April 18, 2018
“A mind not to be changed by place or time.
the mind is its own place, and it itself
Can make a heav’n of hell, a hell of heav’n.”
John Milton [1608-1674],
Paradise Lost [1667]
bb, I, line 253
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
April 18, 2018
DISSATISFIED
Dissatisfied, in a rut, ready to move,
to migrate, to immigrate both in body,
mind, soul and being - to get a better
job in a far country - a new place.
But where? Then there is family
and advice from fellow passengers -
then there is homesickness - and
be prepared to feel like an outcast.
Stay still or set sail for the new.
Security pleases some - risk too few.
But risk can bring new relationships
a soulmate - and meeting God within.
© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
WHAT WE LIVE
ON
AFTER WE HAVE LIVED
The old priest told the young woman,
“These are the men who built the
tunnels, the bridges and the highways.”
Then he added, looking around the church
hall at these old wrinkled
weathered men,
“God only knows what they live on now.”
The young girl stood there studying
the faces - as tears slid down her face,
God only knows what she was thinking.
She was homesick. She was experiencing
changes. She was adjusting. She was future.
God only knows what she’ll live in a new now.
changes. She was adjusting. She was future.
God only knows what she’ll live in a new now.
© Andy Costello, Reflections
2018
WHAT’S YOUR TAKE
ON ANGER?
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this Tuesday of the Third Week of
Easter is, “What’s Your Take On Anger.”
I got that question
and issue to think about from today’s first reading. [Cf. Acts 7: 51 to 8: 1a]
The crowd gets infuriated when Stephen tells them off.
He says, “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart
and ears, you always oppose the Holy Spirit, you are just like your ancestors.”
Hearing this they throw him out of town and begin to stone
him to death.
HOW MANY TIMES IN OUR LIFE HAVE WE SEEN THAT SCENE
How many times have we seen that same scene?
Saul - who becomes Paul - saw it and wow did he take a lot
out of it, but it took him time.
My earliest memory of
anger was as a little boy walking along 4th Avenue in Brooklyn. We
were going by a gas station and two
mechanics are screaming at each other - and one guy throws a metal tire wrench
- the solid one piece ones - in the shape of a plus sign or a cross - at the
other guy and misses him. I can still
hear the clang of that sound on macadam or cement all these years - and my shoulders
still jerk back and up when I remember that moment.
Little kids hear anger and screaming and it effects and
affects them.
I never could get affect and effect correct - and cheat and
say, “It’s often both.”
We have all seen couples, parents, kids, angry, screaming
and yelling at each other.
What’s your take on anger?
What are your memories of anger?
What are the angry scenes - on stage - in the auditorium of your
mind and memory?
TYPES OF ANGER
We don’t have to define anger or look the word up in the
dictionary. We know what anger is.
But I think it’s smart to think of types of anger.
There’s good anger and there’s bad anger.
Everyone who comes to church has heard that Jesus got angry
at the money changers in the temple - and threw a tantrum at the crowd.
So sometimes anger is good and justified. We should get
angry at those who abuse children - or anyone.
Do you get angry at those who dump on the earth or empty
out their car garbage onto the parking
lot or gas station floor - especially when there’s a big plastic can a few feet
away. A couple of times I’ve said, “Hey
you just dropped this.” It could be a McDonald’s wrapper of a Burger King big chocolate shake
cup. If they don’t go back and pick it
up - that means I have to do that.”
I remember reading about a sociological study and experiment
in New Orleans or Nashville or somewhere. During the night for a week -
including a weekend - they cleaned a
street totally and then measured and weighed the amount of wrappers and garbage
that night. Then then they planted garbage on the street and measured the
amount that night. Lesson: clean streets, parks, rest rooms, stay cleaner, the
cleaner they are.
I dislike - have a calm low degree of anger - when I’m at a
ballgame and everyone just dumps all their garbage on the ground - under their
seats - or when I see the dugout by the 7th inning.
What bothers you? What bugs you? What annoys you? What
angers you? What does your anger list look like?
So there’s good anger and bad anger and so so anger.
There’s also revelatory anger. That’s anger that tells the
person who is angry their values. If you get angry at dumpers and slobs - that should
tell you that you like neat.
For example, some people get angry at talkers in church -
before and after mass. Other people
think it’s great to see neighbors and friends greeting each other in church
before and after Mass.
For example, some people go crazy with mismanagement -
stupidity - like at the post office - when three counter people are just
standing there off to the side talking and laughing and the line is 15 deep -
and finally someone of the 3 finish a story and go over to their spot on the
counter and yell, “Next!” Good management, good service, flow in a parking lot,
etc. etc. etc. are at stake here. Then
there was the heart specialist in California - who said to his heart
patients. When you go into a bank,
always pick the longest line. When you’re 2nd in line - get off -
and go to the back of the longest line. While standing there try to recall the
names of everyone in your high school graduating class. I’ve tried that. I’ve
tried that. It works. But I don’t have
an E-ZPass and I always pick the longest toll booth.
CONCLUSION
Some people get angry at long sermons - they gotta get to
work - or they know that someone could say the same thing in 10 words or less.
For example: “Hey turkey, don’t you realize, you’re getting angry too much.: That’s 10 words.
For example, “In the end, Stephen forgives.” That’ 5 words.
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
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