YOU PROBABLY THINK 

THESE READINGS 

ARE ABOUT YOU.  

DON’T YOU?   DON’T YOU? 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “You Probably Think These Readings Are About You?  Don’t You?  Don’t You?”

They are. They are.

I’m stealing this idea from a song by Carly Simon - called, “You’re So Vain.”

That’s a theme in today’s readings - especially today’s first reading which begins this way, “Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities! All things are vanity.”

I can’t sing but in this song by Carly Simon she begins with this message, this image, these words:

You walked into the party
Like you were walking on a yacht
Your hat strategically dipped below one eye
Your scarf, it was apricot
You had one eye on the mirror
And watched yourself gavotte
And all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner
They'd be your partner, and

You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain,
I'll bet you think this song is about you
Don't you?
Don't you?

It’s an intriguing and an interesting song.  This week Google “You’re So Vain” song by Carly Simon.  Listen to it every day. Check out today’s readings again. Read them again every day. They too can be found on Google.  Put them both together. That’s basically my sermon for today.

CARLY SIMON’S SONG

It became a top song through the years for Carly Simon. Various guys thought she was singing about them.  She wrote a song called, “Bless You, Ben” with the words, “You came in when nobody else left off.”  Something was missing so she shelved or middle drawered  that song.

Then at a party someone described someone who just came in - “as if they were walking onto a yacht” - and she went back to that Ben song - and re-worked it and re-did it.  It triggered lots of questions - and guessing games: “Who was the you? Who was the guy she was talking about in the song?”

She gave all kinds of hints - as well as saying it was basically about 3 different guys and she gave hints and promised answers as money raisers as well as having fun with it.

So listen to that song this week a few times and hear the question, “You probably think this song is about you …. Don’t you? Don’t you?”

It is. It is.

We can be so vain. We can. We can.

TODAY’S READINGS

Once more the title of my homily is, “You Probably Think These Readings Are About You?  Don’t You?  Don’t You?”

They are. They are.

The first reading is from the Book of Ecclesiastes.

Most people know this book from the Bible because of Chapter 3 where he gives us the great message, “For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under the heavens: a time to be born, and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot the plant….”

That’s another song to listen to - by the Birds ….

Qoheleth or The Teacher - the one who speaks - speaks often in his book about Vanity.  Vanity of vanities, vanity of vanities. All things are vanity.”

It’s a strong theme. You’ll find it in Jane Austen and Shakespeare and so many writers and poets and song writers and movie makers.

In Hebrew the word is HEVEL or HEBEL.  It means this: everyone take their hand. Put the back of it - about three inches away from your mouth. Then breath … push air - blow air onto the back of your hand. 3X 3X 3X.

That’s HEVEL - that breath of air.  That’s vanity.  Where does that air go? It disappears.  It fades. It makes its way around the world. It’s goes into corners and out windows and doors - and into other human beings.

Vanity. Disappears. Invisible.

In today’s first reading Qoheleth, the Teacher, laughs because he tells us that everything we worked for - with all our skills, with all our wisdom, with all our knowledge, is going to be left to someone else.

You can’t take it with you.

We’re going to disappear - like the wind - like invisible breath.

The clay, the mud, the earth, from which I eat and become is going to crumble. The sculpture that God the Artist and Sculptor created and blew air into - to make a human being - is eventually going to run out of gas, run out of air, have more and more trouble breathing. I’m learning this big time this year - trying to get my breath back.

That breath, that vanity, is going to disappear - along with this body called me.  I notice the skin on the inside side of right arm - just below the elbow is  wrinkling more and more - as I move towards hitting 80 this year.

Vanity of vanities.  All things are vanity.

You gotta laugh. You gotta laugh. You gotta cry. You gotta cry.

Bummer. Bummer.  Tough stuff. Tough stuff.  Humbling. Humbling….

And then today’s gospel.  What a mirror. What a message.

This rich man has a great harvest.  He’s saying to himself. “What shall I do? What shall I do? I don’t have space enough to store my harvest. I’m going to tear down that barn. That barn. That barn. And build larger ones.  Then I’m going to say to myself. I got it made. Woo! Wow! Do I have it made?”

And then Jesus says, “The fool…. The poor sucker. He’s going to die tonight.”

