February  4, 2019 - 

Black History Month Thought for Today:  

“Man, if you gotta ask you'll never know.” 

Louis Armstrong [1900-1971]. 

This was his response when 

asked by Jazz is.

REJECTION

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 4^th  Sunday in  Ordinary  Time [C] is, “Rejection.”

I read over the readings and then ask, “What theme - what thought - is in these readings.

Sometimes I use the Bible text of Samuel, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.”

The theme of rejection hit me - especially from today’s first reading - which has comments about Jeremiah who was called by God and ends up being rejected by the people. Next - more specifically in today’s gospel - which Jesus is rejected early on.

EXPECT REJECTIONS

If you run for office, expect rejections.

If you root for a team and wear their jersey or T-shirt, expect rejections.

If you write a letter to the editor of a newspaper, expect rejections.

If you write a novel - and don’t self publish, expect rejections.

If you wear a wedding dress, expect someone not to like it.

If you tell a joke, expect a boo, a thumbs down, or a rejection.

JEREMIAH AND JESUS ARE REJECTED

So both Jeremiah and Jesus are rejected.

In chapter 38 of Jeremiah we have the story about his being arrested and thrown down into a muddy cistern. His words and his message is rejected.

In today’s gospel the mob grabs and pulls Jesus so as to throw him off a cliff at the end of their town. Somehow his time has not come yet.

But Luke is telling us - as well as  the Old Testament - they are telling us that prophets tend to be rejected.

Just pick up any copy of the Washington Post or the New York Times or Time magazine and go through it - and you’ll find a report about some speaker out on justice and fairness and the rights of people being arrested and possibly killed somewhere around the world.

Speak out against abortion or gay rights and upset happens in the hearts and minds and pews.

Upset happens.

Rejections happen.

PRACTICE - PRACTICE - PRACTICE

As we go through life we get   various opportunities and occasions to practice how to deal with rejections.

I never dated. I always wanted to be a priest  - so I missed out on that opportunity of learning how to deal with rejections.

Classrooms, sports fields, every day situations give us plenty of opportunities to learn how to deal with rejections.

Living with priests - some of us having hearing loss - gives plenty of opportunities to learn how to deal with rejection.

The yawn is a dead give away.

I am in the midst of telling what I think is a great story - and surprise the other person yawns.

Or my story reminds them of a great story  they have to tell - and surprise they cut me off every time  and tell their story.

WHAT TO DO?

Today’s second reading from First Corinthians talks about love - in very practical terms.

It’s more than an emotion and a Valentine’s Card.

It’s patience. It’s not being jealous. It’s not being filled with self. It’s not being rude. It’s not being self inflated. It’s listening. It’s loving the other person.

It’s not brooding and being angry with those who are filled with themselves or happy when they are cut off or make a mistake.

It’s having confidence and courage like Jeremiah in today’s firs reading. He doesn’t allow himself to be crushed - when cut off or being rejected.

What to do?

 One thing I learned to do and it works is speaking up for the person who has been cut off.  I have noticed that I can calmly say - when the cutter offer takes a breath - “Wait a minute. Joe you didn’t finish your story. What happened?”

I’ve noticed that another appreciates that.  He or she appreciates acceptance and recognition and being heard. He or she feels someone knows I exist.

CONCLUSION

I remember hearing a sermon once about today’s second reading. The preacher said, “Everyone, it seems, chooses this reading from 1^st Corinthians for their marriage ceremony. If only they put it into practice in their marriage.”

Plenty of “I love you’s” help.

But plenty of listening and patience, avoiding rudeness as in tiny rejections [like not praising the meat loaf or the homemade bread] these are the stuff of love and making marriages and daily living work nicely.

Or as someone said: The glances over cocktails that seemed so sweet - don’t seem so sweet over shredded wheat.”

When they do, you’ll be getting a signal, things are sweet. - things are going well.

PETER AND  ANDREW

Once upon a time there were twins: Peter and Andrew.

Neat kids. Fun kids.  You’d like them if you knew them.

Peter was older than Andrew by 17 minutes and loved to brag all the time that he was the older  - and the smarter brother - because he came out of his mother’s womb first - when they were new born babies.

They were now 12 years old.

It was their grandmother’s 85^th birthday - and they drove 3  hours that Super Bowl Sunday to their grandmother’s house for dinner.

But first they went to Sunday Mass ….

They got up early  and made it to their grandmother’s church for the 11 AM Mass.  Grandma and her other son and his wife - who lived close by - and their 3 kids were waiting in the church vestibule for Peter and Andrew and their parents.

Mass was 55 minutes - so they were back to grandma’s house by 12:15.

It was a good day - parents talking to each other with their mom. Grandpa  had died 10 years ago.

And the 5 kids - cousins - played Monopoly and threw a football outside for a while. It was cold - but not that cold.

Peter and Andrew - the twins - didn’t dress alike. Some twins do that. Other twins - some of them hate that - but mostly when the twins are both boys. Their mom liked dressing them alike  when they were little - but not now. They were past that - at least that’s what they would say.  But they found themselves often thinking alike. Twins are often asked that question.

But there was one thing where they were totally different. Peter wanted the New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl and Andrew was rooting for the Los Angeles Rams.

They had made several bets.  Whoever lost the bet, that one would have to make the other’s bed for a week. Whoever lost the bet, he would have to take the garbage out to the curb on Monday and Thursday and bring the plastic barrels back to the garage when they got home from school in the afternoon. Whoever lost the bet, he would have to empty the dishwasher every morning for the next two weeks.  

