CURIOSITY

[Every Christmas  since 1993, I’ve written  a story for my  Christmas homily. I do this in memory of a priest I was stationed with - Father John Duffy. He wrote a Christmas story every year  for his niece in Boston. I found out  he did this - when he mentioned at breakfast one December morning -  that he had just finished his Christmas story. I nagged him to see it and he finally let me read it. Great story teller. Horrible typist. So without asking,  I typed it up on my computer and told him any changes would take seconds. We  did that. The following year he asked me to type up his handwritten copy of his latest  Christmas story. It was about a dad trying to get home to his family for Christmas in a snow storm. I did that. While typing that story I looked out the window to see how high the snow was. There was no snow. I realized at that moment the power of story. Then when he died  - December 24, 1993,  I decided to write a Christmas story in memory of Duff. This is Number 26. Here goes. It’s called “Curiosity.” And every Christmas - I’m curious what story will be born in my brain and how it goes. “Curiosity!”]

He woke up that Christmas morning having had a strange dream during the night before Christmas.

“Come to think about it,” he was telling me this years after all this happened, “I hadn’t had a dream in years - at least - a dream  that I remembered.”

Being curious, I listened. In fact, most of the time - people don’t open up their whole life to total strangers in rocking chairs - in nursing homes - but “Wait a minute,” I thought, “sometimes people do - so I better listen. It sounds like this guy -  still has his mind and his wits.”

I didn’t tell him that I was a retired brain surgeon and also a behavioral psychologist.  People had opened up their whole lives to me - that was one of my jobs - but  I really didn’t know this resident on corridor C - between rooms 68 to 98 - in Blue Meadow’s Nursing Home - as he was telling me his life story.

We were both old men - residents - widowers - with aluminum walkers - spending the last few years of our lives here in Blue Meadow.

“Well, I’m curious,” I asked, “tell me about that strange dream you had that night before Christmas years ago?”

He looked both ways - down the corridor and up the corridor - and then he began -  sort of whispering.  I turned my hearing aid up a bit.

He began quite dramatically: “God appeared to me - in my dream - well sort of!”

Silence.

He continued, “Now I wasn’t a big God person nor a small God person.  I was just a BMW car salesman in Atlanta, Georgia. Most years I’d go to church for Christmas and Easter - weddings and funerals - and at other times, sometimes. We didn’t have any kids - sorry to say.

He paused ….

He continued, “My wife was killed in a car crash - not long after we got married - and I was so devastated - that I never got married again. She was the love of my life.”

“Woo,” I said to myself. “I’m rather new to this nursing home. Is this what people talk to each other about in nursing homes: telling each other about their lives?”

I didn’t know this guy yet.

He continued talking, “That Christmas Eve I had the dream. It was around 3 in the morning - when Santa Clause was making his rounds - around the world - and getting his chocolate chip cookies and cold milk. No wonder he was a big boy.  I guess God was also making his rounds -  putting  a letter  in my mail box - and maybe many others - in the different ways God Bethlehems people.

“Relax,” he continued, “I’m not crazy.   God put a letter in my mail box. I heard the shuffle of paper in the metal slot on my front door. It woke me up at 3 in the morning. I went down to the front  door and saw this light brown envelope half way through my mail slot.

“I quickly opened the door. It was cold - but not snowy out there - and I looked up the street and down the street - and didn’t see anyone. No cars were moving.

“I went back inside. I was  in my bathrobe - slippers - and pajamas.

“I sat down in my living room Lazy Boy chair and looked at the letter.

“I opened it up. Sure enough it was signed ‘God’.”

I asked myself, “Well, what do I ask for?

“I thought it was one of those jokes. It said, ‘I have one gift for you this Christmas. But you have to come up with an answer to the gift you want by 3 o’clock this afternoon - that is: Christmas afternoon.”

“Not having a wife …. not having kids …. what do I ask for - whom do I ask?

“Well, obviously  I went  to church that Christmas…. In a way It was like going  for the first time in my life. I prayed to God for an answer to the  question. ‘What should I ask for?’”

