April 25, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“When you  betray  someone else, you also betray yourself.” 

Isaac Bashevis Singer [1904-1991]

Painting, Judas 1989

by Janusz Marciniak

SHOE  MAKER

[A Gaelic Tune
and Irish Cartoon]

There's A Fair Tomorrow In The County Clare

There's A Fair Tomorrow In The County Clare

There's A Fair Tomorrow In The County Clare

But What's The Use I Won't Be There

Oh Mother Won't You Let Me Go To The Fair?

Oh Mother Won't You Let Me Go To The Fair?

Oh Mother Won't You Let Me Go To The Fair?

My Fondest Child Oh Please Don't Ask

You're Not Even Ten Or Eleven Years Old

You're Not Even Ten Or Eleven Years Old

You're Not Even Ten Or Eleven Years Old

When You're Thirteen I'll Let You Go

Oh Mother Won't You Let Me Go To The Fair?

Oh Mother Won't You Let Me Go To The Fair?

Oh Mother Won't You Let Me Go To The Fair?

My Fondest Child Oh Please Don't Ask

I'm In Love With The Shoe Maker

I'm In Love With The Shoe Maker

I'm In Love With The Shoe Maker

If I Don't Get Him I Can't Live On

Oh Mother Won't You Let Me Go To The Fair?

Oh Mother Won't You Let Me Go To The Fair?

Oh Mother Won't You Let Me Go To The Fair?

My Fondest Child Oh Please Don't Ask

Gréasaí Bróg

Beidh Aonach Amárach I Gcontae An Chláir

Beidh Aonach Amárach I Gcontae An Chláir

Beidh Aonach Amárach I Gcontae An Chláir

Cé Mhaith Dom É Ní Bheidh Mé Ann

A Mháithrín An Ligfidh Tú Chun Aonaigh Mé?

A Mháithrín An Ligfidh Tú Chun Aonaigh Mé?

A Mháithrín An Ligfidh Tú Chun Aonaigh Mé?

A Mhuirnín Ó Ná Héiligh É

Níl Tú A Deich Nó A Haon Déag Fós

Níl Tú A Deich Nó A Haon Déag Fós

Níl Tú A Deich Nó A Haon Déag Fós

Nuair A Bheidh Tú Trí Déag Beidh Tú Mór

A Mháithrín An Ligfidh Tú Chun Aonaigh Mé?

A Mháithrín An Ligfidh Tú Chun Aonaigh Mé?

A Mháithrín An Ligfidh Tú Chun Aonaigh Mé?

A Mhuirnín Ó Ná Héiligh É

Táim-Se I Ngrá Le Gréasaí Bróg

Táim-Se I Ngrá Le Gréasaí Bróg

Táim-Se I Ngrá Le Gréasaí Bróg

Mur' Bhfaigh Mé É Ní Bheidh Mé Beo

A Mháithrín An Ligfidh Tú Chun Aonaigh Mé?

A Mháithrín An Ligfidh Tú Chun Aonaigh Mé?

A Mháithrín An Ligfidh Tú Chun Aonaigh Mé?

A Mhuirnín Ó Ná Héiligh É

EDGE  OR  CENTER?

Would you rather be the edge or the center?

Would you rather be the lead actor or an extra?

Would you rather be the motor or the body of the car?

Would you rather be the book or the cover?

Would you rather be the salad or the dessert?

Would you rather be the heart or the brains?

Would you rather be the waitress or the chef?

Would you rather be the menu or the meal?

Would you rather be the ice cube or the water?

Would you rather be the mystery or the explanation?

Would you rather be the cross or the crown?

Would you rather be the box of crayons or the rainbow?

Would you rather be Martha or Mary?

Would you rather be the "Hello" or the "Good-bye?"

Would you rather be the younger or the older  brother?

Would you rather be the beginning or the End?

Would you rather be the server or the served?

 © Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

April 24, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“One  hundred  percent  of the shots you don’t take, don’t go in.” 

Wayne Gretzky

THE  WORD 

“CHRISTIAN” 

INTRODUCTION

Today I would like to make the same pitch I make every year on this 4^th Tuesday in Easter. I would like to stress using the word “Christian” as a noun and not as an adjective.

Like various things I’m off on, most people really don’t  or won’t care about this issue. Still I’ll push it - and suggest giving this some thought.

C.S. LEWIS

I got this idea from C.S. Lewis on Page 9 of his classic book, Mere Christianity.

C.S. Lewis spells out very clearly: If you want to ruin the word “Christian” use it as an adjective; if you want to save it, use the word “Christian” as a noun.

FIRST READING

In today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles 11: 19-26,  we have a sentence, “It was in Antioch where the disciples were first called Christians.”

