WORKING  AT  IT

February  27,  2012

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

“People might not get all they work for in this world, 

but they must certainly work for all they get.”  

Frederick Douglas, 1818-1895

METAPHORS

FOR LIFE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Metaphors for Life.”

Do people have a metaphor for life? If they do, what is it? If they do, when do they put it together or when do they put it on like a coat?

This question hit me from the sermon I preached here yesterday afternoon and this morning at 11 AM.

ROLLER COASTER

The first metaphor I used was that of a roller coaster. I told the story about how when we were in the 8^th grade a bunch of us boys used to take the subway train to Coney Island - for a couple of hours - not to swim - but mainly to go on the Cyclone.

The Cyclone was the roller coaster in Coney Island and in the New York - New Jersey area. And actually it was mainly the first hill. After that it was easy rolling. The first hill down seemed like it was more than 90 degrees - because it felt like you went down and in and then up again.

We’d go on a few times. I think it was 50 cents - maybe even 25 cents in the early 1950’s. Then we’d go over to Nathan’s for a hot dog and an orange drink and then walk down to the water - not go it - and then head back to the Cyclone for one more ride and then take the train home.

In my homily this morning I asked if that’s a metaphor for life. Sometimes it’s like we’re on a train - flat tracks - a few twists and turns - but not scary. Sometimes it’s like we’re on a roller coaster - up and down, up and down, and twists and turns all around. And sometimes we’re just sitting around, relaxing, enjoying a hot dog and an orange drink.

ICE CREAM CONES

The second metaphor I used was ice cream cones.

Last Thursday I went downtown Annapolis and then to the Naval Academy for a 45 minute walk. I love to do that - because seeing all those young people running, exercising, throwing a Frisbee, practicing lacrosse, challenges me to try to stay healthy. There was even a group of Naval Academy young people practicing Danny Boy with brass instruments.

But what hit me from that walk downtown and then through the Naval Academy was the people down town Annapolis on Thursday afternoon. I saw lots and lots and lots of people eating ice cream cones.

Could that be a metaphor for life? 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 - 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.”

LENT

Lent is a good time to look at your life.

Where are you? Is there something that you need to do for more life?

Are you into self destruction?

How do you see life?

TODAYS’ READINGS

Today’s first reading and today’s gospel - give us two totally different metaphors: the water and the desert - two totally different scenes.

Is the ocean a good metaphor for life. Those of you who sail might like this.

Sometimes all is calm. Sometimes all is storm. Sometimes you get a lot of wind. Sometimes you have to turn the motor on.

Some people see life as a sail from A to B.

The earth is 76 % or so water. Sometimes water gets tricky and wipes out homes and roads, bridges and docks. Sometimes it’s nice and easy.

In today’s first reading all is nice - but there is a great flood.

As it happens every time - when the world goes cafluey, when there are great storms and floods, and a lot is destroyed, a lot of people think God is mad at us for sin and selfishness.

Today’s first reading presents just that as the case.

So if we take what’s happening with water as a metaphor for life, then there are times we need rainbows. Enough is enough.

I would assume that the human call is to be rainbows - that all the rainbow of people around the world helps specific peoples when they are flooded out.

I remember a big enormous priest  - with a big smile - telling me that when Hurricane Agnes devastated parts of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania and that area, money poured into the diocese from Churches  all over the country - and the bishop called him and other priests in - to go and see people and hand them money. So he had hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hundred dollar bills and he was Santa Claus coming in to see hundreds of people.

Is that a metaphor for life. Sometimes we’re the flooded out. Sometimes we’re the rainbow - giving hope and recovery.

The gospel tells the story in the early part of Jesus’ life when the Spirit drove him into the desert and he wrestled and struggled with Satan. And the story adds that angels ministered to him.

I’ve only been to two deserts. One was 100 miles east of San Diego - in the Salton Sea area of California. I would not have wanted to live there. The other was near Tucson Arizona - and I was preaching there - but it didn’t rain. All is sand. All is heat. All is dry. But they told me if it rains, what a difference. Flowers bloom almost immediately.

Isaiah the prophet took that image in his sermons and poems and said that’s us. If we hide from God - all can dry up - all can die - but if we hang with God the desert can bloom.

What does my life look like? Desert or lake or ocean or bay?

What is the metaphor for my life?

CONCLUSION

Lent is a good time to look at one’s life and all this stuff.

The theme and thought of my homily is to look at your metaphor for your life.

I’m not sure what mine is. I once heard a speaker and he saw life as a battle. The more he spoke, the more I disagreed with him.

I prefer the roller coaster and the subway train and the Nathan’s hot dogs and orange drink image much better. Amen.

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.