HOW ABOUT
A COUPLE OF SONGS
BY JAMES TAYLOR?
WHAT KIND OF SOUNDS
DO YOU NEED TO HEAR
TODAY?
Tuesday, August 7, 2018
JUDGMENT
BEFORE SALVATION
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 18th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “Judgment Before Salvation.”
I noticed that saying or slogan last night in a
commentary when reading up about today’s first reading from Jeremiah 30: 1-2, 12-15, 18-22.
I never heard that obvious message put that way till last
night: “Judgment Before Salvation.”
So I decided to explore it for a short thought or homily
for this morning.
All these years I mainly preached on the gospel, so these
last few years I have been looking at the first reading more.
OBVIOUS PROCESS
Diagnosis before prognosis.
X-rays and tests before surgery, pills, PT, or what have
you.
Cleaning the scrape or cut before putting on the
ointment.
Judgment before salvation.
JUDGMENT
Jeremiah as prophet
told it like it is. He didn’t like what he saw happening in his nation
Israel. They were following false gods.
They were not trusting in the God who had saved them in the past. They dropped
God.
Jeremiah’s time of being a prophet was some 40 years -
and it was a time of turmoil - fighting - destruction - ending up in exile.
Jeremiah announced consequences for sin - and following
false gods.
In today’s first reading from Jeremiah, Chapter 30,
Jeremiah uses the image or metaphor of wounds. He describes Israel having a
running sore - a wound - that won’t heal.
What I take out of this message from Jeremiah is that it
is a call to be honest and take a good look at our life on a regular basis.
It’s like going to the doctor’s for a check-up - to get a
diagnosis. In this case it’s to have a
judgment about the state of our soul.
SALVATION
I hear and see the words salve [ointment] and save in the
word “salvation”.
We have to know what needs to be healed - before we can
be healed.
Where does it hurt?
What needs to be healed?
Where do we have to change?
What’s the problem - so we can come up with the solution?
TWO QUESTIONS
This triggered for me two questions.
First: “Does Jesus sometimes simply avoid the judgment
part of this equation. In the Prodigal Son story there is no judgment just
salvation. The boy comes home - expecting judgment, but receives only welcome
and love.
There is a tradition of non-judgment in the scriptures
There is another tradition at times that there will be no
judgment.
Which will it be? So when we die, we’ll find out. Will we
come to the door or the Pearly Gates and find out there are no gates - just God
with open arms. Some people say or
express their thought, “I expect when I die to be simply welcomed into heaven.
Second question: is it better to have judgment - especially in the here and now? Is
it better to know what we’re doing that is stupid or hurtful?
Is it better for us to go through the struggle of overcoming
what’s killing us - what’s hurting us - and others - overcoming our sinfulness
or selfishness and then learning how to be less selfish and more generous and
loving - and becoming a better person here and now?
Step back: see all those people who have their list of
things they would like to see better in us.
________________
Picture on top: Judge Rohini
________________
Picture on top: Judge Rohini
August 7, 2018
NONDESCRIPT
Wouldn’t that be a horrible put down:
to be labeled, “nondescript”? “Oooh!”
Talk to your neighbor? Find out what
makes them tick - intrigued - awake.
How about yourself? Is there anyone
who thinks you’re dull or boring?
Oooh. Get a publicist! Volunteer!
Take a walk in a summer rainstorm.
© Andy Costello, Reflections
2018
Monday, August 6, 2018
TRANSFIGURATION
VS. DISFIGURATION
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “Transfiguration Vs.
Disfiguration.”
Today, August 6, we celebrate the feast of the
Transfiguration.
TODAYS GOSPEL
In today’s gospel Jesus climbs a high mountain with
Peter, James and John and Jesus is transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, such as no
fuller on earth could bleach them.
Think of the most beautiful bride in the most beautiful
white wedding dress - on her wedding day.
That image of bright - white as snow - clothing - is in today’s first reading as well.
Sometimes people look dazzling: at their wedding,
anniversaries, proms, winning awards. Our
figures are transfigured. We look our best. Check out your photographs.
Sometimes we look horrible - or feel horrible. We look or
feel our worst.
Hence the title of my homily: Transfiguration vs.
Disfiguration.
JESUS
The small mountain called Calvary - was a place where
people were nailed or hung from the cross.
It was the place the disfigured Christ was killed on the cross - after
being beaten and crowned with thorns the night before.
St. Alphonsus painted a famous disfiguration image of
Christ on the Cross. This one up here is nothing. If you walk into some churches in Europe -
especially Italy and Spain - you can see some horribly disfigured images of
Christ.
STOP SIGN
I like to say that the cross is a huge red bloody stop
sign.
What would it be like to have just that up front: a
gigantic red stop sign?. After a while, after seeing it Mass after Mass after
Mass, we would grow used to it. However if a stranger walked in here for the
first time, they would see and be startled or stopped by that big red STOP
sign.
THE MESSAGE
The message is obvious, stop doing this to people.
Stop disfiguring people. Stop hurting one another. Stop
crucifying one another.
The obvious message would be, start transfiguring people.
Start lifting people up.
In today’s gospel Peter, James and John, want to stay
with Jesus. That’s one great way of
transfiguring people. The hurt, the
psychologically disfigured people of the planet feel it all the time, when
people want to run from them. Talk to - better listen to gay people,
transgender people, old people who are dribbling, with food all over them - and
they will tell you about people who don’t want to be with them.
In today’s gospel Jesus hears the wonderful words, “This
is my beloved Son, listen to him.” When
a kid hears that, she or he glows and grows. Then there is the opposite: when a
kid knows he or she is not liked, not loved or honored - because of marks, work, looks,
tattoos, athletic skills, what have you - they can feel they are disfigured.
CONCLUSION
Today, August 6, goes down in history as one of our worst
days. A bomb was dropped on folks in
Hiroshima and killed and disfigured so many people. It ended the war - especially
after a second bomb was dropped a week later.
It might have prevented future bombings - still August 6th is
the day of the dropping of the atomic bomb.
Too bad, they couldn’t have dropped it out at sea or what have you - but
we’ll never know.
Today, August 6th, there are people being
honored, transfigured, complimented. Hopefully we are the ones who help others
feel transfigured and honored - this day and every day of our lives. Amen.
August 6, 2018
ESSENCE
Is the goal of life to glow?
What is its essence?
To spell the word right
in the spelling bee -
phosphorescence -
incandescence -
luminescence -
fluorescence -
with our parents
in the crowd celebrating
us on and on and on?
To stretch the single
into a double and wave
one’s arms in celebration
at second base?
To make and to bake
delicious blueberry muffins?
To climb the mountain
and hear God say to us,
“You are my beloved”?
© Andy Costello, Reflections
2018
August 6, 2018
Thought for today:
“Even though we never like it, and even though we wish they didn’t write it, and even though we
disapprove, there isn’t any doubt at all that we could not do the job at all in
a free society without a very, very
active press.”
John F. Kennedy,
“Conversation with
President Kennedy,”
Public Papers,
December 17, 1963
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