5) CROWING OF MARY

QUEEN OF HEAVEN

Does every life have a crowning moment?

When have been your crowning moments?

What about those folks who feel like they have been miserable failures all their life?

Do we all spend a lot of our time rehashing or rethinking the moments of our life – the decisions, the what if’s, the choices, the things we thought were fair and unfair.

Do we all spend time trying to figure out the motivations of others from the moments of others?

Every funeral has people – especially family – trying to figure out the life of the one who has just died.

We stand there in the funeral parlor talking to each other about the person whose funeral it is.

Every life has defining moments – and if we look deep enough and talk to each other enough – we’ll be able to figure some of the meanings of each other’s life.

People are fond of quoting Andy Warhol’s famous comment, “In the future everyone will be world-famous for fifteen minutes.” This statement appeared in the Catalogue of his Stockholm photo exhibition in 1968. Andy Warhol certainly had his fifteen minutes of fame.

How about each of us?

Mary of Nazareth has had her moments of fame. She has had her picture on the front cover of more magazines than any woman in history – and based on the number of pictures of her, she is the most pictured woman in history.

If the Annunciation was the defining moment in her life, then the crowning moment was her “arrival” in heaven. This crowning moment flowed out of the moment in time when Mary said “Yes” at the Annunciation.

“Hail Mary full of grace.”

Obviously, it’s difficult to picture what life after death is like. We’re dealing with a great mystery.

However, when we use the image of “crowning” pictures come to mind and our imagination.

We’ve all seen kings and queens crowned in movies.

We’ve all seen people honored at banquets.

We’ve seen athletes or teams being crowned as winners – winning the World Series in baseball or the Super Bowl in football or the Stanley Cup in hockey.

A couple of times a year we see advertisements on television to watch the Miss USA or Miss World beauty contests.

So obviously, our imagination can picture God crowning Mary, the spotless one, the one who brought Jesus into the world.

But God is not the only one who has crowned Mary. Christians, but especially Catholics, have honored her right from the beginning.

The words of Elizabeth in the Magnificat have certainly leapt in the womb of human consciousness: pictures and statues of Mary are everywhere – and often she is crowned.

Go into any famous art museum and you’ll find paintings of Mary – by some of history’s greatest artists: Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Peter Paul Rubens, El Greco, and on and on.

Go into Catholic homes – especially those of the poor – and you’ll spot an honored picture or statue of Mary on top of a bureau or on the wall.

· Our Mother of Perpetual Help,
· Our Lady of Guadalupe,
· Our Lady of Czestochowa,
· Our Lady of Lourdes,
· Our Lady of Fatima,
· Our Lady of Knock,
· Our Lady of Aparecida
· The Pieta,
· The Immaculate Heart,
· The Immaculate Conception,
· Our Lady of Chartres
· Our Lady of Mount Carmel
· Our Lady of Africa
· Our Lady of Medjugoria

“Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with you.”

And the message of the crowning is simple and basic. It is known by everyone: “No cross, no crown.”

Why God chose Mary? Now that’s mystery.

Why God created us? Now that’s mystery.

God calls us to say “Yes” to life as Mary did. Bring Jesus to our world, as Mary did. Then when we march into heaven, we too will realize our life has been royal. We have helped make, “Thy kingdom come!” we will realize that was the crowning moment of our life.

“Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with you.”

The angel Gabriel is not the only one who has greeted Mary with those words. We do over and over again when we say the Rosary – and God says it in the crowning of Mary – the favored one from Nazareth.

I’M HUNGRY

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “I’m Hungry.”

“I’m Hungry.”

Some thoughts for this feast we celebrate this Sunday – the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ – Corpus Christi.

If I asked you, “Why are you here?” at Mass right now, what would you answer?

I think down deep most of us would answer, “Because I’m hungry.”

50 years ago, people might have answered: “To fulfill my Sunday obligation” or “To avoid mortal sin” – but I’m not sure if that is true. Making these kinds of statements plead for or cede to research. Sunday Mass attendance has certainly gone down. Would the people who come to Mass today say they have moved from have to, to want to – from obligation to appreciation? Would most people, if they sat back and thought about why they are here at Mass answer, “I’m here, because I’m hungry”?

I’m hungry for God. I’m hungry for inspiration – for a word, for a prayer, for a song, for an insight that will help me this week. I’m here to deepen my faith. I’m hungry for the Bread of Life, communion with Jesus, who brings me to the Father. I’m hungry to be with others who have these same hungers. I’m like the crowd in today’s gospel, listening, questioning, hearing Jesus again at this moment. He’s saying to me, as he said to them, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

There are many reasons for coming to Mass.

There are many reasons, why we do, what we do.

There are many hungers in the human heart?

Is the hunger to live forever, the deepest hunger?

Today's gospel certainly triggers that question.

I’m hungry for assurance – that my life will not have an end. The second number on my tombstone – my death year – is just for the stone and the obituary column and the death card. I want to go on forever. There, I said something, I don’t say to myself enough. I hunger to live forever. Is that one of the biggest reasons for coming to Mass? Is that what Jesus is promising in the last 7 words from today’s gospel: “… whoever eats this bread will live forever”?

MOONSTRUCK

Some scenes, in some movies, for some reason, stick to us. Think of the movies and the scenes and the lines you remember. Talk to each other about your favorite movies and favorite scenes. Write them out on a piece of paper. They are your scriptures. Do an inner homily or sermon to yourself on them – and you will receive an insight – a revelation about yourself and about life.

