suggest we call out to God to ask Him to help us see the beauties of creation all around us - or to make that the work of our hands to make our gardens and our habitats better.

The first reading from Isaiah calls us to be holy - to not be ashamed to be a holy person, to be an honest person, to show reverence to God.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Today’s gospel has these 2 blind me crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us.”

Jesus then does what he usually does in these stories and these moments - he challenges the screamer to move from physical healing to soul healing  - and then to move to the faith level.

And both men receive their sight because of their faith.

And Jesus tells them to keep this quiet and they don’t follow Jesus’ admonition - and they proclaim his healing powers to the whole area.

Notice Jesus touches their eyes. He goes from the visible to the invisible.

ANOTHER TWO MEN

Since today - December 7^th -  is the feast of St. Ambrose, why not apply the story of the two blind me to the two men called, Augustine and Ambrose.

Ambrose and Augustine were both powerful men - who were fortunate to meet each other in the city of Milan.

Ambrose was sent to Milan to be the Roman governor there - and the people made him bishop.

As governor and as bishop - this short man - took no nonsense.

And boy could he preach. That is what drew Augustine to him - his intelligence and his theology. But first they argued and Augustine tried to figure out the message of the  gospels.

The blindness that Augustine had was cleared up with the help of Ambrose  - and he  saw the beautiful God - that we will hear about in Augustine’s Confessions.

CONCLUSION

Pray the prayer of the blind men in the scriptures. Lord have pity on us and help us to see.

Homily - Saint Ambrose

Isaiah 29: 17-24

Matthew 9: 27-31

December 7, 2018

STONES  HAVE NO PROBLEMS  

WITH FEELINGS 

Did you ever notice that stones 

don’t have too many problems 

with intimacy and comparisons? 

They just sit and watch like old 

people on a bus heading back to 

the nursing home or senior village. 

I guess they did it all in their time: 

being parts of mountains, bridges, 

walls, homes, churches, bars. 

They have felt the heat and the 

rain, the snow and the cold of 

time and war and history. 

Me. I don’t want to be stone - 

hard and cold. Hey 2000 years 

ago I might have killed someone. 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

December 7, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“I find the harder I work, the more luck I have.” 

Thomas Jefferson

2 REASONS WHY 

WE COME TO MASS

INTRODUCTION

There are many reasons why people come to Mass. Here are 2 possible reasons why  we come to Mass.  There are many others.

Today’s readings give 2 good reasons: healing and hunger.

FIRST REASON: HEALING

The first reason is healing. 

When we go to the doctor, she or he asks, “Where does it hurt?

Once upon a time I cut my finger. It wasn’t a big cut, but I put a band aid on it.

I'm visiting my niece and family and I'm just sitting there on a couch.  I had forgotten about the band aid and the cut. Well, Patrick, my grandnephew comes into the room and spots the band aid, almost immediately, he walks over to me and points to my finger and says, “Boo Boo!”

I didn’t get it - but my niece Patty explained that he and kids often do things like that.

Well, if Jesus walked up to anyone of us here today and pointed at us and said, “Boo! Boo!” what hurt in us, would he have spotted?

Regrets, mistakes, sins, cuts, family wars, what have you?  That’s where we need and want healing.

Fill in the blank, “I’m sick of _____________.”

Is there a veil or a web that is blocking something in us or tying us up?

Jesus loved to ask: “What are you asking for?” or "What can I do for you?"

SECOND REASON: HUNGER

A second reason why we come to Mass is that we hunger.

In today’s gospel Jesus talks about a banquet. In today’s gospel Jesus talks about helping the hungry.

Each of us can say when we walk into a church, “I’m hungry.” “I’m thirsty!” “I’m empty, “I’m needy.” “I am not satisfied.”

Answer the question: What am I hungry about?

We are hungry for reconciliation. We’re hungry for fullness.  We are hungry for inner peace, meaning, for purpose. We are hungry for energy.  We are hungry for courage.  We are hungry for strength.   We are hungry for  love.

In today’s gospel, Jesus gives bread to the hungry and they end up with seven baskets full of food.

Commentators say the 7 might refer to some of the cities in the early church that are mentioned in  the  Acts of the Apostles.

All of us are hungry for- food - for inner  peace - for solutions to our problems,  etc.

CONCLUSION

Why are you here at Mass today?

You are here for various reasons. I shaped out two reasons.  Hopefully, looking  at your answers you are comfortable with your reasons. Amen.

December 6,  2018

TWISTS AND TURNS

Everyone has twists and turns

in the  moments of our lives.

Good and bad, ups and downs,

basic blue, basic green, basic life.

The turns in the roads of our life:

some are right, some are wrong.

And sometimes it takes a long time

to know which is which and what is what.

Each sunrise we wake up to new surprises;

each sunset we figure the smart and the dumb.

