COMMITTEE

March 10, 2010

Quote of the Day:

"A committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours."

Milton Berle [1908-2002] , News summaries, July 1, 1954

HOW MANY TIMES?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “How Many Times?”

I want to preach on the theme of forgiveness – the obvious theme from today’s gospel.

PETER’S QUESTION

As you know from listening to the New Testament Peter had at least one brother – and his name was Andrew. So when Matthew tells us this story about Peter mentioning his brother, I’m going to listen two times more to this story than other stories.

Peter comes up to Jesus and asks him, “Lord, by the way, when my brother wrongs me, how often must I forgive him? Seven times?”

What? If the brother was Andrew, what did he do to bug Peter? Andrew – such a quiet, background type of guy in the gospels. The only time you hear about him, it’s good stuff.

Andrew should have been the one who asked Jesus that question.
But nope, it was Peter, and once more he puts his foot in his mouth.

Trying to impress Jesus, it seems he wants to appear the really good guy. The Rabbis said, “Forgive 3 times. That’s how many times you need to forgive your brother before you let him have it.” So big hearted Peter makes it 7 times.

Jesus laughs and says, “77 times.”

Others translate what Matthew has by saying Jesus said, 70 times 7 times. That’s 490 times. That calls for a lot of patience and good counting.
Either way, the Greek text can be – 77 or 490. Either way it’s a lot.

Some think Matthew is connecting this to an ancient text in Genesis – 4:24 – where if you think Cain was bad in killing his brother Abel –Cain’s only going to get 7 times vengeance for what he did. Worse, there is this descendent of Cain, a guy name Lamech – who was a really bad guy – he’s going to get 77 times vengeance for the blood he’s spilled.

Whatever, 77 or 490, that’s a lot of patience and forgiving being called for.
And in case Peter doesn’t get the message of forgiveness, Jesus tells this fascinating parable about the man who is asked to pay back a huge amount of debt. He whines and cries. He begs for mercy. He gets it. Then he goes out – meets someone who owes him peanuts – and he won’t forgive him. In fact, he has that servant put in jail – till he gets his money back.

Well, word got out. It always does. These kinds of unfairness always come back to haunt us. So when the master hears about this – he has the unforgiving servant brought back in and he says, “You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me for forgiveness, shouldn’t you have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?”
And the unforgiving servant is handed over to the torturers till he pays back all the owes.

CONCLUSION

I like to think that Peter got the message – because when he denied Jesus 3 times – when he ran away from Jesus – he didn’t do what Judas did. When Jesus appeared to him, Peter experienced forgiveness big time.

And I hope he went out and forgave his brother Andrew the next time he was ticked off about him – and the next time after that – and the next time after that – and I hope Peter kept a tab on how many times he forgave Andrew.

I say that because Andrew’s are always perfect, so I’m sure he never got anywhere near 77 times – or 7 times for that matter. Amen.

DUST 

Quote of the Day: March 9, 2010


“Dust is a protective coating for fine furniture.”


From John Taylor, “Fringe Lunatic” in Manhattan Inc. July 1986

CLEANSED

INTRODUCTION

Instead of a homily today, I wrote a short poetic meditation or reflection – based on the two readings for today, the 3rd Monday in Lent. In the first reading we heard the story about Naaman – the army commander – who has leprosy – and a young girl captured in Samaria and made a servant of Naaman's wife. She had a thought and expressed it, “If only Naaman went to where I come from in Samaria, I’m sure the prophet, Elisha, would heal him of his leprosy.” He goes – and is healed – but after some twists and turns in the story. And in today’s gospel Jesus refers to that story about Naaman the Syrian that is in 2nd Kings. Jesus says, “Here I am in your midst – and you don’t recognize me. I can heal you. I can cleanse you.” They reject Jesus – unfortunately.

So a poetic reflection or meditation called, “Cleansed.”

