HOLDING UP 

YOUR SCRIPTURE TEXT

The title of my homily for this Wednesday in the Second Week of Easter  is, “Holding Up Your Scripture Text.”

I like today’s gospel, because it gets to an idea I like to push: “What is your favorite scripture text?”

I mention this idea a couple of times every year. In fact, I mentioned my favorite Bible text within the last two weeks in a homily.

My favorite Bible quote is: Galatians 6:2: “Bear one another’s burdens and in this way you fulfill the law of Christ.”

For many Protestants, a favorite Bible text is the opening sentence in today’s gospel reading from John 3: 16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

SIGNS

I am sure you noticed people at sporting events holding up a sign, John 3:16

At the last game two weeks ago in March Madness, the NCAA Basketball Finals, someone had a key seat, first row, behind the basket, with a sign with the word and number: John 3: 16.  At football games they are behind the goal post - so as to be seen at field goat or extra point attempts.

I assume that is well planned - and well financed and organized.

It’s a key theme in Protestant Theology: being saved - by placing my whole life and existence in Jesus’ hands.

The message is clear: Jesus saves us. Behind the Protestant stress on this text, I assume as a Catholic, it’s also a warning. You’re not saved by works, but by Jesus. Martin Luther didn’t like what he was seeing: preachers stressing indulgences, giving, donations, money, as ways of being saved. They can help, but Jesus Christ  saves us.

The  Catholic position is: if you have faith it will show up in works: like loving one’s neighbor.  We could then add: what about Matthew 25: 14-30  when it comes to being saved and saving and helping others. “I was hungry, thirsty, sick, in prison and you came to my aid. Come into the kingdom.”

YOUR SIGN

I would like to stress the question: if you could be in front of 100 million people with a sign that had one scripture text, what text would you choose?

Pick a text that sums up your religion - your faith - your greatest values in life.

It could be, “Father forgive them, because they don’t know what they are doing” - and you might pick that because your kids or your spouse hurt you - big time and you have learned to forgive - to avoid spending the rest of your life hurting, angry, regretting. Of still with forgiveness: “Forgive 70 times 7 times.”

Or it could be go the extra mile. Or turn the other cheek. Or This is my body, this is my blood, I’m giving my life for you.

Or it could be, “My Lord and my God” or “”God is love.” or it could be, “Love one another as I have loved you.”

TATTOO

Would you get a tattoo of a text and put it on your arm or leg or what or where have you.

CONCLUSION: BIBLE

I like to push two ways of being a Bible person - two ways of having a Biblical faith.

One would be to know the whole book - the number of books, the geography, the characters of the Bible.

Secondly, the other way is to go by texts.  Get one down. then another. then another - one version would be to grasp just one text - like John 3: 16 and try that one for 6 months.

One good trick, you’ve heard me say this before, use a rosary for a text.

Go with 10 times - using just 10 beads.

THE BEGGAR AT  78

I beg forgiveness

for not listening,

for not sharing  more of myself,

for wasting so much time,

for causing hell and not bringing heaven,

for not crying,

for not screaming out at injustice,

for not washing feet like Jesus did,

for looking down on beggars -

and for a lot more, O Lord.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018
Drawing by Michael Kluckner //
Rajasthan (Delhi and Agra in India,
"Beggar from memory - no, I didn't
stand there and draw him or take
his photo like a trophy."

April 11, 2018  

Thought for today: 

“Watch out for each other. Love everyone and forgive  everyone, including yourself.  Forgive your anger. Forgive your guilt. Your shame. Your sadness. Embrace and open up your love, your joy, your truth,  and most especially your heart.”

Jim Henson

WHAT’S OUR TAKE 

ON THE COMMON GOOD?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Tuesday in the Second Week of Easter is, “What’s Our Take on the Common Good?”

Today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 4, talks about common possessions  - common ownership - having everything in common - everyone putting their money in the common pot.

The history of the Catholic Church, Christianity, has groups who lived with everything in common.

We know that Jesus and his disciples did  this. At the end of Lent we heard that  Judas held the purse and he used it to help himself from the common treasury. We know from the Acts of the Apostles that early Christian communities followed that practice - that way of living.

We know from the history of the church there have been religious orders who pooled  their time, treasure and talents together. I took a vow of poverty in 1960 and I have never had to worry about a home and food and money ever since. It’s an easier way of doing life.

A friend of mine - a Redemptorist said that he tried the Trappist’s - and in the house he lived in - all wash was done together and you’d take large t-shirts an 34  jockey shorts or boxers from the common pile if that was your size.

I’ve been asked 1000 times: do you have your own vestments? Do you have your own bank account? Do you have your own car?  Take cars: all of us priests here drive the car we have been given and if a guy is stuck and his car ain’t working, you can ask another guy to borrow his so called “his car” till his car is fixed.

We used to have common ownership of cars - but the practice changed when people realized that some guys wouldn’t fill up the gas in a car for the next guy - or keep an eye on its being serviced.  In general, we found out that if all take care of the cars, sometimes nobody is taking care of some cars - and the next guy is not in the know

We know from our world that some people have started communes.

