UNLIKE THAT DAY 

A  LONG TIME AGO

The tree 
didn’t scream

the day it died, when

the farmer chain sawed it -

slicing it close to the ground -

a clean cut - compared to

what his father felt that day

he was axed - and fell dead -
after many, many hacks.

The pain of winters - cold

cold winters - the standing there
in the sun of so many summers - 
hot hot summers which prepared 
him for this day - the day he died - 
but he knew it was nothing 
compared to those who died 
hung on trees

and to that day the nails were

driven into his hands -

and into his feet - and the spit

remained on his left leg 
till it dried along with his blood

and then he too died,
but then again
there is Spring.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2012

Déjà Vu 

February  29,  2012

Quote for Today - The Twenty-Ninth and Last Day of Black History Month

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." 


George Santayana [1863-1952], The Life of Reason, Volume 1, 1905

George also said, "A country without a memory is a country of madmen."

What's your take on Black History Month. I put a quote for each day as well as some YouTube pieces to stimulate thought and talk on Black History Month.

And I'll add the following YouTube piece on February being Black History month in Canada as well.  It seems that having a Black History Month in Europe is catching on here and there. England has had a Black History Month (October) since 1987.  Germany has one in February. From Google pieces, it seems that the movement varies and is being considered.

NEXT TIME IT RAINS,

TASTE THE RAIN

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Next Time It Rains, Taste the Rain.”

Next time it rains, stick your tongue out and taste the drops.

Next time it snows, stick your tongue out and taste the flakes.

We’ve seen kids stick their tongues out to taste a rain drop or a snow flake. When was the last time you saw an adult do that?  Better: be that adult. Best: teach your kids and grandkids to do just that.

I don’t drink carbonated drinks any more, but I used to love to pour ginger ale or seven up into a glass and quickly put my chin into the glass just above the soda line and feel the carbonated bubbles hit my chin. Great sensation. Try it. And if caught, smile!

I also hope I never forget to taste the rain and the snow flakes from heaven - and never stop to look at a clear night sky - like the last two nights.

TODAY’S FIRST READING

Today’s first reading from Isaiah 55 triggers these thoughts. He talks about rain and snow falling from the sky - watering the earth - helping things grow and blossom - to work with wheat that becomes bread and grapes that become wine.

Then he makes the leap from rain and snow - to words falling from God to us. Taste the words falling on your tongue - your ears - your being. Let them become you. Let them become the bread and the wine, the body and the blood called you.

Then go forth and change the world - like Jesus changes the world. Communion and transubstantiation go together all the time.

A SPEECH STORY

As I listened to today’s first reading - as I tasted it - as I let it fall on me last night - I remembered a tiny story from our seminary days - a story we used to practice to be better speakers. I went in search of it and found it. Because we said it out loud in practice so many times in the seminary, I remember it many, many, many times when it rains. It has gotten me to put my face out to feel the rain - and to taste rain drops. The story is entitled, “The Little Queen” and goes like this.

Once upon a time there was a king who failed to please his subjects and was in consequence in instant peril.  Hurriedly collecting such treasures as he could, he and his young queen crossed the frontier one night with a few faithful retainers and settled in a secluded castle in a friendly country.

On the first wet day, the queen was missing. High and low the retainers searched for her, and at last she was discovered in the middle of an open space in the forest, holding up her face to the rain.

Horror-stricken, they hurried to her aid; but she waved them back.

“Do let me stay a little longer,” she pleaded. “All my life I have longed to feel the rain and I was never allowed to.” “All my life there have been coaches and umbrellas.”

And again, the little queen held up her face to the drops.

MOVING TOWARDS A CONCLUSION

Questions: we all have our questions. How to live? How to pray? How to read the scriptures? How to forgive? How to receive communion?

Answer: Let the word of God soak into you like the rain - let it fall on you like the snow. For example, in today’s gospel Jesus is teaching his disciples how to pray. He says, “Don’t babble words.” To me that means don’t pray as in a rain storm. Pray softly the Our Father - feel the words - let them soak in - wanting daily bread for all -  as well as learning how to forgive trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. 

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

Picture on top taken from Internet - by Zandy

ONE'S  LIFE  WORK

February  28,  2012

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

“What we play is life, my whole life, my whole soul, my whole spirit is to blow that horn,” he told a doctor a few months before he died in 1971. No, he wouldn't cancel an upcoming date at the Waldorf-Astoria. “The people are waiting for me, I got to do it, Doc, I got to do it.” 

