THE PRODIGAL  SON

Shown in pictures by Thomas Derricks,

Oxford

Basil Blackwell

MCMXXX1

This is part of a book printed in England 

at the Shakespeare Head Press

Saint Aldates,

Oxford

1931

September 11, 2016

SEPTEMBER  11

The twin towers were not too far
from Ellis Island - not too far from
the Statue of Liberty - not too far
from Kennedy Airport - where millions
and millions of people arrived in the 
Good Old USA. May we never be seen 
as walls blocking the huddled masses,
the wretched refuse, the poor, the 
homeless yearning to be set free. 
Welcome everyone. Welcome to the home
of the brave and the land of the free.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

WELCOME  HOME 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Welcome Home.”

Those are two wonderful words to hear.

“Welcome home.”

AIRPORT

I’ve heard and I’ve experienced a bunch of times - the wonderful moment of getting home from a foreign country - getting one’s luggage - getting on line to go up to the  U.S. Customs Agent Booth. Finally standing there - handing the custom agent my passport and papers. He or she looks at them - checks the passport. Sometimes they ask a question or two, look at the computer - hand me back my passport and smiling say, “Welcome home.”

That must be a great job  - saying that - and I think it’s taken on a new life - ever since the original September 11 - 15 years ago today.

It hit me as I was preparing this homily. What do they say to a visitor or a new person coming to America. I’ll have to listen next time I’m at the airport. “Is it, ‘Welcome to America!’” or what?

EVERYONE’S JOB

As I thought about this, I would hope every one of us - welcomes every one of us - and makes us every one of us feel at home.

I would assume it’s a great job being a parent - welcoming a brand new baby - into this world. Welcome home.

I would assume it’s a great moment for a mom and a dad experiencing their kids first day home - after their first day at school. Welcome home  - especially if they were screaming - unable to let go that morning - their first day away from home - going to school.

I would assume it’s a great marriage when a wife and a husband say to each other each evening - all through their marriage, “Welcome home!”

I would assume it’s a great parish - when someone feels at home - here in their parish. Welcome home.

DUC

I had a job from 1984 -1993 - being in charge of future Redemptorists - for a year a day - their novice year as Redemptorists. I did 9 classes. It was a significant time in my life.  Every year, every spring, we would take a car ride to Toronto for 4 days. It started because almost every year we’d have a novice or two from our Toronto Province.

One year I had a big worry. One of our novices - Duc - didn’t have papers - so we went in 3 cars. I told Duc - who was from Vietnam - that before we crossed the border at Niagara Falls - I would go to the custom’s officials and make sure Duc would be able to get back over the border when we were heading home. If I couldn’t get a guarantee,  I’d send the other novices off to our place in Toronto and Duc and I would drive home.

Every summer for about 5 years he would go to the Immigration Services building in Miami and try to get papers. His parents and his sisters got their papers, but not Duc.

At Niagara Falls - we pulled our 3 cars into the parking lot of the border patrol building - before going through the gates into Canada.  An official there - after telling him my request - said we better go down town into Niagara Falls. We did.

Once more I went into a building - just with Duc. The other guys waited outside in our cars. I talked to an official. He told me to just sit there and let him take Duc inside to the computers.  He added, “Sometimes the person says something nobody was hearing - like in Miami.”

A half hour later the guy came out with papers  - raising them and his hands in the air in celebration. Duc had a great smile on his face. The guy found out in Niagara Falls, USA, that when Duc got into the airport in England, someone put down a wrong number - just one wrong number - and that was the problem - for the next 5 years or so.

We went outside and Duc waved his papers to the guys in our cars. 

While driving one of our cars - crossing the border - I looked in the rear view mirror - and there was Duc looking at his papers - with tears in his eyes.

Welcome Home.

He existed. His name was somewhere - officially - in the books.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

These thoughts hit me as I read today’s gospel.

I read the longer version - because every human being - every Christian needs to read and know Luke 15: 1-32 - the whole chapter.

Sit in the back of your car and read what’s on the paper - on the page. Your name is there.

The 3 parables that Jesus told that day - the 3 parables that Luke preserved for us - need to be read - and heard on a regular basis.

They are the heart and soul of the message that Pope Francis discovered. He says it took him a while, but he finally got the Christian message - the heart of Jesus - the core of God.

It’s the message of mercy - forgiveness - acceptance  and love.

Close your eyes and feel the neck of Jesus on your underbelly as he holds you with joy on his shoulders - around his neck - like a lost sheep coming home.

Close your eyes and feel the warmth of God the Woman - her closed hands - holding you - her lost coin - celebrating you being found.

Close your eyes and feel the hug and the hold of God the Father holding us - his prodigal son or daughter - holding us with great love. Welcome home.

TWO DATES

We all have two key days in our lives. They are on every calendar.

The first is our birthday.

There we were warm and comfy in our mummy’s tummy - just taking it easy - swimming around in the dark. And we thought this is it - peace and joy forever - and comfort - home. But all good things come to an end.