Vanity…. His breath will disappear and along with his wealth will go to others.

Hopefully, we realize that this message is about me.

COMING TO CHURCH

So we come church - we come to God - to hear these readings - to hear the words of these songs.

We come to church to realize what Saint Paul is telling us in today’s second reading.

What lasts…. What lasts…. Is God.

Life. Eternal life. The me that’s me - that’s above this earth.

The hidden is eternal and Christ came and did this life - to bring us to believe in eternal life.

That is the message - the reappearance  after death - after our crucifixion - that’s what these readings - that’s what this Mass of faith - hidden in all of us - in the bread and the wind - in the songs - is about.

Whether we’re Greek of Jew - Barbarian, Scythian - slave or free - it’s about us - faith - Christ - can give us this new Vanity of Vanities - the Holy Spirit -the Holy Breath Called God.

Breathe it in baby…. breathe it in - it’s about us. It’s about us. Forever….

August 4, 2019

FROM   SOMEWHERE  ELSE 

It seems that everything 

is from somewhere else - 

people too - so why do 

folks scream about some 

new strangers moving 

into our neighborhood? 

Bread, jam, playing cards, 

cars, apricots, tables, chairs, 

and the woman at the register 

at the front of the store - the 

woman with the accent - make 

this whole deal international. 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

August 4, 2019 

Thought for today 

“If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds,  and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?” 

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn  

in The Gulag Archipelago.

AUGUST 3, 2019

NO  OFF  BUTTON

There is no off button 

for our inner voices: 

guilt, conscience, nags, 

gotta’s, hurry, hurry, 

wonderings, want to’s, 
bucket lists of hope to's 

when, when, when, 

get it finished, hurry, 

quick, why, why, why? 

                                                                      © Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

Thought for today: 

“There is no medical proof that television  causes  brain  damage - at least from five feet away.  In fact, TV is probably the least physically harmful of all the narcotics known to man.” 

Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, 

New York Times, 

September 24, 1969

August 2, 2019

MUSIC EVERYWHERE  

AND AT ALL TIMES 

There is music everywhere and at all times.

Just listen - when you’re on the subway or

on the elevator or the escalator - alone or

with others. Birds singing - wind whistling  -

boats tooting - cars beeping - babies crying ….
Open up your ears, open up your soul, open
up your being to the surround sound called
music everywhere and at all times - like now.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

August  2, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“I paint with shapes.” 

Alexander Calder - 

On suspended sculptures 

that  move with air - ‘Mobiles’ 

as Marcel Duchamp called them 

in 1932, Saturday Evening Post, 

February 27, 1865

ST.  ALPHONSUS MARY DE LIGUORI, 

Bishop and Doctor
Founder of the Congregation 

of the Most Holy Redeemer  

Alphonsus Mary de Liguori was born at Marianella, a sector of Naples, on September 27, 1696. 

Firstborn of an aristocratic Neapolitan family he completed his literary and scientific studies at home. He studied law and achieved his doctorate in civil and canon law at the age of 16. At the age of 20 he was already known as a brilliant lawyer in the Neapolitan courts.

The turning point in his life came in 1723 with the loss of an important case. 

This led him to leave the Tribunal and become a priest. 

He was ordained on December 21, 1726. 

He immediately began an intense apostolate in the poor sectors of Naples with the urchins and hobos, giving himself specially to the catechesis and moral formation of the most simple people, by way of the Evening Chapels. 

As a member of the Apostolic missions he also dedicated himself  to the preaching of missions in the surrounding areas of the kingdom of Naples.

At a point where his health was seriously endangered by his apostolic labors, he went off for a rest to Santa Maria dei Monti in the plateau above Amalfi. There he came in contact with the poor peasants and shepherds who were totally deprived of spiritual care. This experience gave birth, in the heart of Alphonsus, to the desire to found an Institute for the evangelization of the poor, scattered in the countryside and rural villages. The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer was born at Scala on November 9, 1732.  

Alphonsus, along with his first companions, went from village to village, giving all of his human and spiritual gifts for the conversion of sinners. 

Preaching and prayer formed the heart of his missionary activity.

