LIFE IS 

A ROLLER COASTER

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Life Is A Roller Coaster.”

Life is a roller coaster, ups and downs, and then all around.

At 12 or 13 years of age - 8^th graders - a bunch of us boys used to love to take the subway train to Coney Island, Brooklyn, N.Y.  for a few hours - head for the Cyclone roller coaster - go on it a bunch of times - go to Nathan’s for a hot dog and orange drink. Then we would walk down to see the water - but not go in. Then we’d head back to the Cyclone  for another ride - laugh - head for the train - and get back home - a nice Saturday afternoon in warm weather.

Looking back now, that adventure, was a metaphor for life.

Sometimes we’re just rolling along - no ups and downs - just getting along in life - a few twists and turns - some stops - like a subway train ride. And sometimes we feel like we’re on a roller coaster. It’s all ups and downs - and all arounds. And sometimes it’s neither. We’re checking out the scenery or we’re enjoying a hot dog and an orange drink -and not too much is happening.

LENT

Lent - it’s an annual time to look at our life. We do this on New Year’s Eve and Day - but how long does that last?

Lent - what’s your metaphor for how you see life? Lately, it has been feeling like a roller coaster for me - lots of action - lots of adventures.

Lent - it’s here - we had Ash Wednesday a few days ago - and this year it goes till early April - Palm Sunday is on April 1^st this year - and Easter the following Sunday, is April 8^th.

Lent - Spring - 2012.  I was wondering if we’ll appreciate Spring this year - because we’ve had such a sweet and easy winter. It still could snow and get cold - but this week we’re into March. How much does weather - and geography - mold - form and shape us?

Once more: what are your plans for Lent this year?

People have expressed gratitude for the Lenten Booklets - so some folks have some spiritual reading as part of their Lent.

The latest issue of America Magazine has a piece on “What  Are You Taking Up?” On the cover it shows some kids and staff from Sacred Heart School in Wallington, New Jersey, watching a big barn fire of blessed palms from the year before. The old tradition was to get the ashes for Ash Wednesday from those burnt palms. Today we get ashes for Ash Wednesday in tiny see through plastic bags from somewhere. The magazine article features 4 suggestions for action and reflection to take up during Lent - in contrast to the old saying, “What are you giving up for Lent?” 4 writers suggest: 1) The Asceticism of Truth. Take long walks, find quiet places, and face the truths about yourself and life that can set you free. John Kavanaugh, a Jesuit at St. Louis University, says, “Stop pretending. We are as fragile as dust.” 2) Gerald Schlabach - a theologian in Minnesota says, “Love the Enemy in Your  Pew.” Liberals, conservatives, gay, straight, old, young, listen to each other. 3) Margaret Pfeil an assistant professor at  the  Notre Dame says “Feed the Hungry With Local Food.” 4) Thomas Massaro a Jesuit at Boston College says, “Get to Know Your Legislators.”

What’s in your plans for this Lent?

There is a notice on our sign up board back in the rectory to sign up for hearing confessions on Wednesday Evenings in Lent. It’s “The Light is On” program that will be in all the parishes of this diocese and many dioceses. Is that in your plans for this Lent?

The article in America is suggesting 4 things. I just mentioned two things: some spiritual reading and the sacrament of confession or reconciliation.

Then there are fasting, praying, and alms giving as the 3 traditional practices for Lent.

LIFE

How about taking some time to look at one’s life? How’s it going?

I was at celebration at the Naval Academy on Friday afternoon for a Captain retiring from the Navy. I had the opening and closing prayer - so that was a piece of cake. What I liked was I had a chance to listen to two talks: one about  someone and the other by the person himself about his life. Summing up one’s life - at different points in life: good idea.

It hit me loud and clear about the power of comparisons. What’s it like to live in all kinds of different places - here, there and everywhere, all around the world? How does that impact one’s family - one’s spouse and kids? Adjustment. Adjustment. Adjustment.