I often think of the 1987 movie, “Moonstruck”. The part that I remember the most is Rose Castorini’s Question. Rose is played by Olympia Dukakis – who received an Oscar for best Supporting Actress for her part in that movie. She keeps asking why husbands cheat – why her husband is having an affair.

The Internet is great. I typed into the Google search box, “Moonstruck” and got the scene and the lines I was looking for. It’s a conversation between Rose and a guy named Johnny Cammerari, played by Danny Aiello. He is to marry Rose’s daughter, Loretta, played by Cher - who received the Oscar for Best Actress of 1987 for her part in this movie.

The scene:

Rose: Why do men chase women?

Johnny: Well, there's a Bible story... God... God took a rib from Adam and made Eve. Now maybe men chase women to get the rib back. When God took the rib, he left a big hole there, where there used to be something. And the women have that. Now maybe, just maybe, a man isn't complete as a man without a woman.

Rose: [frustrated] But why would a man need more than one woman?

Johnny: I don't know. Maybe because he fears death. [Rose looks up, eyes wide, suspicions confirmed]

Rose: That's it! That's the reason!

Johnny: I don't know...

Rose: No! That's it! Thank you! Thank you for answering my question!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Two more scenes. I also found two more scenes.

Rose is with her husband Cosmo Castorini, played by Vincent Gardenia.

Rose: I just want you to know no matter what you do, you're gonna die, just like everybody else.

Cosmo: Thank you, Rose.

The next scene – once more Rose is talking to her husband Cosmo ….

Rose: Have I been a good wife?

Cosmo: Yeah.

Rose: I want you to stop seeing her.

[Cosmo rises, slams the table once, and sits down again]

Cosmo: Okay.

Rose: [pauses] And go to confession.

As priest, when dealing with people who are going through affairs and marriage struggles – when I keep reading about how men can become addicted to pornography – having image and imaginary affairs with women – women who are unnamed, unreal, unknown, unmet, objects, that message from “Moonstruck,” keeps hitting me. Why? Why do men get themselves into these addictive traps. Is the answer, the answer that Rose Castorini came up with: “He’s afraid to die.”?

I don’t know.

And sometimes they don’t know.

Why? What’s behind the scene with lust? Is it hunger for recognition – to prove to himself that he exists – he’s still alive, that he is here? Is it the hunger to be loved, appreciated, wanted?

Why do people try to satisfy their hungers in ways that makes them more hungry?

Addictions: scratch them. Visit their basements. Open up their bottom drawers – and you’ll see hunger as a bottom line. Listen! You'll hear, "Feed me!"

Addictions: food, shopping, stuff, on and on and on. We’re hungry – so we stuff ourselves.

I remember hearing an alcoholic say, “There’s an old saying in AA: ‘I was looking for God at the bottom of a bottle.’”

I’m hungry. I’m thirsty. Feed me! Give me to drink.

These are basic human feelings, sounds, needs, we make every day.

The title of my homily is, “I’m Hungry.”

Hear, chew on, digest the Scriptures with these mutterings in mind.

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s readings are placed on the table for us to bite into.

The first reading from Deuteronomy has Moses talking about the Israelite desert experience of hunger and thirst in the desert. God supplies water from the rock. God provides manna, “a food unknown to you and your fathers, in order to show you that not by bread alone does one live, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

The second reading from The First Letter to the Corinthians talks about the Eucharist – the Mass – the Early Christian community celebration of the cup of blessing that we bless, and the bread that we break. It’s a participation of all of us together – as one – the one body of Christ. We are a gigantic loaf of bread here in this church this afternoon. We are blessed and consecrated, and then we go out and let people as Mother Teresa used to say to her nuns, “Let the people eat you up.”

At Mass, when I say as priest, “This is my body…. this is my blood …. most of the time – unless I’m spaced out – I’m saying this not only over the bread and the wine – but over all of you – all of us.

When we have baptisms in our newer church building, St. John Neumann, the baptisms are in the back – in the vestibule or narthex. When the baptisms are at our older church building, St. Mary’s, the baptisms are done in the front of the church. Well, somewhere along the line, it hit me when doing baptisms at St. Mary’s, with the altar right there, why not after the baptismal ceremony is over, ask the parents to come around to the front of the altar and place their newly baptized baby on the altar. Place the child right there where we place the bread and the cup. Then I ask the parents to repeat after me holding their baby: “This is my body. This is my blood. We’re giving our life to you.”

I’m trying to connect all of this and all of life to the Eucharist.

This must be a bit novel – because families then want to take a picture of the baby sitting there on the altar with their parents propping them up.

At first, this got me nervous – because someone might not like this and turn me in for doing something that doesn't seem kosher. And they have a picture to prove it. Then it struck me – maybe 25 years from then, they will be showing a picture of a priest as a baby sitting right there on the altar. Now wouldn’t that be a great scene?

Hopefully, we understand today’s Gospel. If we grasp some of this, we won’t be saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

In fact, there’s the reason why we keep coming back for more – the reason why we come to Mass every Sunday. We want more life – here and hereafter. Or as Jesus puts it here: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.”

We are Jesus struck. The priest holds high up the Eucharist in prayer. We see the round beautiful bread. It can be like seeing a surprise bright full moon in the monstrance of dark night. We hear the powerful proclamation: “Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever.” And we all sing, “Amen!

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is: “I’m Hungry.”