“I remembered hearing in church or somewhere - a long time ago - about King Solomon - David’s son - who had the same experience. God had asked him, ‘I have one gift for you. Ask for it and it’s yours.’ And Solomon  asked for the gift of understanding.

“And God gave it to him….

“I wondered, ‘Is that what I really need? Understanding?’

“I kept thinking….

“However,  the word, ‘Curiosity’ kept hitting me - not understanding.

“I said to myself, ‘No way. Nobody asks God for the gift of curiosity.

“But - I couldn’t shake that word out of my brain - and I became very curious. Why curiosity?  Why should that be the gift I ask for?

“So that afternoon - at 2:59 -  I said to God, ‘Curiosity. I want the gift of curiosity.’”

Silence.

Pause.

He continued, “’Wait a minute,’ I asked myself.  ‘I’m curious. It was just a dream. There was no letter in my mail box - in real life -  no letter sitting there in my living room - next to my lazy boy chair.

Silence.

Then came more….

“I still asked God for curiosity - and curiosity changed my life.

“My mom was still living. Funny, she was in a nursing home. I found myself buying a small tape recorder and lots of yellow pads and every Wednesday evening and for a couple of hours every Saturday and Sunday I sat with her and together we wrote her life  - and my dad’s life - and the more we wrote - the more curious we became and it brought my mom such delight that someone was dying to hear her story.

“I became curious about the Civil War and Sherman’s March through the south and everything I could find out about Andersonville Prison Camp in Georgia - and I found out we had a great-great uncle who was a guard there during that horror.

“I became interested in God - God and science - and the power of curiosity and faith.

“I made peace with the Problem of Evil and the Problem of Cancer - and the Problem of people dying suddenly in car accidents - like my wife. I learned that I had to deal with the Problem of Good - why is there so much good in our world? Like split pea soup with tiny chunks of  ham - as well as milk shakes and waffles and volunteers. Oh.  I volunteered to coach Little League baseball and Midget football and I joined the local rescue squad.

“I wondered and became curious about questions like, ‘If we were all blind, how would we discriminate? If we were all deaf, how would we communicate with each other - besides using sign language?  Is there something out there - still to discover?”

“I discovered that curiosity could be a better gift than understanding - because it’s the step before understanding. It’s the step that leads to understanding.

Pause. Silence.

Then this other old man said to this old man, “Wait, I’m talking too much? I’m curious about who you are.  Who are you? What did you do for a living? How did you end up here in Blue Meadow’s nursing home?  Why did they call this place, “Blue Meadows?”

And I said, “I’m curious too, ‘Was that really a dream about God giving you that  letter that Christmas Eve? Or do you think God says to everyone on the night before Christmas: I have one gift I want to give you, but you have to figure out what it is, by 3 o’clock  Christmas afternoon.”

NO  FEAR

Years ago, there were t-shirts with the words,

“No fear!” broadcasted  on them.  The scriptures

often have angels and others saying, “Don’t

be afraid.”  Well, that’s the Christmas message

and that’s our prayer for every new born baby.  

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

December 25, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“We must not  measure greatness from the mansion down, but from the manger up.”   

Jesse Jackson, in his speech 

at the Democratic National Convention, 

San Francisco, California, July 17, 1984

UPSIDE

Someone said, “But there is a downside.”

I said, “I only want to look at the upside.”

Someone hearing me say that, said,

“Well, that’s crazy. That has a big downside.”

I said, “Well, then, you take care of downsides

and I’ll take care of upsides - and watch me smile.”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

CHURCH  BUILDINGS 

WE’VE  EXPERIENCED 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my thoughts for today - Morning Mass December 24^th -  is, “Church Buildings We’ve Experienced.”

DAVID’S PALACE - GOD’S TENT

Today’s first reading - 2 Samuel 7: 1-5, 8-11, 16, is all about Nathan the Prophet nagging David for not building a house for God. “You David are living in a great house built with cedar and God is living in a tent.”

David, we have a problem here.