Sitting there I realized I have also lived in lots of different places as well - but I didn’t have to worry about a family being uprooted. So finally a benefit for celibacy. I've lived in Wisconsin, Ohio, up by Lake Erie in Pennsylvania as well as in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania, Upstate and downstate New York, New Jersey, Washington D.C. and 2 different places in Maryland. Once more how do changes, movements, geography, weather, homes, different assignments form who I am?

I remember someone saying a long time ago that one year in a foreign country - provided it’s in a language other than one’s own - is worth 4 years of college.  Is that true? I would assume that the answer to that is: “It all depends.”  I wonder at times how my life would have been if my plans worked out. I became a priest to work in Brazil. Didn’t happen. Maybe my life would have been a lot more like a roller coaster ride if that happened. We can only image with the what if’s.

We’ve all heard John Lennon’s words a dozen times, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

Life …. death …. there are 5 more funerals on our board that are coming up. It’s seems that a lot of people are dying. Have you been to any funerals lately? What were you thinking? What were you feeling? It can be like today’s first reading: one’s whole world is flooded out with tears and pain - and we need a Rainbow.

Yesterday,  I was at two funerals. The first one I was the priest at - the second one I attended. 

The first one was for a wonderful woman named Roberta Hart. She used to come to the 12:10 weekday Mass at St. John Neumann's - till she got sick. What an opportunity and a grace to try to help a person deal with sickness and then to help a family deal with the death of their mom. At the wake  on Friday afternoon, I looked at the pictures and the video and heard comments about a wonderful woman.  I had seen her a few months ago for an hour - at Genesis in Severna Park. Once more William Sloan Coffin Jr’s comment about being a minister or a priest hit me. He said the greatest gift is being invited into the secret garden of another’s soul. This one had cancer. Life. Sometimes it’s a roller coaster. Sometimes it’s a train. Sometimes it’s a bed in a nursing home. Then yesterday  morning at the Mass I got to hear a granddaughter - speak for a whole bunch of grand kids - and I heard her take on her grandmother. Then I got to hear a daughter speaking for 5 brothers and one sister tell us how she saw mom and mom saw life and her kids.

These are the things that form and inform me. These moments are great spiritual reading.

Then I shot back to Saint Mary’s to attend a second funeral. It was for Rita Esker - the mother of one of our priests. Rita was alive and kicking my first few years here at St. Mary’s. It was one more moment to reflect upon life - my mom and dad - where I came from - and their funerals.

OUT OF ELECTRICITY

Near the end of the second funeral Mass, I began saying to myself, I have to run upstairs now and come up with a homily for the 4:30 Mass - 1st Sunday in Lent Mass.

A feeling of tiredness came over me. I’m said to myself, “I’m on the bottom of the hill on the roller coaster ride called today.”

That's where that image came from.

What to preach on? What do you need? Where are you right now in your life? What’s your metaphor for your life right now?

As I thought about the past few days, metaphors for life hit me. 

I was thinking about the nice afternoon walk I took on Thursday - my day off. I was out the front door of St. Mary’s - ran across Duke of Gloucester - down to Ego Alley - and then through the Naval Academy. It’s great doing this around 4 PM - because all these young people in the Naval Academy are running, running - practicing lacrosse now - throwing a Frisbee, a football or having a catch. A group were playing Danny Boy with brass instruments. Life. Oh to be young again….

But sitting there after the funerals,  the image from that Thursday afternoon walk that hit me was ice cream cones. There were lots of folks licking ice cream cones. I thought: is that a metaphor for life? Is that a possible metaphor for a homily?

How would these questions sound?  Looking at your life right now are you just starting with a brand new full ice cream cone - 2 scoops - and you’re just starting to lick away? Or is your ice cream cone almost finished and your hands are sticky and you forgot to get a napkin? Or did your kid drop and plop his ice cream cone - and she’s screaming and you hand her yours? Or you’re diabetic - like me - and I know there’s sugar free ice cream - but it’s really not - and you say, “My ice cream cone days are over. Ugh.”

CONCLUSION

We’re at the beginning of Lent. What are your plans? Jesus headed into the desert for 40 days - as today’s gospel puts it. Matthew and Luke use great imagination what Jesus went through.

