February 7, 2018

OUR  FATHER, 

FORGIVE  US  OUR  TRESPASSES 

Okay, I dropped your coffee mug.

It broke big and you forgave me big.

I didn’t want to play baseball

and all the other dads were

bragging about their sons -

you let me play lacrosse instead.

I didn’t want to go to college.
I wanted to be do car repairs

and work in a body shop - and

dad you said, not at first, but

you said, “Okay, son. Go for it.”

I married her. I knew she wasn’t

the one you hoped for, but our

5 daughters made you one big

wonderful mushy grandfather.

When your younger son messed

up - disappeared - and finally

came back begging, you took him

in immediately. It took the rest of us

a while, but thanks for the good example.

Dad, there are 70 times 7 more times

and examples and episodes of forgiveness

that you showed us. Thanks for those

lessons and a lot more. I just hope

I live up to all you taught me.

  

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

WHO  DO  YOU 

THINK  YOU  ARE? 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 5^th Wednesday in Ordinary Time is, “Who Do You Think You Are?”

That’s a question that is often asked of others - especially when they seem to be uppity.

It’s a good question.

It can also be a nasty question - when it’s a dig against someone else.

It’s  a great question when we ask it of ourselves - especially when we bring it to prayer - and in communion with God.

How would you answer that question: “Who do you think you are?”

FIRST READING

Today’s first reading from 1 Kings begins with the words, “The queen of Sheba....”

When I read that, it triggered the comment I’ve heard of others: “Who does she think she is: the queen of Sheba?”

Here in the 1^st Book of Kings, the queen of Sheba is a queen who comes to see the famous king of Israel, Solomon.

She comes with a lot of servants  - probably also with guards and soldiers - as well as a whole herd or caravan  or flock or train of camels - carrying gold, jewels and spices. 

This is what people do when visiting heads of state. A friend of mine, Anthony Dragonetti, worked on the two Boehm birds - porcelain swans - the Birds of Peace, which President Richard Nixon in 1972, brought to China - for  Mao Tse-tung. Instead they were presented to Premier Zhou Enlai.

He told me it was valued at $150,000 when a similar pair were sold in London 5 years later.

We can picture that scene - as well as the Queen of Sheba scene - arriving at Solomon’s house. We’ve seen that in lots of movies - with similar scenes.

This queen Sheba is important. The reference books say she might have come 1200 miles. She might have been from Yemen or then again from Ethiopia. Her real agenda might have been trade - and not the quest for wisdom.

For my purposes, all this doesn’t make much difference. I just want to put her on a pedestal. Then I would like to contrast her and Solomon with a picture of Jesus as the total opposite. Jesus was a servant - kneeling on the floor washing feet  - a criminal who dies on the cross - pictured wearing only a loin cloth.

Come to think about all this, in a way, my using the Queen of Sheba as uppity is not fair. I have no clue in the world, what her personality was like.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

In today’s gospel Jesus says what’s important is not what the externals are like - but what our heart is like.

We’ve all heard wisdom teachers poke fun of folks who think their you know what is different and smells differently  than everyone else’s. I heard an old Italian lady talking about a stuffy priest - describing him as thinking out of him came ice cream and Pepsi Cola.

Don’t be surprised with that commment. That’s exactly what Jesus is saying in today’s gospel.  Notice the word “latrine”.

HUMILITY

Jesus modeled humility - a word that comes from humus - earth - from which we were sculpted by God - right there at the beginning of the Book of Genesis.

If there is one issue that hit Jesus’ button, it was show offs - especially when it comes to putting others down.

As kids, if we were being uppity, my mother used to say, “Who do you think you are, Lord Killanin?” Translated: don’t think you’re the Queen of Sheba or King Solomon. Be real. Be humble.

Lord Killanin was an Irishman who was made head of the OCI - Olympic Committee International. I never found out how my mother knew of him.  He wasn’t rich. In his Olympic job he had to ask for money. Those who had that job before him - were quite rich. He wasn't.

We never knew who Lord Killanin was, but in checking this out for this homily, I found out that my mom was wrong about Lord Killanin.

Lord Killanin was wanted by some of those in the Olympic committees because some of those in the Olympic movement  wanted Apartheid to be broken. They wanted Taiwan included in the Olympics and not just China. There was a story that Lord Killanin was sitting on a bench in South Africa with a dark skinned person and the police came over and said, “You’re not allowed to sit together.”