QUESTIONAIRRE: NAME 5 CHURCHES

We’ll human beings have certainly built great houses for God.

Here’s my questionnaire: Name 5 favorite or inspiriting church buildings you have  entered or been in and the story behind you getting there? 

Since we’re all so different, I thought it would be a great conversation.  Don’t tell all 5 at once.  Tell them around the table or the conversation one at a time - giving each person their choice - one by one.

Here are my 5.

FIRST: LOURDES

In the 3^rd year of high school, Father John Barry said, “If you ever get to France, get to Lourdes and make sure you go to the baths.” Well in 1993 my two sisters and my brother-in-law went to France and each of us got the choice of one place to visit. My sister Peggy picked Lourdes - so that was taken care of. It was well worth it. So if you haven’t been to Lourdes, put it on your list.

SECOND CHARTRES:

Second for me  would be Chartres Cathedral. It’s about an hour from Paris.

I once listened to a vinyl record by Charles Laughton and on that  record he talks about 2 significant times he went to Chartres Cathedral and how that impacted his life.

Well I got there - and I would recommend to everyone to get to Chartres  - the  Marian Shrine in Europe since the 11^th century.

THIRD: SAGRADA FAMILIA

Third for me was Sagrada Familia - in Barcelona.  I got there 2 times. It’s still being built. Right now the tallest church in the world is Ulm Cathedral.  By 2026 Sagrada Familia will be the tallest.  Check it out.

FOURTH: COLOGNE CATHEDRAL

Fourth would be Cologne Cathedral. Back in 1993 I was taking a train from Hamburg Germany to Paris. Well, my niece Claire’s husband told me to take the hour earlier train - get off in Cologne - walk up the street - and check out the Cologne Cathedral. Then  walk back to the train station and get on the train to Paris that you were ticketed for. Surprise, there was no seat for me - from Hamburg to Cologne  - but looking back it was all worthwhile.

LAST:  SAINT MARGARET OF CORTONA  CHURCH - COLUMBUS OHIO

Fifth - would be St. Margaret of Cortona, Church in Columbus Ohio. It’s a relatively small church - in an Italian Neighborhood settled by Italian stone workers brought to America to build the state buildings in Columbus. I was preaching a parish mission there in the late November of 1999.  The pastor told me that the church was built from stones from the nearby rock quarries. The church has won design awards and honors.

CONCLUSION

What are your 5?  I could  have picked St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City  or St. Peter’s in Rome or St. Paul's in London - and I’ll probably have 50 more - the more I think about this - but I thought these 5 would bring out the point I wanted to make.

Thanks for listening.

December 24, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“The worst sin  -  perhaps the only sin - passion can commit, is to be joyless.” 

Dorothy Leigh Sayers, 

Gaudy Night [1936], chapter 23

December 23, 2018

FLY IN DECEMBER

Some saint loved roses 

in December. How about flies? 

I guess I’m not a saint. 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

WHO  AM  I 

IN THE MANGER? 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Who Am I In The Manger?”

JOSEPH BREIGHNER

I picked up a copy of the Catholic Review magazine yesterday afternoon - before going into the confessional. They were in the back of the church. I got there earlier than usual, so I had time to page through the different articles.  I stopped and read the article by Father Joseph Breighner, “Jeers to Cheers”. Then people started coming in for confession.

I always find Breighner’s writings wonderful. I had heard him speak over at Millersville, a few years back. Excellent speaker.

In the article -  he wrote the following, “As a philosopher put it: ‘We look into other people’s eyes to see who we are.’”

I began thinking about that. I didn’t know people did that. Do I do that? I had to answer: “I don’t know.” Then I added, “I’ll have to think about that.”

So that to me is a good article - a good goal for a magazine article - as well as a sermon: to do some good thinking.

Since it was a Christmas article I thought he was going to say: “People look into the manger to see who they  are.”

It didn’t.

But then I said, “That’s a good idea for a Christmas homily.” I write a Christmas story every year, I’ll do that tomorrow, so I’ll give a Christmas homily today with the title: “Who Am I In the Manger?”

