STORIES  

TRIGGER  STORIES

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Stories Trigger Stories.”

As we all know stories trigger stories.

I tell you a story about a blue rock and you begin thinking about a blue car you once had or a rock band or a rock you once tripped on and you hurt your left shoulder.

Stories trigger stories.

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s first reading from Judges tells the story of Samson - which triggers the story of John the Baptist in our gospel.

Obviously Luke - today’s gospel - has the story in Judges in mind.

Notice the connections - no strong wine or drink - an angel of the Lord comes and makes an announcement - consecration to the Lord - barren no children - then a son.

Stories trigger stories.

The Bible - the scriptures - the Old Testament and then the New Testament - have many interconnecting stories. If you ever spot the Jerusalem Bible sitting around - just page through it - and notice all the interconnecting cross references.

Jesus is the New Moses. That’s a constant theme - especially in the gospel of John. Moses left Egypt - Matthew has to get Jesus to Egypt - so he can head for the Promised Land.

Jesus is the new Gideon - a savior - who will help the people.

When Jesus came they ask and they wonder if he is Elijah or one of the prophets.

         

WE DO THE SAME THING

We do the same thing - all the time.

I tell a story and it reminds you of something that happened to you - and first chance you get, you cut me off and you tell your story.

This happens all the time.

It happens with jokes as well.

Listening exercises are given to people - and they are trained to hear what the others are saying - and not cut in with our story.

A person was telling me recently that a parish in the Midwest  trained a team of about 12 people to go around the parish in 2’s - to knock on doors and see if they could talk to Catholics who had dropped out of church.  The parish numbers had gone down big time. Their job was to ask dropouts their story.  They were not allowed to tell the persons they were listening to their story. They were just to listen. Then at the end to say, “Thanks for telling us your story. We’re from St. Mary’s and you’re always welcome back.”

It worked.

CONCLUSION

Stories trigger stories - but they didn’t let their stories - to stop them from listening to other people’s stories.

Today ask someone to tell you their story - without you telling your story. Watch what happens.

December 19, 2018

BODY  PARTS

If you’re happy,

tell your face and give

the world a great smile

If you’re sad,

get what’s bothering you

off your chest.

If you’re lonely,

move your feet and

knock on a friend’s door.

If you’re all talk,

shut up and visit a shut in -

and listen to them.

If you’re wondering

why you’re here,

reach out and help someone.

If you’re doubting God,

open your eyes to all

the beauty surrounding you.

If you’re grouchy,

move your mouth and praise

someone for something quick.

If you’re lazy,

get off your butt and do

something sweet for someone else.

 © Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

December 19, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“O world, I cannot hold thee close enough.”  

Edna St. Vincent Millay [1892-1950] 

in God’s World [1917], stanza 1.

December 18, 2018

TABLE

Who came up with the first table? 

Was it a rock or a board placed 

on two rocks?  At some point did 

some carpenter put together a 

wooden structure - so that we 

didn’t have to eat on the ground 

or off a blanket or an animal hide? 

Did that lead to the idea of an altar?

Who made the first altar? Did the

first altar, did the first table move

our consciousness,  a few degrees

closer to the importance of eating

together, praying together with

each other and with our God?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

IF YOU WANT JUSTICE,

WORK  FOR  PEACE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “If You Want Justice, Work for Peace.”

That’s a saying that Pope Paul VI gets credit for - putting it out there on January 1, 1972  in a message for the celebration of the Day of Peace.

We all know the beatitude: “Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be called children of God.”

We all know and say the Peace Prayer coming from the tradition of St. Francis of Assisi. “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace….today.”

TODAY’S READINGS

I thought of Paul VI’s message, “If you want justice, work for peace” when I read today’s readings.

Jeremiah 25 - today’s first reading -  proclaims - that “The Lord’s name is justice.”

How do you describe, how do you define, justice.

I like to say it means fairness - the very word - every kid screams in games or on  how he or she feels they are being treated. “It’s not fair, Bobby can stay up later than me.” “It’s not fair, the teacher like Sally more than me.”

Paul VI was saying: if we treat each other with fairness and equal respect, we’ll have more peace in the family, in the world, in our groups.

The Psalm response for today was: “Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.”

Today’s gospel describes Joseph as a righteous man.  He treated Mary well.

THE CATHOLIC SOCIAL DOCUMENTS / TEACHINGS

Paul VI gets credit for putting into one short sentence the essence of Catholic Social Teachings. “If You Want Justice, Work for Peace.”

I keep hearing in meetings - and in writings -  the call of our Catholic Church to evangelize the world.

Sometimes I wonder just what evangelization means. Is it pushing for  a  strict and narrow agenda - liberal or conservative positions? Is it simply to teach, preach, stress the gospel to our world?

If Catholics knew our Social Justice documents - and then tried to work them into our lives - our families and our neighborhoods - and our world, then I think things would be clearer what Christ was about.

I would be strongly in favor of pushing that agenda: that everyone knew Rerum Novarum [Leo XIII, 1891], Quadragesimo Anno 1931, Mater et Magister [1961], Pacem in Terris [1963] , Populorum  Progressio,   Humanae Vitae [1968]. Labore, exercens [1981], Caritas in veritate, [John Paul II, 2009  and Laudato si [2015] from Pope Francis on the environment.

However, if the Church stressed and preached on the social justice teachings, there would be complaints and screaming.  People would say, “This is politics!” “This is socialism.” “You can’t preach in the pulpit about Labor Unions or Capital Punishment or the Climate.”

THE CROSS

The cross is central to this church building - this large crucifix on the front wall of our church here at St. John Neumann.

Christ was crucified for a reason.

I wonder when I think about what we’re called to preach about: Do we ever preach messages that could get us killed?

It was Jesus’ call to die to self and selfishness and to sacrifice and care for others.

Read Matthew 25: 31-46: I was hungry, I was sick, I was naked, I was in prison and you visited and tried to help me.

Read Galatians 6:2: “Bear one another’s burdens and this way you’ll fulfill the law of Christ.”

Listen to these words from St. Basil the Great, “When someone steals another's clothes, we call them a thief. Should we not give the same name to one who could clothe the naked and does not? The bread in your cupboard belongs to the hungry; the coat unused in your closet belongs to the one who needs it; the shoes rotting in your closet belong to the one who has no shoes; the money which you hoard up belongs to the poor.”

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily for today was: “If You Want Justice, Work for Peace.”

This message from Pope Paul VI is a one sentence message that is central to the great collection of Social Justice Encyclicals or Letters from our recent popes.

If people knew this is what we stand for, would they still stand with the Church?  Or would they walk away - because their religion stays inside the church buildings?

December 18, 2018 

Thought for today: 

“Humor  is  a  prelude to faith and 

Laughter is the beginning of prayer.” 

Reinhold Niebuhr [1892-1971] 

in Discerning the Signs of the Times [1949]

CHAIR

Some chairs are comfortable - 

the soft seated ones - padded. 

Some chairs are serious - like 

the wooden ones in classrooms. 

We spend so much time sitting. 

I sit here on this wooden bench - 

taking a moment in this church 

to pray for those in tight situations - 

in court rooms - waiting for the 

jury to come back with a verdict. 

I grab the arm rest - because 

the rest of someone’s life is  

in jeopardy - waiting to hear 

what’s next. They are facing 

a possible life sentence. 

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018