Mark - the earliest gospel - simply says that the Spirit drove him out into that desert and he was tempted by Satan. Sounds like it was some roller coaster ride,  if you ask me - but the gospels also say, the angels ministered to him. I’m sure there were no Nathan’s Hot Dogs and Orange Drink or ice cream there - but it sounds like there were some moments that weren’t as tough as the others. Best of blessings on your Lent his year. Hop on the train. Hope it doesn't become a roller coaster. Amen.

NEGRO

SPIRITUALS

February 26,  2012

Quote for Today - Twenty-Sixth Day in Black History Month

“Rural slaves used to stay after the regular worship services, in churches or in plantation ‘praise houses’, for singing and dancing. But, slaveholders did not allow dancing and playing drums, as usual in Africa. They also had meetings at secret places (‘camp meetings’, ‘bush meetings’), because they needed to meet one another and share their joys, pains and hopes. In rural meetings, thousands slaves were gathered and listened to itinerant preachers, and sang spirituals, for hours. In the late 1700s, they sang the precursors of spirituals, which were called ‘corn ditties’.”

 From Negro Spirituals.com

VISION

February 25,  2012

Quote for the Day - Twenty-Fifth Day in Black History Month

"Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn't mean he lacks vision."

Stevie Wonder

MULTI-CULTURALISM

February  24,  2012

Quote for Today - Twenty Fourth Day of Black History Month

"Wese a mingled people."

Zora Neale Hurston [1891-1960], (see picture below) in  Jonah's Gourd Vine, 1934

          ASH   THURSDAY

Thursday after Ash Wednesday ….

All those ashes thumbed

into thousands and thousands, more -

onto millions and millions of foreheads ….

Ashes slowly, slipping, silently off our skulls ….

A scratch, a rubbing, an itch can do it -

way before a baptismal shower.

One’s face is now the same as before.

Next…. Now…. What?  Lent has begun.

Another Lent. Isaiah has spoken once more:

“Rend your hearts, not your garments.”

Jesus has spoken again, “Take care

not to perform so others can see….

When you fast, don’t look gloomy

like the hypocrites - who neglect

their appearance so that they may appear

to others to be fasting…. But when you fast

anoint your head and wash your face, so that

you may not appear to be fasting,

except to your Father who is hidden.”

The hidden within…. The inner room ….

The human heart - where Lent

gets us in touch with that inner urge

for more - for more of God’s presence -

or for more spirituality for those who hesitate

at the mention of God. For growth - for

a deeper life than the inner urge 
to star or for Starbucks or the Oscars

or ESPN or fashion, food, fun, the rush and cash….

It’s good to know Lent is a call to go out into

the desert or to go into 
a dark room and womb within.

To know this means a willingness

to kneel, to pray, to be silent,

to be alone with oneself ….

It is good to know Lent is a call

to go through that humbling experience -

of admitting that not only 
is there nothing out there,

but there is also nothing in here inside me.

Uh oh! I’m empty.

Lent is like waiting in a waiting room -

all alone and I'm all by myself  
only to discover nobody is here 
but me and this me is not enough. 

I’m closed down. There isn't even office music.

So I finally get up the courage to open up

the only  door in me. It's open. So I walk into 

the inner room of my soul. Uh oh. 

This room has not been visited for years. 

I feel an uneasy feeling.

To pray: “Oh my God my soul

is such a dusty place." To laugh:
"Oh that’s where the ashes have gone!”

Next …. Now …. What? 

We realize slowly: everything I've accumulated

here through the years is all  crumble, crumble.

We get up to dust, to dump, to clean, to toss, 

to empty out what we thought would fill us..

Then come the desert feelings - temptations….

No wonder this takes 40 days, 40 years.  

Then sometimes - if we stick with the fire

and the desire for God …. a few weeks

or years of waiting and wondering,

I might hear the knock on my door -

the door to my inner room. Christ is here.

I can hear him resting that damn cross up

against my outside wall. He asks, he seeks,

he knocks, “Come out! Come out!
Wherever you are? Come follow me!