Life: we have to twist and turn the bottle

cap,  if we want to drink life to the full. Amen.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

December 6, 2018

Thought for today: 

“As one goes  through life, one learns that if you don’t paddle your own canoe, you don’t move.” 

Katherine Hepburn

December 5, 2018

ESCAPE TO THE MOUNTAINS

 INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 1^st Wednesday in Advent is, “Escape to the Mountains.”

One of the themes we find in the Scriptures is mountains are safe places to hide.

We know this from Westerns - where bad guys hide out - and good guys go for healing.

If you’ve  ever been to Israel, you are aware that there are sections where there are strings of Mountains.

UNITED STATES

I lived in Lima Ohio before coming to Annapolis. Lima was Midwest. Lima flat and soybean farmers had flattening out the land as a goal - so it would be easier with the rain - and with growing - and with reaping and planting.

To get to Lima from the east we had to go through a town called Crestline and it was just that. West of that the land had crested.

Right down the eastern part of the United States we have the Appalachian and right down the west of the United States was the Rockies.

So hopefully we know mountains.

TODAY’S READINGS

We find mountains in both readings for today.

In today’s first reading from Isaiah we have the Lord promising all people a place to feast - where there was good wine and rich food.

In today’s first reading from Isaiah we have the promise of safety. The web that can catch us  - tie us up - will be destroyed.

Tears will be wiped away - because we have discovered safety and security on that mountain.

Today’s gospel is similar. A vast crowd of people show up to find Christ - and they meet him on a mountain - where we feeds everyone

.

Like the first reading, people get more than food. They are healed of blindness and crippling.

And there are leftovers.

Healing message - helpful message - hopeful message.

CONCLUSION

If you ever get a chance to go to high places - take the elevator to the roof. I am so glad I went to the top of the World Trade Center at least 2 times.

If you’re ever outriding or traveling across or down the USA, if you see a sign, Scenic Overview, check it out.

If you have a choice of a window seat or an aisle seat, on a flight, take the window seat.

See the big picture.

It will help your prayer life.

December 5, 2018

MUSIC AND THE DANCE

Everyone has within them 

the music and the dance, 

the fiddle and the click of 

tap shoe on wooden floor. 

Songs haunt our heart. 

Rhythm moves our feet. 

The beat of the drum is in 

our blood, - in our nerves. 

The call to war - to battle …. 

The sounds of love … 

are never that far away 

from anyone of us. 

Patriotism, laughter, memories 

somehow cling to songs, as we 

hear them at weddings, wakes 

and funerals and in the elevator. 

Listen to the sound of music…. 

Some enchanted evening …. What the 

world needs now is love sweet love …. 

even if raindrops keep falling on our head. 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

December 5, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“The days you are  the most uncomfortable are the days you learn the most about yourself.”

DON’T  FORGET  TO  LOOK 

AT THE PICTURES

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 1^st Tuesday in Advent is, “Don’t Forget to Look at the Pictures.”

Christianity is a very visual religion. We use stuff - materials - pictures - images to get to the invisible - the spiritual.

Christmas cards are still  - around - less than the past - but they are still around. If you do Christmas cards may your cards with their images and pictures and your written words  bring life and hope to the people in your lives whom you send cards to.

If you use a family photo as your Christmas Greetings may others remember nice memories of the people in the picture that you send.  If you use regular Christmas Cards - may others catch the Baby in the manger - or the Christmas message on your card.

TODAY’S FIRST READING

Today’s first reading from Isaiah 11: 1-10 has some rich words and themes.

Check your Christmas cards. Some will have just words  - like the words in today’s first reading: understanding, wisdom, counsel, justice, and faithfulness. Pick one word, one theme and pray it back for the sender.

Check your Christmas cards. Someone will send you a painting by Edward Hicks of the Peaceable Kingdom fame. We hear about that in today’s first reading as well: all the animals living in peace.  As you know there are lots of versions of that painting - 62 to be exact.  Study the dream of Edward Hicks - a Quaker - for our world - that the bull in the china shop, the bully in the classroom, the monkey in our midst who won’t get   serious, can all get along with each other: those who bark and bite and those who are catty and those who are the elephants in the room.

Don’t forget to look at the Christmas TV movies. Try to catch Charlie Brown’s Christmas story - as well as, “It’s a Wonderful Life” with Jimmy Stewart. Listen to and ponder and study the Christmas message in the songs in the background.

TODAY - DECEMBER 4th - IS THE FEAST OF ST. JOHN DAMASCENE

St. John Damascene or St. John of Damascus [c. 675-749]  was the last of the Fathers of the Early Church.

He was attacked and scoffed at for defending the use of images and icons and pictures in telling the Christian message.

There were those in the Christian Church who were against all images - broke some of them. It’s called iconoclasm.  Of course, images are not God - any more than our photographs and selfies are the people in the pictures

Luckily St. John lived in Muslim territory - Muslims who were against images in their religion - but they didn’t bother John - the monk.