Go up to the manger, the crib, the Christmas crèche here in church or at home or on a Christmas card this Christmas and ask, “Who Am I In the Manger?

THE BABY

The baby is front and center.

The baby is what it’s all about.

Carl Sandburg said, “A baby is God’s way of saying the world must go on.”

 “In Joseph Heller’s novel Something Happened the main character, Robert Slocum, says, `I know at last what I want to be when I grow up. When I grow up I want to be a little boy.’”

Natalie Goldberg wrote, “We never graduate from first grade.”

Doug Lawson wrote, “The aging process has you firmly in its grasp if you never get the urge to throw a snowball.”   

Listen to yourself at this winter’s first snow fall. See if you still have that urge to throw a snowball at someone. If you don’t, get with it. Remember Jesus’ words, “Unless you be like little children, you won’t be in the kingdom of God.”  Through snowballs, even if you’re in your nineties.

There’s an Iranian proverb that sort of says the same thing, “Children are a bridge to heaven.”

Anonymous said, “Babies are such a nice way to start people.”

So when you see the manger, start with the baby and start to see babies in the light of your life.  What was it like when I was born?  What were my parents thinking and saying and feeling?  See parents caring for their kid and see our parents doing all that for us.

What were my Christmases like? What was my growing up like? Get out the pictures and study them.  Talk to each other about what growing up was like?  Ask those still around, what they went through and if they are much older than me, did they remember what I went through?

So Number 1: when I see the baby in the manger, what do I see in myself and in life?

NEXT: MARY AND JOSEPH

What do I see in Mary? What do I see in Joseph? What do I see in my parents, living or dead?  If I am a parent, what is / what  was / that like?

What’s with Catholics and Mary and Joseph and the Saints?

This is St. Mary’s Parish.  What is that about?

Today’s gospel has Mary going to Elizabeth?  Both are now pregnant. Elizabeth says, “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

Do we ever say that to our mom for housing us - for bringing us into the world?  When in our life, has our mom felt blessed, for having had us.

So too our dad.

There are a hundred things to think about when looking into the manger - especially about our parents and being a parent.

NEXT:  THE ANIMALS

We might reflect upon the ox and the ass,  the sheep and the birds.

I do a lot of baptisms. I often wonder what kids are thinking when they see what they see.

Have we ever watched a child looking at a dog and breaking out into a smile?

Have we ever felt like an ox, having to do all the work, and nobody even notices - or says, “Thank you Ox.”

Have we ever felt like an ass?

I won’t go further than that.

SHEPHERDS AND KINGS

Sometimes we’re shepherds.  Sometimes we’re kings.

Sometimes we’re called upon to care for others: like grand parenting, babysitting, teaching, being a crossing guard.  Every person should be a waiter or   waitress at some point in one’s life. Everyone should be a volunteer, an usher, a setter up with tables at a parish or a group picnic.

And sometimes we’re king to queen, like at 25^th and 50^th anniversaries or at a retirement party, when we get gifts: a gold watch or perfume or Old Spice.

I like something Ginny Dauses - who is our high school youth minister - says. She likes to say at the end of a high school retreat,  “When the 3 kings finally saw Jesus, they gave their gifts, but went home a different way.

CONCLUSION

I would hope that by stopping to look into the Christmas manger and seeing ourselves in the story, we would go away - and do life in a different way - a better way.

December 23, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“Ask why.”  

Aarthy Vaidyanathan

December 22, 2018

GLUE

Wouldn’t it be neat if we could reach

for a small tube or bottle of invisible

glue - that we could rub onto the soul

of an angry family member - or another -

who won't connect with or who feels 

cut off from his or her family or group? 

Well, surprise, there is such a glue.

Its contents are meeting together,

presence, talking, listening, listening

some more, crying, remembering,

compromise, prayer and acceptance.

Its brand name is:  FORGIVENESS.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

December 22, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“Thou shalt not spread my word with the sword.” 

