February 13, 2019
Black History Month Thought for Today:
“Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has
not solved one yet.”
Maya Angelou
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
HOW FAR ARE OUR LIPS
FROM OUR HEART?
INTRODUCTION
The
title of my homily for this 5th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “How Far Are Our Lips From Our Heart?”
When
it comes to religion and spirituality, this is a very important question.
It
could also be a very important question for all our relationships. Are we really talking to each other, looking
the other in the eye, giving the other ear service and not just lip service?
ISAIAH
I’m
taking this message from a quote from Isaiah that Jesus mentions in today’s
gospel.
Jesus
quotes Isaiah 29: 13,
“This
people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts.”
but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts.”
Listen
to how the Jerusalem Bible translates that same text into English.
“Because
this people approaches me only in words,
honors
me only with lip-service while its heart is far from me,
and
my religion, as far as it is concerned, is nothing
but
human commandment, a lesson memorized….”
When Isaiah and Jesus use the word, “heart”, what do they mean?
By heart Isaiah and Jesus mean what we find all through the scriptures when
we hear people using the word “heart”.
Our heart is our center, our command center, who we are
down deep. Of course the heart is a pump, but in human understanding we know
all about what one’s heart means.
We’ll see it full speed ahead this Thursday, Valentine’s
Day.
It’s our red blooded feelings plus our cold blue brain.
It’s the whole me that is the total me.
So Isaiah - and then Jesus - is saying, “We can mouth an
“I love you” with our lips, but we can be 5,000 miles away.
We can be with each other - and really be somewhere -
else.
Haven’t we all seen a preacher preaching - and without thinking - he looks at his watch. We
don’t know - but he might have just given us a dead giveaway. His might be giving a
memorized - outside his heart homily.
So too the prayers at Mass - so too - all communication -
all receiving communion - with Christ and each other. Do we have real presence - being there with
all our heart.
IT’S HARD TO BE WITH IT.
Today’s first reading is part of one of two creation
accounts in the first book of the bible, Genesis.
We can hear it - and not hear it. Our brains and our minds can be in the middle
of this afternoon right now.
Creation is still going on. It’s ongoing. - but it’s
difficult to be present to the whole of the universe unfolding - as it’s happening.
The cook doesn’t always have her heart in her cooking.
Imagine if an artist was right here - with a big canvas -
and he starts painting a picture of flowers, or a garden, or a whole street, or
the planet.
Watching we could become mesmerized by the beauty being
created right in front of our eyes.
Still someone might yawn. Someone might look at their
watch. Someone might unpocket their cell phone to check a text.
Or the artist might be somewhere else - because this is
the 65th time he has done this same painting.
Or our eyes and our mind could be totally in sync with
all of creation.
OR WE COULD BE TOTALLY OFF ON THE WRONG THING
In today’s gospel Jesus spots the Pharisees off on the
picky, picky, little nonsense stuff and miss the whole of religion and life.
The example I always like to keep in mind is the moment
we went to see the musical, No No Nanette on Broadway. It was a Wednesday
Matinee and we couldn’t get good seats. We were off to the side up in those mini
balconies - looking down on the front of the stage - as well as the orchestra
pit.
Well, surprise, surprise, I missed much of the musical
watching a cellist playing his instrument - but really reading the whole of the New York Post, Sports Section
included, all through his playing. He had it down.
It seemed to me that the other musicians were into the
show, into the music, but not this guy. He was into his paper.
I am glad what I saw that day.
It became a valuable lesson for me
When I’m into the Mass, I want to be into the Mass - and into
the readings - and into the prayers
I want there to be less there 1 millionth of an inch of space between me and Christ.
Impossible? No.
Difficult - of course.
February 12, 2019
LONELINESS
Loneliness is a lonely word.
It sounds so lonely.
