*

GRAVEYARD
STORIES!

INTRODUCTION

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

Hey it’s close to Halloween – but my real reason for talking about graveyards is because today is All Souls Day – the day we remember our dead and pray for them.

Who are your dead? Where are your graveyards? What are your graveyard stories?

Talk to each other about your graveyard – your cemetery stories. Share the stories?

When you drive by a graveyard, does something happen to you that is different than going by a mall or McDonald’s?

When you drive by a graveyard where someone you loved and laughed and lived with died, what happens in the ground of your soul?

Get a ballpoint pen and paper – or a blank screen on your computer - and jot down the funerals you’ve been at – the cemeteries you went to afterwards. Jot down: what was the first death you experienced; what was the first cemetery you visited?

KAIROS RETREAT
I was on a Kairos Retreat with some of our high school seniors this past week. I was moved when one of the girls told about getting her grandma’s prayer book – after her grandma died. The girl described going through the prayer book and seeing all those death cards. As the girl talked I could sense it was a sacred moment for her – thinking about all her grandma’s friends who had gone before her. She had seen her grandma page through that prayer book – remembering her friends and family who had died – whom she loved and missed.

I couldn’t help but think, wouldn’t it be horrible if that prayer book was pitched. I guess that’s why people want stones – gravestones with their names and dates on them.

What do we do with the memorial cards we pick up in the back of the funeral parlor – just before or after we sign the book – because we want to say, “I am here for you at this tough moment.”?

Do we have a shoe box, a prayer book, a spot for our sacred stuff?

Who are your dead? Where are your graveyards? Whose names are on the stones? What are your graveyard stories?

CEMETERY SUNDAY

Have we lost the old traditions – like today being called, “Cemetery Day” or “Cemetery Sunday” – when families go to cemeteries to remember their dead?

PAUSE – CLOSE YOUR EYES – AND LOOK
Pause, close your eyes, and look at the gravestones in the slide show called our memory. Doing this can be a power point presentation of who has been who in our lives – how we got to where we are – where we have picked up our values, outlook – besides our DNA.

What have been your death experiences? Where are your gravestones? Whose names are on your stones?

Let me tell you some of mine – with the hope that it will get you to tell each other some of yours.

JIMMY HENNESSEY
The first death I remember was Jimmy Hennessey. He died when we were in grammar school. In those days some wake services took place at home. My only memory is being quiet – creeping forward – a line of boys going up the steps of the brownstone Hennessey House on 64 Street in Brooklyn - and quietly going into the house. There was Jimmy in a casket – in his black first communion suit. We stopped and looked. I hope we prayed. Then we silently walked out. I don’t remember the funeral mass or anything else – just the going into the house to see a dead body of a little boy.

His brother John was in my class and he came to my first mass and met my cousin Miggy again. They dated and married and I did that wedding and I did John’s funeral a few years ago. My cousin Miggy got remarried and I did that wedding as well. Life is a circle.

MY DAD’S FUNERAL
My dad died June 26, 1970. I was 29 years old. It was my first family death.

He was 68 – had emphysema and lung cancer – and I was there in Moses Maimomedes hospital that Sunday afternoon at 2 PM with my brother and two sisters and my mom – when my dad left us. Death.

I was to discover slowly, one of the greatest blessings of being a priest is the gift of being able to celebrate not just baptisms and family weddings, but a parent’s or a family funeral. I still have that sermon – one page – quite faded – hand written. It’s a visible reminder that I once preached very short homilies.

After the Mass came the procession and ceremony we all know very well: the slow dance down the church aisle with the casket to the hearse - the tears, the flowers, the holding onto mom arm in arm – the slow starting drive to the cemetery.

My dad is buried in St. John’s Cemetery in Brooklyn, N.Y. My mom heard about a great bargain. Talk about big time. She bought two spots in a mausoleum for them. It looked like an apartment house. It was a funny feeling going up this big elevator to the 3rd floor – with a casket – and then proceed to the spot in this big high ceilinged corridor. We stopped. We stood there in silence. We prayed. I remember being quick enough to switch the wording of the prayer in the book: “We consign the body of the deceased into the ground” to “We consign the body of the deceased into the wall.”

And that was the only funny moment that day.