Where he could not reach people with the spoken word, he sought to do so through his writings. His 111 works went through many editions. The most important are: his Theologica moralia, The Great Means of Salvation, The Eternal  Maxims, The Glories of Mary, and The Practice of the Love of Jesus Christ.

In 1762 he was named bishop of Santa Agata dei Goti. As bishop, Alphonsus also gave all his missionary fervor. He especially worked for the formation of the clergy.

In 1775 he left his diocese and withdrew to Pagani, where he died on August 1, 1987 at the age of 91.

He was canonized by Gregory XVI on May 26, 1839. On March 23, 1871 Pius IX declared him a Doctor of the Church and on April 26, 1950, Pius XII proclaimed him Patron of confessors and moral theologians.

_________________________________________________________

From page 32 in Proper Feasts of the Congregation. No author is given.

August 1, 2019

Thought for today:  

"The past is no longer ours.  The future is not yet in our power.  We have only the present to do good."  

Saint Alphonsus Liguori

ST.  ALPHONSUS:

PATRON SAINT OF WHAT?

Those with arthritis ….

Those in wheelchairs ….

Those in their 80’s and make it to 91 ….

Those who are lawyers ….

Those who see the poor ….

Those who want simplicity ….

Those who had a tough dad and a soft mom ….

Those who want to practice loving Jesus Christ 

Those with great devotion to Mary ….

Those who can be scrupulous ….

Those who want to make a good confession ….

Those who want better sermons ....

Those who are Neapolitan Italian ….

Those who are Redemptorists ….

Those who write spiritual books ….

Those who use religious pictures and crucifixes ….

Those who want a balanced healthy Moral Theology ….

Those who pray the Stations of the Cross ….

Those who like Christmas songs ….

Those who spend time with Christ in the Blessed Sacrament …. 
Those who want to prepare for death ….

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

July 31, 2019

10 A.M.  APPOINTMENT

A high school junior had a     

10 o’clock appointment with God.

She was doing a term paper

on “Images of God.”

She wanted to know if God

had an image God liked.

She was there early - outside

the big door with her list in hand.

She went through her list: fire

water, baby, criminal on a cross.

Mom, dad, grandparent, brother,

sister, friend,  glass of cold water.

Mountain, valley, ocean, river,

outer outer space, inner inner place.

It was now 10:45 - and the door was

still closed and silence was everywhere.

At 11 another appointment arrived and God

opened the door and invited that person in.

  

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

ST.  IGNATIUS  OF  LOYOLA: 

MAY  YOU  LIVE  

IN INTERESTING TIMES 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “St. Ignatius Loyola: May You Live in Interesting Times.”

“May You Live in Interesting Times.”  

St. Ignatius of Loyola didn’t say that. But I thought of that as I began looking at the life and times of St. Ignatius last evening.

Some say, “May You Live in Interesting Times” is the English translation of a Chinese curse.

St. Ignatius Loyola - 1491 - 1556 -  founder of the Jesuits -  certainly lived in interesting times.

When I looked up his dates and background last evening, I began noticing the interesting people who lived in his period of time and history

Martin Luther - 1483-1546 lived at the same time.

So too Henry VIII - 1491- 1546.

So too Pope Julius II - 1443-1513.

So too Michelangelo - 1475 - 1564.

May you live in interesting times.

During Ignatius’ lifetime a lot of interesting  things happened.

The Pope was the famous Julius II - who commissioned Michelangelo to draw up and design his tomb.  It was to be quite large.  It was to have 40 statues - one of which is Moses. Interesting.

Next time you go to Rome, check out at the church of St. Peter in Chains.  Go downstairs and you’ll find the famous statue of Moses by Michelangelo.  When I saw it, I noticed that one  had to put some coins in a box to get electrical lights to go on. Since then they have put in new kinds of bulbs.

Interesting.

The shrine was to originally have a window nearby for light - but that light was blocked when a building was put up next door.

SPEAKING OF MOSES

The Moses statue had Moses with 2 horns - based on a mistranslation of Exodus 34 - our reading for today. Interesting. Moses didn’t have horns - but they were to be light radiating out of his head.

For the sake of reflection we could compare Moses to Ignatius of Loyola.

In Michelangelo’s statue Moses has the tablets of the 10 commandments - which many people go by. In the paintings of Ignatius we see him writing - either the Exercises or his Rule.

