September 3, 2017

PASSION

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 22 Sunday in Ordinary Time is, “Passion.”

Passion - having passion - being passionate. It means being on fire - filled with emotion - high energy - not cool - not calm -  but heated up.

I think it’s also the name of a perfume from Liz Taylor.

Passion.

Does it work?

Will this sermon work?

Where are you right now? 

What do you need from the Lord this Labor Day Weekend?

JEREMIAH

I got this theme and thought for this sermon from Jeremiah in today’s first reading. It’s a very emotional text. I want to read it again - but I’ll pick another translation - to let that get into the mix - of thoughts about passion.

You have tricked me, Lord,

and I was tricked.

You have overpowered me

and I am powerless.

      I am made fun of  all day long;

      everyone mocks me.

      Whenever I speak, I have to cry out;

“Violence and destruction.”

When I proclaim the word the result is

      insult and put downs all day long.

      I say to myself, “I not going to mention him

or his word or his name anymore,”

But then it becomes like fire

burning in my heart,

imprisoned in my bones.

So I grow  weary holding it in, 

I can’t take all this.

Have you ever felt that way? Words like bowling balls are hitting pins in your mind.  You’re angry - red hot angry - with the way you’re being treated by someone or some group or by God - or even yourself.

When was the first time I was really passionate about something or someone? 

When was the last time I talked to God the way Jeremiah talks to God in today’s first reading.

What gets you angry? What makes your blood boil? What gets you hot under the collar? What are you passionate about?

BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS

To be human is to be able to be in the here and now as well as to be able to look backwards and forwards.

I would assume -  when we’re young we tend to look forwards. I would assume when we get older we look backwards a lot more.

Life is both.

Life is drive and reverse.

Life is windshield and rear view mirror.

And life is the present moment we’re in - when we’re driving along doing all this inner talking and sometimes screaming - laughing and crying.

At a boring meeting - or when we’re at the airport - and our flight is late - we can do history - our own history. We can look backwards.  Or we can dream of next week or next year - and figure out what’s going to happen to our kids.

Today’s first reading is backwards thinking. Jeremiah is looking back on his life and complaining to God - feeling being duped by God.

Today’s gospel Jesus is looking forwards into his future and tells his disciples that’s where he’s headed - into the future - going to Jerusalem to facing life’s enemies: the elders, the priests and the scribes [those who could write, the educated].  And Peter says, “Don’t go there.”

And Jesus, who praised Peter in last Sunday’s gospel says to Peter this Sunday, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God thinks, but as human beings do.”

Great stuff to think about here.

Take the passion called "anger".

People are angry at God at times - or how we think God thinks.

Or notice the trio in Jerusalem that Jesus says he's going to face: elders, priests, and scribes.

Anger at elders - people older than us - who gave us  advice - that put a brake on our dreams - or we imagine or inwardly accuse them of doing that.

Anger at priests. As priest I’ve heard a lot of people angry at priests, chief priests, church teachings - nuns - marriage laws - life laws.

Anger at the scribes - those who are more educated - than us - the intelligentsia.

Anger effects our body. Look at the fists and the neck of an angry person. Imagine what it’s doing inside - when a person's mind is like a sledge hammer fist.

I once heard about a relative being in a car with his wife and someone cut them off - and this relative went after the other driver and crashed into him on purpose.

Road rage is a reality. 

I also read last night about roid rage. That’s angry itchy mental hemorrhoids in ones skull.

So today's readings can get us in touch with our passions  - especially the passion called "anger".

Great stuff in today’s readings.

Looking at the gospel for today, the question: How did the disciples take this message of Jesus - that life is the cross, self denial, sacrifice, giving up for the others, especially one’s life.

Jesus said, “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

SELF-DESTRUCTIVE PASSION

Now - as we know - there can be self-destructive passion.

Someone said the number one passion that destroys human beings is envy. 

What’s eating so and so? She doesn’t seem happy.

Someone said the number one passion that destroys human beings is resentments.

Someone else said it is regrets.

Passion - being inwardly or outwardly passionate - when it’s self destructive needs to be dealt with - otherwise there is destruction.

Then there is good passion.

The church and our world is asking us this September 3 to be passionate about keeping our earth better - cleaner - healthier. I hope you’re noticing that our school kids, ES HS and College are being pushed to make this planet healthier.