MICHAEL

My next family funeral was my nephew Michael’s – age 15 – who died June 14, 1977. It was only 4 days after they found out he had cancer. He was such a strong kid and an athlete. He was just finishing his first year at Regis High School in New York City. I remember walking into the church and seeing what looked like 400 high school kids. What were they thinking? Was this their first death? They were a bit older than me when I went to my first funeral for Jimmy Hennessey. Are they still remembering that moment?

My sermon was three pages. It began. “It rained the day Michael died.”

The cemetery was in Staten Island. It was outdoors – a great grass lawn – filled with white tombstones and plastic flowers that were bright – and lots of dead flowers. To me the scene was much more powerful than the indoor mausoleum that my dad was buried in.

And to lose a 15 year old is much more horrible than a dad who had a full life – dying at 68. I’m older than my dad now – so that’s another thought for another day.

MY BROTHER BILLY
My brother Billy died on March 21, 1986 in Washington Hospital Center. Once more I was able to do that funeral. I’ve gone to his grave near DC at various times. He died of cancer – melanoma – at the age of 51. I miss him big time – but he told me before he died, “Thank God mom and dad gave us the gift of faith.”

It was a powerful funeral – about 70 cars – and once more I experienced the honor of being a priest – and being able to help my sister-in-law, Joanne, and their 7 daughters and the rest of the family and my brother’s friends deal with the death of a great character.

The sermon was 4 and a half pages long.

MY MOM
My mom was killed in a hit and run accident the following year on April 7, 1987. She was on her way to church. She was still working at the age of 83. It was a horribly difficult death and funeral. Our provincial was next to me at the funeral mass and whispered at the sign of peace, “I don’t know how you can do this.” I didn’t say anything but, “It’s my mom and I’m honored to do this.”

I don’t know how long that sermon was – but it was short.

After Mass and the drive, once more we were back at St. John’s cemetery mausoleum. This time the prayers were in an inside chapel – and then we went upstairs in the elevator. By now they had piped in music – all through the place. It was very nice – elevator or dentist office music – but not the stuff my mom or dad would ever listen to. Once more like in my dad’s casket, besides a rosary, someone put in a deck of cards. Like many couples, they prayed the rosary together, as well as played a hundred thousand games of cards together.

Once more I wished it was outside – with green grass and blue or grey skies – even rain. Looking at marble vault covers up near a ceiling – with names on them – doesn’t hit me like a gravestone in a graveyard does.

IRELAND
In 1996 I went to Ireland with my two sisters and my brother-in-law. It was a trip to go back together to the place where my mom and dad were from.

Looking back – and looking back is the best part of any trip for me – one of the moments that stands out – was walking with my Aunt Nora, my mom’s sister, who stayed in Ireland, down to the graveyard – right on Galway Bay. What a spot!

To get into the cemetery, there was a rusty metal turnstile. Interesting. It was to prevent cows from getting in – and you know what cows do. She warned us about what cows do. And surprise cows did get in there. My sister Peggy, a nun, didn’t heed the warning and ugh.

Aunt Nora pointed out the graves of our grandparents – only one of whom I met – an old lady who wore high tie black shoes and smoked a pipe – when she came for a visit to America when I was a kid.

This cemetery moment was a sacred moment – just like that girl on our high school retreat last week – who was handed her grandma’s prayer book. I was standing there with grand parents, great grand parents – and relatives from before that – all buried there. It was a sacred moment.

Praise God.

We were standing on holy ground - but good thing we didn’t heed the biblical call when standing on holy ground to take off one’s shoes – especially my sister Peggy.

CONCLUSION

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

What are your graveyard stories?

I just told you some of mine – 5 and a half pages worth – with the hope you too will tell each other your graveyard stories.

And make sure we tell each other our great graveyard story. When Jesus was buried they put him in a cave – a borrowed mausoleum – but on the third day – that stone was rolled back and Jesus rose from the dead – giving the hope and promise of resurrection to all of us. Alleluia.