I don’t know what happened next, but I assume Lord Killanin said, “Watch me.”

To be fair to my mom, she was only referring to him as a big shot and that we kids should not act like big shots with our noses up in the air.

OPTICS

The word that is uppity lately is “Optics.”

When people see you - whom do they see? How do they see you?

A test would be how we treat the waiter or waitress.

A test would be for us to ask ourselves how we see ourselves?

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily was, “Who Do You Think You Are?

My message was: don’t be uppity.

My message was change some of those LOVE commands in the New Testament to SERVE commands.

February 7, 2018

Black History Month Thought for today:

 ‎

"When  there  is no enemy within, 

the  enemies  outside cannot hurt you.”  

African Proverb

THE  REASON 

UNDERNEATH  THE  REALITY

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 5^th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “The Reason Underneath the Reality.”

One of the most important rules in life is to question the reason behind a law - or a rule or a regulation.

St, Thomas Aquinas would say, “Authority is the weakest argument.”  In other words, it’s not, “Who said so?” but “Why do you say so?”

We often don’t ask because we might labeled a pain if we do.

I know I don’t like to be questioned  on some things, because I’m not the boss and I realize  I can’t do anything about lots of things - especially in the Catholic Church. For example some marriage legislation, etc.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

The title of my homily is, “The Reason Underneath the Reality.”

I don’t know if that’s a message from today’s gospel, but that’s one issue that hit me.

Today’s gospel has Jesus being quite critical of the Pharisees - and their practices - and dare we say, “One of the reasons they wanted Jesus dead was right here.”  He was going after them for all these washing rules they were pushing.

Of course, it’s important to wash one’s hands - especially during the flu season.

We want those who work in restaurants to wash their hands after going to the bathroom. I saw that sign in a Burger King bathroom the other night - and I said, “Good!”

So washing jugs and kettles and hands is important.

However, if folks become extremists - then maybe enough’s enough.

Is that the point we’re being asked to consider. If the Pharisees amongst us attack  those of us who don’t take everything so totally serious - that we aren’t living up to their standards.  Are they then trying to make the rest of us look dirty and make themselves look so clean?

I don’t know. I assume we know a lot more about cleanliness today than back in Jesus’ time. So maybe they were onto something.  I don’t know.

WHERE I WOULD GO WITH RULES AND REGULATIONS

I remember seeing a documentary about strip mining in Kentucky.

Coal miners - and coal companies - in the short run found it too expensive to live up to all the environmental safety regulations - so it was much cheaper to pay the fines.  They were saving money and making more money and keeping afloat.  Then what happened was run off - because trees were not replanted after strip mining and soil, water, were ruined downstream and down into the valleys.  Then there were big time health problems.

There’s a dilemma that is always there.

The title of my homily is, “The Reason Underneath the Reality.”

I assume the rules for washing hands started off for the right reason, but in time it became an extreme and people were doing it as an extreme - and then they rubbed it in and were saying, “We’re better than you.”

There’s the Pharisees in today’s gospel avoiding helping their parents financially in their old age, by putting their money into a fund called korban.

W.C. Fields in some movie had a Bible in hand and was paging through it and he says, “Just looking for loopholes. Just looking for loopholes.

I would assume the maintenance of parents is more important than donating for maintenance of St. Mary’s and St. John Neumann churches.

 I would assume that the trick is to study all this - ask questions - ask reasons -  and then make sure the reasons below the surface are good ones.

 If they are pride, selfishness, and to feel cleaner than others,  then pause and recalculate our motives and behavior.

CONCLUSION

So obviously in life we need to ask questions.  We have to do our homework.  We need to be humble and honest.

February 6, 2018

Black History Month Thought for today: 

"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love. For love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite."

Nelson Mandela

February 6, 2017

ROUND AND ROUND

I woke up as the sun was rising.

I looked to the east and this gigantic

round, round orange ball was moving

up the blue morning sky  like a pop up

in slow motion. Now if you told me that

what I was seeing was not what I was

seeing, I don’t know if I would believe you.

It was our round, round earth that was

spinning as well as the round, round sun

and I was seeing mystery in motion -

and if you told me there is no God -

I wouldn’t believe you because

you’re not seeing what I’m seeing.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

TOUCHING  MOMENTS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my thoughts or reflections for today is: “Touching Moments.”