What are we hungry for? We human beings are hungry for food, for love, for recognition, for affirmation, for relationships, for family, for fun, for meaning, for a good job. We are hungry for peace, happiness, joy, a wonderful Memorial Day weekend – an end to hassle. We want lower gas prices, less stupidity, less greed, more honesty, integrity, a better political process – but most of all, we want to live now and forever. Amen.

OH MY GOD!

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for today is, “Oh My God!”

Today, Trinity Sunday, the call is to say something about God.

Everyone, even atheists, experience God.

Everyone says many times in their life, “Oh my God.”

It’s instinctual.

We see an accident. We watch a television news report about an earthquake, a cyclone, a hurricane, a crash, people killed, property ruined, and we automatically blurt out, “Oh my God!” We hear this from church goers and non-church goers alike.

We do the same on mountaintops – at the ocean – at the birth of a baby – on seeing a rainbow. I’m just back from 13 days in Ireland. We saw breathtaking scenes like the Cliffs of Moher – some 700 feet above the Atlantic ocean crashing into the rocks below. I stepped back at these spots. I listened. I watched. I studied faces and mouths as different folks slowly inched closer and closer to the edge of the cliff – for better and better, closer and closer views. Looking out and looking down, I could hear them saying, “Oh my God, how beautiful! Wow!”

POSITIVE & NEGATIVE MOMENTS

So people say, “Oh my God!” in both positive and negative moments.

If someone challenged me on that, I’d say, “Okay. No problem. But step back and check it out for yourself. In fact, listen to yourself. I guarantee you, you too say, ‘Oh my God,’ like everyone else.’”

Some people think when they are say, “Oh my God,” they are taking the name of the Lord our God in vain. I would say it’s prayer – a prayer from out of out depths of our heart so many times.

At my sister’s 70th birthday party in February, “Oh my God, my sister Peggy is 70, and I’ll be there in less that two years. Oooooh!”, well, my grandnephew made the sign of the cross when I did the grace at the meal. Then I busted him afterwards, “I thought you announced you were an atheist.” He’s in his second year of college. Smile.

I also heard him saying, “Oh my God” a few times when playing Wii. I didn’t bust him the second time – but I was tempted.

“Oh my God.” It’s a primitive – gut reaction – we all say, when we experience both beauty and fear – crisis and wonder.

Just listen, just watch, and you’ll hear, “Oh my God” from everyone.

“Phew! Oh my God, that car just missed being hit by that truck. Woooh! Wow!”

“Oh my God, what’s a beautiful baby!”

“Oh my God, did you see that shot he just took. Wow.”

“”Oh my God, what a beautiful morning.”

GOD: CAUSE AND EFFECT

“Oh my God” is a normal announcement, that there is a God.

Some theologians would say: that’s the God of reason – more than the God of revelation.

C.G. Jung, the Swiss psychoanalyst, was quoted as saying, “I don’t believe in God. I know there is a God.”

Cause and effect. See me, see my parents. See a car, you know there is a car maker. See bacon and eggs, and you know there are pigs and chickens, fire and a frying pan.

See this church or St. Mary’s Church or any church and you know there were collections to build it. You know there were people who wanted a church. Look for the cornerstone and see when it was built.

See the stars, and you know there is a star maker.

But what is the car maker and the star maker like?

That’s where revelation comes into play.

GOD: A TRINITY OF PERSONS

Today, we’re celebrating God as Trinity – three persons – one God.

We hear this as revelation.

We hear this as faith.

Christians, like Jews and Moslems, are monotheists. We believe in one God.

Christians, unlike Jews and Moslems, believe that there are three persons in this one God.

Now that’s a revelation.

It took centuries for Christianity to come up with formulas – on how to state this – how to put into words, Jesus’ words about the Spirit, about the Father, about indwelling, about “See me, see the Father.”

There were heresies – major heresies in the process. Some said the Spirit was not God. Some said Jesus was only divine and not human or vice versa. Some said all three were not equal.

So we have the major creeds: the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed. One is said at the beginning of the rosary and the other is said at Sunday and major feast day Masses. Listen carefully to the words about God in the Nicene Creed as we say at this Mass after this 60 minute homily.

Christianity teaches: God is three persons – one God – equal and co-eternal – all 3 without beginning, without end.

“Oh my God!” that’s quite a statement.

So we have the shamrock and the triangle as two major symbols of the Trinity – to try to help people grasp somehow that three can be one.

But we won’t understand God, because we are not God. We won’t know the much more about God till we enter into the Trinity in eternity and then we’re going to really say, “Oh my God.”

What images help you? What are you thoughts and understandings and figurings about God being one and three and one?

WE ARE MADE IN THE IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF GOD

For starters, there is a key text in the first chapter of Genesis – verse 27. Someone very early on in Jewish history came up with the revelation that we are made in the image and likeness of God, male and female God made us.

That person like every person from time to time was trying to understand God and life – in good times and bad, sickness and health, birth and death, with males and females, – and the why’s and wherefores of God in all this.

The world that person lived in was filled with cultures that came up with all kinds of images of God: war gods, fertility gods, wine gods, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, etc., etc., etc.

To understand God, instead of looking out at mountains – powerful scenes of God experiences on tops of mountains like Moses had in today’s first reading – we can also look within – into our inner geography and inner spaces – as well as in our relationships with each other – as we heard in today’s second reading.

In those places and spaces – we can get glimpses of how we are made in the image and likeness of God – how God can be three as well as one.

Only glimpses however….

God like the other persons in our lives – as well as ourselves – is very mysterious.