* My mom, dad, and my sister Peggy (Sr. St. Monica, IHM-Scranton) and myself at the grave of one of my dad's sisters in Portland, Maine. Three of his sisters were Sisters of Mercy. [c. 1967]

THE HOOK

Why did this fish
bite this hook?
Okay, the hook was hidden
in a worm – and it
was feeding time.
But the consequences?
Death, the whole group
missing a member.
For me – a caught fish,
a digital photo, bragging rights,
and fresh fish for supper.
Yet, now, the thought
while wiping my plate
with rye bread: a family
without a father; a friend
without a friend.
To fish or not to fish?
It’s lesson time.
There are so many hooks
out there. And I’m so hungry.
I do it every time.
I bite – killing myself,
not considering
the consequences:
an end to conversations,
and time together,
being missed – the future,
but at the time,
“Oh that worm looked so juicy.”

© Andy Costello,

Reflections, 2008

WHAT’S IT LIKE?

[The title of my homily is, “What’s It Like?” Looking at today’s readings, especially the first reading, the key theme of “What’s It Like?” hit me. It’s the theme of “What’s it like to walk in another’s shoes or moccasins or clogs?” It’s the central theme of Christianity – the Word becoming flesh – incarnation – becoming human – announcing to us the Good News that God knows what we’re going through - what it's like to be human. Been there. Done that. So my homily is on: “What’s it like?”]

What’s it like to be a freshman in a college or university – and it’s your first night there and you don’t know any other person in the whole school – and your mom and dad who dropped you off – who helped bring your 18 plastic cases of stuff to the 4th floor of your dorm room – said “good-bye” after having pizza with you, and they are on their way back and they are not answering their cell phone – and you’re homesick already – and you feel stupid – it’s only 4 hours since you said “goodbye” and you’re thinking – maybe this choice was too far away?

What’s it like to be on vacation in some country where nobody knows English and your wallet and passport are stolen on the first day of your vacation – and it’s Sunday morning and the U.S. Embassy seems to be closed – at least nobody is answering the door bell right away?

What’s it like to go to Arizona in the summer and you get to the Grand Canyon – and you had wanted to see the Grand Canyon for over 50 years and you’re finally retired and you see it – and it is an overwhelming experience and you come back home and someone says at a tail gate party, “How was your trip out west? I heard you were going to see the Grand Canyon?” And just as you’re about to tell this captive audience about your mystical experience someone else jumps in with “Grand Canyon. Yeah. What a great place. I was there 27 years ago with my family” – and they go on and on and on and on and you never get to tell your story?

What’s it like to be a dental hygienist and you hate to floss?

What’s it like to be Saint Paul and you blush when the people of Thessalonica – whom you had no clue would be so great – saved two of your letters – and just love you – and pinch themselves for being so lucky that you just happened to come into their city and you told them all about Jesus Christ – and they caught him?

What’s it like to love the Lord our God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind – and your kids could care less about God?

What’s it like to be a priest and you’re giving a weekend retreat to a group of 87 men and you sit down after lunch with a man who asks to talk to you one to one - and he tells about his only son – his only child who is homosexual – and how difficult it was to come to an understanding of his son – the struggles both of them had – but they finally talked about it – one stressing disappointment, worry about what others might be saying – the other stressing how he felt for the lack of support and understanding and compassion – and then that evening you as priest are running a question and answer period for the whole group of 87 men and one man stands up and starts blasting homosexuals and you look over and see the face of the man who talked to you that afternoon after lunch about his only son?

What’s it like to be a ESL teacher – English as a Second Language teacher - at St. Mary’s – volunteering to do it one evening every week – and you’ve been doing it for the last 4 years now – and you have met some remarkable men and women – who work all day – and get to the classes in the evening – and then you’re at work and people are making nasty comments about immigrants – attacking these foreigners, who are lazy and not willing to learn English?

What’s it like to be here in church right now and you heard today’s gospel that we are called to love the Lord our God with our whole heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind – and then we hear that that’s the greatest commandment and then we hear Jesus say the second is to love our neighbor as ourselves – and we start to tighten our fist – because a co-worker comes to mind – a face and a name is applied to the word neighbor – and we say to God in prayer, “Do you realize how hard it is to love so and so– after all she has said about me behind my back?”

What’s it like to be a Eucharistic Minister – and you’re standing there with the Body of Christ in your hand and 98 % of the people come up to you and you say, “Body of Christ” and they say “Amen” and receive the Lord Jesus and you feel overwhelmed with the love of Christ – and then afterwards you hear one person say, “I’d never receive communion from a lay person. I will only go to a priest.”

What’s it like to feel that way and you feel singled out by a priest from the pulpit saying such a thing and you feel attacked or disrespected for your way of understanding Church?