Grandma’s birthday cake didn’t have 85 candles - but only about  2 dozen. Her breath was good enough to blow out most of the lit candles at her first attempt to blow them out.

The twins were looking at the clock from 3 PM onwards.

They figured they would just miss part of the first quarter of the game if they made it home between 6 and 6:30.

Mom sitting in the front seat of the car  - handed the boys two bags of barbecue flavored  potato chips for the trip home.

Dad - a definite Type A driver - drove very carefully  - both hands on the wheel  - all the way home - feeling a bit nervous about possible black ice.

After all he had precious cargo here - his wife Janet  and their twin sons: Peter and Andrew.

They were home - and in the house through the garage - at exactly 6 PM.

The twins headed for the TV set.

Dad said he was going to check  out some e-mails and phone messages.

He said to Janet, “Did you see my i-Phone?”

She didn’t  - then she added, “Maybe you left it in the car.”

Dad headed out to the car and came into the house with his i-Phone in hand and two empty barbecue potato chip bags - from the back seat of their car.

Dad screamed, “Andrew you’re the slob. You left potato chip flakes all over the back seat of the car. Go out and clean out the car and get to bed right after that. No Super Bowl football for you this year.

Andrew without saying a word headed  for the garage.

He knew his dad could be this way at times - especially after a long day of driving - and he had to do the driving.

“Uh oh!,” Peter  said to himself.

Then he continued  talking to himself. “It wasn’t Andrew. It was me - who was the slob. And Andrew didn’t eat any chips at all. He knew I loved Barbecue potato chips, so he gave his bag to eat as well.”

Peter heard Andrew coming out to the garage - completely silent - and heading for their bedroom.

His dad had calmed down - after his scream - after his whining - but didn’t welcome his son back into the room where they were watching the Super bowl.

His dad didn’t tell Andrew that the Rams were already winning by 14 points.

His dad could be strict - and be such a neat nick - especially when it came to the car.

Peter went to the bathroom at half time - but really to sneak into their bedroom to see how Andrew was and give him the score.  The Rams were only winning by 7 points.

Peter mainly wanted to see how his brother was.

Peter asked Andrew, “How come you didn’t squeal on me - that I was the only one who had potato chips in the back of our car?’

Pause.

Then Andrew said, “Didn’t you hear what Jesus did in the gospel we heard at church this morning?”

Peter said, “What? What Jesus said?”

Pause.

Then Peter said, “I was thinking about the Super Bowl and had no idea what the priest was talking about at Mass. Are you kidding me?”

Finally, he asked Andrew, “What did Jesus do? What did Jesus say?”

Andrew said, “Well they were all yelling at Jesus and they were trying to take him out of town and throw him off a cliff. He kept quiet and kept moving and suddenly at the right moment he snook off the road and into the woods.”

Pause.

Peter never heard this side of Andrew ever before.

Andrew continued, “So when dad started yelling. I kept quiet. I’ve been doing that all these years. With him, you can never win. I cleaned up the potato chips in seconds. There weren’t that many and then I slipped into here.

“And by the way I have this small radio and I’m beating you by 7 points.”

The End.

Ooops. When I woke up this morning I felt something was wrong. The ending of my  story  wasn’t right. So my second ending would be: Peter walked back into the lounge - and told his dad - “Andrew did nothing wrong. He didn’t have any potato chips. It was all me - who left the back seat of the car so messy.

That was a second ending.

A third ending would have the father sitting there. It’s now in the third quarter and the father stands up and says, “Wow was I not so smart in being so tough on Andrew. I’m going to go into the boys bedroom and invite him into the game.

I polled everyone and got votes for all   3 endings.

February 3, 2019

MUSIC

The piano,

the guitar,

the drums and the violin,

horns and brass,

a folk song,

a duet,

a choral group,

a symphony orchestra,

an opera,

music,

loud and clear,

soft but moving along,

triggering moments,

triggering memories,

feelings, acceptance and rejection,

here and now, now and then,

freeing us to close our eyes,

open our ears and just be ….

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

February   3, 2019

Black History Month Thought for Today:

“Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place.”  

Zora Neale Hurston

February   2, 2019 -

Black History Month Thought for Today:  

"I see Americans of every party, every background, every faith who believe that we are stronger together: black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American; young, old; gay, straight; men, women, folks with disabilities, all pledging allegiance under the same proud flag to this big, bold country that we love. That's what I see. That's the America I know!”  

Barack Obama

WATERMELON SEEDS

The little girl was amazed at the

size of a watermelon compared

to an apple, an orange and a grape.

After her mom cut it open for

an after dinner treat - the little

girl was amazed at the color red.

She was expecting green inside -

but no,  it was a rich juicy red

and then she saw the seeds.

“Mommy, mommy, if I plant them,

will I get a watermelon?" Her mom,

a city girl,  said, “I have no idea.”

Well, the little girl, took those

watermelon seeds and planted

them - in big rusty red flower pot.

Every day - when she got home

from school - she watered and

inspected the dark brown soil.

The seeds slowly sent roots down

and green stem and leafs up -

but no watermelon ever showed up.

“Mommy?

Why didn’t you tell me about the birds 

and the bees? Why didn’t you tell me 

how watermelons come to be?"

 © Andy Costello, Reflections 2019