GIVE  THEM  BREAD 

Quote for Today - August 4, 2012


"Alas for the unhappy man that is called to stand in the pulpit, and not give the bread of life."




Ralph Waldo Emerson [1803-1882] in an Address to the Senior Class in Divinity College, Cambridge, July 15, 1838

Questions


Did you ever want to tickle the preacher?


Did you ever want to tell the clown to sit down?


In sermons, can you tell the difference between bread and cake?


If you had 10 1/2 minutes in the pulpit, what would you say?

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD A SERMON 

OR A TALK THAT MOVED YOU 

AND YOU CHANGED?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is basic. It's a question to think about: “Have You Ever Heard a Sermon or a Talk that Moved You and You Changed?”

Having preached thousands and thousands and thousands of sermons - in my 47 years of being a priest - that’s a question I’d obviously ask.  It might not  be one of your questions. If you raised children, your question might be: “Did they learn anything from me?” I’ve heard that when parents wonder, “What did I do wrong?” when their kids have gone wrong - divorce - alcoholism - big mistakes - or what have you. I hear that question when it comes to parents telling me about their kids not going to Mass - and giving up on the faith - or switching their churches.

So as priest I’m asking the same question. Mine hits me with regards sermons at times. I don’t ask it - so that people will say afterwards: “That was a good sermon!” I ask it - so as to know how to prepare better - to do a better job.

QUESTIONAIRE

When I had a job as Novice Master - for 9 years - for 9 different classes - I used to hand out a questionnaire at the end of the year asking about the year: “Was their any homily that grabbed you?” 

Nope. I was fishing for feedback. I rarely ever got a nibble on that question. And that would be over 300 homilies that year. Bummer!

Then I asked myself the question that is the title of this homily: “Have You Ever Heard a Sermon or a Talk that Moved You and You Changed?”

SOME ANSWERS

I jotted down about 10 answers to that question. Here's 4.

I once heard Wayne Dyer giving a so called Motivation Talk. It might have been on public television - in connection with a fund raiser. He gave an example from an experience at a spa or some health resort where he was a guest speaker. This was a long time ago. What I remember was his mention of 10 wooden tubs filled with water. The water in each tub had a different temperature. The middle ones were the most comfortable and most people were in them. Then if you went this way, the next tub would be colder and so on down the line to the coldest. If you went the other way, the next tub was hotter and so on down the line to the hottest. Then he said that a person in charge urged people to take a chance, to take a risk, to go beyond one’s comfort zone - and try hotter or colder water. 

The message was: try new things. Take risks. Stretch yourself. Most people don’t.

Why did I remember that image and that message? Obviously, we all like our comfort zone. Yet one of life’s secrets is to take some risks: try eating squirrel or get out on the dance floor to try a new dance. As preacher what I got out of it was this: people remember what they can picture - as well as when they are challenged - to try the new or to get out of the old tubs - and to be baptized in new water.

Next: I once heard a talk by Robert Coles. He’s the famous child psychiatrist at Harvard. He made a confession that when he was in a rich private school as a young man - we were self centered - and wrapped up in ourselves. Years later, now a professor, on a test, he asked his students to write down the first name of staff people who  clean bathrooms and corridors. Many couldn’t.

Why did I remember that? That was me too. So ever since then I try to get people’s names. 

That triggered another story - a memory - something I heard a priest once say in a sermon. He covered a hospital for two weeks for a priest who was a hospital chaplain - who went on a two week vacation. During those two weeks dozens of nurses - all young, all pretty, stopped him and asked where Father So and So was. “On vacation,” he answered. The preacher then said that didn’t really hit him till about a month later he covered another hospital for 2 weeks for another priest who was on vacation. These 2 weeks all the bathroom cleaners and corridor and stair cleaners asked where Father So and So was.

The learning I got from that was: “Whom do I spend time with? Whom do I listen to? Who would miss me?”

Let me give one last message I heard from a talk. It was given by  a Swami talking on a radio talk show. He said the message of Hinduism is that the ego has to go - to die. Then he paused and said, “E  GO!”  And then he laughed.

What I learned from that for preaching is the KISS principle. Keep It Simple Stupid.  