What am I doing to stress better house keeping for our home called "Planet earth".

And prophets for a better planet I’m sure feel duped by God when floods come - as well as  when they experience people who say climate and earth issues are all a hoax.

Am I passionate about working to make us aware of our earth - that we're doing out part to make things better?

CONCLUSION

So to be a human being is to be passionate about a lot of things - hopefully for the better and not the worse.

In Christ on the Cross - going through his passion, we see the best and the worst when it comes to passion.

Let me close with a quote from Rumi: “With passion pray. With passion work. With passion make love. With passion eat and drink and dance and play. Why look like a dead fish in this ocean of God.” Rumi [1207-1273]

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Painting on top: Chinese Painting, Passion, by Andrea Realpe

September 2, 2017

REVELATIONS

People will travel 1,000 miles 

to hear mystics  tell of their 

visions and messages and 

what God said to them. 

People will buy the latest 

book telling us  what God 

said to so and so in private 

revelations and prophecies. 

People can watch a bird 

drinking water from a birdbath 

or a child reaching for the sun 

and see God in the moment. 

People can hear Beethoven’s Ninth or 

Bach’s Requiem or a high school band 

in the distance on a Friday football night 

and hear God’s will being fun. 

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

JESUS  AS  TEACHER 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 21st Friday in Ordinary Time  is, “Jesus as Teacher.”

I like to promote Jesus as Teacher - even if people drop him as “My Lord and My God.”

It often takes a gift of grace to accept Jesus as Lord, Savior, Redeemer, Son of God, Second Person in the Blessed Trinity.

But anyone can study Jesus as a teacher - and find him one of the greats.

So I like to promote Jesus as teacher.

BEST TEACHER

I was with our high school freshman for a Mass today.

It got me thinking about a moment from our first science class in my first year of high school. The teacher said, “If you have  2 good teachers by the time you finish all your education - in becoming a priest - you’re lucky.”  

Was he wondering and was he worried about himself as a teacher?

He was looking us ahead to  4 years of high school, 4 years of college - and 4 years of post graduation work.

I told the freshman kids this morning that I had more than 2 good teachers. I had named for myself these 4 and there are more: Koerber, Rowan, Abata and Meehan. 

So I have that question for you: to talk to each other - and come up with at least  2 good teachers you had in your life. Name the names and share those answers with each other.

WHAT YOU LEARNT

Next for homework, list  2 things you learnt in your life from teachers.

Then share that with each other.

I learnt somewhere along the line that the first step in answering that kind of question is to jot down all the answers that come to mind. Then the second step is to circle two. Then the third step is to share one's answer with another.

So the first step  - in my first question - is to jot down the names of different teachers that come to mind - who were helpful. Then pick the top 2. Then share with each other who they were  - as well as two things you learnt from teachers.

The title of my homily is, “Jesus as Teacher.”

JESUS AS TEACHER

For starters Jesus is often called "Rabbi" or "Teacher" and different folks came up to him with questions - asking for answers. 

Jesus answered questions - but as a good teacher he also asked questions back at people - especially to those who were trying to trap him.

I've noticed that Jesus as teacher liked to tell stories - especially parables.

And two things he did in parables was his use of comparison and contrast.

C and C: comparison and contrast.

Jesus knew people often compare themselves with others.

Jesus also knew that people identify with characters in a story.

So Jesus liked to use 2's.

A man had two sons ... in a field there are sheep and goats ... if you check out fruit, some is good and some is bad... two people went to the temple to pray ... there are two roads you can travel ... there are two doors you can enter ... 

Read the gospels of Luke and Mathew especially for parables. Read the Gospel of John and ask yourself - who am I most like in this story - or am I like the woman caught in adultery or am I like the Blind Man or like the couple who have run out of wine.

MORE SPECIFIC

In today's gospel we have 5 smart bridesmaids and 5 foolish ones. The wise ones, knowing that marriages in that area were often fun filled and you never knew when the bridegroom would show up - sometimes at 2 in the morning - brought extra batteries for their flashlights - but the dummies  didn't. So when he showed, 5 were in the dark and wanted the smarties to help - but hey you never know with these events - so they told the foolish bridesmaids get to the all night food mart and get some batteries. They did - and just after they left - the bridegroom showed up - had the wedding - locked the doors and when the bridesmaids showed up they found themselves locked out. Uh oh! Compare and contrast: which am I, foolish or wise. [Cf. Matthew 25:1-13.]