Repeat that a few times. “It was in Antioch where the disciples were first called Christians.”  

Chew on that text.  Give it some thought.

“Christians” became a nickname for those who followed Jesus and later it was adopted by them.

This was taking place in the year 59 or 60 in the city of Antioch in Syria. It might have be a joke, or  a put down, by non-Christians. Those who idolized Nero Augustus and chanted his praises were labeled, “Augustiani”.  Nero was a nut case.

So for the people of Antioch, those who followed Jesus were named, “Christians.” Before that they were called, “Followers of Jesus,” “People of the Way,” etc.

C.S. LEWIS

Somewhere along the line I began to read Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis and he makes very early on his pitch about not making the word, “Christian” into an adjective.

It must have made an impression on me. It must have made sense to me. I must have made a decision to follow what he was advocating.

So in this sermon I’m making that pitch to you. Let me try to point out what C.S. Lewis is saying and why he says it. See if it makes sense to you. Make a decision whether to do what he advocates or not. If you do, put it into your life. Do you buy what he says?

According to C.S. Lewis people are making a mistake, when they make the noun, “Christian” into an adjective, “Christian”.

BILLY

For example, years and years ago, I was once talking to my brother about something.  Billy was commenting or describing his buddy Marty who is Jewish and he said, “You know Marty is a better Christian than I am.”

I must have bought C.S. Lewis argument, because I reacted by saying, “No, no, Marty is not a Christian. He is a Jew. A good one at that. A good person. But he is not a Christian.”

My brother had no idea what I was saying and why I reacted the way I did.

ANOYNMOUS

And it’s the same point that some people make in the phrase, “The Anonymous Christian.” That means roughly someone who is leading a good life, but doesn’t know Christianity or is not baptized.

One of our priests commenting on that said,  “Would we object to being called an Anonymous Buddhist?” because unwittingly we were living a good life as described by Buddhists.

C.S. LEWIS

C.S. Lewis stresses that a Christian is one who accepts the common doctrines of Christianity.

Some people object to what he is saying with the point that there are people who don’t accept the  Doctrines of Christianity, but they are far more truly a Christians, far closer to Jesus Christ, than some who do.

He says it may be very charitable, seem very right, be very spiritual, very sensitive, but it’s not useful.

To argue his point, he uses the word, “gentleman.”

It used to mean someone who: a) had a coat of arms, and b) had some landed property.

And people knew who a gentleman was. A person could be a liar and a gentleman. A person could have a violent temper and be a boor and still be a gentleman. A gentleman had a coat of arms and some landed property. A person could have a Ph. D. and be a fool.

In time people changed the word “gentleman” to a term of praise.

When that happened, you no longer knew if the person being called a “gentleman” had a coat of arms and property. The word no longer gave you that information.

It only tells you that the speaker has a certain attitude towards the person he calls a gentleman.

“A gentleman” means a gentle man to the speaker. He is someone who is polite. Or as Newman put it: he is someone who doesn’t cause pain. But notice it can’t be applied to women.

Therefore, according to C.S. Lewis, “As a result, gentleman is now a useless word.” (P. 10)

CHRISTIAN

People have done the same thing to the word “Christian.”

They feel they are deepening it or widening it – but they are making it a useless word.

How do we know who is or who isn’t close to the Spirit of Jesus?

We don’t see into people’s hearts.

We cannot judge

It would seem better to keep on using it as a noun and add adjectives like  “good” or “bad” or “energetic” or “highly visible” or “practicing” Christian.

CONCLUSION

 So that’s my pitch this morning. It was at Antioch that the disciples were first called Christian.”

Consider C.S. Lewis’ point and make a decision on it.

And if you decide with him, join in the struggle to preserve the word that began in Antioch and then end up more than being a mere Christian.

PRAYER:

VOICE RECOGNIZING VOICE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 4th Monday after Easter is, “Prayer: Voice Recognizing Voice.”

Various surveys indicate that people want to hear more on prayer from the pulpit.  And if there is one topic that people buy spiritual books on, it’s prayer.  

What’s your take on prayer?  Do you need to hear more?  Do you have questions about prayer?  What’s the best lesson you have heard about praying?

So when I read today’s readings - including the Psalm - I heard, “Say something on prayer as voice recognition."

So the title of my homily is: “Prayer: Voice Recognizing Voice.”

RECOGNIZING VOICES

Here in today’s gospel - John 10: 1-10 -  Jesus says that sheep recognize the voice of the shepherd.  When the shepherd calls - his sheep recognize his voice. They don’t recognize the voice of a thief.  

