STOPPER

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is: “Stopper.”

Did you ever see a painting or a sculpture that stopped you?

I enjoy walking through an art museum – looking at paintings.

I love the joke about the American couple going into the Louve in Paris – that long, long, gigantic building that houses the Mona Lisa, etc. Husband to wife: “Honey you take this side and I’ll take that side and I’ll see you back here in twenty minutes.”

I love that joke because I did the National Air and Space Building in Washington DC in 45 minutes. I’m finished and I’m sitting there waiting for the three people I was with and I hear this kid say to his dad. “Wow! Amazing stuff here. It would take me at least two weeks to see everything in this place.”

Says I to myself, “Kid, I’m not part of your world.”

I could take a day in an art museum – and I can’t paint or draw. But I can look. And I don’t do a whole museum – I just slowly walk around and see what grabs me.

VIENNA, AUSTRIA

I’m in Vienna, Austria, by myself – visiting Redemptorist sites there – and I go into this enormous museum. I come upon this statue something with a name like “Woman!” in German. It’s four statues actually – and the idea is to see them from four sides – north, east, south, and west. The first statue is a young woman; next a married woman; next a middle aged woman; and then an old, old lady, without teeth and somewhat bent over.” It was a stopper. It hit me big time: the aging process. It was like Shakespeare’s 7 ages of Man. (Cf. As You Like It, II, vii, 139)

So I stepped back and found a bench about 20 yards away. I wanted to see if other people would have the same reaction as I had. I especially wanted to see women’s reactions to the 4 statues.

Some just walked by as if it was nothing. Others seemed to be as shocked and stopped as I was. Wooo!

A painting or a statue can stop us in our tracks.

PAINTING: FISH ON FRIDAY

There is a painting. I forget it’s name. It might be called “Fish on Friday.” I’ve seen it several times in priest rectory dining rooms. As I picture it my mind, it has this big dining room table filled with lobsters and all kinds of rich, delicious fish on plates and platters. And around the table, if I remember rightly, are these fat, very fat bishops and priests – with the red and purple veins showing in their laughing faces. That picture forever changed my attitude towards “Fish on Friday”. Annapolis with its crab cakes and great fish dinners can also certainly put an end to the idea of fish as a penance.

Did you ever have a painting or a sculpture stop you?

The paintings of Dutchmen Bosch and Brueghel are stoppers – big time.

Obviously, the cross is meant to be a stopper.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Today’s gospel is a stopper. We can page through the Bible slow or fast, but today’s gospel is a stopper. It’s not a page turner – but if we get the message – we will want to turn the page as quick as possible.

Today’s gospel is a painting in words by Jesus. It’s a parable.

Once there was a rich man – dressed in purple garments and fine linen – and he dined sumptuously every day. At his door was a poor man named Lazarus – covered with sores – who would gladly have eaten his fill from the rich man’s table. Dogs used to come and lick the poor man’s sores.

During Lent - the Second Thursday of Lent - we also hear this story – and I think the Church has a great sense of humor – because the priest wears purple robes that day – and the rich man in the parable is wearing purple and linen. I know I go “uuh” when I read this gospel in Lent. Today it’s easier. We’re wearing green.

Both died. One went to heaven. The other went to hell.

The rich man in hell – down below – sees off in the distance – the poor man, Lazarus, resting in the bosom of Abraham. What a scene. It’s very easy to picture it. He screams out to Abraham to have Lazarus, the poor man, dip the tip of his finger in water and come down and cool his tongue.

Notice, he knows Lazarus’ name.

Abraham says, “Sorry! It doesn’t work that way. In your life time you had it all and Lazarus had nothing and you walked by him every day. Just as you had a big wall between you and him in life – now there’s a big wall between you and him in death. Sorry.

The rich man has a conversion. He thinks of others. He says, “Well, if that is the case, could you have him go to my father’s house – because I have 5 brothers – and please warn them so they won’t go to hell as well.

Obviously, we’re the five brothers. Obviously, the story is meant to stop us from missing those we might be missing every day.

Abraham says, “They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.”

“No,” says the rich man, “but if someone went back from the dead, they would listen to that person.”

“No,” says Abraham. “If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded if someone rose from the dead.”

Today’s gospel is a stopper.

PLACARDS

Now I’ve never seen anyone walking around with a sign, “Luke 16:19-31” – the text for today’s gospel.