CLEANSED

Sitting there, standing there, some people still
feel sordid here – sinful here – unclean – as
if the skin of their soul had splotches, blotches,
scars and marks as well as written remarks –
on the palms of their hands – reminders –
bad memories – bad mistakes –
that they can’t silence – can’t erase.

That dumb move – that sin – that dumb relationship –
those wrong words – that family mess -
that they feel they caused – just yesterday, last year,
or so, so many years ago. Mess. Mess. Messy.

They come to Mass. They come to confession.
They do a hundred things to try to erase

or to buy off the mistake,
but right in their midst is Jesus – everyday Jesus –
the one who can cleanse them – heal them –
make the inner skin of their soul brand new skin –
like the glistening skin of a new born baby.

But no, they don’t know this Jesus who heals.
Instead they keep him outside the church
of their soul – or dump him out of their lives like
some people dump dying or dead cigarettes
out the window of their car –
and then they drive away –
as if they hadn’t been to church at all.

But Jesus rises from these rejections every time.
He still hangs around churches. He slips into ears
as words of challenge or into people’s souls
as bread and sips of wine. He still appears as
other broken people and sometimes we see him
as we help someone else and we are healed.

And the rest of us – Oh let’s hope
we’re like that young servant girl
who whispered to someone,
“If only he or she went to see the Prophet.
If they do, they can be healed.”

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2010 - 3 Monday Lent

WHAT IS TRUTH?

Quote of the Day: - March 8, 2010


"But it's the truth even if it didn't happen."

Ken Kesey [1935-2001], One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, 1952

IT’S A MYSTERY

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “It’s A Mystery.”

Have you ever been asked a question and you answered the other person by saying, “It’s A Mystery”?

In other words, “You don’t know.”

The older I get, the more I say, “It’s A Mystery.”

In fact, is that the sign of reaching old age – or the age of wisdom – the day we say, “It’s A Mystery!”?

SOME THINGS

Some things can be figured out – and it would be a cop out to say, “It’s A Mystery.”

Or it could be laziness – and we just don’t want to take the time to understand the difference between a 6 cylinder and an 8 cylinder car - or how to change a digital watch - with all those buttons on the side - and the directions are incomprehensible - and there is no little kid around to ask.

Or we know but we don’t want to tell some little 6 year old kid how babies come about or how come some parents make kids go to bed at 8 o’clock while other parents with kids the same age make them go to bed at 9 o’clock – or why some seem to have no set time for kids' bed time?

So some things can be known and some things are mystery.

Like earthquakes. We know why they happen – but we don’t know when they are going to happen. But maybe in the year 4010 they will know exactly when an earthquake is going to happen. What will that be like?

OLD SONG

There is an old song, “Ah Sweet Mystery of Life ….”

Some mysteries are sweet – like the beautiful day we had today. And some mysteries are not sweet. They are bitter. Like all that snow we had two weeks ago – unless you wanted all that snow – and you got out of all that school.

So life is both sweet and not so sweet, bitter, and sometimes bitter sweet.

Why do some birds go south every winter and some don’t?

I have no idea.

Why do some kids have all the brains – and the rest of us are B and C students – and we try and try – and this kid who never seems to study – gets A’s every time?

Why does life seem so unfair at times?

And why do I get the break at times? I’m on a long line at K-Mart – and every line is long – and surprise – the check-out counter next to me opens up just that minute and I’m last on the line and the lady signals to me – and I’m the only one who sees her and I walk over and now I’m first on line.

I think of Jesus’ words, “The last shall be first….”

But why did this happen to me today?

“It’s a mystery!

Yet they say great athletes – and musicians – and snowboarders – get that way because of practice, practice, practice - or merging talent with practice.

TODAY’S FIRST READING: MOSES

The Moses story in the Book of Exodus, the second book of the Bible, is quite mysterious.

As a baby all baby boys in Egypt are to be killed – that is, if they are born of Jewish parents. Why do people kill other people?

