IN BOLD PRINT

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 31 Friday in Ordinary Time is: “In Bold Print.”

In today’s first reading from Romans 15: 14-21 - Paul says, “I have written to you rather boldly.”  I am familiar with another translation which said, “I have written to you rather boldly in parts of this letter.”

I was imagining if Paul had a computer - would he write his heavy messages with BOLD print - or a bigger font - or underline key points.

If he printed out his message would he magic mark in yellow or pink or blue - his key passages.

People do that with their Bibles. They go through it with magic markers. I’ve also often wondered if that makes a message stronger for people.

Some people go crazy with people who mark up books - who underline sentences or words - or put exclamation points or question marks.

I love it - SOMETIMES - I put that in capitals - and in bold print - when people mark up Bibles and I pick it up.  It tells me about what hits other people.  It tells me about people.

BACK TO THE TITLE

The title of my homily is, “In Bold Print.”

Picture the following scenario.

Adriana goes out to eat with her family to a local restaurant - and there is a whole plate of roasted asparagus on the table.

Now Adriana loves asparagus.

She asks for a “doggy bag” which now are Styrofoam containers and she brings home her treasure.  From experience she knows that her stuff sometimes gets stolen out of the refrigerator. So she gets a purple Sharpie Pen and puts on the Styrofoam contained in Big Letters: “This belongs to Adriana. DO NOT TOUCH. DO NOT TAKE!”

Then she puts duct tape on the container. Then she puts that in a paper bag - with her name on the brown paper bag. “THIS BELONGS TO ADRIANA! DO NOT TAKE!!!!!!!”

She wakes up the next morning - and heads down to the refrigerator - with a smile on her face - ready for her roasted asparagus.

It’s gone. It’s missing. She starts screaming. “Who took my asparagus.”

Her older brother says, “Oh that was yours. I came home last night and spotted it in the fridge and it was delicious. Thanks.”

She says, “Can’t you read, you moron?”

He says, “You’ll get over it!”

BACK TO MY TITLE

The title of my homily is, “In Bold Print!”

Get yourself a Bible. Get yourself a good yellow highlighter or Magic Marker in yellow or pink. Go through the Bible on a regular basis and high light words and texts and stories that grab you.

Maybe someone will discover your Bible 10 years after you die at the age of 95 and they get a glimpse of what grabbed you in life.

CONCLUSION: TODAY’S GOSPEL

For example, today’s gospel talks about a guy who is very clever in giving people breaks so that if and when he is fired, he will have people he was good to hire him.

Jesus is not telling people to be dishonest, but to use their cleverness for the right reasons - to make life sweeter and better for each other.

That might be something someone would highlight or put in bold print! Amen.

FAMILY FACES

Quote for Today - November 8, 2013

“Family faces are magic mirrors. Looking at people who belong to us, we see the past, present and future.”  

Gail Lumet Buckley, “The Hornes: An American Family, Knopf, 1986

Picture: My sister Peg at her 50th Anniversary as an IHM Sister.

DOWN THE ROAD

Quote for Today - November 7, 2013

"God made the world round so we would never be able to see too far down the road."

Isak Dinesen, recalled on her death, September 7, 1962

IT’S A BANQUET

Oh you didn’t know that….

Well, pull up a chair

and let me tell you

about my sister….

Better - first get off

your chair and start

serving tables

and then you’ll discover

the mysteries Jesus

discovered in sharing

bread and wine - washing feet

and being in communion

with one another - okay

sometimes life will break

you, but you’ll meet the

mysterious surprises

that come to all those

who make sure

everyone has their

daily bread  - and then

surprise you’ll celebrate -

because the message is:

After it's all over,
you can have your

cake and eat it. Amen.

Andy Costello, Reflections, 

Nov. 6, 2013
Photo from Sister St. Monica
Costello's 50th Anniversary as
an I. H. M. Sister.

PEGGY DIED IN NOVEMBER

Peggy died last night at 11:30 - November 5, 2013 - 75 years of age.

Is any time a good time to die? Of course - but then again, it all depends.

November - with all its leaves - falling to the ground - first bright red and yellow - then we spot some orange and some maroon -  lovely leaves - then some turning slowly to brown crumbling leaves on the ground - each one - not a bad image of a person dying - different colors - different beauty -  here - there - everywhere around our world. 

November - the month we Catholics pray for our dead - starting with November 1 - All Saints Day - and then November 2 - All Souls Day.

November - so it’s not a bad month to die - with leaves and grave stones - crumble, crumble, on the ground - from which we came. Yet tough, tough, tough at times ....