I have see people walking around with signs trying to get rid of people they don’t like – to abort people from wombs and from this country - people whom they have noticed in their stomachs or at their doors.

They are proof that people don’t listen to Moses and the prophets – and Jesus who rose from the dead – who tried to get us to notice people at our door – and then help – share – care – feed.

ST. MARY’S

St. Mary’s is good – because of the generosity of so many - for the poor – especially our support of people who come for help through the St. Vincent De Paul Society. Every Monday night and Wednesday afternoon there are people at our door – as well as other times – here and around town. And we have these wonderful volunteers in the parish who serve the poor. I know they do a lot more than what I do.

Each of us knows what we do and don’t do – for people at the doorsteps or in our eyesight. And obviously, we never do enough.

And obviously, Jesus’ comment is always current: “The poor are always with us.” (Cf. Matthew 26:11; John 12:8)

And our churches – more or less – try to help people here in this country and around our world.

I remember walking past a Catholic church in Denver and the line was around the block . It was a long line – of men – all men - and I wondered what did they do in the winter? I also remember walking past a Catholic church in San Diego in December and the line was triple what I saw in Denver. Is that where they go?

And on my one trip to Vienna, Austria, when I was checking out our Redemptorist roots, as well as going to the museum where I saw that statue of the four women I mentioned earlier, I stayed at our Redemptorist house there. I noticed one of our brothers putting together a big tray of sandwiches for the poor who came to their door every day – and the parish was in the rich part of town.

FATHER JACK LAVIN

Father Jack Lavin of our parish here has just finished his book, Noticing Lazarus at Our Door – and it will be out by Christmas. It details his 40 some years working with Hispanic folks here in Annapolis, Baltimore, New York, Boston, and Puerto Rico.

I really appreciate his witness of noticing all the Hispanics I might miss every day: folks on bikes, working in restaurants, doing lawns, cleaning hotels, doing construction, raising families, doing this and doing that here, there and everywhere.

He stopped to jot down his observations about all this – and he’s been coming to my door for computer help with his book and he drives me crazy at times. He’s Lazarus at my door – and I better not ignore him.

CONCLUSION

This parable scares me. This picture that Jesus stopped to paint with words stops me.

How about you? Does it stop you?

I wonder if I’m going to meet after death all the people I never noticed – or people I put down in my mind. I think of a kid on our block we picked on as a kid – calling him “Faggy” – way before any of us knew about homosexuality. I think of people through the years I made fun of in my mind or ignored – or thought uninteresting or what have you - because I judged them by their look or with my prejudices. They were not statues – or paintings. They were real people like Lazarus – people I sinned against by neglect or negative comments – or didn’t care for or about.

This parable has challenged me to ask, “Whom am I not noticing?” “Whom am I passing by every day – in the rectory – in the parish – in Annapolis – in our world?” “Where is hell here in Annapolis – because I don’t want to be in hell in the hereafter?”

Hopefully, this story will be continue to be a stopper – always challenging us to notice the Lazarus’ in the office, in our families, at work, on the road, in stores, in school, in the mall, in our world.

FIRE PLACE

After dinner, one by one,
we gathered in our chairs –
a few of us on the couch –
ready for the most ancient
of rituals. The logs
were placed precisely
on the altar of sacrifice.
Slowly the fire began –
dancing the ancient dance,
arms raised in praise.
The cracking snap
of burning wood was music.
The glow captured our souls.
The silent television set
in the background was envious –
knowing it couldn’t compete
with this show.

© Andy Costello, 2007

SHREWD

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Shrewd.” I better spell it, because it sounds very much like another word – which is sometimes part of it: S H R E W D - shrewd.

Shrewd meaning: clever, sharp, astute, slippery, shifty, slick, smooth, outguessing, outmaneuvering, or scheming.

Shrewd.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

As I read today’s readings that’s the thought that hit me – especially from the gospel.

The steward in the gospel is a very shrewd steward. Say that ten times fast. The steward in the gospel is a very shrewd steward. He’s stealing from his boss – very cleverly – perhaps skimming off profits – and he must have gotten turned in by someone – maybe someone he outsmarted or burned – and word gets to his boss – a rich man whom he worked for – who is going to fire him – but first wants to see the books.