What’s it like to be a freshmen in high school and your parents are killed in a car accident and you have to move across the country to be raised by your grandparents – whom you really don’t know that well – and now it’s just you and your older brother and he is already in college – and you feel all alone in a new home, in a new school, in a new part of the country – with these older folks – whom you wonder “Will they understand?” and then a month later – you realize they too are grieving – because they too lost their daughter and son-in-law in that accident – and you feel stupid for being so self-centered?

What’s it like to have a dad who gets bombed out of his brains every weekend and at every tail gate party and you’re in your room and you know your mom is also embarrassed to death – and also your dad’s mom and dad – and nobody is saying anything – and you love your dad with all your heart and you wish he would stop drinking?

What’s it like to have a bumper sticker for a candidate for president and also their running mate and someone sees it and sneers at you – as if you’re dumb or stupid or what have you – and you can’t wait till Wednesday November 5th?

What’s it like that first week in a nursing home – and you know your kids are doing this out of love – but it’s not home and the person in the room with you keeps losing their teeth and their glasses – and keeps calling, “Nurse. Nurse!”

What’s it like to be out of work and you’re 54 and you sent out 37 resumes and your savings are depleting fast and you’re nervous, very nervous and you don’t want your family to be nervous?

What’s it like to be a single mom or a single dad and you both tried a hundred times and then some to make your marriage work – and you both couldn’t make it work and you know it’s ripping the heart out of our kids – but this was the best compromise you could come up with – and you have kids in school and things are tight, stressful, and you want to scream?

What’s it like to be in Ireland this past May and from the bus window of our tour I saw 10,000 sheep and 100,000 rocks. I saw lots of old castles, pubs, churches, lakes, mountains, but surprise, surprise, here it is October and the most vivid memory of the whole trip took place while walking in Dublin one evening after supper. I spotted 3 young adults with backpacks and suitcases walking down the street. They looked Eastern European. They looked like strangers in a strange country. Then I saw them going into a place with triple bunk beds for the night. I could see the well lit rooms on the second and third floors – each with 3 big windows – no curtains or drapes - and lots of bunk beds in the big rooms that I could see from the street. I had no idea who they were. My imagination brought me to my parents coming to America at probably the same age having spoken Irish as their mother tongue - but they could also speak English – with only a minimum of education. Mom and Dad, what was that like?

What was the experience the writer of today’s first reading from Exodus that got him to have God say, “You shall not molest or oppress the alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt. You shall not wrong any widow or orphan.”

What did the scholar of the law feel like when he tried to catch Jesus by asking him, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” and Jesus answered him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” How did he feel that night? Did he think about that moment for the rest of his life? Did he hear that Jesus was crucified – and forgave his crucifiers from the cross?

What’s it like to make a mistake – and you feel totally alone –and there is nobody in the whole world you feel you can turn to?

What’s it like to be you?

What’s it like to be me?

What’s it like to die – and you wake up on the other side of death – feeling totally scared and totally alone and you hear this great crowd in the distance. It sounds like they are at a banquet. There is music and dancing* – and as you get closer you hear someone say, “Welcome. You’re in the right place. And you find yourself in the eternal embrace of God.

What's it like?

*Cf. Luke 15:26

MONARCH


The monarch butterfly
with Tiffany stained glass wings,
works for his supper -
a king oblivious to others.
His term limit is months,
so he’s not concerned about polls
or public opinion.
He just does what butterflies do -
just worried about the next generation.
Now that’s the kind of king I’d vote for.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2008

AFTER

THE PERFORMANCE

Three moments:

before and after the performance
and the performance itself.

The performance: a party,
a wedding, a picnic, an anniversary,
a funeral, the hard work

in putting and pulling
it all together, the invitations,
the food, the phone calls,
the double checking,
the letting everyone know,
so nobody will feel forgotten, left out,
yet knowing old family fights,
those still burning below

on the bottom of what look

like cold coals,
might burst into flames again.
I guess it’s part of the party,
part of the play. It's family.
Some people like being on stage.
Some people are repeat performances.
Too bad for them: I rather

concentrate on the laughter
the reconnecting, the celebration.

Three moments….
Some like the before.
Some like the performance.
I like the exhausted feeling
after a performance.
It’s finally over.
People have headed home.