I prefer Ignatius writings to the 10 Commandments.

We could also reflect upon Pope Julius II - who commissioned that statue of Moses to be part of his tomb.  We could compare him to Ignatius. This pope was took on the role of a soldier who lead papal armies into  some battles. Julius II is described as gruff and grouchy and didn’t have a sense of humor.  Comparing Julius to Ignatius,  Ignatius earlier life was that of a soldier - but he changed his life style.  Julius II didn’t change as life went on.

Both were vain and self-centered when young - but Ignatius was wounded by a 20 pound canon ball and went through a long period of healing - of his legs and his outlook on life.

Ignatius took on vows - for example of celibacy and Julius II had a mistress and at least 1 kid off to the side.

Looking back, they had interesting times - and I’m sure all of us would rather be Ignatius over Julius II, Henry VIII, Martin Luther. 

None of us will be Michelangelo or Moses - Martin Luther or King Henry VIII -but we can be like the saint in today’s liturgy: St. Ignatius.

It would be smart and wise to read about the life of St. Ignatius.  After all,  it was reading the lives of the saints that Ignatius was converted.

CONCLUSION:

I began by saying that the saying, “May you live in interesting times” might have come from a Chinese saying. May our times be a blessing to us - and not a curse.

Don’t watch TV.

JULY 31, 2019

Thought for the day:

"Whatever you are doing, that which makes you feel the most alive ... that is where God is."

Ignatius of Loyola

INSIDE THE HUMAN TEMPLE 

CALLED THE SKULL 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 17 Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “Inside the Human Temple Called the Skull.”

In this homily, I want to think out loud  - using words as I try to figure out what’s going on inside my temple - inside my tent = also  called my skull, my head, my brain - with thoughts in the form of words released through my mouth.

I’ve heard various people tell me that one of their thoughts - inside their head - is wondering what goes on inside the homes they walk or drive by.

“Who and what is behind that front door?” “What’s happening behind those window curtains?”  “Who lives under that roof?” Knock, knock, who’s in there?

We have this temple here [touch head  with fingers] - our head - our brains - our skull - and it’s not that big - but like a computer - it can have millions of bytes - and lots of Random Access Memory.

There are 100 people in the room - at times -  wouldn’t we like to know what everyone is thinking and talking to themselves about? Or do we only wonder about a few people when we’re in church or in a crowd?

We find out who’s who and what’s what at times by talking - by communicating - by Holy Communion with each other. As we heard in Sunday’s gospel - by knocking, asking and seeking.

At times Jesus asked his disciples what they were talking about among themselves - what were they arguing about - as they walked the roads of Palestine.

What was Jesus thinking?   WWJT  What was Jesus thinking when he chose Judas?  What was Jesus thinking when he went into the same temple as an adult that he went into as a kid?

TODAY’S FIRST READING

I got this thought and these wonderings from today’s first reading from Exodus 33 and 34.

It’s the story of Moses leaving the camp and going to the meeting tent.

There he prayed. There he consulted the Lord. And when people saw smoke at the entrance to the meeting tent when Moses was inside, they would go stand at the entrance of  their own tents and meet the Lord.

And in these meetings with God in the tent Moses discovered that God is a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity,

And in those meetings with God he deepened his understanding of the Ten Commandments.

Exodus is telling us what Moses was thinking and doing when he took the time to enter the tent that was the temple before there was a temple.

OTHERS AND OURSELVES: WHAT’S IN OUR BRAIN

Like the TV commercial that goes, “What’s in your wallet?” - a possible reflection for today would be this:  “We probably won’t ever know what the other people in this tent, this church, are thinking when they are here.”

However we can take some of the time we are in church to reflect upon what we talk to  God about when we are in here - or if we do this at home - say on a porch or in a prayer chair - keeping Jesus’ message that we all have an inner room - that ought to be a house of prayer.

What do I talk to myself about?  What are my conversations with myself and with God like?

The first step might be we need to clear our temple up - getting rid of our weeds - what we heard about in today’s gospel. 

Next we might use the WHY question - asking why - not of others in our mind - but the WHY question about ourselves.  

Or we can ask the Kojak question: “Who loves ya, baby?” Isn’t that a regular question we all ask? 