An alternative title could be: “How touching.”

TOUCHING MOMENTS

Looking at your life, what were the touching moments?

What were the moments that touched you?

Last night after the Super Bowl game, Darrell Green of Redskin fame, marched the Lombardi Trophy through a run of Philadelphia Eagles players and each reached to touch the trophy or kiss it.

It costs $50,000 - was designed on a napkin in 1966 - is 22 inches tall, is silver, and weighs 7 pounds. It has stayed the same for 51 years now - named after Vince Lombardi - and made by Tiffany’s.

The Eagles beat the Patriots and they got the reward: to hold and to touch this very important trophy.

If you saw it on display, at the Football Hall of fame, and you could reach out and touch it, would you?

I know I touched the Commander and Chief’s Trophy for the winner of Army, Navy, and Airforce games.

How touching.

At funerals, if there is a casket in the main aisle,  I’ve noticed people reaching out and touching the casket of a loved one -

on the way up to communion or back.

Speaking of funerals, I’ve noticed if the person who died was in their 50’s or 60’s, couples coming across the parking lot and walking towards the church are holding hands more than usual.  I wonder if that is true or just my perception and wondering.  Could that be proved?

Do persons who lost their spouse remember the last time they touched?

When I go to a funeral parlor and the body is there and the casket is open and the person who died - is holding a rosary, I like to touch one bead and say a Hail Mary.

When I’m at the airport, in the terminal, and I see people at a gate going in or coming out I like to watch the body language of arrival and departures. How touching.  It used to be far more sceneful* - before September 11 - when folks could wait for folks inside closer to last door before the plane.

What have you touched?

I touched the moon - well a piece of a moon rock.

I shook hands with Dear Abby. I regret it wasn’t a kiss. It happened too fast. She was sitting right behind me at a banquet in Jackie’s restaurant in Chicago - for writers of the Thomas More Association.

I shook hands with Justice Scalia - I was simply holding the door - at a Lawyer’s Mass at St. Mary’s - and he came into the sacristy.

Bill Belichick put his hand on my shoulder - and whispered in my ear - at the Annapolis Touchdown Club. He asked me to say a prayer. At another time I asked him to come back to the Giants and he went, “Haah!”

I shook hands with Leo Cravata, a plumber, in West Pittston, Pa. Just an ordinary guy - but an interesting character.

TODAY’S READINGS: 5^TH  MONDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Here in today’s first reading we have one of the stories of the Ark of the Covenant. People often reached out to touch it. One story was about someone who reached out to touch it when it was falling in a procession and you weren’t supposed to touch it - and the person died.  That story borders on taboo and superstation.

Here in today’s gospel people were brought to Jesus - and they thought, if I just reach out and touch the tassel of Jesus’ garment I’ll be healed. We read in the gospel about people who do just that are they are healed.  

RECEIVING COMMUNION

At Mass we can reach out and take Jesus in the hand or on the tongue.

As priest I’ve avoided the fight or “thing” about communion in the hand vs. tongue. I see it as receiving communion - communion with Christ.

Someone the other day - said, “Talking about the flu and germs at Mass - we should have a separate line for communion on the tongue people. The Eucharistic minister would wear rubber gloves for that line.”

I smiled and said, “Are you crazy. I wouldn’t touch that one with a 10 foot pole.” 

I didn’t add, “You should see how they give out communion at Eastern rite Masses. The person coming up for communion comes up to the priest. He has a golden spoon. He takes out a piece of leavened bread. It’s consecrated and put into the precious blood. The person receiving holds their head back and opens their mouth. The priest then deposits the soaked bread and wine in their mouth. This happens quite fast and efficiently, but every once and a while, the receiver  licks the spoon clean. I’ve given out communion thousands of times in Eastern rite Masses, but I won’t tell the person who follows that person what just happened.

CONCLUSION

Those are some  words about touching - the healing touch - the power of touch - the memory of touch.

This week watch people touching each other.  Very interesting optics.

[* Notice in the middle of this reflection there is a new world I made up, “sceneful”.  I would love some dictionary in the year 2075, have the word “sceneful”.  It’s a variation of the word “eyeful” - with a different nuance.]