HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

Recently there was a study done on Irish names.

Kelly, Murphy, O This and O That, Mc this and Mc That, were in top 10 of Irish Names.

But surprise, Costello came in 23rd of the top 100 Irish names.

The statistics said there were 17,123,005 people in the world of Irish descent with the name Costello - but only 23 people in the world with the name Costello who were Italian, but still people keep thinking and asking, "Costello.... That's an Italian name isn't it?"

Hello!  My parents are both from Galway Bay - Ireland - and both spoke Gaelic. My mom always told us she could stick her big toe out the back door of their stone house and it was in Galway Bay.

So if you ever get to Ireland - maybe at the closing of your day - you'll spot signs and bars telling you where a place named Costello is - as well as a bar or two or three or four.

And yes, don't forget to kiss the Blarney Stone. It's not in Galway, but Galway does have plenty of stones - if you're into kissing.

Andy Costello, March 17, 2017

March 17, 2017

IRISH BLESSING # 123

May your steps today

be neat as the feet

of an Irish dancer.

May your smile today make all

faces smile and the world becomes

miles and miles of Irish smiles.

May your blarney be so, so

thick that everyone thinks

and says, “Kiss me I’m Irish!”

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

March 16, 2017

CONTEST  WINNER

As in olden times - there was this big

contest - to come up with the # 1

wisdom statement of all time.

There were many entries, but back then,
“This too shall pass!” won the contest.

This time another wisdom statement

won the day: “Everyone sees

differently - but everyone thinks

people see - what they are seeing.”

"Wait a minute," someone yelled out.
"I don't see it that way!"

"Wonderful," said the Judge. "You got
it. You too, have just won the contest."

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

March 15, 2017

TOO LATE

As someone said, “There is no too soon,

there’s only too late.”  Augustine said the

same thing a long time ago, “Too late

have I loved You, O Lord…. Too late.”

Everyone knows, “There are too many

too lates in life.” As a result, “There

are too many regrets” in life. So today,

O Lord, before it’s too late, I will....

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

THE PHARISEE TRAP

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 2^nd Tuesday of Lent is, “The Pharisee Trap.”

Since today’s gospel has Jesus giving a loud warning to the Pharisees of his day, I thought I’d better take a good look at my own life.

When it comes to religion, any religion, there is always  the Pharisee Trap.

It’s more dangerous, the closer you get to the front of the church or temple or synagogue or mosque - or the higher one is above people. It’s no accident the phrase is: looking down on people.

Hey world, look at me - up here - above you.

As we heard in today’s first reading from Isaiah, widows and orphans are more important than the leaders of the community.

Yet we need readers and Eucharistic ministers - ushers as well as priests.

Smart Catholics are back seat Catholics. 

That’s not just a clever comment. Jesus said it first in the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. Notice in that parable, the one who says he’s the “sinner” is in the back of the temple. [Cf. Luke 18: 9-14.]

In my opinion - and I say this with hesitation and great caution - the only benefits that happened in the child abuse cases with priests is it hopefully made parents and guardians keep a much better eye on their kids and possible predators. That’s first and foremost. Secondly,  it gave priests a bit more chance for humility.  We were dropped down many a peg - to the bottom by some.

A LIST OF POSSIBLE PHARISEE’S SINS

I read somewhere that jealousy is a priest’s sin. I don’t know if that’s true. I’ve wondered about that comment. Hearing the word “priest” in the comment - I would obviously notice  it - and keep my eye on it.  I would suspect  jealousy would show up in church and temple. People don’t want to lose what they have: prestige, power, recognition, etc. etc. etc.

So too envy. Envy is wanting what we don’t have.  Jealously is wanting to hold onto what we have.

Clergy - but I suspect everyone more or less has these  two temptations. We like the spotlight and we don’t want to lose it - or we want it. 

To be honest, the older one gets, the less one wants up front recognition. Been there; done that.

Besides jealousy and envy, Pharisees can be caught up in various other sins.

So another sin is misuse of power - when it comes to being up front in religion.

Religious leaders can put heavy burdens on others as we heard in today’s gospel - Matthew 23: 1-12 - and little on themselves.

Pharisees tend to not practice what they preach.  That’s why ethical breaches when it comes to sex and money appear in newspapers quite loud if the culprit is a priest, rabbi or minister.

Pharisees find it  easier not to listen if one is in power.

Power also goes to one’s head.  Everyone knows and quotes the British politician Lord Acton’s comment: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” 

Most people - at least I do - tend to leave out his next comment: "Great men are almost always bad men." How's that for a pretty tough generalization.