AUSTIN FARRER (1)

Let me use some thoughts by Austin Farrer – a British preacher who died back in 1968 – to walk closer to the edge of the mystery of God – as Trinity – knowing as St. Augustine knew, it’s like standing at the edge of ocean and trying to put it all into a tiny pail.

This stuff is quite tricky – and we don’t have centuries to grasp it – so we take so much on faith. However, think of these two human experiences.

1) We talk to ourselves

2) We talk to each other.

FIRST WE TALK TO OURSELVES

Does anyone here do that?

Human beings talk to self all day long. We even answer ourselves. We argue with ourselves. We laugh at ourselves. We get angry with ourselves.

Isn’t that interesting?

We’re experiencing ourselves as two – yet we’re one. Yet, at times, we feel so divided.

We talk to self about others, about weather, traffic, what we’re experiencing, what were eating, drinking. We talk to ourselves about our family, our neighbors, our boss, other persons on the bus, or in the car. We think about a person looking out the window or reading the paper and we wonder what they are thinking about. We talk to ourselves about their hair, their weight, their clothes.

Yet, I am one – just one person.

I am me – so different from every other person that I know.

I am like God – when I love, when I create, when I care, when I cry, when I help another or when I scream, “Not fair!”

I am so unlike God – when I don’t care – when I hurt others – when I hide.

So human beings can discover that God is so other than us and God is so like us.

The call is to be like God – because God likes to be with us.

When we talk to ourselves and start to bring God into that conversation – we are getting glimpse after glimpse of how we are made in the image and likeness of God. It’s called prayer. It’s called a relationship with God.

SECONDLY WE TALK TO EACH OTHER

Secondly, we talk to each other. It’s called relationships, friendships, marriage, family.

And when we really get close to another, our ego boundaries or self boundaries, our borders, disappear. Two people can become one. Three people can become one. Four people can become one. A team can work as one. Music can work – when all play in harmony. Marriages can work. Families can work. Parishes can work. Church can work. World can work.

Obviously, it starts with two people, male and female God made us, then the circle widens.

The dream is that the circle becomes as big as this world – and by the time it happens – maybe that’s what Jesus meant by the kingdom of heaven coming. Maybe that’s what we are praying for when we say, “Thy Kingdom come” in the Our Father. Maybe the circle will eventually embrace the universe. Time will tell.

So all this takes time. It takes a lot of living to be able to finish each other’s sentences, to know each other’s thoughts – to really become one.

It takes time to be thinking God’s thoughts – but God rejoices each time we are like Mary and say, “Be it done to me according to your word”. Then we too will experience our Christmas – Christ being born in the Stable of our heart, in our Holy Land. We too will experience Christ growing in wisdom, age and grace in our hearts. We too will experience Christ’s passion, death and resurrection taking place in us. We too will experience Christ sending the Spirit into us.

CONCLUSION – I NEED A CONCLUSION QUICKLY

“Oh my God, I’m talking to myself again.”

“Oh my God, some people might be understanding me. We’re becoming one.” Uh oh!

“Oh my God, thanks for creating me, making me, bringing me into existence - bringing me into You: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as well as into all those who have gone before us - all those who are here - and all those who are to come. More!”

"Oh my God!" More! The Trinity. Standing before God. Standing at the Edge of the cliffs of More!

_________

(1) Austin Farrer, The Essential Sermons, edited and introduced by Leslie Houlden, SPCK, Great Britain,1991, "Thinking the Trinity", pp. 76-80

Picture on top: from a post card I bought at the Cliffs of Moher - from the Liam Blake Collection, Irish Picture Postcards. I pronounce Moher, "more" - hence the ending pun.

BOLLARD

“Who is God to you?”

“God is a bollard?”

“What’s a bollard?”

“It’s one of those solid steel
or iron posts that boats tie up to
when they come home.”

“Oh, I’ve seen them,
but I never knew
what they were called.”

“They are also posts
to stop cars and trucks
from getting into certain areas.
But I like the first meaning
of the word “bollard”: one of those
solid posts on docks
to slip a big, fat,

strong, sturdy rope around.”

“Well, who is God
when you leave harbor?”

“Oh, that’s when I forget God –

that is
till something goes wrong,
till big waves start crashing,
till a storm starts smashing me.

I know God is called, "The Ocean",

but I prefer God,"The Harbor",
and I can’t wait to get home -

and moor my ship to a bollard.”

© Andy Costello,

Reflections 2008

A REASON
FOR YOUR HOPE

• INTRODUCTION
  
  The title of my homily is, “A Reason for Your Hope.”
  
  In today’s second reading, I spotted the words, “A reason for your hope.”
  
  We have these two other readings, but I want to stay with that basic theme: A Reason for Your Hope.
  
  I found that challenging and intriguing: Don’t just tell me you have hope; give me the reasons why you have hope?
  
  REASONS WHY THIS QUESTION MIGHT HAVE HIT ME
  
  Maybe it was because last Wednesday, I was at Mass with our high school kids on a 4 day retreat at the Jesuit Retreat House down in Faulkner Maryland. One of the Jesuits on the staff there asked to preach and be the main celebrant at that Wednesday Mass. I gladly said, “Yes” – because I always think it’s good for people to hear a new - and a different voice. They heard enough of me. During his homily, Father Frank Kaminski, S.J. paused, went to the altar and then picked up a pamphlet. Holding it up and pointing to it as a prop, he said it was Benedict XVI’s encyclical on Hope (“Spe Salvi”).
  
