FEET

INTRODUCTION

Today is the 4^th Thursday after Easter.  Today’s readings are Acts 13: 13 - 25 and John 13: 16-20.

I noticed the mention of feet in today’s first reading - as well as today’s gospel, so I wondered if I could come up with a short reflection on feet.

I’ll try.  I don’t remember doing anything on feet before - but maybe …. So here goes.

FIRST READING

Today’s first reading ends with a quote from John the Baptist: “Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.”

The reading mentions the travels of Paul and his companions  - starting by sailing - then came the walking.  It also mentions the travels of the people in the desert for 40 years.  If they had Fitbit - how many steps would they have taken each day.  It was a different time - most travel was by foot.

Am I grateful for my feet - for all they have done for me in this life. I remember the old saying.  “I thought I was really hurting when my foot was sore, till I met someone without legs.”

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Today’s gospel  begins with mention of Jesus washing his disciples feet.

That’s a great Gospel message: the Christian life is all about service and foot washing.  I’ve heard some scripture scholars speculating on whether it was an early Christian sacrament.

That would be nice - a sacrament that Christians could give each other - especially after a long day on one’s feet.  I have happy memories of getting hot water and putting Epson Salts in a plastic bucket for my dad - after he got home from work.

JESUS AND FEET

We see in the gospel a few texts about feet - as well as hands.

Let me start with hands and then get to feet. Hands and feet are quite similar - 26 bones in our feet - and 27 bones in each hand.

Jesus said,  “If your hands or your feet  cause you to sin, cut it off.” Metaphor of course. [Matthew 18: 8]

Jesus reached out and touched lots of people  - and healed them. “He touched a woman who was sick and the fever left her.” [Matthew 8:15] 

He healed the man with the shriveled hand [Matthew 12:10-12].

With Judas present, he said, “The one who dips his hand into the dish will betray me.” Matthew 26:23.

In  Mark 1:31, Jesus grasped a woman by the hand and lifted her up as he healed her. 

Took Jairus daughter by the hand and said Tailita Cumi  Mark 5: 41

He said to Thomas “Put your hand into my hand and into my side and believe.[John 20:25, 27]    The Pharisees were off on externals like washing  hands [Matthew 15:2]  Check John 24:29.

Then there are feet. They laid the sick at his feet and he healed them Matthew 15:30. They laid the sick at his feet and pleaded with him Mark 3:11 and  5:22.

Two times women touched Jesus’ feet. He goes to the house of a Pharisee, who is only interested in criticizing  him - so he does not provide Jesus with water to wash his feet after a dusty road. Then a woman comes in and washes his feet with water and her tears and dries them with her hair and kissed them. [Luke 7:44]  Another woman - in John 11: 2 - perfumed and dried with tears.  Men and women were not supposed to associate with each. Touch and hair were out.

Then in John 13 Jesus washed his disciples’ feet and kissed them 

THE JOURNEY

The great-grandfather in the nursing meets his great-grandson.  He’s in a wheelchair. They place little Toby in his arms. He smiles. Toby smiles. He reaches for Toby’s left foot - and rubs it and Toby likes it.

He thinks of his feet and ponders how many steps Toby will take before he’s a great-great grandfather.

He thanks God for the gift of feet - all the steps he took - once he learned to walk - especially because of the gift of his father helping him to take his first steps.

He thinks about podiatrists and foot doctors - and surgeons who work on ankles and broken toes and feet - and thanks God for them.

He thinks about those who practice reflexology and the good they can do for the whole body. Check out their maps.

The mysterious communion of life and touch.

FEET

Let me close with a moment in my life. 

I once met an old man - who said, “Every morning when my alarm goes off, I keep my eyes closed as I shut off my alarm. Then I wiggle my toes and if they wiggle, then I thank God for the gift of a new day of life.

From that I learned the “Wiggle your toes prayer.”  We can wiggle our toes any time of the day or the night and say, “Thank you God for the gift of life and for all the stairs I climbed and all the roads I have walked and all the people I have met on my journeys. Amen.

We can wiggle our toes anytime - at boring meetings, red lights - but be careful - and long sermons. Amen 

“NICE  HAIR  DO!”

“Your hair looks great!”

After Mass the priest stood there

shaking hands to a couple of hundred

people on their way out of church.