I also learned to ask myself, “How did Jesus say that same message about the ego going?” And the answer was, “The grain of wheat, the seed of wheat, must die, must be planted in the ground, and die and be buried and deal with the mud and muck of life - if it wants to make it to the table as part of a loaf of bread. [Cf. John 12:24]   

Every time I see those tiny packets of flower seed or grass seed in Home Depot etc. I think to myself, that’s me when I’m just sitting around doing nothing - not dying to self - not growing. I think to myself, “I have hundreds of poems in my head - but it takes time and effort and sacrifice and writing and rewriting - and letting the half finished product sit there for a while - in half shape - and then get back to it. I have to work at dying to laziness and rising to creativity. 

I know two family members who have the talent to paint, but don’t. And I say, “Why don’t they?” Now I catch myself and say, “Why don’t I write the poem? Why don’t I finish the book that is just sitting there in my brain or half finished in my computer?”

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s first reading from Jeremiah 26: 1-9 has some stuff about the great prophet and preacher Jeremiah. He does something that I don’t like to do: to say something that challenges folks so much they want to kill you. They threw Jeremiah down into a cistern of mud. [Check out Jeremiah 38: 1- 13.]They killed Jesus on the cross.  In sermons I’ve gotten a few folks angry in my time - but my weakness is the desire to be liked. Besides vanity and ego, this is a big sin of many a preacher.

Today’s gospel - Matthew 13: 54-58 - has the crowd he’s preaching to - wanting to kill him by dissing or dismissing him. He’s too smart for us. Hey we know where he came from. He’s one of us. Bottom line: we don’t want to leave our comfort zone and move into a hotter or colder new life.

CONCLUSION

To prepare this homily I just sat there and went into the storehouse of my memory with the question that is the title of this homily: "Have You Ever Heard a Homily or a Talk the Moved You to Change?" I remembered a few examples from talks and sermons I heard.  Then I asked myself: what did this example or message like the hot tubs or knowing the names of those who do the little stuff in life for us or the play on the word "E GO" teach me?

Chalenge: I suggest you do the same sometime…. Amen.

REVERENCE

and 

RESPECTING OTHERS 

Quote for Today - August 3,  2012

"The name of God may be written upon that soul thou treadest on."

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Aids to Reflection, 1825

Comment on Quote:

e.e. cummings put it this way, "be of love a little more careful than anything".

Or if I saw the name Van Gogh or Picasso on the edge of a painting, would that "wow" me to see the value of that painting? How about seeing the name of God tattooed on the foot or forehead of every person? Would that change the way I treat ______________?

DID JESUS

GRIND HIS TEETH?

Jesus, did you grind your teeth

when you were a kid? Did Mary

or Joseph yell out at you at two in

the morning, "Jesus, stop grinding

your teeth! We're here with you

even though we're in the dark"?

Jesus, did you grind your teeth

when you were frustrated? Did

you bite down on your teeth

when you saw your disciples

were not getting what you

were talking about? Or did you

notice this in others when

they were angry or frustrated

in marriage or family or with you?

Jesus, I notice you use this image

from time to time, so I’m wondering

when and where you came up

with this interesting sound bite?*

You have to admit, it does have

an edge to it - in fact, when I read

the gospels and spot the grinding

of teeth image I sort of like

the sound of it - and I grind my teeth

a bit when I proclaim it. How about you?

Did you have the same feeling?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2012

* Greek word for grinding is either brugmos or trizo as found in  the gospels. Check Luke 13:28 brugmos; Mark 9:18 trizo;  Matthew 8:12  brugmos; Matthew 13:42 brugmos; Matthew 13:50 brugmos; Matthew 22:13 brugmos; Matthew 24: 51 brugmos; Matthew 25:30 brugmos.

MASS

Quote for Today - August 2, 2012

"When the devil goes to Mass, he hides his tail."

Creole proverb

Questions

What are your reflections on this Creole proverb? Ask others their take on the proverb?

Reread Luke 18: 9-14 and try connecting it to the Creole proverb. Any insights?

Reread John 13: 21-30 and try connecting it to the Creole proverb. Any insights?

Is the devil moving around more during Mass or after Mass?

MEDITATION

Quote for Today - August 1, 2012 - Feast of St. Alphonsus 

“Meditation is like a needle after which comes a thread of gold, composed of affections, prayers and resolutions.”  

St. Alphonsus [1696-1787], The True Spouse of Jesus Christ.

THE  INCURABLE  WOUND

 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 17 Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “The Incurable Wound!”

