Thought for today:
“We all admire the wisdom of people who come to us for advice.”
Arthur Helps [1813-1875]
Tuesday, August 21, 2018
Monday, August 20, 2018
DON’T CROAK
BECAUSE OTHERS
WILL TELL YOU TO
GO CROAK
INTRODUCTION
The title of my
homily is, “Don’t Croak, Because Others Will Tell You to ‘Go Croak.’”
I wasn’t sure
just what to preach on today. The first
reading talks about Ezekiel losing his wife. She died. I had 2 funerals last
week of husbands losing their wives. So that is on my mind - so maybe address
that reality. Today’s gospel talks about the rich young man who couldn’t let go
of his possessions. Evidently they possessed him. I’ve thought at times about preaching how
possessions can possess us - how stuff can stuff us.
However when I
was reading up about St. Bernard, whose feast is today, I noticed a great
anecdote - and I decided to underline thoughts that triggered.
As I read the
life of Bernard, I began reading how he was often asked to help the church in
lots of areas: in disputes with Abelard, with disputes about 2 popes being
voted for at the same time, in disputes with the Benedictines vs. the
Cistercians, with organizing the Second Crusade against the Muslims - and
various other key issues of the time.
In the meanwhile
he was trying to be a Cistercian Monk and to practice quiet and contemplation.
Then in the
midst of all this the Pope asked a cardinal named Harmeiric to write a letter
to silence Bernard.
So that’s when
and where I get the title of my homily, “Don’t Croak, Because Others Will Tell
You to Go Croak.”
Rome and people in Rome complained about Bernard basically being a busy
body. He was described as as meddlesome monk. “Cardinal Harmeric, on behalf of
the pope, wrote Bernard a sharp letter of remonstrance stating, ‘It is not
fitting that noisy and troublesome frogs should come out of their marshes to
trouble the Holy See and the cardinals.’”
“CROAK! CROAK!”
That’s my attempt at imitating a frog. I know I have to work on it.
Well, upon receiving a letter of complaint, Bernard wrote back that he was
dragged by force to help at the council. He wrote, “Now illustrious Harmeric if
you so wished, who would have been more capable of freeing me from the
necessity of assisting at the council than yourself? Forbid those noisy
troublesome frogs to come out of their holes, to leave their marshes ... Then
your friend will no longer be exposed to the accusations of pride and
presumption.”
Rome - the Pope - and Cardinal Harmeric were impressed with Bernard’s
comments. [Cf. Marie Gildas [1907] in "St. Bernard of Clairvaux" in Charles Herberman, Catholic Encyclopedia, 2, New York: Robert Appleton.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
That example hit me.
How many times in life have family asked us our
opinion about family? How many times
have someone asked us about politics?
Then when we give our opinion we have the same
experience as Bernard: we attacked. We
described as being worse than a frog.
CONCLUSION
It’s then our move - to bite the bullet or to
speak up.
Either way, don’t croak!
August 20, 2018
WAITING ROOM
Are all rooms waiting rooms?
Waiting for the doctor?
Waiting for the test results?
Waiting for another to die?
Waiting for the son to come home?
Waiting for the daughter to tell all?
Waiting for a spouse or lover?
Waiting for a child to talk about
their
first day of school?
Waiting for a book club to show up
and talk
about their latest book?
Waiting for a counselor or lawyer
to talk about a troubled
marriage?
Are all rooms waiting rooms?
© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018
Sunday, August 19, 2018
August 19, 2018
CHESS MOVES
CHESS MOVES
He loved to play chess in open spaces.
And every time he played he won.
And every time he won, he didn’t
really notice or rub it in that he won.
In fact, he really didn’t notice he was
playing - because what he was doing -
was watching everyone in the plaza
as they played their own chess games.
© Andy Costello, Reflections
2018
INTO THE MIX AND MESS
OF HUMAN LIFE
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time [B] is, “Into the Mix and Mess of
Human Life.”
Sometimes we Christians wonder about our religion: Being a Christian.
Sometimes we Catholics wonder about our religion: Being
a Catholic Christian.
Hopefully questions pop up in our wondering. Hopefully,
we’re thinking people. It’s okay to ask questions. It’s okay to wonder whether
this is all real? Is there life after death? It’s okay to wonder about Mary, the Virgin Birth, Communion, Christ -
becoming one in Christ in his Body and Blood, the Mass. Is this all real? We come down the aisle and we hear the
Eucharistic Minister say, “The Body of Christ.” And we say, “Amen” which means,
“I believe.”
And sometimes we say with the father of the epileptic son in the Gospel of
Mark - 9:24, who came to Jesus for his son’s healing, “I believe. Help my
unbelief!”
There’s a great prayer: “I believe. Help my unbelief.”