Yesterday’s gospel had the hired hand as the alternative to the good shepherd. I guess if the hired hand is a steady sheep sitter as in baby sitter - they might recognize his voice.  The thief?  No.

At what age - at what month -  does a baby recognize the voice of her or his parents and family members. How about hearing voices while in the womb?

This morning I heard on the radio on the way up to the hospital - a story of a little girl who was lost in the outback in Australia - and it was a 17 year old dog who saved the little girl or located the lost girl - and the dog was blind and half deaf - something like that.

We pick up the phone - don’t know the number - and the other side doesn’t give a name and our mind is trying to figure out: “Who’s this?”  And sometimes we say, “I recognize your voice. It’s familiar. But who is this?”

I had a wedding a few years back - and a funny thing happened. The bridegroom’s last name began with W and when he became a local weather man on the radio, he changed his last name to A - as his radio persona. I didn’t know this  till later - when he told me that since he was always called on last in school - because his name began with W - he chose a last name that began with A.  

In the meanwhile I was confused at the wedding rehearsal dinner when his best man, serving as MC,  was calling him by his A last name. 

So later on that's why I asked him about his name. “What’s going on? Why is your best man,  Marty something, [whom I have since seen on TV from Baltimore], is calling you by the wrong name?" It was then that I got the explanation.

For some reason after the wedding - which Ceil Ambrosetti sang at - I told her about the W and A last names.  This was by total chance. She says, “That explains it all.  When I was talking to him on the phone about the music for the wedding, I was saying to myself, 'I know this voice.' But the W last name was not familiar."

She then said, “Oh okay, I listen to him give the weather on the radio every morning on the way into work. Now I know."

I guess musicians have a good ear.

PRAYER

I guess too - if we pray - we gradually get to know the voice of God - the voice of Jesus - better and better.

Beginner’s prayer can be all talk, talk, talk, saying prayers, prayers, prayers.

Long time people who pray learn to listen, to be quiet, and just be with the Lord - as in conversations with the close people in one's life.

I'm sure you heard the story about the old man, who told someone how he prays. "I just sit there. God just sits there. Sometimes we talk and sometimes we listen. Most of the time we just be with each other in the quiet."

I would hope lovers say to each other: “Shut up. Let’s just be in the quiet with each other."

So too God and me. So too  me and God.

I don’t know about you, I go crazy with that “Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins, and on and on and on and on prayer.” It’s a nice prayer for mercy - but I wonder if God ever says, “Enough already, I hear you.”

That’s my voice saying that. Your voice might say different. That might be the way you and God do prayer. I don’t.

Hey we repeat the psalm response a bunch of times - like today’s psalm response, “Athirst is my soul for the living God.”  Why not say that on the rosary beads as an alternative? Or cut it down to just one word. Say to God, “Thirsty… thirsty…. thirsty.” Would God love that one word prayer and laugh at us. I like the TV ad when the dog goes, “Bacon, bacon, bacon.”  So say to God, "Thirsty, thirsty, thirsty"  a few times - and then let God be the living cool water for you. Sip and be satisfied.

I’ve studied a bit about Theravada Buddhism. Sometimes a person just sits there in the quiet for hours and hours straight - breathing in, breathing out, without saying a word.

I know a bit about Quaker Services. One of the rules is to be quiet and not say anything till the Spirit of God of God pushes someone to say something. I’ve been to Quaker Sunday services in which nothing is said in the hour of prayer - and it’s an hour of quiet.  That’s got to drive people who do yakety yak prayers crazy.

And in the quiet, I’d assume that voices recognize voices in the silent music of prayer.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Prayer: Voice Recognizing Voice.”

People who are beginners in prayer - sometimes say a lot of words - and they might not be listening to themselves or to God. 

But in time, hopefully listening takes over - quiet takes over - and sometimes we hear God call us by name - or by the name he has for us - and we begin to understand God - and we know his voice - and God knows ours.

If you ever get a chance to be near a field of sheep going "baa, baa, baa" watch and listen - and maybe you'll spot a solo sheep in a shepherd's arms - maybe even a sheep that was hurt - or a sheep that was lost - and study that sheep's face - and maybe see a smile and look of contentment - and maybe see a look of envy in the baaing sheep - all around the pen.

BUMPER  CARS

When we were young we loved to

go to Asbury Park, New Jersey

on summer evenings. Two events

were on our list: miniature golf and

bumper cars. No comparison.

Bumper cars - bump, bump  - the best.

Now, when I’m old I still like miniature

golf - but it’s those bumper cars that

have become the not so nice reality:

regrets, aches, wasted time and

opportunities. I hate those hurts when

they keep bumping around in my memory.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018