We're off stage.
We are all alone again,
tired, but with shoes off ,
bread and wine or coffee and cookies in hand.

Exits can lead to Resurrection. Restoration.
We sit in soft chairs and taste

some of what we didn't taste at the banquet
and “Wow! The stories....”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2008

SO WHAT BOOK
ARE YOU READING NOW? *

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “So What Book Are You Reading Now?”

I would like to challenge you in this homily or sermon to be readers.

QUESTION

Years ago I was at a family gathering and a family friend nonchalantly asked, “So what book are you reading now?”

“Ooops,” I thought. Silence. Pause. Then I said, “I’m not reading anything now.”

I was in my late 30’s and I was too busy with work – and I had forgotten the importance of reading.

Looking back I was very appreciative that this guy Marty asked me that question, because it made me face the importance of reading books. It got me back to reading.

If he asked me right now, I would answer, “I’m reading a book of poems by Mary Oliver entitled, New and Selected Poems, (Volume One). And I just finished reading, on my sister Mary’s recommendation, a book on Warren Jeffs, When Men Become Gods. It was about a fundamentalist off-shoot group from the Mormons. It was a page turner. The author is, Stephen Singular.

QUESTION

So if I asked you, “What book are you reading now?” what would you answer?

And I don’t mean school books. I mean a book that you can’t wait till you get back to it. I mean a book you finish your chores and school work and disappear into a corner – a favorite place – a back porch – or a secret place where you love to read.

I grew up seeing my dad read – as well as my sister Mary and my brother Billy. In fact, when my older brother Billy played baseball, when he got off the field, sometimes you could see him on the sidelines reading a book at times.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

The gospel I chose for today is from St. Luke. It’s the scene where Jesus came to his home town of Nazareth. He went into the temple on the Sabbath. Luke adds, “as was his custom”. Then the story says, “He stood up to read.” He was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Then he unrolled the scroll and read that, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” He read how “he was anointed to bring good news to the poor … to proclaim liberty to captives … recovery of sight to the blind … to let the oppressed go free.” [Luke 4:16-19; Isaiah 61: 1-2].

As far as I know this is the only place in the gospels where it specifically says that Jesus read. In several places he asks people, “Haven’t you read in the scriptures…?” He also asked folks to read the signs of the times. [Cf. Matthew 16:3]

We know Jesus was very insightful - and aware of what others were thinking and saying. Joachim Jeremias in his book, The Parables of Jesus, writes about the background of many of Jesus’ parables – and connecting some of them to similar stories from the same time.

I love the story in Luke of Jesus being lost in the temple at the age of 12 and his Mary thought he was with Joseph and Joseph thought he was with Mary on their way home – but he was back in the temple “sitting among the doctors, listening to them, and asking his questions; and all those who heard him were astonished at this intelligence and his replies.” [Cf. Luke 2:41-50.]

And if one reads the gospels we read not only his stories – but also his wisdom sayings.

QUESTION

So what are you reading?

We have the elections coming up and I hear people saying, “We don’t know who a candidate is.” I say to myself, “Well, both John McCain and Barack Obama have books out. John McCain has a book, Faith of Our Fathers and Barack Obama has a book, Dreams from My Father. People often ask me if I read such and such a book. One recent book was Barack Obama’s book, The Audacity of Hope.

So what are you reading?

I noticed that Sarah Palin was asked what her favorite book was or what’s she reading now – and she paused for a moment and said, C.S. Lewis.

His books, Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters are books I recommend very highly. I’m sure some of you read The Complete Chronicles of Narnia.

What would you answer if someone asked you your favorite book or what book are you reading now?

I noticed in Time, Newsweek, People Magazine, Sports Illustrated, and other magazines that athletes and stars are asked, "What book are you reading now?”

If you were asked that question, what would you answer?

POEM

I was looking for a poem the other day and came across a wonderful poem by Rita Dove which gave me the theme for this homily.

The poem is entitled, “The First Book.”

Bill Moyers in this book [Hold up book] The Language of Life asked Rita Dove the background of her poem, "The First Book".

She said she went into her daughter’s school and found out that the kids seemed to be scared of reading. She grew up in a family of readers, so she wanted to encourage reading. That’s the background of this poem. Let me read it from this book entitled, The Language of Life. [Hold up book]

THE FIRST BOOK

Open it.

