SEASONS VARY, 

WHAT SEASON 

IS YOUR SOUL  

IN TODAY? 

IF  MY  LIFE 

WAS  A  NOVEL… 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 14th Wednesday in Ordinary Time is, “If My Life Was A Novel….”

If my life was a novel, what would be its title.

I think of that idea when I hear the Book of Genesis read. We are listening to it at these weekday Masses.

It has plots, sub-plots, twists, turns, and wonderings, “What’s next?”

Well grab a seat and start turning the pages.

It has characters - men, women and children.

It has surprises.  It has murders.  It has marriages. It has family - wow does it have family.

OLD AGE

One of the great  gifts of old age - not everyone makes it - is reminiscing. It’s looking at the stories of how we got to where we got to - and who have been the people in the pages and stories of our life.

Hopefully everyone has a porch or a place equivalent to a porch - where we can ask each other about who the other persons are and were in our family tree.

Hopefully, we all have collectors of the stories. Who in our family or families knows the story?

Hopefully we listen. Hopefully, we ask an old aunt or uncle, “Uncle Jake, you’re being quiet. How did you get from Vermont  to Maryland? Did you know your grandparents?

A Jewish family the middle of Tennessee were asked, “Why in the world did you settle here in this little town ?” Answer: the horse died.

SUGGESTIONS

I suggest using writing pads that have the wire spring down the left side of the notebook - and write a name or place or possible idea on top of the page and then ask Uncle Jake or Aunt Sarah, “What’s going on with you now?”

The stories are out there. The stories are in here.

By writing down what you’re hearing, you have leads to the past and to the future.

Ask questions

Ask about our faith. It can be lost.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could find out who started faith in our family 5 generations back.

TODAY’S FIRST READING

How did the Israelites get to Egypt?

Well, to be honest, some brothers didn’t like one brother and they sold him out.

How did the Israelites get to Egypt?

Well, truth be told, they ran out of bread?

How did the Israelites get established in Egypt?

Well, the brother who was sold out, forgave his brothers and first he cried.

Read the story - right there in Genesis.

CONCLUSION

When we get to it, read what happened next - especially the Exit or Exodus.

My life. It’s novel. It’s a page turner.

IRISH 

EYES 

ARE  SMILING! 

July 12, 2017

PLEASE  BE  SEATED

100, 1,000, 10,000 people

have sat in this chair - on

this plane, train, bus, church,

restaurant or park bench.

Sometimes we notice  each other,

with a smile, holding the door,

an eye touch or even a hand shake.

Please be seated. Hi. Hello. Oh ….

Who are you? Where have you been?

Where are you headed? Tell me

something about yourself before

we stand up and get on our own way?

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

ISRAEL: 

WRESTLING  WITH  GOD

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Israel: Wrestling with God.”

As far as I could pick up in reading about the name “Israel”,  it means, “Wrestling With God.”  Not all agree on that, but Jewish theology is richer when the word “Israel” is translated into “Wresting With God.”

In today’s first reading from Genesis, Jacob - has a name change. He now becomes Israel. He had wrestled with his brother Esau coming out the womb holding his older brothers heel. The name goes well with the story of his life - how he wrestled with various people and situations - and how in today’s reading - he wrestles with someone all night long till the break of dawn. And his hip is knocked out of place - and it seems for the rest of his life Jacob had a pronounced limp.

LIFE  AS  WRESTLING

Wrestling can at times be another word for life.

People are sometimes described, “She’s wrestling with something.”  “He’s wrestling with something. 

Using today’s gospel, we could say, “Sometimes we have to wrestle with our demons.”

I’ve been at many AA meetings - and listened to lots of  “drunkalogues” - a person telling their life story - and many of the stories mention demons. Wasn’t rum labeled “demon rum”?

I’ve also visited folks at Shepherd Pratt - St. Elizabeth’s in Washington D.C. and many other Mental Health Centers. Often in listening to people, I hear about what they are wrestling with,  struggling with, and what have you.  

When we were kids, we often watched wrestling on TV - especially when our uncle Cole was living with us. He thought wrestling was real and baseball was fixed.  He could be a curmudgeon. Yet wrestling is real. Did you ever live or work with someone, who is always into causing mismatches and mishmash?

If we look at our life as a wrestling match, we could ask, “What has been our main enemy?” “What has been the main event?” “Who have been our toughest opponents?” 

Big families offer bigger opportunities for kids to grow. Today’s smaller families provide less opportunities for emotional growth.

One bathroom is a house has its opportunities for patience as well.

Big families also provide the challenge of comparison problems - sibling rivalries - as well as hearing the words, “Not fair” a lot more than when we are   alone.

So the home can be a wrestling ring - so too the playing field - so too the workplace - so too the classroom. Everyone can’t be the smartest kid in the class.  Not everyone can  get the quarterback position. Not everyone can be the lead in the play.  Teachers sometimes have pets - and it isn’t me.

As Chief Justice Roberts said in a commencement address at his son’s graduation from elementary private school recently, “Every kid has to learn that life is not fair.”

PRAYER IS WRESTLING

Prayer is a conversation and a communication with our God. It can also be a wrestling match from time to time.

Prayer - with God - speaking and listening -  is the stuff of every  relationship - and wrestling is part of every relationship.

Read the Psalms.  They  are often about complaints with God.

We think, “My will be done!” more than we pray, “Thy will be done!”

CONCLUSION

Israel was a new edition of Jacob.

His mother tricked Esau - Jacob’s twin brother - out of his legal rights.

And that wrestling match has been going on ever since in and with Israel.

The names are different - that’s all. 

ANTWERP  TRAIN STATION 

HISTORIC  

FLASH  MOB 

DANCE

July 11, 2017

SOMETIMES  COMMUNICATION HAPPENS 

Sometimes communication happens; 
sometimes it doesn't.

Sometimes we don’t look the other in 

the eye because we don’t see eye to eye.

Sometimes the solution is simple, but 

we simply don’t want the problem solved.

Sometimes we have given up on

another, so why give in to another?

Sometimes I don’t listen because it seems

you don’t want to  listen either. Do you?

Sometimes we have to get a flat tire 

to realize we’re going around in circles.

Sometimes what seems to be, 

actually is what it is.

Sometimes there’s a right time and

sometimes there is a wrong time to talk.

And sometimes these are simply excuses not

to communicate and sometimes we connect.

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017