I’ll take you to places you’ve never

been to before and more.”

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2012

Painting on top: Ash Wednesday (1881) It's by Carl Spitzweg - It's a scene of after the carnival.

RACISM

February  23,  2012

Quote for Today - Twenty Third Day in Black History Month

"When we're unemployed, we're called lazy; when the whites are unemployed it's called a depression, which is the psycho-linguistics of racism."

Jesse Jackson [1941-  ], Interview with David Frost, The Americans, 1970

IT’S ABOUT TIME

It’s about time. Here we are at another Ash Wednesday - another Lent. We, along with well over a billion Christians, around the world today - are beginning the Season of Lent. And we enter the season by entering a church like this to formally enter into this season.

It’s about time. Lent is about time - 40 days. If we look at world religions we find the practice of taking special time periods and days for fasting and emptying, lessening and letting go - as part of one’s traditions. Muslims, Jews, Christians, Hindus all have special times and days of fasting.

It’s about time. So the first thing on the agenda for today is to be marked. 

In Islam - which follows a lunar or moon calendar - their period of fasting is 29 or 30 days. As you know the crescent moon is the symbol of Islam appearing on many flags.  People look for the first  sign of the crescent moon marked on the forehead of the sky to begin the season of Ramadan. 

For Catholics it’s today - with Ashes put on our forehead. It used to be just Catholics whom could be identifed as Catholics today. Now various Protestant congregations are using ashes as well. May that be one more step towards unity of Christians.  

Listen carefully today to the words said as you receive ashes, “Remember you are dust and into dust you shall return!” or “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”

It’s about time. So during this season we ought to consider time. We only have so much of it. We have a shelf life. It’s not tattooed on the side of the package - for example, on our ribs. 

At every funeral we attend we notice the casket containing the body of someone who has died - or the person has been cremated and put in a nice box or case with cremains - with ashes. It’s a powerful reminder every time that,  “It’s about time.” We only have so much of it. How old am I? How much time do I have left? What’s my bottom line? What’s my final date and final 4 numbers? Will any of us here make it to 2100?

It’s about time. During this season we take the time to ask other big questions: Am I having the time of my life? Am I living life to the full - as Jesus put it.  Am I a good steward of time? Am I living a balanced life? Am I wasting time? What are my values? Do I see the value of each person? Am I wasting their time?

It’s about time. During this season we take the time to fast - meaning an emptying - a not having. 

Muslims are asked to fast during Ramadan from eating, drinking, smoking, etc. during the day - sunrise to sunset. 

Catholics used to say out loud what they are giving up for Lent. I remember hearing of folks who gave up smoking or drinking for Lent and family members wished they didn’t - because they became strident or nasty for the next 40 days. Yet some improved - and were nicer.  In our time we’re hearing ideas like fasting from TV or computer or talking, talking, talking - face to face or cell phone to cell phone or I-phone etc. When the electricity goes out, we experience how dependent we are for juice. When we fast we realize what our dependencies and addictions are.  

Then what do we do with the time we gain? What do we do with and in the emptiness? 

This parish gives out Lenten Booklets. People have said, “Thanks” because they present something different to do for Lent - to do some spiritual reading each day - with gained time from blank screens. 

Every once and a while I suggest having a prayer chair in our house - one specific chair. People have told me at various times: “Great idea Father. I’ve been doing that ever since you suggested it.” Have next to it a Bible or a deepening book or a booklet.  Have next to it a Rosary. And I love to suggest that a rosary can be used for 10 Hair Mary’s or 53 Hail Mary’s - or for simple prayer beads. Just sit there in your prayer chair and say on the 59 beads, “Lord, have mercy.” or “Thank You God” or “Help” or at night pick out 10 blessings of the day - 10 beads - 5 minutes - then a “Thank You God” or ten times saying, “Thank You God?”

It’s about time. Lent - it’s all about time. 40 days from now we’ll be at Easter - Spring - New Life. Lent - it’s a good time to enter into what is called, “The Secret Garden of our Soul” and do what Jesus did in gardens: enter into deep communion with Our Father - Our God.