November - so when each November rolls around - we who knew Peggy - will remember with tears and smiles - Peggy - or Sister St. Monica - as her Immaculate Heart of Mary nun name was - all through her religious life.

At the wake, at the funeral, we’ll tell our stories - our memories - our take on Peggy, a. k. a. Monica - the places she served - many - the kids she taught - many - the Sisters she was stationed with - many - the schools she ran - several - the service she provided - lots noticed and much unnoticed - the love she gave - cherished.

My sister Mary, my brother Billy, and I were blessed to have such a great sister. The Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters of Scranton, Pennsylvania, were also blessed to have such a great sister and friend.

My mom and dad - and all our loved ones who have gone before us - continue celebrating the Kingdom of God - together - with the Lord and Redeemer of us all. Thanks for everything, Peggy - and then some more -and then the eternal more and more after that. We'll be with you. Amen. 

P.S. If any young lady is interested in a great life of service - my sister Peggy needs to be replaced - contact the I.H.M. Sisters of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

MEDITATION

Quote for Today - November 6, 2013

"Sleep is the best meditation."



Dalai Lama, People Magazine, September 10, 1979

Comments:

And how often - when meditating - people fall asleep.

Notice the simplicity of the comment - the letting go - called "sleep".

Some call it a "Mini-Death!"

A TASTE OF THE KINGDOM

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily or reflection for this 31^st Tuesday in Ordinary Time is: “A Taste of the Kingdom.”

LIKE BEING IN A SUPERMARKET ….

At times - Jesus is like those folks in Giant or Safeway - Wegmans or Grauls - who stand there - usually in the back section of the supermarket - and they have a tray of tasty delights - samples - on aluminum foil. “Want to try one!”

It’s a bite of beef wrapped in bacon - with a special sauce - or a new cookie - or caramel covered popcorn or what have you. Try it! You’ll like it.

Try it and buy it.

JESUS - TRY IT

Jesus stands there inviting folks to try the Kingdom. Try loving your enemies. Try not judging - or throwing rocks. Try going the extra mile. Try turning the other cheek. Try settling differences while on the way with others - especially those we don’t like. It’s easy to forgive those we get along with.

Jesus gives us a taste of the Kingdom. Its entrance has a narrow door - and most seem to  take the broad way. 

Jesus is saying, “Take a peek. Sneak into the Kingdom. See yourself walking in discipleship with Jesus. Feel the change in your face skin - with a neat smile - an ease that surprises you - that makes you feel beautiful inwardly and outwardly.”

Taste and see.

TODAY’S FIRST READING: ROMANS 12: 5B-16B

Paul tells us in today’s first reading - “Hey, even though we’re many - we’re one.   We’re one body - even though we are so, so diverse. Don’t think division. Think unity.

Paul tells us we don’t have to have it all - do it all. We can work together and watch how that works - how that floats - how that tastes. It really does. Notice some are good at challenging - being prophetic - some are good at teaching - some are good at ministry - some are diligent -  some are very generous - some are great for bringing mercy into messy situations - some are great as cheerleaders.

Taste Paul’s list of important ingredients for the human story: hospitality, providing hope, joy and generosity. And did you notice that last one: “Have the same regard for one another; do not be haughty [i.e., the high and the mighty] but associate with the lowly”?

But notice when we hear today’s gospel - spot that Jesus knows the human tendency to make excuses. We think those 3 little words that block and stop so many new life steps:  “But what if ….?”

There is something in us that doesn’t want to taste the Kingdom of God - that doesn’t want to really be in the Kingdom. 

The block might be laziness, fear, suspecting there’s no fun - it’s all bleak - if we seek the Kingdom of God.

TODAY’S GOSPEL - LUKE 14:15-24 - EXCUSES, EXCUSES

So we make the excuses - excuses - excuses.  In today's gospel, that’s what Jesus is telling us that some people do. 

So Jesus says, okay, I’ll call others into the kingdom.

CONCLUSION

Here’s a mind twisting thought. I used to think that the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame - whom Jesus calls next - were others. Then  I realized it’s me. Jesus is calling me: poor, crippled, blind and lame brained, excuse making, me.

Get a taste of that reverse thinking of Jesus. 

We’re it. Here we are in this banquet hall called “a church”. 

See Mass as a banquet, a meal, a gathering of lots of folks - who are here to be strengthened by our daily bread - served by some folks up here in the back of the store. Then all go forth out the front door of this church - and go back into our world - working together to make the Kingdom come. Amen.