  He was connecting and describing Pope Benedict’s visit to the United States – and Washington and New York and television – as a journey of hope. It hit me that Pope Benedict XVI might want and hope that his message and legacy to be that he is a pope that gives hope. Pope Hope.
  
  It might have also have hit me because this theme of “Hope” can be spin as well as serious – a word tossed out like a food wrapper in political campaigning every two and four years – wrapping the message, “Vote for me!”
  
  Hope.
  
  SECOND READING
  
  The Second Reading begins this way: “Beloved: Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.” Then it says, “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence….”
  
  Interesting. Give a reason for your hope.
  
  Like everyone I have lots of hopes – but as for the reason for my hopes, I don’t think I have taken the time to put my motivation into words for myself.
  
  PART ONE: LOTS OF HOPES
  
  Let me first present some hopes and then in Part Two of this sermon, let’s be challenged by coming up with the reasons for our hopes.
  
  Thinking about what I hear people hoping for, here are some situations where people hope:
  + Someone has cancer. There is a hope for recovery.
  + The team is down by 1 point and there are only 28 seconds left. The team and fans that are behind are hoping someone steps up.
  + Someone is one of the three finalists to get a great job or promotion.
  I’m struggling with a deep sin and I find it hard to change, to let go, to wake up – and I hope I can – but it’s so difficult.
  + Our kid is trying to get into a certain college and we haven’t heard “Yes” or “No” yet. We’re hoping.
  + We make a turn in the road and traffic is backed up big time and we have 25 minutes to get to the place we’re going. Uh oh! We hope traffic opens up.
  + We’re dying and we begin wondering if there is anything after this…. Then we make an act of hope.

If we listen to our inner and outer conversations and jot down every time the word “hope” is used in just one day, would it be in the hundreds or thousands? I hope. I hope. I hope. I hope. I hope. Hope. Hope. Hope. Hope. Hope. Hope. Hope. Hope. Hope. Hope.

• I hope she answers the phone.
• I hope someone is home.
• I hope it doesn’t rain.
• I hope it does rain.
• I hope I get a parking spot.
• I hope the sermon is short.
• I hope the line is short.
• I hope our team football team gets Jake Long or Chris Long.
• I hope we get a table near the window.
• I hope he gets the message.
• I hope this marriage works.
• I hope I didn’t hurt her.
• I hope he likes meatloaf.
• I hope he picks up the bill at the restaurant.
• I hope the price of gas stops at $3.60 and starts going down.
• I hope the war in Iraq ends.
• I hope so and so gets home alive.
  

Life is filled with: Hope. Cope. Wishful thinking. Expectations. False hopes. True hopes. Manipulation. Promises. Broken Promises. False advertising. Hope. Hope. Hope. Don’t be a dope? Be realistic. Hope. Hope. Hope. Don’t give up. Are you crazy? There’s no way that’s going to happen. Well, I keep hoping. Hope. Hope. Hope.

OPTIMISTS AND PESSIMISTS

Do optimists say “hope” more than pessimists? I don’t know. I haven’t counted. On first thought, “Yes.” But I don’t know. I have to think about that. I would think so, but I’m not sure.

Do optimists say “hope”, when pessimists say, “nope”?

Probably.

Or, is it, an all depends?

PART TWO: REASONS FOR OUR HOPE

The title of this homily is, “A Reason for Your Hope.”

Every Saturday I have a ritual – no matter how busy Saturdays can be – of hoping to grab 10 minutes to read a specific section of The New York Times. We all have our daily, interesting rituals. On Monday’s I look for Metropolitan Diary in The New York Times. On Sunday’s I look for “Week in Review”. On the other days I look at the Sports Section first. So yesterday, Saturday (April 26, 2008), I looked for the “Beliefs” column with the hope it would gives me a tiny bit of enlightenment. Yesterday the article was entitled, “Pope Benedict and the Lasting Impact of His U.S. Trip.” The article was by Peter Steinfels – who often has the Saturday belief article or column.

Reading the title, I wondered what his take on the Pope’s trip was. It’s a bit early for hindsight, but maybe he’d give a good insight. That was my hope, because there were so many articles and press and television reports about the trip.

The article said that Pope Benedict’s message was twofold: God and Church. Then he said that God is by far his primary message. Is God the Foundation of our life? That was his message for the U.S. – at the two ballparks, - the new Washington Nationals Park in Washington D.C. and the Yankees’ Stadium (Home of the dreadful Yankees) in N.Y, at the U.N., and in his other speeches and actions. It has been the message he’s been pushing for Europe and the world.

Peter Steinfels says that the Pope didn’t get into the nuts and bolts of Church stuff (translation for me: the iddy biddy, “complainy” stuff, the “whiny” Letters to the Editor kind of stuff.) No, Benedict’s stress was God is the foundation – not stuff. Yes, he tried to give comfort and hope to those who were abused – that we will do our best not to let that happen again.

God was his message. Is God in our life? Is God the foundation of our life? Is God our hope?

What I read was that Peter Steinfels thought that Pope Benedict’s main question and main hope is that people will look at the place of God in their life. Is God their foundation?

As I read that I realized that the answer to the question: “What is the reason for our hope?”, was not complicated. It is very simple: God.

For the Christian we might say, “Christ” – as well as the Father and the Holy Spirit – the Trinity – as we hear in today’s gospel.

But Benedict was addressing the world, so he used the term, “God”.

GOD IS THE REASON

If someone asks us the reason for our hope, do we simply say “God” gently and with reverence, as it says to do in today’s second reading from the first pope, Peter?