A man had two sons. He asked one son to go out and work in his vineyard . The first son said, "I'm on my way...." but he never goes. The other son is asked and he says, "I will not..." but he changes his mind. And Jesus says, "Which son did his father's will." [Cf. Matthew 21: 28-32.]

A man had 2 sons. One son says, "Why wait for death? Why not give me my inheritance now? The father divides his property up and gives this son a big cut. That son goes out and wastes it all, hits bottom, comes home with the idea of becoming a hired servant - but fed."  He comes home and is forgiven and welcomed back with great joy and hugs and celebration by his father. His older brother - upon finding out - becomes furious - won't go in the house -even when his father begs him. Compare and contrast: which of the 2 brothers am I lost. [Cf. Luke 15: 11-32.]

Two people went to the temple to pray. One stood up front and said to God. "Hey God, look at me. I don't cheat or rob. I fast and give to the poor. Ain't I great compared to that slob back there?" And the guy in back fell down, wouldn't look up, and said to God, "Have mercy on this big slop?"  Compare and contrast: Which of the 2 am I like? [Read Luke 18:9-14.]

At the end of the world God is going to gather everyone there ever was - into a big field - and they are going to be either sheep or goats. The sheep are those who donated to folks in Houston and Southeast Asia -visited the sick and those in prison and gave and gave. The goats are those who didn't give anything to anyone - and both will say, "Lord, when did we see you without?" And Jesus will send those who gave to heaven and those who were total selfies, to hell. Woo! [Cf. Matthew  25: 31-46.]

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, Jesus as Teacher. 

For your homework jot down the 2 best teachers you've had in life and 2 best learnings.

Hopefully, Jesus makes your list. Then compare and contrast your life with what he taught.

Am I sheep or a goat, smart bridesmaid or dumb, on the narrow road or the highway that leads to self-destruction, good grape or sour grape, good son or daughter or unforgiving and lazy self centered self?

September 1, 2017

SEPTEMBER

Months hold their unique moments - 

some more than others - like Labor Day,

Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Then there are the unique moments that

are personal - an anniversary of a death,

a marriage or a birthday. We know them.

We remember them. They tell our history,

our connections, our values and our stories.

Welcome to September 2107.

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

PLAY IT AGAIN 

Does everyone need a theme song, an anthem,
to get moving again - like the people of Texas
and South East Asia  - all those who feel
life rained on them and didn't seem to stop -
that life gave them  - a knock out punch.
Do everyone need music - song - support - 
from all the rest of us - cheering us on -
to rise again from the canvas and start again. Amen.

August 31, 2017

WATCH  AND  PRAY* 

I watched an ant and a bee 

doing their daily meandering. 

I noticed they didn’t seem to miss 

not having a Fitbit or IPhone -

but I realized they did need 

their daily bread and they did 

have to deal with trespassing 

against each other at times. Amen.

© Andy Costello, Reflections  2017

* "Watch and pray ...." Mathew 26:41; Matthew 6: 11-13

IS  ANYTHING  SACRED

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 21 Wednesday in Ordinary time is, “Is Anything Sacred?”

We were watching NCIS last evening. It was a rerun.

Gibbs disappeared - and they looked everywhere - till they discovered he had gone undercover for an old, old case. He had spotted someone from way back while looking out the window of the diner he often goes to.

Quinn and Bishop [?] are checking his house - to see if he was there - but they had no luck. 

However, Quinn broke a plate. Bishop said he can always get another one.

She could only see the underside of the plate - so Quinn said to her, “Not this plate.”  It was a plate that Gibbs’ little girl made  when she was in the 3^rd grade and made it for her parents.  It had a kids drawing and writing on it.

The plate was sacred. The plate was special. The plate was unique.

HOUSTON FLOODING

We were also watching the evening news - earlier - and there were all kinds of scenes showing people with plastic bags getting into boats - heading for higher ground.

Imagine all the sacred photos, knickknacks, afghans from grandmothers, that people grabbed as the water was rising?

They were grabbing what they cherished as sacred.

ANY HOUSE

If you went into any house, any room of any person, and you would find out that everyone has their sacred treasures - that connect us to each other - often to people long gone.

What are your sacred items?

They are unique to every person. They are special to every person.

The title of my homily is, “Is Anything Sacred?”