The steward in the gospel is a very shrewd steward. He says to himself, “I’m not strong enough to dig. I’m ashamed to beg. I know what I can do.” Knowing the books, he knows who owes his boss money. So he calls a few of them in and lowers their debts. The first is a man who bought olive oil and the second a man who bought wheat from him. He tells them to re-write their promissory notes.

I’m sure those listening to Jesus tell this story smiled – joking to themselves, “I wish I was that clever.” or “I wish someone would call me in and lower my debts.”

And the boss – the rich man – upon discovering all this says to the steward, “You are a very shrewd steward.”

Perhaps Jesus heard this story and it impressed him. He must have had the thought. “Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone who was shrewd would use their gifts to make life better for everyone in the village or the town or the area – instead of using their gifts to be selfish or shifty or greedy.”

Then Jesus gets to his message: the values’ message. What’s really valuable to us? What’s important? What do we have to be shrewd about?

Then he hits us with a choice. “You cannot serve God and mammon.” I would love it if they translated that to, “You cannot serve God and stuff.”

Stuff can stuff us.

Possessions can posses us.

Consumerism can consume us.

If someone is really that shrewd with stuff and possessions, Jesus hopes they can be that shrewd with the "stuff " of eternal life.

That’s one of the messages here in today’s gospel.

Advertisement: if you don’t get this message of how to use this world’s goods this Sunday, you will get it next Sunday – which has one of the toughest gospels of the year.

Luke is very pro poor as well as pro woman. He’s not trying to get our votes – but he is trying to get our mind and heart.

Luke is very shrewd in his selections from the life and messages of Jesus.

SIMPLICITY

Have you ever had the following experience?

There’s someone you know who is very clever – very shrewd – and is living a very simple life. And someone says of this person, “You know he or she could be making a lot more money – have a better car – a bigger house – and all that – if he or she used their shrewdness or cleverness to make money – more money.”

The person prefers simplicity – or loves weekends – or more time with his or her family – and doesn’t want to run in the rat race. It’s their choice. His wife or her husband, or family, or dog, or lawn, or garden, all prefer his or her life style of simplicity. They are not complaining. They like the attention. He or she, his wife or her husband have talked this over and these are their life choices.

As I say this, I'm reminded of Wendell Berry – the philosophical poet and farmer – who lives in Kentucky. [Cf. Collected Poems, 1957-1982, Wendell Berry, North Point Press, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, New York, 1999]

I’m also picture several other people whom I met here and there around the country – who have chosen simplicity for their life style.

Yet someone seeing them – think they should be living a completely different life style.

VALUES & OTHER QUESTIONS

As I'm babbling up here, I'm hoping the values' question – and a lot of other questions are popping up in your mind.

As I think and talk about this, I also think of other folks whom I have met: people who have chosen buying and selling – business people – people in service jobs – people who have to travel a lot in their work to make a living for themselves and for their families. Some are very happy – and love their work and life choices. Some feel stress – too much stress. Annapolis can be an expensive place to live. I’m happy that BWI is not that long a drive to an airport – and most of the time Route 97 is not that bad. Schools – mortgages – rent – debt – driving kids here and there can be very stressful.

As I read Jesus’ words about stuff and money in today’s gospel, as well at other times about what we wear and what we eat (Cf. Luke 12: 22-34) – at times I think some of that has to be re-thought in terms of an economy different from that of Israel 2,000 years ago. Put clearer: today, if one needs to make money to raise a family, people have to raise more than sheep. It helps the economy for shoes and clothes to go out of style. It helps some people when other people buy more stuff. It helps local restaurants for people to eat out – for people to take vacations – etc. Jobs. Jobs. Jobs. Cash flow. Cash flow. Cash flow. "It's the economy stupid!"

Should there be different stresses in preaching in a tourist driven town – compared to a quiet country town – or what have you?

I will forever remember a moment at a meeting of retreat captains in a retreat house in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania where I was working. Someone raised their hand and said, “I have a suggestion on how to raise money for this retreat house. Why don’t we suggest to all our retreatants to put in obituary notices: ‘In lieu of flowers send a donation to St. Alphonsus Retreat House.”?

Everyone said, “Yeah, yeah, great idea.”

Another hand went up. “I’m a florist.”

Silence.

So I’m hoping shrewd theologians and popes and bishops will do a lot of deep thinking about all this.

The shrewd among us – have to say, “Hey if you want green in the collection basket, give us some ways of bringing a richer spirituality to the marketplace, work, raising a family, etc. There is a hereafter, but there is also a here.

