June 5, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“Constant togetherness  is  fine - but only for Siamese twins.”  

Victoria Billings

SELF-CONTROL

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 9^th Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Self-Control”.

That word, “self-control” appears two times here in 2 Peter 1:6  - part of today’s first reading. It’s the English translation for the Greek word “egkrateia”.  The root word is “kratos” strength - power - control.

MAJOR LIFE ISSUE

Control is a major life issue.

What are your thoughts about the issue of control. I think it’s worth thinking and talking about it from time to time.

Control: who has the wheel? Who is doing the driving?  The other person might be doing the driving, but sometimes the other is a back seat or other seat driver?  If you’re not the driver, do you find yourself trying to control the driving. Do you tend to say, “Slow down! You’re driving too fast.”  When we have these automatic cars - how will those who need to be in control deal with that?

So control, being in control,  power and who has the power around here, are main life issues.

SOCRATES

When reading up on this, I read someone saying that three disciples or followers  of Socrates, Plato, Xenophon and Isocrates - developed and moved the idea of egkrateia - from control to self-control. They moved the meaning of egkrateia from power over things - and others  - to self-discipline - self-control - in dealing with oneself.

So self-control is also a major life issue.

It takes in control of our own passions - emotions - drives - feelings - and instincts

It’s worth thinking and talking about it from time to time. How about today for 3 minutes in this homily?

THE ENCRATITES

In the second and especially the 3^rd century there were people who were labeled and called, “The Encratites.”

They were called heretics by the church - as well as by various church writers and teachers.

The issue of controlling one’s passions is often a life issue.

Another group that got into control issues were the Manichaes.

Augustine was a Manichaean  for a while.  

They and the Encratites were very strict when it came to sex - publically.

Privately could be another story.

Encratites went against marriage - and alcohol - etc.

They went out of existence.

I love to quote Groucho Marx’s words, “If your parents didn’t have any kids, chances are you won’t either.”

It could be stated, “If your parents didn’t have sex, chances are you are not here today.”

I remember visiting the Cloister in Ephrata PA. They practiced celibacy. Surprise they went out of existence.

Religious orders in the Catholic Church practice celibacy.  Our story is that we have to get members from the married folks amongst us. It prevents inbreeding: priests and nuns having children who become priests and nuns and on and on and on.

STRICT SELF CONTROL

We have all met or sensed people in our church who were off on self-control.

It shows up in clothing at times - for example in the issue of modesty.

We see this in Islam right now - with women having to cover themselves almost completely.

I remember going to the Vatican twice and women had to cover arms and men couldn’t wear shorts - but had to buy paper pants for the moment.

I’m not going to get into this - because it can be a button pusher  - yet it’s part of the issue of self-control - the issue I noticed  there in today’s first reading.

CONCLUSION

I like the idea of moving the issue of self-control to self - as opposed to being on the lookout for modesty and purity police.

So I think history teaches us that the finger pointing better go towards self - as in self-control - compared to controlling others.

I also have experienced that sometimes the strictest persons in our church and our world might be fighting themselves - but they think they are fighting others. I am not surprised when the ultra-sexuality police are sometimes caught messing around on the side.

The image that has always hit me is that of those Styrofoam pool things. The further you push them down into the water in the pool, the more powerful is their shooting up out of the water. The more people deny they are emotional, sexual, feeling, eating people, the more we might mess ourselves up.

Let me end there. I think that’s enough already.

June 4, 2018

CROSSES ON WALLS

I spot them in movies and hospitals,

nursing homes and classrooms.

Okay, I’m Catholic - so you can say,

“I’d expect there would be crosses.”

If I have time - I like to listen to what

Jesus is hearing hanging there on a cross.

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.”

“Father forgive them for not visiting me.”

Or, “What you too? Been there. Done that,

Felt that.  Known that. Okay, only for 3 hours.”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

June 4, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“New York City, 1925: The treasurer of a Jewish hospital fund with $15,000 in his pocket was stopped by two robbers.  When told the money was for a hospital, the robbers not only let the man go on his way, they threw in a ten-dollar bill of their own.”  

Pitirim Sorokin

WHAT DOES THE  MASS 

MEAN TO YOU?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “What Does The Mass Mean To You?”

Today is the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ - so I thought it might be a good moment to ask all of us to sum up what the Mass means to us. What are we doing here today? Why are we here? 

How have we changed in our understanding, how have we developed our thoughts about the Mass, down through the years?

What have been our key Mass understandings - our key experiences  about the Mass and the Masses we have been to?

This would be better to do in small groups.  I suggest you do it at home, at meals, in the car - together. What does the Mass mean to you?

It’s a good question.

BOOK

I have a whole book on the Mass. I finished writing it about 10 years ago. It is 317 pages long - 14 pica. It has 113 short chapters 2, 3, sometimes 4 pages long. It has 79,404 words.

Now that would be a long homily.

I sent it to 3 or 4 publishers. Each rejected it. One of these days I’ll get at it again - revamp it - up date it - change it - and discover what I have learned more or different about the Mass since I finished that book 10 years ago.