If I can get a person to state that some object that they own is precious, sacred, unique, then I can point out an important teaching.

The message is this: we are the ones who consecrate the object.

We are the ones who make an object sacred.

Then I can jump to places. We all have sacred places - like where we proposed marriage to someone.

Then I can jump to people. We are the ones who name another person as sacred. That’s why we cry at a loved one’s loss.

That naming is stamping another person, place or thing - with sacredness and the naming is invisible.

YESTERDAY - A WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

Yesterday - after the Mass here for the juniors - I was standing in the back of this church - waiting to say goodbye to as many kids as possible - to wish them a good day and a good new year here at St. Mary’s.

A man walked in before the kids started down the aisle. He held up his cellphone to take a picture. I said, “If you can wait for 5 minutes, all the kids will be out and you can take a picture of the sanctuary up close.

The man said to me, “Today is our wedding anniversary. My wife and I were married here at St. Mary’s 19 years ago today.

Not all days are the same. Some days are more sacred than others.

The man told me that his wife and their 2 teenagers are over in Ireland for a 2 week vacation. He said he couldn’t go - but he would stay home with Mollie their little kid. Their little girl would cut down on the mobility of the 3 to so some neat traveling. He convinced his wife and Mollie that he would take Mollie to see Great Adventure - and be in Switzerland, Germany, France and Britain.

So I walked up front with the man and had his phone ready for the picture when Ginny said, “Let me take the picture. It’s not your talent.”

The guy stood there where couples stand every Saturday at a wedding. He took off his wedding ring and pointed it to the camera - and he said, “I’ll send this picture right to my wife in Ireland.”

It was a sacred moment.  It was in a sacred place. The guy wanted to share that moment - their day - with each other - in a unique way.

CEMETERIES

What triggered this thought for today was the first part of today’s gospel - Matthew 23: 27-28.  Listen to it again.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

Jesus said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and every kind of filth. Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.

The Gospel of the Lord

Jesus must have been standing there and he spotted some Pharisees strutting - to make themselves  look better than others. Then he looked over his shoulders and spotted a cemetery - with it’s beautiful whitewashed tombs - but underneath there was the smell of death.

SACRED OBJECTS

I looked around my room and with this box I gathered a few sacred objects from my room.

Here is a porcelain cross that a little girl named Harper game me 3 weeks ago. She and her family life in London, but she wanted to make her first holy communion here in this parish. By this request - by this behavior - she’s telling me that she senses the sacredness of this place.

Here is a lapel pen - that has the fleur-de-ly on it. It looks just like the fleur-de-ly  lapel pins  from our parish. I put it on my suit jacket. Some little tiny kid came up to me after Sunday Mass and handed it to me. His parents said the family was in New Orleans  and they saw this New Orleans Saint lapel pin is the same as they have in St. Mary’s. Then he added, “And I want to buy this for Father Andy.”

That was at least 3 years ago. That’s how things and moments become sacred.

Next - about a month ago someone handed me a plastic bag of photographs and stuff from my sister who had died two and a half years ago.

Inside I found this envelope and on the outside it said, “Ring.”  Well I opened up the envelope and there it was, the Claddagh ring my sister Peggy, a nun, wore most of her life.

There is a world of difference between a Claddagh ring in a jewelry store than one that was on a person’s finger for most of her life as a nun.

Next - here is a small plastic bottle of prescription pills. It has an expiration date of September 1988. [SHAKE BOTTLE]. Now when I die someone will toss this out along with my prescriptions.

But this little bottle of cancer pills  was my brothers and when he died I took this out of the medical cabinet in his bathroom. [SHAKE IT]. It is sacred to me when he died of cancer at 51 years of age.

Notice this watch I’m wearing. It’s a Rolex. I met a man with a gold Rolex watch the other night. It was worth 25,000. Mine is $37 dollars. It’s fake - but it has more meaning to me than the $25,000 Rolex - which I had asked him to wear for 10 seconds.  Mine was lighter.

Which one is more valuable?

What would make a watch invaluable?

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily was, “Is Anything Sacred?”

My thought is: “Check everyone - and we will find out - ‘Everyone has some things they find sacred.’”

Then build on that and realize: Besides sacred things we all have our sacred places and persons.”

Building on that: pause before anyone thrashing or hurting another - or someone’s sacred places  - but especially another.