THE PHARISEE AND 
THE PUBLICAN

(Luke 18:9-14)

I thank you, Lord,
that I am not like
so many other people
in this parish.

I won’t mention any names,
but at least I’m trying
to do my best,
not like so and so.

I go to church regularly.
I pray every day.
And I volunteer for many other activities,
not like so and so
who only shows up to be seen.
And thank God,
I don’t have to grow up today
like these teenagers standing
in the back of church.
Why don’t they come up front
or at least sit down with the rest of us?

And a teen in the back
kept her distance saying,
“Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.”

© Andy Costello, Prayers in The Night, 2009

*

THE ABILITY
TO LAUGH
AT ONESELF

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “The Ability to Laugh at Oneself.”

Can I laugh at myself?

I would think that’s one of the marks of a mature and healthy person.

Reading today’s parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, I would say loud and clear, “Jesus had a great sense of humor.”

Can I read today's gospel and laugh at myself?

Can I read today's gospel and see myself in the story?

Today’s gospel is for churchgoers – not for non-churchgoers!

THE PERSONALITY OF LUKE

This is the year of Luke. As you know the Church rotates Matthew, Mark and Luke on a three year cycle: A B C . This is the year of Luke: C. I have been finding myself really challenged by Luke this time around. How about you?

As I was reading today’s gospel, I started to wonder about Luke. Was he liked? Was he a character? Did he like to sit in the back row or off to the side at Christian assemblies and just watch the human condition – and laugh? Did he upset people by his humor and human stories?

Sometimes those who get the message don’t like the message!

BABIES LAUGHING

While looking something up on Google the other day, I spotted off to the side the caption, “Laughing baby”. It was on You Tube: those quick, short, 1, 2 or 3 minute films. I hit the button and I had a whole series of babies laughing. Great stuff. [At Google type: "You Tube Babies Laughing" then hit the "You Tube Baby Laughing" site, then hit Hahaha 1:40 From BlackOleg -Nov. o4, 2006 25,936,829 hits"]
Amazing. I could feel my face laughing as I was watching these laughing babies.

It was wonderful.

I thought of Jesus’ words, “Unless you be like little children, you won’t recognize the kingdom of God.” (Cf. Luke 18:15-17; Matthew 18: 1-4; Mark 10:13-16.)

Isn’t it wonderful to see not just a smiling baby – but a laughing baby?

Baby, when was the last time we really laughed?

COURT JESTERS

In the middle ages they had court jesters – to keep a king honest. The jester had free reign to make fun of the king – his mannerisms – his idiosyncrasies – his pomposity and his personality.

If you have a chance to see anything by Shakespeare, watch it. Shakespeare has court jesters and plenty of funny as well as sharp observations about human beings.

I don’t know enough history to know if any court jesters were hung or beheaded or stabbed to death for mimicking a king.

I don’t know enough history to know if bishops and popes ever had church jesters.

They are needed, necessary, and very important for the church.

ANTOINETTE

Years and years ago I was stationed at a retreat house where the bishop of the diocese would visit from time to time for meetings. For some reason, a great Italian gal named Antoinette, who cleaned rooms, and worked in the dining room, decided to play a joke on the bishop. She short sheeted his bed. Surprise! He loved it. Someone was treating him like a human being. He came back a few months later and was disappointed that Antoinette didn’t short sheet him again.

That was in the 1970’s. Surprise! His grand niece got married here at St. Mary’s about 3 weeks ago. I ended up at the bishop’s nephews’ table at the Marriott for the wedding banquet, so I told the deceased bishop’s nephews the story about the short sheeting by Antoinette. They then told me several jokes their uncle used to tell them. I was glad to hear that – because I had heard he could be dull at times. In fact, I heard seminarians used to comment that when he taught theology, they thought he was dead - a normal criticism for seminarians for their professors - at least when I was young. However, they added that he was always very much alive the day after he would visit home. The joke was: he got a shot of formaldehyde. His father was an undertaker

Humor! It’s a necessary ingredient if you want to sit down at the table of life.