Go ahead. It won’t bite.
Well … maybe a little.

More a nip, like. A tingle.
It’s pleasurable, really.

You see, it keeps on opening.You may fall in.
Sure. It’s hard to get started;
remember learning to use

knife and fork? Dig in:
you’ll never reach bottom.
It’s not like it’s the end of the world –
just the world as you think

you know it.

BOOK BAG

I have here a bag with a few books in it. I have a lot of books in my room, so I grabbed a few books as props for this sermon.

Rita Dove said books can take you into worlds you never thought of.

Here is a book entitled, I Will Bear Witness. [Hold it up] It’s by a man named Victor Klemperer. You can open up this book and find yourself inside another person’s diary. What would it be like to be a Jew in Dresden, Germany from 1933 to 1941? Open up this book and you can find out.

Well, there are lots of books like this. Just walk up and down the aisles of Annapolis Public Library on West Street.

Here is one of my favorite books. [Hold up book] It’s entitled, Reality in Advertising. It can take a person into the world of advertising. Years ago I read about this book and finally found a copy of it in a second hand bookstore. In the preface, the author Rosser Reeves, makes this remarkable statement. “I do not think it is out of order to say that it cost $1,000,000,000 to write this book.” How’s that for a catchy advertisement? How much is that? Anyone here good in math? How much is 1 followed by 9 zeros? A billion dollars. Then he adds, “We spent that much of our client’s money, and made many mistakes, to isolate these principles.”

CONCLUSION: WRITE

This homily or talk asked the question, “So What Are You Reading Now?”

I stressed the importance of reading. I would also suggest writing – not just for school – but for your own pleasure.

I have written several books – and a favorite story is that a former student that I had told me he saw one of my books in a used book store in Chicago for 25 cents. I asked him if he bought it. He said, “No.”

About a month later someone called me from somewhere wanting to buy a copy of that same book and I had to say I had no copies – that the book was out of print. I suggested they search for a copy on-line. After I hung up I went on-line to see if that was a good suggestion. Surprise. Surprise. Someone was selling that book for $127.00. If I had known that, I said to myself, I would have saved a case of them. I immediately called the guy who saw it for 25 cents in a Chicago bookstore – telling him that if he had bought it, he might now be able to sell it for $127.00 on-line.

So I hope from upi as students of St. Mary's, there will be some writers and that all of you will buy my idea of enjoying the gift of reading.

Read!

Now can I have one person who loves to read – not just for school work – but for enjoyment – give me the name of the book they are reading right now.

[Two students raised their hands. One person said they were reading a book about vampires and the other person said they were reading, The Call of the Wild by Jack London.]

* Surprise. I just heard that were further comments about my homily to our high school freshmen and sophomores. So the above is the written version of my homily to them. However, it should be noted that I left my written text in my room. I decided not to use this script for the homily. I did not stay in the pulpit. I walked around a bit while preaching trying to be energetic and alive as I pushed my message to read.

If you check my blog, there are not that many comments after individual pieces - unlike some blogs that have comment after comment after comment sometimes into the hundreds. This homily created some comments out in the real world of "buzz". If anyone wants to make a comment in the world of "blog", go for it. Thanks.

FOUR COINS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Four Coins!”

When you have some time, take a penny, a nickel, a dime and a quarter, and look at them. Study them front side and back. A penny for your thoughts?

All four coins have the image of a president on them: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and FDR. All four have the word “Liberty” on them. All four have the Latin words, “E pluribus unum”. All four have the words, “In God We Trust” on them.

Then, if you want to throw three of them into a fountain for luck or all four of them for extra luck, go for it. That’s 41 cents. Next time you’re exercising or walking through the Bestgate Mall check out the coins in the water pool. I was surprised at all the quarters in there. A while back I heard someone broke in there one night to get those coins. With the way the economy is going, I hope the Mall is well policed with a good alarm system as well as cameras.

I chose the penny, nickel, dime and quarter – because these are the four coins we usually get as change when we buy something – unless we use plastic.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

In today’s gospel, when his adversaries are trying to trap him, Jesus asks to see a coin. If he says, “Pay the tax” they will attack him for supporting the Romans; if he says, “Don’t pay the tax” they will turn him in to the Romans for supporting the anti-Romans.

