TODAY
Didn’t you know you need today
to appreciate yesterday and
you’ll need tomorrow to appreciate today -
but you won’t know that till tomorrow?
© Andy Costello, Reflections 2017
Thursday, August 10, 2017
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
Tuesday, August 8, 2017
WHAT SCULPTS OUR FACE?
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 18th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “What Sculpts Our Face?”
WHILE DRIVING
ALONG
While driving along I notice people pausing - especially
at red lights - to check out how they
look in the mirror.
I wonder at times - how many times - do people stop to
check out their soul - their being - their attitude - when they
look in the mirror - as they are going down the roads of life?
Do they look deep into their eyes and not just the surface and surroundings of their eyes?
Do they look deep into their eyes and not just the surface and surroundings of their eyes?
The eyes are the window to the soul.
How am I in there?
What’s forming my face?
What’s sculpting my face?
TODAY’S FIRST READING
We’re hearing stories about Moses and Miriam and Aaron
these days with these first readings from Numbers and earlier from Exodus. It struck me as I read these readings, “What were the faces of Moses, Miram and Aaron like?"
We’re told that God talked to Moses face to face. We also hear that Moses’ face glistened and
shined - with a bright light.
MIRIAM
I noticed in a few commentaries on today’s first reading
that the Lord was angry with Miriam and Aaron - Moses' brother and sister - for speaking out against him. They had complained, "Is it through Moses alone that the Lord speaks?" Then they added what every kid would say, "What about us?"
Deeper motives .... They had been angry with Moses because he chose a Cushite for his wife. The Cushites were from down in Ethiopia and were a bit more black. Miriam is featured the most in today’s first reading from Numbers. Envy was eating her up. Was she envious because this wife was much younger? Was she much more beautiful than Miriam?
Deeper motives .... They had been angry with Moses because he chose a Cushite for his wife. The Cushites were from down in Ethiopia and were a bit more black. Miriam is featured the most in today’s first reading from Numbers. Envy was eating her up. Was she envious because this wife was much younger? Was she much more beautiful than Miriam?
Bluntly the reading says that Miriam gets leprosy. In those
days, this was any serious skin
deformation. The book of Numbers says her
face looked like a still born baby who was missing part of his or her skin.
QUESTIONS
Reflecting on this, I asked questions about the impact of our attitudes on our face.
So that's where I got the question, "What sculpts a face."
One of the meanings for the name Miriam is “bitter”.
Would someone who is constantly bitter of soul become bitter of face?
How many times have we seen a face that has the ends of the
mouth line - turned downwards. It’s an unhappy face. How many unhappy moments,
how many inner complaints, does it take to make a face an unhappy face?
What can turn those face lines upwards at the mouth
endings - so as to be wearing an authentic happy face.
People spend millions on plastic surgery for their face
to look better, when spiritual surgery - will do it so much better - but free
of charge - if we do inner work - working with the grace of God.
CONCLUSION
August 8, 2017
BELL
That’s a big bell…. I’m sure all could
hear its sound for miles and miles
around - calling all
to prayer, all to
meet, all to know - no one is alone.
But what about bells that are retired?
Are they sort of like folks in nursing homes?
They did their job - in their time - and now
they just hang around - silent - doing nothing.
Do both old folks and old bells - just
have memories of when they felt valued
and necessary and everyone knew
they were around by their sound?
© Andy Costello, Reflections 2017
Monday, August 7, 2017
THE MASS:
KISS
-
KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 18th Monday in
Ordinary Time is, “The Mass: Kiss - Keep It Simple Stupid.”
Both readings for today hit home on one of the most basic
things human beings do. We eat.
In the first reading, we have one of the most basic
things people do about food. They complain. I don’t like cucumbers leeks,
onions and garlic. I’d eat the melons. [Cf. Numbers
11: 4b-15.]
In the gospel, we have one of the most basic things
people do. They hang around places and people who provide food. [Cf. Matthew 14: 13-21.]
Just listen to people. The food is too hot, too cold, too
old, too not enough, too unappetizing.
Complain. Complain. Complain.
Just watch teenagers. When food appears, they appear.
Watch dogs, they want food.
JESUS
This reality about food tells me how smart Jesus was. The
Mass is a meal - and he told us to do his Last Supper in memory of him.
Just read the gospels and notice how many times Jesus is
at meals. Just notice how he feeds the hungry folks. Notice how we wanted to
eat with his disciples. Obviously, food - feeding people - was important to
him.
THE MASS
So the Mass was a meal for starters - but when folks were
eating too much and drinking too much at the community means, they moved the “meal”
part to another place and/or after the Mass part. So they simplified the ceremony.
At meals we eat, we drink, we talk.
At the Mass we eat, we drink, we talk.
Once the Church numbers grew - once the crowds get larger,
then the Mass changes and becomes our liturgy.
In this homily I want to stress the bare bones underside
of the Mass. It’s a meal.
And at meals, we have those three ingredients - besides
people: bread, wine, and words.
Jesus knew people. We need to eat. We need to share our
life - and our life stories together.
I was at a family gathering yesterday. We ate. We talked.
We gathered together.
FOOD MESSAGES
We know when we are in sync with each other - in
communion with each other - it’s then we can eat with each other.
We know when we can’t stomach each other. We know the
folks we spot and walk away from. Women
are better at knowing this than men. Who makes the lists of who sits with whom
at weddings and family gatherings?
We know where there is so and so 5 feet away and we wait
till they sit down and we move away as far as possible. We know whom we would
like to sit next to and whom to avoid.
CONCLUSION
So when we start to complain why so and so started to
break away from the Mass, they did it slowly. So too the family.
So this is basic, basic stuff - I was taught the KISS
principle in public speaking. KISS: Keep it simple stupid.
August 7, 2017
BEGETS AND BEGOTS
A smile begets a smile.
Tears beget tears.
Happiness begets happiness.
Holding doors begets holding doors.
Just watch - at a busy door. It happens
every time. I guarantee it.
A good word begets a good word.
A sneeze begets a sneeze.
A “God bless you” begets a “Thank you.”
Clapping begets more clapping.
Laughter begets more laughter.
Noise begets a “Shush!”
Silence begets silence - sometimes.
Music begets music and sometimes foot tapping.
Beeping horns begets, “Give me a break.”
Bumps cause bumps.
A falling domino topples other dominoes.
Bumps cause bumps.
A falling domino topples other dominoes.
Frustration begets frustration.
Loneliness begets phone calls.
Tension begets tension.
Locks begets knocks and bell ringing.
Ice cream begets, “Me too.”
Or as Groucho Marx put it,
“If your parents didn’t have any
children - chances are you won’t either.”
© Andy Costello,
Reflections 2017
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