HUMOR: SOMETIMES IT'S MISSING

If there is anything I see missing in the Muslim public stance towards life – it’s the need for folks to laugh at each other. Of course, I’m saying this from total ignorance. I don’t know what TV is like in the Middle East. I hope there are Muslim comedians and cartoonists who can get folks to see craziness, inconsistencies and idiosyncrasies.

At times I also worry about our Church. In the last twenty years, there seems to be a movement to the rigid – the strict – the severe - the very formal. I think there is a serious need to be seriously tickled at times. I like a painting by Louis Bosa called "Procession". It shows a great cast of characters in a religious procession. I also like paintings by the Colombian artist, Fernando Botero. He makes everyone - priests, bishops - as well as animals - round and firm and fully packed. They make the viewer smile. I see some people in church that don’t look like they have smiled in 10 years. In my opinion, I sense that the religious groups around the world who are getting recruits don’t seem to have laughter in their life style. I hope I’m wrong. Maybe they laugh at themselves behind closed doors - but I think they have to tell their faces to smile when they are in public.

CARTOONISTS

Where are the cartoonists? Critic magazine used to have great Catholic church cartoons – that poked great fun at us priests and bishops. We passed the cartoons around. I hope bishops did the same. We have to be able to laugh at ourselves.

Cartoonists can sometimes capture the essence of a situation with just one picture – one cartoon.

I’ve heard cartoonists asked by commentators, “Whom do you want for the next president?” and their answer is often based on whom they think they can make the best cartoons of. Smile.

If someone made a cartoon of any one of us, what would they feature? Our nose? Our double chin? Our belly? Our bald head? Our face? The things we’re off on? What would we laugh at about ourselves?

HUMILITY

I have given various priest retreats in my life – and I often have said to priests that part of humility is humor – and part of humor is honesty – and part of humility and honesty is being earthy. After all the word humility means “earth” – “humus”. We are made of earth and we’re going to return to earth.

Everyone of us has to go to the bathroom and everyone of us has to go to the undertaker.

In the meanwhile, smile! Laugh! Enjoy this great gift of life.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

So today’s gospel has Jesus poking fun of those who go to the temple to show off. He pokes fun at those who are convinced of their own righteousness and despise every one else.

Jesus tells the story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, so we can see ourselves in the mirror and laugh at what we see.

Let’s be honest. Everyone of us who comes to church looks down on someone else who comes to church.

Let me repeat that: “Let’s be honest. Everyone of us who comes to church looks down on someone else who comes to church.”

The Pharisee in the gospel walks up to the front – where everyone can see him. Notice Jesus says that he prays to himself. I think that's a great English translation from the Greek. He says, “O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity – greedy, dishonest, adulterous – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and I pay tithes on my whole income.”

How about that? Don’t we think that about the people whom arrive late or leave early? Don’t we think that about those whom we think don’t dress correctly for Mass? Do we think that about those who bang kneelers or what have you?

Don’t we say that same sentiment at least once a day. Thank God I’m not like that person who is 1000 pounds overweight – or has that weird hairdo - or has that junky car – or eats so stupidly – or sees life differently than I see life? Thank God I’m not like that guy who sits outside of church and mumbles to himself.

I was just up at a meeting for 100 of us in New Jersey – and I was very happy to be me and not some of these other guys. And I'm sure they said the same thing seeing me. And every time I catch myself thinking that, I have to laugh at myself.

And Jesus says the tax collector – who were thieves and sneaks – also went to the temple to pray. He prayed, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” And Jesus said the tax collector is the one who went home justified – "for whoever exalts himself will be humbled and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

CONCLUSION

I assume that heaven is going to be very, very funny that first week.

I say that about heaven because I think it’s going to be one big surprise after another.

I think that because God the Creator has a great sense of humor: creating hippos and giraffes, penguins and pelicans, owls and otters, mosquitoes and monkeys.