I’m surprised that the text says he doesn’t know who’s image is on the coin. They tell him, “It’s Caesar’s.”

And he gives his classic response: “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

I still like the ring of the old translation: “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” [Matthew 22:21]

CONFLICT

Today’s Gospel places us in the middle of a conflict situation.

How well do I deal with conflict?

Obviously, with the elections coming up, people are in conflict with others on moral and political issues. I can’t wait till Wednesday, November 5th, when this election is over – unless they discover hanging chads in some states.

Have you found yourself in the past year or so – on the spot – when someone brings up a voting question?

As priest various people have asked, “Is anyone going to say anything about the upcoming election from the pulpit?”

To me – stress on “to me”, that is an “uh oh!” question – as well as a “no no!” situation. For several reasons - one key reason being conscience - I am not in favor of endorsing or going after candidates for public office from the pulpit. Besides those reasons, the final vote count is not going to be 100 million + or so to 0 – so no matter what one says, other people are going to be angry – whether the final results are a 51 to 49 situation or 53 to 47 situation or what have you.

If you want to read a good document on the Catholic position for voting, read, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States.” Tap, tap with your mouse the following www. to read this document.

[www.usccb.org/faithfulcitizenship/FCStatement.pdf]

Some folks will be grateful for this document; some folks will experience conflict with this document . I also assume the bishops had conflicts in hammering out the text.

Conflict is part of life.

Look at Jesus in today’s gospel. They might not have got him that day – but they nailed him another day.

As to ongoing conflict, this hasn’t been my experience. I don’t see myself as getting crucified. I follow the principle voiced in the German proverb: "A drop of honey catches more flies than a hogshead of vinegar." On personality tests that I have taken, I end up being a smiling, shifty, wimpy type - someone who doesn't like controversy.

I have been a priest since 1965, yet I have only been burnt or yelled a few times because of comments from the pulpit - as far as I know. When it has happened, it’s been because of spiritual issues I’m off on – like not killing prayer with too many prayers – rarely on how to vote.

Yet, I’m sure the current game that we’re all playing is trying to figure out how other people are going to vote. So I try to be aware of the bully pulpit as well as the angry pew.

A MISTAKE

However, I make mistakes. For example, last Thursday I mentioned the names of John McCain, Sarah Palin and Barack Obama in a homily at a Mass for our freshman and sophomore young people.

I was not trying to influence their minds on how to vote – because they are not old enough to vote. I was talking about the importance of reading. At one point in my homily I said that I've heard people say they want to know who a certain candidate is. When I hear that, I find myself saying inwardly, "Read! John McCain has a book out, Faith of Our Fathers [1999] and Barack Obama has a book out, Dreams From My Father [1995]. Read Barack Obama’s book, The Audacity of Hope [2006]. Read columns. Have an informed conscience. Listen to the debates etc."

My mistake was that I was totally oblivious to any adults in the church – in fact I really didn’t see them – only these two classes of kids – and I was trying to use as examples what’s going on in our country and world and not just the world of school and shoes and sports.

I heard afterwards there were comments. I didn't know if those who made them were joking, neutral, or angry.

Being sensitive, that word “comments” hit me.

Being defensive, I said, "Uh oh!"

My first reaction was the feeling that I was stupid. I know the reality that once you mention a person’s name – just their name – that can cause instant reaction. It can push another’s button. Dumb, dumb, me. That’s why some people wear political buttons – to push buttons. That’s why some people have bumper stickers, to bump people.

My second reaction was to examine my motives. Was I pushing a political candidate? No. I was trying to stress to these kids the importance of reading – not just school books – but books they find themselves looking for time to read. I asked if they have their quiet places – on a porch or a corner - where they can turn pages and enjoy the various places in the world and the human heart that books can take us to.

I thought the message of my homily was clear: the importance of reading. In hindsight, however, I didn't think it was that good a sermon. I didn’t feel much of a connection.

However, after I heard there were comments, I backtracked in my mind. Where did I get the idea to push the theme of reading from? I thought and thought. Finally I had an answer. While I was working on the homily for our high school kids, I was also working on a flyer for someone who had asked for help in putting together a prayer service for autumn.

While looking for a good poem on autumn to put in a flyer, I came upon a poem by Rita Dove entitled, “The First Book.” I had never read this poem before. It was in a book by Bill Moyers, The Language of Life [1995]. It has some poems I like and interviews about particular poems. He asked Rita Dove where the idea for her poem came from.

