Sunday, March 13, 2016


DROP  THE  ROCKS! 
DO  SOMETHING  NEW! 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 5th Sunday in Lent [C] is, “Drop the Rocks! Do Something New!”

Actually the word in today’s gospel is, “stones” - but the word “rock” has more energy to it. ROCK!

As you know the original language of the New Testament is Greek. It uses the word “lithos” which can be translated into English as stone or rock.

We’re coming to the 5th Week in Lent - and I hear people say, “Oooh! I really haven’t done anything special for Lent yet.”

Solution: Well, do something new. Drop the rocks. Stop throwing verbal stones at people. We have two weeks left in Lent to try this. Do something new. Drop the rocks. Zip the lips. Stop sinking other’s ships.

Stop the gossip. Stop the comments about the boss or the neighbor or the family member or in-law. Stop ruining coffee breaks or happy hours by throwing around sharp edged rocky comments.

The title of my homily is, “Drop the Rocks. Do Something New.”

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Today’s gospel story about the woman caught in adultery and these guys who want to kill her is a story we’ve been hearing since we were kids.

KISS. Keep it simple stupid.

The message from Jesus is quite clear, simple, and precise. We get it.  All of us make mistakes - so stop attacking those who make mistakes - those who do MIS  TAKES  on life.

The story has interesting nuances.

First nuance…. Hopefully, the older we are, the more forgiving we ought to be.

Reason: we’ve committed more sins than the younger folks. We’ve been there. We’ve done that. We’ve had plenty of time to look at re-runs of our life. Oooh! We’ve not only done the good - but we’ve also done the bad and the ugly as well.

Second nuance…. Manipulation….

The story teller - tells us that these men are using this woman - using this situation - not to get the woman - but to get Jesus. 

How many times have we done that?  We use someone else to get someone else?  We  bring up other people’s mistakes in hopes of getting someone else to look at their mistakes or mannerisms that bother us. We feel we’re standing taller when we’re standing on top of someone whose reputation we have killed.

CHOICE  OF WEAPONS

If we want to get someone, we’ll tend to reach for any weapon we can get our hands on. That’s why someone people are scared of having easy access to guns. In the meanwhile we all have easy access to our mouth.

I ask couples, “What’s your weapon of choice?”

And they often look at me with a puzzled, twisted or wrinkled face.

“What do you mean?” they finally ask.

“Well, do you use silence - silence to make the other squirm - so they will know something’s wrong?”

“Or do you bring up the past - mistakes that  the other made 26 years, 34 days, 16 hours and 11 minutes ago?”

“Or do you do the fishing expedition trick. ‘You know what I’m angry about. You know!’”

That’s often a good one - because we might catch something we didn’t know about.

If angry, any weapon will do.

I like shoot-em-up movies and the super dooper action hero grabs ball point pens or plates or computer wires or what have you to fight off the other guy. Jackie Chan is great at this. So too the Jason Bourne movies with Matt Damon or Uma Thurman as Beatrix Kiddo in the Kill Bill I and II movies.

I remember seeing a neat bronze statute sculpted by the Russian artist, Ivan Shadr. It’s entitled,   “Stones [or Cobblestones] are the Weapons of the Proletariat.” It’s a 1927 statue of a guy who is picking up a big stone to throw at the soldiers - who are guarding the powers that be and the status quo.




I think of that picture when  I see riots on TV in Baltimore or Chicago or wherever.

If we’re fighting with each other, anything will do, if we want to get at or get back at another - we fight with what’s at hand.

I remember a mother telling me she had broken her whole china closet of good plates at least 3 times - throwing them against the wall - as a way of telling her 5 kids, “Enough is enough is enough is enough.”

She said it was worth it. They got the message that mom is not happy with us kids - and that  would last for at least 3 years.

So once more, what is my weapon of choice?  What are the arguments I find myself in the middle of on a regular basis? What do I get angry at? What works?