And if we think some animals look strange or funny looking at times, next time you’re at the airport or the beach, just look around. Better: take a look at all of us here today. Let’s laugh healthy laughs about each other – especially ourselves.

* (Painting on top by Louis Bosa, "Procession", oil on canvas, H. 40" x W. 62", 1952, James A. Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, PA - gift of Donald E. and Anna Bosa Mulligan - To see the painting up close, just put the arrow of your mouse or cursor on it and click it. Make sure you smile.)

E-BOOK:

HOW TO USE 

THE ROSARY

TO MAKE 

CHRIST 

CONNECTIONS

TO OUR LIFE

A Free e-Book from Andy Costello

HOW TO USE THE
ROSARY
TO MAKE CHRIST 
CONNECTIONS 
TO OUR LIFE

a free e-book by
Andy Costello, CSSR

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction: The Rosary

The Five Joyful Mysteries

1) The Annunciation
2) The Visitation
3) The Nativity
4) The Presentation in the Temple
5) The Finding in the Temple

The Five Luminous Mysteries

1) The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan
2) The Wedding Feast of Cana
3) The Proclamation of the Kingdom
4) The Transfiguration of Jesus on the Mountain
5) The Giving of the Eucharist

The Five Sorrowful Mysteries

1) The Agony in the Garden
2) The Scourging at the Pillar
3) The Crowning With Thorns
4) The Carrying of the Cross
5) The Death on the Cross

The Five Glorious Mysteries

1) The Resurrection of Jesus from the Dead
2) The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven
3) The Descent of the Holy Spirit on The Church
4) The Assumption of Mary into Heaven
5) The Crowning of Mary Queen of Heaven

INTRODUCTION:

THE ROSARY

The Rosary is one of those helps to prayer that has been around for a long, long time. Moslems take out their worry beads or their prayer mat when they want to pray. When Catholics reach for our rosary, we’re telling ourselves we want to pray.

Rosary beads are something to hold onto when we want to pray in the middle of the sorrowful moments of life – as well as in the joyful, glorious and light producing mysteries of life.

Life? It’s a mystery. We can’t see around corners. Sometimes the phone rings in the middle of the night and sometimes it rings in the middle of a meal. Sometimes it’s good news and sometimes it’s hard times ahead.

A question: is our song, “Ah sweet mystery of life….” or is, “Hard Times A’ Coming”?

Life….

“I have come that you might life and have it to the full.” (Cf. John 11:11b.)

“The secret of the kingdom of God is given to you …” (Cf. Mark 4:11.)

One of the secrets of life is the ability to balance our ability to look forwards and backwards. Life is both. When we are young, we do a lot of looking ahead; when we are old, we do a lot of looking back.

Remember Lot’s wife. It’s a great folktale – that contains a great truth. As the picturesque language of the Bible puts it, she turned into a pillar of salt – because she looked back. (Cf. Genesis 19:26.) Someone seeing natural salt sculptures in the landscape saw images of people. The creator of this story in Genesis 19 saw these salt formations as metaphors of people stuck in the past – stuck like salt in a salt shaker on a humid day.

It’s important to look back on our life – but we better not get stuck there. The ability to remember, reflect and reconsider is a skill to develop. In fact, it’s a key moment in life when we begin to do that – but we won’t know we are doing that till much later. We remember. We regret. We resent. We also celebrate and feel joy for our history – our stories, our accomplishments – our laughs.

When we are young it seems that all we notice is the windshield – the road ahead – “Are we there yet?” However, at some point we discover there are also a back window and a rear view mirror.

Life is both! And life is more. We crash or get hit – when we miss what’s ahead of us – what’s behind us – as well as what’s around us and what is catching up with us.
When we discover and rejoice about our mysterious powers of being able to see the past, imagine the future and do all this in the present moment, we are been at a key moment in our life.

Consciousness moments are key moments in life. Consciousness moments can be wonderful prayer moments.