Looking for time…. Looking for energy.  

I met a guy at a funeral lately who writes pulp novels.  He said if you sell 500 - paperback books - that’s not bad.

I didn’t tell him, but I disagreed with him - knowing editors want to sell a lot more than 500 copies of a book. All the books I wrote are all out of print, but each sold at least 1000 copies - one 60,000.

So one of these days I’m going to get back to that - but real live work with people is more important and more in demand.

The title of this homily, “What Does the Mass Mean to You?” triggered this renewed interest in getting this book published by some company. I don’t do self-publishing.

So once more, what does the Mass mean to you?

Let me see if I can come up with 3 answers for my latest homework.

FIRST: DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME

Why are we here right now? What’s the meaning of all this?

First answer: we’re doing this in memory of Jesus.

At the Last Supper - which was a Passover Meal - Jesus took bread.  Jesus took wine. Jesus said, “This is my body. This is my blood. I’m giving my body, I’m giving my blood for you and to you.  Do this in memory of me.”

I asked myself: Is there anything I’m doing in memory of someone else?

My mother used to make and bake delicious Irish Soda Bread - which we kids would deliver to various relatives and friends in our neighborhood growing up in Brooklyn. My sister Peggy somewhere along the line in her last assignment as a nun in Scranton, Pennsylvania, used to make two dozen or so loaves of Irish Soda Bread around Christmas time and St. Patrick’s time and bring them to old nuns - in memory of what my mom did.

I was trying to remember what I do in memory of others.  I like to send e-mails or a card on the anniversary of the death of loved ones. Like June is the anniversary of my dad - June 26, 1970 - and my nephew Michael - June 14^th, 1977.

So that’s another way of asking what does the Mass mean to us. What do we do in memory of others - besides coming to Mass in memory of Jesus - to keep his memory alive on the planet.

SECOND: FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD

It’s not by accident that Jesus chose a meal to give us his final thoughts.  It was his last supper. He was passing over to life beyond this life.

Resurrection from the dead is essential to the Mass.

Food is essential to life.

Without food we die.

When we gather, we eat.

Can I get you something?

Eating with each other is essential to being with each other.

Eating is essential to being in communion with another.

It’s hard to eat with someone we can’t stomach.

What’s it like to be in a very small town and the church is very, very small? What happens on Sunday morning when one family - especially relatives or neighbors - can’t stand, can’t understand, can’t stomach each other?

It’s the same as what happens at some weddings.  The ones who do the seating better know who isn’t getting along with whom.

Kids who stop eating with the family - stop going to Mass with the family.

So food is all about communion.

It’s ugly when we excommunicate each other.

THIRD AND LAST: TALKING WITH EACH OTHER

Talking with each other is essential to eating with each other.

Breakfast, lunch, supper, coffee breaks…. What’s going on? What plans do you have for today? How was your day?

The Mass is loaded with words.

Words become flesh.

The Mass has sacred readings and sacred words.

This is my body…. This is my blood …. These are my words. I’m giving me to you. I’m digesting what you are saying.

When was the last time we sat at table with another for an hour or two after the meal?

Last night I sat with Father William from 6 till 7:20.  We could have been finished at 6:15.

We’re all running?

We have our schedules?

On our high school retreats we break into small groups.  I ask kids what’s it like in your home at meal time? Some families eat together.  Some families don’t.

On our high school retreats, I’ve noticed that they have collected phones for the retreat - and give them back - on the way back. Phones are great for connecting and telling family we’re on our way home.

I have heard enough folks like me say, “Please be with the people you’re with - not with someone on a phone miles away - right in the middle of a meal - with others.”

I also know we can be with others - look them in the face - have a phone in one’s pocket - but be 1000 miles away in our mind - and inner conversation. I do that all the time.  People confess distractions in prayer - but never confess distractions and disappearing from others whom we’re talking with.

I have to preach a lot - and I have to listen a lot.  I know it’s hard to catch others attention and to catch my attention.

Did you know chapters 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 of John are words from the Last Supper - but they don’t bring in the words of consecration.  Those words are in Matthew, Mark, Luke and Paul.

Meals are all about the food and the people around the table - their body and blood  - but a meal is all about the words at the table,

Ears and mouth - chewing and digesting each other - listening and talking - basic, very basic, going to communion with each other.

CONCLUSION

So my question for this rainy day: What does the Mass mean to you?

June 3, 2018

LAZARUS AT OUR DOOR

Sitting there 

leaning  against a door,
starving, begging for 
a dollar or just 3 quarters 

and you walked by. 

Sitting there 

leaning against a door 

begging for some recognition 

or just a simple, “Hi!” 

"Hell" you just walked by.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

Cf. Luke 16: 19-31

Cf. Noticing Lazarus at Our Door,

by John Lavin, C.Ss.R,

Reflections of a Priest with

Forty Years of Hispanic Ministry

June 3, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“Check your  ego at the door.”  

Quincy Jones