THREE  MEN  IN   A   BOAT

Picture three men – one an old man – two in their mid 30’s.

There at a dock in the city of Tiberias. It’s around 4 pm.

They have rented out a small boat. They get in the boat and head out to the middle of the sea of Galilee.

There is a decent wind and they raise their sails.

They settle for a place in the deepest part of the Lake of Galilee – where it’s about 70 feet to the bottom.

Each of the three men  have a rock with a piece of calf skin or vellum tied around it. 

Each has writing on the calf’s skin they are holding – which is tied to the rock they are about to drop and  let sink into  the lake.

Each is going to give a small speech and then drop their rock into the depths of the sea – rocks which have their sins connected to them.

The youngest son goes first and says, “My brother, my dad, I’m sorry I ruined our family name with  all my sins in that far country I went to a couple of years ago. My motives for coming home were not the greatest.  I’m sorry I hurt both of you as well as myself, so thank you for forgiving me.

He dropped his rock into the water and all three watched it sink.

The oldest son went next. “I was the worst sinner – unwilling to forgive you dad for being so forgiving of my brother and for being so challenging to me. Plus, younger brother I’m sorry it took me so long to forgive you.”

He dropped his rock into the lake. All three watched it sink to the bottom.

Lastly, the father said, “Forgive me younger son for not coming after you.  And older son, forgive me for not giving you space and time – to figure all this out. I waited for your brother to wake up and come home, but I didn’t give you any time. Instead I came right after you. Please forgive me.”

Then he dropped his rock with his words on vellum into the lake.

And all 3 watched it sink to the bottom.

Carefully they all hugged each other and cried and laughed.

The older brother on the way back to shore and to get some breakfast asked his dad, “Why did you pick this lake to do this?”

“Oh,”  said the dad. “It was because of something Micah the Prophet said. ‘You, God, will cast into the depths of the  sea all our sins….’ Well, since it’s taking us all these years to let go of all of this hurt, I thought we needed God to give us some help in forgiving each other.”

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This is a reflection on the readings for this morning's Mass - the 2nd Saturday in Lent.

The gospel is the story of "The Prodigal Son" - Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32.  I've preached and written lots of different sermons and poems and reflections on this gospel - over the past 55 years. That's probably why I've done so many different  items.

The First Reading for today is Micah 7: 14-15, 18-20 - so that's where I got the idea in the last paragraph of this reflection. 

Amen.

March   14,  2020

POTATOES

If we all looked like potatoes,
how would that make us feel?
Picture or imagine that? Potatoes.

Strawberries, watermelons,

apples and oranges, some

of those don’t look too bad.

So when you’re sitting there
at the bus stop - look around.
Smile as you look at different faces.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2020

March  14, 2020

Thought for Today

 “More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones.”

Saint Teresa of Avila

THE   RED   KITE

Life is like a red kite flying over us - reminding us - of moments from our childhood - moments with our dads - who could do everything - like trying to get a red kite to fly - like trying to believe there is a God - like trying to believe there is life after this life - like after the grave.

March  13,  2020

THE   EAGLE 

AND  THE  RED KITE

The eagle twists and turns,

glides and slides across the

afternoon background  sky,

then soars straight into the sun

and the little girl  with just a red kite –

just a red kite -

realizes she can’t compete with

an eagle or the Rockettes or all

the adults in her world – ever ….

But what she doesn’t know now is:

the eagle will never know jump rope

or complain about algebra or love

the taste of pistachio ice cream

or shoot the basket that wins the

game or ends up as the homecoming

queen – at halftime of the most important

high school football game of her senior year.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2020

March  13,  2020 

Thought  for  Today 

 “It’s never too late – in fiction or in life – to revise.”  

Nancy Thayer

March  12,   2020

LYING  AT  THE  DOOR 

OF THE HUMAN HEART 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 2^nd Thursday in Lent  is, “Lying at the Door of the Human Heart.”

THE READINGS

Today’s two readings have some powerful thoughts.

The first reading has a mysterious text: Jeremiah 17: 9. “More tortuous than all else is the human heart,  beyond remedy; who can understand it?”

Hopefully, our hearts are not beyond redemption – not beyond remedy - that Christ is our brother – and all our brothers and sisters are welcome into our human heart.

They are  at our door invite them in. Welcome them in.

Then the gospel has this powerful parable – this story of Lazarus who  is lying at the doorstep of the rich man.  The rich man never opens up his heart or his house, his table or his chairs to the poor man.

Both die. Lazarus the poor man goes to the bosom of Abraham and the rich man goes to hell.

The rich man does have a change of heart. He begins to worry about others – asking Abraham to warn his 5 brothers to see and care for the poor – something he didn’t do while on earth.

These 2 readings – provide good Lenten reading – that the human heart can be a mixed and messed up center of a human being – especially when a person has closed or never invites  the unnoticed into his or her heart.

REDEMPTORISTS

St. Alphonsus  began the Redemptorists when he found out that priests in the Kingdom of Naples were not interested in the poor – unwashed – unnoticed goat herders – up in the hills and hovels of the Kingdom of Naples.

He was in Naples – working as a regular priest – but was overworking and got sick.  He was told to take a break – get some rest – down on the Amalfi Coast.

While there – someone knowing he was a priest – told him about the poor and neglected goat herders.

And that is how we started – to provide church for those who didn’t  have a church that was interested in them.

As Jesus said, “The poor – you always have them with us!”

But like Lazarus the poor man in today’s gospel, they are the unnoticed.

Last night I was thinking about the many Lenten soup suppers I went to. It was always easy to sit with people I knew or seemed friendly – the crowd sitting together and laughing. I’d get my soup. Now who to sit with. With soup in hand I could look around a hall and always spot the person by themselves or the person everyone avoids.

That was the person I headed for.

I remember preaching a mission in a small parish. On the left – every night – 1/3 back from the front  was “The Cat Woman.”

Nobody sat near her . They stayed 5 to 10 yards away. The whiff of cat and urine and smell was very strong.

I found out that various ladies in the parish tried to get her to shower and use deodorant. No luck. Different people feeling guilty would sit near her, but they would give up. I tried sitting next to her a night I wasn’t preaching.  Sorry to say, two nights later I sat close but far enough not to be gagged by her scent.

CONCLUSION

In the meanwhile, we ought to see who the unnoticed are. We need to give voice to the voiceless.

The truth will set us free.

Lazarus is at our door – or inside our church – or in our groups – or in our family – and we’re not giving them attention.

As Emma Lazarus wrote in her poem that is at the base of the Statue of Liberty, “We’ve got a place for you here in our country.”

As we sing, “All are welcome in this place.”

We’re lying if we don’t welcome all in our places.

If we don’t,  we’re in hell.

If we don’t,  the light in our torches has gone out.