Each life is different. I know someone who collects rosary beads. He has hundreds of different rosary beads. And he prays them.

Some questions: What is my life like? Is it like a strong chained rosary bead that never breaks? Or is it always breaking? And do I pray the mysteries of my life?

Many people might describe their life as a primitive rosary – a string with many knots. We don’t know how long the string of our life will be. We gladly tie a knot at some moments of life – especially those moments we want to hold onto. We want to always savor joyful, glorious, and enlightening moments in our life – those turning points that turned our life around. Then there are some moments, some knots, that we wish never happened. Those are those knots and mysterious moments and experiences when and where we got all tangled up – our life was really knotted up – moments when we made dumb decisions – moments we often try to untangle in order to understand the stuff and story of our life.

Each life is like a rosary – with many mysteries, many moments. It is worthwhile making those moments like beads we finger and rub and twist in prayer and reflection.

Praying the rosary can be a person’s attempt to connect their life with the life of Jesus and to see the similarities as well as the differences. Mary’s story is kept in mind to help us make the connections.

For centuries there were the traditional 15 mysteries of the Rosary: the 5 Joyful, the 5 Sorrowful, and the 5 Glorious Mysteries. In October of 2002, John Paul II added 5 more mysteries under the title of “The Illuminative or Light Giving Mysteries.”

SET PRAYERS AND MENTAL PRAYER

This book will provide some thoughts and meditations on these 20 mysteries of the Rosary – these 20 mysteries of life – ideas to reflect upon while going through the mysteries and while saying the Hail Mary’s of the rosary.

The genius of the Rosary is that it combines set prayers with mental prayer. As kids most Catholics learn how to say the Hail Mary by heart. The hope is when we become adults we’ll take these beautiful scriptural and traditional words of the Hail Mary to heart. Then as we grow even older we’ll move deeper and deeper into the heart of the mystery of Christ.

We’ve all heard someone use the word “mantra”. It’s a Sanskrit word for a holy or mystical chant or incantation or invocation. A mantra is a set prayer that helps set the mood for contemplation of the deeper mysteries of life.

The Hail Mary is a mantra. By picking up the rosary, we are reminding ourselves we are about to enter into prayer. It’s like taking some time out to enter a church or temple or mosque. It’s like a Jewish male putting on a yarmulka, or kippah, or skullcap. It’s like a Moslem taking out a prayer rug. A person by these behaviors is saying, “It’s now time for prayer.”

The Rosary then is a popular reminder and a practical help for praying.

In our efforts to understand the Moslem world and Moslem religion, the rosary can be seen as an opening connector. Moslems are often seen with “worry beads” in their hands. Well, many Christians when they are nervous, they pick up their rosary and start praying with their “worry beads”. It has been used this way by millions and millions of people down through the ages. It’s no wonder then that a rosary is usually put in a Catholic’s hands as they lay in their casket or coffin.

When we simply want to be an everyday person of prayer, we can keep them in our pocket. We can pray with them visibly or invisibly when going for a walk or just sitting in our home or backyard. Many people keep them hanging on their car mirror to remind them to take them down for praying while driving. Others keep them under their pillow in order to pray before going to sleep.

When we want to pray as a family or with others, the rosary can be divided up in several ways, allowing people to pray as a group – with different people taking turns saying the prayers.

The rosary has always been a reminder for us to be like Mary – a woman of prayer – a woman in deep contact with God.

WARNING # 1: DON’T BABBLE

Don’t babble. Jesus warned us in the Sermon on the Mount about babbling when praying. He said, “In your prayers, don’t babble as the pagans do. They think by using many words, they will make themselves heard. Don’t be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. So you should pray like this ….” (Matthew 6:7-9). Jesus then taught the crowd the Our Father.

To avoid babbling or being mechanical while praying, some people concentrate on the words of the Hail Mary; some concentrate on the mysteries; and some concentrate on a scriptural text.