So once more, am I being fair? Am I attacking others, because I don’t want to face myself - or something about myself?

So once more, what have I learned about life so far? Have I become more understanding, more forgiving, more giving, as life has gone on - especially from my mistakes.

I always like to remember a promise I made to myself when I was about 10 years old. An old man on our block - if our Spaldeen - or pink ball - went into his front yard when we were playing stick ball - he would not let us get it.  He was being mean. I can always see him standing there - Mr. Meany! - whatever his name was - not allowing himself to be a child again - and let enjoy kids playing ball on the street. So I resolved then and there - at the age of 10 -  not to be like that in my life. Have I succeeded? Ask those who know me.

As life has gone on I’ve seen priests and police and parents who were grouches or grippy about life - and I’ve wondered, “Are they taking out on others how they were treated when they were kids?”

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Drop the Rocks! Do Something New.”

It’s still Lent - do something new.

Today’s first reading from Isaiah 43: 19 says just that, “See, I am doing something new!”

In context that text goes like this, “Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see, I am doing something new!”

The older I get - the more I think - when I see stuff going on - that - what’s happening here and now - is not what’s happening here and now - but something from long ago.

Like these rock throwing killings in Islam and word rock throwing at family fights. I often wonder: “What’s really going on there?”

Can’t we hear what’s being said in today’s readings? 

Isaiah is saying forget the past - do something new. 

Paul is saying  the same thing in today’s second reading when he says, “forget what’s lying behind and hear Jesus’ calls to pursue the new. 

Hear Jesus saying in today’s gospel, “Drop the rocks, open your hands and your heart and your mind and fill yourself with new life. Amen."


March 13, 2016



GOD'S PLAN

From time to time people ask me if God
has a plan for them. 

From time to time I answer, "Of course! And it's

very clear and it's very basic: love God with 
all your heart, mind, soul and strength and
love your neighbor as you love yourself."

This sort of silences them. That's not my
purpose - but it sort of silences them. 

Why?

I don't know - but it seems to me that they
want from God something more specific - 
something much more exact - with details.

Like whom to marry - where to go - what to do. 


They seem to want spelled out specifics -
clear contracts and carved out covenants in stone.

They want laws - rules and regulations.

If they keep pressing - I say - "Sorry I'm not

the one to talk to. In fact, I don't know whom to refer you to. I avoid Scribes and Pharisees."

Then I look them in the eye as I become quiet.  


If there is too much quiet, I might get nervous

and add, "In fact I avoid anyone who tells me
what God is thinking - other than what Jesus
meant when he said, 'Thy will be done on
earth as it is in heaven.'" 

Or I say, "Read the Gospels if you want particulars: love, forgive, wash feet, go the extra mile, give the shirt off your back, turn the other cheek, show pity and mercy to the one caught in sin and acknowledge the person who is tugging at the tassel of your sleeve."



                                                                                          © Andy Costello, Reflections 2016


Saturday, March 12, 2016

March 12, 2016

DISARMAMENT

A smile disarms a gathering of fists and
stuck solid stone minds that are already
made up before the meeting begins.
Relax. Zip lips. Unzip ears. Smile.
You’re being filmed by the camera eyes
of everyone else in the room. So, "Smile!"



© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

Friday, March 11, 2016

March 11, 2016


SOCKS  WITH  HOLES  IN  THEM

Too many sermons have holes in them
like Father McKenzie's socks - as he
darns together words that he hopes -
will take away the loneliness in the
benches of  his  church - scattered 
with people in corners and behind 
poles - all the lonely people who 
long for communion - who long for
union - who long for others - who
long for Christ - the Lonely One -
who takes away the sins of our world.
Father McKenzie please, please, meet 
Eleanor Rigby before she dies. 