I know that Greg Pierce*, a businessman, community organizer, a publisher, who writes at times from Chicago challenges priests and Catholic writers to talk about the spirituality of work in the pulpit and in their pages more. He says we spend most of our time with work and relationships – so hit us with some thoughts in these areas. Jack Shea, also of Chicago, would add, people spend a bit of time in recreation as well. Give us some shrewd spirituality about all this. I would add: also give us some stuff on retirement spirituality.

And I’m also starting to see more and more articles and books coming out on ecology and theology – and consumerism. It can get complicated. Stuff can help the economy - but it also can stuff our garbage dumps.

This morning I’m just thinking and wondering out loud about values questions and issues.

PRIESTS AND NUNS

Let me try another twist on all this.

Two times in my life I’ve been sitting there or standing there and I’ve overheard by accident someone say about some priest that I knew, “He’s very shrewd. He’s very clever. What a waste.” I also heard once the comment, “Father So and So is really good looking. What a waste.” I’m still waiting to hear that one about myself – especially because Father Kingsbury keeps on hearing great comments about his hair. You know it’s a toupee of course. Just kidding.

And I’ve heard it said a few times by different people about nuns. “She’s very clever. She could run a major corporation with ease.” Then the comment, “What a waste.” Or “God she’s beautiful. What a waste.” Outch! Haven't they read the lives of great nuns who started religious congregations, hospitals, colleges, schools, institutions? Talk about being shrewd!

If you get the gist of what I’m getting at here, then I think you’re getting today’s readings.

FIRST READING

In today’s first reading we have a text that goes way back to the some 700 years before Christ. It’s a reading from the Prophet Amos.

Amos was a rancher – today he might be called a cowboy or a shepherd – who also worked at pruning trees – notices cheating in the marketplace. He spots merchants - being shrewd in a negative sense - fixing scales and scraping silver off silver coins. He notices people losing everything and forced to work as slaves for rich people – people being treated like sandals or flip flops – instead of being treated with respect as human beings.

This week – find some time – with your Bible. Read the 9 chapters of Amos. You can do it in a half hour easily – with some thinking and praying. Compare what was happening in his time – with the stuff in today’s newspapers – especially stories about skimming from pension funds – etc. We’ll hear him next Sunday as well. He appears only one other time every three years.

And if you are blessed with twin boys: consider Amos and Andy – as possible names for your sons.

CONCLUSION

Enough. Already….

Reflect this week on your gifts – and where you are shrewd – and then do some double thinking – about your values – your use of time – what’s stuffing you, what’s possessing you, what's consuming your time and life. And maybe you might be like Amos – noticing unfairness at work or family or church or neighborhood and maybe you are being called to speak up and speak out. Hopefully, you won’t lose your job like the guy in the gospel – but beware, it happens to whistleblowers. So be shrewd. Bills need to be paid. And you might not make it as a ditch digger or a beggar.

[* Gregory F.A. Pierce, Spirituality at Work: 10 Ways to Balance Your Life On the Job, Loyola Press Chicago, www.loyolaBooks.org]

TOMBSTONE PRAYER

If you can still read the words on this tombstone,
if the rain, the snow, the cold and the heat,
haven’t worn the words away, know that I was
buried here. You are standing near
my last soft footprint. And if you have time,
close your eyes and listen. Listen to my loud
dance steps. They’re probably missing a beat,
but that’s me dancing up a storm
on the dance floor of heaven.

BRONZE OUTDOOR SCULPTURES OF ANNAPOLIS - DO YOU KNOW WHERE THEY ARE?

RAIN

Rain, gray drops of water,
the copper gutter pinging
splashes of sound upwards,
water bursting apart,
but just for a second.
Then the slow stream
of downward water,
down the siding of my house,
soaking into the neglected
soil of my soul. Lord,
too much of my life
is too much rushing,
not enough remembering, except,
when I stop to watch the rain.

© Andy Costello, 2007

FILL IN THE BLANK

[Self Test Number 6]

If you really cared about me you would do the following:

1) _____________________________
2) _____________________________
3) _____________________________
4) _____________________________
5) _____________________________
6) _____________________________
7) _____________________________
8) _____________________________
9) _____________________________
10) ____________________________

Let’s be honest don’t we all have an invisible list like this for every relationship?

Doesn’t everyone expect the other to fill in the blank spaces in their life?

© Andy Costello, 2007