We know that some countries and sections of the world came up with ideas like communism.

What’s your take on the common good - and cult like groups - and the common life - and property etc. etc. etc.?

In our day, we know that people is this parish are very generous with their time as well as their money to especially to help the poor.

What are your thoughts about the common good and the common life of folks?

Thomas Merton was a Trappist Novice Master and he once said on a tape I was listening to, “If I had to do this job of novice master all over again, I would tell the novices, ‘Don’t slam doors. Think of the other guys.”

In other words, when doing life, “Think of the next guy!”

Here are some mixed thoughts about common ownership of property and life.

FAMILY

We could start with marriage and the family - that we are obligated to care for  and are members of.

It’s called family - the family car, the house, the common table and refrigerator.

We spot a nice last piece of apple pie on the next to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator - and we think, “I’ll have that tonight around 9 PM”  and we open up the refrigerator and it’s gone.

Bummer.

Who gets the clicker for the television? Who fills and who empties the dish washer?

The common life and ownership provides the opportunity to learn how to not be selfish and think of others.

Living as family - we learn who is selfish and who is generous.

We learn the difference between me, me, me and we, we, we.

OUR BIGGER HOME: THE EARTH

Concerned about time, some of you got to get to work - so let me just cover one other common good place: our home - this earth.

The earth is our home.

I learned from the famous architect and social commentator, Buckminster Fuller [1895-1983] Please take good care of the common bathrooms - the public restrooms - along the highway stops of life.  It’s my bathroom too. Think of the next person.

If you are tossing a paper towel into a waste basket and you miss your shot, get the rebound, and dunk it into the basket.

As you know there are folks who want to deregulate environmental protections  here in the United States. If I mention this from the pulpit, I might be handed a letter of complaint that I’m being political.

As a kid when we took the Sea Beach Express train to Coney Island we went over a small bridge over some water which we all called, “Perfume Bay”. It's real name is, 'The Gowanus Canal." We kids would hold our noses with our fingers and go, “Oooooooh!” at the smell.”

So I have been aware of polluted waters - bad air - and dirty bathrooms all my life - not just in 2018.

When I hear that some people want to cut down on regulations on carbon emissions, etc. etc. etc. I think of the day about 20 years ago when I crossed the border in Nogales, Arizona going into Nogales, Mexico. We were heading for  Magdalena, Mexico. I noticed the change in air almost immediately.  Cars were coughing smoke - and I was taking it in. I asked the 3 other people I was with, “Do they have emissions tests in Mexico?” They laughed at me.

I think of cigarette smoking regulations here in the United States. There has been a vast change in thinking and practice about smoking in the last 25 or is it 50 years.

Emphysema is a reality. “Cough. Cough. Cough!”

I’m sure you have heard about the air pollution in Beijing. China. The place is filled with smoke and air pollution. It’s hard to see the distance some days. 

Finally, there are people making the effort to improve the quality and the environment. It’s happening.

I think of deregulations of laws when it comes to strip mining in Kentucky. Instead of mine shafts and all that, the method of getting at the coal became strip mining. Mountain tops are removed with bulldozers and all the coal is exposed. Then after all the coal is gotten, it’s left alone. When snow melts and rain flows down the mountain, homes and places in the valley and hollows are flooded. There are fines - which companies pay the local governments - which are far less expensive than  replanting trees and resoding  and resoiling the earth.

The Golden Rule is not being kept.

Think of the other guy - not refilling one’s wallet.

The earth is our home.

I hear people criticizing our pope and his concern for our mother earth - and praising those who want to deregulate.  Hello! It’s the money. It costs money to keep our waters clean - to stop pollution of air and water. So why wouldn’t big polluters want deregulation and attack those who are for Mother Earth.

Hello! Pro-lifers of the world scream for the health of Mother Earth and the abortion of life around us.

We live here near the water - concern for the water - which is 77 % of the globe - is concern for each other.

CONCLUSION

Let’s hope the common good, becomes our constant common concert.

Don’t litter - write letters of concern.

Don’t pollute - march, make signs, promote a healthy environment.

It’s for our common good.

GOD  IS  ALL  ABOUT BEND

Bend is beautiful …. lose your bend

and you’ll be seen as an old lady ….

Smile. Okay old men too. Be flexible

with your mind and your heart and

your opinions. If you forget about

bending, folks will avoid you at every

party and every family get together.

Bend. Bend those face muscles. Smile.

Bend your ears. Listen up and listen

to others. If you don’t get what they

are saying. Tell them: “Please explain.”
If you don't pray, bend your knees. Pray.

Smile. It’s not always about age.

Take the father of the Prodigal Son.

Now there was a father who could bend.

Take the older brother. Now there was

a stiff who couldn’t bend. He was stuck

in have to’s  - instead of want to’s. So God 
is all about bend - giving and forgiving. I 
was wondering, maybe the whole of creation bends. If you could go out into outer space maybe you’ll find yourself back home in inner space, bent back into your mother’s womb.