It’s a mystery.

Yet we can take some time to figure it out – at least we can start with ourselves. Why do we hurt brothers and sisters? Why do we hurt friends? Why are we selfish at times? Why do we pick on people who are different?

It’s a mystery – yet we might be mind lazy – or we’re jealous – or we think we can feel better about ourselves by making fun or persecuting someone different from us.

Anyway – Moses is put in a basket and floated on the water towards the Pharaoh’s daughter – and because everyone loves a baby – why – we just do – and Pharaoh’s daughter saves and raises little Moses.

So far so good.

Then Moses grows up and one day he sees an Egyptian hitting a Hebrew and Moses goes crazy and kills the Egyptian and then looks around to see if anyone sees him. Then he hides the dead body in the sand. The next day he finds out he was seen and so he runs away. He heads for the hills.

Here he had everything – next he has nothing – so he becomes a shepherd in the desert and in the hills.

Now - finally getting to today's first reading ....

One day while shepherding Moses has a great vision – way up there in the mountains.

He sees a bush. It looks like it’s on fire – but it doesn’t burn down.

He hears a voice. He hears his name, “Moses, Moses!”

He answers, “Here I am?”

And God says, “Come no nearer. Take off your sandals. You’re standing on Holy Ground.”

The voice continued, “I am the God of your fathers, of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.”

Moses was experiencing big time, “It’s a mystery.”

Moses covers his eyes. Moses is scared – filled with big time afraid.

Moses hears God say, “I have witnessed the pain of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of complaint against their slave drivers. I know their suffering. I have come to rescue them from this land of Egypt and I’m going to bring them to a land of milk and honey.”

It’s not in our text today – unfortunately – but God says next, “I am sending you to them to tell them to come with you. I am sending you to the Pharaoh to go and say, ‘Let my people go.’” [Read Exodus 3:1-15 and not just today's reading, Exodus 3:1-8a-13-15.]
Moses asks this voice, this vision, this mystery, this God, “What is your name?”

And God says, “I am who am.”

Others translate this by saying, “I am who I am!”

Others translate this by saying simply, “I Am!”

QUESTION

Why didn’t God do this when the Jews were being killed by the Nazis?

Why didn’t God do this when there was that big slaughter of Armenians by the Ottamans?

Why didn’t God do this when there was that big slaughter of people in Rwanda?

Or why doesn't God do more about children that are abused?

Why is there sin and selfishness?

Why is their evil?

It’s a mystery.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Or take today’s gospel.

Why did Pilate – one of the head Romans in Palestine around the time of Jesus – beat up and kill some Galileans - a little know historical moment mentioned here in the Gospel of Luke?

Or why did a tower collapse at Siloam in the time of Jesus and kill 18 people?

Why does a earthquake happen in some places during the day when kids are in school and the school building collapses and a couple of hundred kids are killed and it could have happened at 2 in the morning and less kids would be killed?

Why? Why? Why?

I don’t know.

It’s a mystery.

I am serious about saying this. I am not trying to be flippant.

Okay, I hope when they rebuild Port-au-Prince in Haiti – they will do two things. If they know where there is a earthquake fault line, they won’t build over it – and when they put up buildings, they will use the best information they have to build somewhat earthquake proof buildings.

CONCLUSION

In the meanwhile, today’s gospel also talks about a fig tree.

Fig trees are supposed to give figs. If they don’t they should be dug up and not take up space – space where another fig tree can be planted – that will give a fig.

That’s no mystery.

Well, it’s a mystery to me why Jesus waited till he hit around 30 and then began to walk around healing, preaching, telling stories and challenging people.

It’s a mystery to me what Jesus saw when he saw people.

It’s a mystery to me why he healed this person and must have walked by other people who needed healing.

