Reflections By The Bay

Saturday, February 28, 2015

JUDGING ONE’S WEAVING

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Friday in the First Week of Lent is, “Judging One’s Weaving.”

I noticed in a Lenten Reflections book, an interesting comment by Jacques Maritain for this Friday of the First Week of Lent. [1]

In talking about judging each other, Maritain says that everyone judges everyone - more or less.

He adds people notice our limitations, deficiencies, errors. We all make mistakes. We are noticed. We are judged on our behaviors and our personalities.

He adds about others, “We can render judgment concerning ideas, truths, or errors; good of bad actions: character, temperament and what appears to be a person’s interior disposition.”

He’s saying we are judging others on a regular basis. We think things and then inside our brain say the following about others, “That’s nice what he’s doing.” “That’s interesting what she’s wearing.” “That is smart.” “That is dumb.” “That’s crazy.” “That’s wonderful.” "Great move."

Then he adds this significant statement: “But we are utterly forbidden to judge the innermost heart, that inaccessible center where the person day after day weaves his or her own fate and ties the bonds binding him or her to God. When it comes to that, there is only one thing to do, and that is to trust in God. And that is precisely what love for our neighbor prompts us to do.”

Read that over and over again - just that quote - till you get it. It could lead to dropping the rocks we want to throw at others. [Cf. John 8: 1-11; Luke 6:36-38]

THE WEAVER

That last comment led me to think about all the people – 95 % women – whom I see crocheting, knitting, with threads – cotton – or whatever they use - just sitting there on couches, corner chairs, benches, trains, planes, beaches, bleachers, working on their knitting projects.

That lead me to think about weavings and cloth covers on walls, chairs, baby blankets, and all sorts of crafts. We have all see all those works of art that are everywhere.

THE WEAVING

Then there is the weaving that is me.

I see some of it. God sees all of it.

It’s me. It’s my life. It’s my fate. It’s my destiny.

It’s the work of art that is me – with are my threads.

THE INNER ROOM WITH THE INNER ALTAR

In today’s gospel Jesus talks about an altar. That’s here in Matthew 5:20-26. Later on in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus talks about an inner room – that nobody sees but us. Following up on Jacques Maritain I like to imagine that inner room is like a little chapel and that’s where that altar is.

And going back to the weaving that is me forming me - I assume that one of the goals of Lent is to study that weaving – judging that weaving that is me.

So I’m assuming that’s where my weaving is – in that deep secret inner room that each of us has – where there is an altar.

CONCLUSION

Here we are at that altar this morning.

We come here and see that altar - we come here to offer ourselves – our gifts – Christ – to God our Father – but we see these selfish designs and experiences – especially stuff we don’t like about ourselves – especially a hurt – a disaster with our brother or sister that calls for forgiveness.

We deal with that during Mass – we make choices to love and forgive – then we come to the altar for more love and communion with everyone.

We do this knowing there is fullness of redemption with Christ.

Amen.

NOTES

[1] Jacques Maritain, page 120, in A Lenten Sourcebook: The Forty Days, Book One, Ash Wednesday to the Monday of the Third Week of Lent, Edited by J. Robert Baker, Evelyn Kaehle, Peter Mazar, LTP Liturgy Training Publications

Friday, February 27, 2015

February 27, 2015

SELF TEST # 12

Piano, harp, flute,

tuba, trombone,

violin, bagpipe,

drums, drums, drums,

who am I – even

though we different,

we can make music

together and discover

who we are in the

sounds of music.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

February 26, 2015

SELF TEST # 11

X wants black and white conversations,

I’m right, you’re wrong. Give me a yes

or a no answer. Please – just tell me.

Y wants red or blue, heart of head conversations.

You coming at me with analysis, thought.
I’m coming at you with impressions, feelings.

Z wants the whole box of crayons and colors.

It’s complicated. It has shades. It has implications.

A lifetime of slow understandings and quick misunderstandings.

February 25, 2015

MIND NUDGES

I don’t know about you, but I get mind nudges all the time.

Clean! Dust! Listen! Tell! Shut up! Don’t go there! Hurry!

Speak up? You’re being a jerk! Quick! Pray! Please, say,

“Thank you!” Start the ball rolling! Call! Well, find out!

Make a list! Go to church! Don’t play games! Try again later.

Buy low. Sell high. It’s always the money. Practice! Practice!

Practise what you preach. Stay calm. Find out! Less TV.

Go to bed earlier. Get out of bed earlier. Say, "Help.”

I don’t know about you, but I get mind nudges all the time.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2015

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

THE POWER AND THE

WEAKNESS OF WORDS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this First Tuesday in Lent is, “The Power and the Weakness of Words.”

At least that’s the thought that hit me from today’s two readings – as I try to put a thought into words.

What are your thoughts when you think about words, and sentences, and “The Power and the Weakness of Words.”

FIRST READING

Today’s First Reading brings out the power of words. The author – Second Isaiah – talks about the power of God’s Word coming out of God’s mouth.

He’s saying in so many words, that God’s word is like the rain and the snow falling down from the heavens – watering the earth – making the land fruitful – bringing forth seeds and wheat – which in turn that brings forth bread to be eaten.