She said she went into some classroom of her daughter's school and discovered that various kids were scared of reading. She thought about growing up in a household where people loved to read, so she wrote the following poem.

THE FIRST BOOKOpen it.

Go ahead. It won’t bite.
Well … maybe a little.

More a nip, like. A tingle.
It’s pleasurable, really.

You see, it keeps on opening.You may fall in.
Sure. It’s hard to get started;
remember learning to use

knife and fork? Dig in:
you’ll never reach bottom.
It’s not like it’s the end of the world –
just the world as you think

you know it.

I thought that was a great poem. I used it in my homily and I told the kids that I didn’t really start reading till a high school teacher in the 3rd year of high school triggered a love for reading. I couldn’t find enough time to go through James Fennimore Cooper’s stories.

Then I mentioned a book by Victor Klemperer, I Will Bear Witness [1998]. I said it was on the best seller list a few years back and my niece Maryna gave it to me as a Christmas gift. Books, I said, can take you to places you could never enter. Holding up the book I said, “This is the diary of Jewish man in Dresden, Germany during horrible times – 1933 - 1941. If you’re nosey and interested in other people, a book can take you into all kinds of places.”

I mentioned a few other books and felt great after Mass standing in the back of the church saying good-bye to kids flying by when one boy asked me, “What was the name of the author of that book about that man in Germany?” I said, “Victor Klemperer.” He said, “I’ll find it on line.”

Then the next day I felt crummy when someone said I was pushing someone for president in the pulpit.

CONCLUSION: FOUR COINS
I began this homily by saying, “The title of my homily is, ‘Four Coins.”

I then said when you have time take a penny, nickel, dime and quarter – and look at them back and front – and see what they trigger in you.

Let me make 4 closing points looking at these 4 coins.

1) The word “Liberty” might stand out. It’s a word on all 4 coins. Liberty is a great American button, buzz, value word. If they were making coins today, would the word be “freedom” instead of “liberty”? I think “freedom” is more current. Our big holiday is July 4th – a free day – our Declaration of Independence Day.

We hope that all peoples of our world can have freedom.

To St. Paul, Jesus, Isaiah, freedom, liberty is also a powerful theme. [Cf. 2 Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 2:4; Isaiah 61:6, Luke 4:18]

Is it for me? Do I try to obtain the freedom of the glory of the Children of God? [Cf. Romans 8:21;

2) “E pluribus unum,” our national motto, is also on all 4 coins.

Our country is a plurality – yet we are called, “The United States”. We have to learn to deal with various viewpoints, a multitude of understandings. This can very difficult – but when we are one, this is our strength.

Our parish is many. We have to learn to deal with many viewpoints – understandings – many comments. This too can be difficult – but when we are one, it can also be our strength.

When there are mis-understandings, it seems that it’s better to talk to each other more than about each other. Here I am talking about something publically that happened to me privately. Here I am talking to people who weren't there. I'm making myself look better than a few people who made a comment. Moreover, I heard this secondhand. In fact, I don't know what the comments were or who made them. So the question: should I say this in a homily? Aren't I being defensive? Yes. Then I said to myself: This is a good example of a conflict situation. So I choose to use this as an example of conflict. Hearing the process behind another's motives or reasons, might bring out the importance and the power of pause and "Go figure." and "Go talk."

3) Four Presidents. There is a different president on each of these 4 coins. Each president is very different from the others – and we will have different ones to come. Will there be changes on our coins 1000 years from now? Will we even have coins? In 2003, the GOP in congress tried to get Ronald Reagan on the dime to take the place of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, but it didn’t pass. Nancy Reagan was against it as well.

4) "In God We Trust." All four coins have “In God We Trust” on them. Religion is part of the fabric of life. That is the Christian position. It’s tricky. America was founded by some people who wanted to avoid the religious wars of Europe. If you really want to do some research, study this issue on line. We have quite a history.

I noticed that Thomas Jefferson had lots of issues about Christianity, priests, etc. Yet the nickel with his image on it - as well as the other three coins each have that great message, “In God We Trust.” Obviously, trust in each other is one of life’s big questions - in marriage, the market, in politics, in milk products. No wonder the last resort is, “In God We Trust.”