DIFFERENT  PALM  SUNDAY

He had traveled down many streets before –

and roads and paths and ways as well.

But today – today would be different!

He hadn’t been on a donkey since

he was kid – before he could walk.

But today – today would be different.

He’d see faces he saw before, faces

that were question marks and periods.

But today – today would be different.

He would see faces that were exclamation points

and lips and voices that would be singing Hosanna.

But today – today would be different.

No parables, no miracles, no hands holding

rocks – no sons and daughters to be healed.

But today – today would be different.

He would go by the temple with  their money changers

and the birds of air in cages to be bought for sacrifice.

But today – today would be different.

He would go by the market places and see the

bread and wine for sale and people with pieces of silver.

But today would be different.

He’d be walking with Thomas with his doubts and Judas

with his plans for  a different way to be doing one’s life.

But today would be different.

He would be thinking of his Father – his mysterious will –

and what would be happening this whole week.

But this week – this week would be different.

He would see Peter with hand on his knife and fear

in his closed fist trying to figure out who this Man was.

But this week – this week would be different.

He’d have his Last Meal with his disciples, wash their feet, tell them it’s about washing each other’s feet and loving one another.

But that night  - that night would be different.

He’d see John pulling together the words he spoke and

his eyes were filled with the insights he had passed over.

But that night – that night would be different.

He’d notice where the garden was – where he’d need help

to finally let go – and at least an hour in prayer together.

But that night – that night would be different.

He’d see his arrest, the kiss, the mocking, the beating,

the dragging to jail by those who wanted to erase him.

But that night – that night would be different.

He’d see Pilate and Herod and the High Priests conspiring

together because of the envy and fear that choked them.

But this Friday – this Friday would be different.

He’d see the crowds screaming for his life

And Barabbas being given a second chance.

But this Friday – the Friday would be different.

He see the same  streets he was about to see today

again next Friday – but filled with blood and skin and tears.

But this Friday – this Friday would be different.

He saw himself nailed to the cross with Mary and his

friends weeping underneath him as he dies on the cross.

But this Friday – this  Friday would be different.

But this Palm Sunday – this moment - it was time to get

up on the donkey – and proceed to his last week.

But this day, this week, this Easter, this year, will be different.

© Andy Costello

Coronavirus 19 Week

April  5,  2020

CHOICE  OR  CONFORMITY

Why do we do what we do?

Do we really know or do we

do the things we do robotically?

There is such a thing as muscle memory.

Is there such a thing as choice memory?

Or do we just go with the flow or the crowd?

When it comes to reactions do we have

buttons that people push and  we laugh

or clap or vote the way others want us to?

Is the solution to self observe?

Is the issue: it all depends?

Is the solution, “Let’s go to the video tape?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2020

April  5, 2020 

Thought  for  Today 

“Sinatra. What's with this final curtain? Is God disturbed churches are packed Palm Sunday, Easter and Christmas and not in between? Will we feel the fateful lightening of his terrible swift sword? Is this Armageddon?”

Buck Malachi

April  4,  2020

JUST  WONDERING

How many times

has someone yelled at us

and we wonder where

that scream comes from 
and why they yelled at us

and we wonder if they

don’t know  either – but

maybe someone yelled

at them and they know

they better not yell back

at that person – and we

just happen to walk by at

that moment and maybe

that yell goes goes back

and back – a long way back -

to who knows where and why?

  

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2020

April 4, 2020

Thought  for  Today 

“Isolation is aloneness that feels forced upon you, like a punishment. Solitude is aloneness you choose and embrace.  I think great things can come out of solitude, out of going to a place where all is quiet except the beating of your heart.” 

Jeanne Marie Laskas,

Washington Post Magazine

THE   UGLY  WHISPER

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 5^th Friday in Lent  is, “The Ugly Whisper.”

The word that jumped out of today’s first reading for me was “whispering”.

Jeremiah – like many a prophet  - was experiencing a whispering campaign against him.

People denounce – announce – his missteps and mistakes to those around town.