The farmer knows all this very well.

GOSPEL

Today’s gospel talks about the power of words – as in prayer for daily bread – as in forgiveness – as in praising God. Today’s gospel talks about the power of non-forgiveness. It can get us thinking about the refusal to forgive others and how that can boomerang back at us or on us.

Today’s gospel also talks the weakness of words – that is, when words are mere babble – that is, empty words. Babble is not prayer. Babbling at others is not conversation or communion and communication. And if we babble in our conversations with others - our words with each other become – as with God – empty nothings – non-creative sounds and mutterings.

But words that are thought out, prayers that are thought out, words that are meant to convey a message, those words have power. Compliments – or their opposite, curses – have power, Babble – mutterings don’t.

So the thought of this homily is to become aware of our words – mean our words – think about what we are saying and realize when we are mere babble.

EXAMPLES

The title of my homily is, “The Power and the Weakness of Words.”

What are your thoughts about words?

Think! Filter! Consider! Be aware of words! Listen!

Reflect upon how listening and not listening affects others.

Reflect upon how what we say can help or hurt another.

How many times have we been talking heavy with someone, one to one, and they say, “I always wished my dad would have given me one, ‘I love you!’ while he was alive.” Or, “I am forever grateful for our 3^rd year High School teacher who said something wonderful to me and it changed my life.”

My nephew once said to me, “Uncle Andy, something you said in a letter to me some 10 years ago – really helped me in my life. Thank you.”

Speak up! Speak out! Something we might say, might help someone for the rest of their lives.

Shut up! Be quiet. Not saying something that we were about to say, might prevent hurting someone for the rest of their lives.

Realize that silence can be golden and silence can be like one of those kitchen sink wash cloths our mom rubbed our mouth with when we were kids.

CONCLUSION

We’re hearing from the book of Genesis in our first readings. We heard a week or so ago that we are made in the image and likeness of God. God’s words are powerful and effective – creative.

May our good words make a difference in the lives of those around us. May our destructive words – disappear from our minds and our mouths. Amen.

February 24, 2015

REVISION

People sometimes get criticized

for revising their story – their history.

Didn’t you know that’s reality?

That’s life. That’s growth. That's significant.

We need to keep writing and re-writing and

re-reading our story – and keep noticing

what we missed in the first reading. In fact,

one of the great blessings of family is to ask

each other about what it was like back then?

And then to say over and over again,

“Oh that’s what you were going through.

Well, I wish I knew that about you back then.”

And the other person says, “You didn’t know?

I didn’t know. I didn’t have a clue

about what I was going through

back then, but I do now. Want to know?"

Monday, February 23, 2015

COMMANDMENTS:

YOU HAVE CHOICES,

YOU KNOW THAT, RIGHT?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this First Monday in Lent is, ”Commandments: You Have Choices, You Know That, Right?”

Today’s readings trigger some thoughts about the commandments.

TEN COMMANDMENTS

The first reading contains one of lists Commandments as found in the Old Testament – and you’ll find some of those listed commandments in the New Testament as well.

When we mention commandments to people, my guess and my assumption is that they will think of the 10 Commandments first.

People will picture the stone tablets that are mentioned in the Jewish Scriptures – as well as the stone granite monuments with the 10 Commandments etched into the stone on lawns and buildings. They’ll think about the attempts at times to have them removed from buildings etc. because of desires to separate church from state.

We can smile at that, because various Biblical scholars hold that the 10 Commandments in the Bible can be traced to the Hammurabi Code which is much earlier than the 10 Commandments in the book of Leviticus which we heard today. So they are both religious and government. In other words – they come from the state and they then became Jewish law and then were considered religious.

OTHER CHOICES FOR RELIGIOUS COMMANDMENTS

But there are other choices.

There was the Jewish story that rabbis were asked to sum up the Law while standing on one foot. You also know there were 613 laws or commandments in the Old Testament. So standing on one foot would be tricky business.

I like the scenes in the New Testament when Jesus was challenged on what was the Law, what was the main commandment – and we have two versions of that struggle Pharisees and others had with Jesus on this.

You shall love the Lord your God with your whole mind, soul and strength and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Those are the two and the greatest commandments.

JOHN SHEA

John Shea told the story about how he was in the rectory one Sunday morning and there was a phone call. He figured it would be someone wanting to know what time the next Mass was. It would be nice to talk to a live person over an answering machine.

The person on the other side says, “I was just in the kitchen with my kids and we’re having an argument about the 10 commandments. I don’t know what the last 2 are – could you give me them right now?”

John Shea says: “Oops he couldn’t remember them right then and there either.” So he told the truth and said, “Sorry.”

To me that’s like the Act of Contrition. Who said we have to say the formula? I tell people in confession, you don’t have to follow the formula. You can simply say, “Lord have mercy.” That would obviously be better if we are rattling off prayers without thinking. Or I tell people I have never said the formula Act of Contrition since high school but have said since the first year of high school. “Lord it hurts to have hurt you or others, but please stand by while I try again.”

Or wouldn’t a better list than the 10 commandments be the beatitudes or the list of commandments in today’s gospel: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the sick and those in prison.