Obviously it is better to say one Hail Mary slowly and prayerfully than to say 53 Hail Mary’s without any sense of prayer.

Be creative. As I said in my book, Thank God It’s Friday, “Rosary beads aren’t just for Hail Mary’s any more.” One can use the beads to say short mantras or darts of prayer like:

· “Lord, have mercy.”
· “Lord, Jesus, teach me how to pray.”
· “Lord, Jesus, teach me how to love.”
· “Lord, Jesus, teach me how to give.”
· “Lord, Jesus, teach me how to forgive.”
· “Jesus!”
· “Jesus is Lord.”
· “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.”
· “Thank you, Lord. Thank you.”
· “Come Holy Spirit.”
· “Maranatha. Come Lord Jesus.”
· “Help!”
· “Thanks!”

The Rosary then has never been frozen. The beads are not made of cement. In general, most people use the rosary to weave a crown of prayer “roses” to put around Mary’s head. Hence the name rosary.

Down through the years there have been all kinds of rosaries. At one time there was a rosary of 150 Our Fathers. It was called, “The Poor Person’s Breviary.” At another time people said a Rosary of 50 mysteries. How could one remember all of them? Thank God in time the mysteries were cut down to 15. Now they are up to 20. Do I hear 25?

Today most people say the “short Rosary” – just 5 decades – using the Joyful, Sorrowful, Light Giving or Glorious Mysteries – depending on what day of the week it is or the season or the mood one is in.

WARNING # 2: ADDING ON THE TRIMMINGS

It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to pray the rosary.

However, the rosary can take longer if people start to add prayers.

Warning: too many words can kill prayer. This is especially true when it comes to the Rosary.

The Irish love to joke about the Trimmings of the Rosary – meaning extra prayers that are added on. There is an Irish poem with the title, “Trimmings of the Rosary.” It’s by anonymous. The poem is a tribute to all those “Little Irish Mothers” who gathered their kids reluctantly for the rosary. Just when one would think the rosary was finished, if mom was in charge, out came the trimmings. These would be prayers for cousins and aunts and uncles, prayers for sore toes, prayers for friends and prayers for foes.

This Irish poem is very sweet, but frustrations can arise when someone adds and adds and adds on too many extra prayers. The leader of the rosary can trap a captive audience.

Many times when this happens in a group, the spirit of prayer – the chain of prayer is broken. People start looking at their watches in anger and frustration. Their minds are far from being like Mary’s who turned God’s words over and over in her mind in prayer.

The history of public prayer often goes like this: People come along and add prayers and then people come along and cut out prayers and then people come along and add on prayers and then people cut out prayers and on and on and on. It’s human nature.

WARNING # 3: THIS BOOK

This book will simply present 20 meditations on the 20 Mysteries of the Rosary.

However, I put a warning on the label. Please do not use these meditations to overburden people while saying the Rosary. Do not kill the spirit of prayer in a Family Rosary or in Altar-Rosary Society or even in the private saying of the Rosary by reading a set of these mysteries while saying the rosary. They are for private reflection apart from saying the rosary, so that when one says the rosary, one might be more reflective on the mysteries.

Or a person or a group can take the time out every once and a while to meditate on one or two mysteries – and use these reflections for a reading – saying just one or two decades of the rosary and leaving the others for another day. The mysteries of the Rosary touch all the great mysteries of a person’s life – so we have a whole lifetime to meditate on them in prayer like Mary.

Why rush? Why crush the Spirit with “too much”?

Why not heed St. Teresa of Avila’s prayer: “From silly devotions and sour faced saints, Lord, deliver us.”

The Rosary is simply a WAY to pray, a MEANS of prayer. It is not an END in itself. The way we say the Rosary can always be changed. The END is what is important: ending up in GOD’S presence – in GOD’S embrace – in GOD’S love.

Taking time out to prayer is taking time out to enter into the timeless mystery of God. In time, in some mysterious way, God entered into Mary and she brought Jesus into the world and Jesus leads us to the world of the Father.