CONCLUSION: TODAY’S GOSPEL

In today’s gospel [Luke 10: 21-24] we are told to be like little children and spot the presence of God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - all around us - as well as understanding, wisdom, justice and faithfulness.

December 4, 2018

PRESENCE

I could feel God’s beauty, 

presence, wonder, story, 

as I was putting the Bread 

of the Life, the Eucharist, 

into the tabernacle - and 

I could also feel this MORE 

in the cut flowers standing 

in water up to its knees in a 

clear glass vase next to 

to the bronze tabernacle. 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

December 4, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“Be  stronger  than  your  best  excuse.”

SAYING DANGEROUS THINGS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Saying Dangerous Things.”

Have you ever said something that is dangerous - something that causes reactions - that could get you in trouble?

I guess it would begin with thinking dangerous thoughts.

A comment to make if asked such a question might be: “For example?”

Or, “Please explain?”

Or, “What do you have in mind?”

Or, “It all depends.”

PORPRAVA MILADY HORAKOVA

Where my question comes from is something I spotted last night by accident. Father Joe Krastel and I were watching the Pittsburgh Steelers - Los Angeles Chargers football game - Sunday Night Football - and the camera turned on Mike Munchak - one of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ coaches. Joe asked, “Where did he play?”  I said, “Maybe Notre Dame?” Joe, who has a tremendous memory said, “I bet you it was Penn State.”

I looked it up later on and found out that he played for Penn State and then played for 10 or 11 years on the Houston Oilers and was all pro 9 times - and is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was from Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Surprise I spotted off to the side on my computer - on the internet - where I looked up Mike Munchak -  one of those YouTube short videos. At times I like to look at them instead of playing computer games. It showed the image of a distinguished looking woman in a blue dress - with a white collar -  and it looked like they were leading this woman out to be hung.

Scary. I watched the whole thing. Her name was Porpora  Milada Horáková.

The short film had little sound - and the words were in Czech or some foreign language. She was hung. I had never heard of her. It lead me to look up to find out who she was - and what did she do to deserve being hung.

Milada Horáková

I was in Slovakia once on a Danube Cruise - and could have chosen Prague as a side trip  - but didn’t.  From what I learned last night I might then have seen a statue of this woman - who is now a national hero - for her stands on major issues - in the life of her country.

She was married and had one daughter.

She was arrested by the Gestapo - in standing up to the Nazi’s - and was liberated from prison by the Americans near the end of World War II.  She then stood up to the communists for years - on national policies and programs - for women and for children - and foreign policy - and use of resources - and was arrested - and condemned to be hung in Prague’s Pankrac Prison on June 27, 1950 at 5:30 A.M.

I woke up this morning still thinking about her and that scene.

HOMILY

It got me to ask the question of my homily: “Have I ever said something that is dangerous - something that causes reactions - that could get me in trouble?”

It could be prolife. It could be Peace and Justice issues. It could be many things like family fights - like telling someone - with love - about their drinking or non-care of kids or aging parents.

When I read Isaiah’s comment in today’s first reading, I thought of all this as well.

Isaiah said something that has gotten a lot of people in trouble: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.”

Haven’t we all gone down streets - like in Baltimore - where there are terrible pot holes and said, “The money we poured out for the Iraq war could fix all the streets in America or help pay teachers better - especially in inner city schools or feed the hungry and on and on and on.”

I don’t have a degree in economics nor am I an engineer nor am I million other things - but there is a call in all of us - to think - and to speak up more than we do - instead of being silent and helpless.

CONCLUSION.

The title of my homily for today is, “Saying Dangerous Things.”

I do a lot of baptisms and I’ve been to lots of confirmations - and I know the New Testament message - is oiled into babies as well as teenage skulls - that we are all called to not only be priests - all of us - as well as kings and queens - as Jesus was a king - that is a king who feeds the poor and washes feet - and cares for the sick - but we are also called to be prophets.

Jesus was also a prophet - and prophets are often yelled at - spit at - and sometimes crucified - sometimes hung.

December 3, 2018

PUERTO RICO

I am an island

surrounded by water -

the Atlantic and the Caribbean.

I am San Juan,

Mayaguez,

Ponce, Guyama,

Carolina, Caguas, Bayamon,

smaller cities and islands.

I am Taino and Igneri,

Hispanic, Catholic

Evangelical and other.

I am American.

I am Latino.

I am some 3,659,087 Puertorriquenos in P.R.

and some 4,600,000 in the mainland USA.

I am mountains.

I am roosters and rain,

then a sun shower

landing on green, green, green.

I am on a road,

many roads that twist

and curve, and then curve some more -

leading to beaches, water, work,

manufacturing, tourism.

I am history  -

a story - many stories.

I am hurricanes:
Maria, Hugo, Irma,
Katrina, and so many others. 

I am a veranda

mi casa, su casa

watching the noise

hearing the show going on.

I am life.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

December 3, 2018

Thought for today: 

“Rock  bottom  became  the  solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.”