We know he ends up in the pits – when he’s thrown in the cistern.

Hence the title and thought of my homily, “The Ugly Whisper.”

And Christ in these readings from John experiences the same whispering campaign against him. “Who do you think you are? God?

Sticks and stones break our bones – and words can really hurt us.

HAS IT HIT YOU YET – THIS PREACHING TO EACH OTHER?

Has it hit you yet, the difference in preaching to each other, compared to preaching to 100 or to the weekday 8 AM Mass group?

I have found myself hesitating a couple of times – whether to say something in a sermon – when it’s just us – just the 5 of us.

Preachers – hopefully - wonder at times - about what impact  something they are thinking about – might have.

When it’s 100 or 15 - then - we can sort of hide – in numbers.  We don’t aim our comments at any one person – because a homily is not a firing squad. It’s a chance to enter into and then out loud - a  reflection – with some folks – and someone might hear something that is challenging and insightful or helpful. This goes especially to the one who is doing the speaking.

The title of my homily is, “The Ugly Whisper.”

None of us want to be an ugly whisperer or find out there are ugly whispers about us – behind our back.

The second sorrowful mystery of the rosary can take place in our corridors or at our tables or in our cars.

PEOPLE!  THE NUMBER 1 TOPIC OF CONVERSATIONS

Right now, the  # 1 topic of conversation is the coronavirus 19 virus.

Throw in the president next – and then the weather – and then food – and sports depending on the community – or Brazil or North East – or an article in the New York Times or a retreat that’s going on – and we have a short list of our conversation topics.

I have said in larger settings – like 100 people – that the #1 topic of conversations is people.

People  - our foibles, our funny characteristics, our  uniqueness – stories about us is life.

Meals could be a boring experience  without talking about people.

There are people in our houses. There are people in our lives.

Morality  gets us  to look at motive as well as impact – so that’s why I added the adjective “Ugly”.  Put downs at another’s expense - how what we say effects another to their face or behind their backs- if we hear or hear about them is the challenge of this homily.

Smiley Blanton or one of those TV talking psychologists once said, “If you say Jack Jones is a nice guy – nobody responds – but if you say Jack Jones is a rotten selfish son of a b, then  the crowd starts throwing their  verbal stones at Jack Jones.

THE MORAL MOMENT OF HESITATION

A key learning for me -  from some sermon by someone - has to do with the inner moment we get a thought – or remember a story – about someone.  We’re in a group and we’re  talking about X Y or Z  – and we have a cute story about him. 

Should I or shouldn’t I? Should I tell it, repeat it or not.  When we have a strong sense of respect for others, there’s  a key moral moment here: I’ll   get a laugh but it will down or not elevate this other guy. When we hold our tongue from voicing that ugly whisper – that we grow in the virtue of respect for others. Amen.

7 SHORT ONE LINERS IN CONCLUSION

It’s  good for us to be together.

 It’s not good to be alone.

When together - conversations about people are fun and enjoyable.

The Golden Rule should be a door stopper: would what I am about to let out of the room my mind be something I would want said of me?

Lighten up.

And if I make the pulpit a bully pulpit – am I avoiding talking to each other in soft chairs – or at our tables with bread and wine in our hands?

When one preaches, say something that will get people thinking – as well as talking and busting the preacher after Mass and at breakfast.

                                      

________________O______________

Painting on top:

"Gossip" by Pol Ledent

April 3, 2020

BIRDS  OF  A  FEATHER

A bird gets hit by a car ….

Sometimes we see them like that -

on the road – Ooooh! And Jesus’ words

are remembered, “Not one of these falls

to the ground  without our Father noticing them.”

But what about the other birds?

Do they wonder where we are?

They used to sing with us, fly with us,

listen to phone calls on the wire with us.

Ooooh! Where are we when we disappear?

Who are they that miss us?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2020

Drawing was on a card
with the words.
"It's just not the same
without you ..."

Someone sent  that card after 

I left Annapolis.  Nice.