April 17, 2018
“The heart of man is the place the devils dwell in: I feel sometimes a hell within myself.”
Sir Thomas Browne
[1605-1682],
Religio Medici
[1642] pt. 51
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Monday, April 16, 2018
JOHN 6
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this Monday in the Third Week
of Easter is John 6.
We have a section of that chapter for our gospel reading
today. [Cf. John 6: 22-29]
John 6 is the bread chapter in John.
John 6 is the Eucharistic chapter in John.
All those who go to Mass - and / or visit the adoration
chapel a lot should read John 6 a lot. It has 71 verses. It’s long - and is
usually broken up.
A STARTING IMAGE
Let me begin with a cute and interesting image.
A small company with about 15 folks in the business
operations division got a new CEO. At
the first staff meeting for these 15 folks, this CEO said he would like to have
dinner with all the families of the folks working there. He thought it would be
very important not just to know those he’s working with - but also their families.
This was new. This was different.
It was this one guy’s night for the dinner. He said to
his wife. You’ll sit next to the
president. We’ll have our 5 little kids at the table as well - and I’ll serve
the meal. That should impress him.
The meal began and this guy’s wife asked the CEO if he
wanted pot roast. “Yes” - then mashed potatoes, “Yes” - then broccoli, “Yes”.
And then his wife filled the boss’ plate. Then she started cutting the CEO’s
meat - till she caught herself and got totally embarrassed and red in the face.
Well, that’s a way of tackling this 6th chapter
of John.
I would like to cut it up into 12 pieces and then do the
same for today’s small part of the 6th chapter - cutting that into 3
parts. That’s my sort of a sermon.
It’s a method of reading scripture. Just isolate, cut out
one part, and then chew on that text.
12 THEMES - 12 PIECES OF JOHN 6 TO CHEW ON AND
DIGEST
First theme or piece: The Passover. It’s mentioned here
in John 6:4, “Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near.” It would
be wise to reflect on the Passover - the Jews passing over, escaping from Egypt
into the desert and heading for the Promised Land. Christ leads us out of
slavery. It’s called the New Exodus. It’s called redemption. It’s called
salvation. His blood be upon us - our homes - our new lives.
Second theme or piece: Give What You Can Give. You can’t
give it all or do it all - or have it all.
I heard Father Matt Allman preach on this theme just last Friday to our
high school kids.
Third Theme: Step In and Step Up. Andrew, the most important apostle in the
gospels steps up from time to time and saves everything.
Fourth Step: Remember the Fish. When you read the New
Testament, look for mention of the fish.
Christ is symbolized by the fish. It’s ICHXTHUS - I stands for Jesus.
Fifth Piece: Gather up the fragments. After all are fed, Jesus says to gather up
the fragments. We store Jesus in the
tabernacle.
Sixth Piece: The New Moses - Jesus is the Prophet. He’s
the new Moses.
Seventh Piece: The Crossing - Life is a cross the sea or
the desert.
Eight Piece: What Are You Looking For? This question appears several time in the
gospels What are we looking for? Jesus
asked the crowd: what are you looking for?
Ninth Piece: Jesus is the Bread of Life. What are you
hungering for - Regular Bread and the Eternal Bread of life.
Tenth Piece: God is Our Father - Jesus is here to lead us
to the Father.
Eleventh Piece: Want to live forever? Jesus is the food for eternal life. Eat him
and you’ll live forever.
Twelfth: The
Eucharist is a Test. Many walked away.
PART TWO: TODAY’S GOSPEL - THREE PIECES
First Piece: Two Types of Bread: regular bread and
eternal life bread. We need both.
Second Piece: We are all searchers -- Looking for,
searching for, wanting.
Third Piece: We are all looking for Signs.
LIKE HOME
Home, we’re all longing for home ….
To keep moving till homesickness
like an iceberg is well behind us.
It didn’t sink us. We have arrived.
This is me. This is my place.