  

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

April 10, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“In the dry places … towns, like weeds, spring up when it rains, dry up when it stops. But in a dry climate the husk of the plant remains.  The stranger might find, as if preserved in amber, something of the green life that was once lived there, and the ghosts of men who have gone on to a better place.  The withered towns are empty, but not uninhabited.”  

Wright Morris [1910 - 1998 ] The Works of Love [1952], chapter 1

WHAT’S  WITH  MARY?

 [Today we’re celebrating the Feast of the Annunciation. March 25^th was Palm Sunday. Instead of a homily on today’s readings - I decided to fiddle around with some thoughts about Mary. Mind you: this is a first draft of a sort of a story.]

Two women - one Protestant - the other Catholic - were simply talking by chance at a conference. The Protestant woman asked the Catholic woman, “What’s with Mary?”

The Catholic woman replied, “What do you mean?”

“Well you Catholics  - seem to make a lot out of Mary?”

“Yes, we do, but what are you wondering about?”

“Well,” the Protestant woman, whose name was Martha said, “My husband and I are now retired and we took about 5 bus trips and 5 cruises in the last 2 years and we visited various Catholic churches. Most Protestant churches seemed to be closed during the week. Catholic churches are often part of tourist places. Many of them are named after Mary and they all have statues and stained glass windows and pictures of Mary in them. So we were wonder, what’s with Mary?”

The Catholic woman said, “Well, you’re right. We do make a lot about Mary. You can see on my name tag that my name is Mary. In the past, we often named one of our daughters Mary. My parents did and I gave my first daughter the name Mary as well.”

“Interesting,” Martha said.

“Yes, it’s simply a Catholic thing,” said Mary.

“Oh, okay,” said Martha. “Just wondering….”

Then Mary said, “Now,  we don’t think Mary is God. Some people accuse us of that - more in the past - but we never thought that.”

“Oh, okay,” said Martha.

“But,” said Mary, “We pray to Mary. We ask Mary for help - just as we ask people to pray for us - as well as saints.”

“Oh,” said Martha. “But I go directly to God.”

“Great,” said Mary.

Silence….

Martha was still a bit unclear about Mary’s answers about Mary, the mother of Jesus. In a tiny way, it was like the Martha Mary story in the Bible - but that Mary was a different Mary.

Then Mary said, “I would suggest that you have some problems and some questions about Mary in other places.”

“What?  Explain,” said Martha.

“We Catholics know other questions because we have been asked them a lot - and preachers  from time to time address them.”

“Here’s a few: The Immaculate Conception …. the Perpetual Virginity of Mary…. No brothers and sisters of Jesus …. Mary is called the ‘Mother of God’ - not just the “mother of Jesus” …. Mary was assumed into heaven …. now those are some of the questions to ask Catholics.”

Martha’s face showed puzzlement at that comment.

Mary said, “One priest in a sermon once said, ‘We put Mary, the Mother of Jesus,  on pedestals. We’re not scared to  honor her big time. Why not? Wouldn’t you make your mom the best, if you could.’”

Then Mary continued, “Let me look up something on Google. This priest who was preaching said that some preacher from the 1100’s preached a 4 word homily on Mary’s Immaculate Conception.

As she was looking this up on Google, she said the preacher said one of the words was “potuit” So Mary typed into Google, “potuit” and then added, “I think another word was “ergo”.

Sure enough, Google said it was a Saint Eadmer of Cantebury + 1124  who said,  “Potuit, decuit, ergo fecuit.”

“God could do it.”  “It was only right that he should do it.” “Therefore he did it.”

“The famous, John Duns Scotus and others repeated that message.”

Mary said, “Aren’t these tiny phones fabulous?

Mary continued, “If Jesus was God and Mary had other children, what would they be?”

Then Mary said, “That problem never came up. However, when the Bible uses brothers and sisters, people in Bible times called close relatives and neighbors brothers and sisters - just as we do - when people say, ‘Hi bro!’ or ‘We’re close. We’re sisters.’”

Silence….

Then Mary said, “But if you really want to know what I think about this,  it’s this.  People want an edge. People want signs from God. People want help from God any way they can get it. People want a more human God. God is neither male nor female, even though we call God our ‘Father’ - so Mary equalizes some of all this a bit.”

Pause …. Then Martha said, “That’s a handful!”

Mary continued, “And many people make God a crusher and a destroyer - God isn’t - but in the scriptures - that’s how God is described and prayed to at times - to crush enemies - well, thank God Jesus is often presented as a forgiver - and his mother is often presented as a caring presence - and a perpetual helper - so balance helps us in our understandings on how to be like the image and likeness God we were created to be.”

“Oh,” said Martha, “That’s a lot of stuff to process. I need wine.”

Mary said, “I need water - which God often changes to wine - in rain and water irrigating vineyards - as in the story of the Wedding feast of Cana - when Mary helped a couple at their wedding - when they ran out of wine. She told her son Jesus to help this couple and he changed 6 large stone water jars into 6 large stone jars of wine.”