Laziness is one more sin of the clergy.

Take the example of preaching. It’s difficult to keep up with one’s reading.  It takes time and work and research to prepare homilies - and not give left overs or fast food precooked homilies from someone else, etc. etc. etc.  Sermons have to come from within. The preacher must do with what Isaiah says in today’s first reading: “Hear the word of the Lord.”  That means praying. I know I don’t do enough of that when preparing a homily.

Hypocrisy - acting - faking it - is also a sin of those who are up front when it comes to religion. The sanctuary can become a stage. To be honest, it helps to know the lines, because some days as priest can be a tough day and one sort of acts the part - rather than being the part. Or somedays I run out of gas - but the show must go on.

CONCLUSION

As I’m sure you just noticed - much of this was about being a priest.

Don’t throw stones - any or all of us - can get trapped in the Pharisee Trap.



++++++++++++++++++++++++

Painting on top: James Tissot, Woe Unto You, scribes and Pharisees, Brooklyn Museum.

March 14, 2017

H2O FALLING

The flake of snow preferred

this state of being, this shape

of water - compared to being

a drop of rain or mist or dew

It loved the drift, the snow fall,

the sky diving moment, the

wondering where it would land.

Would it land in a flower pot or

on the edge of the lawn only to

become a snowman or a snow-

ball. Ouch! Fun! As long as it

didn’t hurt someone. Then the

long, slow,  snow time melt - the

journey to the sea, streams, river,

ocean, then like kids at the bottom

of a ski lift or folks getting into a

plane for more sky diving, the drop

of H2O said, “Let’s do it one more time

- but one more time as a snow flake.”

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

MEASURING

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 2^nd Monday in Lent is, “Measuring.”

Today’s gospel - Luke 6: 36-38 -  is all about measuring!

Jesus says,

·       “Be merciful….”

·       “Stop judging….”

·       “Stop condemning….”

·       “Forgive….”

·       “Give….”

Jesus is challenging us to look at how we measure. Then today’s gospel closes with this strong message:   “For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."

Take your pick - what message - do you want to reflect upon - and pray over for today?

MEASURING

I’m choosing to reflect upon the human tendency to measure things.

I hold that we’re doing this all the time - like all the time - and everyday - with everyone and everything.

If there was a camera on us all day long, we could take the video - study it - and count how many times per day, we wince our eyes - with a negative vote.

A wince is tiny flinch - a tiny movement - a tiny squeeze with the top of our nose, the side skin around our eyes, sometimes with a tiny, tiny sound of disapproval - “uunh” -  an impatience - a not-liking something.

What we’re seeing with our wincing eyes is something or someone that does not measure up to our standard - our expectation.

Key to this theme of measuring is comparisons.

We are comparing another’s weight, hair, shape, clothing, manner, mannerisms, to the ruler - and I mean ruler - inside our brain.

Comparisons rule us - they can cruel us -  making us cruel judges.

We inwardly think or say or judge, This is a good look, a good outfit, a good hair due. This isn’t.

IMAGE

I love the image - it fits my standard on what a good image, metaphor, picture is - that Jesus gives in today’s gospel.

He must have spotted in the market place a generous, large hearted, big picture, big smiling merchant  - who would fill your sack or bag or cloak with flour or grain or with whatever you were ordering - to the utmost.  He would pack it tighter and tighter. He would tapped it down, shake  it up and down, each time putting and more into your bag or robe.

Jesus is telling us that’s how God is. God is big time generous with love and forgiveness and mercy.

I wince  whenever  I hear narrow minded judgers - criticizers - moral screamers.

I pinch myself with joy knowing Jesus said just what he said in today’s gospel.

I’m going to jump into his robes when I get to heaven.

I love Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story about the lady who spent her life, “Tch, tch, tching” others. Whenever she heard someone was sinning or what have you - that was her sound. This other lady said to her, “Go out and commit a big sin and maybe then you’ll understand the rest of us.”

I love that the motto of the Redemptorists is, “Copiosa apud eum redemptio.”  “With him there is fullness of redemption.”

I have learned to love the word “copious”.

With Christ there is copious redemption.”

Of course we have all met grouchy Redemptorists - that have forgotten the vision of St. Alphonsus.

When they get off judgments that are tough and narrow and ugly,  I wince.

And I’m sure I cause people to wince.

CONCLUSION

The title and theme of my homily was, “Measuring.”

Check out your rulers today.