It’s moving day. It’s our birth day - and we come out and scream seeing those masked people - feeling all that  - pushing - squeezing  - or cutting and hurting.

Welcome home.

Oh no! Wait a minute. That light is bright - and who are all these people making funny sounds and faces at us.

But here we are - a whole new home a coming.

Happy Birthday….

The second day is our death day.

No, no, not now, now yet. I’m not ready.

There are two kinds of people. Those who believe there is nothing after death and those who believe there is.

I don’t argue with those who don’t believe in an afterlife.

Why argue? We can’t prove it. It’s faith stuff vs. fake stuff.

We’ll all die and if there is nothing after this. Well, we’ll never know.

But if there is, welcome home.

I’ve said this before in two homilies - but who remembers homilies -  that I once said to God, “If you’re not the God of Luke 15, then the hell with you. I’ll go find that God.” And I put my hand to my mouth and said, “Ooops!” And I took my hand away from my mouth and said again, “Yes, I believe in the God of Luke 15. I want to come home to that God - described by Jesus Christ.”

Did you hear the opening words of today’s gospel?

“Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

Jesus wants to eat with us - all of us. He wants to eat us up and become one with us - to receive communion with us - to go to communion with us. Everyone.

We’re not there yet - but have you got that message yet?

Don’t we realize there are Catholics who don’t feel welcome  - Catholics who are like Duc, the guy I mentioned. They don’t feel welcome.  They don’t feel they have the proper papers. They don’t feel at home in the Catholic Church.

I’ve run into various Catholics who say, “Look who’s eating with Jesus. Look who is in communion with Jesus.”

Hello.

The Pharisees amongst us say, “Wait a minute, Jesus didn’t mean that.”

The Scribes - those are the ones who could write, write the letters to those in authority - when this message is repeated - from the pulpit or wherever.

We’re allowed to give the short version of the gospel today - and end at verse 10 and skip the third parable - that of the Prodigal Son.

Obviously,  I would never do that, because Jesus in this 3^rd parable, tells about the older brother.

Okay dad, okay God the Father, okay Holy Father, you’re welcoming home these other people, these sinners, but have you seen all the good I’ve done in my life - down through the years - and now at this last hour you welcome home this son of yours - who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fatted calf.” For him, you say, “Welcome home!”

CONCLUSION

And the Father now has to wait for the older son to come home - to see his brother back in the house and to come home and welcome his brother and say to him, “Welcome home.”

And “Ooops!”  - sometimes I’m the older brother to myself. I won’t forgive myself. I can’t be at home with myself because of my life.  Well, if that’s the case, thank God I’m not God. I build my own walls - and I make myself pay for them.  But God laughs at such nonsense, comes through walls, and says, “Peace!”

SEE  WHERE THIS TAKES YOU - 

AND ON AND ON AND ON!

September 10, 2016

HARD TIMES

Some times we  fall upon "Hard Times". 

Like an orphan child they are laid at our door. 

What to do? What to do? What to do?

Listen to a song - a song like "Hard Times."

Listen carefully to the words - to another's soul.

Everyone has sung it. Everyone has felt it: 
Dolly Parton, Emilylou Harris, Bob Dylan,
Mary Black, Johnny Cash, Mavis Staples,
Bruce Springsteen and so many others
on the other side of our door. Then pray
each time you hear the old words, 
"Hard Times, Come Again No More." 
Hard times, come again no more to my door. 

© Andy Costello Reflections 2016

"HARD TIMES COME AGAIN NO MORE"

Let us pause in life's pleasures and count its many tears,
While we all sup sorrow with the poor;
There's a song that will linger forever in our ears;
Oh hard times come again no more.

[Chorus:]
Tis the song, the sigh of the weary,
Hard times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door;
Oh hard times come again no more.

While we seek mirth and beauty and music light and gay,
There are frail forms fainting at the door;
Though their voices are silent, their pleading looks will say
Oh hard times come again no more.

There's a pale drooping maiden who toils her life away,
With a worn heart whose better days are o'er:
Though her voice would be merry, 'tis sighing all the day,
Oh hard times come again no more.

[Chorus]

Tis a sigh that is wafted across the troubled wave,
Tis a wail that is heard upon the shore
Tis a dirge that is murmured around the lowly grave
Oh hard times come again no more.

[Chorus]

FROM WIKIPEDIA

Hard Times Come Again No More

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cover of the sheet music, 1854
Song
Published	New York: Firth, Pond & Co. (1854)
Form	Strophic with chorus
Writer(s)	Stephen Foster
Language	English

"Hard Times Come Again No More," (sometimes, "Hard Times") is an American parlor song written by Stephen Foster. It was published in New York by Firth, Pond & Co. in 1854 as Foster's Melodies No. 28. Well-known and popular in its day,^[1] both in America and Europe,^[2][3] the song asks the fortunate to consider the plight of the less fortunate and ends with one of Foster's favorite images: "a pale drooping maiden".