We take off our shoes. We’re laughing.
We’re in a favorite chair, Alone or with
others - we’re with each other. We know:
this is it. In the meanwhile we fake it.
We look like we know. Then a moment
happens. It’s then we know. We know
we are at home. We will endure.
© Andy Costello, Reflections
2018
Sunday, April 15, 2018
WHAT’S YOUR TAKE
ON SIN?
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 3rd Sunday of Easter is, “What’s Your Take on Sin?”
Today’s second reading from the 1st Letter of St. John
begins this way: “My children, I am writing this to you so that you may
not commit sin.”
Isn’t that one of the top concerns for parents - that worry
about their kids - not to get messed up in sin - the bad and the ugly - and miss out on the good?
ONE OF THE 5 TOP QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK PRIESTS
One of the 5 top questions people ask priests is this:
“Father, did I commit a sin?”
When I’m asked that question, I want to say, “I don’t know. Did you?” I want to throw the ball back into their
court - which is going to be a take in this homily about sin.”
If I have time and it’s the right situation or moment, I
might say something like, “Tell me more.”
And then add, “Come Holy Spirit.”
To some questions - I’m tempted to say what Jesus said when
asked by someone in a crowd: “Teacher,
tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” Jesus said, “Friend, who set me to be a judge
or arbitrator over you?” [Luke 12:
13-14]
That’s kind of an “Ouchy” response, but there’s some truth sitting there in that response by Jesus.
Now I don’t know if there is a list somewhere of top
questions people ask priests, but I know that, “Father, did I commit a sin?”
has to be one of them.
However, I know another question people ask priests and it’s
definitely the # 1 question: “Father, does this count for Sunday Mass?”
We’re asked that at weddings - not in church - but at the
reception - after an afternoon wedding Mass. And somewhere in the attic or cellar of that
question is the worry about sin.
BACK TO THE TITLE OF MY HOMILY: WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON
SIN?
I’ll begin by saying that sometimes people think they are
committing sins - when they are not.
Then I’d say a lot of people are committing sins - and they
don’t realize it - especially sins of omission - like neglecting affirmation and
affection for the people around them.
I’d also say that if someone thinks something that is not
sinful is sinful then they don’t sin - even though they think it’s sinful.
However, having said that, I think that’s also an, “It all
depends.”
So one of my takes on sin is: “Sin is tricky stuff.”
What’s your take on sin?
Does every person have to go into the desert for 40 days -
for example Lent every year - or 40 years and do their own homework and heart
work and mind work on the reality of sin? By that I mean this: Is growing up,
is forming our own conscience, all about becoming one’s own priest - one’s own
deacon [that is, servant of one’s soul] - one’s
own judge - one’s own decider whether something is a sin or not?
I say 40 years - because I read something some 40 years ago
that went something like this: “The greatest sin is the inability to accept the otherness of the other person.”
I’ve been thinking about that statement for some 40 years
now. It comes up when I’m dealing with someone - usually a priest - [I live
with priests] - when they don’t think the way I think.
So is that the greatest sin?
I don’t know.
The Bible talks about an unforgivable sin. Mark 3: 28-30
and Matthew 12:31-32 are quoted. Jesus seems to be saying, If
someone refuses the Holy Spirit when there is a question of forgiveness going
on - then they are refusing the Holy Spirit who forgives - so they are not
forgiven. It’s their own choice - done by their own free will. So it’s not God
who won’t forgive, but themselves who won’t accept forgiveness - for our own
mistakes or mistakes and sins or
trespasses against us.
Now that’s my
take on that issue of whether or not there are unforgiveable sins. There are many other takes on that issue. It’s one of those mysterious
God and self-questions.
Here’s another
issue when it comes to sin. Some 50
years ago - someone - I don’t know who the person was - told me that they don’t
bring God into the picture when they are thinking about sin - when they are
thinking about right and wrong. They said that they simply ask: is what I am
doing here or thinking here making things better or worse for how I am doing
life or how I am doing life with others.