                                   © Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

                                                                                                    
March 10, 2016

PHONE  CALL 

Rejected too many times, he crawled
into dark alleys - settling amongst the
plastic garbage bags… becoming
the sole possessor of himself -
becoming odder - someone who
used to be someone’s husband,
son, brother, father, all of the above -
and all of us screaming out on this cold
night. "Where are you? Call. Please call!"



© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

March 9, 2016

NOT ENOUGH

What do I do when 
I feel like 
I’m not enough?

Well, that feels 
better than feeling 
like I’m nothing.

And both feel 
better than thinking 
I’m something else.

Especially when 

I don't know when 
I don't know enough.




© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

Tuesday, March 8, 2016



THE  CHURCH 
WITH  THE  RUNNING  WATER

Once upon a time, down south, deep down south,  a church building committee met to start planning for a new church building. For Sunday morning Mass, they were using a local restaurant for 9 years.

In the meanwhile they saved up a good bit of money for their future church.

Three big senior citizen villages took root in the area - with a good bit of Catholics in the mix. In the meanwhile that Sunday morning restaurant Mass was a bit crowded - even with a second Mass. It used to be just 10 AM. With this new schedule, 8 and 11:30 A.M., there was time for breakfast right there after each Mass. It was a win-win for the parish as well as for the restaurant.

Still a church of their own was the hope and the dream and the plan.

That night, the church building committee met in one of the homes of a parishioner. Their meeting began with a home mass. Surprise, surprise, it was on the 4th Tuesday of Lent and the first reading talked about Ezekiel’s  vision of the temple and lots of water [Cf. Ezekiel 49: 1-9, 12] . The gospel - from the 5th chapter of John - talked about the healing water at the healing pool at Bethesda. This man who was a crippled for 38 years was healed by Jesus. [Cf. John 5:1-16]

“Why not build a church with running water inside?” was one of the first suggestions - with a laugh - as the meeting began.

“Yes,” said someone else. “I’ve always loved fountains in Malls - with benches off to the side. I’ve always wondered, “Why not for our church?”

Everyone became energized - saying, “Why not? Why not?”

The realists in the group - they weren’t all dreamers - said, “I don’t know. I think running water and ongoing splash  would become a distraction during Mass.”

“Besides that,” said someone, “we have a lot of senior citizens in these 3 new developments in our area. Hearing that water during Mass, the ongoing flowing, even with hearing problems, obviously they would be saying, ‘Where’s the bathroom?’”

The pastor was a listener. He let people dream.  Why not let folks put their minds and hearts into this project? They are paying for it. It’s their money. It’s their church. They will be here a long time after I’m gone.”

One dreamer said, “Let’s have a square church - with parking lots on all 4 sides - North, East, South and West - and 4 gates leading up to 4 entrances - with beautiful  streams of water from the church building. We have this beautiful river right there on the side of the church - so we won’t need extra water - and we would be cleaning and clearing it up.”

Then this dreamer added, “As we heard in the today’s first reading from Ezekiel, we can also have beautiful fruit trees along the paths leading to and from the church - as Ezekiel has for the temple. And at the right season, parishioners can pick up fresh fruit. Neat.”

Next, looking at the gospel the pastor said, “I’ve always wanted to  be in a church with total immersion - for baptism. This is our chance. We can have a beautiful baptism pool in the middle or the church - with flowing water.”

Someone added, “Why not let the children and the handicapped have access to some nice small pools just outside of church. Most of the year we have warm weather.”

And that’s what they did. They built a beautiful church - inside and out - with lots and lots of running clear water - fountains and pools.

In time people came from all over to see and to pray at  this church. In time they built a replica of the baths of Lourdes, France, and they had healing services all through the year. Being down there, in the deep, deep south, they had lots of people who had arthritis and were in wheel chairs - and many said they felt much better after a Holy Bath. And at every healing service at the Lourdes Baths they would read the 5th chapter of John - as well as do a renewal of Baptism vows.


And yes they built big bathrooms - near all 4th entrances to the church and no, there didn’t seem to have a more than normal rush for the rest rooms.