Yes. God.

Not bad. Simple. Easy – but a profound answer. A three letter, one word, answer, to a profound question. “God!”

Why do we come to church each Sunday? God. We know we can’t go it alone. We need God?

So we come here to church when a kid is born, when that kid is getting married, when that person dies. We’ve all heard the funny comment that people come to church when they are hatched, matched and dispatched. For starters that’s a true answer.

Then there are people who come to church more than those three moments. There are Easter and Christmas Catholics, Palm Sunday and Ash Wednesday Catholics, some Sunday Catholics and Every Sunday Catholics. They all come because of some degree of hope in God.

CONCLUSION

So, no matter who we are, with reverence, without judgment, we simply say, the answer to the reason for hope is God.

Oh?

HAVE YOU EVER
BEEN IN A PLAY?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Have you ever been in a play?”

Looking at your life, have you ever been in a play?

Kindergarten, elementary school, high school, college, community theater? Have you ever been in a play?

Maybe you played the part of a tree or a sheep or a shepherd, a pumpkin or you were the king or queen, princess or pauper.

Have you ever been in a play?

PILATE’S DAUGHTER

I was stationed with a priest who loved to tell the story how he played the part of a spear in a play. It was in our parish in Boston, Mission Church, and the play was "Pilate’s Daughter". (1) This Passion Play was presented every year - especially during Lent. Well, there was this one scene – after Jesus was to be arrested and as you looked at a wall on stage you could see spears going by – just the top of spears – and kids were behind the wall marching by with their spears.

THE STAR-CROSSED ROMANCE OF JOSEPHINE COSNOWSKI

One of my favorite movies is, “The Star-Crossed Romance of Josephine Cosnowski.” (2) It’s part of a series of movies that present the life of Jean Shepherd – an old radio story teller. Many people know, “A Christmas Story.” Well, Ralph in the TV Movie, “The Star-Crossed Romance of Josephine Cosnowski”, is talking about his younger brother, Randy, and how he played the part of the turkey in a play that reenacted the first Thanksgiving of the Pilgrims. Randy came home whining – which he did every day – and said, “I’m in the school play and I have to play the part of a turkey.” His mom who plays the part of a mom who makes everything right – says, “Well, you’ll be a great turkey.” Then while playing bridge with the ladies, she tells of Randy’s situation and one of them says that her sister is a great seamstress of something like that and she’ll help make him a great turkey outfit. It becomes a great costume. And Randy steals the show. He comes out and dances and everyone claps and claps for him. Then Ralph, looking back on life, says, “My brother didn’t know it then, but this was to be the highlight of his entire life.”

What a great line! Great movies and great plays give great lines – lines that help us look at our life.

Have you ever been in a play? Have you ever gotten off a great line? What has been the highlight of your life?

HIGH SCHOOL PLAY: EASY COME, EASY GO

When I was in high school I had the lead in a play called, “Easy Come, Easy Go.” (3) I don’t remember anything from the play except something that happened 2/3 the way through the first act. Someone forgot their line – and I could hear the off stage prompters yelling it out to the guy who forgot his line. He didn’t get the message. Silence. Big time silence. Pause. I love the line, “How long a minute takes depends on which side of the bathroom door you’re on.” Well, I’m sure it’s the same as on stage. How long a moment of silence for a forgotten line that takes place during a play depends on whether you’re an actor on stage or in the audience in the auditorium.

Having the lead, I figured I had to do something, so I grabbed a line out of mid-air and got the play back on track. The show must go on. Suddenly, I could see the director in the wings gesturing violently at me. I thought to myself, “Uh oh!” Yet, I got the play going and we made it to the end of act one. The curtain closed and I immediately went to the director and asked, “What happened?” He said, “You cut four people out of the play and there’s no way we can get them into the play. Their parents and family are sitting out there and their names are on the program.”

Often in my life – ever since that moment – I get nervous when I cut people off who want to say something. How many people have I cut out of life? I aborted these 4 people. I killed these 4 people who didn’t have a chance to shine for their moment in the spot light. They had very small parts, but I didn’t give these 4 people their chance of 15 seconds of fame.

Have you ever been in a pay?

Have you ever cut someone out of the play?

SHAKESPEARE: AS YOU LIKE IT

We all know Shakespeare’s great speech in the play, “As You Like It”.

All the worlds a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewing and puking in the nurse’s arms.

And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel,
And shining morning face, creeping like a snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like a furnace, with a woeful ballad,
Made to his mistress’s eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,

Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,
His youthful hose well saved, a world too wide
for his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes,
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
In second childishness, and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything. (4)

Have you ever been in a play?

Do you see this great big wonderful world that God has given to us as a stage – with so many scenes and settings? Do we try to make each scene we’re in, beautiful?

We’re supposed to stress the environment this weekend? Praise to those who make their gardens beautiful. Curses on those who drop food wrappers or Starbuck coffee cups in parking lots. Praise to those who do practical things to make our waters and air cleaner. Curses on those who dump and waste and ruin the scenes we see, taste and touch every day on the stage of life.

Do you sit in church or on a bench in the mall or at a lacrosse game or at the airport and watch the world go by?

What part are you playing now? Can you laugh at life? Do you like it? This getting older – this losing of our figure and our youth – trouble with our parts – our mind – our memory, how well are we adjusting as the play goes on?

THE READINGS AT MASS

The readings at Mass – present stories and scenes for us the audience to look at our life – to see who we are and where we are.