There is a story in the Gospel of Mark that takes place in the city of Bethsaida. Jesus heals a blind man. Jesus puts spit in the man’s eyes. Interesting. Then Jesus puts his hands on the man and asks him, “Can you see anything?” The man says he can see people but they look like trees. [Mark 8: 22-26]

To me it’s just like being in the eye doctor’s chair. They ask, “What do you see?”

I say, “I see blur.”

They do something and ask, “Is that better.”

I say, “Better.”

Well the blind man says, “I see men as trees – but they are moving.”

Jesus puts his hands on the man’s eyes again and he starts to see clearly. Everything is exact and distinct.

Why didn’t Jesus heal the blind man right away – like he does in the other blind man stories in the gospels?

I don’t know.

It’s a mystery.

Well, thinking about today’s gospel, at times I think Jesus saw people as trees – and some of them were doing nothing. They were trees that were just taking up space. Walk through any forest and you’ll see trees like that. Well, there are people who are like trees that are not producing – and those who know them – want to write them off – "dis" them.

But in this story Jesus gives this tree a second chance.

That’s why I love this story and love Jesus.

Jesus gives second chances.

Why?

It’s a mystery.




This is a homily for our young people's Sunday evening mass on the 3rd Sunday in Lent, C, March 7, 2010

P.S. This Monday morning, March 8th, 2010, I was looking for something online from NPR Radio - and surprise I found a neat 5 minute piece from March 5th - that has as its ending - some of what I'm saying in this homily. If you use Google as your search engine, type in the following: "NPR Weekend Edition - Poverty and Chastity for Every Occasion."

THE 5 TREES

Once upon a time a first grade religion class put on a play called, “The 5 Trees!”

They came up with this play by themselves with a little help from their first grade teacher. The goal, she said, was to come with a play that everyone in the first grade class would be in – and it had to be a play that wasn’t boring. It had to be a play that was very interesting. And it had to be a play that has a message.

So the first grade kids thought and thought – and talked and talked – and they came up with their own play called, “The Trees.”

It went like this:

ACT ONE – Scene One.

A kid came out to the front and center of the stage and announced, “Once upon a time there was a king who went to visit his cousin – who also was a king – but in another kingdom – far, far away."

And as he was making this announcement, a kid dressed as a king came out and started walking across the stage. He was wearing a Burger King crown – and his grandfather’s dark purple satin bathrobe – pinned up of course – but his grandfather was a short guy.

Everyone in the audience laughed – moms and dads, brothers and sisters – teachers and the principal – all of whom filled the big school auditorium.

Suddenly the Burger King king stopped and putting his hand up to his forehead like this said out loud to himself, “Which way now to my cousin’s kingdom. I’m doing a lot of walking. Okay,” he says, pointing to the other side of the stage, “I remember it’s that way.”

As he walked that way, another king came on stage – from that way. He also wearing a Burger King cardboard crown. He also was wearing a bathrobe – dark blue satin. It was also pinned up.

This second king said, “Cousin. It’s good to see you. I’ve been waiting for you all day long. Come on now. Let’s hurry. I have a big dinner prepared for you.”

And both headed in that direction. [Point]

The curtain closes.

Act One – Scene Two

The curtain opens exactly two minutes later. On stage are a bunch of kids. They are at a table eating dinner. If you were on stage you could notice that there were mostly McDonald’s and Wendy’s fries and hamburgers. But both kings were still wearing their Burger King cardboard crowns.

Holding up a knife – the king who was visiting his cousin, the other king, said, “Cousin King, I notice on your knives and forks and spoons, you have on the top part of their handles an image of a tree.”

They were all plastic, but the people in the audience couldn’t see that.

“Yes, cousin,” said the other king, “that’s our kingdom’s tree. What is the tree of your kingdom?”

Silence.

Big long pause.

The visiting king finally said, “We don’t have a tree for our kingdom – but as soon as I get home we’re going to have a contest – and pick a tree for our kingdom.”

The other king said, “Great idea. Great idea.”