It took our Church its first couple of hundred years to
come up with a language and creeds and councils - like Nicea and Chalcedon - to
formulate the theology of Christ. This meant disagreements, heresies, splits,
and people who walked away, It’s like
the folks in this 6th Chapter of John - which we’re listening to
these 5 weeks in our Sunday Gospels. John is giving us what people in Jesus
time and then in the Early Church time - wrestled with in dealing with Jesus’
message about eating him up - embodying Christ - being in Christ in communion. We’ll
hear next Sunday - the ending of the 6th Chapter of John - this concluding
message: “many of his disciples returned
to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.”
THE CHAIR
When someone tells me that they don’t believe in God, I
like to use the example of a chair. This usually happens when I’m sitting with
someone.
I begin by talking about the difference between “I know” and “I believe.”
I like to say: “When it comes to God, I don’t believe in
God. I know there is a God.”
Then I point to a chair.
“I don’t believe there was someone who made this chair. By seeing the
chair, I know there is a chair maker. It
could even be a bunch of people or a robot, but by seeing a chair - I know
there is a chair maker or a robot maker, who programed making a chair.
Next I point to the sky - or the sun and I say, “I don’t
believe there is a moon maker or a sun or star maker. I know there is a star
maker.”
So there is a difference between I know and I believe.
Try this with one of your kids who says he or she doesn’t
believe in God.
If they don’t get or accept that difference between
knowing and believing, quit arguing or don’t go further with the discussion.
Then I say, “I know there is a chair maker, but I don’t
know what the chair maker is like.”
Then I say, “I know there is a God, a Creator of the sun,
the moon, and the stars, but I don’t know what the Creator is like - other than being creative and makes a lot
of stars in lots of space.”
Then I say, “Here’s where faith comes in - in the
personality of the Star Maker. That’s where the scriptures come in. That’s
where Jesus comes in. That’s where the ‘I believe’ statements come in.
JESUS CHRIST
If we listen to Jesus enough we’ll hear him say, “See me, see the Father.”
We know Our Father as we get to know the Son.
We know the Spirit as we get to know the Son and the
Spirit of Love between the Father and the Son and anyone they breathe life and
existence into.
THE TITLE OF MY HOMILY
Once more, the title of my homily is, “Into the Mix and
the Mess of Human Life.”
In the fullness of time - God sent His Son into our world.
Jesus came into the mix and the mess of human life.
Jesus comes as a baby - into human flesh - and Mary and
Joseph can’t even get a place to have
their baby.
We hear that story in Luke.
In Matthew we hear about the slaughter of the Holy Innocents because of
him.
Jesus walked our streets. He saw market places and bakers
and bread makers. He saw people dancing
and he heard people singing. He saw our greed and our needs.
He saw men wanting to kill a woman caught in adultery.
Was one of the rock throwers one of the men who was caught in adultery - who
wanted to silence her - lest his wife find out?
Jesus saw sin - mess - hunger - thirst - the wounded and
the weak.
Jesus came into all this mess.
Jesus comes to us as bread and wine. He comes into our
mouth - whether we floss or not - brush our teeth or not - into our bodies and
our personality.
I love the Gospel Text: “This man eats with sinners and
dines with them.”
Jesus comes into the mix and mess called me.
WE PRIESTS - WE CATHOLIC CHRISTIANS
Last week, we priests - we Catholic Christians - we human
beings - heard the mess and the bad news
of what some priests have done to minors and others - and then there was the cover ups.
I thought this was all over a couple of years back - but
nope there’s still stuff that hasn’t been solved or resolved.
Sometimes it’s tough being a Catholic. Sometimes it’s
tough being a priest.
I hope this is one more scream to parents, keep your eye
on who might have your kids in their predatory sights.
We have made progress in that abuse is being seen not
just as sin - but as criminal - and please
go to the police for starters - as the Dallas Charter of the Catholic Church
states.
We can read the letters and appraisals in the newspapers that
folks have made - and hear anger and compassion.
A lady from Pennsylvania was telling me just yesterday that she was reading stuff on line from Jewish folks and lots of non-Catholics and some of them have greater compassion than some Catholics.
A lady from Pennsylvania was telling me just yesterday that she was reading stuff on line from Jewish folks and lots of non-Catholics and some of them have greater compassion than some Catholics.
We know now that some of
this sexual abuse stuff is a life time problem in abusers psyche and
history.
I hope we continue to make major changes in our church -
that all this is put into the hands of lay people - psychiatrists, specialists,
parents, police, FBI, etc. etc. etc. who will
be given power to do more about sexual abuse.
For nine years I was I charge of our Redemptorist
Novices. I’d have a novice for a year and a day - as part of their training to
become a Redemptorist - besides time in theology and philosophy. I didn’t pass
anyone forward, whom I would not be willing to be stationed with - and whom I
discerned would not be a good priest and a good Redemptorist.
It was a tough job - with a heavy responsibility.
CONCLUSION
Let’s hope this is a better week for our world and our
church. This world can be mixed up with a lot of mess - but we know God came to
walk our streets and share bread and wine with us - his body and blood is in
our mix.
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