Louis Armstrong - 1901-1971 

YOUR  TOP  10 

BIBLE  TEXTS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Your Top Ten Bible Texts”.

There are various ways to make the Bible one’s own - or to own the Bible.

There are 2 ways to understand that verb, “to own”.

Literalists might say,  when asked if they own the Bible, “Of course, I own a Bible. It’s right there on my bookshelf.” Others might say, “No way. I only own a couple of quotes and stories that are in the Bible.”

How is the Bible part of your life?

I ask these questions - as reflection questions for Lent.

FATHER JOSEPH CHAMPLIN’S BOOKLETS

When someone dies and calls the parish for a Funeral Mass here, they are given not a Bible, but Father Joseph Champlin's Through Death to Life booklet - to help prepare the Funeral Liturgy. It helps the family to pick the first and second reading. Father Joseph Champlin did the booklet that we give couples to pick readings for their wedding as well.

In the early 1970’s I took a course on Liturgy at Princeton Theological Seminary given by Father Joseph Champlin. Nice guy - and he gave me an A.  He died in 2008 at the age of 77 -  from Waldenstrom’s - a bone marrow disease. He was from the Diocese of Syracuse.

I like it when a family or a couple pick Bible readings that are not in those booklets. It often means that they or the loved one who has died has a special Bible text that they really owned - or loved. At the same time some favorite Bible texts for funerals and weddings are in those booklets. 

FATHER FRANK MILES - JESUIT

I am grateful for Father Frank Miles, a Jesuit, who died here in Maryland. He was stationed in the Faulkner retreat house down there in Southern Maryland. I knew him when he was in Wernersville, Pennsylvania. I went to him for Spiritual Direction - as well as making a few directed retreats there.  On directed retreats - after listening to someone for a half hour or so - he would give those he was directing a Bible text to chew on and digest - a text usually right on target. I once asked him how many Bible texts he used. And he said something like, “I own about 75 texts.”

I think that’s where I got this idea of one way to understand the Bible is to see what texts one owns.

There are other ways of reading and using the Bible. To see what texts one owns is just one way.

LENT

If you want one more Lenten practice, try the owning the Bible Question. Simply jot down 10 Bible texts you own. They’re yours. You don’t have to know the Book, Chapter or Verse. Just jot down a favorite text - and then you can find it afterwards. If you have a computer, just type in what you know about the text into Google and go from there.

TODAY’S TWO READINGS

What I just said hit me after reading today’s two readings.

Today's two readings also triggered the following thoughts.

Today’s first reading, Leviticus 19: 1-2, 11-18, has a list of prohibitions based on the Ten Commandments.

If asked favorite Bible texts some people might say their key text is the Ten Commandments.

What hit me next was this: well then would someone else might say their favorite text is today's gospel - Matthew 25: 31-46. It's the parable of the Sheep vs. the Goats.

Being careful and not wanting to fall into the sin of pride, I would think that if a person says their favorite text is Matthew 25: 31-46 compared to someone who would pick The Ten Commandments, then they might be saying an awful lot about themselves. It would be sort of the same if some one said that the Beatitudes and not the Ten Commandments was key to them. That would be saying an awful lot about a person as well.

To me the difference would be in the area of the struggle of Paul - between outer law and inner law - which he voices loud and clear in Romans 7. It would take us to what Jeremiah 31:31-34 talks about in that text. There is the law written on stone and there is a  law to come that will be written in the human heart.

The difference takes me to what I see Jesus doing with his struggles in Matthew with the Pharisees - especially Chapter 23. I see Jesus  taking us into a whole different realm or Kingdom in my opinion than being a Ten Commandments' Person. They can be like a list on a refrigerator door - or a granite stone with the Ten Commandments chiseled into it standing outside a court house. To be living one’s life putting Matthew 25 into practice that takes a lot of living and experiencing and spiritual growth. To make Matthew 25: 31-46  one’s own - it would take meeting various folks in need and caring for them. That would flesh out Matthew's words into their lives by our service. We would be incorporating our heart and mind with Jesus' heart and mind. Jesus is calling us to visit the sick or serve say on the St. Vincent de Paul team - or be with those folks who visit the prison up on Jennifer Road.

CONCLUSION

So in this homily I’m asking about our top 10 Bible texts - the one’s we own. Or if you want lesser homework: pick the bible texts you want at your funeral. Either way, I’ll give you an A.

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.