Colin Powell

December 21, 2018

WINTER

Water in the pond and the lake

turning to ice - cold moving up

the street into our house and

into our bones - winter is here.

Appreciating big warm blankets,

radiators, the sound of heat pipes

clanking and banging, knowing

here we are till at least March.

Winter - grey mists and then

white snow…. Even if Christ

wasn’t born on December 25,

it was a very good choice.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

THIN  PLACES

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Thin Places.”

In Celtic Spirituality - aspects of which come out  of  middle Europe - and moved to Ireland and Scotland, there is a phrase, “Thin Places” or “Caol Áit”.

Probably, because both of today’s readings begin in the great outdoors, I thought of “Thin Places” when I read the first from the Song of Songs and the second, the gospel,  from Luke.

When I’m not too clear about what something means - like “thin places”, one way I learn about the unknown, is  to preach about that unknown topic.

So I did some Google research and came up with some ideas and words about  “Thin Places.”

DESCRIPTION

Gaelic - which includes Scotland and Ireland - and many islands off the coast of both these countries have sacred places - beautiful places - where people feel God’s presence.

If a place is too busy, too noisy, too self-centered, that would be called  a thick place.

Now there are also other places called “thin places” - and your thin places can be different than my thin places.

There is a Celtic saying that  goes like this: “Heaven and earth are only three feet apart, but in thin places that distance is even shorter.”

Let me repeat that, because if you get that, you can begin to get what Celtic spirituality means by, “Thin Places.”

“Heaven and earth are only three feet apart, but in thin places that distance is even shorter.”

In Celtic Spirituality - and hopefully in Italian and Spanish, and German and Filipino Spirituality, hopefully the message is that God is here - closer than 3 feet away.

We come to church - to get in touch by God and to touch God.

After reading up about this last night, I heard that if we get in touch with God here, we can get in touch with God out there.

SOME EXAMPLES

Let me give some examples of “Thin Places” - places where God breaks through or where a sense of God can happen.

In a nursing home a person is in a bed with tubes and they are breathing hard and there is their spouse - in silence - in semi-darkness - holding their spouse’s hand as well as God’s hand. That could be a thin place.

When I’m in a funeral home and the body is in a casket and there is a kneeler there before the body,  I reach down and say one Hair Mary on one rosary bead in the dead person’s hand.  That has often been a God moment for me. Now I can call that a thin place.

When I meet a  mom with a new baby in one of those baby carriers, I like to say, “Can I see your baby.” She unzips or unsnaps the hood, and shows me a 6 week old baby. That is often a thin place.

In the movie City Slickers, Billy Crystal is at a camp fire with a bunch of guys on a western vacation. They talk about the moment a kid goes to his first Major League baseball game with his dad. They walk through the dark underbelly of a major league ball park. Then they go up through the tunnel. They see blue sky and they come out and see that great green grass, the people, the players practicing, and they go “Wow” with awe. For me seeing that moment on the screen was a thin place.

It’s Thanksgiving - my sister-in-law is sitting there looking around the room. She sees all her kids and their husbands and their kids - laughing and being with each other - and she says pointing to her kids, “This is what makes it all worthwhile.” That could be a thin place.

TODAY - DECEMBER 21^ST, IN NEWGRANGE IRELAND

Today, December 21^st, in Newgrange, Ireland, a small group of people go into this prehistoric cave like dwelling. It was under a mound or a small hill. It’s  dated back to 3200 B.C. There is a 10 year waiting list to get in there today.

A shaft of light goes through one opening - to the center of the mound - and it goes directly to the other side and out an opening.

It’s a sacred moment - on this day - the shortest day of the year - when we have more darkness than light - and then we move into winter - as we move towards the spring and more light.

This building is older than Stonehenge in England or the pyramids in Egypt.

In Celtic spirituality the dark is feminine - like in the womb - as mothers long to bring a child into the light of the world.

Mary - from her dark womb - brings Christ the Light of the World - into the world.