And all the kids on the table raised their soda cans and plastic cups chanting, “Great idea. Great idea. The other king has a great idea – great idea, great idea.”

And the curtain closed.

ACT TWO


Two minutes later, the curtain opened for Act Two of the Play called, “The 5 Trees.”

The king is standing in front of a bunch of his subjects – all kids in the first grade.

The king says, “I was visiting my cousin who is also a king – in a far country – and they have their favorite tree – their kingdom’s tree. I want all of you to come up with your favorite tree and tell me why it’s your favorite tree – and my queen and I will pick the winner.

And all the kids run off in all directions, chanting, “Contest. Contest. Everybody loves a contest.”

The play was almost a musical – but they didn’t have the time nor the singers - to work that out.

ACT THREE - Scene One


The king is standing on a platform – with his queen standing by his side. He still has on his Burger King crown. The queen has a golden plastic princess tiara on – making out it’s a queen’s real crown.

There are about 10 kids standing there – off to the side.

The king announces, "Okay, bring in one by one, the 5 finalists in our 'Pick the Kingdom’s Tree Contest.'

"Tree # 1 please come in."

Tree # 1 is an Apple Tree. It’s a kid dressed as an apple tree – with about 15 apples hanging by cords from her arms – and she has a few extra fake branches as well. She is led in by her best friend who makes her apple tree argument to the king and queen – for the apple tree to be the best tree.

She begins, “The Apple Tree is a great tree – not great in size – but because it gives us apples – and everyone loves apples.

“Did you know there are over 7,500 types of apples in the world?

“The apple tree helps feed the world.

“And by the way, Adam and Eve ate from the apple tree in the garden – because apples are very tempting.”

The crowd of kids on the stage off to the side clapped politely – along with the whole family of the girl who played the apple tree in the play – as well the family of the Apple Tree announcer.

“Thank you Apple Tree,” said the king. “Will tree #2 please come in.”

And Tree # 1, the Apple Tree walked to the other side of the stage, but able to be seen by everyone.

In walked this big tall and fat tree – with a sign on it. “Oak Tree.”

It was lead in by the Oak Tree Speaker – because it could not see where it was going. It was pushed to a place and grabbed so it would stop right in front of the king.

The Oak Tree speaker was a little guy – the smallest kid in the First Grade – but the kid with the loudest voice.

“This is the Oak Tree,” he said, “one of the strongest trees in the world. It starts from a little acorn like me – but becomes big and strong. ” He flexes his muscles and then he taps the oak tree – played by the biggest and tallest kid in the first grade. Everyone laughs.

He continues, “Oak is great wood for ships and doors, barrels and walls.

“White Oak is the state tree for Maryland. We’re hoping it will also be the kingdom tree of this kingdom.”

And the parents of the Oak Tree and the littlest kid in the first grade all clapped.

And the King said, “Thank You. Will Tree # 3 please come in.”

And the Oak Tree and its spokesperson walked over to the side – next to the Apple Tree – but able to be seen by everyone in the auditorium.

Tree #3 walked in. It was the Weeping Willow Tree. It was played by a first grade girl who had lots of hair – that was always falling down over her face – and you could hardly ever see her eyes.

Her mom and dad had duct taped – weeping willow branches down her shoulders – back and front – right down to the ground. She looked like a real weeping willow tree.

Her spokesperson said, “A weeping willow tree is the first tree to show its leaves in spring – so when you see them – you know spring is finally coming after a long cold snowy winter – and its leaves are the last to fall every fall.

“A weeping willow tree gives great shade – and it’s the perfect tree if you get water in your basement – and let me tell you, a lot of people will be wishing they had willow trees when all this snow is melting.”

The king said, “Thank you Weeping Willow Tree. Thank you.”

And it walked off to the side next to the Apple Tree and the Oak Tree.