“Have a great week!”

“Why would you root for the Redskins?”

A Redskin jacket triggered that comment.

The priest was a Giant’s fan.

“Interesting glasses….”  He said that

to a tiny little girl - and she said, “Thank you!”

Next day - first thing Monday morning -

he got a call from an old lady, Mrs. Zadinsky:

“I want to thank you for the comment you

made about my hair on the way out of

church yesterday. You’re the only one

who noticed. That meant a lot to me.”

“Oh,” said the priest. “What you just said

means a lot to me. Thank you. By the way

nobody ever makes comments about my hair.”

“Cute,” said, Mrs. Zadinsky. “Cute!”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

May    16, 2019 

Thought for today: 

“I rather have a pastor that committed every horrible sin  and  repented, than a pastor that  has no place of reference to preach redemption to a packed chapel full of  sinners.”   

Shannon  L.  Alderon

Can one say this today?

JUST  SAY, “NO!”

No ....
No thanks ….

No way ….

Nobody here ….

Nothing wrong ….

Nothing you can say ….

No problem ....

No. No. Never ever, ever again ….
No - I just can't say, "No!"
Nonsense ....

No! ….

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019
Painting: "No (Red and Black)"
"Feel-Painting-No with Red", 1963

May    15, 2019 -

Thought for today: 

“Music … can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable.”  

Leonard Bernstein, 

The Unanswered Question, 

Harvard 1976

SEMI-EYE  CONTACT

100 or 200 times a day,

I have these quick - half-second -

semi-eye - connections - with

people I go by in my  life -  but really

maybe 1 or 2 a month - when I might

actually connect with someone -

really look them in the eye - otherwise

I’m all rush and all self - kind of

semi-unaware - actually - sorry -

with the different  people in my life.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019

TAKING  ANOTHER’S  PLACE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Taking Another’s Place.”

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Matthias: the disciple who won the lottery and got to take Judas’ place.

They drew lots and Mathias was chosen. 

I was thinking last night - after thinking about Matthias - taking another’s place is something to think about.  Matthias was different  than Joseph called Barsabbas - the two finalists. Sometimes you just have to say a prayer and roll the dice.  As today’s first reading puts it: “and the lot fell upon Matthias and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles.”

TWO QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT

When I take another’s place, what was that like for me?

When another takes another’s place, how do we deal with that situation?

THE FIRST QUESTION: ME

Have I ever been the new wife or husband or mother or father?  Have I ever been the new boss, the new teacher, the new supervisor?   What was that like? 

Have I ever experienced comparisons?  Have I ever been bad mouthed by folks - who say the person I replaced  was much better than I am?  How did that feel? What was my reaction?

SECOND QUESTION: WE

We have a new pastor coming here  by this August - what do our comments  about priests and pastors sound like?  Being a priest, I know this is a regular topic in a regular parish.

Do  I see the benefits of comparisons and contrasts? Do I make them learning experiences - like the difference between Pope Benedict and Pope Francis and Pope John Paul II - and Fathers John Hamrogue, Pat Flynn and Ted Heyburn?

Do I make comments about others without really knowing them? Do I give new people a chance?

Do I lose out when another person is in the pulpit or at the altar and I want someone else - so I don’t listen?

COMPARISONS: 3 QUOTES - JUST IN CASE THESE COMMENTS DON’T FLOAT

The issue of comparisons seems to be key to a lot of complaints and comments about others - who are up front.

Here are 3 quotes about comparisons to trigger some thinking about this topic of comparing others or oneself to others:

“Comparisons are the enemy’s way of telling you God cheated you.”

“A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it, it just blooms.”

“You’ll never look like the girl in the magazine.  The girl in the magazine will never look like the girl in the magazine.”

A CLOSING EXAMPLE - ON THE ISSUE OF COMPLAINTS

A pastor  had a special black book labeled, “Complaints of Members Against One Another.”  When a member of the congregation told him about the faults of another, he would say, ‘Here is my complaint book. I will write down what you say, and you can sign it.  Then when I have time I will take up the matter officially concerning this person.’  The sight of the open book and the ready pen had its effect. ‘Oh, no, I couldn’t  sign anything like that!’ they would say.  In 40 years this pastor never got anyone to write a line in it.”  [Voice of Truth]