So  I think today's first reading challenges us to do want Moses did: visit and go into our inner temple. 

July  30, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“God is mysterious, and so (for that  matter) is the universe  and one’s fellow man and one’s self and the snail on the garden path; but none of these is so mysterious as to correspond to nothing  within human knowledge.”   

Dorothy  L. Sayers, 

The Mind of the Maker, 1941

July 30, 2019

DEAF

Beethoven was deaf, 

when he wrote, “Ode 

to Joy.” OMG - OMG. 

Sometimes we sing 

it in church and I 

don’t hear it. OMG. 

OMG. OMG. OMG. 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

July 29, 2019

MIRA

“Look!”
“Mira!” in Spanish. 

I hear kids in the playground, 

well in the classroom as well, 

well, everywhere and all the time, 

yelling, “Mira!” “Look at me!” 

Why think it’s only kids who say that?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

July  29, 2019 - 

Thought for today: 

"Lord, keep me in the company of those seeking the truth, and spare me from those who have found it".  

Sent to me yesterday by a parishioner - whose wife he said, heard it recently.

ACCENTUATE  THE  POSITIVE 

ELIMINATE  THE  NEGATIVE 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this feast of Saint Martha  is, “Accentuate the Positive; Eliminate the Negative.”

Many people have heard the song, “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive”. It was one of Bing Crosby’s best songs.

A guy named - Harold Arlen - wrote the music.  Johnny Mercer did the  lyrics. Lots of other singers have tackled this 1944 song. It has won many rewards and awards. Johnny Mercer told the story that his agent went to hear Father Divine preach. The agent came back to Johnny  Mercer  and told him  he  had heard a sermon whose  subject was 'you got to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative.'

And Johnny Mercer said, 'Wow, that's a colorful phrase!”

Father Divine (c. 1876-1965) was an African American Spiritual Leader and Preacher - The Messenger - who preached mainly on the East Coast. His full given name was, Reverend Major Jealous Divine. He was born in either Hutchinson Island, Georgia or Rockville, Maryland.

The song was written in 1944 - and really became famous in 1945 - the year World War II ended.

MARTHA MARY STORIES

For today’s first reading we are allowed the first reading for this 17^th Monday in Ordinary Time  -  the Exodus text - we’ve been following.  However, when it comes to the gospel  for today, we are told to use one of the two key Martha-Mary stories in the gospels.  John 11: 11-29 or Luke 10: 38-42.

John 11: 19-29 is put first.

Noticing that choice - I thought of the choice of picking the positive towards Martha story - in contrast with the negative towards Martha story - where Jesus corrects Martha and says, “Martha, Martha, you’re anxious and upset about  many things; one thing is required.  Mary has chosen the better part.”

In the gospel story from John it says Mary was sitting at home - whereas Martha went looking for Jesus when her brother died and we end up hearing wonderful faith words about Martha’s belief in the resurrection of Jesus.

She’s the heroine in the John story - but the Martha story we all know is the negative one from Luke.

EVERY DAY

Every day we have the choice to say good things about another or pick a negative moment about them.

I once heard a talk by a psychologist - in which he said, “If someone says Jack Jones is a nice guy,  nobody responds, but if we  say, ‘Jack Jones is a dirty no good son of a b….’  everyone jumps in with ‘Yeah! Yeah!’ and then they  start giving examples of things they don’t like about Jack Jones.”

Everyone has heard that the only time we hear only good things about another is when they die.

So as the song goes, and it has Bible stuff in it, “accentuate the positive.”  I’ll read it. I can’t sing. Ooops that’s negative. To be positive, I can read - and it sounds like a sermon - well that’s its origin from the famous black preacher,  Father Divine.

Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive

You've got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between

You've got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum
Have faith or pandemonium
Liable to walk upon the scene

To illustrate his last remark
Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark
What did they do
Just when everything looked so dark

Man, they said we better, accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between
No, do not mess with Mister In-Between
Do you hear me?

Oh, listen to me children and-a you will hear
About the elininatin' of the negative
And the accent on the positive
And gather 'round me children if you're willin'
And sit tight while I start reviewin'
The…

CONCLUSION

So every day we have the opportunity to choose the negative or the positive when talking about others - and also when talking about ourselves.

Our move.