The first audio recording was a wax cylinder by the Edison Manufacturing Company (Edison Gold Moulded 9120) in 1905. It has been recorded and performed numerous times since. The song isRoud Folk Song Index #2659.

A satirical version about soldier's food was popular in the American Civil War, Hard Tack Come Again No More.

Original sheet music

1.
Let us pause in life's pleasures and count its many tears,
While we all sup sorrow with the poor;
There's a song that will linger forever in our ears;
Oh! Hard times come again no more.

Chorus:
'Tis the song, the sigh of the weary,
Hard Times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door;
Oh! Hard times come again no more.

2.
While we seek mirth and beauty and music light and gay,
There are frail forms fainting at the door;
Though their voices are silent, their pleading looks will say
Oh! Hard times come again no more.

Chorus

3.
There's a pale drooping maiden who toils her life away,
With a worn heart whose better days are o'er:
Though her voice would be merry, 'tis sighing all the day,
Oh! Hard times come again no more.
Chorus

4.
'Tis a sigh that is wafted across the troubled wave,
'Tis a wail that is heard upon the shore
'Tis a dirge that is murmured around the lowly grave
Oh! Hard times come again no more.


Chorus

In media

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band made "Hard Times" a focal piece of their 2009 Working on a Dream Tour.

"Hard Times Come Again No More" has been included in the following:

Dolly Parton opens her 1980 song "Hush-A-Bye Hard Times" with an a cappella verse from the song.

Recorded by Irish singer Mary Black on her 1984 album Collected.

On Syd Straw's 1989 debut album Surprise, Straw and X frontman and solo artist John Doe recorded a version of the song.

By Kate & Anna McGarrigle on the 1991 Songs of the Civil War collection.

By Emmylou Harris in her 1992 live album At the Ryman.

By Bob Dylan for his 1992 album Good as I Been to You.

As the penultimate track on the 1992 debut album from The Lost Dogs, Scenic Routes.

In Series One (1995) of the "Transatlantic Sessions", Hard Times Come Again No More was performed by an ensemble composed of Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Rufus Wainwright, Emmylou Harris, Mary Black, Karen Matheson and Rod Paterson.

The 1995 movie Georgia with Mare Winningham and Jennifer Jason Leigh sung by Mare Winningham and band.

The 1995 movie The Neon Bible performed by Thomas Hampson.

Nanci Griffith on her 1998 effort Other Voices Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful).

Ambassadors of Harmony perform an a cappella male chorus barbershop arrangement on their 2000 album Sing Sing Sing!^[4]

The 2000 Appalachian Journey, for voice & piano with Edgar Meyer (bass), James Taylor (vocals) Mark O'Connor (violin or fiddle) and Yo-Yo Ma (cello).

Johnny Cash on the Redemption Songs disc of the 2003 Unearthed box set of out-takes and alternate versions from his American Recordingsseries.

Mavis Staples recorded it for the Grammy award-winning album Beautiful Dreamer (2004).

In 2005, the song was included in the soundtrack Cameron Crowe's Elizabethtown, performed by Eastmountainsouth.

The 2005 film My Brother's War by Whitney Hamilton.

Matthew Perryman Jones included it on his 2006 album Throwing Punches in the Dark.

Andru Bemis recorded it on his 2006 album Rail to Reel.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's 2009 Working on a Dream Tour and captured on their 2010-released London Calling: Live in Hyde Park concert video.

Mary J. Blige and The Roots at the 2010 Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief telethon.

In the Season 2 finale of Parenthood by the same name, the song was contributed to the soundtrack by Brett Dennen.

The 2012 Voice of Ages by The Chieftains, with Paolo Nutini.

The 2012 Eesti Kullafond collection of Estonian folk-pop group Folkmill.^[5]

An Iron & Wine performance featured in commercials promoting the 2012 Copper television series on BBC America.

Black 47, on the 2014 album Last Call.

The 2014 9/11 Memorial commemoration (bagpipes adaption).

Kristin Chenoweth performed the song on her 2014 live album Coming Home.

Katy Treharne sings it on the Tearfund with 'West End has Faith' 2015 album Speechless.^[6]

Joel Plaskett's 2015 album The Park Avenue Sobriety Test.

Annie Moses Band performed the song on their 2015 album American Rhapsody.

September 9, 2016

LOOKING AT THE CLOCK

Ten times a day we look at the clock....
Eleven times a day we look at our watch....
Twelve times a day we look at our day....
morning, noon and night ....
Once a week we wonder where we are....
Once a month we wonder where the years
have gone....
At one moment we're in our childhood ....
At another moment we're serious adults ....
On the porch or with our walker we're
retracing our walk through the years of 
our life....
At one moment we remember when we were kids.... on slides in the playground - then running across the fields of our high school years....
At the next moment we're grateful for our kids....
At another moment we're cursing, "Where are they?"
At this moment, I close my eyes and cry,
"Thank You God! It's been good."
"Thank You God! I want many more mornings just to live, just to give, just to remember that I have lived .... Amen."

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016