In today’s gospel she moves with haste into the hill country to be with Elizabeth who is filled with her baby as well. She runs like the lover in today’s first reading from the Song of Songs - and all of creation - bursts, flowers, the winter is over.  The Holy Spirit has touched Mary as well. Elizabeth says the words of the Hail Mary, “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

It was a thin place between Mary and Elizabeth as they held each other in God.

So thin places are more than places. They can be moments - when we sense the presence of God - moments when we are in the presence of God - and that is every moment.

CONCLUSION

So that’s a few words about “Thin Places”.  Once you bring that idea into your spirituality, you’ll come out of dark tunnels and see new light.

 December 21, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“Don’t panic.” 

Colin Powell

December 20, 2018

SCROOGE

Scrooge appears on stage

at this time of the year - for

each of us - I guess -  not

to appear as a scrooge at

this or any time of the year.

Mean, cheap, lacking the giving

instinct  - not tossing some green

in the pot at the guy or gal with the

bell on the sidewalk at the bottom

of Main Street or at the mall.

And every year - and every time -

we see the play - we celebrate

that I can change, people can

change - once we explain our story

- so that happy endings happen.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

December 20, 2018

Thought for today: 

“`Broadway is a street,’ typed the columnist, `where people spend money they haven’t earned to buy things they don’t need to impress people they don’t like.’” 

Carl Sandburg, p. 173

STORIES  

TRIGGER  STORIES

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Stories Trigger Stories.”

As we all know stories trigger stories.

I tell you a story about a blue rock and you begin thinking about a blue car you once had or a rock band or a rock you once tripped on and you hurt your left shoulder.

Stories trigger stories.

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s first reading from Judges tells the story of Samson - which triggers the story of John the Baptist in our gospel.

Obviously Luke - today’s gospel - has the story in Judges in mind.

Notice the connections - no strong wine or drink - an angel of the Lord comes and makes an announcement - consecration to the Lord - barren no children - then a son.

Stories trigger stories.

The Bible - the scriptures - the Old Testament and then the New Testament - have many interconnecting stories. If you ever spot the Jerusalem Bible sitting around - just page through it - and notice all the interconnecting cross references.

Jesus is the New Moses. That’s a constant theme - especially in the gospel of John. Moses left Egypt - Matthew has to get Jesus to Egypt - so he can head for the Promised Land.

Jesus is the new Gideon - a savior - who will help the people.

When Jesus came they ask and they wonder if he is Elijah or one of the prophets.

         

WE DO THE SAME THING

We do the same thing - all the time.

I tell a story and it reminds you of something that happened to you - and first chance you get, you cut me off and you tell your story.

This happens all the time.

It happens with jokes as well.

Listening exercises are given to people - and they are trained to hear what the others are saying - and not cut in with our story.

A person was telling me recently that a parish in the Midwest  trained a team of about 12 people to go around the parish in 2’s - to knock on doors and see if they could talk to Catholics who had dropped out of church.  The parish numbers had gone down big time. Their job was to ask dropouts their story.  They were not allowed to tell the persons they were listening to their story. They were just to listen. Then at the end to say, “Thanks for telling us your story. We’re from St. Mary’s and you’re always welcome back.”

It worked.

CONCLUSION

Stories trigger stories - but they didn’t let their stories - to stop them from listening to other people’s stories.

Today ask someone to tell you their story - without you telling your story. Watch what happens.

December 19, 2018

BODY  PARTS

If you’re happy,

tell your face and give

the world a great smile

If you’re sad,

get what’s bothering you

off your chest.

If you’re lonely,

move your feet and

knock on a friend’s door.

If you’re all talk,

shut up and visit a shut in -

and listen to them.

If you’re wondering

why you’re here,

reach out and help someone.

If you’re doubting God,

open your eyes to all

the beauty surrounding you.

If you’re grouchy,

move your mouth and praise

someone for something quick.

If you’re lazy,

get off your butt and do

something sweet for someone else.

 © Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

December 19, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“O world, I cannot hold thee close enough.”  

Edna St. Vincent Millay [1892-1950] 

in God’s World [1917], stanza 1.