That’s part of a sentence in today’s first reading from Jeremiah 14: 17. Other English  translations: “a most grievous injury”[JB]; “a very painful wound” [JSB]; “a cruel blow” [NEB]; “deeply wounded and badly hurt” [GNB];  “mortally wounded” [LB]; “a very grievous blow” [KJV].

BACKGROUND - THE BACK STORY

Jeremiah is screaming, praying, challenging, yelling at God for what is happening in Israel. First it’s a drought - and then on top of that a war is going on - both of which bring sickness, plague, death to so many. Jeremiah blames everything on the sins of the people worshipping false Gods. This was what was happening under Jehoiakim [609-598 B.C.] This takes place in the south - in  Jerusalem and Judah. Jeremiah is begging God for an end to the horrors - and a healing of a wound that seems incurable.

I can hear the people of Syria screaming these very same screams today - along with the people in the Sudan and other parts of the world where war and violence and horror take place on a daily basis.

PROBING WITH QUESTIONS

One of the first thing a doctor asks is: “Where does it hurt?”

If someone asked us that question right now, how would we answer that question: “Where does it hurt?”

Question: Have we ever had a really nasty wound - that seemed incurable - a wound that just wouldn’t heal -  a hurt - that wouldn't go away.

We have heard stories of family fights and cutting disasters - that won’t heal - ongoing unforgiving fights over wills and who took care of parents.

Then we have heard over and over again about sexual abuse cases. People have been wounded for life  in these crimes by those who prey on children.

And there is the double whammy, recent reports indicate that those who are sex offenders, can’t be healed of their mind set and disorder.

Question: How do we bring any of this to a practical turn for the better and not a turn for the worse?

JULY 31 - FEAST OF ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA

Today is the feast of St. Ignatius. We might know he was hit by a cannonball in battle and legs were injured - one shattered. He was operated on and he also had to be reoperated on. He ended up with one leg shorter than the other and he walked with a limp for the rest of his life.

We know in his recovery period - he discovered a deeper wound in his soul - that he didn’t know how it could be healed. His conscience troubled him deeply - from his past. The books he wanted didn’t work. The books he got, a life of Christ and the lives of the saints gave him hope - but only after deep reflection - and when what they said sunk in. Slowly he healed.

I think of one of my favorite saints, St. Camillus de Lellis, whose feast was July 18^th. His leg was wounded and infected and sore for years. It kept on getting worse - but it brought him to a holy place - and he was healed.

So yes some wounds are ongoing; some are  incurable; but the deepest spriritual and personal wounds can be cured - please God.

HOW - SOME SUGGESTIONS - A CONCLUSION

I went looking for answers  and quotes last night and came up with these three  answers for now and a few interesting quotes:

1) Admit you're hurting. Admit you've been wounded in life. Show your wounds to someone. Bring them to God Talk. Talk to someone - the right person or doctor. Cuts heal better in fresh air. 

In Vergil’s Aeneid, there is line, “Tacitum vivit sub pectore, volnus.” “Deep in her chest still lives the secret wound.” 

Horace wrote in one of his letters, “Stultorum incurata pudor malus ulcera celat.” “Fools, through false shame, conceal their open wounds.”  

So step one - admit and acknowledge our hurts and wounds.

2)  Realize it takes time to heal. Time heals all wounds. 

Shakespeare - in Othello - Act II, scene 3, line 259, has someone say, “What wound did ever heal but by degrees?” 

That’s an old saying. 

Heinrik Ibsen in Brand, Act. IV, has someone say, “Many a wound must be probed till it bleeds before you are cured of your sickness.” 

If someone has been hurting for a long time, sometimes it takes a long time for a healing. 

The gospel story of the woman who was bleeding for 12 years and was healed instantly by just touching Jesus, would be nice. 

If the hurt is another remember Jane Ace’s one liner: “Time wounds all heels.” There’s a lot of truth to that. Most word it this way: “What goes around comes around.”  Of course we have to hesitate about that one, because it might just add to the hurt.

3) Accept scars. They are part of the healing process. Byron in Childe Harold, Canto III, stanza 84 [1816] writes, “What deep wounds ever close without a  scar?”  

And John Oldham, in his work, Satires  upon the Jesuits, No. 3. [1680] wrote, A wound, tho’ cured, yet leaves behind a scar.”  

Scars can be ugly or unsightly, but they are a sign of healing. 

Anyone want to see my scars?

OOOOOOOOOO

Painting on top: Untitled Wound [1990-91], Oil Painting by Michael Clark [1954-  ]