THE
FIVE
JOYFUL
MYSTERIES


“My being magnifies the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit finds joy in God my savior.”
Luke 1:47

1

ANNUNCIATION

Prayer is all about listening.

Prayer moments are annunciation moments at times.

When Mary went to the synagogue in Nazareth, she would see people getting up to read the scriptures. She would hear calls and echoes from the scrolls – especially words from the prophets urging all of us to listen:

“Be still and know that I am God.”
“Be silent, O Israel, and listen.”
“Hear O heavens and listen O earth.”
“Hear the word of the Lord.”
“Hear O Israel.”
“Listen O house of David.”
“You who are deaf, listen.”
“Listen to my voice and then I will be your God.”

Lord, teach me how to listen.

Lord, teach me how to pray.

Prayer is all about listening.

Prayer is all about questions.

Prayer is all about “Yes” or “No”.

Prayer is all about responding.

Prayer is all about the call to serve.

Picture Mary as one who listens.

Picture Mary as one who listens as she prays.

Picture Mary as one who takes time out
to listen to the silent shouts of God.

Picture Mary
listening to the everyday ways
the Lord gifts us:
listening in the market place,
listening in the synagogue,
listening to her parents,
listening to her neighbors,
listening to Joseph – the man she loves –
but also listening for the Word of the Lord,
in prayer
in the quiet moments of life.

Picture Mary hearing
the Word of the Lord
in life’s everyday moments.

The Annunciation
is history’s big listening moment.
A young girl begins hearing
a new vision;
a young girl begins hearing God’s announcement,
that the Word wants to become flesh
and live among us.

God was wanting a change in history.

Now that’s Good News.

Now that’s an annunciation.

Now to hear God’s News,
one needs to have
an open mind,
an open heart,
an open spirit,
gifts so necessary
to be a person of prayer.

Painters have often painted
pictures of the Annunciation.

Which one is your favorite?

The angel God sent to speak to Mary
was Gabriel – pictured in thousands of paintings
as an angel with wings and a flowing white garment,
but what did Mary see and hear
at the Annunciation?

Was she by an open window?
Was she feeling a gentle breeze?
Was she looking into the morning light
or the setting sun?
Was the angel a whisper of God
uttered deep in the recesses of her being,
asking her, a teenage girl,
to make an eternal decision?

Listening is not just silence.
At times it’s also asking questions.

Mary asked questions?
Mary received mysterious answers.

And then Mary said, “Yes!”

Mary said, “Amen,” to Our Father,
and her world and our world
would never be the same again.

What Mary experienced,
was God’s question to every person,
“Will you bring Christ to the world?”

Annunciation moments
are not life threatening moments.They are life challenging moments.

Annunciation moments!
The call to change,
the call to change our plans,
to say, “Yes”,
to say, “Amen”,
to a new spirit in our life,
to let a new spirit overshadow us,
to let God break our ice,
to let God pierce our darkness,
to let God speak in our silence,
to let God go through our defenses
to let Christ enter deep into the womb of our being.

Annunciation moments.

Feeling the Wind,
seeing the Light,
hearing the word,
tasting the Bread and the Wine,
meeting the hurting,
stopping to be with the poor,
any and every way
God tries to announce his way into our lives.

Annunciation!

Morning, opening a window,
feeling the gentle breeze on our face
and saying, “Amen Yes
Thank you God for another day.”

Annunciation.

Help me to live this day to the full.

Annunciation.
Struggling to say “yes” to God,
when the Spirit surrounds us
like the wind,
sometimes gently,
sometimes violent,
but always calling us, urging us,
challenging us to be:
a better listener,
a better friend,
a better witness,
a better wife,
a better husband,
a better worker,
a better Christian,
a better follower
of Christ in the modern world.

Annunciation.
And Mary said,
“I am the servant of the Lord,
let it be done to me as you say.”