Was it
one person - all alone - who
came up with it? Was he or
she having a bad day? What
happened? The
dictionary
dates it back to 1607 - but
I assume it’s too late to find
out now what happened back
then - which is often the story
when it comes to loneliness.
Twoliness - 2019 - is a new
word to try out. Talk to me.
© Andy Costello, Reflections
2019
February 11, 2019
So the next time you think it’s
Ooops. P.S. Tomorrow spot
© Andy Costello, Reflections
2019
FLOWERS
You think you have it so tough?
Think of all the flowers who
Think of all the flowers who
gave it their best shot. They
blossomed. They bloomed
but not one person in the
whole wide world noticed them.
Not one husband gave one to
his wife. Not one plucked it
and put it an altar to honor God.
So the next time you think it’s
not fair - nobody noticed you -
think of some fantastic flower
in some deep jungle which
nobody spotted in their week of life.
nobody spotted in their week of life.
Ooops. P.S. Tomorrow spot
some old lady and say, ‘Wow!
You look extra beautiful today!
Monday, February 11, 2019
HEALING PLACES,
HOLY PLACES
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 5th Monday in
Ordinary Time is, “Healing Places, Holy Places.”
Churches are holy places - as well as healing places.
LOURDES
Today we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.
Lourdes is certainly one of the planets great holy places
and healing places.
What are your holy places? Where are your healing places?
Father John Barry - who taught us in the minor seminary -
once said in the classroom, “If you ever get a chance to go to Lourdes, go.”
Then he added, “And make sure you got to the baths there.”
In 1996 I got my chance on a trip to Ireland and then
France with my two sisters and my brother-in-law. Each of us got a spot to pick in France. My
sister Peggy - a nun - picked Lourdes - maybe because today - February 11 - her
birthday. My sister Mary picked
Bordeaux. Her husband picked Paris. I picked the most important Marian Shrine
in the world: Chartres.
Each - was a healing place - a neat picture of St.
Alphonsus in Bordeaux and Montmartre - the church of the Sacred Heart - Sacré-Cœur - overlooking
Paris. Chartres was on my bucket list. And my sisters to their loss wouldn’t go
into the baths when we visited Lourdes.
VARIOUS HOLY AND HEALING PLACES
The title of my homily is, “Healing Places, Holy Places.”
Today’s two readings can be healing places.
Many people sit with their Bible - which puts them in a
holy place and a healing place.
The first reading is the beginning of the Book of Genesis.
It tells us of the creation of the world. [Cf. Genesis 1: 1-19.]
Where are your Holy Places: the Maryland Shore, the
mountains, the oceans, the sky at night, looking out the kitchen window at the
morning sunrise? Where are your healing
places: the bathtub, a good shower, your marriage bed - whether your spouse is
living or dead [memories] swimming, exercising, walking, a good book, shopping,
a rocking chair, a nap, sleep, a good
meal out with family or friends, Thanksgiving Dinner, seeing a baby or baby-sitting
a grandkid?
Where are your healing moments with Jesu? The people in today’s gospel [Mark 6: 53-56] - just had to touch the
tassel of Jesus’ cloak - or the hem of his garment as we heard last week - and
they were healed. How do you touch Jesus: in communion, in the bread, in the
readings, in the adoration chapel, at Mary’s shrine, in prayers?
My mother on the way home from work - taking care of an
older woman who was younger than she was - but basically bedridden, my mom
would get a whole loaf of fresh rye bread - uncut - stress on the fresh - and
she would put on a pot of tea and eat the whole loaf - with cold butter - cold,
cold butter on freshly baked rye bread.
It can be very healing after a long day of work - especially with my
sister Mary.
Food, friends, bread, wine, communion with each other -
what a great Mass of healing for anyone!
CONCLUSION:
The title of my homily was: “Holy Places - Healing
Places.” Lourdes, Chartres, Fatima, the Grand Canyon, Lake Louise, all can be
great holy places - wonderful healing
places - to visit, so too your favorite chair at home or bench here in church.
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