TODAY’S FIRST READING

Today’s first reading from The Acts of the Apostles is good drama. It presents two groups with two different languages, two different cultures – in the Early Church - who were often in conflict. Today’s reading also presents a problem that needs to be solved. Then we have a list of names – great for lots of parts if this was presented as a play. Then we hear the solution - the story about the beginning of the diaconate in our Church.

TODAY’S SECOND READING

Today’s second reading from The First Letter of Peter spells out loudly and clearly that every person in the play of life is important. All of us have been chosen. All of us top to bottom are royalty. All of us have been called. All of us are priests. Christ is the cornerstone – the living stone. All of us are make up the house of God. We are like the stones that make up a church. Do we feel like we’re part of the church – seeing the importance of each stone being connected to each stone? Do we ever feel like we’re missing – like we’re a hole in the wall?

TODAY’S GOSPEL

During this Easter Season, The Gospel of John is featured on the marquee the most. John is poetic, mysterious and hard to figure out at times. Yet at times he grabs us big time. As Shakespeare, the great playwright, put it in Hamlet, “The play’s the thing / Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.” (5)

I remember hearing a lecture (6) by Dr. Henri Peyre, Sterling Professor of French Literature at Yale, who said that Shakespeare was the most pessimist writer ever. I wondered about that - not knowing enough about Shakespeare – but the speech about the Seven Ages of Life in "As You Like It" is rather pessimistic. He certainly sees life ending there with lots of “sans” – meaning "without".

So I don’t know whether one can make that case about Shakespeare – but I think the Gospel of John presents the case for great optimism about life. Even though Jesus died on the cross with horrible "withouts" – we hear about the great Eight Stage of life: Resurrection and new life.

In today’s gospel he presents two characters whose job it is to raise questions, so Jesus the lead – can tell us great answers.

Thomas plays the part of the doubter here as well as later. (7) Jesus tells us he is leaving to prepare a dwelling place in the Father’s House for us. And Thomas says, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” It gives Jesus the chance to give us the great words, the great line, in life’s play, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Then Jesus adds, “No one comes to the Father except through me, then you will also know the Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Philip speaks up next with a question we the audience might have, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Philip’s part in the New Testament is the one who is there at the right moment to take care of strategic and specific needs – like when there was no food to feed the crowd and what do we do now? (8)

And Jesus says to Philip, "Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me. Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”

Great theology is presented in today’s gospel, in today’s play of words.

CONCLUSION: 10 QUICK QUESTIONS

How long a sermon takes, depends on which side of the sermon you’re on.

10 quick questions:

1) What parts or roles am I playing on the stage of my life right now?
2) Do I like the play of my life?
3) Am I listening to other’s lines?
4) Do I clap for others? (9)5) Am I cutting anyone out of the play?
6) Do I give others a chance to star?
7) Am I called to move into a new part?
8) Is Jesus part of the play of my life?
9) How is the play going to end for me?
10) Or do I see the play of my life never ending - that it goes on forever?

+

(1) “Pilate’s Daughter,” written by Father Francis L. Kenzel, C.SS.R. – a Passion Play that ran at Mission Church in Boston from 1902 till the 1960’s.

(2) "The Star-Crossed Romance of Josephine Cosnowski,” 1983, a TV movie based on a story by Jean Shepherd.

(3) “Easy Come, Easy Go,” written by Owen Davis, 1926.

(4) William Shakespeare, “As You Like It,” Act II, vii, 139

(5) William Shakespeare, “Hamlet,” Act II, ii, 641

(6) Dr. Henri Peyre (1901-1988) gave the speech at the Cooper Union Forum in 1963. It was entitled, "Existentialism and French Literature." He not only called Shakespeare the most pessimistic writer ever - but also "the most unchristian writer who has ever lived." These are rather dramatic statements - that I could not make. Those who read this - are challenged by the speaker - as I was.

(7) Cf. John 20:24-29

(8) Cf. John 6:7 - as well as John 1:43-51; 12:21-22; and Acts 8:4-40.

9) I like this quote: “Marriage should be duet — when one sings, the other claps.” Joe Murray, Cox News Service

VOICES?
DOES ANYONE HEAR YOU?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Voices? Does Anyone Hear You?”

I read today’s readings, said a few prayers and did a little wondering: my usual way of preparing for a homily.

What do the readings say? What do people need? What’s going on?

All three readings talk about sheep and shepherds – and today is called, “Good Shepherd Sunday.”

We’re supposed to push vocations this weekend – at the Masses.

Is there anyone here interested in being a shepherd? Would you ask your son or daughter if they have ever given any thought about being a Sister or a Brother or a Priest? It would mean giving one’s life for others – like parents and teachers and so many others do – but in this case not being married – not having kids?

We might have heard last week on the news about the Navy Seal – Michael Monsoor, 25, from Garden Grove, California. His mom and dad – received the Medal of Honor for their son from the president of the United States. President Bush – everyone - was crying. Michael Monsoor was on a roof in Ramadi – west of Baghdad. He was hit by a grenade that came out of nowhere. It bounced off him to the ground. The reports said he could have escaped. He had a moment to make a decision. He fell on that grenade and saved the lives of 2 other Seals and some Iraqi troops who were on a mission together. They could not have escaped.

Would any one of us do that? Was that question tossed like a grenade to some kids in a religion class years and years ago and this young man heard the question?

Did he hear in class or church the words, “Greater love than this no one has, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Did he hear someone voice those words of Jesus and they came back to him that moment? (Cf. John 15:13.)

Was it part of his training – and he heard the message?

