June 6, 2018
Thought for today:
“Events, circumstances,
etc. have their origin in ourselves.
They spring from seeds which we have sown.”
Henry David Thoreau
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
June 5, 2018
MATTHEW 6:26, 28
Jesus, said, look at the birds of the air,
so I looked. Drones before drones,
planes before planes, birds soaring,
never boring, sliding down sleeves
of sky, riding on invisible alleys of air.
Jesus, said, look at the flowers of the field,
so I looked. Color before crayons,
statues before statues, dancing, waving,
gracing our world, scenting our air,
gifting us with soft silent silk beauty.
© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018
Cf. Matthew 6:26;
Mathew 6: 28
St. Boniface, Mainz
by Cornelius Floemaert
SAINT BONIFACE
The title of my thoughts is, “Saint Boniface.”
His regular name was Wynfrid - but that was changed to
Boniface - by a pope. It means, “Do
Good!”
That might be a great message for all of us each morning:
Do Good!”
I don’t remember ever saying anything about Saint
Boniface in a sermon - so for a change of pace, I’d like to make a few comments
about St. Boniface - today on his feast day.
He was a missionary.
He was a Benedictine who spent most of his life as a priest and bishop
on the road.
He was an Englishman - but wanted to spend his life as a
missionary in mainland Europe. He ends up being the Patron Saint of Germany.
In a way, he does not fulfill Jesus’ words about rending
to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s - as we heard in today’s
gospel. He was much more directly connected the Carolingians - descendents of
Charlemagne and connected to Charles Martel and Pippin - names we might remember from our high
school classroom days with European
history. The name I always remember is
Pippin the Short. I liked names
like that. I also remember Charles the Bald.
Boniface’s dates are c.
675 till June 5, 754. So he’s a
bright light in a dim or dark age period of history.
He founded monasteries and dioceses and he did a lot of
things Rome was hoping he would do in
mainland Europe.
There are 40 some copies of a life of Boniface from a guy
named Willibroard - 4 of which are thought to be direct from the originals.
Saint Boniface's feast day is celebrated on June 5th "in the Roman Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church, the Anglican Communion, and the Eastern Orthodox Church".
There are some 140 Letters of Boniface - but we don’t have
the return letter or the letter they are answering.
He was murdered along with a group of other missionaries
and monks on this day in 754. He was
reading the scriptures at the time of the murder.
He is pictured with a sword going through a bible he had
in hand.
No it didn’t save him, but he preached it to help bring
salvation to others.
After his death he becomes well known in both Germany and
England.
There are churches in his name in England as well as
Germany.
We Redemptorists had a German national church in his name
in Philly - but like so many churches people moved out and moved on.
So that’s a few ideas about Saint Boniface.
He had some problems with Irish Missionaries over in
Germany - but I don’t to go there.
Monday, June 4, 2018
SELF-CONTROL
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 9th 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 3rd 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
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