She added - it
was a woman - but I don’t remember who:
“Too many people think sin hurts God and they don’t pay attention to how sin
hurts themselves and/or others. They seem to leave themselves out of the effects of sin.
Now that’s
numbness. Now that’s dumbness.
Now I think that’s something right there that I need to think about a lot more.
Now I think that’s something right there that I need to think about a lot more.
MESSES
THINGS UP
How do you define sin?
How do you describe sin?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says the following. It's somewhat different to what that someone told me 50 years ago.
“Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right
conscience; it is failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a
perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds the nature of man and injures
human solidarity. It has been defined as ‘an utterance, a deed, or a desire
contrary to the eternal law.’” That's # 1849 in the New Catechism
# 1850 is also very
different and much more official: “Sin is an offense against God: ‘Against you,
you alone, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in your sight.’ Sin
sets itself against God's love for us and turns our hearts away from it. Like
the first sin, it is disobedience, a revolt against God through the will to
become ‘like gods,’ knowing and determining good and evil.
Sin is thus ‘love of oneself even to contempt of God.’ In
this proud self- exaltation, sin is diametrically opposed to the obedience of
Jesus, which achieves our salvation.”
So is sin that and a list of things in The Baltimore Catechism which many of us were brought up with and were taught - and then become
our way of seeing and thinking - that are wrong?
Yes.
Like, “Thou shall not steal.”
Yes.
Like, “Thou shall not steal.”
Like, “Make sure you take care of your kids when
they are young and your parents when they are old.”
Like, “Keep your married vows!” Better, “Love one
another as I have loved you.”
Like, “Keep the Golden Rule” - don’t be doing
things to others that you hate happen to you.”
I like to call sin: the mess!
A gal I know, Patricia Livingston, wrote a whole book called: This Blessed Mess. It's an excellent read.
But when sin happens, it doesn’t feel like a blessing.
It takes time to learn from our sins and our messes.
It takes time to learn from our sins and our messes.
So sin is what messes things up
- or keeps things messy - when beauty and unity and love should be going on.
Go back to that comment I heard some 40 years ago: “The
greatest sin is the inability to accept
the otherness of the other person.”
If we spend our time at work not accepting the personality
of a boss or co-worker or person we’re hired to serve - then our personality
can get filled with agita - and we might become nasty or a person others can’t
accept and we then bring that itchy agita onto the road or home.
Sin messes things up and messes us up.
That’s what hits God - seeing us messed up.
I think that’s part of the background Jesus saw and thought about
and cried about from the cross. Here are
all these people who yelled and spat at him.
Those nasties can anesthetizes us from being nice and decent
to each other.
How did the person who nailed Jesus to the cross treat his
kids at supper that night? Was he moody,
silent, nasty or what?
Is that why Jesus said, “Father forgive them for they don’t
know what the heck they are doing.”
CONCLUSION
We come to church - we take walks - we think while we’re
driving - and hopefully in our adult relationships - we talk to each other about
sin - what works, what doesn’t work.
These are just a few ideas about my take on sin - then there
are all those other thoughts - like sins of omission - like how we treat our
earth - our front yards and back yards -
like how we treat our bodies - health wise - like parking in the far end of the
parking lot to get some extra walking in - and making parking easier for others - maybe older than us - like becoming the person whom God and
others hope we become to make life on this planet that much sweeter for each
other.
Reflections - April 15, 2018
NOVEL OR A MOVIE?
If you were to pull
together your life,
would you make it a
movie or a novel?
What would be
its title? The place you
came from or the
you place you landed?
What have been
the raw emotions -
the pure feelings -
the key moments.
What would be the
chapters, the time
line? Where would you
end your story?
Would you care to guess - to
describe -
20 years from now and how your got there?
© Andy Costello, Reflections
2018
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