Next came the Christmas Tree. It was a kid in a wheelchair who was dressed as a Christmas tree. It had artificial Christmas tree branches – but somehow they decorated him to be a nice big tall 7 foot Christmas tree – with tinsel, and bulbs, and lights – and the lights were blinking. The kid’s father was an engineer and helped put the whole thing together with batteries – a lot of batteries.

The spokesperson for the Christmas Tree wheeled the wheelchair Christmas Tree out onto the center of the stage right in front of the king.

She began. “The Christmas Tree is an evergreen tree. It’s green all the time. It’s not scared of snow – and there are no leaves to rake. But it’s a great gift because it gives us the message that Christmas and Christ is here – and it’s the place where people hug and kiss and say thanks when families open up their Christmas gifts from under the Christmas tree.”

The spokesperson bowed when she finished – and the kid in the wheelchair bowed – and a bulb started to fall – and the spokesperson caught it and everyone clapped and laughed at the same time.

“Thank you, thank you,” the king said. “Okay, let’s have the 5th and last tree in our tree contest.

In the meanwhile the spokesperson for the Christmas Tree in the wheelchair rolled him over next to the Apple, the Oak, and the Willow trees.

The 5th tree was this really leafy – wide – not that tall a tree – and you could not see the kid under the branches – except his shoes which had lights in them.

The spokesperson for tree # 5 said, “This is the Fig Tree. It’s not big and tall like a Redwood tree or an oak tree. It’s not pretty like a Christmas tree or an apple tree. It’s wood isn’t good for doors or floors – or even to make a cross. It’s only good for fire wood. It doesn’t need a lot of water like the willow tree. It’s the fig tree. What does it do? It gives food – delicious food – figs – not just once a year, but twice a year and sometimes three times a year.”

Then she said, “Those of you who know about Jesus, know that he had a favorite fig tree and every time he went by it he took some figs from it to eat – and one time it was empty and he wasn’t happy with it – and in the Gospel of Matthew we read that it withered. But in the gospel of Luke Jesus tells a story about how a man who owned a fig tree farm complained about a fig tree that wasn’t giving any figs - especially for the past 3 years. He said, ‘Pull it up and plant a new tree.’ But the gardener said, ‘Give it another chance. Let me work on it. Let me fertilize it.’ And sure enough it gave more figs. These stories tell me that Jesus loved figs and fig trees. Thank you.”

And the Fig Tree and its spokesperson bowed and walked over to where the other 4 trees were.

The King said, “Thank you. Thank you.

"Now let me tell you what tree I picked as the winner – the tree that will be the official tree of our kingdom."

Pause. Long pause.

The king put his hand on his chin – as if he was thinking – thinking – thinking.

And the kids on stage off to the side began chanting, “The king is thinking, thinking, thinking. The king is deciding, deciding, deciding.”

Then the king stepped down from his platform and walked towards the trees and looked at each of them again – carefully.

Then he walked back to his platform and announced, “The winner is: The Fig Tree.”

And the families of the Fig Tree and the Fig Tree spokesperson all clapped, but almost everyone else was silent – and then in the spirit of good sports, everyone clapped.

Then the curtain closed.

ACT THREE - Scene two

The curtain opens and it’s just the Queen and King sitting together at a table eating.

The King is still wearing his crown and his purple satin bathrobe and the Queen is still wearing her plastic princess tiara – making out it’s a queens crown.

And the Queen sees what the King is eating and she yells out, “That wasn’t fair. That wasn’t fair. You didn’t pick the fig tree because of Jesus. You picked it because your favorite cookie is Fig Newton’s. That’s why you picked the fig tree. Not fair.”

And the King taking another bite out of his fig Newton said with a big smile, “It’s good to be the king.”

I wrote this story last night for this morning's Family or "Little Kids' Mass". The first grade were the featured kids for the Mass. It's the Mass for the 3rd Sunday in Lent, Year C, March 7, 2010. As I read this story this morning - the thought hit me - it's one page and one tree too long. Sorry, I didn't have time to cut down one tree.