Does anyone hear what others say?

I read the readings again. This second time I noticed the word “voice” in both the first reading and the gospel. In the first reading Peter stood up, raised his voice, and proclaimed Jesus. And in today’s gospel, Jesus talks about the sheep knowing the shepherd’s voice.

With that I began thinking about voices.

Do we hear the Shepherd’s voice? Do we know the Shepherd’s voice?

You know how we get a phone call and we immediately know who the person is without even looking at the number if it’s on the phone – or we hear the voice and we say, “I know this voice.”

Do we know Jesus’ voice and does he know our voice?

I began thinking along those lines.

Voices – listening – hearing.

POPE BENEDICT

Then while checking out the story about Michael Monsoor, I noticed on the Internet last night – quite by chance – a headline – something about Pope Benedict coming to the United States. It was a series of interviews with the headline: “In 5 cities, Roman Catholics were recently asked about what they would like to hear from Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to the United States.”

It was done by The New York Times and the different people interviewed have their picture there – their age – and where they live: Chicago, Tucson, Boston, Washington DC, Daly City, California.

The folks they interviewed were from across the board – age, ethnic background, male, female, this, that – but all Catholics.

The New York Times listened to the voices of all these people – taped them. They took the time to give a whole range of thoughts and opinions, suggestions and hopes to anyone who wants to listen to them.

If you want to listen to them, type in Google, “Catholic Voices, Catholic Views – The New York Times, April 13, 2008.” I don’t know how to connect this to my blog – where I put my Sunday sermons each week – but this should lead you to their site. [To get into my blog, just go to the St. Mary’s Annapolis web site and go from there. ]

Listen to what folks are saying. Hear their voices.

As I listened to them, I began to think, “What are the hopes and needs of the people here in this parish and this area?”

Does anyone hear your voice?

Does anyone hear the voices of those who are Catholic and don’t come to Mass any more?

If you were interviewed, what would you say? What issues hit you? What would you want the Pope to address while he is here this week in the United States? In Washington? At the United Nations?

I jotted down 10 pages of comments by these folks in The New York Times interviews.

Folks would like the pope to address the War. Young people. The priest abuse horror. Immigrants. The timelessness of Catholicism. Change. Don’t change. Not cutting out those who are gay. The importance of tradition. Latin. Joy. Hope. Peace. Jesus.

They talked about our churches being welcoming churches – filled with hospitality. Women priests. Married priests. Helping the homeless. Human rights. Closing churches. Lapsed Catholics. Being more inclusive. Reinforcing faith. Gangs. Violence. Catholic schools. Money. The environment. Thinking globally.

Some compared Benedict with John Paul II – and their differences.

I WONDER WHAT HE’LL SAY

I wonder what the Pope will say. Does he sit down and ask for opinions and suggestions? What voices does he listen to? Does anyone listen to him? I don’t mean public speeches or writings or pronouncements. I mean gut stuff. Who listens to him? Whom does he listen to?

I wonder what would it be like for him to come over here to the United States or any country and just listen: no speeches – no pronouncements – just listen to us – just listen to the voices of our world.

Does anyone do that? Did Jesus do that?

LISTENING TO ONESELF

To be practical, I think the first step is to listen to oneself. What are my voices? Joys? Sorrows? Complaints? Concerns? Hopes? Fears? Needs? Struggles? What do I want from life? From my Church?

I remember hearing a nun, Sister Maureen McCann, a Mercy Sister from Dallas, Pennsylvania, once talk about the importance of listening to oneself. She said we’re like a radio – with all these stations. She said pick one station. Get it exact. Then turn up the volume. Listen carefully to what you are talking about inside your radio studio today – right now.

Maybe some of you are saying, “Shut up already. You’re repeating yourself. All you priests are repeating yourself.” Maybe some of you are saying, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Maybe some of you are talking to yourself about your mom who is in a nursing home – and you feel guilty – you’re so far away – and your sister is stuck with all the caring and the visiting. Maybe you’re talking to yourself about one of your kids. You’re worried about her. Whatever it is, jot it down. Clarify it. Face the music. Listen to yourself.

TALKING AND LISTENING TO EACH OTHER

Next articulate your inner voices with the key people in your life.

After breaking the ice, listen to those whom you should be talking and listening to. Hear their voices – what they are joyful and sorrowful about. Listen!

Here’s a poem by Vickie Erikson. I noticed it in a magazine in the 1970’s – and I’ve read it over and over and over again – because it reminds as priest to shut up and listen to others. I don't know if it has a title or if this is just an excerpt.

Sacrificed on the altar of human unconcern,
lie many spoken words
and fragments of the mind.
So loud the world, so soft am I,
small are the impressions
made in this vastness.

Yet,
How wonderful these people,

To be unknown, and know so many,
only so much to give – yet so
much is untaken.

Who shall see my tears
in the pouring rain?
Who shall hear my sigh
in the thunder?

CONCLUSION

Back to the gospel for today. Talk to and listen to Jesus. He says very powerfully, “I am the gate.” Picture a sheep pen. Picture the Gate. Picture the Shepherd. See Jesus as Gate. See Jesus as your shepherd – who is leading you through life. Make today’s Psalm – Psalm 23 – "The Lord is My Shepherd"- your psalm – because you know his voice. He’ll lead you to green pastures. He’ll lead to restful waters. He’ll guide you through dark valleys. He spreads this table before you every Sunday – and he’ll help your legacy to be: “Only goodness and kindness will follow you all the days of your life.” Amen.